chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--Ex-Illinois Senate president’s cash giveaway to help 2 Democrats charged with corruption

In his final days as Illinois Senate president , John Cullerton transferred $ 92,000 from a political account he controlled to the campaign funds of two Senate colleagues targeted by federal prosecutors : his distant cousin Thomas Cullerton and Martin Sandoval .
Thomas Cullerton — who got $ 32,000 in January — had pleaded “ not guilty ” to federal charges accusing him of taking $ 274,000 in salary and benefits for a no-show Teamsters job .
Sandoval — who got $ 60,000 — had just resigned his Senate seat and days later pleaded guilty to taking $ 250,000 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Within days after they got the money , records show , both men made sizable payments to their defense lawyers .
Though using campaign contributions to defend themselves against criminal charges is legal , Aaron McKean , a lawyer for the Campaign Legal Center , a national elections watchdog group , says : “ It is unseemly to see campaign funds be used for legal defense , especially when the situation is egregious .
Campaign donors can rightly look at this and say that ’ s not how they wanted their contributions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Senate Democratic Victory Fund , which John Cullerton established and controlled , according to state records , to “ elect Democratic candidates to the Illinois State Senate.
” Such funds typically are set up by party leaders to finance favored candidates .
Thomas Cullerton and Sandoval weren ’ t candidates at the time they received the money in January .
Thomas Cullerton isn ’ t up for re-election until 2022 .
Sandoval already had resigned effective Jan. 1 .
In a report the Senate Democratic fund filed April 15 with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the payments was labeled a “ contributions refund.
” The former Senate president says he had no idea what his colleagues intended to do with the money , only that they requested he return their previous contributions to the Victory Fund .
“ I did not know what they intended to do with it , ” says John Cullerton , a partner in the Chicago law firm Thompson Coburn LLP .
“ They didn ’ t discuss that with me .
They decided what to do with the funds.
” Like other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cullerton had given money over the years from their campaign funds to the Illinois Senate Democratic fund .
By the end of 2019 , Sandoval and Thomas Cullerton ’ s campaign funds were low on cash in part because they had used them to pay their criminal defense lawyers .
In the last three months of the year , Sandoval spent $ 90,000 on lawyers .
Thomas Cullerton spent $ 25,000 on lawyers , leaving him with a balance of $ 240 on Dec. 31 .
The Senate Democratic fund sent $ 60,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 14 and $ 32,000 to Thomas Cullerton ’ s committee on Jan. 17 .
John Cullerton ’ s last day in office was Jan. 20 .
Using the money from the Senate Democratic fund , Thomas Cullerton paid $ 25,000 Jan. 21 to his lawyer Dan Collins , records show .
Sandoval used his campaign fund to pay $ 50,000 Feb. 19 to the Chicago law firm of Freeborn & Peters and $ 25,000 Feb. 24 to Cherry , Frazier & Sabin , a Springfield law firm .
Sandoval didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dylan Smith wouldn ’ t comment .
Thomas Cullerton ’ s spokeswoman Lissa Druss says the refund “ complies with state campaign-finance law.
” Illinois ’ campaign-finance law lists the kinds of expenditures that are prohibited .
Paying legal fees to defend yourself against corruption charges isn ’ t on that list .
“ It ’ s not explicitly prohibited , ” says Matt Dietrich , a spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections .
Illinois politicians used $ 5.3 million in campaign money last year to pay legal bills , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Ald .
Edward M. Burke ( 14th ) , who spent $ 800,000 on legal bills following his arrest on extortion charges .
John Cullerton and Thomas Cullerton are part of a family political dynasty whose roots go back to Chicago ’ s earliest days .
One of their forebears was elected an alderman in 1871 .
Family members held a seat in the Chicago City Council for more than 140 years .
The former Senate president says he authorized other refunds to two other Senate members in recent years — Daniel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it helped fund his unsuccessful 2018 run for governor .
“ I gave a contribution of $ 100,000 to the Senate Democrats very late in the 2016 election cycle , not anticipating that I would be running for governor in the subsequent election , ” Biss says .
“ I asked that the Senate Democrats return the money , which they did .
The money was spent in support of my candidacy for governor.
” Villivalam says he requested his $ 10,000 contribution to the Senate Democrats be returned in October “ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations , to support candidates who share my policy platform and to plan towards my reelection.
” John Cullerton refunded the money to Villivalam from his own campaign committee , records show .
In March , Villivalam won a full term to a second office — 39th ward Democratic committeeperson .
The only other refunds John Cullerton made to lawmakers went to Sandoval and Thomas Cullerton .
Records show Sandoval had given $ 81,700 to the Victory fund over the past 10 years .
Sandoval got back $ 60,000 because that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Cullerton .
Thomas Cullerton gave $ 32,000 to the Senate Democratic fund during his seven years in office , records show .
John Cullerton refunded all of it .
The party fund had spent a total of about $ 2 million helping Thomas Cullerton win elections in his hotly contested DuPage County district .
In 2018 and 2019 , campaign-finance records show , 37 state senators or candidates contributed more than $ 4.5 million to the Senate Democratic Victory Fund .
Asked why he didn ’ t make refunds to other senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , John Cullerton says he acted only in response to requests .
“ I ’ m unaware of other senators who have asked for returns of contributions , ” John Cullerton says .
He said in a report on the fund to the state on April 15 that he had shut down the committee , transferring the remaining balance of $ 7,796.13 to a committee formed by state Sen. Don Harmon , D-Oak Park , his successor as Senate president .
John Cullerton previously stood by his cousin and Sandoval as they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a few days after Thomas Cullerton was indicted on charges accusing him of embezzling from the Teamsters , John Cullerton removed him as chairman of the Illinois Senate Labor Committee but shifted him to chairman of the Illinois Senate Veterans Affairs Committee , allowing him to keep the extra pay that goes to a committee chairman .
“ When I switched his committees , Thomas Cullerton was a senator in good standing and presumed innocent , ” says John Cullerton .
A week after a Sept. 24 raid by federal agents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
J.B. Pritzker called on John Cullerton to strip Sandoval of his transportation committee chairmanship if Sandoval refused to step down .
“ Sandoval retained his chairmanship because at the time he had not been charged , ” Cullerton says .
On Oct.11 , Sandoval stepped down as chairman .
Sandoval was charged in late January .
By then , he had resigned from the Senate .
He pleaded guilty Jan. 28 to taking $ 250,000 in bribes and has agreed to cooperate with federal investigators .
“ I had the discretion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Cullerton says .
“ At the time the funds were returned , Thomas Cullerton had pleaded not guilty .
He ’ s entitled to the presumption of innocence .
Sandoval had not been charged.
” Chuck Neubauer and Sandy Bergo are reporters for the Better Government Association .

Sandy Bergo | Better Government Association

In his final days as Illinois Senate president, John Cullerton transferred $92,000 from a political account he controlled to the campaign funds of two Senate colleagues targeted by federal prosecutors: his distant cousin Thomas Cullerton and Martin Sandoval.
Thomas Cullerton — who got $32,000 in January — had pleaded “not guilty” to federal charges accusing him of taking $274,000 in salary and benefits for a no-show Teamsters job.
Sandoval — who got $60,000 — had just resigned his Senate seat and days later pleaded guilty to taking $250,000 in bribes and filing a false income-tax return.
Within days after they got the money, records show, both men made sizable payments to their defense lawyers.
Though using campaign contributions to defend themselves against criminal charges is legal, Aaron McKean, a lawyer for the Campaign Legal Center, a national elections watchdog group, says: “It is unseemly to see campaign funds be used for legal defense, especially when the situation is egregious. Campaign donors can rightly look at this and say that’s not how they wanted their contributions to be used.”
The cash came from the Senate Democratic Victory Fund, which John Cullerton established and controlled, according to state records, to “elect Democratic candidates to the Illinois State Senate.” Such funds typically are set up by party leaders to finance favored candidates.
Thomas Cullerton and Sandoval weren’t candidates at the time they received the money in January. Thomas Cullerton isn’t up for re-election until 2022. Sandoval already had resigned effective Jan. 1.
In a report the Senate Democratic fund filed April 15 with the Illinois State Board of Elections, each of the payments was labeled a “contributions refund.”
The former Senate president says he had no idea what his colleagues intended to do with the money, only that they requested he return their previous contributions to the Victory Fund.
“I did not know what they intended to do with it,” says John Cullerton, a partner in the Chicago law firm Thompson Coburn LLP. “They didn’t discuss that with me. They decided what to do with the funds.”
Like other Democratic state senators, Sandoval and Thomas Cullerton had given money over the years from their campaign funds to the Illinois Senate Democratic fund.
By the end of 2019, Sandoval and Thomas Cullerton’s campaign funds were low on cash in part because they had used them to pay their criminal defense lawyers. In the last three months of the year, Sandoval spent $90,000 on lawyers. Thomas Cullerton spent $25,000 on lawyers, leaving him with a balance of $240 on Dec. 31.
The Senate Democratic fund sent $60,000 to Sandoval’s campaign committee on Jan. 14 and $32,000 to Thomas Cullerton’s committee on Jan. 17.
John Cullerton’s last day in office was Jan. 20.
Using the money from the Senate Democratic fund, Thomas Cullerton paid $25,000 Jan. 21 to his lawyer Dan Collins, records show.
Martin Sandoval walks out of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse Jan. 28 after his arraignment. Tyler LaRiviere / Sun-Times
Sandoval used his campaign fund to pay $50,000 Feb. 19 to the Chicago law firm of Freeborn & Peters and $25,000 Feb. 24 to Cherry, Frazier & Sabin, a Springfield law firm.
Sandoval didn’t respond to questions, and his attorney Dylan Smith wouldn’t comment.
Thomas Cullerton’s spokeswoman Lissa Druss says the refund “complies with state campaign-finance law.”
Illinois’ campaign-finance law lists the kinds of expenditures that are prohibited. Paying legal fees to defend yourself against corruption charges isn’t on that list.
“It’s not explicitly prohibited,” says Matt Dietrich, a spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Illinois politicians used $5.3 million in campaign money last year to pay legal bills, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis in February found, including Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th), who spent $800,000 on legal bills following his arrest on extortion charges.
John Cullerton and Thomas Cullerton are part of a family political dynasty whose roots go back to Chicago’s earliest days. One of their forebears was elected an alderman in 1871. Family members held a seat in the Chicago City Council for more than 140 years.
The former Senate president says he authorized other refunds to two other Senate members in recent years — Daniel Biss and Ram Villivalam.
Biss says it helped fund his unsuccessful 2018 run for governor.
“I gave a contribution of $100,000 to the Senate Democrats very late in the 2016 election cycle, not anticipating that I would be running for governor in the subsequent election,” Biss says. “I asked that the Senate Democrats return the money, which they did. The money was spent in support of my candidacy for governor.”
Villivalam says he requested his $10,000 contribution to the Senate Democrats be returned in October “to assist my official office’s constituent operations, to support candidates who share my policy platform and to plan towards my reelection.”
John Cullerton refunded the money to Villivalam from his own campaign committee, records show.
In March, Villivalam won a full term to a second office — 39th ward Democratic committeeperson.
The only other refunds John Cullerton made to lawmakers went to Sandoval and Thomas Cullerton. Records show Sandoval had given $81,700 to the Victory fund over the past 10 years. Sandoval got back $60,000 because that’s what he asked for, according to John Cullerton.
State Sen. Thomas E. Cullerton walks out of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in August after pleading not guilty to federal charges he had been a ghost payroller for the Teamsters union, Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times file
Thomas Cullerton gave $32,000 to the Senate Democratic fund during his seven years in office, records show. John Cullerton refunded all of it. The party fund had spent a total of about $2 million helping Thomas Cullerton win elections in his hotly contested DuPage County district.
In 2018 and 2019, campaign-finance records show, 37 state senators or candidates contributed more than $4.5 million to the Senate Democratic Victory Fund. Asked why he didn’t make refunds to other senators as he was winding down the committee, John Cullerton says he acted only in response to requests.
“I’m unaware of other senators who have asked for returns of contributions,” John Cullerton says.
He said in a report on the fund to the state on April 15 that he had shut down the committee, transferring the remaining balance of $7,796.13 to a committee formed by state Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, his successor as Senate president.
John Cullerton previously stood by his cousin and Sandoval as they were targeted by federal prosecutors.
Last August, a few days after Thomas Cullerton was indicted on charges accusing him of embezzling from the Teamsters, John Cullerton removed him as chairman of the Illinois Senate Labor Committee but shifted him to chairman of the Illinois Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, allowing him to keep the extra pay that goes to a committee chairman.
“When I switched his committees, Thomas Cullerton was a senator in good standing and presumed innocent,” says John Cullerton.
A week after a Sept. 24 raid by federal agents of Sandoval’s Springfield office, Gov. J.B. Pritzker called on John Cullerton to strip Sandoval of his transportation committee chairmanship if Sandoval refused to step down.
“Sandoval retained his chairmanship because at the time he had not been charged,” Cullerton says.
On Oct.11, Sandoval stepped down as chairman. Sandoval was charged in late January. By then, he had resigned from the Senate. He pleaded guilty Jan. 28 to taking $250,000 in bribes and has agreed to cooperate with federal investigators.
“I had the discretion to give them the money back,” John Cullerton says. “At the time the funds were returned, Thomas Cullerton had pleaded not guilty. He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence. Sandoval had not been charged.”
Chuck Neubauer and Sandy Bergo are reporters for the Better Government Association.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--All of Lance Armstrong’s zeal — and ego — on display in ESPN documentary

The former undisputed GOAT who dominated his sport decades ago reflects in present day about his fiercely competitive mindset : ‘ ‘ In my mind , I would have to make up these little rivalries , even if they didn ’ t exist , and get my hate on.
’ ’ Sounds like an outtake from an interview with Michael Jordan for ‘ ‘ The Last Dance , ’ ’ but that comment is made by Lance Armstrong in the two-part ESPN documentary ‘ ‘ Lance , ’ ’ with the first part airing at 8 p.m. Sunday and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bulls won six titles from 1990-91 to 1997-98 .
Armstrong won the Tour de France seven consecutive times in 1999-2005 .
Jordan and the Bulls still have their six trophies .
Armstrong has none , having been removed from the record books after an investigation found he long had been using performance-enhancing drugs .
One of the most decorated bicyclists ever , a breakout star who overcame a near-fatal bout with cancer and became a renowned advocate through his Livestrong organization , an A-list celebrity who soaked up the spotlight and hung out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kate Hudson — all of it came crashing down when the longtime rumors about Armstrong and PEDs turned out to be true .
With a total running time of more than three hours , ‘ ‘ Lance ’ ’ is an unblinking deep dive into Armstrong ’ s story , with Armstrong giving director Marina Zenovich extraordinary access through a series of extensive interviews and candid behind-the-scenes moments .
Armstrong , 48 , expresses remorse about some of his actions , but he still has a massive ego and a Type AAAAA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fan of Armstrong than Armstrong .
But he ’ s also keenly aware he forever will be branded a cheater and a fraud by some .
Armstrong tells of standing in front of a restaurant when a car pulls up across the street and a guy gets out and says : ‘ ‘ Hey , Lance !
F -- - you !
F -- - you , f -- - you , f -- - you !
’ ’ Eventually , it ’ s six or seven people , all yelling , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ f -- -- -- cheater !
’ ’ Armstrong went into the restaurant , gave the manager his credit card and said he ’ d be picking up the bill for that group .
But the manager had to say : ‘ ‘ Guys , Lance took care of everything , and he sends his love.
’ ’ A self-pleased Armstrong then says : ‘ ‘ Some people just can ’ t chill the f -- - out .
They ’ ll be forever pissed.
’ ’ The sports journalist Bonnie Ford says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evoke a strong response , positive or negative , ’ ’ and ain ’ t that the truth .
About a third of the film is backstory biopic , and you can ’ t help but feel empathy for Armstrong and his mother , Linda Armstrong Kelly , who had Lance when she was just 17 .
Lance ’ s biological father was a non-factor , and his stepfather , Terry Armstrong , admits on camera he was a ‘ ‘ strict disciplinarian .
.
.
.
I didn ’ t show him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Growing up in Texas , Armstrong tried to play team sports , such as football and baseball , but said he didn ’ t have the speed or the hand-eye coordination .
So he took up swimming and triathlons before setting his laser focus on competitive cycling .
He quickly took the sport by storm , all the while alienating just about everyone who came into contact with him .
By all accounts , including Armstrong ’ s , he was a manipulative , self-centered bully who cared about one thing : himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or current-day footage , there ’ s something about him more reminiscent of a cunning Bond villain than an All-American role model .
Even when he admits to taking PEDs since he was 21 , Armstrong almost sounds boastful when he says : ‘ ‘ I always knew what I was taking .
I educated myself on what was being given , and I chose to do it.
’ ’ One has to admire Armstrong ’ s courage and resolve in 1996 , when he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says he told Lance he had a 20 % to 50 % chance of survival but inflated the percentages just to give him hope .
In present day , Armstrong remembers wondering how one of the fittest people in the world could get cancer .
‘ ‘ Do you think you got cancer because of the doping ?
’ ’ comes the question .
‘ ‘ The only thing I will tell you is , the only time in my life I did growth hormones was the 1996 season , ’ ’ Armstrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to be grown , it does .
But wouldn ’ t it also make sense if anything bad is there , it , too , would be grown ?
’ ’ In Part 2 of the doc , Armstrong is asked , ‘ ‘ Do you feel like you want to be relevant again ?
’ ’ ‘ ‘ This is going to sound terrible , ’ ’ Armstrong says , ‘ ‘ but I AM relevant .
I am.
’ ’ Armstrong talks a good game about starting anew , rebuilding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chapters of his life .
But when he speaks of a former teammate and fellow doper-turned-whistleblower , he says : ‘ ‘ I could be Floyd Landis , waking up [ as ] a piece of s -- - every day.
’ ’ And as for his past transgressions , including horrible treatment of anyone he perceived to be an enemy , he says things such as : ‘ ‘ I was an idiot , and I was in attack mode ” and ‘ ‘ I was a f -- -- -- a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe he means what he says , but the jury is out on whether he FEELS what he says .
‘ ‘ I took advantage of my stature , and for that I ’ m deeply sorry .
I wish I could change that ; I wish I could have been a better man .
All I can do is say I ’ m sorry and move on .
And hope that others do , too .
‘ ‘ [ It comes down to ] how do you sleep at night ?
Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can.
’ ’ Of that , we have no doubt .

The former undisputed GOAT who dominated his sport decades ago reflects in present day about his fiercely competitive mindset:
‘‘In my mind, I would have to make up these little rivalries, even if they didn’t exist, and get my hate on.’’
Sounds like an outtake from an interview with Michael Jordan for ‘‘The Last Dance,’’ but that comment is made by Lance Armstrong in the two-part ESPN documentary ‘‘Lance,’’ with the first part airing at 8 p.m. Sunday and the second May 31.
‘Lance’
Untitled A two-part documentary airing at 8 p.m. May 24 and 31 on ESPN.
Jordan and the Bulls won six titles from 1990-91 to 1997-98. Armstrong won the Tour de France seven consecutive times in 1999-2005. Jordan and the Bulls still have their six trophies. Armstrong has none, having been removed from the record books after an investigation found he long had been using performance-enhancing drugs.
One of the most decorated bicyclists ever, a breakout star who overcame a near-fatal bout with cancer and became a renowned advocate through his Livestrong organization, an A-list celebrity who soaked up the spotlight and hung out with Matthew McConaughey while romancing Sheryl Crow and Kate Hudson — all of it came crashing down when the longtime rumors about Armstrong and PEDs turned out to be true.
With a total running time of more than three hours, ‘‘Lance’’ is an unblinking deep dive into Armstrong’s story, with Armstrong giving director Marina Zenovich extraordinary access through a series of extensive interviews and candid behind-the-scenes moments.
Armstrong, 48, expresses remorse about some of his actions, but he still has a massive ego and a Type AAAAA personality; nobody’s a bigger fan of Armstrong than Armstrong. But he’s also keenly aware he forever will be branded a cheater and a fraud by some.
Armstrong tells of standing in front of a restaurant when a car pulls up across the street and a guy gets out and says: ‘‘Hey, Lance! F--- you! F--- you, f--- you, f--- you!’’ Eventually, it’s six or seven people, all yelling, ‘‘F--- you, you f------ cheater!’’ Armstrong went into the restaurant, gave the manager his credit card and said he’d be picking up the bill for that group. But the manager had to say: ‘‘Guys, Lance took care of everything, and he sends his love.’’ A self-pleased Armstrong then says: ‘‘Some people just can’t chill the f--- out. They’ll be forever pissed.’’
The sports journalist Bonnie Ford says of Armstrong, ‘‘He does evoke a strong response, positive or negative,’’ and ain’t that the truth. About a third of the film is backstory biopic, and you can’t help but feel empathy for Armstrong and his mother, Linda Armstrong Kelly, who had Lance when she was just 17. Lance’s biological father was a non-factor, and his stepfather, Terry Armstrong, admits on camera he was a ‘‘strict disciplinarian. . . . I didn’t show him the love I should have.’’
Growing up in Texas, Armstrong tried to play team sports, such as football and baseball, but said he didn’t have the speed or the hand-eye coordination. So he took up swimming and triathlons before setting his laser focus on competitive cycling. He quickly took the sport by storm, all the while alienating just about everyone who came into contact with him.
By all accounts, including Armstrong’s, he was a manipulative, self-centered bully who cared about one thing: himself. Whether it’s archival film or current-day footage, there’s something about him more reminiscent of a cunning Bond villain than an All-American role model. Even when he admits to taking PEDs since he was 21, Armstrong almost sounds boastful when he says: ‘‘I always knew what I was taking. I educated myself on what was being given, and I chose to do it.’’
One has to admire Armstrong’s courage and resolve in 1996, when he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had metastasized to his brain. A doctor says he told Lance he had a 20% to 50% chance of survival but inflated the percentages just to give him hope. In present day, Armstrong remembers wondering how one of the fittest people in the world could get cancer.
‘‘Do you think you got cancer because of the doping?’’ comes the question.
‘‘The only thing I will tell you is, the only time in my life I did growth hormones was the 1996 season,’’ Armstrong said. ‘‘If anything good needs to be grown, it does. But wouldn’t it also make sense if anything bad is there, it, too, would be grown?’’
In Part 2 of the doc, Armstrong is asked, ‘‘Do you feel like you want to be relevant again?’’
‘‘This is going to sound terrible,’’ Armstrong says, ‘‘but I AM relevant. I am.’’
Armstrong talks a good game about starting anew, rebuilding frayed relationships and moving to the next chapters of his life. But when he speaks of a former teammate and fellow doper-turned-whistleblower, he says: ‘‘I could be Floyd Landis, waking up [as] a piece of s--- every day.’’
And as for his past transgressions, including horrible treatment of anyone he perceived to be an enemy, he says things such as: ‘‘I was an idiot, and I was in attack mode” and ‘‘I was a f------ a------.’’ We believe he means what he says, but the jury is out on whether he FEELS what he says.
‘‘I took advantage of my stature, and for that I’m deeply sorry. I wish I could change that; I wish I could have been a better man. All I can do is say I’m sorry and move on. And hope that others do, too.
‘‘[It comes down to] how do you sleep at night? Can you live with yourself? And I can.’’
Of that, we have no doubt.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--America’s 10 best war movies since WWII

America’s 10 best war movies since WWII

On May 8 , 1945 , World War II in Europe came to an end .
Four months later , in September of 1945 , Japan surrendered and the war was finally , thankfully , at long last , over .
In the 75 years since then , Hollywood has made hundreds of movies about war , with several ranking among the greatest films of all time regardless of gender .
In our newest “ Best Movies ” podcast , my co-host Roe Conn and I spotlight 10 of the best American post-war movies released since 1946 .
Before we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know .
How could we not include “ MASH ” or “ Black Hawk Down ” or “ In Harm ’ s Way ” or “ Born on the Fourth of July ” or “ Dr .
Strangelove ” or “ The Hurt Locker ” or “ Patton ” or “ Three Kings ” or “ American Sniper ” or “ From Here to Eternity ” or “ Inglorious Basterds ” or “ Casualties of War ” or “ The Longest Day ” or “ Good Morning , Vietnam ” or “ Twelve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
You could make a list of 10 films that didn ’ t make OUR list and it would be just as good .
In that same vein , although this is a Top 10 list , there ’ s very little difference between No .
10 and No .
1 .
They ’ re all four-star classics .
Kathryn Bigelow ’ s searing docudrama chronicles the 10-year hunt for Osama bin Laden , as seen mostly through the experiences of Jessica Chastain ’ s fictional CIA operative .
With a brilliant script @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Hurt Locker , ” “ Detroit ” ) and strong work by the ensemble cast including Jason Clarke , Joel Edgerton , Mark Strong , Kyle Chandler and , in one of his last performances , James Gandolfini , who commands the screen in a brief role as then-CIA director Leon Panetta .
9 .
“ The Best Years of Our Lives ” ( 1946 ) Inspired by a Time magazine article about veterans experiencing PTSD ( before that was a term ) , William Wyler ’ s heartbreaking yet inspirational drama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s the tale of three WWII veterans — a petty officer , a platoon sergeant and a bombardier— who return home to their “ normal ” lives , which will never be the same .
Winner of seven Academy Awards , including best picture , best director , best actor for Fredric March — and best supporting actor for Harold Russell , a non-actor who had lost both of his hands to the war .
Released just a few years after the end of the Vietnam War , Hal Ashby ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and warm and explicit look at the effects of the war on two veterans and a military wife who experiences an awakening .
Jon Voight won best actor for his moving performance as paraplegic veteran turned war protester Luke Martin , and Jane Fonda won best actress for her role as Sally Hyde , who is married to a Marine captain ( Bruce Dern ) but falls in love with Luke .
“ Coming Home ” makes great use of pop and rock music , from six Rolling Stones songs including “ Out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Devil ” to “ Bookends ” by Simon & Garfunkel to “ Hey Jude ” by the Beatles .
Oliver Stone ’ s response to John Wayne ’ s “ The Green Berets.
” Loosely based on Stone ’ s experiences as a U.S. infantryman in Vietnam , this is an unvarnished , shock-to-the-system look at the chaos and insanity of war .
Winner of eight Academy Awards , including best picture , and featuring strong work from Tom Berenger , Willem Dafoe , Charlie Sheen , Keith David , Kevin Dillon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Johnny Depp .
Stanley Kubrick ’ s chilling , darkly funny , brutal and unforgettable masterpiece is really two movies in one .
The first half walks us through the grueling and ultimately tragic boot camp training on Parris Island , South Carolina , and part two is set during the Tet Offensive .
“ Full Metal Jacket ” was filmed entirely in England , because of course it was Stanley Kubrick , who acquired some 100,000 plastic tropical plants to replicate a jungle setting and purchased tanks from a Belgian Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The late great R. Lee Ermey was originally hired to be a consultant on the film until Kubrick recognized how perfect he ’ d be as Gunnery Sgt .
Hartman .
Terrence Malick ’ s first film in 20 years depicted the Battle of Mount Austen in the Pacific Theater of World War II .
This is one of the most stunningly photographed war movies of all time , filled with memorable and haunting images — as well as some poetic , dreamlike interludes .
The very nature of most war movies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is one of the best : Sean Penn , Jim Caviezel , Nick Nolte , Elias Koteas , Ben Chaplin , Jared Leto , John Travolta , Woody Harrelson and George Clooney , some in glorified cameos , others in starring roles .
Martin Scorsese called this one of the very best films of the 1990s .
4 .
“ Flags of Our Fathers ” / “ Letters From Iwo Jima ” ( 2006 ) An incredible dual accomplishment from then 76-year-old director Clint Eastwood , who told the story of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American point of view and then from the Japanese side .
“ Flags ” is reminiscent of “ The Best Years of Our Lives ” in that it tells the story of the American soldiers who raised the flag at Iwo Jima coming home , with many of them uncomfortable to say the least at being portrayed as heroes .
“ Letters ” wasn ’ t the first major film to humanize the enemy , e.g.
, “ All Quiet on the Western Front ” ( 1930 ) , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never seen anything quite like the visceral , bloody , horrific , shocking opening 27-minute sequence depicting the Omaha Beach assault during the Normandy landings , and more than 20 years later , it ’ s still the standard for epic battle scenes .
Near the very end , when Tom Hanks ’ Captain Miller tells Matt Damon ’ s Private Ryan to “ earn it , ” meaning to live a life worthy of the sacrifices made to save it : chills every time .
“ Saving Private Ryan ” won Oscars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editing , sound and cinematography , but lost to “ Shakespeare in Love ” for best picture in one of most wrongheaded votes in Academy Awards history .
Michael Cimino gave us an American classic in three acts : the joyous and raucous wedding sequence ( which ranks alongside “ The Godfather ” as the best reception scenes ever ) , the horrific P.O.W .
and Russian Roulette nightmares in Vietnam , and the return home .
Brilliant work by Robert De Niro , John Savage , Meryl Streep and best supporting actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who say Francis Ford Coppola ’ s best movie isn ’ t the “ Godfather ” saga but this sprawling , messy , magnificent , chaotic take on the Vietnam War and what war in general does to a man ’ s body and mind and heart and soul .
I wouldn ’ t quite go that far , but it ’ s close .
Few movies in motion picture history contain as many unforgettable sequences , as many quotable lines , as many indelible visuals , as “ Apocalypse Now.
” Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s impossible to listen to Wagner ’ s “ Ride of the Valkyries ” or the Doors ’ “ The End ” without instantly seeing this movie in your mind .

On May 8, 1945, World War II in Europe came to an end. Four months later, in September of 1945, Japan surrendered and the war was finally, thankfully, at long last, over.
In the 75 years since then, Hollywood has made hundreds of movies about war, with several ranking among the greatest films of all time regardless of genre. In our newest “Best Movies” podcast, my co-host Roe Conn and I spotlight 10 of the best American post-war movies released since 1946.
Before we even get to the list: I know. How could we not include “MASH” or “Black Hawk Down” or “In Harm’s Way” or “Born on the Fourth of July” or “Dr. Strangelove” or “The Hurt Locker” or “Patton” or “Three Kings” or “American Sniper” or “From Here to Eternity” or “Inglorious Basterds” or “Casualties of War” or “The Longest Day” or “Good Morning, Vietnam” or “Twelve O’Clock High” et al.? You could make a list of 10 films that didn’t make OUR list and it would be just as good. In that same vein, although this is a Top 10 list, there’s very little difference between No. 10 and No. 1. They’re all four-star classics.
10. “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012)
Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty.” Columbia Pictures
Kathryn Bigelow’s searing docudrama chronicles the 10-year hunt for Osama bin Laden, as seen mostly through the experiences of Jessica Chastain’s fictional CIA operative. With a brilliant script by the journalist-turned-screenwriter Mark Boal (“The Hurt Locker,” “Detroit”) and strong work by the ensemble cast including Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler and, in one of his last performances, James Gandolfini, who commands the screen in a brief role as then-CIA director Leon Panetta.
9. “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946)
“The Best Years of Our Lives” stars Harold Russell (from left), Teresa Wright, Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Fredric March and (standing) Hoagy Carmichael. RKO Radio Pictures
Inspired by a Time magazine article about veterans experiencing PTSD (before that was a term), William Wyler’s heartbreaking yet inspirational drama was decades ahead of its time. It’s the tale of three WWII veterans — a petty officer, a platoon sergeant and a bombardier— who return home to their “normal” lives, which will never be the same. Winner of seven Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, best actor for Fredric March — and best supporting actor for Harold Russell, a non-actor who had lost both of his hands to the war.
8. “Coming Home” (1978)
Jane Fonda and Jon Voight in “Coming Home.” United Artists
Released just a few years after the end of the Vietnam War, Hal Ashby’s emotionally gripping classic was a frank and warm and explicit look at the effects of the war on two veterans and a military wife who experiences an awakening. Jon Voight won best actor for his moving performance as paraplegic veteran turned war protester Luke Martin, and Jane Fonda won best actress for her role as Sally Hyde, who is married to a Marine captain (Bruce Dern) but falls in love with Luke. “Coming Home” makes great use of pop and rock music, from six Rolling Stones songs including “Out of Time” and “Sympathy for the Devil” to “Bookends” by Simon & Garfunkel to “Hey Jude” by the Beatles.
7. “Platoon” (1986)
Willem Dafoe (from left), Charlie Sheen and Tom Berenger in “Platoon.” Orion Pictures
Oliver Stone’s response to John Wayne’s “The Green Berets.” Loosely based on Stone’s experiences as a U.S. infantryman in Vietnam, this is an unvarnished, shock-to-the-system look at the chaos and insanity of war. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best picture, and featuring strong work from Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Keith David, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Forest Whitaker and Johnny Depp.
6. “Full Metal Jacket” (1987)
Stanley Kubrick’s chilling, darkly funny, brutal and unforgettable masterpiece is really two movies in one. The first half walks us through the grueling and ultimately tragic boot camp training on Parris Island, South Carolina, and part two is set during the Tet Offensive. “Full Metal Jacket” was filmed entirely in England, because of course it was Stanley Kubrick, who acquired some 100,000 plastic tropical plants to replicate a jungle setting and purchased tanks from a Belgian Army colonel who was a big Kubrick fan. The late great R. Lee Ermey was originally hired to be a consultant on the film until Kubrick recognized how perfect he’d be as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman.
5. “The Thin Red Line” (1998)
Sean Penn (left center) as Welsh and Nick Nolte (right center) in “The Thin Red Line.” 20th Century Fox
Terrence Malick’s first film in 20 years depicted the Battle of Mount Austen in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This is one of the most stunningly photographed war movies of all time, filled with memorable and haunting images — as well as some poetic, dreamlike interludes. The very nature of most war movies calls for an ensemble cast, and this is one of the best: Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas, Ben Chaplin, Jared Leto, John Travolta, Woody Harrelson and George Clooney, some in glorified cameos, others in starring roles. Martin Scorsese called this one of the very best films of the 1990s.
4. “Flags of Our Fathers”/“Letters From Iwo Jima” (2006)
Adam Beach (from left), Ryan Phillippe and Jesse Bradford in “Flags of Our Fathers.” DreamWorks
An incredible dual accomplishment from then 76-year-old director Clint Eastwood, who told the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima first from the American point of view and then from the Japanese side. “Flags” is reminiscent of “The Best Years of Our Lives” in that it tells the story of the American soldiers who raised the flag at Iwo Jima coming home, with many of them uncomfortable to say the least at being portrayed as heroes. “Letters” wasn’t the first major film to humanize the enemy, e.g., “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1930), but it’s arguably the best.
3. “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
Tom Hanks (from left), Matt Damon and Edward Burns in “Saving Private Ryan.” Dreamworks/Paramount
We’d never seen anything quite like the visceral, bloody, horrific, shocking opening 27-minute sequence depicting the Omaha Beach assault during the Normandy landings, and more than 20 years later, it’s still the standard for epic battle scenes. Near the very end, when Tom Hanks’ Captain Miller tells Matt Damon’s Private Ryan to “earn this,” meaning to live a life worthy of the sacrifices made to save it: chills every time. “Saving Private Ryan” won Oscars for director Steven Spielberg and for the editing, sound and cinematography, but lost to “Shakespeare in Love” for best picture in one of most wrongheaded votes in Academy Awards history.
2. “The Deer Hunter” (1978)
Robert De Niro in “The Deer Hunter.” Universal Pictures
Michael Cimino gave us an American classic in three acts: the joyous and raucous wedding sequence (which ranks alongside “The Godfather” as the best reception scenes ever), the horrific P.O.W. and Russian Roulette nightmares in Vietnam, and the return home. Brilliant work by Robert De Niro, John Savage, Meryl Streep and best supporting actor winner Christopher Walken.
1. “Apocalypse Now” (1979)
There are some who say Francis Ford Coppola’s best movie isn’t the “Godfather” saga but this sprawling, messy, magnificent, chaotic take on the Vietnam War and what war in general does to a man’s body and mind and heart and soul. I wouldn’t quite go that far, but it’s close. Few movies in motion picture history contain as many unforgettable sequences, as many quotable lines, as many indelible visuals, as “Apocalypse Now.” Once you’ve seen it, it’s impossible to listen to Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” or the Doors’ “The End” without instantly seeing this movie in your mind.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--Chicago’s new normal: How reopened workplaces will look different due to the coronavirus pandemic

It ’ s hard these days to even look at an elevator button the way we used to .
Now , we shudder — people touch those things !
Not many are anxious to get back to riding a packed Blue Line L train to work or even sharing a crowded sidewalk downtown .
Standing in line at a food hall on your lunch break no longer is an appetizing prospect .
Nor is sharing the office kitchen .
For years , the emphasis in office design has been to reduce the amount of space per employee .
The coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elbow in the ribs , worse than an office seatmate with no sense of personal space .
As Chicago and the rest of the nation move toward slowly reopening the economy , one key question is : What will our workplaces and work routines will look like in the wake of COVID-19 ?
For many — the front-line workers who have borne the brunt of risk and hardship during the pandemic — little will change .
Then , there ’ s the rest of , those fortunate enough to be able to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in habits has given a thriving , energetic business core an apocalyptic look .
Nelson Algren ’ s “ City on the Make ” has morphed into the City in a Mask — and in a daze .
How quickly we snap out of all of this will depend on the progress made in fighting the pandemic and in finding and delivering a vaccine .
One thing that seems certain : The work-from-home phenomenon , now so popular that “ WFH ” is part of our messaging shorthand , will endure , experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wish I knew what a recovery will look like , but I don ’ t think anybody really does , ” said Chicago architect James Goettsch , chairman of Goettsch Partners .
“ If we start to see spikes in infections later this year , it will make people more conservative .
It will be a slow recovery regardless .
We ’ re still kind of all in shock.
” That might be the first thing to expect — that an economy that collapsed in the span of days will take a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reserve and the Congressional Budget Office , pillars of caution , say an economic recovery might not come until well into next year .
Many economists are more pessimistic .
What else is ahead ?
When people get back to the office , they ’ re going to notice changes , mostly those that are easiest to make .
Masks could be required gear , made available to those who lack them .
Deep-cleaning crews will be purposely visible .
And there will be signs and floor markers attesting to the need for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-way pathways .
Sheryl Schulze , a principal in the architecture and design firm Gensler , said companies are taking some chairs out of conference rooms and thinning out workstations , perhaps removing every other chair .
There is less clarity over temperature checks .
Do you do it for everybody or just for visitors ?
Who is responsible — the tenant or the landlord — especially if something goes wrong ?
Then , there are the dreaded elevators .
For buildings that can afford it , some are trying a “ destination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you scan your way in , perhaps using your smartphone .
The elevator knows your floor and takes you there , no buttons needed .
Some buildings might enforce a limit of four or even two people to an elevator .
Schulze is all too familiar with the potential downside .
“ You don ’ t want your lobbies to look like the TSA lines at the airport ” in prepandemic normalcy , she said .
The phased-in nature of the return to work will help , according to Schulze .
Many predict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Less apparent to some , especially in the newest offices , will be ventilation systems that draw in more fresh air and provide greater filtration , said Patrick Biesty , vice president of engineering for development firm Sterling Bay .
Goettsch also made that point and foresees the day when buildings ’ air-quality data will be displayed on monitors alongside the headline news .
Biesty said Sterling Bay installed state-of-the-art ventilation systems at several properties , including the Midwest headquarters it built for shipper C.H .
Robinson at 1515 W. Webster Ave. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air quality is going away as a concern anytime soon because it ’ s tied in to productivity , ” he said .
A larger issue is how many people will be there when offices start reopening .
“ Most clients are not ready to come back yet , ” Schulze said .
Google and Facebook have advised their employees to work from home if possible through the end of the year .
Other employers have said they ’ ll look at things after Labor Day .
Mark Zuckerberg , Facebook ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of his company working from home permanently within a decade , a repudiation of the shared-office ethic .
Gensler did a survey of 2,300 U.S. workers that found only 12 % of them want to work from home full-time .
The survey found that people value in-person interactions with colleagues but are hoping their employers adopt stricter policies against people coming in when they are sick .
Others have found that work-from-home will remain a part of office culture .
The Chicago consulting firm Grossman Group , surveying 841 workers across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue working from home in some fashion .
“ A great deal has changed in employees ’ work lives in a short time , and if we want them to be engaged and productive , we ’ re going to have to be willing to meet them where they are as much as possible , ” said David Grossman , the consulting firm ’ s chief executive officer .
He said that while some like working from home , others can ’ t wait to get back .
A lot of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Do you have toddlers melting down during your Zoom meetings ?
Paul Lundstedt , vice chair of Cushman & Wakefield , said the real estate firm plans to reopen in 25 % stages , allowing people to work from home if they are uncomfortable coming in .
“ A lot of people are very antsy about getting back , especially people with families , ” Lundstedt said .
John Goodman , vice chairman of the office tenant brokerage Savills , said he sees about 30 % of workers staying mostly at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 % .
“ For many , the work-from-home experiment has worked fine , ” Goodman said .
“ A lot will say they haven ’ t lost much productivity .
But senior leadership often has other concerns.
” Goodman said executives are worried about innovation falling victim to a lack of in-person collaboration .
What isn ’ t going to be happening , real estate experts said , is a wholesale reworking of office layouts , though some brokerages and consultancies have promoted designs to emphasize less crowding in the office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the banner of “ Six Feet Office ” for respecting social distances .
Most companies are skipping that for now .
“ They are staying flexible on working from home , ” Goodman said .
“ They think this will be solved by [ workplace ] policy as opposed to spending a lot of capital on reworking the space.
” Reducing office crowding also flies in the face of trends in place for the last 30 years .
Goettsch noted that offices used to provide about 250 square feet for each person .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 110 square feet in layouts for cost-conscious tenants .
Private offices became cubicles which became benches in some cases .
“ Do we need to get out of the trading-desk kind of environment that the tech world gave us ?
” Goodman said .
What does that do then to commercial real estate ?
Does demand increase because tenants are spreading out ?
Or do they contract because of working from home ?
Experts foresee a gradual decline in demand .
Coupled with new space due to hit the market in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand trend should cause vacancies to rise in the coming years .
There also could be more interest in suburban office sites , even as satellite locations , for workers who don ’ t want to visit a crowded downtown hub all the time .
Suburban sites have free parking , a rare amenity in the city .
But people still have to get to their jobs and confront their doubts about public transportation .
“ Can you imagine what the highway infrastructure is going to look like ?
It ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Erin Aleman , executive director of the publicly funded Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning , has a perspective on the situation as a policy analyst and as a tenant .
Her agency is relocating its downtown offices into the Old Post Office in the West Loop .
But she said it has no plans to redo the layout yet for COVID-19 concerns .
Work at home will be prominent , but Aleman said the region still needs to find a way to get people back on public transit .
The region is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
CMAP data show more than half of metro-area workers cross county lines in their commutes , a proportion that might astound confirmed city-dwellers who never get beyond Harlem Avenue .
Aleman said the coronavirus will force policymakers to address issues tied to shared prosperity , such as segregation and income inequality , overdue repairs of roads and bridges , affordable housing and broadband access across all communities .
It ’ s a lengthy agenda and a heavy ask for government funding partners sure to face extreme pressures of their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a generational opportunity to really come out of this stronger on the other side , ” she said .
Using a once-in-a-century infection as a means for improvement is a bold thought .
Are we still up to the task of , to tweak the words of Chicago visionary Daniel Burnham , making no little plans ?

It’s hard these days to even look at an elevator button the way we used to. Now, we shudder — people touch those things!
Not many are eager to get back to riding a packed Blue Line L train to work or even sharing a crowded sidewalk downtown. Standing in line at a food hall on your lunch break no longer is an appetizing prospect. Nor is sharing the office kitchen.
For years, the emphasis in office design has been to reduce the amount of space per employee. The coronavirus pandemic has given that trend a sharp elbow in the ribs, worse than an office seatmate with no sense of personal space.
As Chicago and the rest of the nation move toward slowly reopening the economy, one key question is: What will our workplaces and work routines look like in the wake of COVID-19?
For many — the front-line workers who have borne the brunt of risk and hardship during the pandemic — little will change. Then, there’s the rest of us, those fortunate enough to be able to work and shelter in place, whose change in habits has given a thriving, energetic business core an apocalyptic look.
Nelson Algren’s “City on the Make” has morphed into the City in a Mask — and in a daze. How quickly we snap out of all of this will depend on the progress made in fighting the pandemic and in finding and delivering a vaccine.
One thing that seems certain: The work-from-home phenomenon, now so popular that “WFH” is part of our messaging shorthand, will endure, experts on workplace trends say.
“I wish I knew what a recovery will look like, but I don’t think anybody really does,” said Chicago architect James Goettsch, chairman of Goettsch Partners. “If we start to see spikes in infections later this year, it will make people more conservative. It will be a slow recovery regardless. We’re still kind of all in shock.”
That might be the first thing to expect — that an economy that collapsed in the span of days will take a long time to bounce back. The Federal Reserve and the Congressional Budget Office, pillars of caution, say an economic recovery might not come until well into next year. Many economists are more pessimistic.
What else is ahead? When people get back to the office, they’re going to notice changes, mostly those that are easiest to make. Masks could be required gear, made available to those who lack them. Deep-cleaning crews will be purposely visible. And there will be signs and floor markers attesting to the need for social distancing. Fussier places might designate one-way pathways.
Sheryl Schulze, a principal in the architecture and design firm Gensler, said companies are taking some chairs out of conference rooms and thinning out workstations, perhaps removing every other chair.
There is less clarity over temperature checks. Do you do it for everybody or just for visitors? Who is responsible — the tenant or the landlord — especially if something goes wrong?
Then, there are the dreaded elevators. For buildings that can afford it, some are trying a “destination dispatch” system that summons one whenever you scan your way in, perhaps using your smartphone. The elevator knows your floor and takes you there, no buttons needed. Some buildings might enforce a limit of four or even two people to an elevator.
Workers demonstrate a no-touch “destination dispatch” system that Sterling Bay has installed in the office building at 333 N. Green St. in the West Loop. Provided
Schulze is all too familiar with the potential downside.
“You don’t want your lobbies to look like the TSA lines at the airport” in prepandemic normalcy, she said.
The phased-in nature of the return to work will help, according to Schulze.
Many predict that staggered starting times will become common.
Less apparent to some, especially in the newest offices, will be ventilation systems that draw in more fresh air and provide greater filtration, said Patrick Biesty, vice president of engineering for development firm Sterling Bay.
Goettsch also made that point and foresees the day when buildings’ air-quality data will be displayed on monitors alongside the headline news.
Biesty said Sterling Bay installed state-of-the-art ventilation systems at several properties, including the Midwest headquarters it built for shipper C.H. Robinson at 1515 W. Webster Ave.
“I don’t think indoor air quality is going away as a concern anytime soon because it’s tied in to productivity,” he said.
A larger issue is how many people will be there when offices start reopening.
“Most clients are not ready to come back yet,” Schulze said.
Google and Facebook have advised their employees to work from home if possible through the end of the year. Other employers have said they’ll look at things after Labor Day. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive officer, said he foresees half of his company working from home permanently within a decade, a repudiation of the shared-office ethic.
Gensler did a survey of 2,300 U.S. workers that found only 12% of them want to work from home full-time. The survey found that people value in-person interactions with colleagues but are hoping their employers adopt stricter policies against people coming in when they are sick.
Others have found that work-from-home will remain a part of office culture. The Chicago consulting firm Grossman Group, surveying 841 workers across the nation, found that 48% want to continue working from home in some fashion.
“A great deal has changed in employees’ work lives in a short time, and if we want them to be engaged and productive, we’re going to have to be willing to meet them where they are as much as possible,” said David Grossman, the consulting firm’s chief executive officer.
He said that while some like working from home, others can’t wait to get back.
A lot of that has to do with your own circumstances. Do you have toddlers melting down during your Zoom meetings?
Paul Lundstedt, vice chair of Cushman & Wakefield, said the real estate firm plans to reopen in 25% stages, allowing people to work from home if they are uncomfortable coming in.
“A lot of people are very antsy about getting back, especially people with families,” Lundstedt said.
John Goodman, vice chairman of the office tenant brokerage Savills, said he sees about 30% of workers staying mostly at home. Others put the figure at around 50%.
“For many, the work-from-home experiment has worked fine,” Goodman said. “A lot will say they haven’t lost much productivity. But senior leadership often has other concerns.”
Goodman said executives are worried about innovation falling victim to a lack of in-person collaboration.
What isn’t going to be happening, real estate experts said, is a wholesale reworking of office layouts, though some brokerages and consultancies have promoted designs to emphasize less crowding in the office. Cushman & Wakefield has developed concepts under the banner of “Six Feet Office” for respecting social distances.
Most companies are skipping that for now.
“They are staying flexible on working from home,” Goodman said. “They think this will be solved by [workplace] policy as opposed to spending a lot of capital on reworking the space.”
Reducing office crowding also flies in the face of trends in place for the last 30 years. Goettsch noted that offices used to provide about 250 square feet for each person. That’s been scaled down to about 110 square feet in layouts for cost-conscious tenants. Private offices became cubicles which became benches in some cases.
“Do we need to get out of the trading-desk kind of environment that the tech world gave us?” Goodman said.
What does that do then to commercial real estate? Does demand increase because tenants are spreading out? Or do they contract because of working from home?
“That’s the gazillion-dollar question,” Lundstedt said.
Experts foresee a gradual decline in demand. Coupled with new space due to hit the market in the West Loop and Fulton Market, the demand trend should cause vacancies to rise in the coming years.
Construction crews work on a new office building at 110 N. Wacker Dr. Experts say new construction, coupled with a decline in demand from some tenants, will create a glut of office space downtown. Tyler LaRiviere / Sun-Times
There also could be more interest in suburban office sites, even as satellite locations, for workers who don’t want to visit a crowded downtown hub all the time. Suburban sites have free parking, a rare amenity in the city.
But people still have to get to their jobs and confront their doubts about public transportation.
“Can you imagine what the highway infrastructure is going to look like? It’s going to be scary,” Lundstedt said.
Erin Aleman, executive director of the publicly funded Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, has a perspective on the situation as a policy analyst and as a tenant. Her agency is relocating its downtown offices into the Old Post Office in the West Loop. But she said it has no plans to redo the layout yet for COVID-19 concerns. Work at home will be prominent, but Aleman said the region still needs to find a way to get people back on public transit.
The region is interconnected and will still be post-pandemic, she said. CMAP data show more than half of metro-area workers cross county lines in their commutes, a proportion that might astound confirmed city-dwellers who never get beyond Harlem Avenue.
Aleman said the coronavirus will force policymakers to address issues tied to shared prosperity, such as segregation and income inequality, overdue repairs of roads and bridges, affordable housing and broadband access across all communities. It’s a lengthy agenda and a heavy ask for government funding partners sure to face extreme pressures of their own.
But Aleman is optimistic.
“I think it’s a generational opportunity to really come out of this stronger on the other side,” she said.
Using a once-in-a-century infection as a means for improvement is a bold thought. Are we still up to the task of, to tweak the words of Chicago visionary Daniel Burnham, making no little plans?


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--Smash-and-grab burglar targets South Shore businesses

Police are warning residents about a series of commercial burglaries since March in South Shore on the South Side .
In each case , someone entered a business by throwing an object through a glass storefront and stole property , according to a business alert from Chicago police .
• At 4:29 a.m. May 19 in the 1600 block of East 71st Street ; • At 5:20 a.m. May 2 in the 1900 block of East 71st ; • At 10:22 p.m. April 29 in the 1600 block of East 71st ; • At 11:54 a.m. April 4 in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Between 6 p.m. April 3 and 7 a.m. April 4 in the 1800 block of East 71st ; and • About 3 a.m. March 28 in the 2100 block of East 71st .
The suspect is described as a man between 30 and 35 years old , standing 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall and weighing 190 to 200 pounds , police said .
In one case , he was seen driving away in a red vehicle .
Anyone with information is asked to call Area One detectives at 312-747-8380 .
Read more on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s homicides .

Police are warning residents about a series of commercial burglaries since March in South Shore on the South Side.
In each case, someone entered a business by throwing an object through a glass storefront and stole property, according to a business alert from Chicago police.
The break-ins occurred:
At 4:29 a.m. May 19 in the 1600 block of East 71st Street;
At 5:20 a.m. May 2 in the 1900 block of East 71st;
At 10:22 p.m. April 29 in the 1600 block of East 71st;
At 11:54 a.m. April 4 in the 1600 block of East 71st;
Between 6 p.m. April 3 and 7 a.m. April 4 in the 1800 block of East 71st; and
About 3 a.m. March 28 in the 2100 block of East 71st.
The suspect is described as a man between 30 and 35 years old, standing 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall and weighing 190 to 200 pounds, police said. In one case, he was seen driving away in a red vehicle.
Anyone with information is asked to call Area One detectives at 312-747-8380.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--5 shot Thursday in Chicago

5 shot Thursday in Chicago

Five people were wounded Thursday in gun violence across Chicago .
The latest shooting happened in West Garfield Park on the West Side .
A 44-year-old man was walking about 11:35 p.m. in the 4300 block of West Gladys Avenue when someone fired shots , striking him in the leg three times , Chicago police said .
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition .
He told police he didn ’ t see the shooter or know where the shots came from .
Earlier in the night , a man was shot in Humboldt Park on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 10:08 p.m. in the 1100 block of North Ridgeway Avenue when two males emerged from a gangway and one of them opened fire , police said .
The man was struck in the face and taken to Norwegian American Hospital in good condition .
Less than an hour before that , a man was shot in Calumet Heights on the South Side .
The man , 18 , was in his vehicle about 9:30 p.m. in the 9100 block of South Blackstone Avenue when a male approached and fired shots , police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition .
Another man was shot Thursday afternoon in Austin on the West Side .
The 42-year-old was on the front porch of a home about 3:26 p.m. in the 1000 block of North Long Avenue when someone approached and fired shots , police said .
He was hit in the back , hip and abdomen and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , where his condition was stabilized .
The day ’ s first reported shooting happened half an hour earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About 3:06 p.m. , a 29-year-old man was in the 6900 block of South Paulina Street when he was shot in the groin , police said .
He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital , where his condition was stabilized .
Six people were shot Wednesday in Chicago , one of them fatally .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Five people were wounded Thursday in gun violence across Chicago.
The latest shooting happened in West Garfield Park on the West Side.
A 44-year-old man was walking about 11:35 p.m. in the 4300 block of West Gladys Avenue when someone fired shots, striking him in the leg three times, Chicago police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition. He told police he didn’t see the shooter or know where the shots came from.
Earlier in the night, a man was shot in Humboldt Park on the West Side.
The 49-year-old was standing about 10:08 p.m. in the 1100 block of North Ridgeway Avenue when two males emerged from a gangway and one of them opened fire, police said. The man was struck in the face and taken to Norwegian American Hospital in good condition.
Less than an hour before that, a man was shot in Calumet Heights on the South Side.
The man, 18, was in his vehicle about 9:30 p.m. in the 9100 block of South Blackstone Avenue when a male approached and fired shots, police said. He was hit in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
Another man was shot Thursday afternoon in Austin on the West Side.
The 42-year-old was on the front porch of a home about 3:26 p.m. in the 1000 block of North Long Avenue when someone approached and fired shots, police said. He was hit in the back, hip and abdomen and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.
The day’s first reported shooting happened half an hour earlier in Englewood on the South Side.
About 3:06 p.m., a 29-year-old man was in the 6900 block of South Paulina Street when he was shot in the groin, police said. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.
Six people were shot Wednesday in Chicago, one of them fatally.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--Ranking the quarterback situations for all 32 NFL teams

The Bears say they ’ re satisfied with their quarterback room , but there aren ’ t many teams in the NFL — maybe four ?
— that would volunteer to trade places with them .
Below , we rank all the quarterback situations for all 32 NFL teams , with the members of their two-deep in parentheses : Is Bill Belichick really going to turn his team over to someone who ’ s thrown four career passes ?
Either he knows something we don ’ t , or he ’ s trying to prove he ’ s the smartest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Jaguars were thrilled to trade Nick Foles and let the mustachioed Minshew start all year .
They ’ ll be even more thrilled to draft Clemson ’ s Trevor Lawrence next season after what appears to be a tank job .
The 15th pick in the 2019 draft , Haskins went 2-5 as a starter and threw as many interceptions as touchdowns .
His 76.1 passer rating was last among those who started seven or more games .
John Elway declared Lock the team ’ s quarterback of the future after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cameo .
Three of those wins came against the lowly Chargers , Raiders and Lions .
Driskel is a shaky second-stringer .
How valuable is familiarity ?
The Bears gave up a fourth-round pick for the privilege of paying Foles at least $ 21 million guaranteed .
Andy Dalton , in whom the Bears also had interest , was eventually cut by the Bengals and signed a one-year , $ 3 million deal— that could reach $ 7 million with incentives — as the Cowboys ’ backup .
If Trubisky beats out Foles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in NFL history that a quarterback wrests away the full-time starting job in Year 4 for the team that declined his fifth-year option .
The rookie Jones won his first two starts — and then lost 9 of the last 10 games he started .
A healthy Saquon Barkley would be his most welcome upgrade in 2020 .
Darnold went 6-2 to finish the season and , unlike his Giants counterpart , won ’ t have to adjust to a new coach and coordinator during the virtual offseason .
No second-year quarterback made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to be a running threat ( 510 yards ) and moved his passing numbers closer to league average .
He engineered four fourth-quarter comebacks and led the Bills to the playoffs .
Is Bridgewater , who turns 28 in November , the bridge to a draft pick in the next two years ?
That depends on whether he stars in Joe Brady ’ s fun new scheme .
Bridgewater and Brady , LSU ’ s star assistant last year , worked together with the Saints .
The Chargers swear they like Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herbert sixth overall so he could spend the season behind someone who ’ s made three starts in two years .
For all the preseason hype , Mayfield ’ s second year wound up being markedly worse than his first .
His passer rating fell from 93.7 to 78.8 .
Only Jameis Winston threw more interceptions .
Tagovailoa will be special — he ’ ll be in the 2022 power ranking top 10 .
He ’ ll get a rude welcome as a rookie , though , after recovering from a grisly hip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season in the history of college quarterbacks — he led the nation in passing yards , touchdowns and passer rating and beat seven top-10 teams .
Will the Bengals mess him up ?
Coming off a Super Bowl last year , the Rams gave Goff a four-year , $ 134 million extension that — after a so-so season and a restructure — makes him untradeable .
The Raiders showed so little faith in Carr that they gave Mariota $ 17.6 million over two years — and $ 7.5 million guaranteed — to back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s never been easier to forget about Roethlisberger , who missed 14 games with an elbow injury last season .
A healthy Stafford is a a top-eight quarterback .
After making every start for eight full seasons , a broken back limited him to only eight starts last year .
Cousins gets knocked for being merely league-average , but give him this : he went 10-5 as a starter last year and beat the Saints in a road playoff game .
Ryan has thrown a league-high 1,224 passes over the last two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career , he should hope the signing of running back Todd Gurley changes that .
Rivers pulled a Reverse Unitas — after playing his whole career with the Chargers , he ’ ll finish it with the Colts .
Will it be as embarrassing ?
Rivers will benefit from a better offensive line and skipping Denver and Kansas City weather .
Murray ’ s 5-10 , 207-pound frame held up just fine as a rookie — his 542 rushing yards trailed only Lamar Jackson among quarterbacks .
By season ’ s end , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has DeAndre Hopkins as a weapon .
The Eagles say they ’ ll use Hurts in special packages , and not to challenge Wentz , who threw 27 touchdowns and seven picks and played all 16 games last year .
Tannehill led the NFL with an absurd 117.5 passer rating and led the Titans to the AFC title game .
The Titans are paying a fortune — $ 91 million in likely guarantees — to see if he can do it again .
Garoppolo went 13-3 and won the NFC in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Rolling Meadows High School alum was one overthrown pass from being the Super Bowl hero .
Since being drafted in the fourth round , Prescott has made every single start and won 40 games in four years .
The Cowboys need to pay him .
The bet here is that a new home — and , more importantly , new targets in Mike Evans , Chris Godwin and O.J .
Howard — reverses Brady ’ s slow decline from the past few years .
Oh , and he brought Gronk with him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brien trade away his best weapon , Hopkins .
The Texans are in danger of wasting a generational talent Wilson ’ s 100 passing touchdowns over the past three seasons are 15 more than the next-closest player .
His passer rating during that time ranks third among those with at least 22 starts — behind Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes .
Drafting Love in the first round will spark Rodgers , either for better or worse .
Bet against him at your own peril — he went 13-3 last year and had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The reigning consensus MVP threw for an NFL-best 36 touchdowns and finished sixth in rushing yards .
Unless NFL coaches solve the Ravens offense this offseason , Jackson — who is still on his cheap rookie deal — might just revolutionize the sport .
Brees will give it at least one more go this season , backed up by the NFL ’ s 2019 passing yards leader .
Throw in Taysom Hill — who had 50 passing yards , 50 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards in their playoff game — and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-rounded room .
At 24 , Mahomes has already been named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP .
He ’ s the best player at the most valuable position in sports — and will only get better .
Avert your eyes , Bears fans .

The Bears say they’re satisfied with their quarterback room, but there aren’t many teams in the NFL — four, maybe? — that would volunteer to trade places with them.
Below, we rank the quarterback situations for all 32 NFL teams, with the members of their two-deep in parentheses:
The bottom five
32. Patriots (Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer)
Is coach Bill Belichick really going to turn his team over to someone who has thrown four passes in his NFL career? Either he knows something we don’t, or he’s trying to prove he’s the smartest guy in the room. Probably both.
31. Jaguars (Gardner Minshew, Josh Dobbs)
The Jaguars were thrilled to trade Nick Foles and let the mustachioed Minshew start all season. They’ll be even more thrilled to draft Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence next year after what appears to be a tank job.
30. Redskins (Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen)
The 15th pick in the 2019 draft, Haskins went 2-5 as a starter and threw as many interceptions as touchdown passes. His 76.1 passer rating was last among those who started seven or more games.
29. Broncos (Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel)
General manager John Elway declared Lock the team’s quarterback of the future after he went 4-1 in a late-season rookie cameo. Three of those victories came against the lowly Chargers, Raiders and Lions. Driskel is a shaky second-stringer.
28. Bears (Mitch Trubisky, Nick Foles)
How valuable is familiarity? The Bears gave up a fourth-round pick for the privilege of paying Foles at least $21 million guaranteed. Andy Dalton, in whom the Bears also had interest, eventually was cut by the Bengals and signed a one-year, $3 million deal — that could reach $7 million with incentives — as the Cowboys’ backup. If Trubisky beats out Foles, it will mark the first time in NFL history a quarterback wrests away the full-time starting job in Year 4 for the team that declined his fifth-year option.
The New Yorkers
27. Giants (Daniel Jones, Colt McCoy)
Jones won his first two starts, then lost nine of the last 10 games he started as a rookie. A healthy Saquon Barkley would be his most welcome upgrade in 2020.
26. Jets (Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco)
Darnold went 6-2 to finish the season and, unlike his Giants counterpart, won’t have to adjust to a new coach and coordinator during the virtual offseason.
25. Bills (Josh Allen, Matt Barkley)
No second-year quarterback made a greater leap than Allen, who continued to be a running threat (510 yards) and moved his passing numbers closer to league average. He engineered four fourth-quarter comebacks and led the Bills to the playoffs.
The bridge?
24. Panthers (Teddy Bridgewater, Will Grier)
Is Bridgewater, who turns 28 in November, the bridge to a draft pick in the next two years? That depends on whether he stars in coordinator Joe Brady’s fun new scheme. Bridgewater and Brady, LSU’s star assistant last year, worked together with the Saints.
Recent first-rounders
23. Chargers (Tyrod Taylor, Justin Herbert)
The Chargers swear they like Taylor, but they didn’t take Herbert sixth overall so he could spend the season behind someone who has made three starts in the last two seasons.
22. Browns (Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum)
For all the preseason hype, Mayfield’s second year wound up being markedly worse than his first. His passer rating fell from 93.7 to 78.8, and only Jameis Winston threw more interceptions.
21. Dolphins (Tua Tagovailoa, Ryan Fitzpatrick)
Tagovailoa will be special. He’ll be in the top 10 of the 2022 power rankings. He’ll get a rude welcome as a rookie, though, after recovering from a grisly hip injury.
20. Bengals (Joe Burrow, Ryan Finley)
Burrow just posted the greatest season in the history of college quarterbacks. He led the nation in passing yards, touchdown passes and passer rating and beat seven top-10 teams. Will the Bengals mess him up?
Middle class
19. Rams (Jared Goff, John Wolford)
Coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the Rams gave Goff a four-year, $134 million extension that — after a so-so season and a restructure — makes him untradable.
18. Raiders (Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota)
The Raiders showed so little faith in Carr that they gave Mariota $17.6 million over two years — and $7.5 million guaranteed — to back him up. Controversy brewing?
17. Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph)
It never has been easier to forget about Roethlisberger, who missed 14 games with an elbow injury last season.
16. Lions (Matthew Stafford, Chase Daniel)
A healthy Stafford is a top-eight quarterback in the league. After making every start for eight full seasons, a broken back limited him to eight starts in 2019.
15. Vikings (Kirk Cousins, Sean Mannion)
Cousins gets knocked for merely being average, but give him this: He went 10-5 as a starter last season and beat the Saints in a road playoff game.
14. Falcons (Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub)
Ryan has thrown a league-high 1,224 passes in the last two seasons. For the good of his career, he should hope the signing of running back Todd Gurley changes that.
13. Colts (Philip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett)
Rivers pulled a reverse Unitas: After playing his whole career with the Chargers, he’ll finish it with the Colts. Will it be as embarrassing? Rivers will benefit from a better offensive line and from skipping the weather in Denver and Kansas City.
Upper-middle class
12. Cardinals (Kyler Murray, Brett Hundley)
Murray’s 5-10, 207-pound frame held up just fine as a rookie. His 542 rushing yards trailed only Lamar Jackson among quarterbacks. By the end of the season, Murray looked like a star. Now he has DeAndre Hopkins as a weapon.
11. Eagles (Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts)
The Eagles say they’ll use Hurts in special packages and not to challenge Wentz, who threw 27 touchdown passes and seven interceptions and played all 16 games last season.
10. Titans (Ryan Tannehill, Logan Woodside)
Tannehill led the NFL with an absurd 117.5 passer rating and sparked the Titans to the AFC title game. The Titans are paying a fortune — $91 million in likely guarantees — to see if he can do it again.
9. 49ers (Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Mullens)
Garoppolo went 13-3 and guided the 49ers to the NFC title in his first full season as the starter. The Rolling Meadows High School alum was one overthrown pass from being the Super Bowl hero.
Elite eight
8. Cowboys (Dak Prescott, Andy Dalton)
Since being drafted in the fourth round, Prescott has made every single start and won 40 games in four seasons. The Cowboys need to pay him.
7. Buccaneers (Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert)
The bet here is that a new home and, more important, new targets in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard will reverse Brady’s slow decline from the last few seasons. Oh, and he brought ‘‘Gronk’’ with him.
6. Texans (Deshaun Watson, AJ McCarron)
Watson watched head coach-turned-wannabe GM Bill O’Brien trade away his best weapon in DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans are in danger of wasting a generational talent.
5. Seahawks (Russell Wilson, Geno Smith)
Wilson’s 100 passing touchdowns in the last three seasons are 15 more than the next-closest player. His passer rating during that time ranks third among those with at least 22 starts — behind only Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes.
4. Packers (Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love)
Drafting Love in the first round will spark Rodgers, for better or worse. Bet against him at your own peril. He went 13-3 last season and had the lowest interception percentage in the league.
3. Ravens (Lamar Jackson, Robert Griffin)
Jackson, the reigning MVP, threw an NFL-best 36 touchdown passes and finished sixth in rushing yards last season. Unless NFL coaches solve the Ravens’ offense this offseason, Jackson — who is still on his cheap rookie deal — just might revolutionize the sport.
2. Saints (Drew Brees, Jameis Winston)
Brees will be backed up by Winston, who led the NFL in passing yards last season. Throw in Taysom Hill — who had 50 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards in their playoff game — and the Saints have the NFL’s most well-rounded room.
1. Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne)
At 24, Mahomes already has been named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP. He’s the best player at the most valuable position in sports — and only will get better. Avert your eyes, Bears fans.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--Nursing homes now account for half of all Illinois coronavirus deaths; protesters gather at Pritzker

Nursing homes now account for half of all Illinois coronavirus deaths; protesters gather at Pritzker’s house

Nursing homes now account for more than half of all coronavirus deaths in Illinois , according to a data analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times .
That updated tally came as a dozen people gathered Friday at Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s Chicago home to protest his oversight of long-term care facilities .
Nursing homes reported 1,583 new COVID-19 cases and 395 new deaths in the past week , according to data released Friday by the Illinois Department of Public Health .
A Sun-Times count of state totals stands at 2,368 deaths and 14,799 confirmed cases at long-term care facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released by the state show lower totals , however , because officials have stopped including in their public data 74 facilities that have not had a new case in the past 28 days , an IDPH spokeswoman said Friday .
Members of Chicago ADAPT , a disability rights advocacy group , called on Pritzker to evacuate nursing homes and put stronger measures in place to protect residents .
“ I have been in contact with staff and other residents infected with the virus and yet I have not been tested , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident and ADAPT member .
“ I have not been provided adequate protective gear .
I continue to have a roommate who also has not been tested.
” The group , many in wheelchairs , brought a coffin — which police seized .
Officers warned demonstrators to disperse , and they did , about an hour after arriving .
As they left , they chanted “ we will be back.
” Chicago ADAPT urged Pritzker to declare an emergency at long-term care facilities and use the National Guard to move residents to hotels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is possible .
The group also demanded the governor limit congregate settings to one person per living unit — essentially eliminating roommates — and ensure testing for all residents and staff .
The governor ’ s press secretary , Jordan Abudayyeh , said in a statement that Pritzker ’ s administration has “ always listened to advocates who come to us with serious input for discussion on how to protect our most vulnerable residents.
” “ But moving medically fragile people from their homes and placing them into hotels entirely unequipped to care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health experts endorse .
Instead , the administration has worked to scale up testing at our congregate facilities , provide PPE to employees , and train them in infection control and best practices .
Families are free to move their loved ones home if they see fit , ” Abudayyeh said .
Despite large increases in cases and deaths this week , the spread at long-term care facilities appears to have slowed , with 822 fewer cases and 60 fewer deaths reported in the past week than the previous one-week period .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 78 , came at Symphony of South Shore , which now has 155 cases and 19 deaths .
Meadowbrook Manor of Bolingbrook reported the most deaths in the past week , with 12 new fatalities , now up to 38 in all — the most of any home in the state .
The facility with the most confirmed cases remains Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest , where 268 people have tested positive and six have died .

Nursing homes now account for more than half of all coronavirus deaths in Illinois, according to a data analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times.
That updated tally came as a dozen people gathered Friday at Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Chicago home to protest his oversight of long-term care facilities.
Nursing homes reported 1,583 new COVID-19 cases and 395 new deaths in the past week, according to data released Friday by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
A Sun-Times count of state totals stands at 2,368 deaths and 14,799 confirmed cases at long-term care facilities since the pandemic started. The figures released by the state show lower totals, however, because officials have stopped including in their public data 74 facilities that have not had a new case in the past 28 days, an IDPH spokeswoman said Friday.
Members of Chicago ADAPT, a disability rights advocacy group, called on Pritzker to evacuate nursing homes and put stronger measures in place to protect residents.
“I have been in contact with staff and other residents infected with the virus and yet I have not been tested,” said Lyndsay Sullivan, a Chicago nursing facility resident and ADAPT member. “I have not been provided adequate protective gear. I continue to have a roommate who also has not been tested.”
The group, many in wheelchairs, brought a coffin — which police seized. Officers warned demonstrators to disperse, and they did, about an hour after arriving. As they left, they chanted “we will be back.”
Chicago ADAPT urged Pritzker to declare an emergency at long-term care facilities and use the National Guard to move residents to hotels and other locations where better social distancing is possible. The group also demanded the governor limit congregate settings to one person per living unit — essentially eliminating roommates — and ensure testing for all residents and staff.
The governor’s press secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh, said in a statement that Pritzker’s administration has “always listened to advocates who come to us with serious input for discussion on how to protect our most vulnerable residents.”
“But moving medically fragile people from their homes and placing them into hotels entirely unequipped to care for them, is not something public health experts endorse. Instead, the administration has worked to scale up testing at our congregate facilities, provide PPE to employees, and train them in infection control and best practices. Families are free to move their loved ones home if they see fit,” Abudayyeh said.
Despite large increases in cases and deaths this week, the spread at long-term care facilities appears to have slowed, with 822 fewer cases and 60 fewer deaths reported in the past week than the previous one-week period.
The most new cases reported this week, 78, came at Symphony of South Shore, which now has 155 cases and 19 deaths.
Meadowbrook Manor of Bolingbrook reported the most deaths in the past week, with 12 new fatalities, now up to 38 in all — the most of any home in the state.
The facility with the most confirmed cases remains Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest, where 268 people have tested positive and six have died.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--Illini’s Bobby Roundtree: ‘I don’t want to just do for myself. I want to look out for others.’

There ’ s not much Bobby Roundtree can say about the details of his life-changing swimming accident last May near his home in Largo , Florida .
Pending legal action makes it next to impossible .
Painful memories don ’ t make it any easier , anyway .
“ I try not to remember what happened a year ago or any of that , ” he said Friday on a Zoom call with dozens of reporters .
“ I want to think positive .
I don ’ t want to have [ any ] negative thoughts.
” But Roundtree , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Illinois , is living his present out in the wide open and intends to do the same with his future .
An important step came with his first media appearance since he suffered injuries to his spinal cord that have limited his upper-body mobility and strength and left him unable — for now — to move his legs .
“ It ’ s been a long ride , ” he said , “ and it ’ s not finished yet.
” On a day when his school announced that it was preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early as June 3 , Roundtree was in the gym in Champaign for an hour and a half — another day of grinding , as he has been doing since returning to campus in January following a long stint rehabilitative stint at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Streeterville .
Roundtree has been sharing videos of his workouts , accompanied by inspirational messages , on Twitter .
They ’ ve included arm , back and shoulder exercises on resistance machines , reps on the bench press and upper-body push-ups .
Illini teammates and fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Roundtree have been , at times , blown away .
“ I ’ ve been told I ’ m going against the odds , ” he said .
“ Even at Shirley Ryan , people said that nobody thought I ’ d be moving this quickly or in a chair pushing myself around .
“ When somebody tells me I can ’ t do something , I ’ ll prove them wrong and show them I can do it .
It might take me a couple tries.
” According to Illini football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of emotional lows that might ’ ve set him back in his recovery .
“ That ’ s who he is to his core , ” Busch said .
“ And , obviously , it ’ s his best asset throughout this.
” Roundtree once had realistic goals to make it to the NFL as a player .
His takeaway from losing the on-field piece of his football life : Always have a backup plan .
For Roundtree , that plan involves walking again , traveling and regaining his independence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an idea that sounds better to him the more he thinks about it .
And there ’ s this : his desire to help rehabilitate others with similar injuries , especially those for whom the cost of care is an obstacle .
“ I don ’ t want to just do for myself , ” he said .
“ I want to look out for others.
” Looking out for others begins with a message that happens to carry a little extra weight during a pandemic : “ There ’ s a reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t last forever , ” he said .
“ There are people out there who have things worse than [ you ] .
Be grateful for what you ’ ve got going on and keep pushing through it .
It won ’ t last forever .
And just find something throughout your day that ’ s positive , that ’ s going to keep you going .
You ’ ve got to stay hungry .
You ’ ve got to keep that juice.
” As Roundtree sees it , there are no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing he has learned is that he ’ s a lot stronger than he ever realized .
“ God gives his hardest battles to his strongest warriors , ” he said .
“ There was a reason why I got hurt .
Anybody else , I don ’ t think [ could ] handle this as I am .
“ I ’ m grateful that I ’ m still here and able to get stronger every day , grateful to have my family , my mom , my team and the whole Illini @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to happen .
”

There’s not much Bobby Roundtree can say about the details of his life-changing swimming accident last May near his home in Largo, Florida.
Pending legal action makes it next to impossible. Painful memories don’t make it any easier, anyway.
“I try not to remember what happened a year ago or any of that,” he said Friday on a Zoom call with dozens of reporters. “I want to think positive. I don’t want to have [any] negative thoughts.”
But Roundtree, 22, a former standout defensive end at Illinois, is living his present out in the wide open and intends to do the same with his future. An important step came with his first media appearance since he suffered injuries to his spinal cord that have limited his upper-body mobility and strength and left him unable — for now — to move his legs.
“It’s been a long ride,” he said, “and it’s not finished yet.”
On a day when his school announced that it was preparing to begin returning student-athletes to campus as early as June 3, Roundtree was in the gym in Champaign for an hour and a half — another day of grinding, as he has been doing since returning to campus in January following a long rehabilitative stint at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Streeterville.
Roundtree has been sharing videos of his workouts, accompanied by inspirational messages, on Twitter. They’ve included arm, back and shoulder exercises on resistance machines, reps on the bench press and upper-body push-ups.
Illini teammates and fans have been deeply moved. Those closest to Roundtree have been, at times, blown away.
“I’ve been told I’m going against the odds,” he said. “Even at Shirley Ryan, people said that nobody thought I’d be moving this quickly or in a chair pushing myself around.
“When somebody tells me I can’t do something, I’ll prove them wrong and show them I can do it. It might take me a couple tries.”
According to Illini football trainer Jeremy Busch, Roundtree has avoided the kind of emotional lows that might’ve set him back in his recovery.
“That’s who he is to his core,” Busch said. “And, obviously, it’s his best asset throughout this.”
Roundtree once had realistic goals to make it to the NFL as a player. His takeaway from losing the on-field piece of his football life: Always have a backup plan.
For Roundtree, that plan involves walking again, traveling and regaining his independence. It might also involve coaching football, an idea that sounds better to him the more he thinks about it. And there’s this: his desire to help rehabilitate others with similar injuries, especially those for whom the cost of care is an obstacle.
“I don’t want to just do for myself,” he said. “I want to look out for others.”
Looking out for others begins with a message that happens to carry a little extra weight during a pandemic:
“There’s a reason for everything, and hard times don’t last forever,” he said. “There are people out there who have things worse than [you]. Be grateful for what you’ve got going on and keep pushing through it. It won’t last forever. And just find something throughout your day that’s positive, that’s going to keep you going. You’ve got to stay hungry. You’ve got to keep that juice.”
As Roundtree sees it, there are no failures, only lessons. The biggest thing he has learned is that he’s a lot stronger than he ever realized.
“God gives his hardest battles to his strongest warriors,” he said. “There was a reason why I got hurt. Anybody else, I don’t think [could] handle this as I am.
“I’m grateful that I’m still here and able to get stronger every day, grateful to have my family, my mom, my team and the whole Illini Nation behind me. It’s going to happen.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-22--Joe Maddon to discuss Game 7 of 2016 World Series on live stream to benefit COVID-19 relief

Joe Maddon ’ s time with the Cubs might have come to an end , but he isn ’ t done relishing in one of the greatest victories in the organization ’ s 144-year history , especially if it means doing so for a good cause .
Maddon , the former Cubs manager who is now with the Angels , will join reporter Bob Costas on Cameo next week to discuss Game 7 of the 2016 World Series in an attempt to help raise funds for COVID-19 relief .
The discussion of the historic series against the Indians will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s broadcast of the suspenseful 10-inning win .
Maddon is also scheduled to appear alongside Cubs manager David Ross in a pre-game show on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m .
Fans interested in registering for the postgame stream can do so by going to Maddon ’ s Cameo profile .
Those who pre-register will have the chance to win their own personalized Cameo video from the skipper and will have an opportunity to submit questions for Maddon and Costas .
Though the Cameo stream is free , donations to Maddon ’ s Respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are encouraged .
Respect 90 has raised $ 120,000 to help charities strained by the coronavirus pandemic , including the Hazleton Integration Project ’ s Food Distribution Network , Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa and the Women Shelter of Long Beach .

Joe Maddon’s time with the Cubs might have come to an end, but he isn’t done relishing in one of the greatest victories in the organization’s 144-year history, especially if it means doing so for a good cause.
Maddon, the former Cubs manager who is now with the Angels, will join reporter Bob Costas on Cameo tonight to discuss Game 7 of the 2016 World Series in an attempt to help raise funds for COVID-19 relief.
The discussion of the historic series against the Indians will take place Tuesday at 10 p.m. following ESPN’s broadcast of the suspenseful 10-inning win. Maddon is also scheduled to appear alongside Cubs manager David Ross in a pre-game show on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m.
Fans interested in registering for the postgame stream can do so by going to Maddon’s Cameo profile. Those who pre-register will have the chance to win their own personalized Cameo video from the skipper and will have an opportunity to submit questions for Maddon and Costas.
Though the Cameo stream is free, donations to Maddon’s Respect 90 Foundation’s COVID-19 relief efforts are encouraged. Respect 90 has raised $120,000 to help charities strained by the coronavirus pandemic, including the Hazleton Integration Project’s Food Distribution Network, Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa and the Women Shelter of Long Beach.