Free coffee, rum and reggae and more weekend things to do in Chicago, May 29-31.

EAT

Rick Bayless Fiesta
Block 37
108 N. State St. 312-261-4700
The "Top Chef Master" star demonstrates how to prepare recipes from his new cookbook "More Mexican Everyday" and offers tastings at this bash, which also includes a yoga class, a salsa lesson, dinner from Freshii and three drinks. 5-11 p.m. Friday. $50. Tickets: vibeup.today

DRINK

Brews, Beatz and BBQ
Fizz Bar & Grill
3220 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-348-6088
A party on the Lincoln Park bar's recently remodeled patio includes Traveler Beer Co.'s Curious Traveler shandy, Epic vodka, Twisted Tea hard iced tea, barbecue, side dishes and music from DJ Ora and others. 6 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Saturday. $35. Tickets: eventbrite.com

Rum & Rhythm
The Bar 10 Doors
1259 W. Taylor St. 312-226-1611
Sip rum punch and listen to reggae music while playing limbo, Uno, checkers, dominoes, Connect Four and other games. 3-7 p.m. Sunday. $10-$12. Tickets: eventbrite.com

One-Year Party (Free!)
Cup & Spoon
2415 W. North Ave. 773-697-4421
The Humboldt Park coffee shop celebrates its first year in business by doling out free coffee and food and raffling off gift certificates and art to benefit the Alliance of Local Service Organizations. 6-10 p.m. Friday. Free.

DO

'Tug of War'
Moooh Dulce Studio
2602 W. Fullerton Ave. 312-869-9785
Circa Pintig presents four short dramatic works by Asian Americans that explore the subjects of war and immigration. 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. $10-$15. Tickets: circapintig.com

26th Annual Comedy Festival Aftershows (Free!)
Virgin Hotels Chicago
203 N. Wabash Ave. 312-940-4400
Comedians Jen Kirkman (Friday) and Mac McCaughan (Saturday) perform at the official aftershows for The Onion and The A.V. Club's 2nd Annual 26th Annual Comedy Festival. 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Free. RSVP: http://bit.ly/1HUPqj6

Summer Fridays
Roka Akor
456 N. Clark St. 312-477-7652
Catch a set from DJ Select Inverse in the River North restaurant's lounge as part of this weekly series. After 10 p.m., you can also order a $50 omakase meal. 9 p.m. No cover.

48 Hour Improv Marathon
The Playground Theater
3209 N. Halsted St. 773-871-3793
A benefit for Inspiration Corporation, which helps people affected by homelessness and poverty, features performances from 48 local improv teams plus food, games, prizes and auctions. 7 p.m. Friday through 7 p.m. Sunday. $5 per two-hour slot, $25 weekend pass. Tickets: 48hourimprovmarathon.com

REDEYE TIP OF THE DAY
For a lineup of weekend festivals, check out our guide online: redeyechicago.com/fests.

Find addictive late-night eats and plenty of fun drinks at this Wicker Park hangout in the former Small Bar space.

Mini-review: Pub Royale
2049 W. Division St. 773-661-6874
Rating: !!! 1/2 (out of four) Heating up
>>Read more about our ratings

The Division Street scene took a loss last November when Small Bar, one of the first craft beer-focused bars on the Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village border, closed up shop. But like a hawk snatching up a mouse before the bro-snakes closed in and made a banquet of it, Heisler Hospitality-the folks who brought us Lone Wolf and nearby Bar Deville and Sportsman's Club-swooped in. They recruited The Publican's former beer director Michael McAvena and opened the British-Indian, beverage-driven Pub Royale earlier this month. That's a lot to unload, but I'll start by saying it works. 

The seating: I arrived just before 7 p.m. on a weeknight to a crowd already starting to gather out front. For a date, I wouldn't necessarily expect a secluded experience; all seating is first-come, first served and half is communal, so you might have to snuggle in between some strangers (though that's part of the fun, especially if you're good at eavesdropping). I met some friends and the three of us took a seat at the large round table in the back, half-full with what looked like some kind of celebration. Quickly, however, friends of the birthday girl informed us that we could sit there, but "Kelsey has some friends coming" (AKA don't sit there). We took Kelsey & Company's lack of communal table etiquette as a cue and asked some folks at one of the two long tables in the center of the bar to shift around.

The scene: Even when sharing the table with strangers, the climate at Pub Royale is still cozy and intimate with low lighting and exposed brick on all sides. It's decorated with ornate light fixtures, a few palms in stone planters and two taxidermied white pied peacocks flanking the wall-length mirror behind the bar. The best accents nearly go unnoticed, such as the Indian masks painted on the wood floors and on burlap-like tiles on the ceiling, the burgundy upholstered bar chairs with brass button designs on the back and the ceramic elephant tap handles.

The story: The bar has a warm atmosphere that doesn't feel overwhelmingly exploitative of colonial India, which is not only a risky concept that can easily teeter the kitschy/classy line, but goes back to a time when British powers were not always well-received. "I was not interested in this idea when they contacted me," said beverage manager McAvena. "But I really looked into it more and saw that there was this really unique history behind Indian curries and Indian food in England, and there's a ton of juice behind this and a lot of stuff that I don't think people are familiar with." The concept developed when Heisler owners Kevin Heisner and Matt Eisler took a trip to London, where Indian food has a major influence. The pair liked the pub feel, and focused on Indian fare from a British perspective, to avoid going overboard with traditional Indian. "Casual Anglo-Indian food is kind of what we were talking about, and no one really does it," Heisner said. "You can go to Devon [Avenue] in Chicago for all of this traditional Indian food, but in these neighborhoods around here, we didn't have a place that had this kind of concept, beverage-driven Indian food."

The beers and ciders: Small Bar regulars will feel at home with a drink menu that's still quite beer-driven. A large electronic menu displays what's on the 24 draft lines, but you won't find it loaded down with IPAs. The selection of styles is eclectic, with one draft line dedicated to mead and three to cider, and they all come from breweries near and far, including a few British beers. Cider gets its own section on the bottle menu as well. McAverna is pretty ardent in saying IPAs are not the beers to pair with spicy food but rather something that "doesn't get in the way" with low-carbonation, low bitterness with a touch of sweetness. Cider is "hands down" the best option, he said. Beer also creeps into the cocktail side of the menu in a shandy made with Off Color Brewing's Troublesome gose that McAvena's crew blends with a housemade limeade in new kegs. It was a bit undersold on the menu, along with a fun take on the popular yogurt-based mango lassi; though the menu doesn't say so, it's actually a frozen slushy.

The cocktails: On the menu, the Letherbee Royale Cups ($8) are front and center. All are made with about an ounce and a half of a fruit liqueur that's local Letherbee Distillers' play on Pimm's, made specially for Pub Royale. I asked my server which she thought was the most creative, and she suggested Cup No. 4 (Campari, rum, pineapple syrup and muddled strawberry), a play on a classic cocktail called the Jungle Bird. I was disappointed with how syrupy and overpowering the Campari was against the fresh strawberries and pineapple. Being on a chili liqueur kick, I ordered Cup No. 2 (Arrack, chili liqueur, lemon juice, orange twist and mint). It was also a miss, but the others made up for it. Cup No. 1 is closer to a traditional Pimm's Cup with gin, ginger beer, cucumber and mint and Cup No. 3 is scotch-based with cinnamon, Angostura, lemon juice and muddled peaches. Both were incredibly refreshing cocktails. McAvena said they're working on adding more to the menu, including a bourbon cup and a riff on a caipirinha.

The food: The menu lands somewhere between traditional and British-inspired Indian food--you could call it "bastardized Indian food," McAvena said. Eating authentic Indian food throughout college, thanks to a few Indian friends and roommates, I have high standards. If not prepared with care, too much of one single spice can easily mask more complex flavors. I ordered what I thought would be a solid test, the eggplant curry ($10), and they nailed it. Served with basmati rice, cashew, coconut and cilantro, it was delicious on its own, and even more so when drizzled with the sauces (lime yogurt, cilantro chutney and chili oil) that came with my date's chicken tikka kati roll ($12). Pro tip: Ask for sides of each to accompany your curry. I'd definitely go back to try the gobi manchurian cauliflower ($9), considering it smelled divine, and I appreciated the presentation of my neighbors' cider-braised rabbit pie ($14) with a hunk of marrow protruding from the center of the plate. Late-night options include the regular samosas ($3), with potato, fried onion and peas, cucumber raita, a citrusy yogurt dip ($8), and the Royale with cheese ($14), a burger with spicy pickles, aioli, aged cheddar and fries. Pub Royale might just become my new favorite drunk food spot, especially with so many vegetarian and gluten-free options.

The verdict: Pub Royale could easily pass for just another ambitious concept in this barstaurant revolution that's taken over our dining scene, but the subtle details are what distinguishes it. Small Bar owner Phil McFarland said last October that people would be pleased with who took over the space. And he's right. The diverse craft beer selection, the late-night Indian fare, the British pub feel-it all works. Heisler Hospitality took a gamble on a difficult concept and executed Pub Royale with cider and grace.

Reporters visit bars unannounced. Food and drinks are paid for by RedEye. hschroering@redeyechicago.com | @redeyeeatdrink

For more eat & drink news, click here. 

Gay rights advocates scored another victory at the Capitol on Friday after the Illinois Senate sent Gov. Bruce Rauner a measure to ban conversion therapy on minors -- a controversial practice aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation from gay to straight.

The measure passed the Senate 34-19 following a lengthy debate about the proper role of state government in regulating sexuality and counseling choices. The measure already had passed the House. It's unclear whether Rauner, a rookie Republican governor who indicated during the campaign he had "no social agenda," will sign the measure as the administration declined comment Friday.

If the bill is signed into law, Illinois will become the fourth state to ban the practice. The gay rights movement in Illinois has had a series of big wins in the past decade, including the legalization of gay marriage in 2013.

Under the proposal, mental health providers would be barred from engaging in treatment aimed at changing the sexual orientation of minors. Psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, social workers and counselors caught doing so could be deemed as engaging in unprofessional conduct by state regulators and face disciplinary action such as monetary fines, probation, or temporary or permanent license revocation.

Businesses that advertise or offer conversion therapy services in a manner that represents homosexuality as a mental illness could face legal action under Illinois consumer fraud laws.

Proponents of the legislation argued conversion therapy is a practice widely denounced by mental health organizations, which say it can cause severe health risks such as depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues.

"The overwhelming consensus of professionals is this is not legitimate therapy," said sponsoring Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston. "It's actually abusive, and the truth of the matter is not everyone survives it."

But opponents led by Republican lawmakers expressed concerns the bill would restrict youth from seeking help for unwanted same-sex attractions.

"That choice is not being provided," said Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon. "We say they don't have a choice. They don't. It's one way or the other."

Some critics said the legislation would interfere with parents' rights to raise their children how they wish.

"We don't need to be in the middle of this," said Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine. "This feels a little preachy to me. This feels a little holier-than-thou, to be candid."

Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, who sponsored the measure in the House, said the ban moves Illinois forward in terms of rights for the gay community.

"I think a lot of people thought we were done when gay marriage was passed," Cassidy said. "There's still a lot of people who need to be protected, youth most notably."

jhellmann@tribpub.com

Two men were killed -- one in Lakeview and the other in Little Village -- and at least 17 people have been wounded in separate shootings since Friday afternoon, police said.

Kevin O. O'Malley of Palos Park was shot to death around 2 a.m. Saturday in the Lakeview neighborhood on the North Side, police said. Police said they were questioning a person of interest in the homicide.

Police found O'Malley, 25, lying unresponsive on a sidewalk underneath the CTA Brown Line train tracks in the 900 block of West Oakdale Avenue. He suffered two gunshot wounds to his chest.

O'Malley was apparently shot during an attempted armed robbery, police said. The attacker fled northbound through the east alley of Sheffield Avenue. 

At the scene, police officers blocked off about a block of the one-way Oakdale Avenue east of Sheffield with yellow and red police tape.

Officers shone flashlights on the man's body, which lay on a stretch of grass between the sidewalk and the road.

A CTA train periodically zoomed through above the crime scene, drowning out the sounds of passing cars on Sheffield and the chatter of nearby police officers.

Some people walking home from a night of partying stopped next to the crime scene with worried looks on their faces.

A passer-by froze in place once he learned about the fatal shooting, which happened about a block from where he lives. The man was walking home from a bar about a mile away when he stumbled upon the crime scene.

"It could have been me," said the man, his eyes glassy from a night of drinking. "This sobers you up."

Around midnight, a 24-year-old man, identified as Jose L. Velasquez, was fatally shot while he walked outside with his wife in the Little Village neighborhood on the West Side, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Velasquez, of the 2800 block of West 21st Street, was walking with his spouse in the 2100 block of South Fairfield Avenue when two to three attackers came out of a gangway yelling, police and the medical examiner's officer said.

The attackers fired shots, striking the man in the back, Gaines said.

He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead at 1:41 a.m., police and the medical examiner's office said.

In other shootings:

• A 20-year-old man was shot at 7:54 a.m. Saturday in the 3000 block of West Lexington Street in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, according to Officer Stacey Cooper, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Police Department. The 20-year-old was walking when an occupant of a white Honda exited the vehicle and fired several rounds, hitting the man in both legs, Cooper said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition, she said.

• A 29-year-old man was wounded about 5:15 a.m. Saturday in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side, said Chicago police spokeswoman Officer Janel Sedevic. The man was in the 3000 block of West Jackson Boulevard when he heard gunshots and realized he was struck in the right leg, Sedevic said. He was taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was listed in good condition, Sedevic said.

• About 5 a.m. Saturday, a 27-year-old man was dropped off by unknown men at Holy Cross Hospital after he was shot, Sedevic said. The man was allegedly in the 2400 block of West 47th Place in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side when he was shot in the chest, Sedevic said. He was listed in critical condition at Holy Cross.

• About 4 a.m. Saturday, a 14-year-old boy was hurt in a shooting in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side, Sedevic said. The boy was in the 1300 block of West 87th Street when a silver vehicle pulled up and someone inside fired shots, Sedevic said. The boy was grazed in the abdomen and was taken in good condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center, Sedevic said.

• About 3:41 a.m. Saturday, a 23-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, Gaines said. The male was in the 3200 block of West Lake Street when he was shot in the foot and grazed in the hip, Gaines said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, Gaines said.

• Around 3:14 a.m. Saturday, a 35-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side, police said. The man was in the 12100 block of South Front Avenue when someone fired shots from a passing gray vehicle, striking him in the upper left thigh, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where his condition stabilized, police said.

• Around 1:25 a.m. Saturday, a 19-year-old man was in critical condition after he was shot in the head in the South Shore neighborhood on the South Side, police said. He was shot in a hallway inside a residence in the 6800 block of South Ridgeland Avenue, police said. The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, Gaines said.

• An hour and a half earlier about a block away, three more people were wounded in a shooting at 11:56 p.m. in the 6900 block of South Cornell Avenue, Gaines said. A 25-year-old woman, a 25-year-old man and a 22-year-old man were sitting inside a parked van when an unknown attacker walked up to them on foot, fired shots and fled, Gaines said.

The woman was shot in the leg and was taken to St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center where her condition was stabilized, Gaines said.

The 25-year-old man was hit in both of his arms and legs and was also taken to St. Bernard, but then transferred to Stroger Hospital, Gaines said. His condition also stabilized.

The 22-year-old was struck in the leg and was taken to Northwestern hospital, where his condition stabilized, Gaines said.

• About 12:20 a.m. Saturday, another woman and two men were shot in a possible drive-by incident in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side, Gaines said. A 31-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man were in a parked car with a 43-year-old man standing next to it in the 6400 block of South Eggleston Avenue, when a red sedan pulled up and someone inside fired shots, he said.

The 43-year-old was shot in the torso and was taken to St. Bernard hospital in serious condition, Gaines said.

The woman suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body. She was first taken to St. Bernard, then transferred to Stroger hospital, where her condition stabilized, Gaines said.

The 39-year-old was shot in the buttocks and was also taken to St. Bernard, where his condition stabilized, Gaines said.

• Around 11:07 p.m. Friday, a 20-year-old man was shot while he was riding a bicycle in the South Chicago neighborhood on the South Side, Gaines said. The man was in the 8900 block of South Houston Avenue when he heard gunshots and realized he was struck in the leg, Gaines said. He was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital, where his condition stabilized, Gaines said.

• Around 10:30 p.m. Friday, a 20-year-old man walked into Little Company of Mary Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg, Gaines said. The man told police he was in the 9200 block of South Bishop Street in the Brainerd neighborhood on the South Side when he was shot, Gaines said. His condition stabilized at the hospital.

• A 24-year-old man was wounded in a shooting about 8:40 p.m. Friday in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side, said Chicago police spokesman Officer Bari Lemmon. The man was in the 4900 block of South Winchester Avenue when he heard gunshots and realized he was struck in the foot, Lemmon said. The man was taken in good condition to Holy Cross Hospital.

• Around 4 p.m. Friday, an 18-year-old man was shot on the West Side, police said. The man walked into St. Anthony Hospital and told police he was in the 3100 block of West Douglas Boulevard in the Lawndale neighborhood when he was shot, police said. He suffered a gunshot wound to his right shoulder and was in good condition, police said.

No one was in custody as of a result of the shootings early Saturday, and detectives were still investigating the incidents.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Though nearly a year has passed, Patrick Sharp still remembers the exact spot on the ice he was occupying when the Blackhawks' dream of reaching the 2014 Stanley Cup Final ended in overtime of Game 7 of the Western Conference finals against the Kings at the United Center.

"I was on the left side," Sharp recalled with a slightly pained look on his face. "(Alec) Martinez shot it from the other side, it got deflected and went in. You could feel the air go out of the building (and) you could feel your heart drop a little bit, being that close."

Brent Seabrook was on the bench when the puck wobbled past goaltender Corey Crawford and the angle from there didn't help.

"It was a tough feeling when you see that puck go in the net," Seabrook said.

The Hawks will try to use those feelings as fuel to erase the memory that has haunted them since they came oh-so-close to reaching their third finals in five seasons when they face the Ducks - a team with its own Game 7 demons - in another Western Conference final game Saturday night at the Honda Center.

"You use it as hunger to get back to the situation and try to learn from your past experience," Sharp said. "Hopefully, it's a different scenario for us this time."

Said defenseman Duncan Keith: "It was a really tough loss. Even though it was a year ago we don't want to have that feeling (again). We've come this (far) and we want to get through this time."

To do so, they will have to dispatch a Ducks team that has bad memories of two consecutive years of Game 7 eliminations and likewise will use those as motivation. In 2013, they fell to the Red Wings in a first-round series that went the distance and last year lost to the Kings in Game 7 of the second round.

"Sometimes, you have to go through experiences like that to get to the point where you want to be," Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said. "We're fortunate and lucky enough now to have a Game 7 in our home building for a chance to go for the Stanley Cup.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's to really embrace the opportunity. It's still a hockey game. You just have to compete as hard as you can."

Time has healed most of the wounds for both teams and while they will keep thoughts of the disappointments, the focus is on the here and now.

"We're pretty far past that now," Crawford said. "We maybe have it in the back of our minds (because) that was tough for us to take. It's a new year and just the excitement and the chance to to win the Stanley Cup is enough for us."

Both teams had spirited practices Friday in Anaheim to prepare for the high-pressure situation that awaits them in Game 7. It is a moment that is being embraced.

"This is what it's all about," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "Growing up you've gone through a lot and worked hard to get to this level and it's the ultimate challenge to see what you have as a player. It's a moment that we'll relish. You try to will your way to the win and given that passion we have in our team we're feeling pretty good about our chances."

Said Seabrook: "One of the greatest things in sports is a Game 7 for an opportunity to go to the Stanley Cup Final. We're excited. We've been feeling good since we got to Anaheim (on Thursday). We're looking forward to playing."

ckuc@tribpub.com

Twitter @ChrisKuc

The charge of illegally structuring bank withdrawals against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is more typically used to target drug dealers and business owners who try to hide assets from the Internal Revenue Service, according to a Tribune analysis of federal prosecutions in Chicago over the last decade.

The analysis found that the charge is a rare one, brought in about two dozen cases over the last 10 years.

The currency transaction-reporting law has been used in Chicago to convict a range of offenders - from the owner of a Skokie maid service who concealed nearly $300,000 to a Georgia woman who illegally moved millions of dollars to bank accounts in Nigeria with withdrawals of under $10,000 each, records show.

Federal prosecutors also have used the law to sue to seize hundreds of thousands of dollars from Chicago-based business owners who evaded the financial-reporting requirements, records show.

What's unusual about the indictment returned against Hastert, according to Daniel Hartnett, a veteran defense attorney who has handled such cases, is that there is no indication his actions were designed to avoid paying taxes.

Instead, he is alleged to have been attempting to conceal dozens of withdrawals from several banks totaling $952,000 to conceal he was using the cash for apparent hush money.

The indictment alleged Hastert paid $1.7 million and planned to pay $1.8 million more, and sources said it involved a man Hastert had allegedly sexually abused while working as a wrestling coach and teacher in far west suburban Yorkville.

Hastert made 15 withdrawals of $50,000 apiece over nearly two years but then allegedly began illegally structuring the withdrawals in increments of less than $10,000 to avoid federal reporting requirements after bank representatives questioned him about the large withdrawals in April 2012.

Hartnett said the banks almost certainly warned Hastert that they had to report any withdrawals of $10,000 and up. Starting three months later, Hastert then illegally withdrew a total of $952,000 in increments of less than $10,000, according to the indictment.

"There's some element of thumbing your nose at the system there," Hartnett said.

"This is garden variety stuff," he said. "I don't care who you are, you're going to get charged if you do that kind of thing."

Hartnett said he was stunned Hastert would allegedly attempt to lie to federal agents instead of calling an attorney and keeping quiet.

"When federal agents show up at your door, you have two options," he said. "One is to answer them truthfully and the other is to decline to answer their questions at all. You don't have a third option of saying something that's not true. It's surprising, quite candidly, that he didn't say, 'Stop I'm calling a lawyer.'"

Among those who have been charged under structuring laws in the last decade were Amir Hosseini and Hossein Obaei, who ran car dealerships in Chicago that catered to drug dealers. From 1995 to 2005, the two accepted large cash payments in small bills rubber-banded together and sometimes stuffed in shoe boxes for luxury cars and allegedly made structured deposits of more than $6 million, court records show.

In 2009, Anees Bangloria pleaded guilty to money laundering after being charged with structuring cash deposits of $100,000 to banks in Pakistan as part of a plot to buy counterfeit cigarettes, court records show.

Hartnett said that prosecutors typically use civil forfeiture laws in structuring cases if underlying criminal behavior can't be proved.

Prosecutors have used civil forfeiture complaints to seize a Bentley, more than $200,000 in jewelry and more than $170,000 in cash from Robert Harper, a drug-dealing suspect and gang leader who for a time used an Oak Forest shoe store and Harvey recording studio as fronts, records show.

But some civil complaints are much less flashy. In 2012, the IRS seized $127,000 from bank accounts belonging to Bednar Meats after alleging that the wholesale meat distributor structured more than $2 million in cash deposits under the $10,000 threshold, records show.

sschmadeke@tribpub.com

Twitter @SteveSchmadeke

Police are warning West Side businesses after a string of robberies targeting delivery drivers in the Austin neighborhood.

In each robbery, multiple armed men targeted food delivery drivers in the early morning hours, taking food, money and the drivers' cell phones, police said in a community alert.

Police described the armed robbery as black, between 18 and 25 years-old, between 5-foot6 and 5-foot-10, and between 120 and 170 pounds.

The armed robberies happened:

• About 2:12 a.m. May 19 in the 700 block of North Latrobe Avenue

• About 9:25 a.m. May 14 in the 4900 block of West Rice Street

• About 12:30 a.m. May 6 in the 1000 block of North Leamington Avenue

Police said anyone with information can contact Area North detectives at 312-744-8263.

Mariah Carey slammed her run on "American Idol" yet again.

The glitzy "Infinity" singer had no kind words for Fox's once-mighty singing competition, which she co-judged in Season 12 with Randy Jackson, rapper Nicki Minaj and country star Keith Urban.

During an interview on Australia's "Kyle and Jackie O" radio show this week, the pop star was asked if she'd return for the series' final season next year. To that, she replied with incredulity.

"Hell no! Absolutely not. That was the worst experience of my life," she said.

No, tell us how you really feel, Mimi.

Carey's run was peppered with tabloid-friendly headlines over a feud with the feisty Minaj, but Carey said that supposed feud was "nonexistent."

"I'm not going to get into what it was, but let's just say I don't think they had any intentions for us to have a good experience doing that show," the octave-jumping singer said.

"Pitting two females against each other wasn't cool," she added. "It should have been about the contestants instead of about some nonexistent feud that turned into like even more ridiculousness. And I would never want to be involved with it again ... but everybody else seemed to like it."

The Las Vegas headliner proceeded to call the reality series "boring" and "fake."

"Fake [because] you have to make up things to say to people," she said. "Half the time the performances are good. It was good, [end it] there."

It's not the first time Carey has put down the former juggernaut, which will end its run next year after 15 seasons.

"It was like hell -- going to work every day in hell with Satan," Carey told Hot 97 host Angie Martinez back in November 2013.

At the time, the Grammy Award winner said she was disappointed when producers wouldn't greenlight good contestants for "political reasons." She left the show in March 2012 on the heels of Jackson's exit, citing her desire to focus on her forthcoming world tour. Soon after, Minaj announced she'd be leaving too and the show returned to its original format of a three-judge panel.

Follow me on Twitter @NardineSaad

He was the privileged son of a longtime U.S. senator and two-term vice president, yet Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III was no stranger to personal adversity.

When he was only 3, just weeks after his father, Joe Biden, had been elected to the Senate, the younger Biden was seriously injured in a 1972 car crash that killed his mother and infant sister. His father was sworn into office at his hospital bedside.

As a young college student, not long after his father's 1987 presidential campaign imploded among allegations of plagiarism, he was back in the hospital, holding vigil with other family members as Joe Biden underwent surgery for a life-threatening aneurysm.

And after launching his own successful political career, Beau Biden was dogged by health problems. In 2010, he suffered a mild stroke at the age of 41.

On Saturday, Beau Biden died of brain cancer, less than two years after he was diagnosed. He was 46.

Although twice elected attorney general, the younger Biden never realized the dream of many Delaware political observers that he would follow in his father's footsteps as a U.S. senator, and perhaps even become governor.

Biden did, in fact, plan to run for governor in 2016. He made the announcement in an April 2014 email to supporters in which he also noted he would not seek re-election as Delaware attorney general.

The announcement caught Delaware's political establishment off guard, and also renewed questions about Biden's health. In the ensuing months, he kept a low public profile and declined news media requests for interviews.

"I think he would have run. I think he would have won," said Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, a fellow Democrat. Markell said he last spoke to Biden in February, when he invited him to a meeting of Democratic governors in Washington, D.C.

"He was serious" about running for governor, added New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon, a longtime friend and political ally of Joe Biden who described Beau Biden as the most popular politician in Delaware. "He thought he was going to win this battle."

Gordon said he last spoke to Beau several weeks ago, when Biden participated in a conference call on crime issues in Wilmington.

"He was a rock star," Gordon said. "He had a great image, great character."

President Barack Obama said he and his wife, Michelle, were grieving alongside the Biden family.

"Michelle and I humbly pray for the good Lord to watch over Beau Biden, and to protect and comfort his family here on Earth," Obama said in a separate statement. The Obamas visited the vice president and his family at their official residence, the Naval Observatory, on Sunday afternoon.

After leaving office earlier this year, Biden joined a Delaware law firm run by Stuart Grant, a prominent Democratic campaign donor and plaintiffs lawyer specializing in corporate litigation. The law firm announced late last month that Biden was expanding his work on behalf of whistleblower clients, but Biden was not available for comment.

Biden, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, earned a law degree from Syracuse University in 1994. He served as a law clerk for a federal judge in New Hampshire before working for the U.S. Department of Justice from 1995 until 2002, including five years as a federal prosecutor in Philadelphia. In 2001, he volunteered for an interim assignment helping to train judges and prosecutors in postwar Kosovo.

With his father, then Delaware's senior U.S. senator, at his side in 2006, Biden launched his campaign for attorney general. He promised to reorganize the state Department of Justice to better combat identity theft, Internet stalking by pedophiles, street crime and abuse of the elderly.

Politically astute, photogenic and backed by his father's political machine, Biden won with 52.6 percent of the vote.

"He's supped at this table since he's been 3 years old," a beaming Joe Biden said after the victory. Beau Biden was a toddler when his father was first elected to the Senate.

"I'm just proud of him," the elder Biden added. "I think he will make the state proud."

During the campaign, however, the younger Biden sidestepped questions about his ultimate political ambitions.

"Sometimes, it's not good to look too far down the road," said Biden, who remained similarly cautious about discussing his long-range plans in an interview with The Associated Press after suffering the stroke in 2010.

"Having long-term dreams is a good thing ... but having a plan has never worked for me, because life always intervenes," Biden told the AP at the time. For Biden, his initial health scare was also a reminder to balance his job with family time - advice he encouraged others to follow.

"It's kind of reinforced how I've operated my life," he said.

As attorney general, Biden established a child predator unit, joined other attorneys general in taking on mortgage lenders over foreclosure abuses, proposed tougher bail restrictions for criminal defendants, and defended the death penalty, putting him at odds with some fellow Democrats.

But a spate of shootings in Biden's hometown of Wilmington went largely unabated during his tenure, and his office stumbled in some high-profile murder prosecutions, including two cases in which murder charges were dropped. Biden also faced scrutiny over how his office handled the case of Earl Bradley, a pediatrician who sexually assaulted scores of young patients over more than a decade before being arrested in December 2009.

Biden cited his focus on the Bradley case in announcing in January 2010 that he would not run for the Senate seat that his father vacated in 2008 when he was elected vice president.

The younger Biden's decision stunned political observers, including many fellow Democrats who thought Joe Biden's former chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, had been appointed to the Senate on an interim basis to keep the seat warm for the son. A fellow Democrat, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, won the seat after Castle, who had been considered the odds-on favorite, was upset by tea party-backed Christine O'Donnell in the GOP primary.

"I have no regrets," Biden said after O'Donnell's stunning primary victory scrambled the political calculus surrounding the Senate seat.

Biden coasted to re-election as attorney general in 2010 after Republicans declined to field a candidate against him.

In addition to his work as a lawyer and attorney general, Biden was a major in an Army National Guard unit that deployed to Iraq in 2008.

Beau Biden is survived by his wife, Hallie, and children Natalie, 11, and Hunter, 9, along with his father and stepmother, a brother and sister, a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, and three nieces.

Funeral arrangements were not announced. Beau Biden is entitled to military funeral honors, said Lt. Col. Len Gratteri, a spokesman for the Delaware National Guard.

REACTIONS TO BEAU BIDEN'S DEATH

President Barack Obama:

"Michelle and I humbly pray for the good Lord to watch over Beau Biden, and to protect and comfort his family here on Earth." 

Democratic Delaware Gov. Jack Markell:

"He was extraordinarily in tune with people. He was passionate about serving. ... I think it's important that people know what a real, genuine, decent guy he was." -

U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.):

"Throughout his life, Beau never shied away from doing the right thing, even when it meant doing the hard thing. Beau served his country and community with honor, and that's how he will be remembered."

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.):

"I first met Beau when he was six years old. ... It's been a privilege to watch him grow up and become a leader in our state and in the Delaware National Guard. My last memory of Beau was during the Return Day Parade in Georgetown, Delaware, two days after last November's election. I was walking along the parade route shaking hands with people just as Beau passed by, standing in a National Guard vehicle, waving at the crowd. For a moment, our eyes met, he waved to me and I to him. Then, he mouthed these words to me, 'I love you.' I smiled and returned them to him. And, he was gone."

U.S. Rep. John Carney (D-Del.):

"Beau had a warm and generous spirit. He was a truly giving person, and he appreciated the good in others in the way we all should. He leaves a legacy of service, and also a great personal legacy that calls on each of us to be more gentle in our judgments and more gracious with our thanks. He was one of the best of the good guys."

Secretary of State John Kerry:

"He was filled with a sense of honor, duty, and humility - to the core. He was a class act, period, ingrained with integrity, compassion, a sense of moral obligation to help others, and especially people who were hurting."

Democratic Senate minority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.):

"Beau's dedication to public service was deep, broad and profound. He embodied the best and most noble traits that his parents sought to instill in him. I know Joe is very proud and he should be proud because Beau was simply a joy to know."

DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz:

"Tonight, our country lost a committed public servant, someone who devoted his own life to making the lives of others better. Beau was steadfast in his defense of our principles, whether as a member of the Delaware National Guard or as the state's Attorney General. ... I had the privilege of knowing Beau personally. He was a 'mensch' in the truest sense of the word."

Former Delaware governor, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Castle:

"My God, he's just a young man. ... It's just so difficult. ... I never heard a disparaging word about him as a person."

Dennis P. Williams, Democratic mayor of Beau Biden's hometown of Wilmington:

"As a dedicated Attorney General and soldier, Beau devoted his career to proudly serving his country and home state. It was an honor to serve alongside him as he worked tirelessly to fight for the powerless and protect the most vulnerable, our children."

New Castle County (Delaware) Executive Tom Gordon, a longtime friend and political ally of Joe Biden:

"The good die young. ... He was a rock star. ... He had a great image, great character. He was just a friendly, approachable individual."

Charlie Copeland, chairman of the Delaware Republican Party:

"This is truly tragic news. ... Beau served his country and the citizens of Delaware with honor and dignity. He leaves behind a lasting impact on the world around him. He will be missed." -

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel:

"From serving our country in Iraq to serving his beloved home of Delaware as Attorney General, Beau Biden dedicated his life to a cause greater than himself. He will be deeply missed but remembered lovingly for lives he touched. The thoughts and prayers of all of Chicago are with the Vice President, Dr. Jill Biden and the entire Biden family during this very difficult time."

Associated Press

Before the Blackhawks game began Saturday night, fans were nervously waiting for the puck to drop. But their nerves seemed settled when the Hawks scored two goals minutes into the first period.

As the last minutes of the game wound down, fans at Mother Hubbard's Sports Pub in the River North neighborhood began applauding respectfully, but not without the sort of pandemonium one might expect for a team on its way to the Stanley Cup Final.

"They were up by so much it seemed like a foregone conclusion," said Chris Johnson, 33.

That's not to say the fans weren't thrilled by the end of the game.

Will Petersen, 22, like other fans, was now looking forward to the championship series against Tampa Bay.

"Both teams are fast," he said. "They can put up points. They're tight defensively, and they don't let chumps score on them."

Chris Barrow, 47, said he didn't want the game to be a "nail-biter" but was surprised the Blackhawks won "pretty handily," considering how competitive the series had been. Barrow's wife, Oonagh Barrow, said she had no doubt the Blackhawks would prevail over the Ducks.

"It was a great game," she said.

Early on at Mother Hubbard's, the bar erupted in cheers after the first two goals, but nobody seemed to be taking the early scores for granted.

"If we were up five or six, maybe I'd be comfortable" said Joe Schneider, 23. "Anaheim's good."

The key early on, according to Petersen, was not to let the Ducks score the first period.

"Make them doubt themselves as they go into the dressing room," he said.

Petersen came to Mother Hubbard's downtown with friends to watch the finale of the Western Conference finals and root for his beloved Blackhawks. He said he hoped to see a Blackhawks-Rangers series because it would be an original six matchup but thought Hawks-Tampa Bay would make for a better series from a pure hockey perspective.

"I really hope we win this game," Petersen said as the game began, tucking a napkin into the front of his white Duncan Keith jersey and digging into a Buffalo wing.

His friend Alex Wirt, 22, said he wasn't nervous about the game -- just anxious to see his team win.

"They've been here before," Wirt added.

It was a sentiment of hope echoed by Petersen.

"I just don't want this to be the last game of the year," he said, as the bar continued filling up with the faithful.

When the puck dropped on television, a "Let's Go Blackhawks" chant erupted.

Hawks fans like 32-year-old Thomas Maas were cautiously optimistic going into the last period.

"You don't want to get too cocky, but we're up three goals," Maas said.

Heading into the game, he said, you "couldn't ask" for a three-goal lead.

"They're playing so well," added Crystal Brown, 31, from the Old Town neighborhood. "It can turn at any time."

It didn't, to Chicago's delight.

Dan Jungels, 30, had high praise for Corey Crawford, the Hawks goalie, who faced a barrage of Ducks shots and had so far blocked nearly all of them with ease.

"He's a man amongst boys" tonight, Jungels said.

Peterson looked forward to the finals, saying, "It's going to be a series for the ages."

The Stanley Cup Final between the Blackhawks and Lightning will begin Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., and could run as long as June 17.

The Blackhawks will play the first two games on the road at Amalie Arena, home of the Eastern Conference champions, with Game 2 set for Saturday.

The Hawks will host Game 3 on Monday, June 8 and Game 4 on Wednesday, June 10. If necessary, they also will host Game 6 on Monday, June 15.

NBC will air five of the potential seven games, with Games 3 and 4 being carried by NBCSN.

Here's the schedule (all times CDT):

Game 1: at Lightning, 7 p.m. Wednesday, NBC-5

Game 2: at Lightning, 6:15 p.m. Saturday, NBC-5

Game 3: at Blackhawks, 7 p.m. Monday, June 8, NBCSN

Game 4: at Blackhawks, 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, NBCSN

Game 5: at Lightning, 7 p.m. Saturday, June 13, NBC-5-*

Game 6: at Blackhawks, 7 p.m. Monday, June 15, NBC-5-*

Game 7: at Lightning, 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, NBC-5-*

*-- If necessary

One of the NHL's recent traditions is naming it's "three stars" of each game. You could break the Internet talking about the Blackhawks who starred in their 5-3 Game 7 win over Anaheim in the Western Conference finals. Seeing as we don't want to ruin everyone's weekend, we'll stop just short of that.  

And FYI, the Stanley Cup Final begins Wednesday night in Tampa Bay.

THREE STARS 

Jonathan Toews. Obvi. Captain Clutch delivers two goals in the first period. So much for ex-Canuck Ryan Kesler being brought in to take him out of the equation. Toews scored the Hawks' first two goals, to no one's surprise.

"He's as good a leader as there is an any sport," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said afterward. 

Corey Crawford. Yes, the Blackhawks offense stood out Saturday. Yet Crawford stopped 33 shots, and he weathered an early Ducks storm. The Hawks would have been on the ropes if it weren't for him.

Patrick Kane. His three assists on Saturday cannot be overlooked. There's a reason he and Toews each have won a Conn Smythe trophy for postseason MVP. Case in point: the perfect pass to Brandon Saad to set up goal No. 3. Too easy sometimes.

TWO STARS

Joel Quenneville. You probably heard NBC's analysts talk about it all night, how he virtually negated Anaheim's home-ice advantage by Q for maximizing matchups. The Hawks often have the advantage the longer series extend because of him.

The Hawks'"Big Four" defensemen. Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brent Seabrook and Johnny Oduya all played more than 23 minutes Saturday. Good thing they don't play again until Wednesday.

Andrew Shaw. For his classic it-wasn't-an-assist-but-should-have-been-an-assist when he provided a screen on Brent Seabrook's goal. That tally gave the Hawks a "comfortable" 5-2 lead late in the third period. Not bad for a guy listed at 5-foot-11 and 179 pounds. 

Brad Richards. If only for his Game 7 mojo. The veteran center now has been a part of eight Game 7s in his career, and he has never been on the losing end. There has to be something to that, right?

ONE STAR

The Cubs. For this team photo after their game Saturday was postponed by terrible weather. 

#GoHawksGopic.twitter.com/oJxCbRsGKO

- Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 30, 2015

Barry Melrose. ESPN's wacky-suited analyst (seriously, he's the Craig Sager of the NHL) predicted before the playoffs began that the Blackhawks would win the West and that the N.Y. Rangers would emerge from the East. After the Broadway Blue Shirts lost to Tampa Bay on Friday, Chicago's happy he was half right.

Emilio Estevez. Props to the "Mighty Ducks" star for being a good sport about Hawks fans' tweets. He could have gone the bitter, low-class route, and he never did.  

Hawks fly in pairs. Toews and Perry were unstoppable tonight. Good luck in the Finals! #getemnextyearDucks#CoachBombay@AnaheimDucks@NHL

- Emilio Estevez (@EMILIOTHEWAY) May 31, 2015

Well played, Hawks! Good luck in The Cup! @AnaheimDucks@NHL#CoachBombay

- Emilio Estevez (@EMILIOTHEWAY) May 31, 2015

Chris Sosa is RedEye's sports editor. @redeyesportschi

For more RedEye sports, click here. 

Riot Fest wants to set up as many as nine stages in the southern half of Douglas Park when it hosts the three-day music fest at its new location in September.

Five main stages and four others would be erected on park property south of Ogden Avenue to 19th Street and from Albany Avenue to the west to California Avenue to the east, according to the permit application which included a preliminary map submitted in recent days by Riot Fest to the Chicago Park District.

Although the preliminary map shows eight stages, Riot Fest answered there would be "9 (5 mainstages)" when specifically asked in the permit application if the event would include the installation of stages and how many. The application was dated May 20.

Last year, the event was held in Humboldt Park where bands performed on seven stages. Another stage was set up for the one-day interactive panel with Pussy Riot.

This year, Riot Fest said it will unveil its Riot Fest Speaks Stage programmed and designed for interactive panels and another stage for The Rock-afire Explosion, the band of robotic animals from the 1980s that played at ShowBiz Pizza Place locations.

RedEye, which has been a media partner in the past, obtained the special event permit application through a Freedom of Information Act request.

This year's festival is set for Sept. 11-13. Organizers want to begin setting up for the festival as early as a week ahead from Sept. 4-10 and to tear down their equipment afterward from Sept. 14-16, according to the permit application.

The map also showed two entrances: Marshall Boulevard at Sacramento Drive and 18th Street at Farrar Drive.

In addition to wanting to use 40 percent of Douglas Park, Riot Fest is asking for street closures for the inner park drive in the southern half of Douglas Park. Citing public transit and safety, Riot Fest would like to close a lane of traffic as well as a parking lane immediately surrounding the venue.

Acts including No Doubt, Snoop Dogg and Modest Mouse announced as part of the Riot Fest lineup earlier this week are expected to attract 55,000 people a day for a total of 165,000, the permit application showed.

That's on par with last year when roughly 160,000 people attended the event, Riot Fest mentioned in its announcement of its new home. 

Organizers also are planning to have 60 food and beverage vendors and 100 merchandise vendors at the festival in Douglas Park, the permit application showed. In addition, there will be carnival rides and games, a circus tent, mini golf course and video arcade hall, organizers said.

Riot Fest applied for a special events permit in May when fest organizers announced the event was moving from Humboldt Park to Douglas Park.

The idea of bringing the festival back to Humboldt Park divided the community with some residents and organizations in support of the return and others including Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) in opposition citing park damage and impact to park activities.

Don't let this weekend's crappy weather fool you: If there's any indication that summer in Chicago is finally here, it's that Millennium Park's awesome free music series "Downtown Sound" starts up again this evening.

Kicking off the festivities, which will run every Monday and Thursday until July 23, is Brooklyn-based orchestral pop outfit San Fermin. More a product of a single mastermind than an actual band, composer and leader Ellis Ludwig-Leone has been calling most of the shots since the project's 2013 self-titled debut album.

This April, Ludwig-Leone and co. released "Jackrabbit," a sprawling and ornate 15-track effort packed with gorgeous tracks and bombastic instrumentals. It's basically what would happen if your favorite indie pop band soundtracked a Broadway musical (in a good way) and had some of the most interesting and lush compositions in recent memory. Armed with two lead singers in the baritone crooner Allen Tate and a dynamic soprano in Charlene Kaye, both vocalists bounce over each other on top of strings, horns, pianos and rock drums.

While the songs on "Jackrabbit" are all warm and inviting (specifically its title track and chaotic opener "The Woods"), San Fermin's best song is still its breakthrough single "Sonsick." Featuring just the right amount catharsis in its loud chorus, the song is a perfect dose of grandiose pop. Listen to that track and above and head to Millennium Park by 6:30. New York City quartet So Percussion opens.

jterry@redeyechicago.com, @joshhterry

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A body was pulled from the North Shore Channel Monday morning near Peterson Avenue on the North Side in the city's West Rogers Park neighborhood.

The Chicago Police Department marine unit was sent out shortly before 10:30 a.m. after an alert about a body in the water near the 3100 block of West Peterson Avenue, said Officer Stacey Cooper, a Chicago Police Department spokeswoman.

There was no immediate information about the sex or age of the person.

Police were investigating.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the body was pulled from the Chicago River.

Dressed in a bright pink coat and strapped to a gurney, Jacele Johnson waved good-bye as the 4-year-old was released from the hospital Monday morning, 10 days after she was shot in the head while sitting in a car in Englewood.

Jacele's mother, Trennetta Gresham, stepped out of the ambulance to share some parting words as she and her daughter headed for Minneapolis, where the family is moving.

"I knew that she was a fighter the whole time," Gresham told reporters. "I never gave up on her and she never gave up on me."

"Thanks to God's angels and Comer Hospital, we're on our way home now," she said.

Gresham also had some last words for the city of Chicago.

"I just want to tell everyone to stop the violence," she said. "Stop killing our children in our city please. ... Please put the guns down because you're killing our future and our city."

Jacele was wounded just before 8 p.m. May 22 during what authorities called a gang-related shooting in the 7000 block of South Justine Street in the Englewood neighborhood.

The 4-year-old was sitting in her mother's car outside a prom party, family members said. Jacele was pretending to drive the car with her cousin when someone inside a passing vehicle opened fire on the car, according to police and family.

Jacele was not the target of the shooting, police said. Her cousin, a 17-year-old boy sitting in the car with her, was also hit by gunfire in his neck and chest. He was listed in serious condition after the shooting. A 15-year-old girl also was hit in her head during the shooting, police said.

Jacele was rushed to Comer, where surgeons worked for about 40 minutes to remove bone fragments and repair ruptured blood vessels. Days after the shooting, doctors said the bullet did not penetrate Jacele's brain too deeply but that a portion of the bullet is too dangerous to remove surgically.

Family members said Gresham had planned to move her family to Minneapolis from Chicago the very next week.

Gresham said she had recently moved to Chicago to help a family member open a day care center. She said she had found a home in Minneapolis just before attending the party Friday evening.

They've been telling us winter is coming. On last night's "Game of Thrones," winter arrived.

South of The Wall, everyone is squabbling over a metal chair. North of it, everyone is being turned into ice zombies. To this point in the series, the threat of White Walkers has spent a lot of time on the back burner. A creeping threat may not be as exciting as all the backstabbing and political intrigue of Westeros, but in "Hardhome," the creeping threat got up and ran. It's crazy that a threat so dangerous gets so little screen time, but the showrunners are obviously saving them for an epic series finale battle.

Jon Snow was at the center of the night's biggest action moment. He arrives at the Freefolk haven of Hardhome and Tormund urges his people to exhibit, "the courage to make peace." While some Wildlings take Snow up on his offer of sanctuary, others hold on to those old grudges. When a blizzard of zombies descends on the camp, only those smart enough to ditch the feud float to safety. Everyone left behind has to battle the combined casts of "The Walking Dead,""World War Z" and "28 Days Later." Bonus points for giving us a handful of feral child zombies and extended moments of angry-giant-versus-zombie-army glory. All those who get killed are almost immediately resurrected as part of the zombie horde. Spooky.

Also worth noting, Jon's blade ("Longclaw") is somehow impervious to the White Walkers' sword-shattering ability. Jon even bashes one Walker into a million pieces with the sword. Maybe dragon glass isn't the only thing that can kill those guys. Was it Jon's Valyrian steel? Or was it Jon himself that somehow made that happen? We are spared the technical explanation while everyone swims for their lives.

The big question now is whether this attack will actually impact life beyond The Wall. It's unlikely the High Sparrow, Roose Bolton, Daenerys or Stannis really cares about zombies on the other side of the world. They will care when the zombies are chewing their faces off, but that seems like a problem for another day, like global warming, the bankruptcy of Social Security or drafting the next Bears quarterback.

You are encouraged to rewatch "Hardhome" while muted as you play Kenny Rogers'"The Gambler" on a loop. When leaders knew when to hold 'em, fold 'em and run, they improved their positions. Others, like stubborn Cersei, kept playing her hand too long, so now she's left sucking dungeon water from a puddle.

In Meereen, Daenerys chooses wisely in selecting Tyrion as an advisor. Sure, his brother killed her dad. But the Dragon Queen realizes fairly quickly that Tyrion is a man of wit and wisdom. "You cannot build a better world on your own," he says. Hatchet, consider yourself buried. As someone who's made a lot of angry decrees, then regretted the aftermath, Dany finally seems to have her Jiminy Cricket. The powerful families of Westeros are the spokes on a wheel, she says. Ascending to the Iron Throne isn't simply a matter of stopping the wheel while she's on top. She wants to break the wheel entirely. A noble plan, but the wheel is only broken if everyone agrees it is. It only takes one unhinged leader to start the whole thing rolling again.

While Dany is enjoying some quality advice, Ser Jorah has been permanently banished to the Friend Zone. The man has a deadly dermatological problem. He risked his life to bring Tyrion to Meereen. Now he's selling himself back into slavery so he can fight in front of Daenerys. Let it go, Jorah. She's just not that into you. Go hang out with Brienne. You two would make a great couple. Instead, Jorah is one of the headstrong losers in this episode.

Cersei also refuses to take the easy way out. Qyburn takes a break from experimenting on The Mountain's corpse to pay the former queen a visit. Cersei is stuck in a cell while awaiting trial by the kooky High Sparrow. Qyburn tells her to confess and she might beg her way to freedom. Instead, she refuses. This echoes Ned Stark's predicament from the first season. Proud Ned eventually confessed to something he didn't do, but he lost his head anyway. There's no telling how a plea from Cersei would work, especially since she's guilty of all her charges. Qyburn tells Cersei she's basically out of options. Her son refuses to come out of his royal pouting chamber. Her uncle refuses to visit her. She's all alone. Before he leaves, Qyburn drops the moral of this episode: "Belief is so often the death of reason."

At Braavos Assassin School, Arya tells Jaqen her new fake identity: sole proprietor of an oyster delivery wheelbarrow. Jaquen tells Arya about a man who's running some kind of impenetrable insurance scam on local sailors. (Long story, short: He's a bad guy.) Jaqen gives her a vial of poison to kill the guy, but it seems like she could just as easily accomplish the feat by leaving the oysters in the sun for a few days. Arya's training storyline is taking forever and nothing is happening. Can we get her to a point where all this "wax on, wax off" actually pays dividends this year?

In Winterfell, Sansa gets a rare bit of good news. Reek admits that he didn't actually kill her brothers, Bran and Rickon. This doesn't make up for the fact that she's married to Ramsay, but it gives her some reason to hope. In another part of the castle, Roose Bolton advocates for a siege to wait out Stannis' approaching army. His vile son, Ramsay, has something awful up his sleeve and he says he can take out Team Stannis with 20 men. Stay tuned on that one.

Season five has been a long, slow burn for "Game of Thrones." It seems the show is saving most of its action for the end. With two episodes left, let's home the zombie tidal wave was just the beginning of fun things to come.

Delores Leonard can afford the basics for herself and her kids. But when her daughters needed $10 for a field trip to the Brookfield Zoo, she had to borrow it from a friend.

"I'm a little embarrassed about the fact that I can't come up with $10, because I have a job," says the 29-year-old single mother of two. 

Leonard works for $8.90 an hour at a McDonald's in Hyde Park. The first phase of Chicago's minimum wage hike will require that she be paid $10 an hour beginning in July-and the extra few dollars will give her some wiggle room, she said, for small unexpected costs like the field trip.

Her budget right now leaves little room for surprises. The number of hours she works can change week to week, making her paychecks unpredictable; they can be as high as $320 and as low as $118, she said.

Public assistance programs help: She's given $500 in food stamps per month, which she said is enough for groceries. The Section 8 housing program keeps her rent costs to about $77 per month for a house in the South Chicago neighborhood, and Medicaid takes care of medical expenses. Her mother and brother look after the girls when she can't, and she shops around for affordable veterinary care for her pets.

Leonard hopes to start saving the extra money she gets once the $10 wage kicks in, and maybe better afford things like the occasional pizza night for her daughters.

But it's hard to predict how much extra money she will actually get; she hopes she has enough seniority at McDonald's that her hours won't get cut in response to the higher wage. In addition, her housing assistance is based on her income, so she may have to pay more in rent. But overall, Leonard is optimistic.

"I really just want my children to know that I did and am doing as much as I can to keep them happy," she said. "I'm trying to make it so they don't have to struggle in the way I did."


This is the first in an occasional RedEye series on how young Chicagoans manage on minimum wage and what the July 1 hike citywide means to them.

Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page. 

Did you tweet about the New England Patriots defeating the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl XLIX? You're not alone.

With 25.1-million tweets sent out about the game in the U.S., the annual sporting event topped Nielsen's list of most-tweeted television moments this season.

The Nielsen report, published Monday, lists which television shows, special events and sporting events captured the most attention on Twitter from September 2014 to May 2015. The ratings giant measures tweets in the U.S. from three hours before through three hours after airing, local time. 

The 57th Grammy Awards, which aired on CBS in February, was the most tweeted about televised special event. About 13.4-million tweets were sent about the awards show and about 13.3-million people saw tweets about the event.

The Oscars, televised on ABC in February, came in second on the list of most tweeted about special events. Tweets about the event were seen by an audience of 13 million people on Twitter.

Also on the list, Diane Sawyer's conversation with Olympic gold-medal winner Bruce Jenner, who has now publicly come out as Caitlyn Jenner. The special two-hour "20/20" titled "Bruce Jenner: The Interview" was the No. 6 most tweeted about televised special event. Tweets about the special were seen by an audience of 8 million people

AMC's zombie drama "The Walking Dead," which has long been considered a hit in traditional TV ratings, was the No. 1 most tweeted about show this season. An estimated 1.3-million tweets were sent about the premiere episode in October 2014, reaching 7.4-million people throughout the night.

The series also had the largest audience on Twitter throughout the fifth season, with 4.3-million people seeing tweets about each new episode on average. 

Fox's freshman drama "Empire," which dominated both TV and Nielsen Social ratings, rounded out the top five, averaging 2.6-million tweets in its first season. 

The show's two-part finale in March generated 2.4-million tweets in the U.S., making it the most-tweeted series episode since Nielsen Social began tracking activity in 2011. Activity peaked at 10 p.m. EST with 51,000 tweets sent in that minute alone - the most tweeted minute for any drama series this season.

"Scandal," which came in sixth, has also been one of the most talked-about shows on social media, with fans - known as "Gladiators" - sending out an average of 282,000 tweets per episode. ABC used this fervor to market producer Shonda Rhimes' other Thursday night programs - "How to Get Away With Murder" and "Grey's Anatomy" - under the "#TGIT" tagline.

The "Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special,"which averaged about 23.1-million viewers in February, also generated lots of buzz (and laughs) on social media. Nielsen Social reported that a total of 9.1-million people in the U.S. saw the approximately 1.3-million tweets from more than 449,000 people in connection with the "SNL" special.  The show also delivered 188 million Twitter TV impressions, the highest of any series episode to date.

ABC's "The Bachelor," HBO's "Game of Thrones," FX's "American Horror Story," ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars," NBC's "Parks and Recreation," USA Networks "WWE Monday Night Raw" and ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" also ranked in the top 10.

The overall Nielsen Social findings reflect a shift toward multi-screen viewing among audiences. People are increasingly tuning in to television programming while also using their tablets, mobile devices or computers. 

Last year, Twitter issued a report that found that 85% of people tweeting during prime-time hours are talking about television shows. The social media website has about a dozen employees working directly with TV networks and talent teams in the U.S. Their main focus is to help teach people how they can increase the volume of tweets and engage fans.

"Social TV is indicative of more than just the engagement of viewers on Twitter," Nielsen said in its report. "Recent research determined that conversation on Twitter can be used as a bellwether for the engagement of general viewing audiences."

For more news on the entertainment industry, follow me @saba_h

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