Le Journal

This is the “glimpse of the future.”That’s the term Arturas Karnisovas used the last time he spoke to the media when discussing the way the Bulls closed out the 2024-25 campaign with a 15-5 record, and how the executive vice president of basketball operations thought that would have legs going into this season.Like he has far too often in his exec chair, however, he was wrong.Even with impressive back-to-back showing by the offense this week against undermanned opponents, the Bulls are a 21-22 product, residing in play-in game territory yet again, and doing so with the Feb. 5 trade deadline bearing down on the Association.And as far as that “glimpse of the future,” it is playing out to be more of a mirage, as Karnisovas was counting on a jump in the standings and a roster that gave him options. The jump is more of déjà vu from seasons past, while the options have dried up a bit because of injuries and inconsistencies.“We have flexibility as we have many players going into free agency next year,” Karnisovas continued. “We will be able to evaluate long-term fits while staying competitive.”Again, not exactly playing out like Karnisovas thought. Yes, there are six free agents – possibly seven with Dalen Terry’s rookie deal expiring – so financial flexibility will be found, but the days of having a bag full of cash and taking it to the free-agent store are over.Most teams lock up their homegrown talent and then use sign-and-trades to move outgoing free agents. That route is always a possibility and viable, but it also requires Karnisovas to be creative, which hasn’t exactly been his strong suit in his tenure.The real gut-punch in all of this? The Bulls continue to be the model of how not to conduct the business of basketball, especially the last two years.At this point in the season in 2024, the Bulls were sitting at No. 9 in the East, while a team like Toronto was five games behind them and Detroit was residing in the basement. Fast forward to the now and the Raptors are currently the No. 4 seed while the Pistons are a conference-best 31-10.Last year at this point, the Bulls were in the No. 10 spot, while injured and tanking Philadelphia was behind them. The 76ers now sit at 23-19, and the one season dip allowed them to grab standout 20-year-old rookie VJ Edgecombe and team him with the face of the franchise in All-Star Tyrese Maxey.Memo to Karnisovas: Take a look in the rearview mirror and be prepared to again pullover quickly because there are several more teams poised to pass the stagnant Bulls moving forward. Atlanta – Unlike the Bulls, the Hawks have finally come to their senses in understanding draft capital, fleecing New Orleans on draft night in the Derik Queen trade, while also getting out from underneath the Trae Young contract to free up $71 million for the summer.What that means is Atlanta could hit lottery gold with a Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or an AJ Dybantsa, have the rights to Cleveland’s first-round pick, have a budding star in Jalen Johnson, and money to add. Charlotte – The LaMelo Ball contract is still an albatross on the franchise, but if they can somehow move the talented and unserious point guard and focus on building around Brandon Miller and rookie Kon Knueppel, it won’t take long for the Hornets to lap the Bulls.One more dip into this talented ’26 draft class might be just what the doctor ordered for Charlotte to put an end to being a laughingstock. Indiana – Enjoy the down year for a Pacers team that was in the NBA Finals last season. Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear might become a blessing, as the core is locked up through the 2027-28 campaign and they are expected to add another very talented piece currently sitting in the top three of the lottery.Haliburton, Boozer and Pascal Siakam, anyone?

"Le Groenland se trouve dans un endroit stratégique. On en a besoin pour des questions de sécurité", a martelé Donald Trump ce mercredi 21 janvier...

When federal agents arrived in Minneapolis, Chicagoans Emily Hilleren and Lauren Vega kept doing what they had been doing for months: getting their hands on as many whistles as they could find.They assembled care package containing 5,000 whistles, zines with illustrated instructions on how to use the whistles to warn neighbors of the presence of ICE, 10,000 know-your-rights cards and $9,000 in donations for community organizations in Minneapolis.“We loaded up my hatchback,” said Hilleren, an Albany Park resident, as she got ready to set up for a whistle party in Minneapolis after the two made the hourslong drive Friday night.As thousands of federal agents arrived in Minnesota in the latest chapter in President Donald Trump's deportation campaign, Chicagoans are once again stepping up to assist cities facing the same fight they fought last year.‘Sense of camaraderie’Chicago started by learning from Los Angeles, where the Trump administration's first waves of immigration operations began, said Teresa Magaña, co-founder of Pilsen Arts & Community House. The city paid it forward when U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino sent agents to North Carolina, quickly sending anything that made a sound to continue the alert system.Magaña designed the zine instructing people on how to use whistles to alert the presence of ICE. The zines have been copied nationally.“People shouldn’t be shy or even hesitate to reach out. People are more than willing to go above and beyond with the resources and information,” Magaña said. “There’s this immediate sense of camaraderie. We know each other even though we don’t know each other.” Related As immigration enforcement surges in North Carolina, Chicagoans share advice, whistles To stand up to ICE agents, some Chicagoans are arming themselves with whistles She said creating a template for the whistle system helped replicate the work in other cities. “The powerful thing is because we’re following the same template, it’s made it more consistent,” Magaña said. Teresa Magaña, co-founder of the Pilsen Arts & Community House, stands outside the Pilsen facility last October.Talia Sprague/For the Sun-Times Hilleren starting making online orders for whistles in the early fall. Soon, she was hosting parties as part of the “Whistlemania” around the community, namely at Nighthawk, a cafe and bar. ‘They could turn out thousands’Many cleared out stores of whistles, while others found a more reliable, cheaper, option — making the whistles themselves.Vega began to print the whistles with her 3D printer and was able to bring 200 homemade whistles to the first party she attended.Word spread via social media, and soon Hilleren and Vega were connecting with others who had been doing the same.“I had a small printer, so I could put out a couple hundred, but they could turn out thousands," Vega said. Two different kinds of whistles are 3D printed by different people Hilleren and Vega have worked with over the last few months to create and ship out whistles to cities in need.Provided Among them was Dan Sinker, an Evanston-based writer, who said he has been into 3D printing since its early days.Sinker also first turned to online sellers for the first few hundred whistles he distributed.But when he learned about Hilleren and Vega’s work, he bought a printer that could produce 800 whistles from one roll of filament, which retails for about $12 — the price of about 50 whistles on online marketplaces.“In five days I produced more whistles than I ever was able to find and purchase over the course of the fall, and for a significantly lower price,” Sinker said.‘No other option’With an increased capacity, and growing demand as ICE operations expanded, Hilleren and Vega began taking email orders from other locales. Pilsen Arts & Community House did the same after receiving four donated 3D printers.Between Hilleren, Vega and the folks they've worked with, as well as Magaña's group, they have now shipped collectively more…

Cliff Rome is obsessed with stories. The 53-year-old Chicago chef, who jokingly refers to himself as “Unc,” does indeed radiate the qualities of a favorite uncle. He appreciates food, family and friends. He also loves old school music from artists like Miles Davis and the Isley Brothers and reminiscing about the past.On a cold Monday afternoon in January, I joined the Englewood native at his Bronzeville restaurant, Peach’s.The 47th Street soul food spot was closed for the day, but as chefs started prepping food for the week, Rome shared a booth and stories from his past. Green Room Newsletter You’re subscribed!Please check your inbox for your confirmation. Stay ahead of what’s hitting Chicago stages, galleries, museums and more with Green Room, WBEZ’s weekly arts & culture newsletter! Sorry, there was an error registering your email. Email Sign Up By subscribing, you agree with WBEZ’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy He told stories about watching his grandmothers in Michigan and New Orleans turn the bounty from their gardens into delicious food. These memories continue to inspire him creatively.“My dad's side of the family is from New Orleans, and my mom's side of the family is from Michigan, right?” he said. “So there's a battle a lot of times around, like, who makes the best food, period. So when I think about cuisine, I'm also thinking about my grandmothers.”Fast forward to today, Rome is an accomplished chef leading one of the most anticipated projects in Chicago culinary history.Along with the food services management group Bon Appétit Management Co., Rome will head up a fine dining restaurant, cafe, and catering services at the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center when it opens later this year in Jackson Park.The 19-acre campus will feature a museum, art galleries, library and athletic facilities. And while you may not associate a museum cafeteria with stellar cuisine, some recent projects are raising expectations. Take, for example, the runaway success of Sweet Home Cafe at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is changing perceptions of dining in cultural complexes. The 19-acre Obama Presidential Center will feature a museum, art galleries, library and athletic facilities.Candace Dane Chambers/Chicago Sun-Times But Rome doesn’t feel the pressure to compete with the Smithsonian’s food program. He says the Obama Center isn't in the business of selling food, but rather creating experiences for diners.“I think that we have a unique opportunity to tell a story and be the narrators of that story around not just the president and all his accomplishments, but how the community helped put him in the Oval Office, right? And not just Chicago communities but communities across the country,” Rome said.It is at this intersection of food and community where Rome’s culinary vision and the Obama Center collide.“I think President Obama clearly has his own story, and we incorporate into that, right? He's been a narrator of what to expect, because this is his legacy. I think we are part of that legacy — the South Side of Chicago, particularly in the Kenwood, Woodlawn, South Shore areas.”A chef inspired by the South SideRome says his grandmother’s love for food and the hours he spent as a child in her lively, rhythmic kitchen, inspired him to pursue a career in cooking. As a kid growing up on the South Side of Chicago, there was no shortage of food inspiration.“I think food culturally has so many different touch points, because chicken, for example, you can make chicken a gazillion different ways,” Rome said. “At the end of the day, it's still chicken, right? But the stories that are attached to it, man, I had the best fried chicken at [the former South Side soul food destination] Army & Lou’s when I was 8-years-old. Or I had smothering chicken over here, and, like, it's still chicken, but it's how you incorporate it. That’s the uniqueness.” Rome says his grandmother’s love for food and the hours he…