Program for suicidal kids struggles amid a youth mental health crisis, ComEd bribery trial spotlights Madigan and more in your Chicago news roundup

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 10-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

— Matt Moore (@MattKenMoore)

This afternoon will be cloudy with some flurries and a high near 33 degrees. Expect similar weather tonight with a low near 20. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high near 36.

Top story

Illinois lifeline program for suicidal kids struggles amid a youth mental health crisis, staffing shortages

The slight 13-year-old in an oversized white shirt sits at a round table in a sparse conference room at his school on the Southwest Side.

Randy Sadler, a paramedic of sorts for kids in emotional distress, sits across from the boy and says he has some questions. The boy’s dark brown bangs hang over his eyes. His mother and two adults from his school are there, too.

“Do you feel suicidal at this moment?” Sadler asks, telling the boy it’s OK no matter what his answer is.

He has in the past, the boy admits, but not right now. Sadler probes a little deeper, knowing the boy told the counselor he had been suicidal. He asks: “Do you have a plan? Are you anxious?” The weight is on Sadler to make a potentially life-or-death decision: Is this child safe to go home?

Every day in Illinois, specialists like Sadler are called in to schools, hospitals and homes to make these decisions. They’re on the front lines of the state’s child mental health crisis. Simmering for years, it’s been supercharged by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Illinois, the percentage of children showing up at hospital emergency departments with suicidal thoughts rose nearly 60% over nearly six years ending in 2021, according to a study involving Lurie Children’s Hospital.

Twenty years ago, the state of Illinois developed a safety net for low-income children who face a mental health crisis and have Medicaid health insurance or no insurance at all. The state works with more than two dozen nonprofits, including Ada S. McKinley Community Services, where Sadler works, to try to quickly assess and find help for these children after a call is made to a hotline. The program is called Screening, Assessment and Support Services, or SASS.

Illinois mental health providers say the program offers families an essential lifeline.

But a six-month investigation by WBEZ has found that the state is failing to ensure that thousands of children get any follow-up help, let alone the type of intensive behavioral health support many need. Amid a youth mental health crisis and staffing shortages, the safety net is buckling. SASS workers don’t have enough places to send kids in distress.

“This is all being funded by all of our tax dollars, and it’s a total mess,” said Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert, who represents children in foster care, some who have gone through SASS.

WBEZ’s Sarah Karp and Kristen Schorsch have more on the program’s struggles.

More news you need

• Michael J. Madigan will likely never step foot in the federal courtroom where four former political power players are about to face trial, accused of trying to bribe the longtime Illinois House speaker to benefit ComEd. But the case starting tomorrow is all about Madigan. And once it’s underway, it is expected to pull back the curtain on an aggressive federal investigation that reshaped Illinois politics. Read Jon Seidel’s full preview of the trial.
• Tomorrow also marks the first day that the Illinois Supreme Court will hear oral arguments that will determine the future of cash bail in the state. WBEZ’s Shannon Heffernan breaks down the five things to know as the Safe-T Act goes before the court.
• A weekend bargaining session has led to a tentative agreement on a contract for concessions workers at the United Center, averting a possible strike. A spokesman for Unite Here Local 1, which represents about 700 workers at the arena, said members will vote on the proposed contract Friday.
• In the 75 years since the Sun-Times was founded, no story has been as consistent as the mercurial Chicago weather. From polar deep freezes to scorching summer noons — plus howling blizzards, flash floods, killer tornados and the rare gorgeous spring day, not to forget March’s entrance like a lion and exit like a lamb — no other topic has been as personal or carried as much practical importance to readers as the weather. Neil Steinberg explores how we’ve covered the city’s weather.
• “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was the dominant champion of the 95th Academy Awards last night, with a total of seven wins: best picture, best director and best original screenplay for the duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, best editing, best actress for Michelle Yeoh, best supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and best supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis. Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper recaps the ceremony.
• The city kicked off another year of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations over the weekend, with thousands flocking downtown to see the Chicago River turn green and Columbus Drive become a lively parade route. Check out Sun-Times photographer Pat Nabong’s pics of the green festivities.
• And the major city-sponsored summer festivals are all returning this year, including Taste of Chicago, the Chicago Blues Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival and the Chicago Air and Water Show, the city announced today. We’ve got a full list of when you can enjoy each event.

Elections 2023

Mayoral contest: Candidates in the runoff race for Chicago mayor are trying to convince voters they will keep their pocketbooks a priority if elected, as growing property taxes and the city’s pension crisis cast long shadows across the campaign trail.

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson said he will not raise property taxes if elected. Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas said he would cap the city’s property tax levy but has been less clear about whether that means he would not raise property taxes at all. A spokesperson said Vallas is “committed to not raising city property taxes.” Johnson is proposing a slew of new revenues, mostly in new taxes on big businesses. Vallas, meanwhile, promises to use budgetary acumen to work within the existing budget’s bounds.

Neither plan is fail-safe, with many revenue fixes that will require City Council or state approval, financial experts tell WBEZ. WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel have more on how Vallas’ and Johnson’s pension and property tax plans underwhelm fiscal experts.

The race for City Council: In a bizarre development in Chicago’s political sphere, write-in votes could be the defining factor in the 29th Ward aldermanic election.

Incumbent Ald. Chris Taliaferro, who lost a bid for Cook County judge before seeking reelection, could be heading for a runoff after write-in votes trimmed his margin just below 50% when a majority is needed to win outright, according to the Chicago Board of Elections.

If the 29th Ward aldermanic candidates head to a runoff, and 1st Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata holds a thin lead, the total number of elections going to a runoff will be 14, our Mary Norkol reports in her latest elections coverage.

A bright one

¿Téo? brings ‘Sol’ and ‘Luna’ songs to Chicago

Mateo Arias, who performs under the moniker ¿Téo? arrives in Chicago on St Patrick’s Day with his Sol & Luna Tour in tow for a concert at Lincoln Hall.

The Sol & Luna Tour will feature music from his self-titled and sophomore albums, “¿Téo?” and “Sol,” ahead of his third album, “Luna,” set to release later this year. Arias said that the music on the upcoming album will be complemented by a “blue and purple” aura. He told the Sun-Times that this project is his “favorite body of work” that he’s ever done.

Last month, ¿Téo? dropped the single “A Mi Cama” in Spanish.

“I didn’t want to do Spanglish on this album, meaning I didn’t want to do a hook or a chorus in Spanish and a verse in English and throw in a little bit of Spanish here and there,” Arias said.

Reaching a Spanish-speaking audience is important to Arias, whose first language was Spanish. He was born to Colombian parents in Atlanta, Georgia. The decision to include an inverted question mark in his name comes from his roots — as well as the desire to push himself and experiment with different genres and styles of music. As an artist who considers himself as American as he is Colombian, he finds inspiration in both cultures, especially the space in between.

The singer says he’s looking forward to the “Chicago energy” at Lincoln Hall, where Nigerian-American rapper Maesu will open for him. Ambar Colón has more with ¿Téo? here.

From the press box

• The Bears kicked off NFL free agency today by agreeing to sign former Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards, a Lake Villa native, when the new league year begins later this week.
• High school boys basketball state finals wrapped over the weekend with Metamora winning the Class 3A title and Moline winning in Class 4A. Joe Henricksen looks back at a wild week in Champaign.
• Illinois or Northwestern? Which team has the better chance to do damage in the NCAA Tournament?

Your daily question☕

What is the best bookstore in Chicago? Tell us why.

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

On Friday, we asked you: What type of food or dish do you think Chicago just can’t get right? 

Here’s what some of you said...

“We just don’t do Texas-style BBQ well on a consistent basis. Rib tips are our thing but we don’t have many great beef BBQ spots.” — Fred O’Neal

“English scones, British fish and chips, REAL Italian gelato and REAL Napolitano pizza.” — Gina Della Focosi

“Biscuits and sausage gravy. Gotta go south.” — Seanny McSeanerson

“French fries.” — Mateo Alejandro García Vázquez

“In the land of Italian beefs, there’s not a decent Philly cheese steak anywhere.” — Tony Jay

“The food Chicago (and no city west of Cleveland) can get right is a bagel. It should be dense and chewy, not soft and fluffy!” — Christine D.

“Angel food cakes that are lamb shaped around Easter time. No matter who makes them, they are always dry and the frosting is always hard!” — Kayla Palmisano 

“Eggrolls. Today is 36 years since I’ve moved from NYC to Chicago and I’ve yet to find a decent eggroll. They get the outside perfect but the inside doesn’t come close to the way they make them back East.” Bet you thought I was gonna say pizza, right?” — Susan Danzig

“I moved to Chicago from Detroit, and I’d give my right arm to have easy access to Detroit-style coney islands (chili dogs).” — Jennifer Brown

“‘Creole/Cajun. Forget it. Just because you use shrimp, oysters or cayenne in a recipe does not make it right. Just leave it all alone and give folks a reason to travel to Louisiana and enjoy something different and distinct. The same goes in reverse. Southerners should stop trying to recreate deep dish pizza, ‘Chicago-style’ hot dogs, or Italian beef. People should have something to look forward to when they visit Chicago. Pale imitations are insulting and just give bad names to otherwise good eating.” — Norm Schroeder

Thanks for reading the Chicago Sun-Times Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.