chicagosun-times--2020-09-17--President Trump downplays legacy of slavery in appeal to white voters

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump intensified efforts to appeal to his core base of white voters on Thursday by downplaying the historical legacy of slavery in the United States and blasting efforts to address systemic racism as divisive .
The president ’ s comments marking the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution amounted to a defense of white culture and a denunciation of Democrats , the media and others who he accused of trying to indoctrinate school children and shame their parents ’ “ whiteness.
” He also argued that America ’ s founding “ set in motion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slavery , secured civil rights , defeated communism and fascism and built the most fair , equal and prosperous nation in human history.
” But he did not mention the 246 years of slavery in America , including the 89 years it was allowed to continue after the colonies declared independence from England .
Nor did the president acknowledge the ongoing fight against racial injustice and police brutality , which has prompted months of protests this year .
Trump has long fanned the nation ’ s culture wars , including defending the display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Civil War rebels from protesters seeking their removal .
His speech Thursday suggested his rhetoric could become even more pointed in the final weeks before the election , given that his path to a second term relies largely on energizing culturally conservative white voters .
“ For many years now , the radicals have mistaken Americans ’ silence for weakness .
But they are wrong , ” Trump said .
“ There is no more powerful force than a parent ’ s love for their children — and patriotic moms and dads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are no longer fed hateful lies about this country.
” Trump has already cracked down on anti-racism training sessions in federal agencies .
He said Thursday he will soon sign an order to establish a commission to promote patriotic education dubbed the 1776 Commission .
The panel , he said , would be tasked with encouraging educators to teach students “ about the miracle of American history ” and plan for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence .
The move is a response to The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” which highlights the long-term consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans .
The project began after The New York Times Magazine published a series on the 400th anniversary of slavery in the United States .
Nikole Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for her piece in the magazine .
Her essay was titled “ The 1619 Project , ” because in late August of that year , a ship arrived in American with some 20 to 30 enslaved Africans , marking the first arrival of slaves .
The project evolved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Pulitzer Center , educational materials were developed to enhance the knowledge about slavery , not rewrite history , according to the Times .
“ American parents are not going to accept indoctrination in our schools , cancel culture at work , or the repression of traditional faith , culture and values in the public square , ” Trump said .
“ Not anymore.
” In response to Trump ’ s remarks , Hannah-Jones said the First Amendment to the Constitution abhors government attempts to censor speech and guarantees a free press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United States to use his powers to censor a work of American journalism by dictating what schools can and can not teach and what American children should and should not learn should be deeply alarming to all Americans who value free speech , ” she said .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump intensified efforts to appeal to his core base of white voters on Thursday by downplaying the historical legacy of slavery in the United States and blasting efforts to address systemic racism as divisive.
The president’s comments marking the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution amounted to a defense of white culture and a denunciation of Democrats, the media and others who he accused of trying to indoctrinate school children and shame their parents’ “whiteness.”
He also argued that America’s founding “set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery, secured civil rights, defeated communism and fascism and built the most fair, equal and prosperous nation in human history.” But he did not mention the 246 years of slavery in America, including the 89 years it was allowed to continue after the colonies declared independence from England. Nor did the president acknowledge the ongoing fight against racial injustice and police brutality, which has prompted months of protests this year.
Trump has long fanned the nation’s culture wars, including defending the display of the Confederate battle flag and monuments of Civil War rebels from protesters seeking their removal. His speech Thursday suggested his rhetoric could become even more pointed in the final weeks before the election, given that his path to a second term relies largely on energizing culturally conservative white voters.
“For many years now, the radicals have mistaken Americans’ silence for weakness. But they are wrong,” Trump said. “There is no more powerful force than a parent’s love for their children — and patriotic moms and dads are going to demand that their children are no longer fed hateful lies about this country.”
Trump has already cracked down on anti-racism training sessions in federal agencies. He said Thursday he will soon sign an order to establish a commission to promote patriotic education dubbed the 1776 Commission. The panel, he said, would be tasked with encouraging educators to teach students “about the miracle of American history” and plan for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The move is a response to The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” which highlights the long-term consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans.
The project began after The New York Times Magazine published a series on the 400th anniversary of slavery in the United States. Nikole Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for her piece in the magazine. Her essay was titled “The 1619 Project,” because in late August of that year, a ship arrived in American with some 20 to 30 enslaved Africans, marking the first arrival of slaves.
The project evolved from the essay and, with help from the Pulitzer Center, educational materials were developed to enhance the knowledge about slavery, not rewrite history, according to the Times.
“American parents are not going to accept indoctrination in our schools, cancel culture at work, or the repression of traditional faith, culture and values in the public square,” Trump said. “Not anymore.”
In response to Trump’s remarks, Hannah-Jones said the First Amendment to the Constitution abhors government attempts to censor speech and guarantees a free press.
“The efforts by the president of the United States to use his powers to censor a work of American journalism by dictating what schools can and cannot teach and what American children should and should not learn should be deeply alarming to all Americans who value free speech,” she said.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-17--Upset by Smollett flap, judges refuse to kiss the ring with campaign donation — but will they tell D

Upset by Smollett flap, judges refuse to kiss the ring with campaign donation — but will they tell Dems to kiss off?

Cook County Democrats led by Party Chair Toni Preckwinkle may have picked a fight for which they hadn ’ t really bargained this week in seeking Judge Michael Toomin ’ s ouster from the bench in a bald political power play .
Late Wednesday night , the other Cook County judges seeking retention on the November ballot refused to fork over their usual $ 40,000 payment to the party ’ s get-out-the-vote effort — partly in protest of the Democrats ’ decision to target Toomin for defeat .
In essence , they refused to kiss the ring .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the judges , who saw in the attack on Toomin , a respected veteran jurist , a clear threat to their own autonomy .
Whether this turns out to be a revolt from the Democratic Party itself or just a revolt from Preckwinkle ’ s leadership of the party remains to be seen .
But the decision by the judges to reject the traditional payment , on a 42-13 vote after a spirited debate , sent a clear message they don ’ t want the party using the retention process to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Toomin did not participate in the two and a half hour Zoom meeting that preceded the vote .
But he was a main topic of discussion because of the Democratic Central Committee ’ s decision to oppose his retention just months after he agreed to name a special prosecutor to reopen the Jussie Smollett investigation , then named former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb to do the job .
State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx is facing re-election in November , and top Democrats would have just as soon allowed the bungled Smollett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by now .
To cover their tracks , party officials tried to make a case that Toomin does a poor job as presiding judge of Juvenile Court , an attack that doesn ’ t hold up to scrutiny even if he does have some detractors .
In practical terms , the decision by the judges to refuse payment to the party may not mean much .
The money was expected to be used , as it usually is , for a pair of mailings asking Democratic voters to support the judges for retention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own joint campaign committee , can just as easily use that money to pay for their own mailings .
But the risk to the retention judges is that they need the support of Democratic voters to keep their seats on the bench , and therefore it helps to receive backing from Democratic leaders .
Elected Circuit Court judges in Illinois face a retention vote every six years .
To stay on the bench , they need a “ YES ” vote from at least 60 percent of those voting .
Historically , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County judges for retention , regardless of their bar ratings or political affiliation .
Retention judges have come to rely on that support .
That ’ s not a good system either .
Not every judge deserves job protection for life .
With Preckwinkle ’ s support , the party deviated from that practice in 2018 to back a successful campaign by advocacy groups to dump Judge Matthew Coghlan over his prior role as a prosecutor in a wrongful conviction case .
But the trick is how you pick and choose who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong by picking Toomin as this year ’ s fall guy .
Toomin , 82 , was first elected to the bench in 1984 and has served as presiding judge in Juvenile Court since 2010 .
In his previous retention bids , he has always received favorable ratings from the bar associations and been supported by the Democratic Party , although he was originally elected as a Republican .
After the judges voted Wednesday , their Committee for the Retention of Judges in Cook County released a statement : “ Our legal system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent , fair and competent judiciary will interpret and apply the laws that govern us .
That is the framework by which we conduct ourselves every day .
Participating and supporting a plan that includes opposing one of our colleagues , Judge Michael Toomin , who embodies those principles , is a concern and something we as the 2020 retention class can not support.
” In the not so distant past , it would have been unthinkable for Cook County ’ s judges to shrug off the Democratic Party ’ s control , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in the not so distant future , they find a way to take it a step further .

Cook County Democrats led by Party Chair Toni Preckwinkle may have picked a fight for which they hadn’t really bargained this week in seeking Judge Michael Toomin’s ouster from the bench in a bald political power play.
Late Wednesday night, the other Cook County judges seeking retention on the November ballot refused to fork over their usual $40,000 payment to the party’s get-out-the-vote effort — partly in protest of the Democrats’ decision to target Toomin for defeat.
In essence, they refused to kiss the ring.
Opinion bug Opinion
It was a rare election-year display of political independence for the judges, who saw in the attack on Toomin, a respected veteran jurist, a clear threat to their own autonomy.
Whether this turns out to be a revolt from the Democratic Party itself or just a revolt from Preckwinkle’s leadership of the party remains to be seen.
But the decision by the judges to reject the traditional payment, on a 42-13 vote after a spirited debate, sent a clear message they don’t want the party using the retention process to push them around anymore.
I’m told Toomin did not participate in the two and a half hour Zoom meeting that preceded the vote.
But he was a main topic of discussion because of the Democratic Central Committee’s decision to oppose his retention just months after he agreed to name a special prosecutor to reopen the Jussie Smollett investigation, then named former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb to do the job.
Dan Webb, special prosecutor investigating the Jussie Smollett case, outside the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in February. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file
State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is facing re-election in November, and top Democrats would have just as soon allowed the bungled Smollett case to recede from voters’ memories by now.
To cover their tracks, party officials tried to make a case that Toomin does a poor job as presiding judge of Juvenile Court, an attack that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny even if he does have some detractors.
In practical terms, the decision by the judges to refuse payment to the party may not mean much. The money was expected to be used, as it usually is, for a pair of mailings asking Democratic voters to support the judges for retention.
The retention judges, who have their own joint campaign committee, can just as easily use that money to pay for their own mailings.
But the risk to the retention judges is that they need the support of Democratic voters to keep their seats on the bench, and therefore it helps to receive backing from Democratic leaders.
Elected Circuit Court judges in Illinois face a retention vote every six years. To stay on the bench, they need a “YES” vote from at least 60 percent of those voting.
Historically, the Democratic Party has supported all Cook County judges for retention, regardless of their bar ratings or political affiliation. Retention judges have come to rely on that support.
That’s not a good system either. Not every judge deserves job protection for life.
With Preckwinkle’s support, the party deviated from that practice in 2018 to back a successful campaign by advocacy groups to dump Judge Matthew Coghlan over his prior role as a prosecutor in a wrongful conviction case.
But the trick is how you pick and choose who is targeted, and Democrats got it all wrong by picking Toomin as this year’s fall guy.
Judge Michael Toomin in 2012. Brian Jackson~Sun-Times file
Toomin, 82, was first elected to the bench in 1984 and has served as presiding judge in Juvenile Court since 2010. In his previous retention bids, he has always received favorable ratings from the bar associations and been supported by the Democratic Party, although he was originally elected as a Republican.
After the judges voted Wednesday, their Committee for the Retention of Judges in Cook County released a statement:
“Our legal system is based on the principle that an independent, fair and competent judiciary will interpret and apply the laws that govern us. That is the framework by which we conduct ourselves every day. Participating and supporting a plan that includes opposing one of our colleagues, Judge Michael Toomin, who embodies those principles, is a concern and something we as the 2020 retention class cannot support.”
A Democratic Party spokesperson declined comment.
In the not so distant past, it would have been unthinkable for Cook County’s judges to shrug off the Democratic Party’s control, even symbolically.
Here’s hoping that in the not so distant future, they find a way to take it a step further.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-17--Chicago’s ‘Healthy Chicago 2025’ initiative aims to close 8.8-year life expectancy gap between Black

Chicago’s ‘Healthy Chicago 2025’ initiative aims to close 8.8-year life expectancy gap between Black, white Chicagoans

On Thursday , the Chicago Department of Public Health virtually launched a new community health improvement plan focused on racial and health equity to meet the city ’ s goal of reducing the Black-white life expectancy gap .
“ Healthy Chicago 2025 ” is a five-year community health improvement assessment and plan that proposes to close the 8.8-year gap between Black and white Chicagoans in one generation .
Between 2012 and 2017 , life expectancy fell for everyone in the city except white residents , according to the report that cited decades of segregation and systemic racism as the underlying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributor , according to the document , with the city ’ s endemic gun violence as the second leading reason for the disparity .
The life expectancy gap between Latino and white people is only .2 years , according to the report .
The average life expectancy is 80.2 years for white residents , 80.0 years for Latinos and 71.4 years for Blacks .
“ We all share the vision of a more healthy , just , and equitable Chicago , and that our Zip code should not determine our life expectancy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ That is why I am so excited about the launch of Healthy Chicago 2025 and its framework to ensure that every resident has access to the resources they need to live the healthy life they deserve.
” The health assessment was led by the Chicago Department of Public Health , along with 40 Chicagoans representing Chicago ’ s public health system and community groups , and includes specific proposals to increase access to healthy foods , quality health care and housing , and create safe spaces for all Chicagoans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are to transform policies and processes to foster anti-racist , multicultural systems ; strengthen community capacity and youth leadership ; improve systems of care for populations most affected by inequities ; and further the health and vibrancy of neighborhoods .
The report ’ s release was postponed to include research on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic , which disproportionately affects Black , Latino and low-income communities .
The launch featured a panel discussion including Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady , along with a recorded message from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and remarks from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. David Ansell , chief equity officer at Rush University Medical Center and author of “ The Death Gap : How Inequality Kills ” opened the launch with a video presentation linking health outcomes with racism .
“ Structural racism is violence , ” he said in the video .
“ It ’ s critically important that we name the root cause of illness and death ... that we name structural racism and economic deprivation as the root cause of this life expectancy gap.
” As a result , the report names Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary populations needing support .
This includes communities disproportionately burdened by pollution and disinvested and gentrifying communities .
“ We ’ re being even more explicit in the work and the planning than ever before , ” said Arwady during the livestream .
“ We certainly recognize that racism is at the heart of many of these inequities that we are talking about .
But we also think it ’ s important to frame this in a positive light by imagining ourselves in a city where all the people in our communities have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are strengthened by equitable access to resources , environments and opportunities to promote optimal health and wellbeing.
” The city ’ s plan also hopes to decrease how often people are exposed to violence and “ increase perceptions of safety and police accountability.
” Arwady highlighted the importance of this plan as Chicago and the rest of the country begins to understand the importance of public health .
“ The pandemic has shown everyone how important public health is and this moment is important for us to address the inequalities in these life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is all apart of building a unifying and long-lasting movement in Chicago .
We need to use this moment to raise our public health voice .
”

On Thursday, the Chicago Department of Public Health virtually launched a new community health improvement plan focused on racial and health equity to meet the city’s goal of reducing the Black-white life expectancy gap.
“Healthy Chicago 2025” is a five-year community health improvement assessment and plan that proposes to close the 8.8-year gap between Black and white Chicagoans in one generation.
Between 2012 and 2017, life expectancy fell for everyone in the city except white residents, according to the report that cited decades of segregation and systemic racism as the underlying cause. Chronic disease is the largest contributor, according to the document, with the city’s endemic gun violence as the second leading reason for the disparity.
The life expectancy gap between Latino and white people is only .2 years, according to the report. The average life expectancy is 80.2 years for white residents, 80.0 years for Latinos and 71.4 years for Blacks.
“We all share the vision of a more healthy, just, and equitable Chicago, and that our Zip code should not determine our life expectancy,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a statement. “That is why I am so excited about the launch of Healthy Chicago 2025 and its framework to ensure that every resident has access to the resources they need to live the healthy life they deserve.”
The health assessment was led by the Chicago Department of Public Health, along with 40 Chicagoans representing Chicago’s public health system and community groups, and includes specific proposals to increase access to healthy foods, quality health care and housing, and create safe spaces for all Chicagoans.
The four major goals of the report are to transform policies and processes to foster anti-racist, multicultural systems; strengthen community capacity and youth leadership; improve systems of care for populations most affected by inequities; and further the health and vibrancy of neighborhoods.
The report’s release was postponed to include research on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affects Black, Latino and low-income communities.
The launch featured a panel discussion including Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, along with a recorded message from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and remarks from community members and public health workers.
Dr. David Ansell, chief equity officer at Rush University Medical Center and author of “The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills” opened the launch with a video presentation linking health outcomes with racism.
“Structural racism is violence,” he said in the video. “It’s critically important that we name the root cause of illness and death ... that we name structural racism and economic deprivation as the root cause of this life expectancy gap.”
As a result, the report names Black, Latino and low-income Chicagoans as the primary populations needing support. This includes communities disproportionately burdened by pollution and disinvested and gentrifying communities.
“We’re being even more explicit in the work and the planning than ever before,” said Arwady during the livestream. “We certainly recognize that racism is at the heart of many of these inequities that we are talking about. But we also think it’s important to frame this in a positive light by imagining ourselves in a city where all the people in our communities have power, are free from oppression and are strengthened by equitable access to resources, environments and opportunities to promote optimal health and wellbeing.”
The city’s plan also hopes to decrease how often people are exposed to violence and “increase perceptions of safety and police accountability.”
Arwady highlighted the importance of this plan as Chicago and the rest of the country begins to understand the importance of public health.
“The pandemic has shown everyone how important public health is and this moment is important for us to address the inequalities in these life outcomes,” she said. “This is all apart of building a unifying and long-lasting movement in Chicago. We need to use this moment to raise our public health voice.”


chicagosun-times--2020-09-17--Bears’ defense eager to make amends

Bears’ defense eager to make amends

If not for Lions running back D ’ Andre Swift ’ s drop in the end zone Sunday , the Bears ’ vaunted defense would have spent this week under even more scrutiny than Mitch Trubisky and the hot-and-cold offense .
Hoping to regain its 2018 bite — when the Bears led the NFL in six major categories , including takeaways with 36 — the Bears ’ defense instead allowed 426 yards on 72 plays ( 5.9 avg . )
and 23 points .
That ’ s the most yards allowed in a season opener since 1965 ( 485 against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ franchise history .
And it ’ s the most yards allowed in any game since 2018 , when they allowed 541 ( 429 in regulation ) in an overtime loss to the Dolphins .
Defenses were surmised to be ahead of offenses after a COVID-19 offseason .
But after one game , the Bears ’ are left hoping the opposite is true — that they were merely shaking off the rust after an offseason with little tackling and no game-speed snaps .
“ Some of it ’ s that , ” Bears defensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d be easy to make those excuses , but our guys won ’ t do it .
Coaches won ’ t do it .
I won ’ t do it .
We played [ 72 ] snaps — that ’ s way too many .
We have to be better on third down [ the Lions were 6-for-16 ] .
Gave up a third-and-10 ; gave up a third-and-17 — that ’ s just bad ball .
“ I have to do a better job of putting them in position to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s on me .
We just have to play better .
And we will play better .
I have to coach better.
” The Bears were without nose tackle Eddie Goldman , who opted out of the COVID-19 season .
And outside linebacker Robert Quinn did not play because of an ankle injury .
Quinn was limited in practice again Thursday and his status for Sunday ’ s game against the Giants is unknown .
Rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson was a bright spot with two pass break-ups , including the final play of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But all in all , the Bears ’ defense lacked sharpness , most notably linebacker Danny Trevathan , who had seven tackles but did not have his usual mobility and struggled in pass coverage — including the drop by Swift that would have given the Lions the lead with six seconds to play .
“ Danny had some really good plays .
I know there ’ s some plays he ’ d like back , ” inside linebacker coach Mark DeLeone said .
“ I think Danny knows the mistakes he had .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to be able to correct those .
I know he ’ s excited about that to get back to work this week.
” Pagano avoided assessing Trevathan ’ s performance — and the veteran linebacker ’ s outstanding history with the Bears and in the league certainly affords him some leeway after one subpar game .
“ At times we all played really good .
And at times we didn ’ t do our job well , ” Pagano said .
“ There were times I didn ’ t do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Game 1 .
It ’ s Week 1 .
No overreaction by anything .
We ’ ll be much better .
I expect a huge leap from Week 1 to Week 2 .
”

If not for Lions running back D’Andre Swift’s drop in the end zone Sunday, the Bears’ vaunted defense would have spent this week under even more scrutiny than quarterback Mitch Trubisky and the hot-and-cold offense.
Hoping to regain its bite from 2018, when it led the NFL in six major categories, including takeaways with 36, the Bears’ defense instead allowed 426 yards on 72 plays (5.9 average) and 23 points. That’s the most yards allowed by the Bears in a season opener since 1965 (485 against the 49ers) and the second-most in franchise history. It’s the most yards allowed by the Bears in any game since 2018, when they allowed 541 (429 in regulation) in an overtime loss to the Dolphins.
Defenses were surmised to be ahead of offenses after a pandemic-affected offseason. But after one game, the Bears are left hoping the opposite is true — that they were merely shaking off the rust after an offseason with little tackling and no game-speed snaps.
“Some of it’s that,” defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. “It’d be easy to make those excuses, but our guys won’t do it. Coaches won’t do it. I won’t do it. We played [72] snaps — that’s way too many. We have to be better on third down [the Lions were 6-for-16]. Gave up a third-and-10, gave up a third-and-17 — that’s just bad ball.
“I have to do a better job of putting them in position to get out of those situations. That’s on me. We just have to play better. And we will play better. I have to coach better.”
The Bears were without nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who opted out of the season. Outside linebacker Robert Quinn (ankle) did not play and was limited in practice again Thursday. His status for Sunday’s game against the Giants is unknown.
Rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson was a bright spot with two pass break-ups, including the final play of the game in the end zone. But all in all, the defense lacked sharpness, most notably linebacker Danny Trevathan, who had seven tackles but didn’t have his usual mobility and struggled in pass coverage — including the drop by Swift that would have given the Lions the lead with six seconds to play.
“Danny had some really good plays. I know there’s some plays he’d like back,” inside linebacker coach Mark DeLeone said. “I think Danny knows the mistakes he had. He’s a competitor. He’s going to be able to correct those. I know he’s excited about that to get back to work this week.”
Pagano avoided assessing Trevathan’s performance. The veteran’s outstanding history certainly affords him some leeway.
“At times we all played really good, and at times we didn’t do our job well,” Pagano said. “There were times I didn’t do my job well. It’s Game 1. It’s Week 1. . . . We’ll be much better. I expect a huge leap from Week 1 to Week 2.”


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Dear Abby: Smoking marijuana made me mean to my husband and kids

DEAR ABBY : After smoking marijuana for 20 years , I quit two days ago .
My head is starting to clear now , and things are coming into focus .
I missed so much , and I feel terrible about it .
How many times did I say no to my kids because I was lazy ?
How many times have I yelled at them for just asking a question ?
My 6-year-old would have this frightened look because he wanted something and I yelled because he interrupted me from doing nothing .
I was at my in-laws ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yelling at my husband for getting mad at me because I told his father , “ Heck , you ’ re not my dad , so what do I care ?
” The neighbors heard me , I ’ m sure .
My father-in-law didn ’ t even come out of his bedroom , and I ’ m sure my husband won ’ t forget it .
Although I ’ m not the nicest to him at times , he loves me .
I can be downright disrespectful , and my kids see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I quit smoking .
Almost daily , I hear my 13-year-old say , “ Stop yelling , Mom , ” or , “ Why are you yelling , Mom ?
” I have so many regrets .
Can I make up for them ?
What can I do so my kids will remember good times and not just me yelling ?
Not sure where or how to start erasing the bad .
Any advice would be appreciated .
— SMOKE IS CLEARING DEAR SMOKE : You have already taken the first step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitting your smoking was hurting them and quitting .
The next step will be to apologize to each of your family members for your behavior and let them know you know it was wrong and hurtful and that it won ’ t continue .
The last steps may be the most difficult .
Resolve not to lapse back into the old patterns , do whatever is necessary to prevent it and join a support group if necessary .
I wish you success in your sobriety .
DEAR ABBY : My brother and sister-in-law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was something I assumed the baby would grow up knowing .
Unfortunately , it has never been revealed to the child , and the “ child ” is now practically an adult .
I know it isn ’ t my place to say anything , but the truth hangs over me like a dark cloud , and I feel complicit in the lie .
My children , who are younger , don ’ t know , and I worry that if they ever discover it , they will think my partner and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being honest all these years .
This is a sensitive subject to broach to my brother and his wife .
I have tried and been met with yelling and tears .
Is there anything to be done at this point ?
— GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION DEAR GUILTY : Although I wholeheartedly agree that children who are adopted should be told at an early age , the decision to reveal or withhold that information resides with the parents , not you .
At some point , their child may need accurate information for medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and your partner are liars for not telling them something that ’ s really none of their business mystifies me .
There is NOTHING for you to do at this point , so please resist the urge to venture further into this minefield .
TO MY READERS : As the sun sets tonight , Rosh Hashana , the Jewish New Year , begins .
As we begin this time of solemn introspection , let me wish you all , “ L ’ shana tova tikatevu ” — may you be inscribed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good year .
— Love , ABBY Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren , also known as Jeanne Phillips , and was founded by her mother , Pauline Phillips .
Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .
Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “ The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.
” To order , send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abby , Anger Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: After smoking marijuana for 20 years, I quit two days ago. My head is starting to clear now, and things are coming into focus. I missed so much, and I feel terrible about it.
How many times did I say no to my kids because I was lazy? How many times have I yelled at them for just asking a question? My 6-year-old would have this frightened look because he wanted something and I yelled because he interrupted me from doing nothing.
I was at my in-laws’ on Father’s Day and started yelling at my husband for getting mad at me because I told his father, “Heck, you’re not my dad, so what do I care?” The neighbors heard me, I’m sure. My father-in-law didn’t even come out of his bedroom, and I’m sure my husband won’t forget it.
Although I’m not the nicest to him at times, he loves me. I can be downright disrespectful, and my kids see this. It’s the reason I quit smoking. Almost daily, I hear my 13-year-old say, “Stop yelling, Mom,” or, “Why are you yelling, Mom?” I have so many regrets.
Can I make up for them? What can I do so my kids will remember good times and not just me yelling? Not sure where or how to start erasing the bad. Any advice would be appreciated. — SMOKE IS CLEARING
DEAR SMOKE: You have already taken the first step in making it up to your family by admitting your smoking was hurting them and quitting. The next step will be to apologize to each of your family members for your behavior and let them know you know it was wrong and hurtful and that it won’t continue.
The last steps may be the most difficult. Resolve not to lapse back into the old patterns, do whatever is necessary to prevent it and join a support group if necessary. I wish you success in your sobriety.
DEAR ABBY: My brother and sister-in-law adopted their child at birth. It was something I assumed the baby would grow up knowing. Unfortunately, it has never been revealed to the child, and the “child” is now practically an adult. I know it isn’t my place to say anything, but the truth hangs over me like a dark cloud, and I feel complicit in the lie.
My children, who are younger, don’t know, and I worry that if they ever discover it, they will think my partner and I are liars and resent us for not being honest all these years.
This is a sensitive subject to broach to my brother and his wife. I have tried and been met with yelling and tears. Is there anything to be done at this point? — GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION
DEAR GUILTY: Although I wholeheartedly agree that children who are adopted should be told at an early age, the decision to reveal or withhold that information resides with the parents, not you. At some point, their child may need accurate information for medical reasons.
How your children could think you and your partner are liars for not telling them something that’s really none of their business mystifies me. There is NOTHING for you to do at this point, so please resist the urge to venture further into this minefield.
TO MY READERS: As the sun sets tonight, Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, begins. As we begin this time of solemn introspection, let me wish you all, “L’shana tova tikatevu” — may you be inscribed in the Book of Life and have a good year. — Love, ABBY
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.” To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Pickpocketing’s a dying art, but cops say crew of 60-somethings still preyed on L riders

The operation was called Three Blind Mice , and the Chicago police launched it earlier this year to target a three-man crew of pickpockets working subways and L platforms .
Pickpocketing ’ s a dying art , experts say .
The three men the cops were after — all in their 60s — had rap sheets dating to the 1970s .
Police say they caught the crew on CTA surveillance cameras stalking victims .
Sometimes , they used stolen credit cards to buy Ventra passes they could sell at a discount , police say , and would also use what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s .
The Blue Line L station at the Thompson Center was their favorite hunting ground .
That ’ s where the police say they arrested Randy Leavell , 63 , Donald Wells , 60 , and Edward Miller , 60 , in an undercover sting in July .
Suspected in at least 14 thefts on CTA property between Jan. 1 and July 14 , they were charged with felonies and released on bail .
And then Leavell and Miller were arrested again earlier this month in connection with seven more thefts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sept. 8 .
Cmdr .
Matt Cline , head of the Chicago Police Department ’ s mass-transit unit , says he ’ s added seven detectives who work with tactical officers and CTA security .
The CTA team is run by Kevin Ryan .
He and Cline were supervisors in the police organized crime bureau , investigating gangs and drug trafficking .
Cline says they ’ re bringing that expertise to fighting transit crime .
In the past , pickpockets might have been charged with a misdemeanor or ordinance violation instead of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ We decided to do something more substantial.
” He says Leavell , Wells and Miller have worked on pickpocketing crews for years , targeting women and elderly people , figuring they ’ re less apt to fight back .
In 2015 , Wells was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for targeting a couple in their 90s .
He told the husband he had a bug on his pants and brushed the man ’ s trousers while lifting his wallet at Union Station .
Wells also was accused of trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man ’ s wife .
On Sept. 8 , a CTA surveillance video caught Leavell and Miller in the act on the Washington/Wabash L platform , according to the police , who say it was like a well-practiced sports play .
Leavell and another man approach a Purple Line train as Miller comes up the stairs to the platform .
Leavell and the other man step inside , blocking their target as he enters , and then , according to the police , Miller comes up from behind , right arm cradling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s wallet with his left hand .
“ For 60-year-old guys , they move pretty well , ” Cline says .
“ It ’ s like they ’ re hunting.
” Leavell and Miller also are charged with a theft that targeted a lawyer who flew in to O ’ Hare Airport early this year and took the Blue Line downtown , where he lives .
The man , agreeing to an interview on the condition his name not be used , says he keeps his expensive Ferragamo wallet in his briefcase but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wallet and put it in his back pocket .
“ I did not protect myself , ” he says .
He walked toward the Blue Line platform at the Thompson Center and went up the escalator with his luggage and briefcase .
“ I looked like a tourist , not a Chicagoan , ” he says .
At the top of the escalator , a man pretended to fall , causing people to bump into each other .
That ’ s when the lawyer ’ s wallet was stolen , with his attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ license and credit cards .
“ It was a hassle , ” he says , even though he reported the credit cards stolen right away .
“ And I lost a $ 900 wallet.
” The anti-pickpocketing effort is part of a broader effort to make downtown safe after a wave of looting and to restore confidence in a CTA system whose ridership has plummeted amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Serious crime is up downtown , with 10 shootings in the Loop and South Loop in the first nine months of this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the Gold Coast , there were 15 shootings this year vs. two last year .
Gun arrests are up , too , probably because of an increased presence of cops .
Burglaries are up more than 150 % .
The lawyer whose wallet was stolen says he now carries a gun .
“ I am more inclined to exercise my right to carry a concealed weapon , ” says the man , who has a state permit .
Despite the downtown cases , pickpocketing happens less and less , says Jay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor .
With fewer people carrying cash , and credit cards easily canceled , Albanese says thieves gravitate to lower-risk , higher-reward fraud .
“ Good pickpocketing , ” he says , “ is almost an art form that has died out .
”

The operation was called Three Blind Mice, and the Chicago police launched it earlier this year to target a three-man crew of pickpockets working subways and L platforms.
Pickpocketing’s a dying art, experts say. The three men the cops were after — all in their 60s — had rap sheets dating to the 1970s.
Police say they caught the crew on CTA surveillance cameras stalking victims. Sometimes, they used stolen credit cards to buy Ventra passes they could sell at a discount, police say, and would also use what they took to treat themselves at McDonald’s.
The Blue Line L station at the Thompson Center was their favorite hunting ground. That’s where the police say they arrested Randy Leavell, 63, Donald Wells, 60, and Edward Miller, 60, in an undercover sting in July.
Suspected in at least 14 thefts on CTA property between Jan. 1 and July 14, they were charged with felonies and released on bail. And then Leavell and Miller were arrested again earlier this month in connection with seven more thefts on CTA property between July 14 and Sept. 8.
Cmdr. Matt Cline, head of the Chicago Police Department’s mass-transit unit, says he’s added seven detectives who work with tactical officers and CTA security. The CTA team is run by Kevin Ryan. He and Cline were supervisors in the police organized crime bureau, investigating gangs and drug trafficking. Cline says they’re bringing that expertise to fighting transit crime.
In the past, pickpockets might have been charged with a misdemeanor or ordinance violation instead of a felony, but now, Cline says, “We decided to do something more substantial.”
He says Leavell, Wells and Miller have worked on pickpocketing crews for years, targeting women and elderly people, figuring they’re less apt to fight back.
In 2015, Wells was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for targeting a couple in their 90s. He told the husband he had a bug on his pants and brushed the man’s trousers while lifting his wallet at Union Station. Wells also was accused of trying to twist a ring off the hand of the man’s wife.
Donald Wells. Chicago Police Department
On Sept. 8, a CTA surveillance video caught Leavell and Miller in the act on the Washington/Wabash L platform, according to the police, who say it was like a well-practiced sports play. Leavell and another man approach a Purple Line train as Miller comes up the stairs to the platform. Leavell and the other man step inside, blocking their target as he enters, and then, according to the police, Miller comes up from behind, right arm cradling a jacket, pocketing the man’s wallet with his left hand.
“For 60-year-old guys, they move pretty well,” Cline says. “It’s like they’re hunting.”
Leavell and Miller also are charged with a theft that targeted a lawyer who flew in to O’Hare Airport early this year and took the Blue Line downtown, where he lives. The man, agreeing to an interview on the condition his name not be used, says he keeps his expensive Ferragamo wallet in his briefcase but needed to look at something in the wallet and put it in his back pocket.
“I did not protect myself,” he says.
He walked toward the Blue Line platform at the Thompson Center and went up the escalator with his luggage and briefcase. “I looked like a tourist, not a Chicagoan,” he says.
At the top of the escalator, a man pretended to fall, causing people to bump into each other. That’s when the lawyer’s wallet was stolen, with his attorney’s credentials, pilot’s license and credit cards.
“It was a hassle,” he says, even though he reported the credit cards stolen right away. “And I lost a $900 wallet.”
Randy Leavell. Chicago Police Department
The anti-pickpocketing effort is part of a broader effort to make downtown safe after a wave of looting and to restore confidence in a CTA system whose ridership has plummeted amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Serious crime is up downtown, with 10 shootings in the Loop and South Loop in the first nine months of this year vs. none in that period last year. In the Gold Coast, there were 15 shootings this year vs. two last year. Gun arrests are up, too, probably because of an increased presence of cops. Burglaries are up more than 150%.
The lawyer whose wallet was stolen says he now carries a gun. “I am more inclined to exercise my right to carry a concealed weapon,” says the man, who has a state permit.
Jay Albanese, a professor of criminology at Virginia Commonwealth University, calls pickpocketing a dying art. Provided
Despite the downtown cases, pickpocketing happens less and less, says Jay Albanese, a Virginia Commonwealth University criminology professor. With fewer people carrying cash, and credit cards easily canceled, Albanese says thieves gravitate to lower-risk, higher-reward fraud.
“Good pickpocketing,” he says, “is almost an art form that has died out.”


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Frank Zuccari, who oversaw 2-year El Greco restoration at the Art Institute, has died

Frank Zuccari , who oversaw 2-year El Greco restoration at the Art Institute , has died Share All sharing options for : Frank Zuccari , who oversaw 2-year El Greco restoration at the Art Institute , has died The jumbo-sized El Greco painting , dull with age , had come to look as if it were encased in a thick layer of amber resin .
Then , Frank Zuccari turned his attention to it .
Using tiny , sable brushes , hand-rolled cotton swabs and a magnifier headband , he applied feather strokes to remove the varnish in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 90-foot canvas at the Art Institute of Chicago .
For 18 painstaking months , he brightened and touched up the 16th century work .
Then , for another six months , he helped work on the frame .
When other museum staffers saw the progress on “ The Assumption of the Virgin , ” they gasped at its new glow , said Francesca Casadio , the museum ’ s director of conservation and science .
After Mr. Zuccari finished his work on “ The Assumption of the Virgin ” in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Casadio said .
“ You get a sense of her upper body torquing .
You almost have a sense of this levitation into the sky .
That was flattened , with the old varnish.
” Mr. Zuccari , a third-generation art restorer revered at major museums worldwide for his work on Old Masters , died of bile-duct cancer last month at his Chicago home .
He was 70 .
“ He went exactly the way he wanted — in his own bed , looking at the paintings he loved , ” said Maureen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months ago , after a cancer treatment , they were driving up Lake Shore Drive .
“ It was a somewhat overcast day , and he looked at Lake Michigan and said , ‘ Manet used that shade of blue-green for his seas a lot , ’ ” King said .
“ I started crying because I realized I ’ d never have anybody who would point things out and see things that way.
” In 1986 , Mr. Zuccari came to the Art Institute as a senior conservator .
He rose to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1993 .
The El Greco was his last major restoration before his retirement in 2018 .
He brought science to the process , Casadio said , expanding the restoration toolbox to include X-rays and infrared and ultraviolet images of the art .
“ Frank ’ s time at the Art Institute was very significant in terms of raising the level of the appearance of the painting collection , ” said Faye Wrubel , a retired Art Institute conservator who restored masterpieces including Van Gogh ’ s “ The Bedroom ” and Caillebotte ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Former colleagues said Mr. Zuccari combined the skills of a detective with intuition .
“ You have to put yourself into the makeup of the picture and imagine how it is done — and work backwards , ” Wrubel said .
“ A good conservator has an ability to connect with the artist who did the work in almost a visceral way , ” Casadio said .
About 25 years ago , while cleaning a painting , Mr. Zuccari and then-curator Larry Feinberg began to suspect a work attributed to a student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually was by Watteau himself , Wrubel said .
“ He studied it and researched it and found similar drawings , ” she said .
International experts concluded the Art Institute ’ s detective work was right .
“ He was known and acknowledged and respected throughout the major institutions worldwide , ” Wrubel said , including the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam , the Louvre and the Musee d ’ Orsay in Paris and the National Gallery in London .
He worked on Art Institute masterpieces including Seurat ’ s “ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manet ’ s “ Jesus Mocked by the Soldiers ” and Zurburan ’ s “ The Crucifixion.
” He transported art on courier trips to cities such as Athens , Helsinki and Italy , sometimes traveling by cargo plane to make sure the canvases were protected .
Mr. Zuccari was born in Rome and immigrated to America at 7 with his parents Bianca and Nello .
His maternal grandfather Paul Moro was a painter .
In his teens , when his family lived in Briarcliff Manor , a New York City suburb , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekends with his uncles , Frances and Thomas , to work on art restorations at the family studio , Paul Moro Inc. “ Our uncles took him to museums and auctions and really introduced him to paintings , ” said his sister Christina Zuccari , a restorer who operates Moro Studio Inc. in Long Island City , New York .
Every other year or so , his father — a banker who handled Italian business for Bank of America — would take the family back to Rome .
They ’ d stay for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young Frank absorbing the art all around him .
After Colgate University , he studied in Cooperstown , N.Y. , at the State University of New York at one of the nation ’ s first art conservation programs .
“ He combined old-world techniques and knowledge he had learned from his uncles , working summers in the [ family ] business , and was able to go to graduate school and learn brand new teachings and learn all the science , ” King said .
He worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Museum of Fine Arts and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth , Texas , before coming to work for the Art Institute .
King said she met him when she was working in the Art Institute ’ s communications department .
She said that , walking in to the conservation studio , “ Seeing this head poking behind an easel , I just remember these alert , amused , intelligent eyes.
” Mr. Zuccari was generous with praise for co-workers .
“ He never pushed himself forward , ” Wrubel said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had , he said to me , ‘ You know , Faye , I recognize that not everybody was able to have the same skill level , but each person brought something special to our department.
’ He recognized that special talent in each individual and gave them room to develop their skills.
” Mr. Zuccari played a role in the construction of the museum ’ s Modern Wing , consulting on temperature , humidity and sunlight protection .
“ He was on 24-hour call , ” said photographer Tom Cinoman , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leak on the roof or the skylight and something happened to the paintings , he had to be on call.
” And even though Mr. Zuccari worked on masterpieces , Cinoman said friends knew they could count on him for help with something as mundane as picking the right paint colors for their walls .
After retiring in 2018 , “ He had one great year , ” King said .
They traveled to Ireland and France with her son Alex , whom he helped raise .
They toured Monet ’ s garden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to the intersection ” that Caillebotte featured in “ Paris Street ; Rainy Day , ” King said .
“ He and Alex posed like the painting.
” As a boy , “ When all the other kids were going to water parks , I was with him bidding at auction houses , ” Alex King said .
He said Mr. Zuccari taught him to appreciate antiques and vintage carpets , sometimes using rugs as colorful tablecloths .
In addition to the Kings and his sister Christina , Mr. Zuccari is survived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the pandemic abates and it ’ s safe to gather again , King said she plans to organize a celebration of his life .
Mr. Zuccari wasn ’ t concerned about the details , telling her : “ If there ’ s Willie Nelson and whiskey , it ’ ll be OK. ” For his last birthday , Mr. Zuccari asked Alex King to write him a poem .
It ended with these lines : I will be here with you through every step of this excruciating process and you will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and varnishes are applied over the coming years , you will always be at the foundation of it all .

The jumbo-sized El Greco painting, dull with age, had come to look as if it were encased in a thick layer of amber resin. Then, Frank Zuccari turned his attention to it.
Using tiny, sable brushes, hand-rolled cotton swabs and a magnifier headband, he applied feather strokes to remove the varnish in the first restoration in more than a century of the 13-feet-tall canvas at the Art Institute of Chicago.
For 18 painstaking months, he brightened and touched up the 16th century work. Then, for another six months, he helped work on the frame.
When other museum staffers saw the progress on “The Assumption of the Virgin,” they gasped at its new glow, said Francesca Casadio, the museum’s director of conservation and science.
After Mr. Zuccari finished his work on “The Assumption of the Virgin” in 2018, “The painting was transformed,” Casadio said. “You get a sense of her upper body torquing. You almost have a sense of this levitation into the sky. That was flattened, with the old varnish.”
James Rondeau, the museum’s president, called it “a revelatory treatment.”
Mr. Zuccari, a third-generation art restorer revered at major museums worldwide for his work on Old Masters, died of bile-duct cancer last month at his Chicago home. He was 70.
Frank Zuccari introduced new scientific techniques to the restoration of masterpieces. Art Institute of Chicago
“He went exactly the way he wanted — in his own bed, looking at the paintings he loved,” said Maureen King, his longtime companion.
Several months ago, after a cancer treatment, they were driving up Lake Shore Drive.
“It was a somewhat overcast day, and he looked at Lake Michigan and said, ‘Manet used that shade of blue-green for his seas a lot,’ ” King said. “I started crying because I realized I’d never have anybody who would point things out and see things that way.”
In 1986, Mr. Zuccari came to the Art Institute as a senior conservator. He rose to become head of the conservation department in 1993. The El Greco was his last major restoration before his retirement in 2018.
He brought science to the process, Casadio said, expanding the restoration toolbox to include X-rays and infrared and ultraviolet images of the art.
“Frank’s time at the Art Institute was very significant in terms of raising the level of the appearance of the painting collection,” said Faye Wrubel, a retired Art Institute conservator who restored masterpieces including Van Gogh’s “The Bedroom” and Caillebotte’s “Paris Street; Rainy Day.”
Former colleagues said Mr. Zuccari combined the skills of a detective with intuition.
“You have to put yourself into the makeup of the picture and imagine how it is done — and work backwards,” Wrubel said.
“A good conservator has an ability to connect with the artist who did the work in almost a visceral way,” Casadio said.
About 25 years ago, while cleaning a painting, Mr. Zuccari and then-curator Larry Feinberg began to suspect a work attributed to a student of 18th century French artist Antoine Watteau actually was by Watteau himself, Wrubel said.
“He studied it and researched it and found similar drawings,” she said.
International experts concluded the Art Institute’s detective work was right.
“He was known and acknowledged and respected throughout the major institutions worldwide,” Wrubel said, including the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay in Paris and the National Gallery in London.
He worked on Art Institute masterpieces including Seurat’s “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte,” Manet’s “Jesus Mocked by the Soldiers” and Zurburan’s “The Crucifixion.”
He transported art on courier trips to cities such as Athens, Helsinki and Italy, sometimes traveling by cargo plane to make sure the canvases were protected.
Mr. Zuccari was born in Rome and immigrated to America at 7 with his parents Bianca and Nello. His maternal grandfather Paul Moro was a painter.
In his teens, when his family lived in Briarcliff Manor, a New York City suburb, he’d head to Manhattan on weekends with his uncles, Frances and Thomas, to work on art restorations at the family studio, Paul Moro Inc.
“Our uncles took him to museums and auctions and really introduced him to paintings,” said his sister Christina Zuccari, a restorer who operates Moro Studio Inc. in Long Island City, New York.
Every other year or so, his father — a banker who handled Italian business for Bank of America — would take the family back to Rome. They’d stay for a month and travel the country, young Frank absorbing the art all around him.
After Colgate University, he studied in Cooperstown, N.Y., at the State University of New York at one of the nation’s first art conservation programs.
“He combined old-world techniques and knowledge he had learned from his uncles, working summers in the [family] business, and was able to go to graduate school and learn brand new teachings and learn all the science,” King said.
He worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, before coming to work for the Art Institute.
King said she met him when she was working in the Art Institute’s communications department. She said that, walking in to the conservation studio, “Seeing this head poking behind an easel, I just remember these alert, amused, intelligent eyes.”
Mr. Zuccari was generous with praise for co-workers.
“He never pushed himself forward,” Wrubel said. “One of the last conversations we had, he said to me, ‘You know, Faye, I recognize that not everybody was able to have the same skill level, but each person brought something special to our department.’ He recognized that special talent in each individual and gave them room to develop their skills.”
Mr. Zuccari played a role in the construction of the museum’s Modern Wing, consulting on temperature, humidity and sunlight protection.
“He was on 24-hour call,” said photographer Tom Cinoman, a friend. “If there was a leak on the roof or the skylight and something happened to the paintings, he had to be on call.”
And even though Mr. Zuccari worked on masterpieces, Cinoman said friends knew they could count on him for help with something as mundane as picking the right paint colors for their walls.
After retiring in 2018, “He had one great year,” King said.
They traveled to Ireland and France with her son Alex, whom he helped raise. They toured Monet’s garden in Giverny.
“He made us go to the intersection” that Caillebotte featured in “Paris Street; Rainy Day,” King said. “He and Alex posed like the painting.”
Frank Zuccari (right) and Alex King mimic the Caillebotte painting “Paris Street; Rainy Day.” Provided
Caillebotte’s “Paris Street; Rainy Day.” Art Institute of Chicago
As a boy, “When all the other kids were going to water parks, I was with him bidding at auction houses,” Alex King said.
He said Mr. Zuccari taught him to appreciate antiques and vintage carpets, sometimes using rugs as colorful tablecloths.
In addition to the Kings and his sister Christina, Mr. Zuccari is survived by another sister, Paula Zuccari-Correlli.
When the pandemic abates and it’s safe to gather again, King said she plans to organize a celebration of his life. Mr. Zuccari wasn’t concerned about the details, telling her: “If there’s Willie Nelson and whiskey, it’ll be OK.”
For his last birthday, Mr. Zuccari asked Alex King to write him a poem. It ended with these lines:
I will be here with you
through every step of this excruciating process
and you will be with me
long past
last breaths and
final goodbyes.
And like a great painting,
no matter how many layers and
varnishes are applied over the coming years,
you will always be at the foundation of it all.
I love you.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Ex-Daley operative Victor Reyes once again in the midst of a big political storm

When Mayor Richard M. Daley held office , one of his most powerful — if least visible — aides was Victor Reyes , Daley ’ s City Hall patronage chief .
Reyes , who since has gone on to become a powerhouse Chicago lobbyist , still likes to stay out of the spotlight .
But that ’ s getting harder as federal authorities continue to pursue their wide-ranging investigation of political corruption in Chicago and the suburbs , a dragnet that so far has resulted in criminal charges against politicians including Ald .
Edward M. Burke ( 14th ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and former state Sen. Martin Sandoval .
Unlike Burke and Sandoval , Reyes hasn ’ t been charged with any crime .
But he or one of his firms has come onto the radar of federal authorities in two of the cases they ’ re investigating , records show .
And he has ties to Solis , Sandoval and others who have come under scrutiny as federal investigators plow their way across the political landscape in the city and suburbs : • SafeSpeed , LLC , which contracts with local governments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly , Reyes ’ law firm Reyes Kurson Ltd. and his lobbying practice the Roosevelt Group were named in a recent subpoena demanding Madigan ’ s office turn over “ all documents and communications with or concerning the employment by Exelon or ComEd.
” Reyes , 56 , and his colleagues have lobbied on behalf of the utility giant at various times over the years .
They ’ ve also raised money for Madigan ’ s campaign funds .
What investigators are looking for regarding Reyes in the Madigan or ComEd investigations isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been looking at whether Madigan , with the help of lobbyists , muscled ComEd into hiring certain people and businesses , using his clout over legislation that would affect the electrical utility ’ s bottom line .
That ’ s clear from the case against ComEd , which has pleaded “ not guilty ” to bribery .
According to federal filings in the case in July , ComEd was seeking Madigan ’ s backing for legislation worth more than $ 150 million to the utility when it paid a total of $ 1.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or no work .
The Chicago Sun-Times reported in February 2019 that an affidavit showed Reyes had been secretly recorded talking with then-Ald .
Solis , pressing Solis to send lobbying clients his way .
Solis was cooperating with agents on investigations including the ongoing case against Burke , who is charged in a May 2019 federal racketeering and extortion indictment with using his Chicago City Council role to withhold permits for a Burger King in his ward in an unsuccessful effort to get the restaurant to hire his law firm for property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about whether federal authorities have interviewed him or answer any other questions , saying in a written statement that he shouldn ’ t be held “ culpable for the bad actions of others .
I am responsible only for my own behavior , and I am mindful to always follow the law .
I ’ ve never been charged with any wrongdoing and , given that I have done nothing wrong , have no reason to believe I ever will be.
” Reyes also has been a lobbyist for others now facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for which he lobbied until being dumped by the company amid the ongoing investigations .
Sandoval , a longtime friend of Reyes , has pleaded guilty to taking bribes from someone at the red-light-camera company — believed to have been Omar Maani , a former partner there — to block any legislation that would threaten the company ’ s revenue streams .
SafeSpeed is led by Nikki Zollar , a former state government official who has portrayed any misconduct as the work of a rogue partner and possibly working with others .
SafeSpeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities .
Among the company ’ s once-vast army of sales consultants — who typically shared in red-light ticket revenue from communities they convinced to install or keep SafeSpeed cameras — was Reyes ’ Roosevelt Group partner Mike Noonan , a former Madigan aide .
Noonan was getting a cut of SafeSpeed camera revenues in Chicago Heights , where Mayor David Gonzalez is a Madigan ally .
The Roosevelt Group also has been a lobbyist for Cicero , whose town attorney Michael Del Galdo was listed early on as an official in SafeSpeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the asphalt contractor behind companies including Bluff City Materials and Reliable Materials .
Reyes ’ lobbying business has represented both of those companies .
A search warrant for Sandoval ’ s offices last fall sought “ items related to ” Vondra , his companies and associates “ and / or any issue supported by any of those businesses or individuals , including but not limited to shingles and asphalt recycling.
” Sandoval , who chaired the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee , had long pushed for the state to expand the use of recycled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would benefit Vondra , a Sandoval campaign contributor .
That same search warrant also demanded by name records related to Vondra ’ s employee John Harris , who went to work for him after serving a brief prison sentence for his role in former Gov .
Rod Blagojevich ’ s corruption case , in which the former governor tried to sell an appointment to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama .
Before he was Blagojevich ’ s chief of staff , Harris was a top Daley aide whose duties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 40 million-a-year Hired Truck Program , which was shut down after a Sun-Times investigation revealed that private hauling companies often were paid to do nothing .
The Hired Truck Program had close ties to the Hispanic Democratic Organization , a Daley political army run by Reyes .
The city program was run by a former street gang member named Angelo Torres who was involved in HDO and who went to prison in what came to be known as the Hired Truck scandal .
Back then , Harris and Reyes were fishing buddies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city panel that recommended a $ 1 billion O ’ Hare Airport terminal construction contract be given to a private venture led by Bechtel Infrastructure Corp. , whose chief lobbyist was Reyes .
The FBI investigation into the Hired Truck Program expanded into city hiring and found that City Hall was bringing in and promoting people on the basis of their political work and ties to HDO even though the law bans political considerations in hiring for most city jobs .
As the one-time head of Daley ’ s City Hall patronage office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI but wasn ’ t charged with any crime .
Reyes , who lives in Bridgeport , also been a top adviser to state Sen. Iris Martinez , D- Chicago , who won a four-way primary last spring to run the Cook County Circuit Court clerk ’ s office , which in the past has provided jobs for Madigan ’ s political workers .
Martinez , a member of the Illinois Democratic Party state central committee , has called on Madigan to resign as state party chairman in the wake of the ComEd @ @

When Mayor Richard M. Daley held office, one of his most powerful — if least visible — aides was Victor Reyes, Daley’s City Hall patronage chief.
Reyes, who since has gone on to become a powerhouse Chicago lobbyist, still likes to stay out of the spotlight. But that’s getting harder as federal authorities continue to pursue their wide-ranging investigation of political corruption in Chicago and the suburbs, a dragnet that so far has resulted in criminal charges against politicians including Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) and former state Sen. Martin Sandoval.
Unlike Burke and Sandoval, Reyes hasn’t been charged with any crime. But he or one of his firms has come onto the radar of federal authorities in two of the cases they’re investigating, records show. And he has ties to others who have come under scrutiny as federal investigators plow their way across the political landscape in the city and suburbs:
Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, D-Chicago.
Former Ald. Danny Solis (25th).
Asphalt contractor Michael Vondra.
ComEd and its parent Exelon Corp.
SafeSpeed, LLC, which contracts with local governments to provide red-light traffic cameras.
Perhaps most significantly, Reyes’ law firm Reyes Kurson Ltd. and his lobbying practice the Roosevelt Group were named in a recent subpoena demanding Madigan’s office turn over “all documents and communications with or concerning the employment by Exelon or ComEd.”
Reyes, 56, and his colleagues have lobbied on behalf of the utility giant at various times over the years. They’ve also raised money for Madigan’s campaign funds.
What investigators are looking for regarding Reyes in the Madigan or ComEd investigations isn’t clear.
But authorities have been looking at whether Madigan, with the help of lobbyists, muscled ComEd into hiring certain people and businesses, using his clout over legislation that would affect the electrical utility’s bottom line.
That’s clear from the case against ComEd, which has pleaded “not guilty” to bribery.
Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. AP
According to federal filings in the case in July, ComEd was seeking Madigan’s backing for legislation worth more than $150 million to the utility when it paid a total of $1.3 million to Madigan associates who did little or no work.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported in February 2019 that an affidavit showed Reyes had been secretly recorded talking with then-Ald. Solis, pressing Solis to send lobbying clients his way. Solis was cooperating with agents on investigations including the ongoing case against Burke, who is charged in a May 2019 federal racketeering and extortion indictment with using his Chicago City Council role to withhold permits for a Burger King in his ward in an unsuccessful effort to get the restaurant to hire his law firm for property tax appeals.
Reyes won’t talk about whether federal authorities have interviewed him or answer any other questions, saying in a written statement that he shouldn’t be held “culpable for the bad actions of others. I am responsible only for my own behavior, and I am mindful to always follow the law. I’ve never been charged with any wrongdoing and, given that I have done nothing wrong, have no reason to believe I ever will be.”
Reyes also has been a lobbyist for others now facing scrutiny, including:
SafeSpeed, for which he lobbied until being dumped by the company amid the ongoing investigations.
Sandoval, a longtime friend of Reyes, has pleaded guilty to taking bribes from someone at the red-light-camera company — believed to have been Omar Maani, a former partner there — to block any legislation that would threaten the company’s revenue streams.
SafeSpeed is led by Nikki Zollar, a former state government official who has portrayed any misconduct as the work of a rogue partner and possibly working with others.
SafeSpeed is believed to be cooperating with federal authorities.
Among the company’s once-vast army of sales consultants — who typically shared in red-light ticket revenue from communities they convinced to install or keep SafeSpeed cameras — was Reyes’ Roosevelt Group partner Mike Noonan, a former Madigan aide. Noonan was getting a cut of SafeSpeed camera revenues in Chicago Heights, where Mayor David Gonzalez is a Madigan ally.
The Roosevelt Group also has been a lobbyist for Cicero, whose town attorney Michael Del Galdo was listed early on as an official in SafeSpeed, records show.
Vondra, the asphalt contractor behind companies including Bluff City Materials and Reliable Materials. Reyes’ lobbying business has represented both of those companies.
A search warrant for Sandoval’s offices last fall sought “items related to” Vondra, his companies and associates “and / or any issue supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to shingles and asphalt recycling.”
Sandoval, who chaired the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee, had long pushed for the state to expand the use of recycled asphalt shingles in road construction, which would benefit Vondra, a Sandoval campaign contributor.
That same search warrant also demanded by name records related to Vondra’s employee John Harris, who went to work for him after serving a brief prison sentence for his role in former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s corruption case, in which the former governor tried to sell an appointment to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
Before he was Blagojevich’s chief of staff, Harris was a top Daley aide whose duties including cleaning up the city’s $40 million-a-year Hired Truck Program, which was shut down after a Sun-Times investigation revealed that private hauling companies often were paid to do nothing.
The Hired Truck Program had close ties to the Hispanic Democratic Organization, a Daley political army run by Reyes. The city program was run by a former street gang member named Angelo Torres who was involved in HDO and who went to prison in what came to be known as the Hired Truck scandal.
Back then, Harris and Reyes were fishing buddies. And Harris was part of a city panel that recommended a $1 billion O’Hare Airport terminal construction contract be given to a private venture led by Bechtel Infrastructure Corp., whose chief lobbyist was Reyes.
The FBI investigation into the Hired Truck Program expanded into city hiring and found that City Hall was bringing in and promoting people on the basis of their political work and ties to HDO even though the law bans political considerations in hiring for most city jobs.
As the one-time head of Daley’s City Hall patronage office, Reyes came under scrutiny by the FBI but wasn’t charged with any crime.
Reyes, who lives in Bridgeport, also has been a top adviser to state Sen. Iris Martinez, D- Chicago, who won a four-way primary last spring to run the Cook County circuit court clerk’s office, which in the past has provided jobs for Madigan’s political workers. Martinez, a member of the Illinois Democratic Party state central committee, has called on Madigan to resign as state party chairman in the wake of the ComEd investigation.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Alderman lavished with cash, luxury trips by program for Caribbean med students

A Chicago doctor is suing his business partner , accusing her of “ looting ” more than $ 3.7 million from their business to finance an “ extravagant lifestyle ” and to lavish Ald .
George Cardenas ( 12th ) with luxurious trips , an expensive watch and a monthly stipend for consulting services .
Cardenas had been hired to drum up business for Omni Medical Student Training , which places students from Caribbean medical schools in residency programs with Chicago hospitals .
The alderman wasn ’ t very successful in getting hospitals to sign up , though , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners — Dr. Vivek Gupta and Theresa Siaw — are fighting in court over her use of Omni ’ s money the past five years , including payments to Cardenas , for Siaw ’ s mortgage and as much as $ 370,000 spent on her failed bid to defeat Ald .
Robert Maldonado ( 26th ) last year .
Three months after Siaw lost that election , Gupta filed suit in Cook County circuit court , accusing his partner of spending Omni ’ s money without his approval .
Gupta says in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Internal Revenue Service began auditing the company .
He says the unauthorized expenses continued this summer , with Siaw withdrawing $ 251,442 from an Omni bank account , according to the suit .
Siaw , 33 , says she didn ’ t spend money without Gupta ’ s approval .
In sworn pretrial testimony in a deposition she gave earlier this year , Siaw says Gupta gave her permission to use Omni ’ s money to run for alderman and that he sued her because she ended their sexual relationship .
City Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year as part of an investigation into Cardenas ’ campaign finances .
Siaw fought his subpoena in court for nearly a year before agreeing to talk with his staff .
Cardenas , 55 , won ’ t talk about the $ 6,000 in campaign contributions he got from Siaw , their trips to Miami and Los Angeles seeking hospitals to accept the Caribbean medical students or the $ 5,000 watch he got as a bonus from Omni and then wouldn ’ t return when a hospital decided against working with the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ward includes Little Village and Brighton Park — says he “ provided consulting services to Theresa Siaw years ago.
” He referred question to his lawyer Ricardo Meza , a former federal prosecutor and state inspector general , who says , “ George Cardenas has done nothing wrong.
” Siaw says she met Cardenas in 2012 when her boyfriend , Dr. Amer Rustom , ran the San Pablo Medical Center inside a building the alderman and his family owned at 2829 W. Cermak Rd .
Siaw , who was pregnant with Rustom ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a minimum yearly rent of $ 32,400 .
“ He didn ’ t tell me he was an alderman , ” Siaw says of Cardenas .
“ When my son ’ s father drowned , that ’ s when I started to get close to Cardenas .
I was just mutual friends with Cardenas.
” Rustom was boating on Lake Michigan with friends in September 2014 when he drowned , leaving behind four sons he had with three women .
Siaw met Gupta months later , and , in June 2015 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program similar to Siaw ’ s previous business , International Medical Placement .
Omni Medical Training operated out of Weiss Memorial Hospital until August , according to a Weiss spokeswoman who says the lease ended and that the North Side hospital no longer uses Omni to place students .
In her deposition , Siaw says the alderman recommended the company hire his brother Jose Cardenas as Omni ’ s accountant and that Jose Cardenas prepared the 2016 federal tax returns that the IRS later audited .
Between 2016 and 2017 , Siaw says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using Omni ’ s money .
In 2016 , Siaw made two contributions , totaling $ 6,000 , to the alderman ’ s campaign .
She says she made those political contributions using Omni ’ s money .
Cardenas helped Gupta get a contract with Cook County Care , a Medicaid plan run by the Cook County Health and Hospitals System , according to Siaw ’ s deposition .
She says the alderman also helped Gupta join the Chicago Housing Authority ’ s health partners program .
Siaw says Cardenas was paid between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help Omni try to arrange to place medical students at Mount Sinai Hospital , Rush University Medical Center and St. Anthony Hospital — but they struck out .
“ I always consulted with George Cardenas because he has brought contracts to Omni , ” Siaw says in the sworn testimony .
“ He ’ s helped me , you know , get a connection with some hospitals.
” Siaw testified that she had agreed to give Cardenas a $ 5,000 bonus if he could help Omni secure a contract with Rush and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Razny Jewelers on the Gold Coast .
“ I discussed it with Dr. Gupta , ” Siaw told attorneys in the civil case .
“ I never had somebody ask me for something like that before.
” Siaw testified she bought the watch for Cardenas but that the deal with Rush fell through , and the alderman wouldn ’ t return the watch : “ He basically told me that he ’ s not giving it back.
” “ Cardenas was not paid for services rendered and was owed a substantial amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business partners , ” Meza says .
“ The watch was payment for some but not all past-due services owed.
” He says Cardenas was supposed to have been paid $ 2,000 a month but that , “ For many months , he was not paid at all.
” He says the alderman ’ s work for Omni ended in 2017 .
Cardenas accompanied Siaw on two trips , trying to land deals for Omni to place Caribbean medical school students at hospitals in Miami and Los Angeles , records show .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-bedroom suite at the luxury Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel , costing the company more than $ 19,000 , according to records .
Siaw testified that no other rooms were available .
She also spent $ 17,199 at a Miami nightclub .
In June 2017 , they stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills , according to the suit , which doesn ’ t detail the cost .
Siaw also used Omni ’ s checking account to buy two vehicles for $ 88,854 , including a BMW that Cardenas was allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car for just 12 miles but refused to return it to her .
“ I thought he was avoiding me when I asked him for the car , ” Siaw told the Chicago Sun-Times .
“ Our relationship ended over a car .
“ We were really good friends for a long time .
It soured because he wasn ’ t delivering what I was paying for.
” On Aug. 25 , Siaw was removed as Omni ’ s manager by an arbitrator , former federal prosecutor James S. Montana Jr. , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of Omni ’ s operating agreement .
“ The record in this matter is brimming with evidence of Ms. Siaw ’ s unauthorized , personal use of Omni Student funds , including extensive admissions by Ms. Siaw during hearing testimony , ” Montana wrote .
“ Ms .
Siaw has demonstrated she is essentially incapable of not using Omni Student ’ s funds for her personal use .
”

A Chicago doctor is suing his business partner, accusing her of “looting” more than $3.7 million from their business to finance an “extravagant lifestyle” and to lavish Ald. George Cardenas (12th) with luxurious trips, an expensive watch and a monthly stipend for consulting services.
Cardenas had been hired to drum up business for Omni Medical Student Training, which places students from Caribbean medical schools in residency programs with Chicago hospitals. The alderman wasn’t very successful in getting hospitals to sign up, though, according to the suit.
Omni’s owners — Dr. Vivek Gupta and Theresa Siaw — are fighting in court over her use of Omni’s money the past five years, including payments to Cardenas, for Siaw’s mortgage and as much as $370,000 spent on her failed bid to defeat Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) last year.
Three months after Siaw lost that election, Gupta filed suit in Cook County circuit court, accusing his partner of spending Omni’s money without his approval.
Gupta says in the lawsuit that he discovered this after the Internal Revenue Service began auditing the company. He says the unauthorized expenses continued this summer, with Siaw withdrawing $251,442 from an Omni bank account, according to the suit.
Siaw, 33, says she didn’t spend money without Gupta’s approval. In sworn pretrial testimony in a deposition she gave earlier this year, Siaw says Gupta gave her permission to use Omni’s money to run for alderman and that he sued her because she ended their sexual relationship.
Gupta through his attorney, William Quinlan, denies that he had a sexual relationship with Siaw.
City Hall Inspector General Joseph Ferguson questioned Siaw earlier this year as part of an investigation into Cardenas’ campaign finances. Siaw fought his subpoena in court for nearly a year before agreeing to talk with his staff.
Cardenas, 55, won’t talk about the $6,000 in campaign contributions he got from Siaw, their trips to Miami and Los Angeles seeking hospitals to accept the Caribbean medical students or the $5,000 watch he got as a bonus from Omni and then wouldn’t return when a hospital decided against working with the company after all.
The alderman — whose ward includes Little Village and Brighton Park — says he “provided consulting services to Theresa Siaw years ago.” He referred questions to his lawyer Ricardo Meza, a former federal prosecutor and state inspector general, who says, “George Cardenas has done nothing wrong.”
Siaw says she met Cardenas in 2012 when her boyfriend, Dr. Amer Rustom, ran the San Pablo Medical Center inside a building the alderman and his family owned at 2829 W. Cermak Rd. Siaw, who was pregnant with Rustom’s son, signed a five-year lease with a minimum yearly rent of $32,400.
“He didn’t tell me he was an alderman,” Siaw says of Cardenas. “When my son’s father drowned, that’s when I started to get close to Cardenas. I was just mutual friends with Cardenas.”
Chicago businesswoman and former 26th Ward aldermanic candidate Theresa Siaw. Rich Hein / Sun-Times file
Rustom was boating on Lake Michigan with friends in September 2014 when he drowned, leaving behind four sons he had with three women.
Siaw met Gupta months later, and, in June 2015, they started Omni Medical Training, a program similar to Siaw’s previous business, International Medical Placement. Omni Medical Training operated out of Weiss Memorial Hospital until August, according to a Weiss spokeswoman who says the lease ended and that the North Side hospital no longer uses Omni to place students.
In her deposition, Siaw says the alderman recommended the company hire his brother Jose Cardenas as Omni’s accountant and that Jose Cardenas prepared the 2016 federal tax returns that the IRS later audited.
Between 2016 and 2017, Siaw says she paid Cardenas Consulting $28,900, using Omni’s money.
In 2016, Siaw made two contributions, totaling $6,000, to the alderman’s campaign. She says she made those political contributions using Omni’s money.
Cardenas helped Gupta get a contract with Cook County Care, a Medicaid plan run by the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, according to Siaw’s deposition. She says the alderman also helped Gupta join the Chicago Housing Authority’s health partners program.
Siaw says Cardenas was paid between $2,200 and $2,500 a month to help Omni try to arrange to place medical students at Mount Sinai Hospital, Rush University Medical Center and St. Anthony Hospital — but they struck out.
“I always consulted with George Cardenas because he has brought contracts to Omni,” Siaw says in the sworn testimony. “He’s helped me, you know, get a connection with some hospitals.”
Siaw testified that she had agreed to give Cardenas a $5,000 bonus if he could help Omni secure a contract with Rush and that Cardenas asked for a watch from Razny Jewelers on the Gold Coast.
“I discussed it with Dr. Gupta,” Siaw told attorneys in the civil case. “I never had somebody ask me for something like that before.”
Siaw testified she bought the watch for Cardenas but that the deal with Rush fell through, and the alderman wouldn’t return the watch: “He basically told me that he’s not giving it back.”
Meza denies that.
“Cardenas was not paid for services rendered and was owed a substantial amount of money by one or more of the business partners,” Meza says. “The watch was payment for some but not all past-due services owed.”
He says Cardenas was supposed to have been paid $2,000 a month but that, “For many months, he was not paid at all.”
He says the alderman’s work for Omni ended in 2017.
Cardenas accompanied Siaw on two trips, trying to land deals for Omni to place Caribbean medical school students at hospitals in Miami and Los Angeles, records show. In December 2016, they stayed in a two-bedroom suite at the luxury Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, costing the company more than $19,000, according to records. Siaw testified that no other rooms were available. She also spent $17,199 at a Miami nightclub.
In June 2017, they stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, according to the suit, which doesn’t detail the cost.
Siaw also used Omni’s checking account to buy two vehicles for $88,854, including a BMW that Cardenas was allowed to drive. Siaw says Cardenas drove the car for just 12 miles but refused to return it to her.
“I thought he was avoiding me when I asked him for the car,” Siaw told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Our relationship ended over a car.
“We were really good friends for a long time. It soured because he wasn’t delivering what I was paying for.”
On Aug. 25, Siaw was removed as Omni’s manager by an arbitrator, former federal prosecutor James S. Montana Jr., who is presiding over the case under the terms of Omni’s operating agreement.
“The record in this matter is brimming with evidence of Ms. Siaw’s unauthorized, personal use of Omni Student funds, including extensive admissions by Ms. Siaw during hearing testimony,” Montana wrote. “Ms. Siaw has demonstrated she is essentially incapable of not using Omni Student’s funds for her personal use.”


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--6 shot in Chicago Thursday

6 shot in Chicago Thursday

Six people were injured by gunfire Thursday throughout Chicago .
The latest shooting happened about 7:40 p.m. in Austin on the West Side .
A 29-year-old woman was in a vehicle in the first block of South Austin Boulevard when someone opened fire , Chicago police said .
She was grazed on her back and taken to Rush University Medical Center in good condition .
About two hours before that , two men were shot and critically injured in Gresham on the South Side .
They were on the sidewalk about 5:35 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Halsted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone inside opened fire , according to police .
A 29-year-old was struck in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition .
The other man , also 29 , was struck multiple times and took himself to St. Bernard Hospital , where he was in critical condition .
Earlier that afternoon , a 19-year-old man was grazed by a bullet in Marquette Park on the Southwest Side .
He was standing on a sidewalk about 1:25 p.m. in the 2600 block of Lithuanian Plaza when someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police said .
He went to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition with a graze wound to the foot .
Less than three hours before that , another man was shot in Gresham .
The 29-year-old was driving about 10:40 a.m. in the 8200 block of South Emerald Avenue when someone opened fire from another vehicle , according to police .
He was shot in his head and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center , where his condition stabilized .
The day ’ s first shooting injured a 35-year-old woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Side .
About 12:33 a.m. , she was sitting in the living room of a home in the 200 block of West 91st Street when someone fired shots through the back door of the home , police said .
She was taken to University of Chicago in good condition with a graze wound to her left elbow .
Seven people were shot across Chicago on Wednesday , one of them fatally .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Six people were injured by gunfire Thursday throughout Chicago.
The latest shooting happened about 7:40 p.m. in Austin on the West Side.
A 29-year-old woman was in a vehicle in the first block of South Austin Boulevard when someone opened fire, Chicago police said. She was grazed on her back and taken to Rush University Medical Center in good condition.
About two hours before that, two men were shot and critically injured in Gresham on the South Side.
They were on the sidewalk about 5:35 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Halsted Street when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, according to police. A 29-year-old was struck in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. The other man, also 29, was struck multiple times and took himself to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was in critical condition.
Earlier that afternoon, a 19-year-old man was grazed by a bullet in Marquette Park on the Southwest Side.
He was standing on a sidewalk about 1:25 p.m. in the 2600 block of Lithuanian Plaza when someone fired shots from a dark-colored SUV, police said. He went to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition with a graze wound to the foot.
Less than three hours before that, another man was shot in Gresham.
The 29-year-old was driving about 10:40 a.m. in the 8200 block of South Emerald Avenue when someone opened fire from another vehicle, according to police. He was shot in his head and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where his condition stabilized.
The day’s first shooting injured a 35-year-old woman in a home in Princeton Park on the South Side.
About 12:33 a.m., she was sitting in the living room of a home in the 200 block of West 91st Street when someone fired shots through the back door of the home, police said. She was taken to University of Chicago in good condition with a graze wound to her left elbow.
Seven people were shot across Chicago on Wednesday, one of them fatally.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Justin Bieber joined by Chance the Rapper for ‘Holy’ song, short film: WATCH

Justin Bieber has much to celebrate this month .
Sept. 13 marks the two-year anniversary of his marriage to Hailey Baldwin .
And Friday marks the release of his latest song , “ Holy , ” featuring Chance the Rapper , as well as the song ’ s accompanying short film starring Wilmer Valderrama and Ryan Destiny , directed by Colin Tilley .
“ Holy ” is an emotionally charged , ultimately uplifting gospel-tinged ballad .
The film features Bieber as an oil driller and Destiny as a nursing home employee — a hardworking couple soon derailed by hardship who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldier ( Valderrama ) they meet on the road .
On Twitter , Bieber heralded the song , proclaiming “ The new era begins .
We made a movie.
” His longtime manager Scooter Braun also took to Twitter , writing there is “ so much more to come you have no idea.
” Bieber will hit the road next year for his rescheduled world tour ( postponed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic ) with 19 new stops including two dates in Chicago , June 22-23 , 2021 , at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
One dollar from each ticket purchased will be donated to the Bieber Foundation which is committed to supporting mental health wellness , according to the tour ’ s official release .
“ Holy ” comes on the heels of “ Changes , ” Bieber ’ s fifth studio album released in February , which yielded the single “ Intentions ” featuring rapper Quavo .
Bieber later joined Ariana Grande in May for the release of “ Stuck With U , ” which in August earned the MTV Video Music Award for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Chance have performed at Kanye West ’ s Sunday Service concerts .
Their previous music collaborations include “ I ’ m The One , ” “ Juke Jam ” and “ No Brainer .
”

Justin Bieber has much to celebrate this month.
Sept. 13 marks the two-year anniversary of his marriage to Hailey Baldwin. And Friday marks the release of his latest song, “Holy,” featuring Chance the Rapper, as well as the song’s accompanying short film starring Wilmer Valderrama and Ryan Destiny, directed by Colin Tilley.
“Holy” is an emotionally charged, ultimately uplifting gospel-tinged ballad. The film features Bieber as an oil driller and Destiny as a nursing home employee — a hardworking couple soon derailed by hardship who find hope in each other and a soldier (Valderrama) they meet on the road.
On Twitter, Bieber heralded the song, proclaiming “The new era begins. We made a movie.” His longtime manager Scooter Braun also took to Twitter, writing there is “so much more to come you have no idea.”
Bieber will hit the road next year for his rescheduled world tour (postponed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic) with 19 new stops including two dates in Chicago, June 22-23, 2021, at the United Center (tickets available at ticketmaster.com). One dollar from each ticket purchased will be donated to the Bieber Foundation which is committed to supporting mental health wellness, according to the tour’s official release.
Tonight at midnight the new era begins for @justinbieber with his first single #Holy with @chancetherapper . So much more to come you have no idea. Tonight is a MOVIE!!! @SB_Projects @ColinTilley @RyanDestiny @wilmervalderrama pic.twitter.com/tByn6iphvA — Scott “Scooter” Braun (@scooterbraun) September 17, 2020
“Holy” comes on the heels of “Changes,” Bieber’s fifth studio album released in February, which yielded the single “Intentions” featuring rapper Quavo. Bieber later joined Ariana Grande in May for the release of “Stuck With U,” which in August earned the MTV Video Music Award for best music video from home.
Bieber and Chance have performed at Kanye West’s Sunday Service concerts. Their previous music collaborations include “I’m The One,” “Juke Jam” and “No Brainer.”