It’s Friday and another warm day. Enter the weekend with an update on fungi from Patty Wetli, a heartbreaking story about a family caught in immigration limbo and more from WTTW News.
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Tree lungwort lichen. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
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Patty Wetli: If I asked a random person to name a species of wildlife, I’m willing to bet the first thing out of their mouth would be an animal. A lion or an elephant, maybe a shark.
If I asked that same person to keep going, to get to 20 or 50 species, I might need to hint that they could include plants.
I would be shocked if anyone, without prompting, mentioned a mushroom. Or a lichen. Or yeast.
Oh yeah, fungi. The proverbial third wheel to the plant and animal kingdoms.
I’ll be the first to admit, fungi aren’t high on my radar either, but I find them intriguing and they make for stunning photography subjects whenever I’m hiking. Last summer, we vacationed in Nova Scotia and I kept seeing these “things” on tree trunks that looked like leaves but weren’t leaves. I’m fairly certain, after a bit of Googling, that I’d stumbled onto tree lungwort lichen and was thrilled to discover its presence isn’t the sign of a coming zombie apocalypse but is actually an indicator of a rich, healthy ecosystem. To begin filling my major gap in fungi knowledge, I double-dipped on fungi sessions at the recent Wild Things conference.
Here’s some of what I learned.
Mushrooms are to the fungi family what butterflies are to insects — “charismatic” species that pique human’s interest so that maybe we’ll care about their less appealing relatives.
There are a lot more of them than there are of us: Scientists estimate there are some 80,500 species of vertebrates, nearly 75,000 of which have been described. For fungi, estimates are 2.5 million species total, with just 155,000 described. Yet we ignore fungi at our own peril.
Of the 20 most profitable medicines, 10 are derived from fungi. Fungi are also rock stars when it comes to sequestering carbon, and if you like orchids, well they can’t survive without fungi.
But my biggest takeaway was how little even the world’s experts understand this kingdom. Though fungi presumably face the same threats as other organisms — climate change and habitat loss — very few have been assessed for scarcity.
On the flip side, that leaves this field ripe for discovery, and we can all play a part. Check out the Fungal Diversity Survey and learn how you can help.
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The Gonzalez brothers (Provided)
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Alfredo Pacheco Gonzalez last saw his wife and three kids three years ago. He's from Venezuela and is in the Chicago area legally with a work permit and a pending asylum application. Pacheco Gonzalez has been renting a basement for the past three years, sharing the same dream that thousands of others have when they migrate to the United States: a better life. He began working full-time in a factory, hoping to provide for his family.
But in 2023, Pacheco Gonzalez was diagnosed with kidney failure, with only 2% kidney function remaining. He now depends on dialysis three times per week to stay alive. He is luckier than some: His older brother wants to donate his kidney.
His brother, Jose Gregorio Gonzalez, is now facing deportation back to Venezuela. Earlier this month, he was detained by ICE outside the home they share. Gregorio Gonzalez was nearly deported last year; however, his attorney said that since he wasn’t considered a threat, he was allowed to remain.
“He wasn’t deported because at the time there weren’t deportation flights to Venezuela,” said Tovia Siegel, the director of organizing and leadership at the Resurrection Project. “And so, he was instead released under supervision with an ankle monitor. Now it’s possible that flights are resuming, he could be deported.”
The Resurrection Project is representing Gregorio Gonzalez and filing a humanitarian parole application, seeking his temporary release from ICE so he can donate his kidney to save his brother’s life.
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(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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Four former Commonwealth Edison officials convicted of conspiring to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are now expected to be sentenced this summer — a decision defense attorneys slammed as “reckless” while the case remains under review by the Department of Justice.
Specific dates have not yet been set, but U.S. District Judge Manish Shah on Thursday said each of the so-called “ComEd Four” — former CEO Anne Pramaggiore, Madigan’s longtime confidant Michael McClain, and ex-ComEd lobbyists John Hooker and Jay Doherty — will be sentenced in July.
Some background:
The four were convicted in May 2023, but their sentencing dates have been delayed repeatedly, in large part due to a Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the federal bribery statute last year.
Under that ruling, the federal statute continues to criminalize quid pro quo bribery, but no longer extends to cover gratuities — which are payments made in recognition of actions a state or local official has already taken or has committed to take, without any quid pro quo agreement in place.
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Back in the Day: March 28, 1990 - Michael Jordan Scores Career-High 69 Points
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Michael Jordan is the best NBA player of all time but before he won six NBA titles in eight seasons, the Chicago Bulls icon had his best overall game performance 35 years ago today. On March 28, 1990, in a 117-113 overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, MJ scored a career-best 69 points. He shot 23-for-37 and was 21-for-23 from the free-throw line, racking up a whopping 18 rebounds, six assists, four steals and one block. According to Slam Magazine, MJ’s monster performance is because Cleveland fans cheered when he was fouled hard by the Cavs’ Hot Rod Williams. “I think the game I had against Cleveland when I had 69, that was strictly off of anger and
disappointment,” Jordan said. “Earlier in the first quarter, when I think I got a hard foul from Hot Rod and I—you know, I fell the wrong way, and I was really in pain. And the whole crowd cheered! And that right there pissed me off, because they was more in tune to winning than someone’s health. And that kind of got me fired up. That’s when I went crazy.”
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Nature Calls: This Week’s Outdoorsy Events and Activities
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Every Friday, WTTW reporter Patty Wetli highlights the best ways to get outside.
There are hundreds of parks in Chicago. If you’re like us, you tend to go to the same ones, close to home. Try checking out a new natural area this weekend.
Women in the Wilds Expo, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland. There will be presentations, hands-on activities and information about job and volunteer opportunities.
If you have youngsters to keep occupied, take them on an “endangered species quest.” Head to Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township, pick up a quest card, follow the trail and look for the animals. This ongoing program runs Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through
April 30.
Trout Fishing for Kids at Wood Dale Grove Forest Preserve is an event just for kids age 15 and under, to introduce them to the sport of trout fishing. Bait is provided. Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, no registration required.
Volo Bog is one of the quirkiest natural areas in the Chicago region. How does it stack up against the GOAT of bogs — aka, Ireland? A Volo naturalist, Grace Horner, visited the Emerald Isle and brought back bog stories, which she’ll share in-person and online, Sunday, 1-2:15 p.m. Register for the Zoom link or to save a seat.
Heads up: Tickets to Morton Arboretum’s popular annual plant sale go on sale March 31 for members, April 15 for everyone else. The sale itself will be held April 24-26.
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What's a must-visit place in the suburbs? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. Here's what you had to
say:
You can leave Brookfield Zoo, park for free and walk on past the senior housing complex onto a beautiful trail along Salt Creek, only occasionally crossing major north-south roads. Ride your bike, walk, jog. All good. And if you haven’t had enough you can drive over to Riverside and meander around the curving streets for hours, without any idea of where you are, save in a very quiet and restful suburb bordered by the intensity of Harlem Avenue and the high speed antics of drivers on First Avenue. — Dan A.
St. Charles! They have an awesome downtown, beautiful parks, and the lovely Fox River. —@Lisanthony
Morton Arboretum. Depending on the time of the year it can be a relaxing and educational experience worthwhile for all ages. Hiking or driving the landscape is awe-inspiring.— Walt S
Meier’s Tavern in Glenview. This place is a treasure. Great old school vibe (check out all of the old beer signs), great adult beverage selections at very reasonable prices, and fabulous burgers with tater tots (lots of good grub on their menu). I’ve been going to Meier’s for burgers since my family moved to the area in 1967, and it continues to satisfy to this day. — John S.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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