Part of Chicago is more dangerous than a war zone profiting from Barry deals and more, Chicago news roundup

Hello. Here’s the latest news you need to know about in Chicago. It’s about a five-minute read that briefly describes today’s biggest story.

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Violence in some parts of Chicago puts young men at greater risk than U.S. forces facing war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, study finds

For over a decade, some have used the word “chirak” (a mashup of Chicago and Iraq) to describe a city where violence makes some areas feel like a battlefield.

Now, researchers have found that some areas of Chicago are even more lethal for young men of military age than those faced by US soldiers in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The risk of death for men aged 18 to 29 in shootings in Chicago’s most violent zip code – 60624, a West Side neighborhood that includes Garfield Park – is, according to a study published in the Afghanistan War or Medicine journal, For Army Combat Brigade soldiers who fought in Iraq JAMA network opened.

“You fight in an Army combat brigade, come back and say, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been in the middle of it for a year, look at the risks I’ve faced,'” said the Brown University researcher. and a former NYPD who worked with three other academics to investigate violence in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles. “At Garfield Park, these young people face these risks every year. And the risks accumulate.”

Among men aged 18 to 29, the annual rate of gun homicides with code 60624 was 3.24 per 100,000 in 2021 and 2022, compared to 3.24 per 100,000 in 2021 and 2022, compared had an annual mortality rate of 1.7 per 100,000.

Even when the researchers expanded the sample to include Chicago ZIP Codes, which ranked in the top 10% of violence, young men still faced a higher risk of death than soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. was found in the survey..

Frank Mayne details the research and what its researchers recommend to help communities like Garfield Park.

MORE NEWS YOU NEED

• A Chicago man faces multiple child pornography charges in Cook County after the Federal Bureau of Investigation broke into encrypted media app Telegram and uncovered a national network of people who sexually exploit children. In all, at least 17 people were indicted. Read the full text here.
• Paul Ballas’ mayoral campaign received a financial boost last year from former police officer Richard E. Hagen, who was named in a costly civil suit resulting from the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. This support could fuel criticism from rivals and others that Valas is working too closely with police, write Dan Mihalopoulos and Tom Shuber.
• Three months after Mayor Lori Lightfoot approved Barry’s casino deal, the contractor’s daughter, who was expected to help oversee construction, was named Lightfoot’s campaign finance chair. This is just one example of well-connected people lining up to benefit from Lightfoot-approved schemes. Tim Novak and Robert Herguth explain further.
• A marketing firm owned by Ja’Mal Green, one of nine candidates in Chicago’s Feb. 28 election, has sued three lenders accused of turning a blind eye to fraud in a congressional report last year. of small businesses seeking COVID-19 relief loans. . Green says the government’s oversight of lenders is too lenient, but many small businesses that were turned down by traditional banks got the help they needed.
• The city has officially opened a temporary shelter for asylum seekers in Woodlawn. It’s a decision that has raised concerns with nearby residents, citing a lack of transparency from the city. Yesterday, at least two people tried to stop a bus carrying recently arrived migrants to shelters.
• FOP President John Cattanzara was yesterday accused of wasting union funds, alienating everyone, including the police union’s closest allies, and harming the rank-and-file police officers he is supposed to represent. Chicago Police Department veteran detective Bob Bartlett is looking to kick out the fiery union president, but he leveled the charges in our interview with Fran Spielman.
• Yesterday, hundreds of people gathered in the town of Woodstock, where the beloved comedy was filmed, to mark the 30th anniversary of the movie Groundhog Day. Woodstock has become an annual destination for “Groundhog Day” fans to relive the time-his loop where Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors finds himself. Some visitors traveled thousands of miles yesterday to celebrate the holidays in his quaint town of 25,000 in the Northwest. Chicago suburbs. Our David Strett details the festivities here.

bright things

Atsuko Okazuka starts off as an idiot

Last year was a real breakthrough for rising manga artist Atsuko Okazuka. Not only did she release her acclaimed debut stand-up on HBO, her comedy her special “The Intruder,” but she was also named one of Variety’s. 10 comics to watch last year.

Her path to success took her through a sometimes challenging childhood and some extraordinary changes. and lived without documents for seven years.

But now she’s happily living her comedy dream amid a tour focused on new material.

“This will be my first one-night performance in Chicago, so I’m looking forward to getting to know the city better and at least exploring the museums,” says Okatsuka. “Chicago loves comedy. A lot of the comedians I know are from Chicago and know their Chicago backgrounds, so yeah, I’m looking forward to a great comedy lover.”

Okatsuka took the reins of her stand-up career in 2012, producing the Disorient Comedy Tour alongside two other Asian female comics. Later in Los Angeles, she performed powerful comedies, as well as her unique appearance at the hipster venue Dynasty Typewriter and her interactive experience with audiences that Sunday afternoon in the “Go Day” series. , gained prominence on the local scene. Okatsuka has moved away from such looks, but she still defines being silly as an important part of her creative process.

“It’s always been silly to me. If silly tickles me, I go after it first,” she explains. “Then we try to find macros and ways to connect jokes to larger themes.

Carl Kozlowski is getting to know Okatsuka well ahead of his residency here in Chicago.

from press box

Your daily question ☕

Is the mayor of Chicago for or against? Please tell me the reason.

Send an email to newsletter@suntimes.com. We may feature your response in the next afternoon edition.

Yesterday we asked you: Where would you choose to be if you were destined to experience your own Groundhog Day scenario?

This is what some of you said…

“I’m stuck in a White Sox game. Eight times. The Sox are winning and I’m enjoying the funnel cake. If it wasn’t for Old Man’s Winter, I could do it every day.” Charlotte Taylor Powers

“My wedding day! One of the best days of my life. I had so much fun and got to hang out with all the people I love the most! Day, but 20 years later, my wife is still as wonderful and beautiful as she was on her wedding day!” — Derek Mathis

“Ireland’s west coast with stone cottages, chimneys and grass farms with thatched roofs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. — Craig Verner

“My mother’s backyard surrounded by family, grandchildren playing in the background.” — Sandra Judith

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