chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--Health officials report 12,022 new coronavirus cases, 131 more deaths

Illinois health officials reported 12,022 new coronavirus cases and 131 more deaths on Thanksgiving Day amid worries that family gatherings over the holiday might spark another surge in cases .
Currently at 11,963 total deaths and 697,489 total cases , Illinois is on track to breach over 12,000 deaths and 700,000 cases by Friday , and it could get worse if people disregard the warnings of medical experts for their Thanksgiving celebrations .
The average statewide positivity rate has already climbed slightly to 12 % , up from 10.6 % on Wednesday , as over 107,000 people were tested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
Chicago ’ s positivity rate stands at 12.4 % .
Since March 1 , the city has 3,355 coronavirus deaths out of 152,908 total cases .
Officials nationwide have raised concerns about the spread of COVID-19 at family gatherings for Thanksgiving , and have pleaded with the public to forego travel or large dinners this year .
“ Even if you test negative , it ’ s possible that you were in fact exposed , ” Governor J.B. Pritzker had said Wednesday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody over at Grandma ’ s house .
… Every day we throw caution to the wind , even if it ’ s a holiday , is a day we backtrack on any progress that we ’ ve made for our health care workers.
” A rise in cases after the holiday weekend would erase the slight progress that has been made in leveling off the coronavirus ’ second surge , which saw a rapid , alarming spike towards the end of October and into November .
“ The increase has been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ...
I want to be cautiously optimistic , but I don ’ t want to put too much out there , ” Illinois Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike had said Tuesday .
“ I know more people are trying to be more careful , and so I hope that ’ s what ’ s reflected here.
” Illinois hospitals , however , are still feeling the full brunt of the pandemic .
As of Wednesday night , 6,032 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 , and 1,224 people were in the intensive care unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t begin to notice a spike in cases due to Thanksgiving gatherings for at least a week , but urged residents to prioritize the health of their family over their desire to get together .
“ While it will look different and perhaps not at all how we want , let ’ s try to make this upcoming holiday season one of cheer and not one of fear for more COVID-19 illnesses and lives lost that could have been prevented , ” she said Wednesday .

Illinois health officials reported 12,022 new coronavirus cases and 131 more deaths on Thanksgiving Day amid worries that family gatherings over the holiday might spark another surge in cases.
Currently at 11,963 total deaths and 697,489 total cases, Illinois is on track to breach over 12,000 deaths and 700,000 cases by Friday, and it could get worse if people disregard the warnings of medical experts for their Thanksgiving celebrations.
The average statewide positivity rate fell slightly to 10.3%, up from 10.6% on Wednesday, as over 107,000 people were tested in Illinois over the past 24 hours, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Chicago’s positivity rate stands at 12.4%. Since March 1, the city has 3,355 coronavirus deaths out of 152,908 total cases.
Officials nationwide have raised concerns about the spread of COVID-19 at family gatherings for Thanksgiving, and have pleaded with the public to forego travel or large dinners this year.
“Even if you test negative, it’s possible that you were in fact exposed,” Governor J.B. Pritzker had said Wednesday. “This is not the year to have everybody over at Grandma’s house. … Every day we throw caution to the wind, even if it’s a holiday, is a day we backtrack on any progress that we’ve made for our health care workers.”
A rise in cases after the holiday weekend would erase the slight progress that has been made in leveling off the coronavirus’ second surge, which saw a rapid, alarming spike towards the end of October and into November.
“The increase has been a little bit slower than last week. ... I want to be cautiously optimistic, but I don’t want to put too much out there,” Illinois Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike had said Tuesday. “I know more people are trying to be more careful, and so I hope that’s what’s reflected here.”
Illinois hospitals, however, are still feeling the full brunt of the pandemic. As of Wednesday night, 6,032 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, and 1,224 people were in the intensive care unit.
Ezike said the state won’t begin to notice a spike in cases due to Thanksgiving gatherings for at least a week, but urged residents to prioritize the health of their family over their desire to get together.
“While it will look different and perhaps not at all how we want, let’s try to make this upcoming holiday season one of cheer and not one of fear for more COVID-19 illnesses and lives lost that could have been prevented,” she said Wednesday.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--Hunting for an affordable home? Here’s how to entice sellers

Competition among homebuyers has remained fierce during the COVID-19 pandemic due to record-low mortgage rates , a shortage of homes for sale and a sudden wave of relocation from remote work , triggering a surge in home prices that is showing no signs of slowing .
The median home sale price rose 15 % from a year ago to $ 322,000 for the week that ended November 1 – the highest on record , according to Redfin , a real estate brokerage .
The housing market is so hot that offering all cash for a home doesn ’ t always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there are things that potential homebuyers can do to entice sellers .
“ What wins a bidding war today is offering more than the asking price and waiving the appraisal contingency , ” according to Redfin real estate agent Anthony Gonzalez .
“ Generally , if you ’ re bidding on a house that ’ s in great condition in a good location with multiple offers , you ’ ve got ta go at least $ 20,000 over ask .
Every single time that my client does , they win the deal.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the housing market has cooled slightly since the summer .
The typical home currently gets four or five offers , compared with eight or nine in September , according to Redfin .
Still , home prices continue to buck their typical seasonal pattern since there are more buyers than normal at this time of year , experts say .
And lower mortgage rates could push even more buyers to purchase a home in the final months of the year .
The national median home price typically peaks the first week of July and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , home prices have climbed 7.3 % since the four-week period ending July 5 .
If you ’ re looking to buy or sell a home , here are some other tips to keep in mind : Don ’ t give up .
Be patient .
Homebuyers may have to bid on several properties before they beat out the competition for that dream home , experts say .
Work with a broker .
A local Realtor will know how to sweeten the pot for that potential seller , and make your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Association of Realtors .
Go the extra mile .
Consider writing the seller a letter .
Other financial incentives such as having an all-cash offer , shortening the escrow terms , waiving contingencies and offering more money will likely help potential buyers , Realtors advise .
Spruce it up .
“ Even in this tight inventory environment , homebuyers ’ expectations have risen , ’ ’ says Jessica Lautz , vice president of demographics and behavioral insights at NAR .
“ When they come into homes , they expect them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to be staged .
They ’ re attracted to beautiful photos online .
... Those types of factors really do matter.
’ ’ Don ’ t get greedy .
“ An overpriced home is still going to sit on the market , ’ ’ says Jason Gell , president of the Greater Boston Association of Realtors .
“ With the right price , you ’ re likely to get a bidding war.
’ ’ Know where you ’ re moving before you hand over the keys .
Have a plan for what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , whether that ’ s staying in temporary housing , or buying another property before the sale of your house closes , if you have enough cash .

Competition among homebuyers has remained fierce during the COVID-19 pandemic due to record-low mortgage rates, a shortage of homes for sale and a sudden wave of relocation from remote work, triggering a surge in home prices that is showing no signs of slowing.
The median home sale price rose 15% from a year ago to $322,000 for the week that ended November 1 – the highest on record, according to Redfin, a real estate brokerage.
The housing market is so hot that offering all cash for a home doesn’t always cut it anymore, experts say. But there are things that potential homebuyers can do to entice sellers.
“What wins a bidding war today is offering more than the asking price and waiving the appraisal contingency,” according to Redfin real estate agent Anthony Gonzalez.
“Generally, if you’re bidding on a house that’s in great condition in a good location with multiple offers, you’ve gotta go at least $20,000 over ask. Every single time that my client does, they win the deal.”
To be sure, competition in the housing market has cooled slightly since the summer. The typical home currently gets four or five offers, compared with eight or nine in September, according to Redfin.
Still, home prices continue to buck their typical seasonal pattern since there are more buyers than normal at this time of year, experts say. And lower mortgage rates could push even more buyers to purchase a home in the final months of the year.
The national median home price typically peaks the first week of July and declines through the fall. This year, however, home prices have climbed 7.3% since the four-week period ending July 5.
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home, here are some other tips to keep in mind:
Buyer tips
Don’t give up. Be patient. Homebuyers may have to bid on several properties before they beat out the competition for that dream home, experts say.
Work with a broker. A local Realtor will know how to sweeten the pot for that potential seller, and make your offer the most attractive, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Go the extra mile. Consider writing the seller a letter. Other financial incentives such as having an all-cash offer, shortening the escrow terms, waiving contingencies and offering more money will likely help potential buyers, Realtors advise.
Advice for sellers
Spruce it up. “Even in this tight inventory environment, homebuyers’ expectations have risen,’’ says Jessica Lautz, vice president of demographics and behavioral insights at NAR.
“When they come into homes, they expect them to look like TV shows. They expect them to be staged. They’re attracted to beautiful photos online. ... Those types of factors really do matter.’’
Don’t get greedy. “An overpriced home is still going to sit on the market,’’ says Jason Gell, president of the Greater Boston Association of Realtors. “With the right price, you’re likely to get a bidding war.’’
Know where you’re moving before you hand over the keys. Have a plan for what you will do after you sell your home, whether that’s staying in temporary housing, or buying another property before the sale of your house closes, if you have enough cash.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--Dear Abby: We don’t eat cookies, but sister-in-law sends some each year anyway

DEAR ABBY : Every year for the last 15 years or so , my husband ’ s sister has sent us a huge box of homemade cookies for Christmas .
My husband is from a large family , and she does this for each family .
I know it involves a great deal of time and effort on her part , and she sends them via priority mail , which means an additional expense .
The problem is , we don ’ t eat cookies .
Weight is a concern for both of us , and I avoid sugar or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe they are healthy .
Before we retired , we took the cookies to work to get rid of them or they were thrown out .
Many years ago , I asked my mother-in-law what to do so as to not cause hard feelings .
She advised , “ Don ’ t say anything ; she needs something to keep her busy.
” I then asked a brother-in-law how he handled the unwanted cookies .
He said , “ Throw them away or give them away , but DON ’ T TELL HER.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and everyone tiptoes lightly around the issue to avoid upsetting her .
I feel bad that she has spent time and money on these unwanted cookies all these years .
No one on that side of the family has ever said anything , and perhaps , many of them enjoy the cookies .
Evidently even a carefully worded “ thank you , but we can ’ t consume them ” note would cause family problems .
I tried not sending an acknowledgment ; the cookies kept coming .
What ’ s your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DEAR SWEET PROBLEM : I suggest you keep things the way they are .
Your sister-in-law needs something to occupy her mind and give her a sense of purpose during a time of year when people can become depressed .
Get creative .
Those cookies might be appreciated by a church group , a residence for seniors or even holiday gifts for your neighbors if you repackage them .
DEAR ABBY : My 22-year-old daughter asked if her 23-year-old best friend could stay with us for six months .
Her friend ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finish wrapping up some things and then would return for their citizenship appointments , so we agreed to the arrangement .
Rent-free , because we are nice .
My daughter got a school offer in Houston and moved there in May .
Now it ’ s just her best friend and us at the house .
Well , COVID-19 happened , and the parents are banned from entering the U.S .
They have asked us if she can stay until the ban is lifted , which who knows when this will happen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s November .
I miss my personal space , and I need her to move out .
I feel she has overstayed .
But I don ’ t know how to approach her or her family and say this arrangement will end soon .
How should I handle this ?
— CROWDED IN THE SOUTH DEAR CROWDED : You have been more than generous to your daughter ’ s best friend , and I hope your generosity has been appreciated not only by her but also her parents .
She is an adult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrangement she had with you is coming to an end .
Set a date for her to leave and notify her parents that they may need to make other living arrangements for her if she can ’ t do it herself .
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 .
For everything you need to know about wedding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Lovely Wedding.
” Send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby , Wedding Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: Every year for the last 15 years or so, my husband’s sister has sent us a huge box of homemade cookies for Christmas. My husband is from a large family, and she does this for each family. I know it involves a great deal of time and effort on her part, and she sends them via priority mail, which means an additional expense.
The problem is, we don’t eat cookies. Weight is a concern for both of us, and I avoid sugar or sugar products as I don’t believe they are healthy. Before we retired, we took the cookies to work to get rid of them or they were thrown out.
Many years ago, I asked my mother-in-law what to do so as to not cause hard feelings. She advised, “Don’t say anything; she needs something to keep her busy.” I then asked a brother-in-law how he handled the unwanted cookies. He said, “Throw them away or give them away, but DON’T TELL HER.”
My SIL suffers from mild depression, and everyone tiptoes lightly around the issue to avoid upsetting her. I feel bad that she has spent time and money on these unwanted cookies all these years.
No one on that side of the family has ever said anything, and perhaps, many of them enjoy the cookies. Evidently even a carefully worded “thank you, but we can’t consume them” note would cause family problems. I tried not sending an acknowledgment; the cookies kept coming. What’s your suggestion? — SWEET PROBLEM IN CONNECTICUT
DEAR SWEET PROBLEM: I suggest you keep things the way they are. Your sister-in-law needs something to occupy her mind and give her a sense of purpose during a time of year when people can become depressed. Get creative. Those cookies might be appreciated by a church group, a residence for seniors or even holiday gifts for your neighbors if you repackage them.
DEAR ABBY: My 22-year-old daughter asked if her 23-year-old best friend could stay with us for six months. Her friend’s parents had to return to Europe to finish wrapping up some things and then would return for their citizenship appointments, so we agreed to the arrangement. Rent-free, because we are nice.
My daughter got a school offer in Houston and moved there in May. Now it’s just her best friend and us at the house. Well, COVID-19 happened, and the parents are banned from entering the U.S. They have asked us if she can stay until the ban is lifted, which who knows when this will happen. We agreed, but now it’s November.
I miss my personal space, and I need her to move out. I feel she has overstayed. But I don’t know how to approach her or her family and say this arrangement will end soon. How should I handle this? — CROWDED IN THE SOUTH
DEAR CROWDED: You have been more than generous to your daughter’s best friend, and I hope your generosity has been appreciated not only by her but also her parents. She is an adult, and she needs to be told the arrangement she had with you is coming to an end. Set a date for her to leave and notify her parents that they may need to make other living arrangements for her if she can’t do it herself.
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.
For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order “How to Have a Lovely Wedding.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--Is the car owner’s manual history? 2021 Ford F-150 ditches traditional paper copy

Online videos are the new owner ’ s manual for many car owners .
What does the check engine light mean ?
Google it .
How do you change the clock ?
Find a video on YouTube .
Or , as a growing number of automakers would like you to do , look it up using the touchscreen on your vehicle ’ s center console .
That ’ s precisely what Ford is hoping customers will do with the redesigned Ford F-150 , the forthcoming Mustang Mach-E electric crossover and all other coming models equipped with the automaker ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dumping the traditional owner ’ s manual in those vehicles , choosing instead to make the information accessible on the touchscreen .
The only physical material about the vehicle that will be provided for free in the 2021 F-150 and Mach-E will be a booklet on how to perform certain critical activities , such as what to do if the vehicle has run out of power .
It ’ s about a quarter of the size of the previous manual and will include information on how to jump-start the vehicle or how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Full copies of the physical manual will be available for purchase , though Ford said it hadn ’ t yet set a price .
“ This is the start of a wave of everybody moving in this direction , ” said Craig Schmatz , chief program engineer of the F-150 , the perennial best-selling vehicle in the country .
“ We ’ ll look back on the paper copies in a few years and wonder why we hadn ’ t moved to digital copies sooner.
” Khalal Walker is already wondering why .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recently noticed the check engine light on his 2014 Buick LaCrosse was on .
Rather than reaching for the owner ’ s manual , he tapped out a YouTube search on his iPhone .
He used that knowledge to fix and replace a missing part .
“ I was able to diagnose it and not have to send it to the shop , so I can fix it myself , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t think I ’ ve ever opened my glove box for the owner ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first to lead the way .
The electric vehicle maker has gone full digital , eliminating the paper version of its owner ’ s manuals and including the relevant information in the infotainment system of its vehicles .
While Walker is receptive to the idea of getting rid of the traditional owner ’ s manual , others might not be so ready to see it go .
“ I , for one , would be very upset , ” said Dan Albert , author of “ Are We There Yet ?
: The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Driverless.
” “ I ’ m obviously the kind of guy who reads the manual.
” But Albert recognizes that it has become impractical for many drivers .
“ There ’ s so many things where it ’ s just easier to Google it and maybe watch a YouTube video of it than to try to actually go through the manual , ” he said .
“ The reality is , we ’ re not reading the owner ’ s manual.
” If owner ’ s manuals go away , it would qualify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ford introduced manuals with the Model T around 1908 or 1909 , Albert said .
Before that , the owner ’ s manual wasn ’ t common .
The Model T manual instructed users to fill the radiator with water as soon as they took possession of the vehicle .
It also encouraged drivers not to stretch their vehicles to the limit .
It was “ teaching you how to be a driver , ” Albert said .
The benefits of going digital Going digital is enticing for reasons beyond just a lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long novel .
For a vehicle as popular as the F-150 , there ’ s substantial paper savings .
The reduced-size F-150 manual is 150 pages , down from 704 , saving an expected 290 tons of paper annually , Schmatz said .
“ It gives you more space in the glove box for other items , and it ’ s great for the environment , ” Schmatz said .
Stephanie Brinley , principal automotive analyst at research firm IHS Markit , said it ’ s a natural move to move toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interior .
“ You ’ ve got so much computing power in your infotainment system , ” she said .
You can put little videos in there ; you can explain to people how things work , and it ’ s an even richer explanation than you ’ re going to get on paper anyway.
” Walker , the Buick LaCrosse owner , said he thinks vehicle owners will be drawn to video explainers – especially if they ’ re trying to fix something .
“ It ’ s easier for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them versus holding a book , ” he said .
Other automakers have also put certain information about their vehicles into their infotainment systems or apps , including Fiat Chrysler , Hyundai , BMW and Kia .
The key is to make the system easy to navigate .
Otherwise , it ’ ll be just as hard to use , or perhaps even harder , than the bulky physical manual .
“ You ’ ve got to make sure it works , ” said Karl Brauer , executive analyst at car-shopping site iSeeCars.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech-savvy The challenge is that the average new-car buyer is in their 50s and might not be tech-savvy , said Rebecca Lindland , a longtime automotive analyst who reviews cars at RebeccaDrives.com .
“ If you are reaching for your owner ’ s manual , things probably are not going well , ” she said .
“ We ’ ve got to demonstrate to the consumer that this is a better solution and a more convenient solution for them than having a 2-inch thick book in there .
And I think it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very searchable and voice-activated.
” Brinley also cautioned that automakers shouldn ’ t go too far .
“ What if you don ’ t have power to your car , what if you don ’ t have power to your phone ?
” she said .
“ Those things do still happen.
” But Jake Fisher , senior director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports , said he likes the move by Ford .
Traditional owner ’ s manuals have become too stuffy , he said .
“ It almost seems like it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sometimes , it ’ s impossible to even understand what they ’ re trying to say , ” he said .
“ They become books that just no one opens.
” The bottom line : Sometimes too much information is no information .

Online videos are the new owner’s manual for many car owners. What does the check engine light mean? Google it. How do you change the clock? Find a video on YouTube.
Or, as a growing number of automakers would like you to do, look it up using the touchscreen on your vehicle’s center console.
That’s precisely what Ford is hoping customers will do with the redesigned Ford F-150, the forthcoming Mustang Mach-E electric crossover and all other coming models equipped with the automaker’s Sync 4 infotainment system.
Ford is dumping the traditional owner’s manual in those vehicles, choosing instead to make the information accessible on the touchscreen.
The only physical material about the vehicle that will be provided for free in the 2021 F-150 and Mach-E will be a booklet on how to perform certain critical activities, such as what to do if the vehicle has run out of power.
It’s about a quarter of the size of the previous manual and will include information on how to jump-start the vehicle or how to change the tires, for example. Full copies of the physical manual will be available for purchase, though Ford said it hadn’t yet set a price.
F-150 shuffles away from papers
“This is the start of a wave of everybody moving in this direction,” said Craig Schmatz, chief program engineer of the F-150, the perennial best-selling vehicle in the country.
“We’ll look back on the paper copies in a few years and wonder why we hadn’t moved to digital copies sooner.”
Khalal Walker is already wondering why. The software engineer from Sacramento, California, recently noticed the check engine light on his 2014 Buick LaCrosse was on.
Rather than reaching for the owner’s manual, he tapped out a YouTube search on his iPhone. He used that knowledge to fix and replace a missing part.
“I was able to diagnose it and not have to send it to the shop, so I can fix it myself,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever opened my glove box for the owner’s manual.”
Tesla was among the first to lead the way. The electric vehicle maker has gone full digital, eliminating the paper version of its owner’s manuals and including the relevant information in the infotainment system of its vehicles.
While Walker is receptive to the idea of getting rid of the traditional owner’s manual, others might not be so ready to see it go.
“I, for one, would be very upset,” said Dan Albert, author of “Are We There Yet?: The American Automobile Past, Present, and Driverless.” “I’m obviously the kind of guy who reads the manual.”
But Albert recognizes that it has become impractical for many drivers.
“There’s so many things where it’s just easier to Google it and maybe watch a YouTube video of it than to try to actually go through the manual,” he said. “The reality is, we’re not reading the owner’s manual.”
If owner’s manuals go away, it would qualify as a full-circle moment of sorts.
Ford introduced manuals with the Model T around 1908 or 1909, Albert said. Before that, the owner’s manual wasn’t common. The Model T manual instructed users to fill the radiator with water as soon as they took possession of the vehicle. It also encouraged drivers not to stretch their vehicles to the limit.
It was “teaching you how to be a driver,” Albert said.
The benefits of going digital
Going digital is enticing for reasons beyond just a lack of desire to read the equivalent of a long novel.
For a vehicle as popular as the F-150, there’s substantial paper savings. The reduced-size F-150 manual is 150 pages, down from 704, saving an expected 290 tons of paper annually, Schmatz said.
That’s equal to about 122 F-150 pickups.
“It gives you more space in the glove box for other items, and it’s great for the environment,” Schmatz said.
Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst at research firm IHS Markit, said it’s a natural move to move toward digital manuals given the technological advancements on the interior.
“You’ve got so much computing power in your infotainment system,” she said. You can put little videos in there; you can explain to people how things work, and it’s an even richer explanation than you’re going to get on paper anyway.”
Walker, the Buick LaCrosse owner, said he thinks vehicle owners will be drawn to video explainers – especially if they’re trying to fix something.
“It’s easier for them to have a video in front of them versus holding a book,” he said.
Other automakers have also put certain information about their vehicles into their infotainment systems or apps, including Fiat Chrysler, Hyundai, BMW and Kia.
The key is to make the system easy to navigate. Otherwise, it’ll be just as hard to use, or perhaps even harder, than the bulky physical manual.
“You’ve got to make sure it works,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at car-shopping site iSeeCars.com.
What if you’re not tech-savvy
The challenge is that the average new-car buyer is in their 50s and might not be tech-savvy, said Rebecca Lindland, a longtime automotive analyst who reviews cars at RebeccaDrives.com.
“If you are reaching for your owner’s manual, things probably are not going well,” she said.
“We’ve got to demonstrate to the consumer that this is a better solution and a more convenient solution for them than having a 2-inch thick book in there. And I think it is. But it obviously has to be very searchable and voice-activated.”
Brinley also cautioned that automakers shouldn’t go too far.
“What if you don’t have power to your car, what if you don’t have power to your phone?” she said. “Those things do still happen.”
But Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, said he likes the move by Ford. Traditional owner’s manuals have become too stuffy, he said.
“It almost seems like it’s written from lawyers to lawyers. Sometimes, it’s impossible to even understand what they’re trying to say,” he said. “They become books that just no one opens.”
The bottom line: Sometimes too much information is no information.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--‘Insert Coin’ documentary highlights Midway Games’ arcade empire

After creating memorable video games that delighted generations of teen gamers and frustrated their parents , a defunct Chicago company is the subject of a new documentary that aims to showcase their importance to the current iteration of interactive entertainment .
“ Insert Coin , ” detailing the history of the Northwest Side-based Midway Games , is known for creating cult classic video games “ NBA Jam , ” “ Mortal Kombat , ” “ Rampage ” and “ NFL Blitz , ” among many others .
The film , now available for streaming via Facets , is directed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who says while he relished tracking down his former colleagues to get them on the same page , timing also is everything in regards to the film .
“ I felt like somebody is going to tell the story about how these great games were created and how this band of crazy people and how they made them , ” said Tsui .
“ I thought if that someone is going to do it , why not myself ?
“ I think a project like this , if it was done 10-15 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people would have been as open or as candid as they are now .
It ’ s 20-plus years later .
And everyone has moved on to bigger and better things .
I think everyone was just really happy to relive those moments both good and bad .
I think they were excited that somebody like me was doing it as opposed to somebody outside of the organization.
” Tsui , who worked at Midway from 1993 to 1999 , says the group enjoyed not only creating characters for the games but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by inserting themselves as characters unlocked by codes .
“ At the time we would do that stuff for fun , ” said Tsui , who ’ s in “ NBA Jam ” and was the impetus for “ Mortal Kombat ” character Liu Kang .
“ It ’ s really strange because 20-plus years later , it ’ s taken on a life of its own .
It ’ s super surprising when people that you know — friends of mine — find out later on that they can play as me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; it blows their mind .
For me , it was kind of fun , but I didn ’ t think it was that big a deal.
” The documentary ’ s main storylines feature how Chicago is an “ epicenter ” of video games , the ebb and flow of the games ’ popularity with teens who became adults with disposable income , the alleged negative influence games have on kids , and how game consoles essentially put Midway out of business .
“ I think there ’ s a certain collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age were getting nostalgic about something that they loved as a kid , but now that they ’ re adults , they have money to spend , ” said Tsui .
“ I think it ’ s surprising they come back because there was a big lull where our games were nonexistent .
“ Everyone thinks video games were created out in California , but Williams [ Manufacturing Co. ] , Midway and other companies like Stern Electronics were a dominant force in the video game industry — and they ’ re all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arcade days , because it was all about manufacturing.
” Over time , Midway Games , which shut down its operations in February 2003 , achieved cult status .
“ NBA Jam , ” which was released in 1993 , made $ 1 billion within its first year , outselling blockbuster films such as “ Jurassic Park.
” “ Mortal Kombat ” has a movie series , and in the lyrics of the 2004 platinum-selling track “ Knuck if you Buck , ” a member of Atlanta rap collective Crime Mob shouts out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jumpin ’ off from on the stage/ Throwin ’ dem bows like Johnny Cage.
” Those factoids illustrate the reach Midway Games continues to have on gamers young and old .
“ I ’ m hoping the younger crowd will get out of [ the film ] what it ’ s like to make something creative and to put your personality into your work , ” said Tsui .
“ I think about when I was younger , I would watch the making of old movies and being fascinated by the storytelling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch “ Insert Coin , ” go to www.facets.org/cinematheque/

After creating memorable video games that delighted generations of teen gamers and frustrated their parents, a defunct Chicago company is the subject of a new documentary that aims to showcase their importance to the current iteration of interactive entertainment.
“Insert Coin,” detailing the history of the Northwest Side-based Midway Games, is known for creating cult classic video games “NBA Jam,” “Mortal Kombat,” “Rampage” and “NFL Blitz,” among many others.
The film, now available for streaming via Facets, is directed by former Midway Games developer Joshua Tsui, who says while he relished tracking down his former colleagues to get them on the same page, timing also is everything in regards to the film.
“I felt like somebody is going to tell the story about how these great games were created and how this band of crazy people and how they made them,” said Tsui. “I thought if that someone is going to do it, why not myself?
“I think a project like this, if it was done 10-15 years ago, I don’t think people would have been as open or as candid as they are now. It’s 20-plus years later. And everyone has moved on to bigger and better things. I think everyone was just really happy to relive those moments both good and bad. I think they were excited that somebody like me was doing it as opposed to somebody outside of the organization.”
Tsui, who worked at Midway from 1993 to 1999, says the group enjoyed not only creating characters for the games but also implementing their personal stamp on the games by inserting themselves as characters unlocked by codes.
“At the time we would do that stuff for fun,” said Tsui, who’s in “NBA Jam” and was the impetus for “Mortal Kombat” character Liu Kang. “It’s really strange because 20-plus years later, it’s taken on a life of its own. It’s super surprising when people that you know — friends of mine — find out later on that they can play as me in an ‘NBA Jam’ game; it blows their mind. For me, it was kind of fun, but I didn’t think it was that big a deal.”
The documentary’s main storylines feature how Chicago is an “epicenter” of video games, the ebb and flow of the games’ popularity with teens who became adults with disposable income, the alleged negative influence games have on kids, and how game consoles essentially put Midway out of business.
“I think there’s a certain collective consciousness happening where people of a certain age were getting nostalgic about something that they loved as a kid, but now that they’re adults, they have money to spend,” said Tsui. “I think it’s surprising they come back because there was a big lull where our games were nonexistent.
“Everyone thinks video games were created out in California, but Williams [Manufacturing Co.], Midway and other companies like Stern Electronics were a dominant force in the video game industry — and they’re all based in Chicago — especially during the arcade days, because it was all about manufacturing.”
“Insert Coin” director Joshua Tsui appeared in the video game “Mortal Kombat” as Liu Kang. Cargo Film & Releasing
Over time, Midway Games, which shut down its operations in February 2003, achieved cult status.
“NBA Jam,” which was released in 1993, made $1 billion within its first year, outselling blockbuster films such as “Jurassic Park.” “Mortal Kombat” has a movie series, and in the lyrics of the 2004 platinum-selling track “Knuck if you Buck,” a member of Atlanta rap collective Crime Mob shouts out a “Kombat” character: “Jumpin’ off from on the stage/ Throwin’ dem bows like Johnny Cage.”
Those factoids illustrate the reach Midway Games continues to have on gamers young and old.
“I’m hoping the younger crowd will get out of [the film] what it’s like to make something creative and to put your personality into your work,” said Tsui. “I think about when I was younger, I would watch the making of old movies and being fascinated by the storytelling and how people pulled them off.”
To watch “Insert Coin,” go to www.facets.org/cinematheque/


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--‘Sore Throat,’ the Church of Scientology and the 1970 plot against the American Medical Association

In the 1970s , major institutions from the White House down were being challenged .
The environmentalist known as “ The Fox ” exposed Chicago ’ s corporate polluters .
“ Deep Throat ” helped the Washington Post expose the Watergate scandal and bring down President Richard M. Nixon .
In 1975 , a Chicago whistleblower known as “ Sore Throat ” — a takeoff on Bob Woodward ’ s Deep Throat — gave reporters incriminating documents taken from the Chicago-based American Medical Association .
He claimed to be a medical doctor fired from the AMA ’ s staff in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ May Day Massacre , ” brought on by the group ’ s precarious finances .
He turned out to be a spy for L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology , which had the AMA on its enemies list .
‘ “ Dr .
Throat , ” as he called himself , gave reporters key documents , stolen by spies who had infiltrated the AMA ’ s executive offices , that revealed the organization was evading millions in taxes and running a secret campaign to try to put chiropractors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former Chicago Sun-Times medical writer Howard Wolinsky tells that story in the new book “ Contain and Eliminate : The American Medical Association ’ s Conspiracy to Destroy Chiropractic ” ( Louis Sportelli ) .
The following excerpt is taken from the book , which will be available via the website Containandeliminate.com .
A cloud hung over the offices of the American Medical Association in the summer of 1975 .
Or , more accurately , clouds .
The nation ’ s largest physician group faced bankruptcy .
Staff morale was at a low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massacre , and membership numbers were plummeting .
The AMA was not as invincible as many believed .
Then , there was “ Sore Throat , ” the supposed former AMA physician who claimed he had been laid off and now was leaking AMA secrets to the media and government agencies .
The leaks had triggered four Congressional investigations and had exposed the AMA to more than $ 20 million in back taxes , just as AMA coffers were nearly empty , and its tax-free status was in jeopardy .
Dr. James Sammons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was trying to save the sinking ship amidst rumors that he was following orders from the prison cell of an AMA board chairman who had been convicted of bank fraud .
Things were in shambles .
Soon , Sore Throat would disclose AMA documents exposing its plan to “ contain and eliminate ” the chiropractic profession .
And Dr. Chester Wilk , the chiropractor pushed and guided by Sore Throat , would be taking on the AMA in an antitrust suit .
Who was this Sore Throat ?
The question ate away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Was he indeed a former AMA doctor gone rogue ?
A few doctors laid off in the May Day Massacre fit the description of Sore Throat .
Or did he come from somewhere other than the ranks of the AMA ?
Identifying Sore Throat became a guessing game among AMA executives , but it was a serious matter .
Sammons and his executive staff needed to stop the leaks .
Sammons and his lieutenants observed that the leaked documents were , in many cases , old , dating back to the 1960s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ancient history , Sore Throat began leaking recent documents and telling reporters things only a current insider could know .
He told reporters that the AMA had hired a private investigator to plug the leaky AMA and also that select staffers were undergoing polygraph tests .
Sammons now thought Sore Throat came from the AMA — or had access to a current staffer .
New York Daily News reporter Judith Randal wrote that the AMA tried to have the Chicago office of the FBI investigate the leaks .
“ This effort was unsuccessful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no violation of federal law was at stake , ” she reported on Aug. 5 , 1975 .
Meanwhile , Jack Bierig , a 28-year-old attorney at Sidley Austin , the AMA ’ s external legal counsel , recognized that some leaked documents revealed in the press were Sidley ’ s confidential work relating to the AMA that somehow had been stolen from Sidley ’ s Chicago headquarters .
The AMA-Sidley relationship began in 1974 .
AMA general counsel Bernard Hirsch approached Newton Minow , a partner at the prominent Chicago-based firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government in a suit involving Medicare regulations .
It was the first time the AMA sued the federal government .
Bierig said there was no formal discipline of health law in those days .
But Sidley wanted to demonstrate its health expertise .
Bierig was tapped to represent the AMA because he had handled food and drug cases for Sidley and also had written a pioneering paper about for-profit , health-care delivery as he finished his J.D .
at Harvard Law School .
The Chicago native won the case for the AMA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short , combative jurist famed for tangling with lawyers and defendants in the Chicago 7 trial in 1969-70 , in which the defendants , including Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin , were charged with conspiring to cross state lines to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago .
Bierig didn ’ t know if burglars had broken into the AMA and Sidley offices or if moles had been planted in the offices to copy and steal AMA documents .
He recommended that the AMA and Sidley hire a private eye .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Minow , the former head of the Federal Communications Commission under President John F. Kennedy who famously described commercial television as a “ vast wasteland.
” ( The lost charter boat SS Minnow on the 1960s sitcom “ Gilligan ’ s Island ” was a mocking tribute to Minow . )
In a 2018 interview in a conference room in Sidley ’ s downtown Chicago office with Lake Michigan in the distance , Bierig said he approached Minow .
He recalled : “ I ’ ll never forget this .
Minow says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ “ And I said , ‘ Newt , what am I supposed to do , look in the Yellow Pages under detectives ?
I have no idea who would be appropriate.
’ “ He said , ‘ It was your idea .
Carry it out.
’ ” Perry Mason , the pop fiction attorney of Erle Stanley Gardner ’ s books , radio , TV and movies , always had his PI .
“ Perry Mason had Paul Drake , ” Bierig said , adding he had never encountered a PI at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1866 with Mary Todd Lincoln , President Abraham Lincoln ’ s widow , among its first clients , is a white-shoe law firm with a blue-chip clientele .
It didn ’ t handle the likes of Perry Mason ’ s clientele , who typically were being defended for murder with PI Drake coming through for Mason at the last minute .
Was Sore Throat a one-person operation as he told the press ?
Or was he a part of something bigger ?
Bierig wanted to know and wanted to stop the leaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to turn .
He finally sought advice from Marlin Johnson , head of security of one of his clients , Canteen Corporation .
Johnson had firsthand experience with counterintelligence , planting spies and even taking on the Mafia .
Johnson had been head of the FBI ’ s Chicago field office .
Johnson had deep expertise in this shadowy world and seemed like a good resource in the search for Sore Throat .
In the tumultuous late 1960s , J. Edgar Hoover , the longtime director of the FBI , had asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw as threats to the country .
One was the Black Panther Party , a black revolutionary group .
The FBI operation resulted in a 1969 raid by Chicago police and the FBI on the Panthers ’ shabby headquarters on Chicago ’ s West Side .
Ninety rounds were emptied into the building .
Two Panthers died in a blaze of gunfire .
The FBI had an informant inside the Panthers .
Hoover also asked Johnson to enlist the help of the Mafia to “ neutralize ” Dick Gregory , the Chicago comedian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1968 .
Hoover didn ’ t understand Gregory ’ s jokes , especially about the FBI chief , and saw him as a genuine threat .
The affable and discreet Johnson told Hoover that he would do what he could , but wisely Johnson did nothing .
Bierig described Johnson as a “ very nice man .
I called Marlin up , and I said , ‘ Marlin , you ’ ve got to help me .
I need to hire a detective .
I have no idea what to do .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ referred Bierig to two detective agencies , one of which was the Pinkerton detective agency , which provided security to Lincoln during the Civil War , and also made its name by infiltrating unions on behalf of America ’ s biggest corporations .
But both Pinkerton and the other agency took a pass on the AMA-Sidley job , saying it wasn ’ t the sort of thing they did anymore , said Bierig .
One of the companies referred him to Thomas Spinelle , 36 , a hungry private eye .
Bierig called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Spinelle said , ‘ I ’ d be happy to handle this .
This would be great , ’ ” Bierig recalled .
Before pulling the trigger on the job , Bierig called “ a big meeting ” at the AMA ’ s Chicago headquarters that included Minow , AMA executive vice president James Sammons , general counsel Hirsch and some Sidley honchos .
The group decided to hire Spinelle to plug the leaks at the AMA and Sidley .
Spinelle ordered lie-detector tests starting at the AMA ’ s Washington office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unearth Sore Throat and boost security .
The AMA did not make the investigation public .
But Sore Throat knew about it and tipped William Hines , science and health reporter in the Washington bureau of the Chicago Sun-Times .
Hines had a field day with Spinelle , who he revealed had flunked his Illinois licensing exam as a private investigator twice in 1975 , in February and May , the latest just months before he had been hired for the AMA job .
The Secret Service confirmed Spinelle had worked for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 197 , but wouldn ’ t say why Spinelle had left , Hines reported .
Spinelle came off like a bumbling gumshoe .
AMA spokesman David Baldwin confirmed that Spinelle had interviewed AMA employees and used lie-detector tests .
The PR guy said that he himself had taken and passed a polygraph .
Randal reported that at least 20 top AMA executives and staff had undergone lie-detector tests .
Sore Throat taunted the AMA when he told Hines in a phone interview : “ They ’ re looking in the wrong place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington ] .
My principal contact is in Chicago and passed the test with flying colors.
” Sore Throat , in part , was telling the truth — the part about his Washington contacts inside the AMA having passed their polygraph exams .
But he was trying to misdirect the investigation with claims about Spinelle looking in the wrong place .
Two years later , Los Angeles Times reporters Robert Rawitch and Robert Gillette , who had been following Scientology closely , reported on Aug. 27 , 1977 , that Spinelle found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were Church of Scientology moles , one in Chicago and two in Washington .
Despite how he was portrayed , Spinelle was the real deal .
He was the one who picked up the first solid clues that the Church of Scientology appeared to be behind Sore Throat and the leaks , driven by founder L. Ron Hubbard ’ s conviction that the AMA had an ongoing plan to destroy his contentious church .
Hubbard and his goons didn ’ t expect to find that the AMA was gunning for chiropractic rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledged administering lie-detector tests to four employees thought to have had access to the documents Sore Throat had made public .
Among those tested was a secretary named Sherry Canavarro , who had joined the AMA four months earlier to work in the executive offices , the Los Angeles Times reported .
Confidential minutes from meetings of the AMA board of trustees were found in Canavarro ’ s desk in the AMA ’ s executive offices in Chicago , and it was determined that she had spent four or five weekends at work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources said .
The AMA refused to discuss the polygraph results beyond a statement in which the association confirmed everyone passed .
However , Canavarro ’ s duties were later reduced , and subsequently she resigned .
Canavarro was a Scientology plant .
Her experience with Scientology ’ s E-meter , an electronic device similar to a polygraph , used in Scientology ’ s auditing procedure , might have helped her pass the polygraph test by Spinelle .
In a July 1977 affidavit , the FBI said Canavarro also used the names “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and described her as the Pacific secretary of the church ’ s Guardians office in the United States .
The Guardians were the espionage and dirty tricks arm of the Church of Scientology .
Canavarro later owned a PI agency , a common profession for those who had worked in the Guardians office .
On her job application to the AMA , sources said , she listed her husband Mitchell Hermann , who was a Scientology operative , and a local Chicago reference , the mother of the man who would later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sore Throat and the rest of his crew were tied to the Guardians office .
None of this was known in 1975 when Spinelle conducted his investigation .
Hermann , who the FBI had said worked for Sore Throat and ran the spies in Scientology ’ s covert operation in Washington , D.C. , from Jan. 1 , 1974 , through March 1 , 1975 , was among the 11 persons indicted by a federal grand jury Aug. 15 , 1975 , on charges of burglarizing government offices .
Church spokesmen told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ on leave ” from their staff and that she was “ not interested ” in discussing these allegations with reporters .
Canavarro was not charged in the matter .
A federal grand jury indictment charged that Hermann , also known as “ Mike Cooper , ” and two other “ Scientology agents ” bugged a high-level meeting of the IRS in Washington Nov. 1 , 1974 , in which the church ’ s tax-exempt status was being reviewed by the IRS general counsel .
The church responded to Spinelle ’ s findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Throat ’ is should get a medal , ” Jeffrey Dubron , a church spokesman , said .
He added , “ I don ’ t know who that person was .
.
.
.
If this person went in and lied to get a job in the AMA and exposed crimes and created change , should that person be prosecuted for his or her actions ?
” Scientologist or not , Sore Throat ’ s AMA disclosures prompted investigations by Congressional committees , the post office , the Federal Election Commission and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the AMA .
The AMA eventually paid some back taxes , but the negative headlines tarnished the AMA ’ s image .
Before her employment at the AMA , Canavarro worked from 1972 through 1974 for the Washington-based Council of Better Business Bureaus ’ philanthropic advisory section , dealing with tax-exempt organizations .
Local bureaus had , in the past , questioned Scientology ’ s recruitment approaches and its frequent lawsuits against critics and people seeking refunds .
Sources in the council said that in 1974 Canavarro persuaded officials to open their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitchell .
The sources said she identified him as a freelance writer preparing a story critical of the church .
Canavarro resigned from the council on Dec. 31 , 1974 , and moved on to the AMA .
Canavarro did not respond to several calls and emails requesting interviews .
Spinelle may have flunked his PI test , but the former Secret Service agent quickly sleuthed what turned out to be a campaign against the AMA perpetuated by a spy ring whose members managed to be hired for clerical jobs at the AMA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a top AMA executive .
A former AMA staffer said the spy worked for Waylon Strobhar , a senior AMA executive .
Bierig said the PI checked phone calls made to and from the AMA and Sidley and found that they led to a phone for the Church of Scientology .
Scientology plants had been going through and copying confidential AMA files for about 18 months before Sore Throat began making the findings public in June 1975 .
In response to its discovery , the AMA launched its own media campaign against Scientology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Washington Post reported that AMA officials “ privately ” accused the Church of Scientology of planting its spies in AMA offices .
Both Sore Throat and the Church of Scientology denied that Sore Throat represented Scientology .
“ While the AMA officials have refused to make these charges publicly , their views became so widely known that the Scientologists have issued an official denial through their Ministry of Public Relations , ” Auerbach reported .
“ The anonymous man who has been passing on the AMA documents nicknamed ‘ Sore Throat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deny that he is a plant of the Scientologists and to insist that he will continue to make AMA documents public.
” Chris Volz of Scientology ’ s Ministry of Public Relations wrote in a letter to the Washington Post : “ The covert allegations by AMA officials Joe Brue and Frank Campion [ the AMA ’ s chief public relations men ] are illustrative of an incredibly corrupt organization grasping in the dark to cover their crimes .
“ The Church of Scientology does not foster or house this ‘ Sore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a lie , one of many .
Ironically , it took these lies for the truth to become known about the AMA ’ s campaign to contain and eliminate chiropractic .

In the 1970s, major institutions from the White House down were being challenged. The environmentalist known as “The Fox” exposed Chicago’s corporate polluters. “Deep Throat” helped the Washington Post expose the Watergate scandal and bring down President Richard M. Nixon.
In 1975, a Chicago whistleblower known as “Sore Throat” — a takeoff on Bob Woodward’s Deep Throat — gave reporters incriminating documents taken from the Chicago-based American Medical Association. He claimed to be a medical doctor fired from the AMA’s staff in a massive layoff known to insiders as the “May Day Massacre,” brought on by the group’s precarious finances. He turned out to be a spy for L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology, which had the AMA on its enemies list.
‘“Dr. Throat,” as he called himself, gave reporters key documents, stolen by spies who had infiltrated the AMA’s executive offices, that revealed the organization was evading millions in taxes and running a secret campaign to try to put chiropractors and other alternative healers out of business.
Former Chicago Sun-Times medical writer Howard Wolinsky tells that story in the new book “Contain and Eliminate: The American Medical Association’s Conspiracy to Destroy Chiropractic” (Louis Sportelli). The following excerpt is taken from the book, which will be available via the website Containandeliminate.com.
A cloud hung over the offices of the American Medical Association in the summer of 1975. Or, more accurately, clouds.
“Contain and Eliminate” by Howard Wolinsky. Louis Sportelli
The nation’s largest physician group faced bankruptcy. Staff morale was at a low following the layoffs on the May Day Massacre, and membership numbers were plummeting. The AMA was not as invincible as many believed.
Then, there was “Sore Throat,” the supposed former AMA physician who claimed he had been laid off and now was leaking AMA secrets to the media and government agencies. The leaks had triggered four Congressional investigations and had exposed the AMA to more than $20 million in back taxes, just as AMA coffers were nearly empty, and its tax-free status was in jeopardy.
Dr. James Sammons, the AMA’s scrappy CEO, was trying to save the sinking ship amidst rumors that he was following orders from the prison cell of an AMA board chairman who had been convicted of bank fraud. Things were in shambles.
Soon, Sore Throat would disclose AMA documents exposing its plan to “contain and eliminate” the chiropractic profession. And Dr. Chester Wilk, the chiropractor pushed and guided by Sore Throat, would be taking on the AMA in an antitrust suit.
Who was this Sore Throat? The question ate away at the leadership of the AMA. Was he indeed a former AMA doctor gone rogue? A few doctors laid off in the May Day Massacre fit the description of Sore Throat. Or did he come from somewhere other than the ranks of the AMA?
Dr. Chester Wilk, seen here in 1992, was one of four chiropractors whose lawsuit led to a ruling that the American Medical Association tried to destroy a competitor. Sun-Times file
Identifying Sore Throat became a guessing game among AMA executives, but it was a serious matter. Sammons and his executive staff needed to stop the leaks.
Sammons and his lieutenants observed that the leaked documents were, in many cases, old, dating back to the 1960s. But after the AMA dismissed them as ancient history, Sore Throat began leaking recent documents and telling reporters things only a current insider could know. He told reporters that the AMA had hired a private investigator to plug the leaky AMA and also that select staffers were undergoing polygraph tests. Sammons now thought Sore Throat came from the AMA — or had access to a current staffer.
New York Daily News reporter Judith Randal wrote that the AMA tried to have the Chicago office of the FBI investigate the leaks. “This effort was unsuccessful, however, because the FBI said that no violation of federal law was at stake,” she reported on Aug. 5, 1975.
Meanwhile, Jack Bierig, a 28-year-old attorney at Sidley Austin, the AMA’s external legal counsel, recognized that some leaked documents revealed in the press were Sidley’s confidential work relating to the AMA that somehow had been stolen from Sidley’s Chicago headquarters.
The AMA-Sidley relationship began in 1974. AMA general counsel Bernard Hirsch approached Newton Minow, a partner at the prominent Chicago-based firm, to represent the AMA against the federal government in a suit involving Medicare regulations. It was the first time the AMA sued the federal government.
Bierig said there was no formal discipline of health law in those days. But Sidley wanted to demonstrate its health expertise. Bierig was tapped to represent the AMA because he had handled food and drug cases for Sidley and also had written a pioneering paper about for-profit, health-care delivery as he finished his J.D. at Harvard Law School.
U.S. District Judge Julius Hoffman, seen in a 1969 photo, was well known as the judge in the Chicago 7 case and also heard the case against the American Medical Association.
The Chicago native won the case for the AMA before Judge Julius J. Hoffman, the short, combative jurist famed for tangling with lawyers and defendants in the Chicago 7 trial in 1969-70, in which the defendants, including Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, were charged with conspiring to cross state lines to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago.
Bierig didn’t know if burglars had broken into the AMA and Sidley offices or if moles had been planted in the offices to copy and steal AMA documents. He recommended that the AMA and Sidley hire a private eye.
He asked for help from his boss, Minow, the former head of the Federal Communications Commission under President John F. Kennedy who famously described commercial television as a “vast wasteland.” (The lost charter boat SS Minnow on the 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island” was a mocking tribute to Minow.)
In a 2018 interview in a conference room in Sidley’s downtown Chicago office with Lake Michigan in the distance, Bierig said he approached Minow.
He recalled: “I’ll never forget this. Minow says, ‘OK, hire a detective.’
“And I said, ‘Newt, what am I supposed to do, look in the Yellow Pages under detectives? I have no idea who would be appropriate.’
“He said, ‘It was your idea. Carry it out.’ ”
Attorney Newton MInow. Sun-Times file
Perry Mason, the pop fiction attorney of Erle Stanley Gardner’s books, radio, TV and movies, always had his PI. “Perry Mason had Paul Drake,” Bierig said, adding he had never encountered a PI at Sidley.
Sidley, founded in Chicago in 1866 with Mary Todd Lincoln, President Abraham Lincoln’s widow, among its first clients, is a white-shoe law firm with a blue-chip clientele. It didn’t handle the likes of Perry Mason’s clientele, who typically were being defended for murder with PI Drake coming through for Mason at the last minute.
Was Sore Throat a one-person operation as he told the press? Or was he a part of something bigger? Bierig wanted to know and wanted to stop the leaks, but didn’t know which way to turn.
He finally sought advice from Marlin Johnson, head of security of one of his clients, Canteen Corporation. Johnson had firsthand experience with counterintelligence, planting spies and even taking on the Mafia. Johnson had been head of the FBI’s Chicago field office. Johnson had deep expertise in this shadowy world and seemed like a good resource in the search for Sore Throat.
In the tumultuous late 1960s, J. Edgar Hoover, the longtime director of the FBI, had asked Johnson to “neutralize” what he saw as threats to the country. One was the Black Panther Party, a black revolutionary group. The FBI operation resulted in a 1969 raid by Chicago police and the FBI on the Panthers’ shabby headquarters on Chicago’s West Side. Ninety rounds were emptied into the building. Two Panthers died in a blaze of gunfire. The FBI had an informant inside the Panthers.
Hoover also asked Johnson to enlist the help of the Mafia to “neutralize” Dick Gregory, the Chicago comedian and presidential candidate for the Peace Party in 1968. Hoover didn’t understand Gregory’s jokes, especially about the FBI chief, and saw him as a genuine threat. The affable and discreet Johnson told Hoover that he would do what he could, but wisely Johnson did nothing.
Jack Bierig didn’t have experience with private investigators, so he turned to an expert. Howard Wolinsky
Bierig described Johnson as a “very nice man. I called Marlin up, and I said, ‘Marlin, you’ve got to help me. I need to hire a detective. I have no idea what to do. Got any ideas?’ ”
Johnson referred Bierig to two detective agencies, one of which was the Pinkerton detective agency, which provided security to Lincoln during the Civil War, and also made its name by infiltrating unions on behalf of America’s biggest corporations. But both Pinkerton and the other agency took a pass on the AMA-Sidley job, saying it wasn’t the sort of thing they did anymore, said Bierig.
One of the companies referred him to Thomas Spinelle, 36, a hungry private eye. Bierig called Spinelle and described the issue. “And Spinelle said, ‘I’d be happy to handle this. This would be great,’ ” Bierig recalled.
Before pulling the trigger on the job, Bierig called “a big meeting” at the AMA’s Chicago headquarters that included Minow, AMA executive vice president James Sammons, general counsel Hirsch and some Sidley honchos. The group decided to hire Spinelle to plug the leaks at the AMA and Sidley.
Spinelle ordered lie-detector tests starting at the AMA’s Washington office and used other counterintelligence tools to try to unearth Sore Throat and boost security.
The AMA did not make the investigation public. But Sore Throat knew about it and tipped William Hines, science and health reporter in the Washington bureau of the Chicago Sun-Times.
William Hines, who was a reporter in the Sun-Times’ Washington bureau. Sun-Times file
Hines had a field day with Spinelle, who he revealed had flunked his Illinois licensing exam as a private investigator twice in 1975, in February and May, the latest just months before he had been hired for the AMA job. The Secret Service confirmed Spinelle had worked for the agency for three years ending in 1973, but wouldn’t say why Spinelle had left, Hines reported. Spinelle came off like a bumbling gumshoe.
AMA spokesman David Baldwin confirmed that Spinelle had interviewed AMA employees and used lie-detector tests. The PR guy said that he himself had taken and passed a polygraph. Randal reported that at least 20 top AMA executives and staff had undergone lie-detector tests.
Sore Throat taunted the AMA when he told Hines in a phone interview: “They’re looking in the wrong place. I have no direct contacts here [in Washington]. My principal contact is in Chicago and passed the test with flying colors.”
One of Sun-Times reporter William Hines’ stories on “Sore Throat” and he AMA.
Sore Throat, in part, was telling the truth — the part about his Washington contacts inside the AMA having passed their polygraph exams. But he was trying to misdirect the investigation with claims about Spinelle looking in the wrong place.
Two years later, Los Angeles Times reporters Robert Rawitch and Robert Gillette, who had been following Scientology closely, reported on Aug. 27, 1977, that Spinelle found the AMA had hired three secretaries who were Church of Scientology moles, one in Chicago and two in Washington.
Despite how he was portrayed, Spinelle was the real deal. He was the one who picked up the first solid clues that the Church of Scientology appeared to be behind Sore Throat and the leaks, driven by founder L. Ron Hubbard’s conviction that the AMA had an ongoing plan to destroy his contentious church. Hubbard and his goons didn’t expect to find that the AMA was gunning for chiropractic rather than Scientology.
In Chicago, AMA officials acknowledged administering lie-detector tests to four employees thought to have had access to the documents Sore Throat had made public. Among those tested was a secretary named Sherry Canavarro, who had joined the AMA four months earlier to work in the executive offices, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Confidential minutes from meetings of the AMA board of trustees were found in Canavarro’s desk in the AMA’s executive offices in Chicago, and it was determined that she had spent four or five weekends at work with no specifically assigned task, the sources said.
The AMA refused to discuss the polygraph results beyond a statement in which the association confirmed everyone passed. However, Canavarro’s duties were later reduced, and subsequently she resigned. Canavarro was a Scientology plant. Her experience with Scientology’s E-meter, an electronic device similar to a polygraph, used in Scientology’s auditing procedure, might have helped her pass the polygraph test by Spinelle.
In a July 1977 affidavit, the FBI said Canavarro also used the names “Sherry Hermann” and “Sandy Cooper” and described her as the Pacific secretary of the church’s Guardians office in the United States. The Guardians were the espionage and dirty tricks arm of the Church of Scientology.
Canavarro later owned a PI agency, a common profession for those who had worked in the Guardians office.
On her job application to the AMA, sources said, she listed her husband Mitchell Hermann, who was a Scientology operative, and a local Chicago reference, the mother of the man who would later be revealed to be Sore Throat.
Sore Throat and the rest of his crew were tied to the Guardians office. None of this was known in 1975 when Spinelle conducted his investigation.
Hermann, who the FBI had said worked for Sore Throat and ran the spies in Scientology’s covert operation in Washington, D.C., from Jan. 1, 1974, through March 1, 1975, was among the 11 persons indicted by a federal grand jury Aug. 15, 1975, on charges of burglarizing government offices.
Church spokesmen told the Los Angeles Times they thought Canavarro was “on leave” from their staff and that she was “not interested” in discussing these allegations with reporters. Canavarro was not charged in the matter.
A federal grand jury indictment charged that Hermann, also known as “Mike Cooper,” and two other “Scientology agents” bugged a high-level meeting of the IRS in Washington Nov. 1, 1974, in which the church’s tax-exempt status was being reviewed by the IRS general counsel.
The church responded to Spinelle’s findings with tongue-in-cheek. “Whoever ‘Sore Throat’ is should get a medal,” Jeffrey Dubron, a church spokesman, said. He added, “I don’t know who that person was. . . . If this person went in and lied to get a job in the AMA and exposed crimes and created change, should that person be prosecuted for his or her actions?”
Scientologist or not, Sore Throat’s AMA disclosures prompted investigations by Congressional committees, the post office, the Federal Election Commission and the IRS but resulted in no convictions against the AMA. The AMA eventually paid some back taxes, but the negative headlines tarnished the AMA’s image.
Before her employment at the AMA, Canavarro worked from 1972 through 1974 for the Washington-based Council of Better Business Bureaus’ philanthropic advisory section, dealing with tax-exempt organizations. Local bureaus had, in the past, questioned Scientology’s recruitment approaches and its frequent lawsuits against critics and people seeking refunds. Sources in the council said that in 1974 Canavarro persuaded officials to open their files on Scientology to her husband, Mitchell. The sources said she identified him as a freelance writer preparing a story critical of the church.
Canavarro resigned from the council on Dec. 31, 1974, and moved on to the AMA. Canavarro did not respond to several calls and emails requesting interviews.
Spinelle may have flunked his PI test, but the former Secret Service agent quickly sleuthed what turned out to be a campaign against the AMA perpetuated by a spy ring whose members managed to be hired for clerical jobs at the AMA and Sidley, including a secretary to a top AMA executive. A former AMA staffer said the spy worked for Waylon Strobhar, a senior AMA executive.
Bierig said the PI checked phone calls made to and from the AMA and Sidley and found that they led to a phone for the Church of Scientology. Scientology plants had been going through and copying confidential AMA files for about 18 months before Sore Throat began making the findings public in June 1975.
L.Ron Hubbard’s Church of Scientology had the American Medical Association on an enemies list.
In response to its discovery, the AMA launched its own media campaign against Scientology. In August 1975, Stuart Auerbach of the Washington Post reported that AMA officials “privately” accused the Church of Scientology of planting its spies in AMA offices.
Both Sore Throat and the Church of Scientology denied that Sore Throat represented Scientology. “While the AMA officials have refused to make these charges publicly, their views became so widely known that the Scientologists have issued an official denial through their Ministry of Public Relations,” Auerbach reported. “The anonymous man who has been passing on the AMA documents nicknamed ‘Sore Throat’ by reporters called the Washington Post to deny that he is a plant of the Scientologists and to insist that he will continue to make AMA documents public.”
Chris Volz of Scientology’s Ministry of Public Relations wrote in a letter to the Washington Post: “The covert allegations by AMA officials Joe Brue and Frank Campion [the AMA’s chief public relations men] are illustrative of an incredibly corrupt organization grasping in the dark to cover their crimes.
“The Church of Scientology does not foster or house this ‘Sore Throat,’ ” Volz said.
It was a lie, one of many. Ironically, it took these lies for the truth to become known about the AMA’s campaign to contain and eliminate chiropractic.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--5 shot, including 16-year-old boy, Thursday in Chicago

Five people were shot , including a 16-year-old boy , Thursday in Chicago .
The boy was inside an apartment about 11:05 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Aberdeen Avenue with a male who was handling a handgun , Chicago police said .
The male discharged the handgun striking the boy in the left shoulder , according to police .
The boy was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition , police said .
A 28-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in Back of the Yards on the South Side .
The man was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 5400 block of South Loomis Boulevard when he heard shots and felt pain , police said .
He suffered a gunshot wound to the right leg and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition , police said .
About 5:30 p.m. a 19-year-old woman was shot in Gresham on the South Side .
The woman was on the sidewalk in the 7900 block of South Bishop Street when someone opened fire , striking her in the legs , police said .
She was taken to Mount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stabilized , according to police .
Hours earlier a man was wounded in a shooting in Gage Park on the Southwest Side .
About 2:50 p.m. , the 28-year-old was inside of a vehicle in the 3500 block of West 58th Street when someone unleashed gunfire , police said .
He was grazed in the head by a bullet and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition , police said .
Thursday ’ s first reported shooting left a man wounded in Lawndale on the West Side .
About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1400 block of South Avers Avenue when someone approached him and fired shots , police said .
He was bought to Mt .
Sinai Hospital in serious condition with a gunshot wound to his back , police said .
Three people were shot Wednesday in Chicago .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Five people were shot, including a 16-year-old boy, Thursday in Chicago.
The boy was inside an apartment about 11:05 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Aberdeen Avenue with a male who was handling a handgun, Chicago police said.
The male discharged the handgun striking the boy in the left shoulder, according to police.
The boy was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition, police said.
A 28-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in Back of the Yards on the South Side.
The man was walking on the sidewalk about 11:50 p.m. in the 5400 block of South Loomis Boulevard when he heard shots and felt pain, police said.
He suffered a gunshot wound to the right leg and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said.
About 5:30 p.m. a 19-year-old woman was shot in Gresham on the South Side.
The woman was on the sidewalk in the 7900 block of South Bishop Street when someone opened fire, striking her in the legs, police said. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where her condition was stabilized, according to police.
Hours earlier a man was wounded in a shooting in Gage Park on the Southwest Side.
About 2:50 p.m., the 28-year-old was inside of a vehicle in the 3500 block of West 58th Street when someone unleashed gunfire, police said. He was grazed in the head by a bullet and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition, police said.
Thursday’s first reported shooting left a man wounded in Lawndale on the West Side.
About 3:40 a.m., the 32-year-old was walking in the 1400 block of South Avers Avenue when someone approached him and fired shots, police said. He was bought to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition with a gunshot wound to his back, police said.
Three people were shot Wednesday in Chicago.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--Pedestrian killed in Burnside hit-and-run: police

A man was killed Thursday night in a hit-and-run in the Burnside neighborhood .
About 11:05 p.m. , a black @ @ @ @ @ of a red Durango in the 8700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue , causing @ @ @ @ @ its roof and strike the male pedestrian , Chicago police said .
The man was @ @ @ @ @ , according to police .
No other injuries were reported .
The driver of the @ @ @ @ @ police said .

A man was killed Thursday night in a hit-and-run in the Burnside neighborhood.
About 11:05 p.m., a black Honda sedan struck the back of a red Durango in the 8700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, causing the Durango to flip on its roof and strike the male pedestrian, Chicago police said.
The 64-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was identified as Andrew Hunt Jr. and an autopsy ruled his death an accident, saying he died of his injuries.
No other injuries were reported.
The driver of the Honda fled the scene, police said.
The Chicago Police Major Accidents Unit is investigating.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--‘Shop Black’ campaign brings customers to Chatham businesses

Black Friday shopping on the 75th Street Boardwalk in Chatham was going to be an event , with an assortment of activities designed to lure shoppers who would spend their holiday cash in Black-owned businesses .
But after the recent surge in coronavirus cases , the festivities were canceled , though some shops stayed open , and customers continued to trickle in .
Stephanie Hart , owner of Brown Sugar Bakery , 233 E. 75th St. , understood why the Greater Chatham Initiative canceled “ Shop Black , Shop Local , ” fearing it could become a super-spreader event .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , it is more important than ever to support Black-owned businesses .
The city recently launched Black Shop Friday , with the help of community partners , to promote those businesses , listing 500 of them on a new website , blackshopfriday.com .
“ I think supporting Black-owned businesses , especially if you live in a Black community , is so important .
Why ?
Everyone that works here , is from here , ” Hart said Friday afternoon .
“ We are providing jobs in this community.
” More important , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets put right back into the 75th Street Boardwalk ’ s local economy .
She buys her employees meals at Lem ’ s BBQ across the street .
Next door to Lem ’ s is the dry cleaner she uses , and next to her bakery is a shop where she buys clothes .
“ I ’ m so thankful for the dollars that customers give me , and I always tell them ‘ I ’ m taking your money and I am putting it back into the community , ” Hart said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somewhat “ anticlimactic.
” Most of her business came the day before Thanksgiving , with lines stretching down 75th Street .
She expects Small Business Saturday to be even busier , given how many online orders she ’ s been getting .
Hart ’ s pivot to online , and getting her products served in restaurants and cafes , has helped her business grow .
Some days , sales are up nearly 50 % from their usual level .
Others on 75th Street rely not on the internet , but on their roots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Looks and Style , 330 E. 75th St. , which he calls “ Chicago ’ s favorite Caribbean store.
” He isn ’ t online , but he said catering to a niche consumer base has kept him afloat .
“ We are still grateful to be open with all this going on , ” Roland said .
“ COVID kind of slowed us down a little ; however , we are still doing better than a lot of other places.
” Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report for America , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago ’ s South and West sides .

Black Friday shopping on the 75th Street Boardwalk in Chatham was going to be an event, with an assortment of activities designed to lure shoppers who would spend their holiday cash in Black-owned businesses.
But after the recent surge in coronavirus cases, the festivities were canceled, though some shops stayed open, and customers continued to trickle in.
Stephanie Hart, owner of Brown Sugar Bakery, 233 E. 75th St., understood why the Greater Chatham Initiative canceled “Shop Black, Shop Local,” fearing it could become a super-spreader event. Still, she said, during the pandemic, it is more important than ever to support Black-owned businesses.
The city recently launched Black Shop Friday, with the help of community partners, to promote those businesses, listing 500 of them on a new website, blackshopfriday.com.
“I think supporting Black-owned businesses, especially if you live in a Black community, is so important. Why? Everyone that works here, is from here,” Hart said Friday afternoon. “We are providing jobs in this community.”
More important, Hart said, the money she earns gets put right back into the 75th Street Boardwalk’s local economy. She buys her employees meals at Lem’s BBQ across the street. Next door to Lem’s is the dry cleaner she uses, and next to her bakery is a shop where she buys clothes.
“I’m so thankful for the dollars that customers give me, and I always tell them ‘I’m taking your money and I am putting it back into the community,” Hart said.
Signs promoting shopping at Black owned businesses on Black Friday are hung in business windows in 75th St., in the Chatham neighborhood, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Hart expected Black Friday to be somewhat “anticlimactic.” Most of her business came the day before Thanksgiving, with lines stretching down 75th Street. She expects Small Business Saturday to be even busier, given how many online orders she’s been getting.
Hart’s pivot to online, and getting her products served in restaurants and cafes, has helped her business grow. Some days, sales are up nearly 50% from their usual level.
Others on 75th Street rely not on the internet, but on their roots within the community.
William Roland owns Looks and Style, 330 E. 75th St., which he calls “Chicago’s favorite Caribbean store.” He isn’t online, but he said catering to a niche consumer base has kept him afloat.
“We are still grateful to be open with all this going on,” Roland said. “COVID kind of slowed us down a little; however, we are still doing better than a lot of other places.”
William Roland owner of of Looks and Style stands inside his Afrocentric clothing shop at 330 E. 75th St., in the Chatham neighborhood, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago’s South and West sides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--The Bulls and Billy Donovan will see OKC once preseason play begins

Just in case the strangeness of this upcoming Bulls season was in question , Friday was yet another reminder .
The NBA announced the shortened preseason schedule for the entire league , and it has the Bulls hosting the Houston Rockets on Dec. 11 and Dec. 13 , and then off to the former stomping grounds of new head coach Billy Donovan , as the Bulls play in Oklahoma City on Dec. 16 and again two days later on Dec. 18 .
Training camp is scheduled to start Dec. 1 , while the regular season tips off Dec. 22 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bulls were one of the luckier recipients , with the league announcing that every team was given at least two preseason games – one home and one on the road – but no more than four .
The Bulls , who were one of eight teams left out of the Orlando bubble , were given the max with the four .
Considering the Bulls have an entirely new coaching staff , a new system to learn , and a new front office that is looking to evaluate talent out of intrasquad games at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of preseason games will likely be embraced .
Other preseason games that will draw interest nationally include : The Toronto Raptors , who will begin the 2020-21 campaign playing out of Tampa , Fla. , because of coronavirus travel restriction with Canada , will host the Miami Heat on Dec. 18 .
On Dec. 15 , new 76ers coach Doc Rivers will host a Boston Celtics franchise he won a championship with .
Brooklyn will finally get a chance to see Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the floor at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host Washington on Dec.13 .
And then of course there ’ s the battle of Los Angeles , as the Lakers will host the Clippers in back-to-back games , starting on Dec. 11 .

Friday brought a fresh reminder that strange times are ahead for the Bulls.
The NBA announced a shortened preseason schedule that has them hosting the Rockets on Dec. 11 and 13, then heading to Oklahoma City, the former stomping grounds of new coach Billy Donovan, for games against the Thunder on Dec. 16 and 18.
Training camp is scheduled to start Tuesday. The regular season tips off Dec. 22.
If the Bulls wanted preseason work, then they’re one of the luckier teams. The NBA gave each team at least two preseason games — one home and one on the road — but no more than four. The Bulls, who were one of eight teams left out of the Orlando playoff bubble, got the max.
That’s likely to be embraced, considering they have an entirely new coaching staff, a new system to learn and a new front office that’s looking to evaluate talent outside of intrasquad games at the Advocate Center.
A few other NBA preseason games will be of interest nationally:


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--Big Game Hunting: Easy or queasy for No. 8 Northwestern at Michigan State?

You ’ ve got to hand it to Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald for his wit , wisdom and — perhaps most of all — eloquence .
Who could have better described the experience of watching the Wildcats soar to a 5-0 start after plummeting to 3-9 last season ?
“ You want to ride that roller coaster ?
” he said .
“ I hope you ’ ve got a vomit bag with you.
” See ?
So we ’ ve got that bit of loveliness settled .
That brings us to No .
8 Northwestern ( -13½ ) at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 720-AM ) .
The Wildcats are in such a strong position to win the Big Ten West for the second time in three years , it really has come down to this : Don ’ t choke .
Don ’ t gag .
Don ’ t … well , let ’ s not get gross again .
With another rash of games canceled or postponed across the FBS landscape , a matchup with the unimpressive Spartans ( 1-3 ) is a welcome opportunity for the Wildcats to simply keep rolling .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin , ending the longest uninterrupted rivalry streak — 113 years — in the country .
The Badgers , even after losing last weekend in Evanston , posed the only credible threat in the division .
Now they ’ ve had three games called off for COVID-19 reasons , leaving them without hope of meeting the six-games-played threshold to qualify for Indianapolis .
All Northwestern has to do now is keep playing nasty defense , keep hanging in there on offense and avoid falling apart against remaining foes MSU , Minnesota and Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exciting right now about our football team is we haven ’ t played , still , a complete game , ” Fitzgerald said .
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey is 0-2 as a starter against the Spartans , both of those tough days coming when Ramsey played at Indiana .
It would be nice if a stagnant running game would come to life and help get him into the win column .
That does seem to be the Wildcats ’ most dangerous flaw .
Of local interest : The Spartans are led by first-year coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinator of the Bears ( 2013 and 2014 ) still gives fans nightmares .
He ’ s being paid a salary of $ 5.5 million , a preposterous figure considering highly successful predecessor Mark Dantonio never sniffed such rarified air .
Tucker and his staff are juggling an in-season quarterback competition between Rocky Lombardi and former Naperville Central star Payton Thorne .
A redshirt freshman , Thorne saw his first action in a loss to Indiana , throwing for 110 yards and scampering on one play for 38 .
“ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
When it comes to who ’ s winning this game , there kind of is .
’ Cats , 24-14 .
No .
4 Ohio State ( -28 ) at Illinois ( 11 a.m. , FS1 , 890-AM ) : The Buckeyes led 35-7 against Indiana last weekend before holding on for an awfully hollow 42-35 victory .
Snoozing through second halves is no way to win a national championship .
Coach Ryan Day was livid at his team for letting its guard down — and that ’ s what makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Illini , who have won two straight after an 0-3 start .
It ’ s bad enough to have to face superstar QB Justin Fields and a host of NFL-bound Buckeyes .
To have to do it when one of the most talented teams in the country is on a mission to stay locked in for 60 minutes is almost a worst-case scenario .
“ Ohio State has been one of the best teams in our conference for a long period of time , ” Illini coach Lovie Smith said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedule .
We knew the exposure a game like this would bring to our program .
And we ’ ll be ready to go.
” Northern Illinois ( +20 ) at Western Michigan ( 11 a.m. , ESPN+ , 560-AM ) : The Huskies are winless .
The Broncos are unbeaten .
If Thomas Hammock ’ s team ever stops committing the kind of devastating turnovers that keep a coach up at night , maybe improvement will come .
WMU , 42-24 .
Maryland ( +11½ ) at No .
12 Indiana ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fun QB matchup between Indiana ’ s Michael Penix — the next-best thing to Fields in the Big Ten — and Maryland ’ s Taulia Tagovailoa , younger brother of Tua .
After such an emotional game at OSU , the Hoosiers need motivation-machine coach Tom Allen at his rah-rah best .
IU pulls away late and covers .
Kent State ( +7½ ) at Buffalo ( 11 a.m. , CBSSN ) : It ’ s best on best in the MAC East .
Who stays perfect ?
Bulls in OT .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at No .
1 Alabama ( 2:30 p.m. , Ch .
2 ) : No Nick Saban ?
Probably not a big problem for the Crimson Tide , who clearly have the better , more complete and more explosive team .
Then again , the Tigers have won two of the last three Iron Bowls .
Roll Tide , 38-21 .
My favorite favorite : Michigan ( -1 ) vs. Penn State ( 11 a.m. , Ch .
7 ) : Last weekend ’ s OT escape at Rutgers might not be top-of-the-résumé @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Wolverines .
The winless Nittany Lions have the weight of the world on their shoulders .
My favorite underdog : LSU ( +15 ) at No .
5 Texas A & M ( 6 p.m. , ESPN ) : The Aggies are terrific , but they ’ re 1-8 against the Tigers since joining the SEC and needed seven overtimes to get their lone “ W ” in 2018 .
Last week : 4-4 straight-up , 5-3 vs. the spread .
Season to date : 28-14 straight-up , 22-19-1 vs. the @ @

Hut, hut . . . hurl?
You’ve got to hand it to Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald for his wit, wisdom and — perhaps most of all — eloquence. Who could have better described the experience of watching the Wildcats soar to a 5-0 start after plummeting to 3-9 last season?
“You want to ride that roller coaster?” he said. “I hope you’ve got a vomit bag with you.”
See? So we’ve got that bit of loveliness settled.
That brings us to No. 11 Northwestern (-13½) at Michigan State (2:30 p.m., ESPN2, 720-AM). The Wildcats are in such a strong position to win the Big Ten West for the second time in three years, it really has come down to this: Don’t choke. Don’t gag. Don’t . . . well, let’s not get gross again.
With another rash of games canceled or postponed across the FBS landscape, a matchup with the unimpressive Spartans (1-3) is a welcome opportunity for the Wildcats to simply keep rolling.
One of those canceled games: Minnesota at No. 18 Wisconsin, ending the longest uninterrupted rivalry streak — 113 years — in the country. The Badgers, even after losing last weekend in Evanston, posed the only credible threat in the division. Now they’ve had three games called off for COVID-19 reasons, leaving them without hope of meeting the six-games-played threshold to qualify for Indianapolis.
Another of those canceled games: No. 3 Ohio State at Illinois. It’s the Buckeyes’ second cancellation, meaning that one more could prevent them from playing in the Big Ten title game.
All Northwestern has to do to get there — aside from playing enough games — is keep playing nasty defense, keep hanging in there on offense and avoid falling apart against remaining foes MSU, Minnesota and Illinois.
“Probably what’s most exciting right now about our football team is we haven’t played, still, a complete game,” Fitzgerald said.
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey is 0-2 as a starter against the Spartans, both of those tough days coming when Ramsey played at Indiana. It would be nice if a stagnant running game would come to life and help get him into the win column. That does seem to be the Wildcats’ most dangerous flaw.
Of local interest: The Spartans are led by first-year coach Mel Tucker, whose time as defensive coordinator of the Bears (2013 and 2014) still gives fans nightmares. He’s being paid a salary of $5.5 million, a preposterous figure considering highly successful predecessor Mark Dantonio never sniffed such rarefied air. Tucker and his staff are juggling an in-season quarterback competition between Rocky Lombardi and former Naperville Central star Payton Thorne. A redshirt freshman, Thorne saw his first action in a loss to Indiana, throwing for 110 yards and scampering on one play for 38.
“There’s nothing set in stone,” Tucker said.
When it comes to who’s winning this game, there kind of is. Cats, 24-14.
OTHER WEEK 13 PICKS
Northern Illinois (+20) at Western Michigan (11 a.m., ESPN+, 560-AM): The Huskies are winless. The Broncos are unbeaten. If Thomas Hammock’s team ever stops committing the kind of devastating turnovers that keep a coach up at night, maybe improvement will come. WMU, 42-24.
Maryland (+11½) at No. 12 Indiana (11 a.m., ESPN2): What a fun QB matchup between Indiana’s Michael Penix — the next-best thing to Fields in the Big Ten — and Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, younger brother of Tua. After such an emotional game at OSU, the Hoosiers need motivation-machine coach Tom Allen at his rah-rah best. IU pulls away late and covers.
Kent State (+7½) at Buffalo (11 a.m., CBSSN): It’s best on best in the MAC East. Who stays perfect? Bulls in OT.
No. 22 Auburn (+24½) at No. 1 Alabama (2:30 p.m., Ch. 2): No Nick Saban? Probably not a big problem for the Crimson Tide, who clearly have the better, more complete and more explosive team. Then again, the Tigers have won two of the last three Iron Bowls. Roll Tide, 38-21.
My favorite favorite: Michigan (-1) vs. Penn State (11 a.m., Ch. 7): Last weekend’s OT escape at Rutgers might not be top-of-the-résumé material, but it alleviated some pressure on the Wolverines. The winless Nittany Lions have the weight of the world on their shoulders.
My favorite underdog: LSU (+15) at No. 5 Texas A&M (6 p.m., ESPN): The Aggies are terrific, but they’re 1-8 against the Tigers since joining the SEC and needed seven overtimes to get their lone “W” in 2018.
Last week: 4-4 straight up, 5-3 vs. the spread.
Season to date: 28-14 straight up, 22-19-1 vs. the spread.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--Man fatally shot in East Garfield Park: police

A man was killed in a shooting Friday in East Garfield Park on the West Side , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ about 3:40 p.m. in the 2900 block of West Fulton Street when a vehicle approached @ @ @ @ @ , Chicago police said .
The 25-year-old was struck multiple times and taken to Stroger @ @ @ @ @ pronounced dead , police said .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office hasn @ @ @ @ @ the fatality .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides @

A man was killed in a shooting Friday in East Garfield Park on the West Side.
He was outside a store about 3:40 p.m. in the 2900 block of West Fulton Street when a vehicle approached and someone inside opened fire, Chicago police said.
The 25-year-old, identified as Darius Lewis, was struck multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
Area Four detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-27--1-year-old boy abducted after double homicide in Riverdale found safe: police

A 1-year-old boy who was taken from the south suburb after a double homicide has been located .
K ’ @ @ @ @ @ off at a police station and was safe , Illinois State Police said Friday evening @ @ @ @ @ Friday morning from the 14200 block of South Tracy Avenue , according to Riverdale police @ @ @ @ @ identified as Clarence Hebron , 32 , who is also wanted in connection to a @ @ @ @ @ .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if he had also been located .
Clarence @ @ @ @ @ 135 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair .
He is believed to be @ @ @ @ @ Caravan with license plate CA96676 .
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 .

A 1-year-old boy who was taken from south suburban Riverdale after a double homicide has been located.
K’marion P. Hebron was dropped off at a police station and was safe, Illinois State Police said Friday evening.
He had been abducted Friday morning from the 14200 block of South Tracy Avenue, according to Riverdale police.
The man who allegedly abducted the baby was identified as Clarence Hebron, 32, who is also wanted in connection to a double homicide, police said.
The homicide victims were identified as Jessica Abeal, 26, and Damian Abeal, 27, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy found they each died of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Clarence Hebron is 5-foot-6, weighs 135 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. He is believed to be driving a 2009 silver-colored Dodge Caravan with license plate CA96676.
Anyone with information on Hebron’s whereabouts is asked to call 911.