dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Trump extols 'Great American Comeback' in State of the Union speech, which Pelosi rips up

WASHINGTON -- Standing before a Congress and nation sharply divided by impeachment , President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address Tuesday to extol a `` Great American Comeback '' on his watch , just three years after he took office decrying a land of `` American carnage '' under his predecessor .
The partisan discord was on vivid display as the first president to campaign for reelection while facing impeachment made his case for another term : Republican legislators chanted `` Four More Years . ''
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up her copy of Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` America 's enemies are on the run , America 's fortunes are on the rise and America 's future is blazing bright , '' Trump declared .
`` In just three short years , we have shattered the mentality of American decline and we have rejected the downsizing of America 's destiny .
We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago , and we are never going back . ''
Holding out the nation 's economic success as the chief rationale for a second term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ version of his campaign rallies , providing something for every section of his political base .
But while he tweets daily assailing his impeachment , Trump never mentioned the `` I-word '' in his 78-minute speech .
That followed the lead of Bill Clinton , who did not reference his recent impeachment when he delivered his State of the Union in 1999 .
Trump spoke from the House of Representatives , on the opposite side of the Capitol from where the Senate one day later was expected to acquit him largely along party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Trump 's side , created a viral image with her seemingly sarcastic applause of the president a year ago .
This time , she was even more explicit with her very text-ripping rebuke .
Trump appeared no more cordial .
When he climbed to the House rostrum , he did not take her outstretched hand though it was not clear he had seen her gesture .
Later , as Republicans often cheered , she remained in her seat , at times shaking her head at his remarks .
When Pelosi left , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech was `` the courteous thing to do considering the alternative . ''
Republicans denounced her action as disrespectful .
Trump , the former reality TV star , added a showbiz flavor to the staid event : He had wife Melania present the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the nation 's highest civilian honor , to the divisive conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh , who recently announced he has advanced lung cancer .
He stunned a young student in the gallery with a scholarship .
And he orchestrated the surprise tearful reunion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the balcony .
Even for a Trump-era news cycle that seems permanently set to hyper-speed , the breakneck pace of events dominating the first week of February offered a singular backdrop for the president 's address .
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts , who has presided in the Senate over only the third impeachment trial in the nation 's history , was on hand again Tuesday night -- this time in his more customary seat in the audience .
Trump stood before the very lawmakers who have voted to remove him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to acquit him when the Senate trial comes to a close .
The leading Senate Democrats hoping to unseat him in November were off campaigning in New Hampshire .
In advance of his address , Trump tweeted that the chaos in Iowa 's Monday leadoff caucuses showed Democrats were incompetent and should not be trusted to run the government .
Among Trump 's guests in the chamber : Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó , who has been trying to win face time with Trump , his most important international ally .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement he 's been looking for as he struggles to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power .
Trump called Guaidó `` the true and legitimate president of Venezuela . ''
The president entered the evening on a roll , with his impeachment acquittal imminent , his job approval numbers ticking upward and Wall Street looking strong .
He struck a largely optimistic tone .
But in past moments when Trump has struck a tone of bipartisanship and cooperation , he has consistently returned to harsher rhetoric within days .

Trump extols 'Great American Comeback' in State of the Union speech, which Pelosi rips up
Rush Limbaugh reacts after first Lady Melania Trump presented him with the the Presidential Medal of Freedom as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. Second lady Karen Pence is at left and Kathryn Limbaugh is partially hidden.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., tears her copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address after he delivered it to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.
President Donald Trump turns after handing copies of his speech to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., and Vice President Mike Pence as he delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.
President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, as Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi look on. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP)
WASHINGTON -- Standing before a Congress and nation sharply divided by impeachment, President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address Tuesday to extol a "Great American Comeback" on his watch, just three years after he took office decrying a land of "American carnage" under his predecessor.
The partisan discord was on vivid display as the first president to campaign for reelection while facing impeachment made his case for another term: Republican legislators chanted "Four More Years." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up her copy of Trump's speech as he ended his address.
"America's enemies are on the run, America's fortunes are on the rise and America's future is blazing bright," Trump declared. "In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline and we have rejected the downsizing of America's destiny. We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never going back."
Holding out the nation's economic success as the chief rationale for a second term, Trump's speech resembled a lower-volume version of his campaign rallies, providing something for every section of his political base.
But while he tweets daily assailing his impeachment, Trump never mentioned the "I-word" in his 78-minute speech. That followed the lead of Bill Clinton, who did not reference his recent impeachment when he delivered his State of the Union in 1999. Trump spoke from the House of Representatives, on the opposite side of the Capitol from where the Senate one day later was expected to acquit him largely along party lines.
Pelosi, a frequent thorn in Trump's side, created a viral image with her seemingly sarcastic applause of the president a year ago. This time, she was even more explicit with her very text-ripping rebuke.
Trump appeared no more cordial. When he climbed to the House rostrum, he did not take her outstretched hand though it was not clear he had seen her gesture. Later, as Republicans often cheered, she remained in her seat, at times shaking her head at his remarks.
When Pelosi left, she told reporters that tearing up the speech was "the courteous thing to do considering the alternative." Republicans denounced her action as disrespectful.
Trump, the former reality TV star, added a showbiz flavor to the staid event: He had wife Melania present the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, to the divisive conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who recently announced he has advanced lung cancer.
He stunned a young student in the gallery with a scholarship. And he orchestrated the surprise tearful reunion of a soldier from overseas with his family in the balcony.
Even for a Trump-era news cycle that seems permanently set to hyper-speed, the breakneck pace of events dominating the first week of February offered a singular backdrop for the president's address.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who has presided in the Senate over only the third impeachment trial in the nation's history, was on hand again Tuesday night -- this time in his more customary seat in the audience. Trump stood before the very lawmakers who have voted to remove him from office -- and those who are expected to acquit him when the Senate trial comes to a close.
The leading Senate Democrats hoping to unseat him in November were off campaigning in New Hampshire. In advance of his address, Trump tweeted that the chaos in Iowa's Monday leadoff caucuses showed Democrats were incompetent and should not be trusted to run the government.
Among Trump's guests in the chamber: Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has been trying to win face time with Trump, his most important international ally.
The president offered Guaidó exactly the sort of endorsement he's been looking for as he struggles to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power. Trump called Guaidó "the true and legitimate president of Venezuela."
"Socialism destroys nations," Trump declared.
The president entered the evening on a roll, with his impeachment acquittal imminent, his job approval numbers ticking upward and Wall Street looking strong.
He struck a largely optimistic tone. But in past moments when Trump has struck a tone of bipartisanship and cooperation, he has consistently returned to harsher rhetoric within days.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Fact-checking Trump's State of the Union speech

WASHINGTON -- The `` great American comeback '' President Donald Trump claimed in his State of the Union speech drew on falsehoods about U.S. energy supremacy , health care and the economy as well as distortions about his predecessor 's record .
In arguing , in essence , that he has made America great again , Trump took credit for an energy boom that actually began under Barack Obama in an assertion he recycled from his last State of the Union address .
He inflated manufacturing gains , misrepresented policy on migrant detention and glossed over a rate of economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale he promised .
A look at some of his statements Tuesday night and how they compare with the facts : TRUMP : `` Before I came into office , if you showed up illegally on our southern border and were arrested , you were simply released and allowed into our country , never to be seen again .
My administration has ended catch-and-release .
If you come illegally , you will now be promptly removed . ''
THE FACTS : Not true .
Under previous administrations , Mexicans were quickly returned back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were held in detention until they were deported .
Some migrants from other countries were released into the interior of the United States to wait out their immigration cases .
And despite Trump 's claims that all migrants are now `` promptly '' removed , there is a 1 million immigration court case backlog , which means many migrants wait up to three years before a court hearing before a judge who will determine whether someone is deported .
And after a judge rules a migrant deported , travel papers must be obtained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As for ending `` catch and release , '' Trump actually expanded that policy last year during a surge in migrants , releasing thousands of migrants who flooded shelters along the border .
The surge has since passed , so fewer people are being held and fewer would need to be released .
But an effort by immigration officials to detain children indefinitely was blocked by a judge , so children are still released into the country .
TRUMP : `` Thanks to our bold regulatory reduction campaign , the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil and natural gas , anywhere in the world , by far . ''
THE FACTS : Trump is taking credit for a U.S. oil and gas production boom that started under Obama .
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the U.S. has been the world 's top natural gas producer since 2009 , top petroleum hydrocarbon producer since 2013 , and top crude oil producer since 2018 .
That 's owing to a U.S. shale boom that has driven production up since 2011 , not to deregulation or any other new effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` In eight years under the last administration , over 300,000 working-age people dropped out of the workforce .
In just three years of my administration , 3.5 million working-age people have joined the workforce . ''
THE FACTS : Trump is being misleading with numbers to tarnish his predecessor 's record .
It 's not clear what he means by `` working-age . ''
But the total size of the U.S. labor force shows that the president is just wrong .
During the eight years of Barack Obama 's presidency , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Labor Department .
The improvement reflected a rebounding economy from the Great Recession and population growth .
As the unemployment rate has fallen , more people are finding it attractive to work and joining the labor force .
This has enabled the labor force to climb by an impressive 4.86 million in just three years under Trump .
TRUMP : `` The USMCA will create nearly 100,000 new high-paying American auto jobs , and massively boost exports for our farmers , ranchers and factory workers . ''
THE FACTS : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Trade Commission examined the deal with Canada and Mexico in an April report .
The report estimated that the deal would add only 28,000 auto industry jobs six years after the deal is implemented .
Separately , government officials are quoted in the report saying they believe the sector would add 76,000 jobs based on their methodology .
It 's still not the 100,000 jobs claimed by Trump .
TRUMP : `` From the instant I took office , I moved rapidly to revive the U.S. economy -- slashing a record number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record-setting tax cuts , and fighting for fair and reciprocal trade agreements .
THE FACTS : The U.S. economy indeed is healthy , but it 's had plenty of hiccups during the Trump administration .
Trump never quite managed to achieve the liftoff he promised during the 2016 election .
Instead , gains have largely followed along the same lines of an expansion that started more than a decade ago under Obama .
Total economic growth last year was 2.3 % .
That is roughly in line with the average gains achieved after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cry from growth of as much 3 % , 4 % or more that Trump told voters he could deliver .
The tax cuts did temporarily boost growth in 2018 as deficit spending increased .
But the administration claimed its tax plan would increase business investment in way that could fuel lasting growth .
For the past three quarters , business investment has instead declined .
It 's too soon to judge the impact of the updated trade agreement with Mexico and Canada as well as the pact with China .
But Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trade gap .
Instead , the trade deficit has worsened under Trump .
TRUMP : `` For the first time in 51 years , the cost of prescription drugs actually went down . ''
THE FACTS : Prices for prescription drugs have edged down , but that is driven by declines for generics .
Prices for brand-name medications are still going up , although more moderately .
Nonpartisan government experts at the Department of Health and Human Services reported last year that prices for pharmacy prescriptions went down by 1 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 45 years .
The department said the last time retail prescription drug prices declined was in 1973 , when they went down by 0.2 % .
TRUMP : `` We are restoring our nation 's manufacturing might , even though predictions were that this could never be done .
After losing 60,000 factories under the previous two administrations , America has now gained 12,000 new factories under my administration . ''
THE FACTS : Not quite .
Manufacturing has slumped in the past year , after having advanced in the prior two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and slower growth worldwide hurt the sector in ways that suggest that Trump 's policies robbed it of some of its previous strength .
Factory output fell 1.3 % over the past 12 months , according to the Federal Reserve .
Manufacturing job gains went from more than 260,000 at the end of 2018 to a paltry 46,000 for the 12 months ended in December , according to the Labor Department .
Manufacturers lost jobs last year in Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- the older industrial states where Trump had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will always protect patients with preexisting conditions . ''
THE FACTS : That 's a promise , not a guarantee .
The Trump administration is backing a lawsuit by conservative-led states that would overturn the entire Affordable Care Act , including its guarantees that people can not be turned down or charged more for health insurance because of preexisting medical problems .
Trump and congressional Republicans have vowed they will protect people with preexisting conditions , but they have not specified how they would do that .
Estimates of how many people could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' protections for preexisting conditions are eliminated range from about 54 million working-age adults , in a study last year from the Kaiser Family Foundation , to as many as 133 million people in a 2017 government study that also included children .
TRUMP : `` We will always protect your Medicare and your Social Security . ''
THE FACTS : In a recent television interview , the president appeared to suggest that he 's willing to consider entitlement cuts in the future .
During the CNBC interview , Trump was asked if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda .
`` At some point they will be , '' he responded .
As a candidate in 2016 , Trump vowed not to cut benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare .
In the CNBC interview , Trump said dealing with entitlements would be `` the easiest of all things '' and suggested higher economic growth would make it easier to reduce spending on the programs .
Soon after the interview , Trump appeared to soften on the issue , tweeting about Social Security : `` I have totally left it alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it !
• Associated Press writers Colleen Long , Ellen Knickmeyer , Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report .

Fact-checking Trump's State of the Union speech
President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, as Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., listen.
WASHINGTON -- The "great American comeback" President Donald Trump claimed in his State of the Union speech drew on falsehoods about U.S. energy supremacy, health care and the economy as well as distortions about his predecessor's record.
In arguing, in essence, that he has made America great again, Trump took credit for an energy boom that actually began under Barack Obama in an assertion he recycled from his last State of the Union address. He inflated manufacturing gains, misrepresented policy on migrant detention and glossed over a rate of economic growth that has yet to reach the scale he promised.
A look at some of his statements Tuesday night and how they compare with the facts:
IMMIGRATION
TRUMP: "Before I came into office, if you showed up illegally on our southern border and were arrested, you were simply released and allowed into our country, never to be seen again. My administration has ended catch-and-release. If you come illegally, you will now be promptly removed."
THE FACTS: Not true. Under previous administrations, Mexicans were quickly returned back over the U.S.-Mexico border, while others were held in detention until they were deported. Some migrants from other countries were released into the interior of the United States to wait out their immigration cases.
And despite Trump's claims that all migrants are now "promptly" removed, there is a 1 million immigration court case backlog, which means many migrants wait up to three years before a court hearing before a judge who will determine whether someone is deported. And after a judge rules a migrant deported, travel papers must be obtained, which often leads to further delays.
As for ending "catch and release," Trump actually expanded that policy last year during a surge in migrants, releasing thousands of migrants who flooded shelters along the border. The surge has since passed, so fewer people are being held and fewer would need to be released. But an effort by immigration officials to detain children indefinitely was blocked by a judge, so children are still released into the country.
OIL AND GAS
TRUMP: "Thanks to our bold regulatory reduction campaign, the United States has become the number one producer of oil and natural gas, anywhere in the world, by far."
THE FACTS: Trump is taking credit for a U.S. oil and gas production boom that started under Obama. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the U.S. has been the world's top natural gas producer since 2009, top petroleum hydrocarbon producer since 2013, and top crude oil producer since 2018.
That's owing to a U.S. shale boom that has driven production up since 2011, not to deregulation or any other new effort by the Trump administration.
JOBS and ECONOMY
TRUMP: "In eight years under the last administration, over 300,000 working-age people dropped out of the workforce. In just three years of my administration, 3.5 million working-age people have joined the workforce."
THE FACTS: Trump is being misleading with numbers to tarnish his predecessor's record. It's not clear what he means by "working-age." But the total size of the U.S. labor force shows that the president is just wrong.
During the eight years of Barack Obama's presidency, the labor force rose by 5.06 million, according to the Labor Department. The improvement reflected a rebounding economy from the Great Recession and population growth.
As the unemployment rate has fallen, more people are finding it attractive to work and joining the labor force. This has enabled the labor force to climb by an impressive 4.86 million in just three years under Trump.
TRUMP: "The USMCA will create nearly 100,000 new high-paying American auto jobs, and massively boost exports for our farmers, ranchers and factory workers."
THE FACTS: The president is exaggerating.
The U.S. International Trade Commission examined the deal with Canada and Mexico in an April report. The report estimated that the deal would add only 28,000 auto industry jobs six years after the deal is implemented. Separately, government officials are quoted in the report saying they believe the sector would add 76,000 jobs based on their methodology.
It's still not the 100,000 jobs claimed by Trump.
TRUMP: "From the instant I took office, I moved rapidly to revive the U.S. economy -- slashing a record number of job killing-regulations, enacting historic and record-setting tax cuts, and fighting for fair and reciprocal trade agreements.
THE FACTS: The U.S. economy indeed is healthy, but it's had plenty of hiccups during the Trump administration.
Trump never quite managed to achieve the liftoff he promised during the 2016 election. Instead, gains have largely followed along the same lines of an expansion that started more than a decade ago under Obama.
Total economic growth last year was 2.3%. That is roughly in line with the average gains achieved after the Great Recession -- and a far cry from growth of as much 3%, 4% or more that Trump told voters he could deliver.
The tax cuts did temporarily boost growth in 2018 as deficit spending increased. But the administration claimed its tax plan would increase business investment in way that could fuel lasting growth. For the past three quarters, business investment has instead declined.
It's too soon to judge the impact of the updated trade agreement with Mexico and Canada as well as the pact with China. But Trump premised his economic policy on wiping out the trade gap. Instead, the trade deficit has worsened under Trump.
DRUG PRICES
TRUMP: "For the first time in 51 years, the cost of prescription drugs actually went down."
THE FACTS: Prices for prescription drugs have edged down, but that is driven by declines for generics. Prices for brand-name medications are still going up, although more moderately.
Nonpartisan government experts at the Department of Health and Human Services reported last year that prices for pharmacy prescriptions went down by 1% in 2018, the first such price drop in 45 years.
The department said the last time retail prescription drug prices declined was in 1973, when they went down by 0.2%.
MANUFACTURING
TRUMP: "We are restoring our nation's manufacturing might, even though predictions were that this could never be done. After losing 60,000 factories under the previous two administrations, America has now gained 12,000 new factories under my administration."
THE FACTS: Not quite.
Manufacturing has slumped in the past year, after having advanced in the prior two years. The president's tariffs regime and slower growth worldwide hurt the sector in ways that suggest that Trump's policies robbed it of some of its previous strength.
Factory output fell 1.3% over the past 12 months, according to the Federal Reserve. Manufacturing job gains went from more than 260,000 at the end of 2018 to a paltry 46,000 for the 12 months ended in December, according to the Labor Department. Manufacturers lost jobs last year in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- the older industrial states where Trump had promised revival.
HEALTH CARE
TRUMP: "We will always protect patients with preexisting conditions."
THE FACTS: That's a promise, not a guarantee.
The Trump administration is backing a lawsuit by conservative-led states that would overturn the entire Affordable Care Act, including its guarantees that people cannot be turned down or charged more for health insurance because of preexisting medical problems.
Trump and congressional Republicans have vowed they will protect people with preexisting conditions, but they have not specified how they would do that.
Estimates of how many people could potentially be affected if "Obamacare's" protections for preexisting conditions are eliminated range from about 54 million working-age adults, in a study last year from the Kaiser Family Foundation, to as many as 133 million people in a 2017 government study that also included children.
SOCIAL SECURITY and MEDICARE
TRUMP: "We will always protect your Medicare and your Social Security."
THE FACTS: In a recent television interview, the president appeared to suggest that he's willing to consider entitlement cuts in the future.
During the CNBC interview, Trump was asked if tackling entitlements would ever be on his agenda. "At some point they will be," he responded.
As a candidate in 2016, Trump vowed not to cut benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare.
In the CNBC interview, Trump said dealing with entitlements would be "the easiest of all things" and suggested higher economic growth would make it easier to reduce spending on the programs.
Soon after the interview, Trump appeared to soften on the issue, tweeting about Social Security: "I have totally left it alone, as promised, and will save it!
• Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Ellen Knickmeyer, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Feder: CBS 2 eyes launch of 24/7 streaming news service in March

Look for CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 to roll out a 24/7 streaming news service this spring , Robert Feder writes .
@ @ @ @ @ it will feature locally anchored programming , live breaking news coverage and archived , on-demand @ @ @ @ @ operating at CBS stations in New York , Los Angeles , Boston , San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ it 's an outgrowth of CBSN , the streaming video news channel originated by CBS @ @ @ @ @ 2014 .
Derek Dalton , president and general manager of CBS 2 , said he @ @ @ @ @ here by the end of March .
Get the full report , and more Chicago @ @ @ @ @ .

Feder: CBS 2 eyes launch of 24/7 streaming news service in March
Look for CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 to roll out a 24/7 streaming news service this spring.
Look for CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 to roll out a 24/7 streaming news service this spring, Robert Feder writes.
Branded as CBSN Local, it will feature locally anchored programming, live breaking news coverage and archived, on-demand local news content.
Already operating at CBS stations in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis and Philadelphia, it's an outgrowth of CBSN, the streaming video news channel originated by CBS News and CBS Interactive in 2014.
Derek Dalton, president and general manager of CBS 2, said he expects to launch CBSN Local here by the end of March.
Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Krishnamoorthi, 8th District challengers debate immigration reform

All three candidates in the March 17 Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District identify immigration reform among their top priorities , though they disagree over whether attaining citizenship should be a process or a one-day action .
Challenger William Olson of Schaumburg names immigration reform his most pressing issue , and said he 's already written a draft bill called `` An Act to Establish a Uniform Rule of Naturalization '' to be considered .
`` It would provision citizenship to those in the United States desirous of it , '' Olson said .
`` They could make application @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so . ''
His fellow candidates are themselves immigrants .
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi came to the United States from India as an infant , while Inam Hussain of Libertyville hails from Pakistan .
Though Olson does not describe his position on border security as `` open borders , '' he believes anyone physically within the U.S. should have the right to become a citizen , and ports of entry should be places of commerce and cultural exchange .
He strongly criticized the practice of separating children from their families at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) has asserted like most every other member in the U.S. Congress that he supports comprehensive immigration reform , '' Olson said .
`` I might submit comprehensive immigration reform is a euphemism for a status quo of barbarism . ''
But Krishnamoorthi said he supports reforms that would provide security enhancements at the border while also allowing immigrants -- including millions already in the country -- the same opportunity to succeed that his family received .
He and his fellow candidates touched on whether they thought the Development , Relief and Education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided adequate protection of those for whom it was intended .
`` With regard to DREAMers -- those are children who were brought here to this country -- they should certainly be allowed to stay , and that 's why I 'm an original co-sponsor of H.R .
6 , which is the Dream and Promise Act , which would allow them a pathway to citizenship because they are some of the finest people you 'll ever meet , '' Krishnamoorthi said .
`` Finally , I 'm very deeply disturbed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration policy .
We should never separate children from families , we should never do anything that would treat people without the dignity and respect they deserve . ''
Hussain said U.S. immigration policy must begin with a realization that nearly all Americans came from somewhere else , whether Europe centuries ago or other continents in more recent decades .
`` So we have to have a comprehensive immigration policy , which we keep on postponing from one Congress to another for the last 10 years , '' Hussain said .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the ( Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ) people have to be in front of that .
... Of course , our borders can not be open , but we can not have the so-called wall . ''
Hussain criticized the concept of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and the use of defense funding to construct it .
`` I think we have to have solid plans , '' Hussain added .
`` We can not keep on pushing this can to the next Congress or next group of people who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District is roughly centered in Schaumburg and includes areas of northwest Cook , northeast DuPage and northeast Kane counties .
Hussain does not reside in the 8th District , but congressional candidates are not required to live in the districts they seek to represent , either before or after election .
Chapters of the League of Women Voters are hosting upcoming candidate forums to which the three hopefuls have been invited .
One is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday , Feb. 19 , at the Gail Borden Public Library , 270 N. Grove Ave. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 11 a.m. Saturday , Feb. 29 , at the Schaumburg Township District Library , 130 S. Roselle Road in Schaumburg .
Republicans have not yet slated a 8th District candidate for the Nov. 3 general election .

Krishnamoorthi, 8th District challengers debate immigration reform
All three candidates in the March 17 Democratic primary for the 8th Congressional District identify immigration reform among their top priorities, though they disagree over whether attaining citizenship should be a process or a one-day action.
Challenger William Olson of Schaumburg names immigration reform his most pressing issue, and said he's already written a draft bill called "An Act to Establish a Uniform Rule of Naturalization" to be considered.
"It would provision citizenship to those in the United States desirous of it," Olson said. "They could make application at any common court of law to do so."
His fellow candidates are themselves immigrants. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi came to the United States from India as an infant, while Inam Hussain of Libertyville hails from Pakistan.
Though Olson does not describe his position on border security as "open borders," he believes anyone physically within the U.S. should have the right to become a citizen, and ports of entry should be places of commerce and cultural exchange.
He strongly criticized the practice of separating children from their families at borders.
"My opponent (Krishnamoorthi) has asserted like most every other member in the U.S. Congress that he supports comprehensive immigration reform," Olson said. "I might submit comprehensive immigration reform is a euphemism for a status quo of barbarism."
But Krishnamoorthi said he supports reforms that would provide security enhancements at the border while also allowing immigrants -- including millions already in the country -- the same opportunity to succeed that his family received.
He and his fellow candidates touched on whether they thought the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act provided adequate protection of those for whom it was intended.
"With regard to DREAMers -- those are children who were brought here to this country -- they should certainly be allowed to stay, and that's why I'm an original co-sponsor of H.R. 6, which is the Dream and Promise Act, which would allow them a pathway to citizenship because they are some of the finest people you'll ever meet," Krishnamoorthi said. "Finally, I'm very deeply disturbed by the way the Trump Administration has conducted our immigration policy. We should never separate children from families, we should never do anything that would treat people without the dignity and respect they deserve."
Hussain said U.S. immigration policy must begin with a realization that nearly all Americans came from somewhere else, whether Europe centuries ago or other continents in more recent decades.
"So we have to have a comprehensive immigration policy, which we keep on postponing from one Congress to another for the last 10 years," Hussain said. "We cannot grant everyone from day one, but the (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) people have to be in front of that. ... Of course, our borders cannot be open, but we cannot have the so-called wall."
Hussain criticized the concept of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and the use of defense funding to construct it.
"I think we have to have solid plans," Hussain added. "We cannot keep on pushing this can to the next Congress or next group of people who can make the policy."
The 8th District is roughly centered in Schaumburg and includes areas of northwest Cook, northeast DuPage and northeast Kane counties.
Hussain does not reside in the 8th District, but congressional candidates are not required to live in the districts they seek to represent, either before or after election.
Chapters of the League of Women Voters are hosting upcoming candidate forums to which the three hopefuls have been invited. One is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin, and the other is at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, at the Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 S. Roselle Road in Schaumburg.
Republicans have not yet slated a 8th District candidate for the Nov. 3 general election.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-04--Oberweis poll casts him as front-runner, inflames rivals in 14th District GOP contest

A portion of a new internal poll released Tuesday by state Sen. Jim Oberweis supports his contention he is best-positioned among the Republicans seeking the party nomination in the 14th Congressional District .
But , for his opponents , it also created new evidence that what voters know Oberweis for is not what it will take to beat incumbent Democrat Lauren Underwood of Naperville .
The Jan. 28-29 poll surveyed 300 likely voters , all by telephone .
That sample size is relatively small , resulting in a margin of error of 5.6 % , about twice as high as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more typical polls of at least 1,000 people .
The campaign did not release the entire poll , only its executive summary .
That summary indicated 46 % of likely primary voters support Oberweis , who is from Sugar Grove .
The margin of error means that support could be as low as nearly 40 % and as high as nearly 52 % .
Sue Rezin , a state senator from Morris , was second at 16 % .
Catalina Lauf , who lives in Woodstock , was third at 6 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident Jim Marter both had 2 % .
Warrenville resident Jerry Evans and St. Charles resident Anthony Catella were not included .
`` This is a benchmark poll , '' said Oberweis spokesman Travis Akin .
`` There 's no attempt here other than to show people how the actual vote will turn out on Election Day . ''
This is the first time Oberweis has polled against Lauf , who has found momentum as the `` Anti-AOC '' candidate on Fox News and conservative podcasts .
Her campaign was not impressed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sure why someone who 's been running for office for decades and loaned his campaign millions of dollars would push a poll showing him below 50 % , but we do n't try to understand the tactics of career politicians , '' Lauf 's campaign team said in a statement .
`` We 're seeing overwhelming enthusiasm on the ground behind Catalina 's candidacy .
She is not only the only candidate who will stand with President Trump and the only candidate who can beat liberal Lauren Underwood , but the much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican Party . ''
More red meat for Oberweis ' opponents came in some of the other questions asked .
The poll shows 20 % of respondents have an `` unfavorable '' view of Oberweis .
No other candidate , including Rezin , had more than a 5 % unfavorable rating .
The poll also asked if they would be more likely to support Oberweis if they knew he `` defeated liberal Democrat Dick Durbin in each county in your district and came the closest to beating Dick Durbin of any Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would be more likely to support Oberweis .
The Rezin campaign said the poll shows voters view Oberweis more negatively than any other candidate .
And , even in his own poll , Oberweis is a loser , her campaign said .
`` What is ludicrous is that Oberweis and his pollster contrived a question seeking to laud Oberweis for having lost to Dick Durbin , '' said a written statement from the campaign .
`` What is the point ?
Oberweis lost that race .
He has lost elections for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate is supposed to get credit for a previous failed campaign then , by all means , Jim Oberweis is the undisputed king of Illinois politics . ''
Andrew Leppert , a spokesman for Evans ' campaign , said the exclusion of Evans from the poll reveals Oberweis is rattled by Evans ' performances at two recent debates and relatively strong fundraising despite being a late entry into the race .
`` Most people tend to hide what they are most afraid of , and this stands particularly true for Jim Oberweis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Oberweis is far outpacing the other candidates in the race in the size of his campaign war chest .
He 's the only candidate to approach $ 1.5 million in total receipts and surpass $ 1 million in cash on hand .
A large part of that is thanks to Oberweis pumping $ 1 million of his own money into the campaign .
Evans raked in more than $ 45,000 in contributions to close out 2019 .
But he did n't enter the race until late October .
In comparison , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race early are the only candidates besides Oberweis to collect more than $ 200,000 in contributions in the final quarter .
Marter responded by releasing the results of one question he asked more than 700 people in his own poll .
The question positions Marter as the only supporter of Trump , the Second Amendment , `` strong borders '' and pro-life issues .
Fifty-five percent of respondents said they 'd support Marter if that were true .
`` Oberweis ' numbers are dropping , '' Marter said .
`` My major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only poll that really matters is March 17 . ''
The sprawling 14th Congressional District includes parts of DuPage , Kane , Lake , McHenry and Will counties .

Oberweis poll casts him as front-runner, inflames rivals in 14th District GOP contest
A portion of a new internal poll released Tuesday by state Sen. Jim Oberweis supports his contention he is best-positioned among the Republicans seeking the party nomination in the 14th Congressional District.
But, for his opponents, it also created new evidence that what voters know Oberweis for is not what it will take to beat incumbent Democrat Lauren Underwood of Naperville.
The Jan. 28-29 poll surveyed 300 likely voters, all by telephone.
That sample size is relatively small, resulting in a margin of error of 5.6%, about twice as high as what is seen in more expensive, and more typical polls of at least 1,000 people.
The campaign did not release the entire poll, only its executive summary. That summary indicated 46% of likely primary voters support Oberweis, who is from Sugar Grove.
The margin of error means that support could be as low as nearly 40% and as high as nearly 52%. Sue Rezin, a state senator from Morris, was second at 16%.
Catalina Lauf, who lives in Woodstock, was third at 6%. Naperville resident Ted Gradel and Oswego resident Jim Marter both had 2%. Warrenville resident Jerry Evans and St. Charles resident Anthony Catella were not included.
"This is a benchmark poll," said Oberweis spokesman Travis Akin. "There's no attempt here other than to show people how the actual vote will turn out on Election Day."
This is the first time Oberweis has polled against Lauf, who has found momentum as the "Anti-AOC" candidate on Fox News and conservative podcasts.
Her campaign was not impressed with Oberweis' poll.
"We're not sure why someone who's been running for office for decades and loaned his campaign millions of dollars would push a poll showing him below 50%, but we don't try to understand the tactics of career politicians," Lauf's campaign team said in a statement. "We're seeing overwhelming enthusiasm on the ground behind Catalina's candidacy. She is not only the only candidate who will stand with President Trump and the only candidate who can beat liberal Lauren Underwood, but the much needed new energy and new face for the Republican Party."
More red meat for Oberweis' opponents came in some of the other questions asked.
The poll shows 20% of respondents have an "unfavorable" view of Oberweis.
No other candidate, including Rezin, had more than a 5% unfavorable rating.
The poll also asked if they would be more likely to support Oberweis if they knew he "defeated liberal Democrat Dick Durbin in each county in your district and came the closest to beating Dick Durbin of any Republican."
Seventy-five percent of participants said they would be more likely to support Oberweis.
The Rezin campaign said the poll shows voters view Oberweis more negatively than any other candidate.
And, even in his own poll, Oberweis is a loser, her campaign said.
"What is ludicrous is that Oberweis and his pollster contrived a question seeking to laud Oberweis for having lost to Dick Durbin," said a written statement from the campaign. "What is the point? Oberweis lost that race. He has lost elections for this congressional seat twice already.
"If a candidate is supposed to get credit for a previous failed campaign then, by all means, Jim Oberweis is the undisputed king of Illinois politics."
Andrew Leppert, a spokesman for Evans' campaign, said the exclusion of Evans from the poll reveals Oberweis is rattled by Evans' performances at two recent debates and relatively strong fundraising despite being a late entry into the race.
"Most people tend to hide what they are most afraid of, and this stands particularly true for Jim Oberweis and his push poll," Leppert said.
Oberweis is far outpacing the other candidates in the race in the size of his campaign war chest.
He's the only candidate to approach $1.5 million in total receipts and surpass $1 million in cash on hand.
A large part of that is thanks to Oberweis pumping $1 million of his own money into the campaign.
Evans raked in more than $45,000 in contributions to close out 2019.
But he didn't enter the race until late October.
In comparison, Rezin and Gradel, who were in the race early are the only candidates besides Oberweis to collect more than $200,000 in contributions in the final quarter.
Marter responded by releasing the results of one question he asked more than 700 people in his own poll.
The question positions Marter as the only supporter of Trump, the Second Amendment, "strong borders" and pro-life issues.
Fifty-five percent of respondents said they'd support Marter if that were true. "Oberweis' numbers are dropping," Marter said. "My major marketing push is coming now, and the only poll that really matters is March 17."
The sprawling 14th Congressional District includes parts of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-04--After 11 years, Mancino to step aside as Hawthorn Woods mayor

After 11 years , Joe Mancino is stepping aside as Hawthorn Woods mayor .
Perhaps best known as a feisty opponent of the now defunct proposal to extend Route 53 into Lake County , Mancino ran unopposed for the office in 2009 and was reelected in 2013 and 2017 .
In a special announcement Tuesday , he told residents he will be relocating out of town in March and relinquishing the gavel effective Feb. 24 as a result .
`` Through the years , I have had the chance to get to know you -- your emails , letters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings , '' he wrote .
`` Doing so has shown me the goodness of our residents and it inspired me to work hard , always shoot straight and never give up . ''
Mancino , 54 , who owns a billboard advertising company , told residents that as an immigrant , he appreciated the opportunities he has been afforded .
`` I have always believed in volunteerism and service to others and serving as mayor has been the pinnacle of that belief , '' he said .
While self-effacing about his 5-foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sizable force in Lake County and tenacious supporter of the village and its initiatives .
Over the past 11 years , the village has seen a financial turnaround , upgraded and modernized the police and public works departments , enacted a 5-year capital plan , paid down debt without incurring new debt and increased the number of free special events , Mancino said .
One of the village 's first major actions during his tenure was to appoint Pam Newton as the village 's chief operating officer .
She remains in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's professional staff for much of the success .
`` I have stood on the shoulders of all these people as they humbly serve this village , '' he wrote .
Mancino also served as head of the Lake County Municipal League and represents the village and county on the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus .
During his tenure , Mancino also became a licensed amateur boxer .
Over the past two years of what he described as intense life-changing training for Golden Gloves competition , he dropped 45 pounds and built stamina .

After 11 years, Mancino to step aside as Hawthorn Woods mayor
After 11 years, Joe Mancino is stepping aside as Hawthorn Woods mayor.
Perhaps best known as a feisty opponent of the now defunct proposal to extend Route 53 into Lake County, Mancino ran unopposed for the office in 2009 and was reelected in 2013 and 2017.
In a special announcement Tuesday, he told residents he will be relocating out of town in March and relinquishing the gavel effective Feb. 24 as a result.
"Through the years, I have had the chance to get to know you -- your emails, letters, phone calls and the impromptu grocery store meetings," he wrote.
"Doing so has shown me the goodness of our residents and it inspired me to work hard, always shoot straight and never give up."
Mancino, 54, who owns a billboard advertising company, told residents that as an immigrant, he appreciated the opportunities he has been afforded.
"I have always believed in volunteerism and service to others and serving as mayor has been the pinnacle of that belief," he said.
While self-effacing about his 5-foot, 6-inch stature, Mancino has been a sizable force in Lake County and tenacious supporter of the village and its initiatives.
Over the past 11 years, the village has seen a financial turnaround, upgraded and modernized the police and public works departments, enacted a 5-year capital plan, paid down debt without incurring new debt and increased the number of free special events, Mancino said.
One of the village's first major actions during his tenure was to appoint Pam Newton as the village's chief operating officer. She remains in that role today.
He credited the village's professional staff for much of the success.
"I have stood on the shoulders of all these people as they humbly serve this village," he wrote.
Mancino also served as head of the Lake County Municipal League and represents the village and county on the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.
During his tenure, Mancino also became a licensed amateur boxer. Over the past two years of what he described as intense life-changing training for Golden Gloves competition, he dropped 45 pounds and built stamina.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Iowa releases 71% of caucus results, with Buttigieg and Sanders in lead

DES MOINES , Iowa -- Clouded by doubts on a chaotic day-after , the Iowa Democratic Party began releasing partial results of the state 's first-in-the-nation presidential caucus on Tuesday .
According to the early results , which Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price said represented 62 % of precincts , Buttigieg was leading with 26.9 % of the state 's delegates , followed by Sanders with 25.1 % .
Late Tuesday night , party officials said totals from 71 % of precincts were in , but the delegate shares were virtually unchanged .
While campaigns were eager to spin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was little immediate indication that the incomplete results eased the confusion and concern that loomed over the opening contest of the Democrats 2020 presidential primary season .
It was unclear when Iowa 's full results would be released .
During a private conference call with campaigns earlier in the day , state party chairman Troy Price declined to answer pointed questions about the specific timeline -- even whether it would be a matter of days or weeks .
`` We have been working data and night to make sure these results are accurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference .
The leading candidates pressed on in next-up New Hampshire , which votes in just seven days , as billionaire Democrat Michael Bloomberg sensed opportunity , vowing to double his already massive advertising campaign and expand his sprawling staff focused on a series of delegate-rich states voting next month .
The party 's caucus crisis was an embarrassing twist after months of promoting the contest as a chance for Democrats to find some clarity in a jumbled field with no clear front-runner .
Instead , after a buildup that featured seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion spent nationwide and a year of political jockeying , caucus day ended with no winner , no official results and many fresh questions about whether Iowa can retain its coveted `` first '' status .
Iowa marked the first contest in a primary season that will span all 50 states and several U.S. territories , ending at the party 's national convention in mid-July .
Campaigning in New Hampshire on Tuesday , Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she was `` feeling good '' about her performance in Iowa but questioned the state party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I just do n't understand what that means , at least half of the data .
I think they ought to get it together and release all the data , '' she said .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ' campaign told supporters that its internal monitoring showed him in the lead with nearly half the vote in .
Sanders himself said late Monday , `` Today marks the beginning of the end for Donald Trump . ''
Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , essentially declared an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't know all the results , but we know by the time it 's all said and done , Iowa , you have shocked the nation , '' he said before leaving Iowa .
`` By all indications , we are going on to New Hampshire victorious . ''
Former Vice President Joe Biden said he was `` feeling good '' and predicted the results would be close .
The party told campaigns Tuesday that the problem was a result of a `` coding issue in the reporting system '' that it said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had verified the accuracy of the collected data and said the problem was not a result of `` a hack or an intrusion . ''
A Biden campaign representative objected to the party 's plan to release partial results before checking them against paper records , saying in the conference call that the plan did n't address `` growing reports '' about problems on caucus night , such as precinct captains unable to get through on the phone to report results .
`` The stories and the problems are just multiplying so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way of addressing that and explaining to us as you release these partial results why you 're comfortable , '' Biden campaign attorney Dana Remus said .
`` You need to have enough transparency that other people feel comfortable about it now and we 're just not there right now . ''
Sanders adviser Jeff Weaver thanked party officials , and encouraged other campaigns not to undermine the party .
`` Folks who are just trying to delay the return of this because of their relative positioning in the results last night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Weaver said .
For the first time , the Iowa Democratic Party reported three sets of results : a tally of caucusgoers ' initial candidate preference ; vote totals from the `` final alignment '' after supporters of lower-ranking candidates were able to make a second choice , and the total number of State Delegate Equivalents each candidate received .
The Associated Press will declare a winner based on the number of state delegates each candidate wins , which has been the traditional standard .
Early polling had suggested Sanders entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but any of the top four candidates -- Sanders , Biden , Warren and Buttigieg -- was positioned to score a victory .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar , who represents neighboring Minnesota , was also in the running , while outsider candidates including entrepreneur Andrew Yang , billionaire activist Tom Steyer and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard lagged behind .
Sensing opportunity amid the chaos , Bloomberg 's campaign announced plans to double its national television advertising spending -- which has already exceeded $ 100 million -- as it expands its paid staff to more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to next month , having decided to bypass Iowa 's contest and the three other states voting this month in favor of the delegate-rich states in March .
`` After more than a year of this primary , the field is as unsettled as ever , '' Bloomberg spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said .
`` No one has made the sale or even come close to it .
Meanwhile , Mike is taking the fight to Trump every day , doubling down on the national campaign strategy we 've been running from the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invited fresh criticism about Iowa caucuses , a complicated set of political meetings staged in a state that is whiter and older than the Democratic Party .
Many used the moment to question whether it was a quaint political tradition whose time had passed .
The party has tried to accommodate critics before , this year by promising to report three different data points about voters ' preferences , presumably improving transparency .
But the new system created new headaches .
`` I think Iowa is a dumpster fire , '' said Dick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and longtime Biden supporter , who served as an Iowa precinct captain for Biden on Monday .

Iowa releases 71% of caucus results, with Buttigieg and Sanders in lead
David Keck of Dubuque, Iowa, speaks Monday to a precinct group during the Republican caucus at the Peosta Community Centre in Peosta, Iowa. Associated Press
Precinct captain Carl Voss of Des Moines displays the Iowa Democratic Party caucus reporting app on his phone outside of the Iowa Democratic Party headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Clouded by doubts on a chaotic day-after, the Iowa Democratic Party began releasing partial results of the state's first-in-the-nation presidential caucus on Tuesday.
According to the early results, which Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price said represented 62% of precincts, Buttigieg was leading with 26.9% of the state's delegates, followed by Sanders with 25.1%. Late Tuesday night, party officials said totals from 71% of precincts were in, but the delegate shares were virtually unchanged.
While campaigns were eager to spin the results to their advantage, there was little immediate indication that the incomplete results eased the confusion and concern that loomed over the opening contest of the Democrats 2020 presidential primary season.
It was unclear when Iowa's full results would be released.
During a private conference call with campaigns earlier in the day, state party chairman Troy Price declined to answer pointed questions about the specific timeline -- even whether it would be a matter of days or weeks.
"We have been working data and night to make sure these results are accurate," Price said at a subsequent news conference.
The leading candidates pressed on in next-up New Hampshire, which votes in just seven days, as billionaire Democrat Michael Bloomberg sensed opportunity, vowing to double his already massive advertising campaign and expand his sprawling staff focused on a series of delegate-rich states voting next month.
The party's caucus crisis was an embarrassing twist after months of promoting the contest as a chance for Democrats to find some clarity in a jumbled field with no clear front-runner. Instead, after a buildup that featured seven rounds of debates, nearly $1 billion spent nationwide and a year of political jockeying, caucus day ended with no winner, no official results and many fresh questions about whether Iowa can retain its coveted "first" status.
Iowa marked the first contest in a primary season that will span all 50 states and several U.S. territories, ending at the party's national convention in mid-July.
Campaigning in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she was "feeling good" about her performance in Iowa but questioned the state party's plans to release partial results.
"I just don't understand what that means, at least half of the data. I think they ought to get it together and release all the data," she said.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign told supporters that its internal monitoring showed him in the lead with nearly half the vote in. Sanders himself said late Monday, "Today marks the beginning of the end for Donald Trump."
Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, essentially declared an Iowa victory.
"So we don't know all the results, but we know by the time it's all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation," he said before leaving Iowa. "By all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious."
Former Vice President Joe Biden said he was "feeling good" and predicted the results would be close.
The party told campaigns Tuesday that the problem was a result of a "coding issue in the reporting system" that it said had since been fixed. It said it had verified the accuracy of the collected data and said the problem was not a result of "a hack or an intrusion."
A Biden campaign representative objected to the party's plan to release partial results before checking them against paper records, saying in the conference call that the plan didn't address "growing reports" about problems on caucus night, such as precinct captains unable to get through on the phone to report results.
"The stories and the problems are just multiplying so presumably you're going to have some way of addressing that and explaining to us as you release these partial results why you're comfortable," Biden campaign attorney Dana Remus said. "You need to have enough transparency that other people feel comfortable about it now and we're just not there right now."
Sanders adviser Jeff Weaver thanked party officials, and encouraged other campaigns not to undermine the party.
"Folks who are just trying to delay the return of this because of their relative positioning in the results last night, I think that's a bit disingenuous," Weaver said.
For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party reported three sets of results: a tally of caucusgoers' initial candidate preference; vote totals from the "final alignment" after supporters of lower-ranking candidates were able to make a second choice, and the total number of State Delegate Equivalents each candidate received.
The Associated Press will declare a winner based on the number of state delegates each candidate wins, which has been the traditional standard.
Early polling had suggested Sanders entered the night with a narrow lead, but any of the top four candidates -- Sanders, Biden, Warren and Buttigieg -- was positioned to score a victory. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who represents neighboring Minnesota, was also in the running, while outsider candidates including entrepreneur Andrew Yang, billionaire activist Tom Steyer and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard lagged behind.
Sensing opportunity amid the chaos, Bloomberg's campaign announced plans to double its national television advertising spending -- which has already exceeded $100 million -- as it expands its paid staff to more than 2,000 people.
Bloomberg is looking to next month, having decided to bypass Iowa's contest and the three other states voting this month in favor of the delegate-rich states in March.
"After more than a year of this primary, the field is as unsettled as ever," Bloomberg spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said. "No one has made the sale or even come close to it. Meanwhile, Mike is taking the fight to Trump every day, doubling down on the national campaign strategy we've been running from the beginning."
Beyond 2020, the debacle invited fresh criticism about Iowa caucuses, a complicated set of political meetings staged in a state that is whiter and older than the Democratic Party. Many used the moment to question whether it was a quaint political tradition whose time had passed.
The party has tried to accommodate critics before, this year by promising to report three different data points about voters' preferences, presumably improving transparency. But the new system created new headaches.
"I think Iowa is a dumpster fire," said Dick Harpootlian, a South Carolina State senator and longtime Biden supporter, who served as an Iowa precinct captain for Biden on Monday.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Not Guilty: Split Senate acquits Trump of impeachment

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump won impeachment acquittal Wednesday in the U.S. Senate , bringing to a close only the third presidential trial in American history with votes that split the country , tested civic norms and fed the tumultuous 2020 race for the White House .
With Chief Justice John Roberts presiding , senators sworn to do `` impartial justice '' stood at their desks to state their votes for the roll call -- `` guilty '' or `` not guilty '' -- in a swift tally almost exclusively along party lines .
Visitors , including the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Roberts read the declaration that Trump `` be , and is hereby , acquitted of the charges . ''
The outcome followed months of remarkable impeachment proceedings , from Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's House to Mitch McConnell 's Senate , reflecting the nation 's unrelenting partisan divide three years into the Trump presidency .
What started as Trump 's request for Ukraine to `` do us a favor '' spun into a far-reaching , 28,000-page report compiled by House investigators accusing an American president of engaging in shadow diplomacy that threatened U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he pressured the ally to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of the next election .
No president has ever been removed by the Senate .
A politically emboldened Trump has eagerly predicted vindication , deploying the verdict as a political anthem in his reelection bid .
The president claims he did nothing wrong , decrying the `` witch hunt '' and `` hoax '' as extensions of special counsel Robert Mueller 's probe into Russian 2016 campaign interference by those out to get him from the start of his presidency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements and a cartoon dance celebrating that he was `` vindicated . ''
Trump himself tweeted that he would speak from the White House on Thursday about `` our Country 's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax . ''
However , the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said there will always be `` a giant asterisk next to the president 's acquittal '' because of the Senate 's quick trial and the Republicans ' unprecedented rejection of witnesses for an impeachment .
A majority of senators expressed unease with Trump 's pressure campaign on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of impeachment .
But two-thirds `` guilty '' votes would have been needed to reach the Constitution 's bar of high crimes and misdemeanors to convict and remove Trump from office .
The final tallies fell far short .
On the first article of impeachment , abuse of power , the vote was 52-48 favoring acquittal .
The second , obstruction of Congress , also produced a not guilty verdict , 53-47 .
Only one Republican , Mitt Romney of Utah , the party 's defeated 2012 presidential nominee , broke with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he drew on his faith and `` oath before God '' to vote guilty on the first charge , abuse of power .
He voted to acquit on the second .
Both Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868 drew cross-party support when they were left in office after impeachment trials .
Richard Nixon resigned rather than face sure impeachment including from his own party .
Ahead of Wednesday 's voting , some of the most closely watched senators took to the Senate floor to tell their constituents , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Influential GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee , who is retiring , worried that a guilty verdict would `` pour gasoline on the fire '' of the nation 's culture wars over Trump .
He said the House proved its case but it just did n't rise to the level of impeachment .
`` It would rip the country apart , '' Alexander said before his vote .
Other Republicans siding with Trump said it was time to end what McConnell called the `` circus '' and move on .
Trump ally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sham '' designed to destroy a presidency .
Most Democrats , though , echoed the House managers ' warnings that Trump , if left unchecked , would continue to abuse the power of his office for personal political gain and try to cheat again ahead of the the 2020 election .
`` I 've always said , if I can go home and explain it , I can vote for it , '' said Sen. Joe Manchin , D-W.Va. , a centrist from a Trump state who stunned some by voting the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote based on the evidence . ''
Among senators running for the Democratic presidential nomination , Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar dashed back from New Hampshire to vote .
During the nearly three-week trial , House Democrats prosecuting the case argued that Trump abused power like no other president in history when he pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son , Hunter Biden , ahead of the 2020 election .
They detailed an extraordinary shadow diplomacy run by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani that set off alarms at the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 25 phone call with Ukraine , Trump temporarily halted U.S. aid to the struggling ally battling hostile Russia at its border .
The money was eventually released in September as Congress intervened .
When the House probed Trump 's actions , the president instructed White House aides to defy congressional subpoenas , leading to the obstruction charge .
One key Democrat , Alabama Sen. Doug Jones -- perhaps the most endangered politically for reelection in a state where Trump is popular -- announced he would vote to convict .
`` Senators are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones said .
Questions from the Ukraine matter continue to swirl .
House Democrats may yet summon former national security adviser John Bolton to testify about revelations from his forthcoming book that offer a fresh account of Trump 's actions .
Other eyewitnesses and documents are almost sure to surface .
In closing arguments for the trial the lead prosecutor , Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , appealed to senators ' sense of decency , that `` right matters '' and `` truth matters '' and that Trump `` is not who you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the votes to convict `` will serve as a constraint on the president 's wrongdoing . ''
`` But we 're going to have to be vigilant because this is not a president who is guided by any kind of moral compass , '' he told The Associated Press .
Pelosi was initially reluctant to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump when she took control of the House after the 2018 election , dismissively telling more liberal voices that `` he 's not worth it . ''
Trump and his GOP allies in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undercut him from the start .
But a whistleblower complaint of his conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy set off alarms .
The call had been placed the day after Mueller announced the findings of his Russia probe .
When Trump told Pelosi in September that the call was perfect , she was stunned .
`` Perfectly wrong , '' she said .
Days later , the speaker announced the formal impeachment inquiry .
The result was the quickest , most partisan impeachment in U.S. history , with no Republicans joining the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though one GOP congressman left the party and voted for impeachment and two Democrats joined Republicans to oppose .
The Republican Senate kept up the pace with the fastest trial ever , and the first with no witnesses or deliberations .
Trump 's legal team with star attorney Alan Dershowitz made the sweeping , if stunning , assertion that even if the president engaged in the quid pro quo as described , it is not impeachable , because politicians often view their own political interest with the national interest .
McConnell , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for dissent , refusing efforts to prolong the trial with more witnesses , arguing the House should have done a better job .
Some GOP senators distanced themselves from Trump 's defense , and some brushed back calls from conservatives to disclose the name of the anonymous whistleblower .
Trump 's approval rating , which has generally languished in the mid- to low-40s , hit a new high of 49 % in the latest Gallup polling , which was conducted as the Senate trial was drawing to a close .
The poll found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican Party favorably , the first time the GOP 's number has exceeded 50 % since 2005 .
Associated Press writers Eric Tucker , Laurie Kellman , Matthew Daly , Alan Fram , Andrew Taylor , Zeke Miller and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report .

Not guilty: Split Senate acquits Trump of abuse of power, obstruction
Lead House impeachment manager, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, arrives Wednesday to meet with fellow Democrats at the Capitol in Washington. Associated Press
Sen. Doug Jones, an Alabama Democrat, said Wednesday that he will vote to convict President Donald Trump Wednesday as the Senate impeachment trial reaches its climax. Associated Press/Jan. 31, 2020
In this image from video, Senators vote on the first article of impeachment during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday. Senate Television via AP
President Donald Trump arrives to deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday as Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi look on. Leah Millis/Pool via AP
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump won impeachment acquittal Wednesday in the U.S. Senate, bringing to a close only the third presidential trial in American history with votes that split the country, tested civic norms and fed the tumultuous 2020 race for the White House.
With Chief Justice John Roberts presiding, senators sworn to do "impartial justice" stood at their desks to state their votes for the roll call -- "guilty" or "not guilty" -- in a swift tally almost exclusively along party lines. Visitors, including the president's allies, watched from the crowded gallery. Roberts read the declaration that Trump "be, and is hereby, acquitted of the charges."
The outcome followed months of remarkable impeachment proceedings, from Speaker Nancy Pelosi's House to Mitch McConnell's Senate, reflecting the nation's unrelenting partisan divide three years into the Trump presidency.
What started as Trump's request for Ukraine to "do us a favor" spun into a far-reaching, 28,000-page report compiled by House investigators accusing an American president of engaging in shadow diplomacy that threatened U.S. foreign relations for personal, political gain as he pressured the ally to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of the next election.
No president has ever been removed by the Senate.
A politically emboldened Trump has eagerly predicted vindication, deploying the verdict as a political anthem in his reelection bid. The president claims he did nothing wrong, decrying the "witch hunt" and "hoax" as extensions of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian 2016 campaign interference by those out to get him from the start of his presidency.
Trump's political campaign tweeted videos, statements and a cartoon dance celebrating that he was "vindicated." Trump himself tweeted that he would speak from the White House on Thursday about "our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax."
However, the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said there will always be "a giant asterisk next to the president's acquittal" because of the Senate's quick trial and the Republicans' unprecedented rejection of witnesses for an impeachment.
A majority of senators expressed unease with Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine that resulted in the two articles of impeachment. But two-thirds "guilty" votes would have been needed to reach the Constitution's bar of high crimes and misdemeanors to convict and remove Trump from office. The final tallies fell far short.
On the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, the vote was 52-48 favoring acquittal. The second, obstruction of Congress, also produced a not guilty verdict, 53-47.
Only one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, the party's defeated 2012 presidential nominee, broke with the GOP.
Romney choked up as he said he drew on his faith and "oath before God" to vote guilty on the first charge, abuse of power. He voted to acquit on the second.
Both Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868 drew cross-party support when they were left in office after impeachment trials. Richard Nixon resigned rather than face sure impeachment including from his own party.
Ahead of Wednesday's voting, some of the most closely watched senators took to the Senate floor to tell their constituents, and the nation, what they had decided.
Influential GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who is retiring, worried that a guilty verdict would "pour gasoline on the fire" of the nation's culture wars over Trump. He said the House proved its case but it just didn't rise to the level of impeachment.
"It would rip the country apart," Alexander said before his vote.
Other Republicans siding with Trump said it was time to end what McConnell called the "circus" and move on. Trump ally Lindsey Graham said it was a "sham" designed to destroy a presidency.
Most Democrats, though, echoed the House managers' warnings that Trump, if left unchecked, would continue to abuse the power of his office for personal political gain and try to cheat again ahead of the the 2020 election.
"I've always said, if I can go home and explain it, I can vote for it," said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a centrist from a Trump state who stunned some by voting the president guilty. "I can explain my vote based on the evidence."
Among senators running for the Democratic presidential nomination, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar dashed back from New Hampshire to vote.
During the nearly three-week trial, House Democrats prosecuting the case argued that Trump abused power like no other president in history when he pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, ahead of the 2020 election.
They detailed an extraordinary shadow diplomacy run by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani that set off alarms at the highest levels of government. After Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine, Trump temporarily halted U.S. aid to the struggling ally battling hostile Russia at its border. The money was eventually released in September as Congress intervened.
When the House probed Trump's actions, the president instructed White House aides to defy congressional subpoenas, leading to the obstruction charge.
One key Democrat, Alabama Sen. Doug Jones -- perhaps the most endangered politically for reelection in a state where Trump is popular -- announced he would vote to convict. "Senators are elected to make tough choices," Jones said.
Questions from the Ukraine matter continue to swirl. House Democrats may yet summon former national security adviser John Bolton to testify about revelations from his forthcoming book that offer a fresh account of Trump's actions. Other eyewitnesses and documents are almost sure to surface.
In closing arguments for the trial the lead prosecutor, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., appealed to senators' sense of decency, that "right matters" and "truth matters" and that Trump "is not who you are.''
He said he hoped the votes to convict " will serve as a constraint on the president's wrongdoing."
"But we're going to have to be vigilant because this is not a president who is guided by any kind of moral compass," he told The Associated Press.
Pelosi was initially reluctant to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump when she took control of the House after the 2018 election, dismissively telling more liberal voices that "he's not worth it.''
Trump and his GOP allies in Congress argue that Democrats have been trying to undercut him from the start.
But a whistleblower complaint of his conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy set off alarms. The call had been placed the day after Mueller announced the findings of his Russia probe.
When Trump told Pelosi in September that the call was perfect, she was stunned. "Perfectly wrong," she said. Days later, the speaker announced the formal impeachment inquiry.
The result was the quickest, most partisan impeachment in U.S. history, with no Republicans joining the House Democrats to vote for the charges, though one GOP congressman left the party and voted for impeachment and two Democrats joined Republicans to oppose. The Republican Senate kept up the pace with the fastest trial ever, and the first with no witnesses or deliberations.
Trump's legal team with star attorney Alan Dershowitz made the sweeping, if stunning, assertion that even if the president engaged in the quid pro quo as described, it is not impeachable, because politicians often view their own political interest with the national interest.
McConnell, who commands a 53-47 Republican majority, braced for dissent, refusing efforts to prolong the trial with more witnesses, arguing the House should have done a better job.
Some GOP senators distanced themselves from Trump's defense, and some brushed back calls from conservatives to disclose the name of the anonymous whistleblower.
Trump's approval rating, which has generally languished in the mid- to low-40s, hit a new high of 49% in the latest Gallup polling, which was conducted as the Senate trial was drawing to a close. The poll found that 51% of the public views the Republican Party favorably, the first time the GOP's number has exceeded 50% since 2005.
___
Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Laurie Kellman, Matthew Daly, Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Zeke Miller and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Long Grove bridge closing again in March for more repairs

Downtown Long Grove 's historic bridge is expected to close again in March to replace the wooden cover damaged when a truck plowed into it in 2018 , Village President Bill Jacob said .
Jacob 's bridge update came Wednesday during the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce 2020 Annual Economic Summit .
Jacob was part of a panel with nine other village leaders who touched on last year 's achievements and looked ahead to 2020 .
Long Grove reopened the 114-year-year-old bridge over Buffalo Creek in time for the winter holidays , after substantial completion of the Robert Parker Coffin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will close again beginning next month for more repairs and installation of the new timber cover for the one-lane span that 's on the National Register of Historic Places .
`` That bridge is probably going to be closed from March to July , so if you can put up with that a little bit , I 'd appreciate that , '' Jacob said .
The bridge was knocked out of commission when hit by the box truck in June 2018 , about a week after it became a national landmark .
Jacob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's insurance will pay for the cover .
Others on the panel were Barrington Village President Karen Darch , Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin , Deer Park Village Administrator Beth McAndrews , Kildeer Village President Nandia Black , Lake Barrington Village Administrator Karen Daulton Lange , North Barrington Village President Eleanor Sweet McDonnell , Port Barrington Village President Shannon Yeaton , South Barrington Village President Paula McCombie and Tower Lakes Village President David Parro .
In keeping with tradition , Black sang some of her presentation on Kildeer , this year to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World . ''
`` We 're on the top of the world , looking down with elation , and we thank our chief village officer each day , '' Black sang .
`` For the growth that we 've found , since these businesses came to town .
Our success has us on top of the world . ''

Long Grove bridge closing again in March for more repairs
Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.comA car passes over the historic bridge, which is still awaiting a new cover, in Long Grove recently. Other enhancements downtown include street lamps, landscaping off the road, and new sidewalks.
Downtown Long Grove's historic bridge is expected to close again in March to replace the wooden cover damaged when a truck plowed into it in 2018, Village President Bill Jacob said.
Jacob's bridge update came Wednesday during the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce 2020 Annual Economic Summit. Jacob was part of a panel with nine other village leaders who touched on last year's achievements and looked ahead to 2020.
Long Grove reopened the 114-year-old bridge over Buffalo Creek in time for the winter holidays, after much of the Robert Parker Coffin Road improvement project was completed.
But the bridge will close again beginning next month for more repairs and installation of the new timber cover for the one-lane span that's on the National Register of Historic Places.
"That bridge is probably going to be closed from March to July, so if you can put up with that a little bit, I'd appreciate that," Jacob said.
The bridge was knocked out of commission when hit by the box truck in June 2018, about a week after it became a national landmark. Jacob told the crowd that the truck company's insurance will pay for the cover.
Others on the panel were Barrington Village President Karen Darch, Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin, Deer Park Village Administrator Beth McAndrews, Kildeer Village President Nandia Black, Lake Barrington Village Administrator Karen Daulton Lange, North Barrington Village President Eleanor Sweet McDonnell, Port Barrington Village President Shannon Yeaton, South Barrington Village President Paula McCombie and Tower Lakes Village President David Parro.
In keeping with tradition, Black sang some of her presentation on Kildeer, this year to the Carpenters' "Top of the World."
"We're on the top of the world, looking down with elation, and we thank our chief village officer each day," Black sang. "For the growth that we've found, since these businesses came to town. Our success has us on top of the world."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Ogden 6 employees pushing petition to save longtime theater in Naperville

Two employees of Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres have started an online petition to save the longtime movie house from a Costco development plan that would force it to close or relocate .
Krysten Holley and Sarah Verrey thought they 'd gather about 100 signatures on their change.org request to preserve their workplace , a spot they say holds emotional memories for many guests .
Since posting the petition `` Save Ogden 6 Theatre '' about noon Monday , they have gathered 10,553 signatures and counting .
`` We 're so surprised at the amount this has spread , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dedication to try and save something so small in the city of Naperville , '' Holley said .
Ogden 6 has been at 1227 E. Ogden Ave. since the mid-1970s and owned by Classic Cinemas since 1996 .
CEO and owner Chris Johnson said he had no idea Holley and Verrey , both employees since 2016 , planned to start a petition .
He said he 's been floored by the response .
`` I am encouraged .
I think it 's fantastic that people care so much , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attachment to the theater and that it 's special and different and unique in its own way . ''
The theater would have to close or move if Costco buys the site where it rents its space at Ogden Mall on Naperville 's northeast side .
The mall is anchored by an H Mart Asian grocer and the shell of a Kmart that has stood vacant for seven years .
Christine Jeffries , president and CEO of the Naperville Development Partnership , said Costco plans to buy the 33-acre site , leaving in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a CVS and a Panera Bread on roughly 17 acres , while using the other 16 to build its second store in Naperville and a gas station .
With the help of the Development Partnership , Johnson said , he is considering other sites where he could move the theater , even visiting one further west of the site on Wednesday morning .
He said he 's nervous that moving from the intersection of Ogden and Naper Boulevard would put him too close to competing theaters or too far from customers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Westmont .
But the thousands of signatures on his employees ' petition provide some measure of the public 's devotion .
Holley and Verrey said they were moved to start the petition to attract the attention of Costco officials and city council members by showing them how much people value Ogden 6 .
Reading posts on the petition site has shown how the theater combines memories , nostalgia and tradition .
`` That 's something people wo n't get from other , bigger movie theater franchises , '' said Holley , 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people wo n't get those memories at Costco . ''
Verrey , 19 , of Naperville , said she 's already dreamed of bringing her future children to the theater where she enjoyed shows growing up , originally watching second-run movies until the screens switched to new releases after a 2018 renovation .
`` It blows my mind how much emotion and the great memories people have at this theater , '' Verrey said .
`` It would be such a tragedy to let another big-name business like Costco come and demolish something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it is company policy not to comment on future warehouses until they are about three months from opening and details are available .
The city council is expected to begin discussions Feb. 18 about potential sales tax rebates to help offset the cost of site work Costco would need to complete to build a store , such as demolishing the former Kmart , a strip of other small businesses or vacant storefronts and the theater .

Ogden 6 employees pushing petition to save longtime theater in Naperville
Employees of Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres in Naperville say they have made strong connections with customers and heard emotional stories of the theater's significance in people's lives. That's why two of them have started a petition to save the theater from a Costco warehouse proposal that would require it to move or shut down. Courtesy of Krysten Holley
Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres employees Krysten Holley, left, and Sarah Verrey, center, seen here with former employee Alejandra Rodriguez, have started an online petition to save the theater where they work. The theater would be forced to move or close if a plan moves forward to build a Costco warehouse on the site. Courtesy of Krysten Holley
Two employees of Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres have started an online petition to save the longtime movie house from a Costco development plan that would force it to close or relocate.
Krysten Holley and Sarah Verrey thought they'd gather about 100 signatures on their change.org request to preserve their workplace, a spot they say holds emotional memories for many guests.
Since posting the petition "Save Ogden 6 Theatre" about noon Monday, they have gathered 10,553 signatures and counting.
"We're so surprised at the amount this has spread, at the amount of people that have this dedication to try and save something so small in the city of Naperville," Holley said.
Ogden 6 has been at 1227 E. Ogden Ave. since the mid-1970s and owned by Classic Cinemas since 1996.
CEO and owner Chris Johnson said he had no idea Holley and Verrey, both employees since 2016, planned to start a petition. He said he's been floored by the response.
"I am encouraged. I think it's fantastic that people care so much," he said. "It shows there's an emotional attachment to the theater and that it's special and different and unique in its own way."
The theater would have to close or move if Costco buys the site where it rents its space at Ogden Mall on Naperville's northeast side.
The mall is anchored by an H Mart Asian grocer and the shell of a Kmart that has stood vacant for seven years. Christine Jeffries, president and CEO of the Naperville Development Partnership, said Costco plans to buy the 33-acre site, leaving in place the H Mart, a bank, a CVS and a Panera Bread on roughly 17 acres, while using the other 16 to build its second store in Naperville and a gas station.
With the help of the Development Partnership, Johnson said, he is considering other sites where he could move the theater, even visiting one further west of the site on Wednesday morning.
He said he's nervous that moving from the intersection of Ogden and Naper Boulevard would put him too close to competing theaters or too far from customers who already make the drive from Downers Grove and Westmont. But the thousands of signatures on his employees' petition provide some measure of the public's devotion.
Holley and Verrey said they were moved to start the petition to attract the attention of Costco officials and city council members by showing them how much people value Ogden 6. Reading posts on the petition site has shown how the theater combines memories, nostalgia and tradition.
"That's something people won't get from other, bigger movie theater franchises," said Holley, 21, of Naperville. "Obviously, people won't get those memories at Costco."
Verrey, 19, of Naperville, said she's already dreamed of bringing her future children to the theater where she enjoyed shows growing up, originally watching second-run movies until the screens switched to new releases after a 2018 renovation.
"It blows my mind how much emotion and the great memories people have at this theater," Verrey said. "It would be such a tragedy to let another big-name business like Costco come and demolish something like that."
A Costco spokeswoman said it is company policy not to comment on future warehouses until they are about three months from opening and details are available.
The city council is expected to begin discussions Feb. 18 about potential sales tax rebates to help offset the cost of site work Costco would need to complete to build a store, such as demolishing the former Kmart, a strip of other small businesses or vacant storefronts and the theater.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Bill banning red-light cameras passes House committee

A bill that would ban red-light cameras in non-home rule communities was approved unanimously by an Illinois House committee Wednesday .
The bill sponsored by Barrington Hills Republican state Rep. David McSweeney would prevent non-home rule communities from installing the devices in the future , and also force those towns to remove ones currently operating by the start of next year .
More than a dozen towns would be affected if the bill becomes law .
The measure now heads to the House floor for a full vote .
McSweeney said he has lined up Chicago Democratic state Sen. Emil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate .
`` These cameras are nothing more than a get-rich scheme for the companies that install the cameras and the politicians who profit from protecting the companies behind this scam , '' McSweeney said .
`` It is time to end this corruption once and for all . ''
McSweeney said a similar bill he filed in 2015 was quashed by disgraced former state Sen. Martin Sandoval , who was chairman of the Senate 's Transportation Committee at the time and has since pleaded guilty to accepting $ 70,000 in bribes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's conviction is part of an ongoing federal investigation that has ensnared a number of suburban officials .
`` It is time to end this madness , '' McSweeney said .
`` These cameras are not about making communities safer .
They are about producing more revenue for local governments and padding the pockets of political insiders . ''
Recently , Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced that her office would no longer help towns seeking overdue fines for red-light camera violations by garnishing tax refund checks of the scofflaws .
Still , community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made intersections safer since their installation .
During Wednesday 's hearing , almost 80 people signed up to speak in opposition of the bill , with most from the suburbs , including officials from Aurora , Bensenville , Glendale Heights , Roselle , Villa Park , Wayne and Winfield .
Under state law , communities with a population above 25,000 automatically receive home rule status .
Towns with a population below 25,000 can obtain home rule status through referendum .

Bill banning red-light cameras passes House committee
A bill that would ban red-light cameras in non-home rule communities was approved unanimously by an Illinois House committee Wednesday.
The bill sponsored by Barrington Hills Republican state Rep. David McSweeney would prevent non-home rule communities from installing the devices in the future, and also force those towns to remove ones currently operating by the start of next year. More than a dozen towns would be affected if the bill becomes law.
The measure now heads to the House floor for a full vote. McSweeney said he has lined up Chicago Democratic state Sen. Emil Jones III to sponsor the bill in the Senate.
"These cameras are nothing more than a get-rich scheme for the companies that install the cameras and the politicians who profit from protecting the companies behind this scam," McSweeney said. "It is time to end this corruption once and for all."
McSweeney said a similar bill he filed in 2015 was quashed by disgraced former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who was chairman of the Senate's Transportation Committee at the time and has since pleaded guilty to accepting $70,000 in bribes from a red-light camera company.
Sandoval's conviction is part of an ongoing federal investigation that has ensnared a number of suburban officials.
"It is time to end this madness," McSweeney said. "These cameras are not about making communities safer. They are about producing more revenue for local governments and padding the pockets of political insiders."
Recently, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced that her office would no longer help towns seeking overdue fines for red-light camera violations by garnishing tax refund checks of the scofflaws.
Still, community leaders with the cameras argue they have made intersections safer since their installation.
During Wednesday's hearing, almost 80 people signed up to speak in opposition of the bill, with most from the suburbs, including officials from Aurora, Bensenville, Glendale Heights, Roselle, Villa Park, Wayne and Winfield.
Under state law, communities with a population above 25,000 automatically receive home rule status. Towns with a population below 25,000 can obtain home rule status through referendum.