chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--Google facing onslaught of antitrust cases in US: report

MOUNTAIN VIEW , Calif. — Federal and state regulators in the U.S. are preparing to file antitrust lawsuits alleging Google has abused its dominance of online search and advertising to stifle competition and and boost its profits , according to a report published Friday .
The Wall Street Journal cited unidentified people familiar with the probes in a story about the upcoming offensive by the U.S. Justice Department and the attorneys general from several states .
The Justice Department may file its case as early as this summer while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may take action in the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , according to the Journal .
U.S. Attorney General William Barr has previously said he hoped to decide whether to pursue an antitrust case against Google by the summer .
Texas and other states announced they were looking into Google ’ s business practices last September .
Google acknowledged it has ongoing discussions with the Justice Department and Paxton without elaborating on the nature of the talks .
“ Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers , support thousands of businesses , and enable increased choice and competition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This isn ’ t the first time Google has been thrust under the microscope of antitrust in the U.S .
The Federal Trade Commission closed an extensive investigation into Google ’ s alleged abuses in 2013 without taking any action because it concluded the Mountain View , California , company wasn ’ t hurting consumers .
Since then , Google has grown even more powerful under the umbrella of the corporate parent , Alphabet , that it spawned in five years ago .
When the FTC closed its case , Google was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last year , earned Alphabet raked in $ 162 billion in revenue .
Most of the money comes from a digital ad market that Google dominates along with social networking rival Facebook — another potential target of antitrust regulators .
There has been no word , though , whether Facebook might be sued .
Google is the bigger of the two online ad giants , thanks mostly to a search engine that has become synonymous with looking things up .
The company also owns the leading web browser in Chrome , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Android , the top video site in YouTube and the most popular digital mapping system .
Google has consistently maintained its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives .
Most of the services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads .
Antitrust regulators in Europe have attempted to crack down on Google by imposing multi-billion dollar fines and ordering changes to its practices .
But the company ’ s critics say those penalties haven ’ t been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be required to for Google to change its ways .
Those might include a government attempt to force Google to spin off its various services into separate businesses , an effort the company would be likely to fiercely oppose .

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Federal and state regulators in the U.S. are preparing to file antitrust lawsuits alleging Google has abused its dominance of online search and advertising to stifle competition and and boost its profits, according to a report published Friday.
The Wall Street Journal cited unidentified people familiar with the probes in a story about the upcoming offensive by the U.S. Justice Department and the attorneys general from several states.
The Justice Department may file its case as early as this summer while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may take action in the fall, along with his peers in other states, according to the Journal.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr has previously said he hoped to decide whether to pursue an antitrust case against Google by the summer. Texas and other states announced they were looking into Google’s business practices last September.
Google acknowledged it has ongoing discussions with the Justice Department and Paxton without elaborating on the nature of the talks. “Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses, and enable increased choice and competition,” the company said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time Google has been thrust under the microscope of antitrust in the U.S. The Federal Trade Commission closed an extensive investigation into Google’s alleged abuses in 2013 without taking any action because it concluded the Mountain View, California, company wasn’t hurting consumers.
Since then, Google has grown even more powerful under the umbrella of the corporate parent, Alphabet, that it spawned in five years ago. When the FTC closed its case, Google was generating annual revenue of $50 billion. Last year, Alphabet raked in $162 billion in revenue.
Most of the money comes from a digital ad market that Google dominates along with social networking rival Facebook — another potential target of antitrust regulators. There has been no word, though, whether Facebook might be sued.
Google is the bigger of the two online ad giants, thanks mostly to a search engine that has become synonymous with looking things up. The company also owns the leading web browser in Chrome, the world’s largest mobile operating system in Android, the top video site in YouTube and the most popular digital mapping system.
Google has consistently maintained its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives. Most of the services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads.
Antitrust regulators in Europe have attempted to crack down on Google by imposing multi-billion dollar fines and ordering changes to its practices.
But the company’s critics say those penalties haven’t been severe enough and contend more extreme measures will be required to for Google to change its ways. Those might include a government attempt to force Google to spin off its various services into separate businesses, an effort the company would be likely to fiercely oppose.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--Work-from-home Congress: House OKs proxy voting for first time

WASHINGTON — Neither Civil War nor Great Depression nor any other national crisis has pushed the House to allow lawmakers to vote by proxy — without being “ present , ” as the Constitution requires .
That ’ s about to change during the coronavirus pandemic .
The House approved Friday a package of historic rules changes so Congress can keep functioning even while it ’ s partly closed .
The shift will dramatically change the look , if not the operation , of the legislative branch — launching a 21st century WFH House , like others , “ working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue legislating , ” Rep. Jim McGovern , the chairman of the House Rules Committee , said during a lengthy session ahead of the vote .
“ And we have to do so in a way that is safe for all those around us.
” Debate over the changes has been fierce .
As President Donald Trump encourages Americans back to work , the 435-member House has stayed away due to health risks while the smaller Senate has resumed operations .
Democrats argue the House can rely on technology for remote work as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objected to what they see as a power grab during the crisis .
The vote was 217-189 .
Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma , the top Republican on the rules panel , warned the changes will fundamentally alter the nature of the institution , “ and not for the better.
” One by one Republicans lined up Friday to speak against it .
“ We should all get to Washington , do our jobs , ” said Rep. Bradley Byre , R-Ala .
Under the new rules , House lawmakers will no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participate in floor votes .
They will be allowed to vote by proxy — assigning their vote to another lawmaker who will be at the Capitol to cast it for them .
Eventually , a provision allows for direct remote voting , once the technology is approved .
Just as important , the House committees — the bread and butter of legislative work — will be able to fully function remotely .
Committee hearings are prime-time for lawmakers — the chance to grill officials , spar with colleagues and have much of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to draft bills , conduct oversight and even issue subpoenas from the comfort of their homes .
“ This is about allowing the people ’ s House — and the people ’ s representatives in committees — to work , ” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , D-Md.
, who has helped lead the effort , testified before the Rules Committee .
With the Capitol physician warning it could be years before Congress resumes full operations , lawmakers are anxious to chart a new normal and not be sidelined .
An earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted she wanted any change of this significance to be bipartisan .
She tapped a task force to try to reach a bipartisan compromise .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy proposed a “ hybrid ” plan that would allow the committees to conduct work remotely but stopped short of allowing the proxy voting on the floor .
A key Trump ally , McCarthy argues if other Americans are at work , Congress should be , too .
“ It ’ s a very sad day inside this House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mocked Pelosi for having claimed the House would serve as the “ captain ” of the ship , last to leave during the crisis , only to go home .
The changes are expected to be temporary , only through the remainder of this session of Congress , at the end of the year .
Democrats insist the changes should be used only under times of crisis .
But Republicans warn there will be legal challenges to legislation passed during this period , questioning the constitutional legitimacy of proxy votes .
The House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even during some of the most challenging eras in the nation ’ s history .
Lawmakers convened during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic and only stayed away a short time after the 2001 terror attacks .
Proxy votes had been allowed in committees , but that ended decades ago .
Under the new rules , one lawmaker can carry up to 10 votes by proxy to the Capitol .
“ You got to be here , ” said another Trump ally , Rep. Jim Jordan , R-Ohio .
“ You can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quoting President Abraham Lincoln , told his colleagues , “ We must act and think anew .
”

WASHINGTON — Neither Civil War nor Great Depression nor any other national crisis has pushed the House to allow lawmakers to vote by proxy — without being “present,” as the Constitution requires. That’s about to change during the coronavirus pandemic.
The House approved Friday a package of historic rules changes so Congress can keep functioning even while it’s partly closed. The shift will dramatically change the look, if not the operation, of the legislative branch — launching a 21st century WFH House, like others, “working from home.”
“This House must continue legislating,” Rep. Jim McGovern, the chairman of the House Rules Committee, said during a lengthy session ahead of the vote. “And we have to do so in a way that is safe for all those around us.”
Debate over the changes has been fierce. As President Donald Trump encourages Americans back to work, the 435-member House has stayed away due to health risks while the smaller Senate has resumed operations.
Democrats argue the House can rely on technology for remote work as the pandemic drags on. But Republicans objected to what they see as a power grab during the crisis. The vote was 217-189.
Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the rules panel, warned the changes will fundamentally alter the nature of the institution, “and not for the better.”
One by one Republicans lined up Friday to speak against it.
“We should all get to Washington, do our jobs,” said Rep. Bradley Byre, R-Ala.
Under the new rules, House lawmakers will no longer be required to travel to Washington to participate in floor votes. They will be allowed to vote by proxy — assigning their vote to another lawmaker who will be at the Capitol to cast it for them. Eventually, a provision allows for direct remote voting, once the technology is approved.
Just as important, the House committees — the bread and butter of legislative work — will be able to fully function remotely. Committee hearings are prime-time for lawmakers — the chance to grill officials, spar with colleagues and have much of it captured on C-SPAN. House lawmakers will be able to draft bills, conduct oversight and even issue subpoenas from the comfort of their homes.
“This is about allowing the people’s House — and the people’s representatives in committees — to work,” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who has helped lead the effort, testified before the Rules Committee.
With the Capitol physician warning it could be years before Congress resumes full operations, lawmakers are anxious to chart a new normal and not be sidelined.
An earlier proposal was shelved two weeks ago as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted she wanted any change of this significance to be bipartisan. She tapped a task force to try to reach a bipartisan compromise.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy proposed a “hybrid” plan that would allow the committees to conduct work remotely but stopped short of allowing the proxy voting on the floor.
A key Trump ally, McCarthy argues if other Americans are at work, Congress should be, too. “It’s a very sad day inside this House,” the California Republican said. He mocked Pelosi for having claimed the House would serve as the “captain” of the ship, last to leave during the crisis, only to go home.
The changes are expected to be temporary, only through the remainder of this session of Congress, at the end of the year. Democrats insist the changes should be used only under times of crisis.
But Republicans warn there will be legal challenges to legislation passed during this period, questioning the constitutional legitimacy of proxy votes. The House has never allowed proxy floor votes, even during some of the most challenging eras in the nation’s history. Lawmakers convened during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic and only stayed away a short time after the 2001 terror attacks. Proxy votes had been allowed in committees, but that ended decades ago. Under the new rules, one lawmaker can carry up to 10 votes by proxy to the Capitol.
“You got to be here,” said another Trump ally, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. “You can’t phone it in.”
But Hoyer, quoting President Abraham Lincoln, told his colleagues, “We must act and think anew.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--Matt Nagy embraces offseason ‘silver linings,’ wrestles with ‘unknown’

Head coach Matt Nagy long ago mastered the “ mute ” button on the Bears ’ Zoom meetings .
Now he can pop into position group meetings and rookie minicamp sessions , his head floating in a box on the computer screens of his players scattered around the country .
He ’ s found a quiet place in his house , and joked that the video game “ Fortnite ” has done a good job keeping his four sons , ages 12 to 16 , occupied .
To spice up meetings , Nagy ’ s welcomed had guest speakers so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sound of their own coaches ’ voices .
He schedules on “ Bears Time ” — what the clock says in Chicago — but it ’ s confusing to navigate how time zone differences affect players training from the West Coast to Florida .
“ That ’ s the biggest obstacle , ” he said .
Except for an even bigger one .
There remains the existential question about the months ahead — one that ’ s familiar to businesses across the country during the coronavirus shutdown .
“ Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the unknown , ” he said Friday .
“ That ’ s what ’ s hard .
We ’ re sitting here , you go through trying to figure out what ’ s going to happen , whether it be at training camp , whether it be at preseason , the regular season .
There ’ s a lot of unknowns there .
That ’ s OK. We can ’ t control that .
Let ’ s control what we can control.
” While some NFL teams have considered backup training-camp locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t say if the Bears , who are slated to practice at Halas Hall , were of the same mind .
“ Again , that ’ s one of the unknowns for us is — if and when that does happen , we just have to react to it , ” he said .
“ It just seems like every state ’ s a little different .
The league is trying to figure out what to do and whatever they tell us we ’ ll do , We ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asked whether there will be games in home stadiums this year , Nagy again pled ignorance .
“ You ’ re going to probably say ‘ Yeah , yeah , yeah , that ’ s coach talk , I don ’ t believe you … ’ ” he said .
“ But I ’ m telling you when I tell you this — I have no clue .
Whatever they tell us to do , we ’ ll do .
… .
“ We ’ re just rolling with them and with what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive and we ’ re just worrying about what the next solution is for whatever they tell us.
” The Bears held and a rookie minicamp last week and a voluntary veteran minicamp in late April and early May .
The next step of the virtual offseason program , OTAs , start later this month .
They ’ ll feature more entire-team meetings , though Nagy has remained flexible based on player feedback .
“ You can take everything we ’ ve done in prior years , ” Nagy said , “ and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ window.
” Still , he ’ s trying to embrace what makes this offseason unique .
“ There ’ s been some silver linings , ” he said .
Even before the shutdown , the Bears planned to hold more position meetings , believing that installing the offense the past two years robbed their players of more detailed instruction .
Nagy pops into them virtually ; at Halas Hall , he couldn ’ t go from room-to-room so quickly .
There ’ s more time to chat without on-field work , so Bears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through what Nagy calls “ coffee shops ” — virtual meetings to talk about life outside football .
As for the playbook , Nagy said his assistant coaches — new and old — are offering detailed instruction .
That appeals to one of his favorite mantras .
“ I love ‘ over-communicate clarity ’ — I use that all the time , ” Nagy said .
“ What better way ?
… There ’ s no excuse now .
”

Coach Matt Nagy long ago mastered the “mute” button on the Bears’ Zoom meetings. Now he can pop into position group meetings and rookie minicamp sessions, his head floating in a box on the computer screens of his players scattered around the country.
He has found a quiet place in his house and joked that the video game “Fortnite” has done a good job keeping his four sons, ages 12 to 16, occupied.
To spice up meetings, Nagy has guest speakers on so his players don’t tune out the sound of their own coaches’ voice.
He schedules on “Bears Time” — what the clock says in Chicago — but it’s confusing to navigate how time-zone differences affect players training from the West Coast to Florida.
“That’s the biggest obstacle,” he said.
Except for an even bigger one. There remains the existential question about the months ahead — one that’s familiar to businesses across the country during the coronavirus shutdown.
“Here’s probably what the biggest difficulty is, the unknown,” he said Friday. “That’s what’s hard. We’re sitting here, you go through trying to figure out what’s going to happen, whether it be at training camp, whether it be at preseason, the regular season. There’s a lot of unknowns there. That’s OK. We can’t control that. Let’s control what we can control.”
While some NFL teams have considered backup training-camp locations because of state stay-at-home orders, Nagy wouldn’t say if the Bears, who are slated to practice at Halas Hall, were of the same mind.
“Again, that’s one of the unknowns for us. If and when that does happen, we just have to react to it,” he said. “It just seems like every state’s a little different. The league is trying to figure out what to do and whatever they tell us, we’ll do. We’ve been so entrenched in this other stuff.”
Asked whether there will be games in home stadiums this year, Nagy again pled ignorance.
“You’re going to probably say, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s coach talk, I don’t believe you,’ ” he said. “But I’m telling you when I tell you this — I have no clue. Whatever they tell us to do, we’ll do.
“We’re just rolling with them and with what they say. We’re staying positive, and we’re just worrying about what the next solution is for whatever they tell us.”
The Bears held a rookie minicamp last week and a voluntary veteran minicamp in late April and early May. The next step of the virtual offseason program, OTAs, start later this month. They’ll feature more full-team meetings, though Nagy has remained flexible based on player feedback.
“You can take everything we’ve done in prior years,” Nagy said, “and you can just throw it out the window.”
Still, he’s trying to embrace what makes this offseason unique.
“There’s been some silver linings,” he said.
Even before the shutdown, the Bears planned to hold more position meetings, believing that installing the offense the last two years robbed their players of more detailed instruction. Nagy pops into them virtually; at Halas Hall, he couldn’t go from room-to-room so quickly.
There’s more time to chat without on-field work, so Bears coaches are getting to know players through what Nagy calls “coffee shops” — virtual meetings to talk about life outside football.
As for the playbook, Nagy said his assistant coaches are offering detailed instruction. That appeals to one of his favorite mantras.
“I love ‘over-communicate clarity’ — I use that all the time,” Nagy said. “What better way? . . . There’s no excuse now.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--Everything must be on the table as city, state fight back from financial devastation

Washington to cities and states : You ’ re on your own .
For months , the Trump administration has failed to take the lead in fighting the coronavirus pandemic , punting responsibility to the states .
Now the president and his Republican Party are looking to do the same when it comes to helping states and cities survive the pandemic ’ s financial devastation .
A $ 3 trillion stimulus package expected to be approved by the Democratic-controlled House looks dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate , and President Donald Trump is making clear he would never sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the package to rescue drowning cities , suburbs , states , small businesses and unemployed Americans would be fiscally imprudent , they claim .
We couldn ’ t disagree more .
And , yes , this is the same Senate and president who rewrote the federal tax code in 2017 to give billions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthiest one percent of Americans , ballooning the federal deficit .
So what does all this mean for Illinois and Chicago , as well as for towns and counties statewide ?
Exactly what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cities , some of which already are making tough decisions : In the absence of federal aid and leadership , Illinois , Chicago and other governments will have to take painful and unpopular measures , possibly including service cuts , furloughs , layoffs and changes in public pensions .
Everything must be on the table .
The cuts will have to be surgical , not a butcher job .
Essential services of government — such as public safety , clean water , safe buildings and mass transit — can ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can ’ t rule out tax hikes — will have to be found in an equally surgical manner , asking the most of those who are best able to shoulder the burden .
But , to repeat ourselves , everything must be on the table .
At the state level , Illinois likely faces a $ 6.2 billion shortfall when the new fiscal year begins July 1 .
That amount could rise to $ 7.4 billion if Illinois voters opt not to approve Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s graduated income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not specified yet what services might be trimmed to reduce that budget shortfall or how new revenue might be raised .
But we would urge him to go bold and nonpartisan , challenging the public policy pieties of both the right and left .
On the table , for full consideration , should be service cuts and staff reductions , to be sure , but also a possible expansion of the state income tax to include higher retirement incomes .
Of the 41 states that levy an income tax , Illinois is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income — no matter how wealthy you are — and that is not fair to middle-class working people .
A reduction in the annual cost of living increase for public employee pensions — now an automatic 3 % hike , compounded annually — should , finally , be seriously entertained .
Though this editorial page has long favored this change , we have not championed it of late because of constitutional obstacles and an utter lack of interest by Democrats .
Could pain be avoided by adjusting the way our state is financing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We don ’ t know for certain , but it ’ s time for government ’ s brightest financial minds to look under every rock , consider every option .
Everything must be on the table .
At City Hall , Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday said Chicago is now looking at a $ 1 billion budget hole , tax revenues having dried up because of the pandemic .
Without federal aid , she told Crain ’ s Chicago Business , “ we are going to be in a world of hurt.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or furlough city employees , nor has she significantly reduced city services .
Her argument , which makes sense to a point , is that government employment creates a kind of safety net during hard times .
Regularly paid city workers help keep the local economy afloat .
Before even considering service or payroll cuts , the city is looking at refinancing its debt , reducing expenses and bringing in new revenue — likely meaning targeted tax increases — to get past the pandemic .
We ’ re told a property tax hike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Look , ” Lightfoot told Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman , “ the reality is , I don ’ t think there ’ s any city budget across the country that is not gon na have to look at onetime measures to put yourself back on track.
” Other cities going to work Los Angeles is seeking to save $ 139 million by furloughing 15,000 city workers .
Houston is looking at furloughing 3,000 city workers for 10 days beginning in July , hoping to shave $ 7 million from a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Houston is also putting a hold on five police cadet classes to save another $ 13.9 million — and raising taxes and fees to generate an extra $ 14.5 million in revenue .
Philadelphia is looking at a whole slate of cost-cutting measures , including reducing overtime for all city workers , including police and fire .
The city also is looking to cut services and hours at libraries and recreational centers and to lower spending on affordable housing and workforce development .
Would all or any of that make sense for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table .

Washington to cities and states: You’re on your own.
For months, the Trump administration has failed to take the lead in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, punting responsibility to the states. Now the president and his Republican Party are looking to do the same when it comes to helping states and cities survive the pandemic’s financial devastation.
A $3 trillion stimulus package passed Friday by the Democratic-controlled House looks dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate, and President Donald Trump is making clear he would never sign such a bill.
Why? Because the package to rescue drowning cities, suburbs, states, small businesses and unemployed Americans would be fiscally imprudent, they claim.
We couldn’t disagree more. And, yes, this is the same Senate and president who rewrote the federal tax code in 2017 to give billions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthiest one percent of Americans, ballooning the federal deficit.
So what does all this mean for Illinois and Chicago, as well as for towns and counties statewide?
Exactly what it means for hundreds of other states and cities, some of which already are making tough decisions: In the absence of federal aid and leadership, Illinois, Chicago and other governments will have to take painful and unpopular measures, possibly including service cuts, furloughs, layoffs and changes in public pensions.
Everything must be on the table.
The cuts will have to be surgical, not a butcher job. Essential services of government — such as public safety, clean water, safe buildings and mass transit — can’t be compromised.
And new revenue — yes, we can’t rule out tax hikes — will have to be found in an equally surgical manner, asking the most of those who are best able to shoulder the burden.
But, to repeat ourselves, everything must be on the table.
Pritzker must go bold
At the state level, Illinois likely faces a $6.2 billion shortfall when the new fiscal year begins July 1. That amount could rise to $7.4 billion if Illinois voters opt not to approve Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s graduated income tax plan in November.
Pritzker has not specified yet what services might be trimmed to reduce that budget shortfall or how new revenue might be raised. But we would urge him to go bold and nonpartisan, challenging the public policy pieties of both the right and left.
On the table, for full consideration, should be service cuts and staff reductions, to be sure, but also a possible expansion of the state income tax to include higher retirement incomes. Of the 41 states that levy an income tax, Illinois is one of only three that exempts all retirement income — no matter how wealthy you are — and that is not fair to middle-class working people.
A reduction in the annual cost of living increase for public employee pensions — now an automatic 3% hike, compounded annually — should, finally, be seriously entertained. Though this editorial page has long favored this change, we have not championed it of late because of constitutional obstacles and an utter lack of interest by Democrats.
Could pain be avoided by adjusting the way our state is financing its debts, including pension debt? We don’t know for certain, but it’s time for government’s brightest financial minds to look under every rock, consider every option.
Everything must be on the table.
Lightfoot’s ‘world of hurt’
At City Hall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday said Chicago is now looking at a $1 billion budget hole, tax revenues having dried up because of the pandemic. Without federal aid, she told Crain’s Chicago Business, “we are going to be in a world of hurt.”
Lightfoot has been loathe to lay off or furlough city employees, nor has she significantly reduced city services. Her argument, which makes sense to a point, is that government employment creates a kind of safety net during hard times. Regularly paid city workers help keep the local economy afloat.
Before even considering service or payroll cuts, the city is looking at refinancing its debt, reducing expenses and bringing in new revenue — likely meaning targeted tax increases — to get past the pandemic. We’re told a property tax hike would be among the absolute last resorts.
“Look,” Lightfoot told Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman, “the reality is, I don’t think there’s any city budget across the country that is not gonna have to look at onetime measures to put yourself back on track.”
True enough.
Other cities going to work
Los Angeles is seeking to save $139 million by furloughing 15,000 city workers.
Houston is looking at furloughing 3,000 city workers for 10 days beginning in July, hoping to shave $7 million from a $169 million deficit created by the virus. Houston is also putting a hold on five police cadet classes to save another $13.9 million — and raising taxes and fees to generate an extra $14.5 million in revenue.
Philadelphia is looking at a whole slate of cost-cutting measures, including reducing overtime for all city workers, including police and fire. The city also is looking to cut services and hours at libraries and recreational centers and to lower spending on affordable housing and workforce development.
Would all or any of that make sense for Chicago?
Let the debate begin.
Everything must be on the table.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--New Bears QB Nick Foles already has playbook down in race for starting job

In the ongoing race to claim the Bears ’ starting quarterback job , coach Matt Nagy believes newcomer Nick Foles has already caught up to incumbent Mitch Trubisky when it comes to knowing the offense .
In two months since being traded from the Jaguars , and without any on-field work because of the coronavirus pandemic , Foles got up to speed through the digital playbook and meetings on Zoom .
“ It ’ s like riding a bike , ” Nagy said in videoconference Friday .
“ He ’ s been through some different offenses , even from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City , but once you present somebody like Nick the playbook and they start looking at it , all of a sudden it just clicks .
“ You start remembering it and you just start retraining your brain from what you knew in the past year or couple years ...
There ’ s still terminology differences between all of us , but that doesn ’ t take much .
And Nick ’ s a smart guy.
” That eliminates any thought that Trubisky , whom Nagy said in February hadn ’ t yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head start .
By the way , if this sounds like something that would emerge only from a slow news day when other sports are on hiatus , think again .
Every step of the Foles-Trubisky battle will be thoroughly documented .
No story line is more critical for the Bears this season .
And the race will continue through the opener and beyond .
“ We all understand that this thing is gon na be what y ’ all talk about , ” Nagy said .
“ And that ’ s fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trubisky triggered this outcome with his poor play in 2019 , and it escalated with the Bears trading a fourth-round pick for Foles and a contract with $ 21 million guaranteed , then declining Trubisky ’ s fifth-year option for 2021 .
With Organized Team Activities cancelled and the NFL barring coaches and players from being at team facilities , the first leg is online .
Nagy downplayed that , saying , “ There ’ s no competition going on right now over Zoom.
” Coming into the competition , Trubisky had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ear the last two seasons .
Foles shares a background with Nagy from the 2012 season with the Eagles ( Nagy was a quality control assistant ) and ’ 16 with the Chiefs ( Nagy was offensive coordinator ) , plus his experience with Nagy cohorts Doug Pederson , Frank Reich and Andy Reid .
And while he has never played specifically in Nagy ’ s offense like Trubisky has , Foles expected it to be a quick acclimation .
“ It ’ s nice to have that foundation ... it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowledge of the offense , ” Foles said last month of his time with the Eagles and Chiefs .
“ There might be a few different terminologies and different run game and stuff like that , but I ’ ll be able to understand it decently well.
” Another part of Foles ’ history works in his favor , too .
At 31 , he ’ s been through virtually everything imaginable in a quarterback ’ s career .
It ’ s an unprecedented trajectory .
How many Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bears are his fifth team , and that doesn ’ t account for two completely separate stops in Philadelphia .
He has won and lost starting jobs multiple times over eight seasons , yet started six playoff games .
He went to the Pro Bowl in 2013 with 27 touchdowns , two interceptions and a 119.2 passer rating , then plummeted before reemerging in 2017 to lead the Eagles to a championship .
That ’ s a big difference from Trubisky ’ s whirlwind of being groomed as a franchise quarterback then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , being put on notice .
Fighting for his job is new to Trubisky .
For Foles , it ’ s basically all he knows .
“ There ’ s been different times that he ’ s been humbled , but he ’ s overcome that , ” Nagy said of Foles .
“ It has made him a stronger person on and off the field ...
Going from the top to the bottom , and in between , I think he ’ s just excited to be around good people and help @ @ @ @

In the ongoing race to claim the Bears’ starting quarterback job, coach Matt Nagy believes newcomer Nick Foles already has caught up to incumbent Mitch Trubisky when it comes to knowing the offense.
In two months since being traded from the Jaguars, and without any on-field work because of the coronavirus pandemic, Foles got up to speed through the digital playbook and meetings on Zoom.
“It’s like riding a bike,” Nagy said in a video conference Friday. “He’s been through some different offenses, even from the last time we were together in Kansas City. But once you present somebody like Nick the playbook and they start looking at it, all of a sudden it just clicks.
“You start remembering it and you just start retraining your brain from what you knew in the past year or couple years. There’s still terminology differences between all of us, but that doesn’t take much. And Nick’s a smart guy.”
That eliminates any thought that Trubisky, whom Nagy said in February hadn’t yet mastered the playbook, would have a head start.
By the way, if this sounds like something that would emerge only from a slow news day when other sports are on hiatus, think again. Every step of the Foles-Trubisky battle will be thoroughly documented. No storyline is more critical for the Bears this season. And the race will continue through the opener and beyond.
“We all understand that this thing is gonna be what y’all talk about,” Nagy said. “And that’s fair. That’s totally fair.”
Trubisky triggered this outcome with his poor play in 2019, and it escalated with the Bears trading a fourth-round pick for Foles and a contract with $21 million guaranteed, then declining Trubisky’s fifth-year option for 2021.
With OTAs canceled and the NFL barring coaches and players from being at team facilities, the first leg is online. Nagy downplayed that, saying, “There’s no competition going on right now over Zoom.”
Coming into the competition, Trubisky had the obvious advantage of having Nagy in his ear the last two seasons. Foles shares a background with Nagy from the 2012 season with the Eagles (Nagy was a quality-control assistant) and ’16 with the Chiefs (Nagy was offensive coordinator), plus his experience with Nagy cohorts Doug Pederson, Frank Reich and Andy Reid.
And while he has never played specifically in Nagy’s offense like Trubisky has, Foles expects to get acclimated quickly.
“It’s nice to have that foundation . . . it’s by no means starting over with no knowledge of the offense,” Foles said last month of his time with the Eagles and Chiefs. “There might be a few different terminologies and different run game and stuff like that, but I’ll be able to understand it decently well.”
Another part of Foles’ history works in his favor, too. At 31, he has been through virtually everything imaginable in a quarterback’s career. It’s an unprecedented trajectory.
How many Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks also can be described as journeymen? The Bears are his fifth team, and that doesn’t account for two separate stops in Philadelphia. He has won and lost starting jobs multiple times over eight seasons, yet started six playoff games.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2013 with 27 touchdown passes, two interceptions and a 119.2 passer rating, then plummeted before reemerging in 2017 to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl title.
That’s a big difference from Trubisky’s whirlwind of being groomed as a franchise quarterback then, after two seasons as the full-time starter, being put on notice.
Fighting for his job is new to Trubisky. For Foles, it’s basically all he knows.
“There’s been different times that he’s been humbled, but he’s overcome that,” Nagy said of Foles. “It has made him a stronger person on and off the field. Going from the top to the bottom and in between, I think he’s just excited to be around good people and help the team.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--Gov. Pritzker fumbles rollout of ‘Restore Illinois’

For many weeks after the beginning of this COVID-19 crisis , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker proved adept at telegraphing his every move .
Pritzker waited until people practically begged him to shut down the schools on March 15 .
He talked about issuing a stay-at-home order for days , and then acted on March 21 only after California jumped first .
It was clear for days that he would extend his stay-at-home order another month starting April 1 .
He talked for well over a week about a mask-wearing requirement , always noting that he was being lobbied by Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the order on April 23 .
People did not always agree with him , but they always had a sense of where he was going .
Pritzker did get out over his skis when his Illinois Workers ’ Compensation Commission dramatically altered the burden of proof on COVID-19 illnesses in favor of employees without so much as a heads-up to business groups .
But most regular folks never noticed that and a court intervened and stopped the order anyway .
Otherwise , the governor did a remarkably good job of making sure the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his leadership direction .
And then on May 5 he announced his “ Restore Illinois ” roadmap to gradually reopen the state .
To be fair , Pritzker did say for days that he was looking at a more regionalized approach to the stay-at-home order .
But then he sprung his plan on the state without adequately laying the groundwork .
Everyone was most definitely sure to complain about a regional map no matter what it was .
People will always find a way to say they should be in a different region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor has yet to come up with an easily digestible explanation for why he drew the map the way he did and , in the process , he ’ s left the door open to municipalities to try and form their own regions .
For instance , Peoria ’ s mayor is backing a regionalization plan developed in concert with his county ’ s public health director , a trained epidemiologist .
They ’ re not ignoring science in Peoria , as the governor has accused local officials of doing as they push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Peoria area is using actual epidemiology to make the case for their own map because Pritzker ’ s map and his overall scheme don ’ t get them where they want to go and when they believe they should get there .
More importantly , though , Restore Illinois broke with Pritzker ’ s battle plan of copying others ’ work .
New York ’ s reopening plan has 10 regions to Illinois ’ five , though New York is only half again as populous as Illinois .
People see that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so big .
New York ’ s plan also relies on two-week intervals to move to the next stage , as do most other state plans that don ’ t throw open everyone ’ s doors right away .
Illinois ’ plan includes a 28-day metric for hospitalizations .
That 28-day requirement for no overall increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations has understandably rubbed a whole lot of people the wrong way .
Pritzker has a nuanced explanation for this , but he ’ s struggled to get it across .
I asked him last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said his plan would allow the regions to move more quickly into the next phase than “ under the metrics that the White House put forth.
” But the White House essentially abandoned its two-week metrics the moment they were released .
People are understandably focused on Pritzker ’ s four weeks .
I get the governor ’ s pitch , but I do this for a living and most people don ’ t .
I am also no fan of reopening too fast .
It makes me feel like we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will have to do this all over again .
Anyway , Pritzker made the mistake of introducing brand new concepts into a process that had worked well for him and the state since March .
The governor could ’ ve accomplished the same ultimate goals with smaller regions and by sticking with two-week metrics , opening up a couple or three things in two weeks and then several more in another two weeks .
Instead , Illinoisans , especially at our thousand-plus miles of borders , may understandably feel trapped while every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
If you can ’ t explain a surprise announcement in a sentence or two , then it ’ s too darned complicated and people won ’ t understand .
The governor needs to get back to simple copycatting as soon as humanly possible .

For many weeks after the beginning of this COVID-19 crisis, Gov. J.B. Pritzker proved adept at telegraphing his every move.
Pritzker waited until people practically begged him to shut down the schools on March 15. He talked about issuing a stay-at-home order for days, and then acted on March 21 only after California jumped first.
It was clear for days that he would extend his stay-at-home order another month starting April 1. He talked for well over a week about a mask-wearing requirement, always noting that he was being lobbied by Republican state Rep. Mark Batinick before finally announcing the order on April 23.
Columnists bug Columnists In-depth political coverage, sports analysis, entertainment reviews and cultural commentary.
People did not always agree with him, but they always had a sense of where he was going. Pritzker did get out over his skis when his Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission dramatically altered the burden of proof on COVID-19 illnesses in favor of employees without so much as a heads-up to business groups. But most regular folks never noticed that and a court intervened and stopped the order anyway.
Otherwise, the governor did a remarkably good job of making sure the public was always aware in advance of his leadership direction.
And then on May 5 he announced his “Restore Illinois” roadmap to gradually reopen the state.
To be fair, Pritzker did say for days that he was looking at a more regionalized approach to the stay-at-home order. But then he sprung his plan on the state without adequately laying the groundwork. Everyone was most definitely sure to complain about a regional map no matter what it was. People will always find a way to say they should be in a different region, particularly near borders.
But the governor has yet to come up with an easily digestible explanation for why he drew the map the way he did and, in the process, he’s left the door open to municipalities to try and form their own regions.
For instance, Peoria’s mayor is backing a regionalization plan developed in concert with his county’s public health director, a trained epidemiologist. They’re not ignoring science in Peoria, as the governor has accused local officials of doing as they push to reopen in defiance of his order. The Peoria area is using actual epidemiology to make the case for their own map because Pritzker’s map and his overall scheme don’t get them where they want to go and when they believe they should get there.
More importantly, though, Restore Illinois broke with Pritzker’s battle plan of copying others’ work. New York’s reopening plan has 10 regions to Illinois’ five, though New York is only half again as populous as Illinois. People see that and understandably wonder why our regions are so big.
New York’s plan also relies on two-week intervals to move to the next stage, as do most other state plans that don’t throw open everyone’s doors right away. Illinois’ plan includes a 28-day metric for hospitalizations. That 28-day requirement for no overall increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations has understandably rubbed a whole lot of people the wrong way.
Pritzker has a nuanced explanation for this, but he’s struggled to get it across. I asked him last week for a succinct summation and he said his plan would allow the regions to move more quickly into the next phase than “under the metrics that the White House put forth.” But the White House essentially abandoned its two-week metrics the moment they were released. People are understandably focused on Pritzker’s four weeks.
I get the governor’s pitch, but I do this for a living and most people don’t. I am also no fan of reopening too fast. It makes me feel like we’ve gone through all of this for nothing and will have to do this all over again.
Anyway, Pritzker made the mistake of introducing brand new concepts into a process that had worked well for him and the state since March.
The governor could’ve accomplished the same ultimate goals with smaller regions and by sticking with two-week metrics, opening up a couple or three things in two weeks and then several more in another two weeks. Instead, Illinoisans, especially at our thousand-plus miles of borders, may understandably feel trapped while every one of our surrounding states are opening up.
If you can’t explain a surprise announcement in a sentence or two, then it’s too darned complicated and people won’t understand. The governor needs to get back to simple copycatting as soon as humanly possible.
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--J.C. Penney files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

J.C. Penney , reeling from a one-two punch of the department store industry ’ s struggles and the coronavirus pandemic , filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday .
The company , which had racked up an unsustainable amount of debt in recent years , plans to close some locations permanently in a bid to survive bankruptcy .
The retailer had 845 stores at the end of 2019 , according to real estate data source CoStar Portfolio Strategy .
The bankruptcy filing comes after several years of declining sales and strategic missteps as J.C. Penney careened from one reinvention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
J.C. Penney lost money in eight of the last nine years , totaling $ 4.45 billion , according to FactSet .
Having racked up the second-most debt of any distressed retailer at $ 4.2 billion – ranking behind only luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus , according to Moody ’ s Investor Service – J.C. Penney engaged in talks with creditors in recent weeks in hopes of avoiding bankruptcy .
But those talks faltered as it became increasingly clear that the retailer ’ s prospects looked increasingly grim For J.C. Penney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destination for the American middle class , bankruptcy marks a fall from grace that could spell the end .
“ If you go back to the ‘ 80s , J.C. Penney at that point in time was a family retailer that sold a lot of interesting products from fashion to homewares ( and ) was a destination for a lot of consumers to go and do their shopping , ” said Neil Saunders , managing director of GlobalData Retail .
But “ J.C .
Penney has been losing shoppers , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been losing sales over a very long period of time because the products it provides and the way in which it provides them has just become increasingly irrelevant to consumers , ” Saunders added .
With the success of discount chains like Walmart and Target , declining foot traffic to malls and the emergence of off-price retailers like T.J. Maxx and Marshall ’ s , J.C. Penney stores “ look old-fashioned ” and the company ’ s online experience is insufficient , Saunders said .
“ It ’ s not been really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
The coronavirus has deepened the ongoing troubles for department stores , which have had a difficult time adjusting to the rise of digital threats and nimble physical competitors that offer affordable fast-fashion apparel .
For J.C. Penney , the pressures of the coronavirus , which temporarily shuttered all of the chain ’ s stores , turned out to be the proverbial last straw .
To be sure , bankruptcy is designed to give struggling companies a second chance , so J.C. Penney could survive as a smaller , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous retailers have failed to survive the process in recent years .
Toys R Us , Charlotte Russe , Bon-Ton Stores , Barney ’ s and Gymboree are among the retailers that have closed their U.S. stores or liquidated altogether in bankruptcy .
Camilla Yanushevsky , a retail stock analyst for CFRA Research , said she believes the company has reached the end of its rope .
“ I don ’ t think that J.C. Penney is going to be one of those companies that emerges , ” she said .
“ At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think they ’ ll be liquidating their assets to get some cash back to creditors.
” Saunders said he expects J.C. Penney to survive Chapter 11 but doubts that the company will emerge as a “ robust business.
” Rather , he expects “ we ’ ll see a bouncing along the bottom ” until the end finally comes .
Featured in classic movies like “ Back to the Future ” and recent TV shows like “ Stranger Things , ” J.C. Penney was synonymous with the American shopping mall experience for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started around the time that Americans began embracing online retail for apparel purchases .
When mall foot traffic began to drop off , J.C. Penney encountered turbulence .
While some of its moves , such as its decision to launch Sephora beauty shops within its stores , paid off , the company also made a series of costly strategic mistakes as it tried to adjust to the digital age .
Under the leadership of former CEO Ron Johnson , the company suffered a significant setback .
Johnson , who was ousted in 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Penney customers cherished .
He also spent heavily to rework stores with a vision honed during his time as an Apple executive .
Customers recoiled at those changes , analysts later said , and the company revived discounts after Johnson was gone .
In recent years , the company was also unable to take advantage as competitors crumbled .
It was not without trying .
For example , J.C. Penney started selling appliances under CEO Marvin Ellison in a bid to take advantage of the decline of longtime rival Sears , which slid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that plan also flopped , and Ellison ’ s successor , Jill Soltau , scrapped appliances in favor of a renewed emphasis on the company ’ s core merchandise – namely , women ’ s apparel .
“ We are very focused on the all-in shopping enthusiasts , ” Soltau told investors in a conference call Feb. 27 .
“ These are customers who love to shop .
They live life to the fullest .
They are the most interested in their personal style.
” While analysts generally applauded Soltau ’ s vision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was hamstrung by the company ’ s financial shortcomings .
Soltau “ clearly understood the industry ” with key moves like investments in private-label brands , Yanushevsky said .
“ She understood that people are looking for a bargain.
” “ She inherited a lot of these problems , ” Saunders said .
“ The problem is that in order to change J.C. Penney in the way that she wants to , you need to have quite a lot of financial muscle , and you need to have a lot of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has neither of those things on its side.
” In contrast to the parent company of Sears , which closed more than 3,500 stores in the last two decades , J.C. Penney chose not to close stores in droves over the years .
From the end of 2009 to the end of 2019 , J.C. Penney went from 1,047 stores to 845 , according to CoStar .
That strategy helped the company avoid the type of revenue freefall that happened at Sears , whose stores fell into disrepair as the company failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too aggressive with closures , J.C. Penney might not have gone far enough .
Saunders said J.C. Penney “ should ’ ve been slightly more aggressive with store closures ” since some locations “ are never going to be able to work.
” “ But you can understand and appreciate why they didn ’ t shut more than Sears , ” Saunders said .
When the coronavirus hit , numerous retailers that don ’ t sell essential goods were suddenly engulfed in a financial crisis .
“ This has inevitably squashed sales at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And there ’ s little hope of a sharp rebound for the sector as the pandemic subsides .
“ I think it will take people a long time to want to go back department stores , ” Saunders said .
Still , competitors like Macy ’ s and Kohl ’ s are better positioned to weather the crisis in part due to decisions they made in the years leading up to the pandemic .
They have managed to invest enough in their operations to keep customers coming back in recent years , Yanushevsky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s has offered an off-price experience through its Backstage brand , while Kohl ’ s has trumpeted a returns partnership with Amazon .
J.C. Penney , on the other hand , hasn ’ t had a cohesive strategy for years .
The company suffered from constant turnover in the executive ranks , including Johnson ’ s turbulent tenure and Ellison ’ s surprising exit in 2018 to become CEO of Lowe ’ s .
“ There have been so many organizational shakeups within J.C. Penney that they haven ’ t had that long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When J.C. Penney missed a key interest payment in mid-April , it was a clear-cut sign that the company had entered a period of serious distress .
Pulling off a comeback amid these circumstances would be a “ Herculean task , ” Saunders said .

J.C. Penney, reeling from a one-two punch of the department store industry’s struggles and the coronavirus pandemic, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday.
The company, which had racked up an unsustainable amount of debt in recent years, plans to close some locations permanently in a bid to survive bankruptcy. The retailer had 845 stores at the end of 2019, according to real estate data source CoStar Portfolio Strategy.
The bankruptcy filing comes after several years of declining sales and strategic missteps as J.C. Penney careened from one reinvention strategy to another.
Nothing seemed to work. J.C. Penney lost money in eight of the last nine years, totaling $4.45 billion, according to FactSet.
Having racked up the second-most debt of any distressed retailer at $4.2 billion – ranking behind only luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus, according to Moody’s Investor Service – J.C. Penney engaged in talks with creditors in recent weeks in hopes of avoiding bankruptcy.
But those talks faltered as it became increasingly clear that the retailer’s prospects looked increasingly grim
For J.C. Penney, which was once a regular shopping destination for the American middle class, bankruptcy marks a fall from grace that could spell the end.
“If you go back to the ‘80s, J.C. Penney at that point in time was a family retailer that sold a lot of interesting products from fashion to homewares (and) was a destination for a lot of consumers to go and do their shopping,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail.
But “J.C. Penney has been losing shoppers, it’s been losing market share and it’s been losing sales over a very long period of time because the products it provides and the way in which it provides them has just become increasingly irrelevant to consumers,” Saunders added.
With the success of discount chains like Walmart and Target, declining foot traffic to malls and the emergence of off-price retailers like T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s, J.C. Penney stores “look old-fashioned” and the company’s online experience is insufficient, Saunders said.
“It’s not been really able to reinvent itself as a brand,” he said.
The coronavirus has deepened the ongoing troubles for department stores, which have had a difficult time adjusting to the rise of digital threats and nimble physical competitors that offer affordable fast-fashion apparel.
For J.C. Penney, the pressures of the coronavirus, which temporarily shuttered all of the chain’s stores, turned out to be the proverbial last straw.
To be sure, bankruptcy is designed to give struggling companies a second chance, so J.C. Penney could survive as a smaller, nimbler retailer with financial sustainability.
But numerous retailers have failed to survive the process in recent years. Toys R Us, Charlotte Russe, Bon-Ton Stores, Barney’s and Gymboree are among the retailers that have closed their U.S. stores or liquidated altogether in bankruptcy.
Camilla Yanushevsky, a retail stock analyst for CFRA Research, said she believes the company has reached the end of its rope.
“I don’t think that J.C. Penney is going to be one of those companies that emerges,” she said. “At the end of the day, I think they’ll be liquidating their assets to get some cash back to creditors.”
Saunders said he expects J.C. Penney to survive Chapter 11 but doubts that the company will emerge as a “robust business.” Rather, he expects “we’ll see a bouncing along the bottom” until the end finally comes.
American shopping icon
Featured in classic movies like “Back to the Future” and recent TV shows like “Stranger Things,” J.C. Penney was synonymous with the American shopping mall experience for many years.
But its fall from grace started around the time that Americans began embracing online retail for apparel purchases. When mall foot traffic began to drop off, J.C. Penney encountered turbulence.
While some of its moves, such as its decision to launch Sephora beauty shops within its stores, paid off, the company also made a series of costly strategic mistakes as it tried to adjust to the digital age.
Under the leadership of former CEO Ron Johnson, the company suffered a significant setback. Johnson, who was ousted in 2013, ditched sales and coupons that J.C. Penney customers cherished. He also spent heavily to rework stores with a vision honed during his time as an Apple executive. Customers recoiled at those changes, analysts later said, and the company revived discounts after Johnson was gone.
In recent years, the company was also unable to take advantage as competitors crumbled. It was not without trying. For example, J.C. Penney started selling appliances under CEO Marvin Ellison in a bid to take advantage of the decline of longtime rival Sears, which slid into bankruptcy in October 2018.
But that plan also flopped, and Ellison’s successor, Jill Soltau, scrapped appliances in favor of a renewed emphasis on the company’s core merchandise – namely, women’s apparel.
“We are very focused on the all-in shopping enthusiasts,” Soltau told investors in a conference call Feb. 27. “These are customers who love to shop. They live life to the fullest. They are the most interested in their personal style.”
While analysts generally applauded Soltau’s vision for remaking J.C. Penney, they said she was hamstrung by the company’s financial shortcomings.
Soltau “clearly understood the industry” with key moves like investments in private-label brands, Yanushevsky said. “She understood that people are looking for a bargain.”
“She inherited a lot of these problems,” Saunders said. “The problem is that in order to change J.C. Penney in the way that she wants to, you need to have quite a lot of financial muscle, and you need to have a lot of time to enact those changes – and JCPenney has neither of those things on its side.”
Why J.C. Penney didn’t resort to massive store closures
In contrast to the parent company of Sears, which closed more than 3,500 stores in the last two decades, J.C. Penney chose not to close stores in droves over the years.
From the end of 2009 to the end of 2019, J.C. Penney went from 1,047 stores to 845, according to CoStar.
That strategy helped the company avoid the type of revenue freefall that happened at Sears, whose stores fell into disrepair as the company failed to reinvent itself.
But while Sears was too aggressive with closures, J.C. Penney might not have gone far enough. Saunders said J.C. Penney “should’ve been slightly more aggressive with store closures” since some locations “are never going to be able to work.”
“But you can understand and appreciate why they didn’t shut more than Sears,” Saunders said.
When the coronavirus hit, numerous retailers that don’t sell essential goods were suddenly engulfed in a financial crisis.
“This has inevitably squashed sales at department stores,” Saunders said.
And there’s little hope of a sharp rebound for the sector as the pandemic subsides.
“I think it will take people a long time to want to go back department stores,” Saunders said.
Still, competitors like Macy’s and Kohl’s are better positioned to weather the crisis in part due to decisions they made in the years leading up to the pandemic. They have managed to invest enough in their operations to keep customers coming back in recent years, Yanushevsky said. For example, Macy’s has offered an off-price experience through its Backstage brand, while Kohl’s has trumpeted a returns partnership with Amazon.
J.C. Penney, on the other hand, hasn’t had a cohesive strategy for years. The company suffered from constant turnover in the executive ranks, including Johnson’s turbulent tenure and Ellison’s surprising exit in 2018 to become CEO of Lowe’s.
“There have been so many organizational shakeups within J.C. Penney that they haven’t had that long-term stability and vision,” Yanushevsky said.
When J.C. Penney missed a key interest payment in mid-April, it was a clear-cut sign that the company had entered a period of serious distress.
Pulling off a comeback amid these circumstances would be a “Herculean task,” Saunders said.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--Lightfoot hints at street closures to help restaurants serve diners, people get around

Is Mayor Lori Lightfoot planning to close streets and sidewalks so restaurants can safely reopen for diners and residents can have a place to run , walk and play ?
Sure sounds like it .
“ People are itching to get outside .
Businesses are looking at creative ways to serve customers .
The key is how we do it , ” the mayor tweeted Friday .
“ Stay tuned for some changes to our streets and sidewalks .
Transportation is more than just cars .
We ’ ll show how Chicago can be safer and easier to get around.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Sam Toia urged Gov .
J.B. Pritzker to relax his five-step plan to reopen Illinois by allowing restaurants to open at 25 % of capacity beginning June 1 with strict safeguards for restaurant employees , including face masks and daily temperature checks .
At the time , Toia teased the street closing idea as a way to “ think outside the box.
” He said he was talking to the mayor about “ maybe closing some streets for outside dining with the tables on the street ” so outdoor tables could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can maintain social distance .
On Friday , Toia put even more meat on the bone .
He noted that Tampa and Cincinnati have already closed streets for safe outdoor dining and that Chicago should do the same to let restaurants generate some level of income , even if they are forced to remain closed to inside dining during the month of June .
“ Maybe we close some side streets and let these restaurants move some tables onto the streets .
We have customers come to the restaurants , but the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six feet apart , ” Toia said .
“ Also throughout the city , there are some restaurants that have little side parking lots .
Maybe they can use the side parking lots to do outdoor dining.
” Toia acknowledged there are a lot of details to be worked out , including the impact on CTA buses and parking meters that , if taken out of service , require compensation to the consortium that leased the meters .
But , if those details can be ironed out , it could pave the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We could go from Pilsen to Hyde Park to Logan Square to Andersonville to Lakeview to Little Village .
There ’ s quite a few neighborhoods that have a lot of restaurants and could expand their outdoor cafes onto the street or , at least , onto those bus lanes or bike lanes , ” Toia said .
The mayor ’ s office offered no additional guidance when asked what exactly Lightfoot meant by her tantalizing tweet .
Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi retweeted Lightfoot with her own requests for Chicagoans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During a Facebook live session last week with Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady , Biagi said the city would take a measured approach to street closings .
“ If you look at a city like Oakland that closed some 70 miles of residential streets , that sounds great .
But the way we like to plan in Chicago is being really attuned to each individual neighborhood , ” Biagi said .
Noting that housing patterns and open space vary across the city , she said , “ If a neighborhood is raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have lots of tools and we are happy to talk about how we can apply them.
” “ A mayoral appointee to the Zoning Board of Appeals , Toia said Lightfoot is “ looking at everything and trying to be as pragmatic as she can.
” She ’ s still talking with her department heads “ to see what can work and what can not work , ” he said .
“ We ’ re trying get restaurants to be part of Phase 3 .
Because Phase 4 is when the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside restaurants , ” Toia said .
For the Active Transportation Alliance , the emphasis is on “ creating more safe space for people walking on crowded sidewalks ” and biking in protected bike lanes , said spokesman Kyle Whitehead .
“ The city needs to be exploring and implementing a range of things , which may include limiting traffic on residential streets so that people walking and biking feel more safe and comfortable , ” Whitehead said .
“ There also should include changes to arterial streets , where people are biking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely should include changes to make transit safer and more reliable .
Space on sidewalks for people to wait for the bus .
Making sure there ’ s space dedicated to the bus on the street so that bus service is fast and more reliable .
”

Is Mayor Lori Lightfoot planning to close streets and sidewalks so restaurants can safely reopen for diners and residents can have a place to run, walk and play? Sure sounds like it.
“People are itching to get outside. Businesses are looking at creative ways to serve customers. The key is how we do it,” the mayor tweeted Friday.
“Stay tuned for some changes to our streets and sidewalks. Transportation is more than just cars. We’ll show how Chicago can be safer and easier to get around.”
Last week, Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia urged Gov. J.B. Pritzker to relax his five-step plan to reopen Illinois by allowing restaurants to open at 25% of capacity beginning June 1 with strict safeguards for restaurant employees, including face masks and daily temperature checks.
At the time, Toia teased the street closing idea as a way to “think outside the box.”
He said he was talking to the mayor about “maybe closing some streets for outside dining with the tables on the street” so outdoor tables could be at least six feet apart and patrons can maintain social distance.
Closed streets in Tampa, Cincinnati
On Friday, Toia put even more meat on the bone.
He noted that Tampa and Cincinnati have already closed streets for safe outdoor dining and that Chicago should do the same to let restaurants generate some level of income, even if they are forced to remain closed to inside dining during the month of June.
“Maybe we close some side streets and let these restaurants move some tables onto the streets. We have customers come to the restaurants, but the streets are closed so all the tables are six feet apart,” Toia said.
“Also throughout the city, there are some restaurants that have little side parking lots. Maybe they can use the side parking lots to do outdoor dining.”
Toia acknowledged there are a lot of details to be worked out, including the impact on CTA buses and parking meters that, if taken out of service, require compensation to the consortium that leased the meters.
But, if those details can be ironed out, it could pave the way for street closures across the city.
“We could go from Pilsen to Hyde Park to Logan Square to Andersonville to Lakeview to Little Village. There’s quite a few neighborhoods that have a lot of restaurants and could expand their outdoor cafes onto the street or, at least, onto those bus lanes or bike lanes,” Toia said.
The mayor’s office offered no additional guidance when asked what exactly Lightfoot meant by her tantalizing tweet. Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi retweeted Lightfoot with her own requests for Chicagoans to send their suggestions to covidmobility@cityofchicago.org.
Neighborhood by neighborhood
During a Facebook live session last week with Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, Biagi said the city would take a measured approach to street closings.
“If you look at a city like Oakland that closed some 70 miles of residential streets, that sounds great. But the way we like to plan in Chicago is being really attuned to each individual neighborhood,” Biagi said.
Noting that housing patterns and open space vary across the city, she said, “If a neighborhood is raising their hand and experiencing some issues, we have lots of tools and we are happy to talk about how we can apply them.”
“A mayoral appointee to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Toia said Lightfoot is “looking at everything and trying to be as pragmatic as she can.” She’s still talking with her department heads “to see what can work and what cannot work,” he said.
“We’re trying get restaurants to be part of Phase 3. Because Phase 4 is when the governor said we can open with partial seating inside restaurants,” Toia said.
Could help walkers, bikers
For the Active Transportation Alliance, the emphasis is on “creating more safe space for people walking on crowded sidewalks” and biking in protected bike lanes, said spokesman Kyle Whitehead.
“The city needs to be exploring and implementing a range of things, which may include limiting traffic on residential streets so that people walking and biking feel more safe and comfortable,” Whitehead said.
“There also should include changes to arterial streets, where people are biking and may not feel safe. It definitely should include changes to make transit safer and more reliable. Space on sidewalks for people to wait for the bus. Making sure there’s space dedicated to the bus on the street so that bus service is fast and more reliable.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Dear Abby: Man’s devotion to his mother concerns his girlfriend

DEAR ABBY : I have been dating this guy for about a year .
We are both 30 .
He lives at home .
At first I thought it was to take care of his elderly father , but I soon realized it wasn ’ t the case .
His mom is sweet , yet overbearing .
She inserts herself into his life at every opportunity .
She talks to him like he ’ s the butler .
( “ Oh , perfect son of mine !
Won ’ t you clear off the dinner table/clean the kitchen/do EVERYTHING ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ night and attend church events together .
He ’ s in the choir with her because he said it “ pleases ” her .
I think those are things he should be doing with a significant other .
I don ’ t feel secure in this relationship because I don ’ t know my place .
I feel like I have to compete with her ( even though she tries to include me in everything ) .
I see how she manipulates him , and it tears me apart inside .
( She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view it as a hindrance to his own life .
He is doing for her what he could be doing for himself or his own family , but he ’ s stuck in this Mommy cycle .
He will receive a large inheritance when his parents die .
Could that be why he does it ?
He is a great lover and emotionally intelligent , but he depends on his mother too much for my comfort .
I caught them in a long embrace ( hug ) after she had been away all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came over to us while we were watching a movie and started kissing his head !
It grossed me out .
Help !
— DON ’ T WANT THIS THREESOME DEAR DON ’ T : It ’ s apparent that you are competing with his mother rather than she competing with you .
There ’ s a saying that if you want to know how a man will treat his wife , watch how he treats his mother .
Rather than feel manipulated , be glad she tries to include you in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if you want to enjoy the earthly rewards after the woman goes on to her heavenly one , she and her “ perfect son ” are a package deal .
DEAR ABBY : I purchased a beautiful Tiffany engagement ring , but my girlfriend rejected my proposal .
I will get only pennies on the dollar if I sell it .
Would it be acceptable to save it for a future engagement proposal ?
— PRACTICAL IN CALIFORNIA DEAR PRACTICAL : Your letter illustrates the impracticality of buying an engagement ring before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of proposing and THEN , if the person says yes , selecting a ring together ?
In recent years — thanks to social media — engagements have become more like invitations to a high school prom — elaborate and over-the-top .
I do not think you should compound your mistake by offering another woman that ring in an effort to save money .
If she were to find out , she would likely be both disappointed and hurt .
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren , also known as Jeanne Phillips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pauline Phillips .
Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .
Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “ The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.
” To order , send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby , Anger Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are @ @ @ @ @ @

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating this guy for about a year. We are both 30. He lives at home. At first I thought it was to take care of his elderly father, but I soon realized it wasn’t the case.
His mom is sweet, yet overbearing. She inserts herself into his life at every opportunity. She talks to him like he’s the butler. (“Oh, perfect son of mine! Won’t you clear off the dinner table/clean the kitchen/do EVERYTHING?!”) They cook together every night and attend church events together. He’s in the choir with her because he said it “pleases” her. I think those are things he should be doing with a significant other.
I don’t feel secure in this relationship because I don’t know my place. I feel like I have to compete with her (even though she tries to include me in everything). I see how she manipulates him, and it tears me apart inside. (She NEEDS him so much.) I view it as a hindrance to his own life. He is doing for her what he could be doing for himself or his own family, but he’s stuck in this Mommy cycle.
He will receive a large inheritance when his parents die. Could that be why he does it? He is a great lover and emotionally intelligent, but he depends on his mother too much for my comfort. I caught them in a long embrace (hug) after she had been away all weekend with his father. Then she came over to us while we were watching a movie and started kissing his head! It grossed me out. Help! — DON’T WANT THIS THREESOME
DEAR DON’T: It’s apparent that you are competing with his mother rather than she competing with you. There’s a saying that if you want to know how a man will treat his wife, watch how he treats his mother. Rather than feel manipulated, be glad she tries to include you in the family circle. And keep in mind, if you want to enjoy the earthly rewards after the woman goes on to her heavenly one, she and her “perfect son” are a package deal.
DEAR ABBY: I purchased a beautiful Tiffany engagement ring, but my girlfriend rejected my proposal. I will get only pennies on the dollar if I sell it. Would it be acceptable to save it for a future engagement proposal? — PRACTICAL IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR PRACTICAL: Your letter illustrates the impracticality of buying an engagement ring before proposing. Whatever happened to the tradition of proposing and THEN, if the person says yes, selecting a ring together?
In recent years — thanks to social media — engagements have become more like invitations to a high school prom — elaborate and over-the-top. I do not think you should compound your mistake by offering another woman that ring in an effort to save money. If she were to find out, she would likely be both disappointed and hurt.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.” To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--3 hurt in wrong-way crash in West Garfield Park

Three people were injured in a head-on crash Saturday in West Garfield Park on the West Side .
A Jeep @ @ @ @ @ southbound lanes when it hit a southbound Nissan Altima at 1:48 a.m. in the 300 @ @ @ @ @ , according to Chicago police .
The Jeep then hit a light pole .
The @ @ @ @ @ was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for observation in good condition , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ Nissan was taken to Stroger Hospital with a leg injury , police said .
His @ @ @ @ @ , was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with facial lacerations .
Both are in fair @ @ @ @ @ Jeep ’ s driver are pending as detectives continue to investigate , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ and track the city ’ s homicides .

Three people were injured in a head-on crash Saturday in West Garfield Park on the West Side.
A Jeep was heading north in the southbound lanes when it hit a southbound Nissan Altima at 1:48 a.m. in the 300 block of North Pulaski Road, according to Chicago police. The Jeep then hit a light pole.
The 36-year-old man driving the Jeep was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for observation in good condition, police said.
The 24-year-old man driving the Nissan was taken to Stroger Hospital with a leg injury, police said. His passenger, another 24-year-old man, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with facial lacerations. Both are in fair condition.
Citations against the Jeep’s driver are pending as detectives continue to investigate, police said.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Burglary, attempted home invasion reported in Logan Square: police

Police are warning Northwest Side residents of a break-in and attempted home invasion Thursday in Logan Square .
A man @ @ @ @ @ the rear of two homes on May 14 , according to Chicago police .
In @ @ @ @ @ 12:20 p.m. in the 2000 block of North Sawyer Avenue , he was confronted and @ @ @ @ @ second incident about 20 minutes later in the 2100 block of North Mozart Street , @ @ @ @ @ and implied he had a weapon , police said .
He got away with property @ @ @ @ @ as a 20- to 30-year-old man standing 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9 , police said .
He @ @ @ @ @ 160 pounds and has short black hair .
Anyone with information is asked to call @ @ @ @ @ .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Police are warning Northwest Side residents of a break-in and attempted home invasion Thursday in Logan Square.
A man tried to break in through the rear of two homes on May 14, according to Chicago police. In the first case, about 12:20 p.m. in the 2000 block of North Sawyer Avenue, he was confronted and ran off.
In the second incident about 20 minutes later in the 2100 block of North Mozart Street, the suspect beat the victims and implied he had a weapon, police said. He got away with property.
The suspect is described as a 20- to 30-year-old man standing 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9, police said. He’s about 150 to 160 pounds and has short black hair.
Anyone with information is asked to call Area Five detectives at 312-746-7394.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Ranking the NFL’s seven new uniforms

Ranking the NFL’s seven new uniforms

There ’ s no accounting for taste , but the Sun-Times ’ Patrick Finley and Brian Sandalow try , ranking the NFL ’ s seven new uniform sets unveiled this offseason .
Not even the angriest San Diegan would burn these uniforms , which have everything : the classic powder blue ; the return of yellow pants for the first time since 1984 ; and the yellow facemask the Chargers embraced last year .
Helmet numbers will help identify players from the press box , given that the team axed TV numbers atop the shoulders .
Their all-royal alternate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ —surely ticketed for a televised night game — beats the pants off most second alternates .
One fun detail : the team will change the color of the helmet bolt and number to match its alternates .
The Chargers are moving into a stadium they don ’ t own in a city that hasn ’ t embraced them .
At least they ’ ll look good doing it .
Getting rid of the pewter shoulder yokes and alarm clock-inspired glow-in the-dark numbers returns them to their modern classic design , complete with orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” days .
Even Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will find it hard to look cool in the pewter alternate uniform , though .
Pay attention , Falcons .
In five years , you ’ ll do what the Browns just did : scrap the giant jersey word mark , gimmicky alternate set and unnecessary doodads from the side of your pants .
The Browns ’ uniforms are sacrosanct — as they found out when they messed with them in 2015 .
The Brady-era jerseys proved winning makes even the ugliest uniforms sexy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even if the navy home set falls victim to the Monochrome Monster plaguing the league .
By pure coincidence , they come at the right time in franchise history — we won ’ t have to see Jarrett Stidham wear Brady ’ s jersey .
First , do no harm : the Colts changed merely the word mark , number font and — no joke — color of the Nike swoosh on their classic jersey .
This is the result of St. Louis interlopers trying to cosplay Southern California .
The team says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspired by the color of beach sand and ram horns .
The gradient is supposed to mimic a sunset , as if the St. Louisans had never seen one before moving the team .
When they redesigned the horn , the team Rams said they “ discovered nature ’ s beauty unfold with the golden ratio [ aka Fibonacci Sequence ] in its curvature .
This same ratio underpins the perfect spiral and the perfect wave.
” The road jersey has sleeve numbers but the home doesn ’ t , and that inconsistency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got their jerseys and helmets to be the same shade of blue , and the Fibonacci horn looks just fine on the helmet .
The Rams ’ set ranks in the top half of NFL teams .
It ’ s the rationale behind it that ’ s embarrassing .
A real-life NFL team — not one from the CFL or XFL or that other league we ’ ve already forgotten — will wear an alternate jersey that starts out red at the top and gradates downward into a black , blood clot-like cummerbund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are by the comically large three letters they ’ ve plastered across all three jerseys — “ ATL.
” Add a boxy number font and jersey side panels that promise to never exactly line up with the pants , and you ’ ve got the worst redesign of the offseason .
When the Panthers mock your uniforms , they must be awful .
Just thinking about these uniforms makes me feel all warm and happy inside .
The Browns look like the Browns again .
No more ridiculous imagery that was supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
It was disappointing that orange pants weren ’ t part of the unveiling , but they feel inevitable and will only add to the NFL ’ s best new uniform , and maybe the best overall .
Let ’ s start with the negatives : no powder blue pants yet , no TV numbers , and maybe one too many combinations with royal and navy blue .
And that ’ s it .
The Chargers have won the uniform battle for Los Angeles .
The yellow pants — if used sparingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add even more color to a unique look .
The best part is that the Chargers didn ’ t overthink the standard home and road sets .
No unnecessary frills ; instead they let their colors and new bolt speak for themselves .
This is pretty much the same uniform the Buccaneers wore for their only Super Bowl title , and if anything it ’ s not as good as that version .
Back when Warren Sapp and John Lynch were with Tampa Bay , Nike knew how to provide pants with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which for whatever reason they can ’ t now .
But in comparison to the monstrosities the Bucs just dumped , the new/old set is fine .
The Buccaneers look like an NFL team again .
The switch to the vintage-style numbers is welcomed , and the horseshoe logo was tweaked so subtly only the most seasoned uni watchers will notice .
The new Colts wordmark and Indiana-inspired secondary logo are fine and don ’ t clash with the franchise ’ s aesthetic heritage .
The only concern are the black Swooshes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hope that isn ’ t paving the way for an unnecessary black alternate .
The biggest question is why no silver/gray pants ?
Unless a surprise is coming , the Patriots will wear navy blue pants for all 16 games .
Yuck .
That ’ s a dark and dank look , and makes the silver helmet stick out in a bad way .
The white jersey has red-blue-red stripes when it should be the other way around .
A couple tweaks and this set will be an upgrade .
Atlanta went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will feel dated in three years .
But can we just talk about the red jersey having a gradient ?
I ’ m not even bothering to see if there ’ s an explanation for that idea .
It ’ s not something that looks like an NFL team and hopefully gets ditched as soon as possible .
Woof .
The new logo was received poorly and acted as a warning that the uniforms would be bad .
And they ’ re even worse than I thought possible .
The iconic helmet horns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jersey is a tire fire with gradient numbers and a weird patch on the left shoulder .
But that ’ s still better than the “ bone ” away set .
Yellow and white shoulder horns , a white patch , TV numbers when the blue jersey doesn ’ t include them , and a yellow tag on the back of the neck .
The matching pants aren ’ t any better .
The bone set is the worst uniform in modern NFL history .

There’s no accounting for taste, but the Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley and Brian Sandalow try, ranking the NFL’s seven new uniform sets unveiled this offseason.
Patrick Finley
1. CHARGERS
Not even the angriest San Diegan would burn these uniforms, which have everything: the classic powder blue; the return of yellow pants for the first time since 1984; and the yellow facemask the Chargers embraced last year. Helmet numbers will help identify players from the press box, given that the team axed TV numbers atop the shoulders.
Their all-royal alternate is Dan Fouts-era cool. The all-navy set —surely ticketed for a televised night game — beats the pants off most second alternates. One fun detail: the team will change the color of the helmet bolt and number to match its alternates.
The Chargers are moving into a stadium they don’t own in a city that hasn’t embraced them. At least they’ll look good doing it.
2. BUCCANEERS
Getting rid of the pewter shoulder yokes and alarm clock-inspired glow-in the-dark numbers returns them to their modern classic design, complete with orange number accents saluting the “Bucco Bruce” days. Even Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will find it hard to look cool in the pewter alternate uniform, though.
True to ourselves.
True to our loyal fans.
True to who we’ll always be.https://t.co/VwRW3sfRSx pic.twitter.com/HbQYZQEu9N — Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 15, 2020
3. BROWNS
Pay attention, Falcons. In five years, you’ll do what the Browns just did: scrap the giant jersey word mark, gimmicky alternate set and unnecessary doodads from the side of your pants. The Browns’ uniforms are sacrosanct — as they found out when they messed with them in 2015.
4. PATRIOTS
The Brady-era jerseys proved winning makes even the ugliest uniforms sexy. The new ones are better, even if the navy home set falls victim to the Monochrome Monster plaguing the league. By pure coincidence, they come at the right time in franchise history — we won’t have to see Jarrett Stidham wear Brady’s jersey.
Same classic look. Built for the future. 🔵⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/3h5xi08s96 — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 13, 2020
5. COLTS
First, do no harm: the Colts changed merely the word mark, number font and — no joke — color of the Nike swoosh on their classic jersey.
6. RAMS
This is the result of St. Louis interlopers trying to cosplay Southern California. The team says the “bone” road uniforms are inspired by the color of beach sand and ram horns. The gradient is supposed to mimic a sunset, as if the St. Louisans had never seen one before moving the team.
When they redesigned the horn, the team Rams said they “discovered nature’s beauty unfold with the golden ratio [aka Fibonacci Sequence] in its curvature. This same ratio underpins the perfect spiral and the perfect wave.”
Like, totally, dude.
The road jersey has sleeve numbers but the home doesn’t, and that inconsistency is annoying. But the Rams finally got their jerseys and helmets to be the same shade of blue, and the Fibonacci horn looks just fine on the helmet.
The Rams’ set ranks in the top half of NFL teams. It’s the rationale behind it that’s embarrassing.
7. FALCONS
A real-life NFL team — not one from the CFL or XFL or that other league we’ve already forgotten — will wear an alternate jersey that starts out red at the top and gradates downward into a black, blood clot-like cummerbund. You’ll know who they are by the comically large three letters they’ve plastered across all three jerseys — “ATL.”
Add a boxy number font and jersey side panels that promise to never exactly line up with the pants, and you’ve got the worst redesign of the offseason.
When the Panthers mock your uniforms, they must be awful.
Brian Sandalow
Everything you need to know about today’s jersey launch 🟤
🖥 » https://t.co/VwRW3sfRSx pic.twitter.com/AEjPRDSal6 — Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 15, 2020
1. BROWNS
Just thinking about these uniforms makes me feel all warm and happy inside. The Browns look like the Browns again. No more ridiculous imagery that was supposed to represent Cleveland but actually condescended to the people.
It was disappointing that orange pants weren’t part of the unveiling, but they feel inevitable and will only add to the NFL’s best new uniform, and maybe the best overall.
2. CHARGERS
Let’s start with the negatives: no powder blue pants yet, no TV numbers, and maybe one too many combinations with royal and navy blue. And that’s it. The Chargers have won the uniform battle for Los Angeles. The yellow pants — if used sparingly — will be a great change and add even more color to a unique look. The best part is that the Chargers didn’t overthink the standard home and road sets.
No unnecessary frills; instead they let their colors and new bolt speak for themselves.
3. BUCCANEERS
This is pretty much the same uniform the Buccaneers wore for their only Super Bowl title, and if anything it’s not as good as that version. Back when Warren Sapp and John Lynch were with Tampa Bay, Nike knew how to provide pants with a gloss finish to match the pewter helmets, which for whatever reason they can’t now. But in comparison to the monstrosities the Bucs just dumped, the new/old set is fine.
The Buccaneers look like an NFL team again.
You don’t mess with a classic.
You push it forward. 🔵⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/ocawX9nxYs — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 14, 2020
4. COLTS
The switch to the vintage-style numbers is welcomed, and the horseshoe logo was tweaked so subtly only the most seasoned uni watchers will notice. The new Colts wordmark and Indiana-inspired secondary logo are fine and don’t clash with the franchise’s aesthetic heritage.
The only concern are the black Swooshes on the white jerseys. Let’s hope that isn’t paving the way for an unnecessary black alternate.
Playing off the past, fit for the future.
Some background on our new uniforms: https://t.co/JfvyyEYthd — New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 20, 2020
5. PATRIOTS
The biggest question is why no silver/gray pants? Unless a surprise is coming, the Patriots will wear navy blue pants for all 16 games. Yuck. That’s a dark and dank look, and makes the silver helmet stick out in a bad way. The white jersey has red-blue-red stripes when it should be the other way around. A couple tweaks and this set will be an upgrade.
6. FALCONS
Atlanta went from a dated uniform to one that will feel dated in three years. But can we just talk about the red jersey having a gradient? I’m not even bothering to see if there’s an explanation for that idea. It’s not something that looks like an NFL team and hopefully gets ditched as soon as possible.
Inspired by history. pic.twitter.com/zgm7CS7Vj8 — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 13, 2020
7. RAMS
Woof. The new logo was received poorly and acted as a warning that the uniforms would be bad. And they’re even worse than I thought possible. The iconic helmet horns have been changed, and the blue jersey is a tire fire with gradient numbers and a weird patch on the left shoulder.
But that’s still better than the “bone” away set.
Yellow and white shoulder horns, a white patch, TV numbers when the blue jersey doesn’t include them, and a yellow tag on the back of the neck. The matching pants aren’t any better. The bone set is the worst uniform in modern NFL history.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Woman swept into DuPage River while walking dogs in Winfield

Authorities called off a search Friday night for a woman who was swept into the DuPage River while walking dogs @ @ @ @ @ The 18-year-old woman was walking two dogs when she tried to cross a flooded-out bridge @ @ @ @ @ Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve , according to a statement from the DuPage Forest Preserve District @ @ @ @ @ bicycle nearby saw her get swept away by the current while walking through waist-high water @ @ @ @ @ said .
He tried to assist her until she was pulled into the West Branch @ @ @ @ @ he lost sight of her .
Emergency responders used boats , divers , drones , @ @ @ @ @ search for the woman Friday night , the forest preserve district said .
They found @ @ @ @ @ did not locate the woman .
The search was called off at 11 p.m. and @ @ @ @ @ , officials said .
Record-setting rainfall from Thursday to Friday caused flash flooding throughout northern @ @

Search efforts were called off Saturday night for a woman swept into the DuPage River Friday while walking her dogs in west suburban Winfield.
The 18-year-old woman was walking two dogs when she tried to cross a flooded-out bridge about 6 p.m. at the Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve, according to a statement from the DuPage Forest Preserve District.
A witness riding a bicycle nearby saw her get swept away by the current while walking through waist-high water on the bridge, officials said. He tried to assist her until she was pulled into the West Branch of the DuPage River and he lost sight of her.
Emergency responders used boats, divers, drones, thermal imaging and helicopters to search for the woman Friday night, the forest preserve district said. They found one of the dogs but did not locate the woman.
Authorities resumed their search Saturday at 6:30 a.m. and ended at 9 p.m. without finding her, the forest preserve district said. Recovery efforts will be scheduled once water levels subside.
“Our hearts go out to the family at this tragic time,” said DuPage Forest Preserve District Police Chief David Pederson in a statement. “We are very appreciative of all the help we have received from the numerous agencies and volunteers who assisted in this exhaustive search.”
Record-setting rainfall from Thursday to Friday caused flash flooding throughout northern Illinois.