How Johnson and Vallas became rivals for mayor, COVID’s lasting impact on hospitals and more in your Chicago news roundup

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about an eight-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

— Matt Moore (@MattKenMoore)

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This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with a high near 44 degrees. Some rain possibly mixed with snow is expected tonight with a low near 34. Tomorrow will also see some rain and snow with a high near 38. And Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 47.

Top story

How Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas grew into rivals for mayor of Chicago

As the April 4 runoff draws closer, the Sun-Times and WBEZ have teamed up to take an in-depth look into the lives and careers of the two men vying to be Chicago’s next mayor.

One of them started out as a boy in Roseland before moving with his family to the southwest suburbs. The other was raised in far west suburban Elgin before moving to Chicago’s West Side after he married.

Despite following very different paths, both now have their sights trained on Chicago’s City Hall.

Paul Vallas

If you ask those close to Paul Vallas to describe the man behind the headlines of his four-decade career, you’ll get a portrait of a complex figure: one who is an “accessible,” “incredibly honest” visionary, but who can be “impulsive,” and at times a “fish out of water” with a propensity for “temper tantrums.”

That range of opinion is only fitting for the sometimes controversial figure who has taken a winding path from a shy boy with a severe stutter in the Roseland neighborhood, to the head of Chicago Public Schools — and now the cusp of the fifth floor of City Hall.

Supporters and opponents alike tend to agree on at least a couple descriptors for the 69-year-old mayoral contender: a “ball of energy” with a deep well of public policy ideas. They also often note a sincere desire to benefit different communities — and a temper that can flare upon others who aren’t up to the task.

After a series of political campaigns that all ended in defeat until Feb. 28, Vallas now finds himself in a runoff, where Chicagoans will weigh not only his record, but also his temperament and leadership style when deciding whether he’s fit for Chicago’s highest office.

Our Mitchell Armentrout and WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel dive into Vallas’ background and how he got to this moment.

Brandon Johnson

Along with his political aspirations and his progressive beliefs, Brandon Johnson’s faith seems to permeate most facets of his life.

His faith led him to his wife. It helped shape his upbringing. And it permeates the message he shares in auditoriums and debate stages as he vies to become the next Chicago mayor — at times treating his audience more like a congregation.

Opting out of a future in the church for a career in public service, Johnson rose in the ranks of the Chicago Teachers Union, the powerful union that propelled his bids for elected office and endorsed his mayoral campaign before he even formally announced his candidacy.

The campaign has rocketed Johnson from a little-known Cook County commissioner to a leading contender for the city’s top job — a post he previously tried to help others win. It has also put Johnson, who was first elected to public office in 2018, in a spotlight he’s never experienced before — with his past, his words and campaign promises scrutinized on a daily basis.

Our Tina Sfondeles and WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg look into Johnson’s past and trace his path to the runoff.

More news you need

• Sticking with the runoff, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will headline a pre-election rally at the UIC Forum next Thursday to help Johnson energize his base and boost turnout among young people. Meanwhile, former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced today that he is endorsing Vallas.
• In the three weeks since Chicago voters narrowed a crowded field of mayoral candidates to two, Vallas has raised $5.6 million in campaign contributions to Johnson’s $3.9 million. Our Lauren FitzPatrick and Jesse Howe break down the candidates’ campaign contributions in the runoff.
• Black employees for the Illinois Tollway expressed outrage last August over a rope hung in a locker room at the agency’s Alsip maintenance yard, saying it resembled a noose. A coworker who hung the rope claimed it was “a joke” referencing “The Silence of the Lambs.”
• Loved ones are mourning the loss of 78-year-old Zainab Suboh, who, while riding in an SUV with her family Tuesday night, was killed by a speeding driver. The driver was allegedly speeding from a locksmith — and an unpaid bill — when he slammed into the SUV carrying Suboh, her husband, their son, his wife and their three children. Our Mohammad Samra has more on Suboh and the tragic collision.
• The mother of Seamus Gray, an 18-year-old missing naval recruit in Waukegan, is pleading for help from the public as the search widened yesterday with help from U.S. Navy investigators. “I would like everybody’s help to find my son,” said Kerry Gray, who traveled from Florida after the Navy notified her about the disappearance of her son.
• A Chicago police officer who was shot in the spine at a Beverly bar last year has sued the alleged gunmen and the bar owner, claiming lax security and violations of city licenses led to a violent melee outside the tavern. Our Andy Grimm has more on the suit.
• Local youth development organization BUILD Chicago is welcoming the city’s young folks to a new, 50,000-square-foot headquarters in Austin. The youth and family center is free and open to the public, offering everything from a gym, garden and computer lab, to private showers, laundry facilities and more. All services offered were requested by nearby residents, BULD Chicago said.

COVID-19: Three years later

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

‘We nearly broke the system’: Hospitals face staff exodus, violence three years into pandemic

At the three-year anniversary of the coronavirus shutting down Illinois, the pandemic has ebbed, but Chicago area hospitals are struggling to cope with the vastly altered health care world the plague left behind.

“COVID has changed many things,” said Dr. Jamie Moreno, head of emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. “We’re still reeling from it.”

While some of the public might be trying to forget COVID, that is not a luxury the medical community can indulge in.

Exodus of staff is the No. 1 problem cited by hospital administrators in Chicago and nationwide.

“A lot of burnout,” said Moreno. Mount Sinai, almost always 10% understaffed, is even lower on “bad days,” with 30%, even 40% fewer personnel on hand than necessary.

“Unprecedented,” he said. “People are stressed out. A lot of nurses have stepped away, leaving a lot of holes. Not just in my hospital but hospitals around the country.”

In addition to the physical and emotional demands of providing care during an unpredictable plague, not to forget the risk and experience of contracting COVID themselves, often multiple times — Moreno has had it twice — health care workers are facing the threat of rising violence from the people they are trying to care for.

Our Neil Steinberg and Ashlee Rezin have more with health care workers and the challenges they’re facing.

A bright one

Wilco residency filled with the familiar and the new in country-infused opener at the Riv

Hometown heroes Wilco launched their spring tour with the first of a three-night stand at the Riviera Theatre last night. Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates will complete the series this weekend, with an enticement for devotees attending all three concerts: An entirely different show is promised each night.

The self-imposed restriction meant that audience members would not get a heavy dose of tracks from Wilco’s latest album, “Cruel Country” last night. The sprawling double album’s “I Am My Mother” was nonetheless a highlight early in the set, with imagery of migrants seeking better lives.

On the title track, Tweedy expressed a childlike love for his homeland without omitting a wry reflection on its faults. “All you have to do is sing in the choir, set yourself on fire every once in a while,” he sang.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Despite Tweedy’s roots in alternative country, the experimental and evolving Wilco has long resisted categorization as a country band. Twenty-eight years following its debut album “A.M.,” Wilco embraced the format last night when playing material from “Cruel Country.” Drummer Glenn Kotche played a lively two-step beat for “A Lifetime to Find,” while Cline played weeping lap steel.

The band then offered a glimpse into what a studio rehearsal might encompass. Tweedy conferred briefly with his bandmates before saying good-naturedly, “We’ll just try it again.” The rebooted song went without a hitch. “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” chestnut “Ashes of American Flags” followed, crowned by a transcendent jam.

Jeff Elbel has a full review of how the night went down.

From the press box

• The White Sox confirmed today that Dylan Cease will be their Opening Day starter next Thursday.
• White Sox manager Pedro Grifol has an important task: Keep third baseman Yoan Moncada motivated. With Moncada back from the WBC, Daryl Van Schouwen looks at how Grifol plans to do that.
• The Cubs’ recent camp cuts include Matt Mervis, David Bote and Nelson Velazquez.

Your daily question☕

If you could go back to the start of the pandemic knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently?

Send us an email at newsletters@suntimes.com and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: Work from home is one pandemic trend that’s not going away. Which do you prefer — working from home or in the office? Tell us why.

Here’s what some of you said…

“I was working exclusively from home for over a decade before it was cool, ditched the office for a commute down the stairs from my bedroom in a t-shirt and shorts or sweat pants. Coffee is much better at home, too.” — Kirk Melhuish

“Office — the commute creates a rhythm to the day and puts healthy boundaries between work and home. I find working from home is more distracting because there are so many other interests that I could be engaged in. The office allows for focus and mostly in-person touchpoints with coworkers. No Teams, text or email can take the place of an interactive conversation.” — Joel Marhoul

“Sometimes I like to go into the office, some days I prefer to work at home. What I prefer is to be treated like an adult who can make decisions about how to maximize his productivity.” — Matthew Michel

“I like the hybrid version of this. You come to the office one or two days a week. This gives you a chance to see your co-workers and feel a part of the team. The other days, you work at home. No commuting stress. It’s the best of both worlds.” — Howard Moore

“Home! No commuting back and forth which means more time with my family and a tiny bit more money in my pocket. Plus I’m more productive when I’m in the comfort of my own home.” — Lauren Orozco

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