Le Journal

With Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong watching from courtside Tuesday night at the United Center, Bulls guard Coby White gave them a show.Putting on the type of shooting display that largely has been missing this season because of his time on the sideline with multiple calf injuries, White finished with a game-high 27 points, matching his season high in a 138-110 victory over the Clippers.His run started with a three-pointer less than three minutes into the game and culminated with five more in the fourth quarter — four in relatively quick succession as the Bulls ran away with the game and the crowd went into a frenzy. White finished 6-for-10 (60%) from three-point range as the Bulls tied a franchise record with 25 threes total.The more he plays since returning from his latest calf issue, the more White is starting to resemble the version of himself that took off after the All-Star break last season. After sinking seven three-pointers Sunday in a win over the Nets, he looked spry Tuesday and got a standing ovation as he left the court.“I’m just happy for him because it’s been a long road back for him,” coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s hard. You miss an entire training camp. You miss part of the ending part of the summer. You’re trying to get yourself back in shape, [and] you do start playing, [but] your body doesn’t feel great because you haven’t built up that endurance.”White, who becomes a free agent after this season and is the subject of trade speculation, said he worked on his shot prep the most during his recent slump and also watched film of himself from last season to find differences in the types of shots he was taking.“You’ve got to have confidence that you’re gonna get back to who you are,” he said. “It starts with stuff that I can control. Then, if you check those boxes, you live with the result.”The Clippers, with the oldest roster in the NBA, struggled to keep up, but without All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard, their offensive attack slowed tremendously in the second half. The playmaking responsibilities fell to guard James Harden, who led them with 24 points. Forward John Collins scored 23.The second half wasn’t all spectacular for the Bulls (21-22), who initially showed why they’re stuck in the middle. They didn’t begin the quarter with the same attentiveness and were burned with two quick threes that forced Donovan to call a timeout. They regrouped quickly, however, and regained control.Forward Matas Buzelis finished with 21 points. Center Nikola Vucevic chipped in 19.Three weeks remain until the trade deadline, and the Bulls likely have many decisions to make before then. White, their most attrac-tive trade piece, is the type of player who would mesh on most teams because of his shot-making ability and size at guard.After dismantling the Clippers, who were playing the second game of a back-to-back, the Bulls travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Thursday, with games against the Celtics and Heat coming up.

Farragut vs. North Lawndale was once one of the hottest and most important rivalries in the city. The programs were powerhouses for decades under prominent coaches William ‘‘Wolf’’ Nelson at Farragut and Lewis Thorpe at North Lawndale.Nelson and Thorpe were pillars of their schools and communities, and basketball success was an extension of their influence.Both programs are now in transition. Nelson retired from coaching a few years ago and is the Admirals’ athletic director. The school named its gym after him last year. Former Farragut star Emmanuel Little took over as coach.Thorpe died unexpectedly in 2018. The Phoenix had a few coaches after that before Thorpe’s son Stephen, a North Lawndale graduate and former player, took over the program this season.The teams are thin on players and victories. The Admirals dressed nine players for the game Tuesday and the Phoenix eight. But there is still some talent.North Lawndale picked up a 75-67 victory at Farragut behind big games from senior Arnez Jones and junior Thomas Hayes.Jones, a 6-5 wing, is one of the most promising little-known seniors in the area. He displayed a real flair for passing and finished with 21 points and 18 rebounds.‘‘I’m just playing hard on defense and moving the ball and trusting my teammates,’’ Jones said. ‘‘It’s a new coach and a new environment, but it has been good. I’m in the gym every day, working. This is our turning point. We started slow, but we can finish the season strong.’’ Related Lewis Thorpe’s loving, lasting legacy Successful, respected North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe dies at 56 West Side legend William ‘Wolf’ Nelson retires after 33 seasons at Farragut Hayes, a 6-1 guard, scored 29 points, including seven in a 10-0 burst to open the second half that gave the Phoenix (7-8, 3-4 Red West) a 47-34 lead. Farragut, however, roared back and led 66-63 after a three-point play by senior guard Latrell Kelley with 5:17 left.‘‘We just had to stay mentally in the game and not let the crowd or anything else distract us,’’ Hayes said.North Lawndale responded with an 8-0 run to take control again.‘‘We’ve been working on the unselfishness,’’ Stephen Thorpe said. ‘‘[Jones and Hayes] are great scorers, so they bring the attention. We are working on making the next pass and believing in each other. We did that very well today.’’The Phoenix have had some difficulty scheduling games because they share a gym with Collins, but the slate is picking up now. North Lawndale coach Stephen Thorpe looks on during the game against Farragut.Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times ‘‘This is a big moment for us,’’ Thorpe said. ‘‘We have two more games this week. I knew there would be a time where we turned the corner, and it is better to have that close to the city playoffs. We are in a good place now.’’Kelley led the Admirals (6-12, 2-4) with 32 points and seven rebounds. He’s a four-year varsity starter whose game has matured. He’s making good decisions with the ball and controlling the tempo.Kelley got some attention from colleges and the media as a young player, but that drifted away as Farragut began to struggle.‘‘Right now, I’m a little bit frustrated just because we’ve had tough losses,’’ Kelley said. ‘‘We lost to Marshall and Manley in tough ones and another one tonight. But we are getting better. We need to work on the little things, like boxing out and knowing when to foul and when not to foul. And the two technicals at the end really hurt us.’’

A crew of six armed robbers broke into a jewelry store in the 2600 block of West Devon Avenue in West Ridge about 7:23 p.m. Sunday, police said.The offenders stole merchandise from the store’s display cases and fled in a white SUV and a black SUV, according to police.No injuries were reported, and no one is in custody. Detectives are investigating.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital is among several hospitals being referred by Trump administration officials for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services office of inspector general, prompting them to further restrict gender-affirming care.Health and Human Services General Counsel Mike Stuart announced the referral for investigation on social media Jan. 15, naming five other hospitals: Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware; Boston Children’s Hospital; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; New York University Langone Health; and Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Oregon.In a statement to WBEZ on Tuesday afternoon, Lurie Children’s Hospital said it won't give any prescriptions to patients younger than 18 who would be new to gender-affirming care at its hospital, including if they had previously been prescribed the care at another hospital. Lurie has one of the oldest gender-affirming programs in the country.“Actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including their announcement on January 15th of a referral for an investigation of Lurie Children’s, have resulted in this decision,” hospital spokesperson Julianne Bardele wrote. “This threatens our ability to care for all of our patients. … We remain committed to our patients and families and their ability to access expert medical care.”Bardele declined to confirm whether the HHS inspector general's office is investigating Lurie.Under the Trump administration, the federal agency has claimed gender-affirming care is “harmful,” putting it at odds with dozens of major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.Some Trump administration moves have led many hospitals across the nation, including in the Chicago area, to cut treatment for thousands of patients out of fear of reprisals from the federal government, including Lurie’s.Early last year, Lurie Children’s stopped performing gender-affirming surgeries for patients younger than 19 after President Donald Trump signed several executive orders targeting the care, prompting protests from patients and advocates. Many of Lurie’s patients were referred for surgery to nearby Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which then canceled their appointments. Related Chicago hospitals are scaling back trans care for youth. A rapid response team is stepping in. Illinois joins suit after feds threaten billions in funding over Trump order targeting trans people — again Trans ex-Cubs employee sues, alleges discrimination, silence on harassment Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has signed on to several lawsuits with his counterparts against the administration for its various attacks on the care, including prior threats of federal investigations into local hospitals; threats to pull Title IX funding from schools, prisons and other programs; and pushing to wipe out Medicare and Medicaid funding for institutions that provide the care.In a lawsuit filed by Raoul and 11 other attorneys general this month, they said the purpose of the administration’s “discriminatory” attempts to restrict gender-affirming care “is to exclude transgender, intersex, nonbinary, and gender-diverse individuals and make denial of their existence official policy.”

An estimated 100,000 ride-hailing app drivers with Uber and Lyft could be allowed to unionize in Illinois under a new bill filed Tuesday in Springfield.If passed, the Illinois Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act would allow gig workers to bargain with the rideshare companies for better pay, benefits and working conditions.Under federal law, rideshare drivers are considered independent contractors — not employees — and are not allowed to unionize. Under the bill, drivers would still be considered independent contractors, but would have the right to unionize and bargain for a contract.Bill sponsor, state Sen. Ram Villivalam, thanked a coalition of drivers under the Illinois Drivers Alliance who have been pushing for years for better working conditions."We want to make sure that we are a state that continues our record of standing with workers," Villivalam said Tuesday at a news conference announcing Senate Bill 2906 at SEIU Local 1's office in the Aon Center. Villivalam is co-sponsoring the bill with state Rep. Yolonda Morris, also a Chicago Democrat. Illinois Drivers Alliance members cheer during a news conference Tuesday at the SEIU Local 1 office in the Loop.Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times Last year, the Illinois Drivers Alliance struck a deal with Uber to stop its push for better pay and working conditions in Chicago's City Council in exchange for the company agreeing not to oppose a state bill to allow unionization.That bill, filed at noon Tuesday, would allow drivers to negotiate with Uber and Lyft over a number of areas: pay, benefits, the ability to create an appeals process over deactivations, paid leave and a driver's right to specific trip information.The bill follows similar ones passed in Massachusetts in 2024 and last fall in California.Uber spokesman Josh Gold said he had not seen the bill and could not comment on it."In general we expect to be able to work with the legislature and other stakeholders on a bill that sets up a pathway to organizing for independent contractors," Gold said in an email.Lyft did not immediately reply to a request for comment.Rideshare drivers associated with the alliance said they hope that unionization grants them the power to address inequities they say the apps perpetuate. Several of them said they plan to travel to Springfield Wednesday to advocate for the bill during the opening days of this year's legislative session.David Crane, a rideshare driver for eight years, said he has been locked out of ride-hailing apps without warning in an opaque, computer- driven process without the right to appeal. He said the apps drive down pay by using algorithms to pit drivers against each other in what amounts to a reverse auction."Multiple drivers are offered the same ride, and whoever accepts the lowest pay wins," Crane said. "Drivers are told this is flexibility. But in fact, it is unilateral control without accountability."SEIU Local 1, one of the unions behind the bill and the driver's alliance, explained how unionization could play out:If the bill becomes law, the Illinois Drivers Alliance would be required to get 10% of active rideshare drivers to sign union cards.An active driver will be defined 90 days after the bill passes, when the companies provide a list of all drivers who had at least five rides in the past six months. A driver with at least the median number of rides, derived from that list, will be considered active.Once that bar is reached, the alliance must obtain signatures from 30% of all rideshare drivers — from a "full list" provided by the rideshare companies — for a union to be recognized. Bargaining will be done statewide, and paying dues to the union will be voluntary, according to SEIU Local 1.The bill would protect drivers from retaliation for organizing, and would create a rideshare fee to cover representation and education.