chicagotribune--2020-03-09--A Chicago immigrant reviews ‘Oprah’s Book Club’ on the controversial ‘American Dirt’

When I go out and talk to people , they ’ ll say things like , “ You ’ re @ @ @ @ @ other people deserve to be there . ''
And I ’ m like , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ anyone ’ s place .
You realize that I ’ ve been here for almost @ @ @ @ @ , paying taxes ?
Which means that I ’ ve been paying for the education @ @ @ @ @ retirement of your parents .
Do you realize that ? ''
And that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ know what to say , because they are being confronted with the truth .

The episodes of “Oprah’s Book Club” centering on the controversial pick “American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins premiered on Apple TV+ last Friday with a promise to grapple with criticisms of the book as well as concerns about the publishing industry’s ongoing exclusion of non-white writers.
“American Dirt” — about a Mexican mother and her son who flee for their lives in the hopes of crossing the border into the United States — garnered Cummins a seven-figure advance and and a significant marketing push by her publisher, Flatiron, but a number of reviews have questioned the novel’s merits. Among the earliest to gain traction was that of Myriam Gurba, who called it a “Frankenstein of a book, a clumsy and distorted spectacle” in which “Cummins plops overly-ripe Mexican stereotypes, among them the Latin Lover, the suffering mother and the stoic manchild, into her wannabe realist prose.”
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In the wake of those reviews, Gurba, along with fellow Latinx writers David Bowles and Roberto Lovato, were instrumental in forming the Dignidad Literaria movement to push for more inclusion in U.S. publishing. Their efforts resulted in a sit-down meeting with “American Dirt’s” publisher last month.
And yet Gurba, Bowles and Lovato were not invited to participate in the TV episode hosted by Oprah Winfrey, a fact that is never explained nor acknowledged, though Winfrey does bring to the stage a trio of Mexican writers as panelists. They are terrific, offering pointed comments and questions directed at Cummins’ publishers (seated in the audience) and the TV host herself:
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Reyna Grande, author of “Across a Hundred Mountains,” a novel based on her life in Mexico and later as an undocumented immigrant in the United States, which she also explores in her memoir “The Distance Between Us”;
Julissa Arce, author of “My (Underground) American Dream: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive”; and
Esther Cepeda, a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post.
Also notably absent from the show: Any discussion or acknowledgement of concerns that Cummins may have lifted a specific scene in her book — of a child being fatally crushed by a garbage truck — from another work altogether: “By the Lake of Sleeping Children: The Secret Life of the Mexican Border,” a work of nonfiction by Naperville-based writer Luis Alberto Urrea. (Though he declined to be interviewed for this story, he shared his thoughts in a January radio interview on NPR’s “Latino USA” with Maria Hinojosa.)
For her Apple debut, Oprah returns to the format she honed over 25 years in Chicago, where her eponymous talk show was based. It’s a style that combines her instincts as a journalist with her cult of personality, resulting in a contradiction that positions her as both a neutral arbiter and a literary authority and author advocate who has the power to drive millions in book sales for Cummins.
If it’s hard to shake the feeling that something about this approach feels disingenuous or stuck in the past, Apple is banking that enough fans of Winfrey’s old talk show will feel otherwise.
"Oprah's Book Club" tackled "American Dirt." From left: Esther Cepeda, Julissa Arce, Reyna Grande, Jeanine Cummins and Oprah Winfrey. (Apple TV+)
To get a better sense of how the show does or doesn’t tackle these issues, I talked with José Ángel Navejas, a PhD candidate in the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His area of research is contemporary Latin American immigrant writing in Chicago. He is a native of Mexico who came to the United States in 1993 and he is the author of the memoir, “Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant.” The following is an edited transcript of our chat.
Q: Oprah begins by saying the book opened her heart and allowed her to “live in the space of a mother and the son and feel the fear and desperation" — that the book essentially made everything she was seeing on the news now feel personal. What did you make of that?
A: Well, she made this choice for the book club selection and she had to defend it the best way she could.
I tend to be very cynical about people’s intentions. That’s how I approach my critique to any cultural production, including books and TV programs.
So while I know that Oprah is this huge cultural icon and she’s done a lot to help people, for her to say that this book opened her up to certain experiences, it’s like, were you closed to those experiences before? Well, maybe she didn’t know. But this is something the Mexican American community has been experiencing for a very long time.
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The fact that she was in Chicago for so long, where the Mexican population has been living for over a hundred years, and she didn’t know about the plight of undocumented Mexicans in Chicago? She’s not familiar with the stories of Latinx people in Chicago? That raises questions for me about how engaged she is with the public and whether or not she really cared about the diversity of Chicago when she was here.
Being Mexican myself in Chicago, it hurts to hear somebody who is a person of color not to acknowledge those facts.
I think one of the problems with Oprah is she still thinks of this country as black people and white people. And the panelists pointed out that Mexicans have been living in this country before this was even a country and they pressed her on this: In the 26 years of her book club, she has never picked a book by a Mexican American author. Why?
Especially undocumented people like myself, we feel invisible. And that’s why this experience was probably so eye-opening for Oprah. We have not been visible to her the way we became after this book.
One of the things that was really striking — and she said it twice, once in each episode — she said she felt powerless when she saw on the news that children were being separated from their families and she didn't know what to do.
José Ángel Navejas is author of "Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant." He is a PhD Candidate in Hispanic and Italian Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a focus on contemporary Latin American immigrant writing in Chicago. (José Ángel Navejas)
And I’m like, you’re anything but powerless, because you have all this cultural industry behind you. If you wanted, you could have taken your whole crew to the border and reported on all the abuses that are happening. And you didn’t. You waited comfortably in your office for this book to arrive.
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So I’m glad it finally made it to the mainstream now, but I think she was forced into it having this conversation after choosing this book.
Q: The discussion spans two episodes, and in Part 2 Oprah interviews Dr. Luz Maria Garcini, who studies trauma experienced by Latino immigrants. I thought it was a really strong segment, although Oprah doesn’t ask her what that trauma actually looks like or what that psychological state feels like.
A: For that, they would have to read my book because that is exactly what I talk about. There is this unease every single day of not knowing what’s going to happen. And you can not afford to show it. The fact that many people go on living with this, it’s an incredible act of resilience and that’s something Oprah does say in the episode.
Q: A woman in the audience tells her immigrant story, and Oprah’s response is: “You earned it; you deserve to be here.”
A: I hated that moment! I thought, here we go. She was careless, but so many people are in ways they don’t realize because we all deserve a measure of humanity and security. All of us. You don’t have to earn that. But I’m (laughs), I’m willing to let that go because I want to have a conversation with people.
When I go out and talk to people, they’ll say things like, “You’re at a public university — other people deserve to be there." And I’m like, ‘I’m not taking anyone’s place. You realize that I’ve been here for almost 30 years in this country, paying taxes? Which means that I’ve been paying for the education of your children and the retirement of your parents. Do you realize that?" And that’s when they don’t know what to say, because they are being confronted with the truth.
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Q: What’s really odd is that “American Dirt” itself — and the specific critiques of its portrayals — isn’t discussed on the show. You wrote an essay about the novel, noting that its “hypocrisy and desensitization turns profound human suffering into human melodrama.”
A: I think that this book is honestly not a great piece of literature. I think it’s very melodramatic, and you see that in the way that it starts with a very violent scene, so there’s bloodshed happening and that is the first image you get of Mexico. And that is the kind of image Cummins sort of wants to sell.
I feel like just in general Cummins portrays people in Mexico as being overrun by violence. And people are not like that. People are fighting back. Women in Mexico right now, there’s going to be a women’s strike in Mexico in a couple of days and the whole country is going to be without women.
Cover image of "Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant " by José Ángel Navejas. (University of Illinois Press)
Q: Can a conversation about the literary merits of a book even happen in this kind of TV format?
A: No. And I wasn’t expecting it. Oprah can make kings and queens of whomever she wants, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that those books are good. And this is one of those examples.
It just seems very arbitrary, to give this person this platform without being informed about the underlying issues.
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Q: What do you make of the fact that none of the founders of Dignidad Literaria were included on the show, even though they’re mentioned a couple times?
A: They were very vocal and open with their critiques of Oprah and Cummins, so that’s probably why. On the other hand, the people she invited were very good. And I’m very happy that her guests were three Mexican women, rather than three white dudes.
I also think Oprah is acting as some sort of gatekeeper, filtering the opinions or questions — or the people who get to be part of this conversation on her show.
But there are gatekeepers everywhere and it’s important to point out, all of these people (with Dignidad Literaria) are still talking, they’re still writing. They don’t have as large a platform as Oprah, but they’re not going to be quiet.
nmetz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Judge rules Schaumburg cop can’t withdraw guilty plea to charges he helped run a drug ring

In 2014 , O ’ Brien and Hudak both pled guilty to multiple felony counts in plea deals and were @ @ @ @ @ years in prison .
But four years later , on the eve of trial for @ @ @ @ @ charges against him when it was revealed that the confidential informant had been accused of @ @ @ @ @ the informant were not disclosed to Cichy ’ s attorney pretrial , an important breach @ @ @ @ @ prompted prosecutors to drop the case

A DuPage County judge has dismissed a former Schaumburg police officer’s bid to withdraw his guilty plea to charges that he helped run a drug ring with two other officers.
Terrance O’Brien, 53, who is serving a 24-year sentence, had asked the court to let him rescind his 2014 plea deal following the disclosure of evidence irregularities that prompted DuPage prosecutors to drop charges against one of his fellow officers.
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But in a 13-page ruling filed Feb. 28, Judge Liam Brennan said that based on case law, O’Brien had failed to convince him that his due process right had been violated, and the judge granted a motion filed by DuPage prosecutors to dismiss O’Brien’s petition.
Attorney Paul DeLuca, who has represented O’Brien in the post-conviction phase, said Friday that he plans to file a motion seeking reconsideration of the ruling.
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O’Brien and fellow Schaumburg police officers Matthew Hudak and John Cichy were arrested in January 2013, and charged with operating a drug ring, taking narcotics they had confiscated in their investigations and using a confidential informant to sell the drugs.
In 2014, O’Brien and Hudak both pled guilty to multiple felony counts in plea deals and were sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. But four years later, on the eve of trial for Cichy, prosecutors dropped the charges against him when it was revealed that the confidential informant had been accused of theft. The allegations against the informant were not disclosed to Cichy’s attorney pretrial, an important breach of courtroom procedure, and prompted prosecutors to drop the case
After the revelations in the Cichy case, O’Brien asked the court to let him withdraw his guilty plea. In their primary argument, O’Brien’s attorney contended that the allegations against the informant should have been disclosed to O’Brien, and the prosecutor’s failure to do so represented a violation of O’Brien’s right to due process.
But the judge disagreed. Brennan ruled that there were important distinctions between Cichy’s case and that of O’Brien; Cichy was going to trial, while O’Brien entered into a voluntary plea deal, the judge noted. The court said the informant’s legal trouble could have impeached the informant’s credibility as a trial witness. But the information, the judge said, was not exculpatory; disclosing the informant’s legal trouble in a separate case would not have negated O’Brien’s guilt in the drug ring case.
“A defendant’s ignorance of the possible grounds on which to impeach potential witnesses at a possible trial would not prevent him from entering a valid guilty plea,” Brennan wrote, quoting case law.
O’Brien attorney DeLuca said the court relied on a bad Supreme Court decision to make its ruling.
“It just encourages prosecutors to withhold evidence,” DeLuca said.
In a Friday statement, State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, though, lauded the court’s ruling.
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“We have always maintained that the charges against Mr. O’Brien were brought in good faith and based on the evidence,” Berlin said “ Whether or not Mr. O’Brien pled guilty, as was the case, or was found guilty following a trial, Judge Brennan’s decision last week confirms Mr. O’Brien’s guilt in this case.”
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Adam Boqvist and Drake Caggiula got hurt — and the door is all but shut on playoff talk, right? 3 ta

Adam Boqvist and Drake Caggiula got hurt — and the door is all but shut on playoff talk, right? 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 2-0 loss to the Blues.

“ It ’ s a team we don ’ t like very much to play against , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ had on Boqi there and that scrum , it ’ s frustrating when you have @ @ @ @ @ like that .
You wanted to be able to rub it in as much as @ @ @ @ @ s the best way to get back at teams for doing things like that .
@ @ @ @ @ that , and it definitely hurts against a division team for sure .
”

One would have thought the Blackhawks reached the nadir of their misfortunes this season with Friday’s loss to the last-place Red Wings, but their troubles got worse Sunday night in a 2-0 loss to the Blues.
Let’s count ‘em up, shall we?
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• Adam Boqvist sustained a concussion — a blow to a team already hurting for defensemen.
• Drake Caggiula got in a fight to defend Boqvist but hurt his wrist.
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• The power play (remember that bugaboo?) failed on four tries.
• And for the first time in their I-55 rivalry, the Blues swept the Hawks, taking all four games in the season series.
“I thought we competed pretty hard,” Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “Had our chances. Obviously, would have loved to get one on the power play. Ultimately the chances they got, we turned the puck over and they were able to capitalize on it and we put ourselves in tough situations.”
Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s loss.
1. Was the hit on Adam Boqvist intentional? Whatever the case, his loss hurts in several ways.
Oskar Sundqvist and Adam Boqvist crashed into the boards while chasing the puck. Boqvist’s stick went under Sundqvist’s legs, and as Sundqvist jumped — with his back to Boqvist — he hit Boqvist in the head with his elbow and forearm. The collision set off a brawl along the boards.
Sundqvist was charged with a major penalty, but it was reduced to a two-minute minor after a review. Boqvist was placed in the concussion protocol.
The NHL on Monday fined Sundqvist $5,000 for roughing, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 14 Blackhawks defenseman Adam Boqvist lies on the ice after being hit by Blues center Oskar Sundqvist during the second period. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton called the hit “unnecessary.”
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“There’s nothing wrong with finishing your check, but there was no reason, no reason for the contact to his head,” Colliton said. “It was totally unrelated to the play.
“It was late. He was trying to get him. So he did. And we end up losing an important player for us for the rest of the game. Puts extra stress on our defense who have played a lot, especially the top guys.
“And we end up with a two-minute power play. Doesn’t seem on the right level if you ask me.”
For Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy, that play made getting swept by the Blues even more bitter.
“It’s a team we don’t like very much to play against,” he said. “The hits they had on Boqi there and that scrum, it’s frustrating when you have young players and things escalate like that. You wanted to be able to rub it in as much as you can; that’s the best way to get back at teams for doing things like that. We didn’t do that, and it definitely hurts against a division team for sure.”
Like Colliton, Murphy questioned Sundqvist being issued only a minor penalty.
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“I was surprised just because of the blood (Boqvist) had and everything,” Murphy said. “But obviously the ref saw it … they get a better look at it than we do. We just see the initial play, so I can’t be the one to be too judgmental on that.”
Boqvist’s injury comes at a time when the rookie was showing great progress. He has received a lot of praise recently for his puck movement and was improving defensively, but the loss of his natural playmaking ability is what really hurts.
Already down defensemen Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan, the Hawks have been without promising rookie Lucas Carlsson, who has been in the concussion protocol since last week.
On Friday, the Hawks recalled Dennis Gilbert from Rockford on an emergency basis.
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2. With his concussion history, should Drake Caggiula be fighting?
After Oskar Sundqvist elbowed Adam Boqvist, fighting ensued, and Drake Caggiula punched Vince Dunn several times before the bigger Dunn eventually got several off of his own.
After officials broke up the fight, Caggiula heard cheers from the United Center crowd, and teammates sang his praises.
“He’s like an Andrew Shaw,” Connor Murphy said. “He brings a lot of heart to our team and a passion. That’s something the fans appreciate as much as we do.
“A guy that’s willing to throw his health on the line for the team knowing when we need it most and that he’s never going to back down to anyone, no matter what size he is. He’s fearless and we’re lucky to have him.”
Earlier this season, Caggiula talked about contemplating retirement after sustaining two concussions less than a year apart.
“I’ve had that conversation with my girlfriend, my family, my agent, myself,” Caggiula said in December. “Right now I’m not at that point. At least I don’t think I am. But it is something that you think about and you want to make sure you’re protecting yourself short term and long term and protecting your family short term and long term.”
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Alex DeBrincat called Caggiula a “team-first guy.”
“It’s tough when you’ve had those problems and you’re still willing to put your body on the line.,” DeBrincat said.
Caggiula suffered a hand injury in the fight, coach Jeremy Colliton said after the game.
3. It’s time to give up those playoff hopes, right?
With the loss, the Hawks were six points out of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with four teams ahead of them. Playoffstatus.com gave them a 3% chance of earning a wild-card berth.
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“You have a big chunk of games left and you’re going to try to win as many of them as you can,” Connor Murphy said. “You don’t really try to do math too much. You just want to win your next games.
“It sucks. Losing sucks, especially having a couple in a row.”
Coach Jeremy Colliton wouldn’t concede that focus should shift from winning to development.
“No, we approach it the same way,” he said. “We’re here to win. We’ve been developing guys all year, we’ve been playing guys in big situations all year, young players, and that won’t change either.
“But part of what we’re doing is we want to have winning habits and we’re going to fight to the end.”
Here is more coverage from Sunday’s game:
The Blackhawks lost 2-0 to the Blues on Sunday night at the United Center, the first time in franchise history the Hawks have been swept by their Central Division rivals.
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At least the Hawks showed some fight — literally.
A scrum broke out after Blues center Oskar Sundqvist elbowed Adam Boqvist in the head and Boqvist lay face down on the ice. Drake Caggiula traded punches with Vince Dunn, who’s listed as 2 inches taller and 27 pounds heavier, before officials broke it up.
Coach Jeremy Colliton said after the game that Boqvist was placed in concussion protocol and Caggiula suffered a wrist injury.
“It’s an unnecessary hit,” Colliton said. "There’s nothing wrong with finishing your check, but there was no reason, no reason for the contact to his head.
“It was totally unrelated to the play. It was late. He was trying to get him, so he did. And we end up losing an important player for us for the rest of the game.”
Alex DeBrincat said he didn’t see the hit on Boqvist until later on the video board.
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“He got a penalty for it, and Boqi’s (lying) on the ice,” DeBrincat said. “Figured it was dirty. ... I don’t know if he really meant to do it, but (he) hits him in the head and you’ve got to be aware of your surroundings.”
After Caggiula’s fight, he threw his arms up as he left the ice and the United Center crowd cheered with appreciation. But it can’t be a scenario the Hawks want to see.
Caggiula had two concussions less than a year apart and talked in December about discussing retirement with his family and agent.
“You want him to be smart,” Colliton said. “You want him to pick his spots. Part of the reason he’s an NHLer and he’s a valuable player is because he plays on the edge and he’s physical and he sticks up for his teammates and he brings that energy, and that’s why he’s in the league.
“Having said that, you hold your breath when he’s in that situation.”
Boqvist had just returned to the ice Sunday after missing Friday’s game against the Red Wings with a wrist injury.
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The Hawks have had trouble keeping defensemen healthy, and they have enough problems elsewhere on the ice.
They couldn’t cash in on any of four power plays over the first two periods.
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Corey Crawford made 21 saves but couldn’t stop Robert Bortuzzo‘s sharp-angle, top-shelf shot from the bottom of the left circle on an assist from Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz.
Alex Pietrangelo followed with a third-period goal that started with a Schenn takeaway in the Hawksdefensive zone.
Colliton pulled the goalie with about three minutes to play.
As for getting swept by the rival Blues in the four-game season series, Jonathan Toews said: “The last two games on the road, we had leads in the third period. Unfortunately we found ways to give those leads up. But we were in those games.”
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DeBrincat focused on those missed opportunities on the road as well.
“Two of the games in St. Louis, we were up for most of the game (and) we blew the lead. Tonight’s a hard battle,” he said. "Honestly, it could have gone either way if we get a bounce here or there.
“But it sucks. Obviously we want to get wins. It’s never good getting swept in a season series. We have to come back harder and keep at it.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Chicago losing out on almost 100,000 visitors this month as another big event — the fourth — cancels

Chicago losing out on almost 100,000 visitors this month as another big event — the fourth — cancels because of coronavirus worries

An empty booth is seen at Pittcon , an annual convention of lab scientists that took place at McCormick Place @ @ @ @ @ It was one of a number of booths left empty because of coronavirus travel restrictions @ @ @ @ @ fourth large event planned for Chicago has been called off because of concerns about the @ @ @ @ @ Antonio James / Chicago Tribune )

An empty booth is seen at Pittcon, an annual convention of lab scientists that took place at McCormick Place in Chicago last week. It was one of a number of booths left empty because of coronavirus travel restrictions kept vendors away. A fourth large event planned for Chicago has been called off because of concerns about the new coronavirus. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The American College of Cardiology on Monday canceled its annual event scheduled to take place later this month in Chicago, the fourth sizable show that has been called off in the past week because of concerns about the new coronavirus.
The event was to draw 18,000 people to McCormick Place March 28-30.
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Late last week, the show was still expected to go on as scheduled but the group said the decision, which it called “difficult and unprecedented," followed updates and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, as well as state and local governments.
The group of medical professionals, many who work in hospital settings, also faced their employer directives. “Many of our attendees and speakers have been restricted from traveling,” said Nicole Napoli, a spokeswoman for the group. “We are exploring virtual options.”
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Last week, the International Housewares Association, Ace Hardware and Oracle also scrapped events that were set to take place in Chicago this month. Those events were expected to bring a combined 80,000 people to the city.
The cancellations — and loss of almost 100,000 visitors from just those four shows — deal a blow to Chicago’s economy. On average, a convention attendee spends about $300 each day they are in the city on restaurants, transportation and entertainment, according to Chicago-based hospitality analyst Ted Mandigo.


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Here’s why an oil price war is melting markets — and may soon slash gas prices

“ The Russians are doing this out of long-term strategic considerations , '' said Tom Adshead , research director for @ @ @ @ @ Moscow .
“ Their view is that by doing this they can damage the financial @ @ @ @ @ and that by doing this they can take a lot of U.S. capacity offline and @ @ @ @ @ a source of competition .
The other thing that is on their mind in all @ @ @ @ @ cut , then that will also primarily benefit U.S. producers .
”

The Shell Norco refinery is seen March 8, 2018, in Norco, La. Oil prices are plunging in March 2020, amid worries that an OPEC dispute will lead a virus-weakened economy to be awash in an oversupply of crude. (Gerald Herbert/AP)
A clash of the oil titans — Saudi Arabia and Russia — is sending shock waves through energy markets, with wide-ranging implications for consumers and oil companies, including those in the No. 1 producing country, the United States.
In the short term, oil prices fell by the most in one day since the 1991 Gulf War. The price of U.S. crude fell as much as 34% to $27.34 a barrel, a stunning drop for one day and the lowest price since early 2016. In morning trading in New York, U.S. oil traded down 20% at $33.16 a barrel, causing massive losses for shares in energy companies.
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The decline followed Russia's refusal last week to join the OPEC oil cartel in proposed production cuts aimed at supporting prices. Thwarted in its search for cuts, Saudi Arabia, the leading OPEC member, sharply changed course by cutting prices and signalling it will ramp up production.
Here is a look at the oil price war and what it could mean over the longer term in the industry as well as for consumers at the gas pump.
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Q: Why are oil prices falling?
A: First came the coronavirus, which reduced travel and transport — meaning the economic slowdown from the virus saps demand for fuel particularly hard. The international Brent crude oil benchmark had fallen from $69 a barrel at the start of the year to around $50.
Then came last week’s meeting between OPEC and nonmember countries. On the agenda: a production cut of 1.5 million barrels a day, or about 1.5% of global production. The idea was to keep prices from sagging even more as demand is expected to fall this year. Saudi Arabia, the world’s No. 2 oil producer, wanted No. 3 Russia and other nonmembers to take 500,000 barrels per day of the cuts. Since 2016, the Saudis and the Russians have worked together on production issues.
But this time the Russians balked. They refused to join new cuts, or even to extend previous production cuts that were due to expire at the end of March. And the Saudis hit back, telling customers that they were going to ramp up production and slash prices for Asian customers.
Q: What is Saudi Arabia’s goal?
A: First, protecting market share. Both Saudi Arabia and Russia have seen U.S. producers take a chunk of their market, and falling prices help keep customers on board.
Second, Saudi Arabia may hope that the pain of low prices will force a Russian rethink. “Saudi Arabia has de facto launched a price war against Russia, promising to sell its oil at a discount in order to maximise its oil revenues,” say analysts at UniCredit bank. “It appears Saudi Arabia wants to cement its position as the world’s top oil exporter and to persuade Moscow to return to the negotiating table.”
Q: What’s behind Russia’s refusal?
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A: Russia may have seen no point in cutting production only to lose market share as U.S. shale producers in Texas and New Mexico take up the slack. Analysts say Saudi Arabia may be underestimating Russia’s ability to weather low prices. Both countries are heavily dependent on oil revenues for their state budgets. But Russia says it can balance its budget at $42.40 for its own benchmark crude. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, needs $83.60, according to the International Monetary Fund.
What Saudi Arabia has done is to send prices so low that both will feel a serious crunch.
And Russia may have a longer-term target: the U.S. oil industry.
“The Russians are doing this out of long-term strategic considerations," said Tom Adshead, research director for the Macro-Advisory consulting firm in Moscow. “Their view is that by doing this they can damage the financial health of U.S. shale-oil producers and that by doing this they can take a lot of U.S. capacity offline and thereby remove U.S. producers as a source of competition. The other thing that is on their mind in all this is that if they cut, then that will also primarily benefit U.S. producers.”
"So they’ve decided they’re going to take some short-term pain in order to inflict damage on one of their major competitors.”
Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at financial services firm AxiCorp., says Russian President Vladimir Putin may also have decided to hit back at the U.S. industry after Washington placed sanctions on Russian state oil company Rosneft for marketing Venezuela's oil.
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Q: What’s it mean for prices at the pump?
A: Most of the price of gasoline in the United States simply reflects the price of oil, so lower crude prices should mean lower pump prices with a lag of about six weeks. Right now, they're at $2.42 according to the U.S Energy Information Administration. When crude fell to $36 in 2016, prices at the pump averaged $2.15.
The impact is less pronounced in Europe since most of the price is made up of taxes. Currently, gasoline costs 1.32 euros per liter in Germany, or about $5.70 per gallon.
Q: What does this mean for U.S. producers?
A: The current low prices could constrain activity in the American shale oil industry. A downturn in oil prices in 2014-2016 hurt companies in places like the Permian Basin in west Texas and eastern New Mexico. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, $50 per barrel is the price at which it becomes profitable to drill a new well in the U.S. Large producers such as Exxon have already scaled back with prices at $50 a barrel. In Texas, the number of active rigs fell from 553 in October 2018 to 398 in January 2020. Around the same time, the oil industry in Texas shed about 14,000 jobs
“With the growth phase of the shale boom grinding to a halt due to the lack of investment in the industry, now U.S. shale oil could find itself running into a brick wall,” says Innes from AxiCorp.
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The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said Monday that he believed the U.S. shale industry would survive.
Jim Heintz in Moscow and and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
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chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Ask Anna: Terminal disease, best friend upend marriage

But you ’ re not gone yet .
What matters is now and the time you have left .
It @ @ @ @ @ to be alone , of course .
And if you want to spend the remainder @ @ @ @ @ and full of anger , then that ’ s your right .
But if any @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not enough , that wants to experience some of the love , support @ @ @ @ @ of almost four decades , then I ’ d ask you to reconsider .
Talk @ @ @ @ @ how deeply hurt you are .
Tell her your fears and regrets and worries and @ @ @ @ @ her , and listen to her vulnerabilities as well .

“Ask Anna” is a sex column. Because of the nature of the topic, some columns contain language some readers may find graphic.
Dear Anna,
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I have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and started oxygen therapy a few months ago. I know based on my dad, uncle and older brothers that I have about two years left. I am not bitter. My family owned a successful paint manufacturing business for a long time, and it came with many rewards and a few detriments.
My wife of 35+ years has been a great partner, and I have three beautiful girls who are very happy, successful and married to terrific guys. My wife has a friend of 40+ years whom she adores. He dated her before me, but they broke up because he was “a player” and she wanted to get married young and have kids, like her parents. He never married.
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She has always been close to Jim, and he is the godfather of one of my daughters. He is a friend to all of us and has been very generous with all my girls. He has told me that my wife is “the one he shouldn’t have let get away.”
We had an argument about my future, and I said that I wanted to move to a state where I can have euthanasia rights. My wife doesn’t want to move with me, and that is fine, but what really hurts is that she mentioned Jim as one of the reasons. I know that she never fooled around with Jim, but I also know now that she and Jim have discussed a future relationship after I’m gone.
I am in Washington now and have found a place to stay while I move on to my next phase in life. I am so hurt and angry with both of them that I can’t speak with either. I’ve had some very bad thoughts about the two of them. I speak to my daughters almost every day, and they understand my feelings, but they think that I should stay with my wife, who says that she wants to be with me till the end, just as she promised at our wedding. Right now, I can’t. WTF should I do besides keeping the cannabis industry afloat? I get wasted every day and then feel better for a while. — Distraught
Dear Distraught,
What an insanely hard situation to be in. You seem to be extremely pragmatic and levelheaded about your end-of-life care, which I find impressive and admirable. However, I think you’re also trying to be rational and pragmatic about your feelings, which doesn’t really work, at least not in the way we hope it will.
You’re clearly angry with your wife and her would-be suitor/your friend, and that is entirely understandable. However, I would urge you to consider not spending the rest of your time on earth steeped in anger, bitterness and numb/wasted.
You don’t say where you moved away from, or if Washington is near or far from where your wife is, but regardless of physical distance, I would urge you to make up with her. Why? For your peace of mind, first off.
Even if your estimate is correct and you have two years to live, that’s still two years of aliveness to account for. But you’re acting as if you’re already dead, or that your wife has left you for this other person when, in fact, the opposite is true. You have left her. Your wife of 35+ years. I’m sure you have your reasons. Euthanasia rights is one, as you said. And perhaps also you moved away, so that your loved ones don’t have to see you suffer. Maybe you’re trying to shield them from the pain you’re experiencing by hiding it from them.
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My father was the same way. He managed to hide not one but two bouts of lung cancer from his mother. And when he eventually died this summer, I didn’t know he was even in the hospital until it was too late to reach him. Neither I nor my brother got to say goodbye to him.
He often did this while alive. Not wanting to “worry” us, so not saying anything at all. He chose to suffer in silence. Some stubbornness, too, perhaps. I want to tell you not to be stubborn, Distraught. You seem to have accepted your own death with relative calm, and even ease, so why not also accept that the lives of those you love will continue after you’re gone? Will it matter to you that your wife finds comfort in a relationship with a dear friend after you’re dead? No. Because you’ll be dead.
But you’re not gone yet. What matters is now and the time you have left. It’s possible you want to be alone, of course. And if you want to spend the remainder of your time here wasted and full of anger, then that’s your right. But if any part of you thinks that’s not enough, that wants to experience some of the love, support and comfort from your partner of almost four decades, then I’d ask you to reconsider. Talk to her. Tell her how deeply hurt you are. Tell her your fears and regrets and worries and angers. Be vulnerable with her, and listen to her vulnerabilities as well.
I imagine you’re experiencing lots of unpleasantness over this — betrayal, rejection, jealousy, a feeling of not being chosen, disrespected, hurt, maybe even that your choices aren’t being respected, as you decided to move away from the life you built and she did not. Not to mention the grief and the physical and emotional discomforts of your illness. It’s a lot. No wonder you’re distraught, Distraught.
What will help you feel less so is not to push the feelings away or numb them with cannabis — which, as you said, is a temporary fix, at best. Feelings exist to be felt — they don’t go away because we want them to. They’re assholes that way. It’s time to confront them, first in yourself and then with your wife. Hating someone — even someone who we think deserves it — is another temporary fix that won’t actually make you feel better. It’s not satisfying in the long run and uses up your already limited energy stores.
You say you’re mad that your wife didn’t want to move with you, in part, “because of Jim.” And I get that. But also presumably she had other reasons that had nothing to do with him, like not wanting to uproot the life she built (with you), her community, her resources and friends — all things she will very much need when you are gone. Can you step into her shoes and try to view her perspective through a loving lens? If your situations were reversed, what would you want for yourself, for a life without her? How might you see it differently?
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I’m not taking sides here — I’d be wildly pissed if I were you, but I also want you to live out the rest of your life the best way you can. And you can’t do that without forgiveness. Open your heart, Distraught. Let those who want to love you, love you. My father didn’t give me a chance to be there for him, and the negative impacts of that have been far-reaching. Don’t let bitterness consume you. Let love.


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Who’s the 5th starter? What to do with Nico Hoerner? 4 issues facing the Cubs the next 2 weeks as th

Who’s the 5th starter? What to do with Nico Hoerner? 4 issues facing the Cubs the next 2 weeks as they finalize the roster for opening day.

Mills is out of minor-league options but can handle long-relief duties with more resiliency than Chatwood .
The Cubs don @ @ @ @ @ starter until March 31 , so Chatwood and Mills could work out of the bullpen @ @ @ @ @ likely returns to the rotation .

MESA, Ariz. — With two weeks left in spring training and more cuts looming, a once-docile spring training will start to intensify as the Cubs seek solutions to several issues.
Yu Darvish threw 31 pitches at maximum effort before Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks, and he and Jon Lester remain candidates to start the March 26 season opener in Milwaukee.
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The bullpen situation likely will be fluid throughout the season, but the Cubs need to find relievers who can provide a firm bridge from the starters to setup men Jeremy Jeffress and Rowan Wick and closer Craig Kimbrel if they want to avoid another sluggish start.
Here are four issues of interest as opening day approaches.
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1. The fifth starter
Leading candidate Tyler Chatwood is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Giants. From a statistical standpoint, Alec Mills has pitched better than Chatwood this spring.
But Chatwood revealed in August he needed to adjust physically to warming up as a starter, saying he required extra rest after stints of more than one inning.
Chatwood also has shown improvement in limiting damage after bouts of wildness, particularly in the first inning of his Feb. 29 start against the Padres. His 96 mph fastball has helped him work out of jams.
Mills is out of minor-league options but can handle long-relief duties with more resiliency than Chatwood. The Cubs don’t need a fifth starter until March 31, so Chatwood and Mills could work out of the bullpen for the opener before Chatwood likely returns to the rotation.
2. Nico Hoerner
The Cubs are adamant about not stunting the development of 2018 first-round pick Nico Hoerner. All-Star Javier Baez is entrenched at shortstop, and the assumption is that Jason Kipnis will be the starting second baseman as long as he remains healthy.
Nico Hoerner throws to first base during the first inning of a spring training game against the Rockies on March 3, 2020. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)
But Hoerner continues to provide eye-opening moments. He is the best backup shortstop candidate on the roster, but David Bote possesses more experience and better footwork around second base.
For now, Hoerner represents an attractive insurance policy to start the season at Triple-A Iowa unless Baez suffers an injury or the Cubs experience a recurring lack of production at second base.
3. Left-handed relief
Kyle Ryan’s knack for inducing ground balls makes him valuable, especially with new rules requiring a reliever to face a minimum of three batters or finish an inning.
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With Brad Wieck sidelined for the start of the season, carrying another left-hander could ease concerns against left-handed-dominant lineups.
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Non-roster invitee Rex Brothers, one of the first cuts in spring training in 2016, has struck out 11 in six innings.
The Cubs are taking a long-range view with Danny Hultzen, whose promising career has been plagued by arm injuries and who might be viewed more closely as a midseason candidate.
4. The 26th man
The Cubs usually have carried a speedster only in September (Quintin Berry, 2015; Terrance Gore, 2018), but non-roster invitee Ian Miller could get the last roster spot if the Cubs are satisfied with their depth elsewhere.
Miller, 28, has stolen 243 bases in seven minor-league seasons. The Cubs have ample outfield depth as long as Stephen Souza Jr. stays healthy, but Miller’s speed intrigues manager David Ross.
Daniel Descalso has played left field, first base and third base in addition to his normal position at second. His $2.5 million salary and clubhouse presence make him a virtual lock to make the roster as a utility player.
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David Bote made an exceptional stop at third base against the White Sox on Friday, and he will get playing time at shortstop soon.
Josh Phegley hit 12 home runs in 314 at-bats for the Athletics last season, but the Cubs have seldom carried a third catcher.


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Column: With their instability at quarterback obvious, the Bears join the NFL’s game of musical chai

Column: With their instability at quarterback obvious, the Bears join the NFL’s game of musical chairs searching for Mitch Trubisky’s competition

Keep in mind that for Pace , Nagy and their respective staffs , this isn ’ t as simple as @ @ @ @ @ Amazon and clicking the new quarterback right into the shopping cart .
This process will @ @ @ @ @ and demand , a reminder of how competitive the quarterback hunt can be .

I was typing in a corner of a hotel passageway at the scouting combine in Indianapolis last month when a longtime NFL coach sauntered up. He noticed the midseason intensity in my keystrokes and offered a look of curiosity mixed with concern.
What the hell are you working on?
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“Same as always,” I replied. “Just trying to solve the Bears’ quarterback problem. It’s a 25-year investigation.”
The coach laughed, then shook his head.
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“Yeah,” he said. “That’s a tough one. They’re certainly in a bind now. When you can’t get that right, you’ve got problems.”
This is — overwhelmingly — the outside perception.
“The bad part for them,” the coach continued, “is they had their big chance to get it right. They had that chance. And they missed on it.”
He paused.
“The worst part is the guy they passed over became the real deal.”
Wait … The guy? Didn’t he really mean guys? Plural?
“Yep,” he said, nodding. “There were multiple. There were multiple.”
With that, the coach shook his head again and was off to tend to his team’s business.
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The leaguewide sentiment about the Bears at the combine was nearly unanimous: They’re certainly in a bind now. And they have problems.
Action is needed. As soon as possible.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 65 Nick Sacrinty, left, played in 11 games during the Bears' 1947 season. (Chicago Tribune)
Three years after making an all-in bet on Mitch Trubisky to be their franchise quarterback, the Bears suddenly are caught straddling a pointy fence. The organization’s key decision makers — led by general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy — are balancing their urge to forecast a developmental uptick for Trubisky with the need to invest in a reliable insurance policy.
And this month, the Bears will have their first real chance to show how they truly feel about their quarterback situation, their first big opportunity to present a vision for the immediate road ahead. That move is coming soon. Very soon.
On your mark, get set ...
Catch your breath while you can. Because in the next few weeks, the NFL quarterback market will be as hectic as ever. At least 15 teams have significant uncertainty at the position or are expecting some form of notable change.
The Bears, of course, are included in that group, eager to partake in the game of musical chairs that will unfold quickly and with all the chaos of school children plundering a broken pinata.
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Tom Brady’s future is the first thing that must fall into place. And once it has? Well, prepare for a free-for-all as teams and quarterbacks from coast to coast hope to find a match.
Whatever page Brady’s “Choose Your Own Adventure” flips to will alter the rest of the league’s developments. The Bears must be prepared with a detailed plan and flexible contingency plans. Yet they also must find the proper balance between aggressiveness and practicality by measuring the risk-reward of pouncing early versus waiting for the market to settle.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady reacts after running for yardage in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs on Dec. 8, 2019. (Elise Amendola / AP)
The group of starting-caliber quarterbacks eligible to enter free agency when the negotiating window opens March 16 includes Philip Rivers, Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Case Keenum and Jameis Winston.
Other quarterbacks who could figure prominently in trade talks are Andy Dalton, Nick Foles and Derek Carr.
Even with Pace’s public backing of Trubisky as the starter heading into 2020, the Bears have also emphasized a desire and a need to establish real competition with an experienced backup likely on the way.
In essence, the Bears have become intent on creating a sink-or-swim test for Trubisky while making certain next season won’t be completely lost if Trubisky goes under.
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It’s a demanding challenge but one the Bears must hit head-on.
Facing reality
Keep in mind that for Pace, Nagy and their respective staffs, this isn’t as simple as finding a product match on Amazon and clicking the new quarterback right into the shopping cart. This process will be an exercise in supply and demand, a reminder of how competitive the quarterback hunt can be.
In many ways, this will be like a white-elephant gift exchange with teams left to decide whether the ordinary quarterback option they have is worth holding onto or whether there might be a better potential reward in grabbing someone else.
There’s no formula for any of this, with each front office guided by a different motivation and different pressures. The Bears must feel all that out.
Where will the Buccaneers turn if they’re truly intent on moving on from Winston? What’s next for the Chargers in life without Rivers? Will there be any sort of significant movement or change in Indianapolis? In Pittsburgh?
If the Raiders can’t lure Brady to Las Vegas, aren’t they best served sticking with Carr? Don’t the Titans face a similar situation with Tannehill?
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And how will the Bears’ search for a second quarterback be affected by all these other simultaneous searches?
Sure, there are many who are dismissive of the whispers of the Bears trading to acquire another team’s castoff. How much excitement is there in acquiring a guy like Dalton, a middle-of-the-road quarterback heading for his 10th season? The lukewarm reception about a scenario like that is understandable. But that, it should be understood, is life in the middle tier.
The Bears haven’t established nearly enough on any level to make Lake Forest one of the most attractive landing spots for a guy like Brady. And they would also rather avoid breaking the bank and allocating too many resources this spring to one opening on the second line of the offensive depth chart.
Naturally, then, very few options for patching things together will inspire uncontrollable giddiness or a run on season tickets. (Practice your shoulder shrugs while you can.)
The preferred option would have been to spend this spring and summer negotiating a long-term, record-setting extension with an indisputable franchise quarterback who was drafted three years ago.
But that’s not reality. The reality is the Bears are in a pickle with the most important position on the roster.
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So Pace, Nagy and their staffs must make the best of what’s in front of them, needing to have some level of success in a busy month that will be instrumental in shaping the team’s future.
Establishing greater stability at quarterback is a must. When you can’t get that right, you have problems.


chicagotribune--2020-03-10--Anthony Gay’s years in solitary confinement led to self-mutilation. Now a bill to limit prisoner iso

Anthony Gay’s years in solitary confinement led to self-mutilation. Now a bill to limit prisoner isolation in Illinois is named in his honor.

The issue has prompted several states to reform their segregation policies in recent years , though Illinois lags behind .
@ @ @ @ @ the number of days juvenile offenders spend in isolation and no longer uses segregation as @ @ @ @ @ as part of a consent decree between the department and the American Civil Liberties Union @ @ @ @ @ do not extend to the adult population .

Anthony Gay spent decades in solitary confinement while in Illinois prisons. Now a proposed law that would restrict the use of prisoner isolation is named after him. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Spurred by a Chicago Tribune investigation involving a man who spent two decades in isolation after being convicted of stealing a hat and a single dollar bill, a proposed state law would limit how long an Illinois prisoner can stay in solitary confinement.
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The Anthony Gay Isolated Confinement Restriction Act would bar the Illinois Department of Corrections from placing an inmate in isolation for more than 10 days in a six-month period. It also would require IDOC to give isolated inmates access to group therapy, medical appointments, educational classes, job assignments and exercise when outside their cells.
Anthony Gay becomes emotional while speaking March 10, 2020, about his years in solitary confinement. Attorney Sarah Grady is consoling him. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“There is a difference between putting someone behind bars and putting someone in a hole,” said state Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago. “It goes beyond punishment. Now you’re torturing someone.”
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The bill is named for Anthony Gay, a Rock Island native who entered prison in 1994 as a young man, convicted of robbery after brawling with another teen who told police that Gay took his hat and stole $1. Gay expected to serve as little as 3½ years.
Instead, a fight with a fellow inmate led to Gay’s first stint in segregation, pushing him into a downward spiral that resulted in 22 years in solitary confinement. Shortly after the isolation started, Gay began self-mutilating and attempting suicide.
Alone for 23 hours a day and starved for human contact, Gay took extreme steps to get attention. He cut himself hundreds of times in his 7-by-12-foot cell, slicing open his neck, forearms, legs and genitals. Once, he packed a fan motor inside a gaping leg wound; another time he cut open his scrotum and inserted a zipper.
Scars are visible on Anthony Gay's arm while he worships at the Church of Peace in Rock Island in 2018. Gay cut himself repeatedly during his decades in solitary confinement. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
As his mind began to deteriorate, Gay became antagonistic toward his guards and occasionally threw urine or feces at them, unlawful acts of defiance that stretched his original sentence into more than two decades behind bars.
In Livingston County, where Pontiac Correctional Center is situated, the state’s attorney’s office lodged a series of 21 indictments against Gay between 2000 and 2004 for the many times he threw his own bodily fluids at guards. The offenses added about 100 years to his initial sentence.
The Illinois Department of Corrections would later identify Gay in court filings as one of a few dozen inmates whose mental illnesses were so acute and dangerous that they required full inpatient care. But a Tribune investigation found his psychiatric treatment often consisted of a therapist shouting questions to him through a door.
As he recounted how his mental health eroded in isolation, the normally stoic Gay broke down in tears Tuesday during a news conference promoting the proposed legislation. If the state had followed through with its plans, Gay would have spent the rest of his life alone inside a cell the size of a parking space.
“Instead of being removed (from solitary), I was buried deeper,” he said. “I was scheduled to die in solitary confinement.”
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On his darkest days, Gay clung to the idea that he would find a way to end IDOC’s isolation policies.
“My goal always was to get out and make a difference for the others still there,” he told the Tribune this week. “I wanted to throw them a rope of hope.”
The proposed legislation comes amid a broader rethinking around the country of solitary confinement, and whether it amounts to excessive punishment. At any given time, about 67,000 inmates nationwide are spending up to 22 hours a day alone in a cell, according to a joint study by Yale University and the Association of State Correctional Administrators.
A significant number of those have mental illnesses, though estimates vary. A federal judge in 2018 found that of the roughly 1,100 Illinois prisoners in solitary confinement, more than 900 had been diagnosed with mental illnesses. Another measure, provided in December 2018 by the Illinois Department of Corrections, found that nearly 1 in 3 prisoners in segregation have a mental illness categorized as serious.
Currently, there are 1,302 inmates in restrictive housing and just under 400 of them are seriously mentally ill, an IDOC spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman, Lindsey Hess, said in an email the agency had spoken with Ford about the bill, but she did say whether IDOC supports the legislation.
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The issue has prompted several states to reform their segregation policies in recent years, though Illinois lags behind. While Illinois has significantly reduced the number of days juvenile offenders spend in isolation and no longer uses segregation as a punishment for young people as part of a consent decree between the department and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, those policies do not extend to the adult population.
Ford has pushed unsuccessfully for solitary confinement reforms for nearly four years, but he believes the bill has its strongest chances of passing during the current legislative session given Gay’s involvement. The bill, which is assigned to the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee, is expected to be taken up after the March 17 primary election, Ford said.
Anthony Gay with one of his attorneys, Maggie Filler of the MacArthur Justice Center, at Cool Beanz Coffee House in Rock Island in 2018. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“Anthony’s story touched many people in Springfield,” Ford said. “It (the proposed legislation) has a new life because there’s now a real face to this issue. These are the stories that help get legislation passed.”
Under the bill, inmates with safety concerns would be allowed to request a transfer to solitary confinement for as long as needed. IDOC also would be required to publish quarterly data about the inmates in solitary confinement, including information about their age, ethnicity, reason for segregation and access to health care while there.
“Transparency is absolutely a vital part of this bill,” said Gay’s attorney, Nicolette Ward of the Romanucci & Blandin law firm. “That kind of oversight, candidly, could have saved Anthony. Right now, we don’t how many Anthony Gays are in the system.”
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Gay was released from prison in August 2018 after his attorneys successfully petitioned to have his sentence restructured. He sued the Illinois Department of Corrections; the lawsuit is pending in federal court in Peoria and has a tentative November 2021 trial date.
Anthony Gay speaks about his two decades spent in solitary confinement in Illinois prisons. Gay returned to his Rock Island home after being released in 2018. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
He also has become an advocate for solitary confinement reform, lobbying state lawmakers in Springfield and providing pivotal testimony in a class-action lawsuit that led to court-ordered reforms involving the way the IDOC treats mentally ill inmates.
Gay has a job helping out at his cousin’s barbershop and enjoys spending time with his large family, which includes his 6-month-old son, Anthony. He has a network of social workers, attorneys and church friends who have helped him adjust to a world that moved on without him two decades ago.
The adjustment has not been easy. Having spent his entire adult life as an inmate and having his choices dictated to him by guards, he struggles to make even those most basic decisions such as when he should shower or if he should do laundry.
He also grapples with the painful memories of his time in isolation, though he tries to bury the bad feelings. He believes he owes it to the inmates still in segregation to present a positive image, and pushing for reforms helps him achieve that goal.
“It has been a long, tedious process,” he said. “I’m grateful (for the bill) — not so much for me, but for the people who are still trapped.”
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sstclair@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-10--You have coronavirus questions. We asked a doctor for answers.

A : It is transmitted by exactly the same mechanism as influenza , which is by the droplets , when someone coughs or sneezes directly on you , or contact .
I would say at this point , with what we know , the coronavirus is more contagious because nobody has ever seen the virus before .
It ’ s a new virus to our species , and so we don ’ t have any antibodies against it .
With flu , we have antibodies from being exposed year after year , we have a flu vaccine , that probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it looks like the coronavirus is more contagious .
To be more technical , there is a number that we use for contagiousness of diseases , called the r0 .
If the r0 is 1 , that means that each person with a disease is expected to give it to one other person ... so the higher the number , the more contagious it is .
For background , influenza , like seasonal flu , the r0 number is about 1.3 .
Right now , as far as we know , the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is higher than influenza .
But just to give you a frame of reference , the measles , which is among the most contagious of all viruses , that r0 is up to about 18 .

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chicagotribune--2020-03-10--Police search for men who broke into Northwest Side jewelry store

Five men broke into the store about 1:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 1400 block of North Halsted Street in the @ @ @ @ @ Northwest Side , police said , citing preliminary information .
They broke into the first @ @ @ @ @ device .
”

Five men broke the front lock of an empty storefront and cut through the wall to reach a jewelry store next door early Tuesday, according to Chicago police.
The men broke into the store about 1:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 1400 block of North Halsted Street in the Goose Island neighborhood, police said, citing preliminary information.
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Once inside the jewelry store, they took an unknown amount of items, police said. They were last seen running west on Blackhawk Street.
No arrests have been made, police said.
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pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-03-10--Police: Man faces attempted murder charge after firing at a Chicago police officer

The officer , who is assigned to bike duty in the Town Hall district , was on his way into @ @ @ @ @ when he saw two people were trying to steal a catalytic converter , police said @ @ @ @ @ , identified himself and tried to intervene .

Chicago police interim Superintendent Charlie Beck at the scene of a shooting where an off-duty officer exchanged shots with a theft suspect Sunday, March 8, 2020, in the 5200 block of North Lawler Avenue. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
A Chicago police officer driving to work Sunday morning quickly suspected a catalytic converter was being stolen near a Northwest Side intersection: A man was underneath an SUV and another man was standing nearby with his hand inside his jacket, as if holding a gun.
The cop’s hunch was confirmed when the man emerged from underneath the SUV with a small electric saw in hand. The officer announced who he was and the other man, John “Jimmy” Fleming, 27, raised a silver handgun and fired at the officer, authorities said during a bail hearing Tuesday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
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The 34-year-old officer wasn’t hit and returned fire, striking Fleming once in the left hip, prosecutors said.
Fleming, from the Ashburn neighborhood, was charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer following the exchange of gunfire in the 5200 block of North Lawler Avenue in the Forest Glen neighborhood, which prompted a large police response. He remained hospitalized Tuesday and didn’t appear at his hearing.
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Prosecutors described a wild scene following the shooting, with a wounded Fleming on the hood of the fleeing 2012 black Audi driven by his accomplice.
A woman in a passing car saw Fleming on the hood with a gun in his hand, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said. She then saw Fleming fall off the hood, dropping the gun but grabbing it before hopping inside the car, authorities said.
About a half-hour later, the Audi dropped Fleming off at St. Bernard Hospital in the Englewood neighborhood, more than 16 miles away. Jefferson Park District police were notified and later met with Englewood District officers to discuss the case, according to Murphy.
Fleming was transferred to Stroger Hospital, where he was arrested after the officer positively identified him as the shooter. Police later found the Audi abandoned with Fleming’s blood and an unfired 9 mm bullet inside, authorities said. The accomplice remained at large.
Judge David Navarro denied bail for Fleming, who was on parole for a 2019 conviction for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
Prior to the shooting, authorities said there were two separate early morning catalytic converter thefts in the same area. Police are still working to tie those thefts to Fleming.
Authorities say the pollution control devices are popular with thieves because they are constructed of precious metals such as platinum, palladium or rhodium and can by recycled for quick cash.
If convicted, Fleming faces 80 years in prison. He is scheduled to return to court next week.
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wlee@chicagotribune.com
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Ask Amy: Tackling teens, shaving, and old-fashioned tech

Students are not allowed to use their cellphones during school hours , but they can use the office phones to @ @ @ @ @ what concerns us : They do not listen for a dial tone .
They do @ @ @ @ @ before the area code and number .
They do not know their home number or @ @ @ @ @ 's cellphone , because they are used to scrolling through their cellphone to find it @

Dear Readers: Every year I step away from my daily column to work on other creative projects. I've gathered some topical "Best Of" columns from 10 years ago. Today's compilation deals with questions related to teenagers. I'll be back in two weeks with fresh columns.
Dear Amy: I am a girl in my junior year of high school, and the volleyball coach won't let me compete until I shave my underarms and legs (our uniforms are sleeveless tops and shorts).
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I don't want to be forced into something I feel is completely unnecessary. Is this discrimination? Is there anything I can do? I really want to play volleyball!
— Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
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Dear Gone: If your coach also insisted that the male volleyball or basketball players must shave their underarms and legs, then perhaps this wouldn't qualify as discrimination.
I shared your letter with Lenora Lapidus, director of the Women's Rights Project for the American Civil Liberties Union, who responded, "This is clearly gender discrimination, based on stereotypes of how girls and women should look." Lapidus would like to remind your coach that Title IX prohibits discrimination in any institution receiving federal funds.
Lapidus suggests you start by talking to the coach. "Try to work it out at school. It seems like something they should come around about because this is fairly clear-cut."
If your coach insists on this shaving rule, take it to the principal.
I hope you will stand up for your right not to be forced to shave.
November 2010
Dear Amy: I have an older brother. He and I are close. I usually hang out with him and his friends. They're all teens. His friends are really nice, but when we are in school, they sometimes ignore me when they see me. I feel confused about why they act like that.
Whenever we go out and do stuff together, they talk to me, but when we are in school, it's like I'm invisible. What is wrong with me? Is something wrong with them?
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— Confused
Dear Confused: There is nothing wrong with you, and there is nothing wrong with them. They're being unexceptionally normal. They have temporary teen-onset family blindness. They are going through a phase.
Their behavior isn't personal. You probably notice that your brother also ignores your parents when you're out in public together?
To sum up: Sometimes it's no fun to be related to a teenager.
April 2010
Dear Amy: I am a secretary at your average middle school. The other secretary and I have noticed an alarming trend: Children of the cellphone generation do not know how to use a landline phone!
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Students are not allowed to use their cellphones during school hours, but they can use the office phones to call home. This is what concerns us: They do not listen for a dial tone. They do not know to dial one before the area code and number. They do not know their home number or the number of a parent's cellphone, because they are used to scrolling through their cellphone to find it.
Parents need to review this with their children.
— School Secretary
Dear Secretary: I appreciate your suggestion, and so, parents, take a break from the other challenging parenting issues: The "sex talk," the "drug talk," the "online predators" talk, and show your kids how to use a landline phone.
Most importantly, make sure the kids know and memorize all the family phone numbers, which means that they will need to memorize a series of cell numbers. This is vital.
After this lesson in "old school" technology, you can introduce these schoolchildren to the mysteries of the old Selectric typewriter: Kids! It's a keyboard and a printer rolled into one!
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October 2010
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Dear Amy: I agree that memorizing important phone numbers and knowing how to dial a landline are good skills. I would add one more: When my daughters flew as unaccompanied minors, I bought them a phone card and taught them how to use a pay phone and how to make a collect call. They are unique in their peer group to even know that there is something called a pay phone.
— Fellow Luddite
Dear Luddite: Now that your kids know how to use a pay phone, I wish them luck in finding one to use, so you should also train your children on how to be discerning in finding an adult to help them, if they're in a jam. To quote one of my heroes, Fred Rogers, "Look for the helpers."
October 2010
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(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
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Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Dylan Cease ‘wasn’t very sharp’ in his 3rd Cactus League start. 3 takeaways from White Sox spring tr

Dylan Cease ‘wasn’t very sharp’ in his 3rd Cactus League start. 3 takeaways from White Sox spring training.

“ Bat-to-ball skill is really impressive , ” Renteria said .
“ He doesn ’ t strike out very much @ @ @ @ @ to serve him well .
We are going to continue to home in on his @ @ @ @ @ , which will take advantage of his ability to put the bat on the ball @ @ @ @ @ lot more out of what he does .
”

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Yasmani Grandal went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs for the White Sox in a 3-3 tie with the Reds on Monday at Camelback Ranch.
Grandal doubled in the second and scored on a single by Nomar Mazara. Grandal hit a solo home run off Amir Garrett in the sixth.
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Yasmani got Grand-all of that one. pic.twitter.com/CQKn0ZOM4M — Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 9, 2020
Yermin Mercedes hit a solo homer with two outs in the ninth off Cody Reed to tie the game.
Here are three takeaways from Monday.
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1. Dylan Cease lacked sharpness in his start.
Dylan Cease surrendered a leadoff home run to Nick Senzel on an 0-2 pitch.
“With 0-2 right there, I need to throw a pitch that he’s not going to be able to do damage with,” Cease said.
Cease’s description of Monday’s outing: “It wasn’t very sharp.”
The right-hander allowed three runs on four hits in three-plus innings. He exited after Scott Schebler singled to begin the fourth.
Cease struck out three, walked three and hit a batter. The walks came in the third, when the Reds scored twice. He had not issued a walk in his two previous starts, totaling six innings.
“Anytime you give free passes or put them in hitter’s counts, you’re asking for trouble,” Cease said. “If I execute pitches better, I throw more strikes, I’m not going to waste that many pitches and it’s probably not going to be as bad of an inning.”
Cease felt like he was hitting his spots, just up.
“I was leaving everything way up or just yanking it,” Cease said. “I have to talk to Coop (pitching coach Don Cooper), but it was just one of those innings.”
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Cease threw 64 pitches, 34 for strikes. On the positive side, he said he threw good changeups.
“I didn’t throw a whole lot of curveballs, which I need to start mixing them in a little bit more to get ready,” Cease said. “But other than that, we mixed everything. I just have to command a little bit better.”
2. Nick Madrigal left with a bruise above his left eyebrow.
Reds infielder Michael De Leon hit a hard grounder to second baseman Nick Madrigal in the eighth. The ball bounced and hit Madrigal in the head.
Madrigal left the game under his own power. The Sox later announced he had a bruise above his left eyebrow and no signs of a concussion.
Madrigal had entered the game in the eighth.
The No. 4 prospect in the organization, Madrigal is hitting .222 in 10 games this spring. Sox manager Rick Renteria addressed his progress before Monday’s game.
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“Bat-to-ball skill is really impressive,” Renteria said. “He doesn’t strike out very much. It’s going to serve him well. We are going to continue to home in on his strike zone and zone hitting, which will take advantage of his ability to put the bat on the ball more consistently and get a lot more out of what he does.”
Madrigal has struck out twice in 27 at-bats.
"He’s pretty special, bat-to-ball skill, and we are going to see if we can hone it until it gives him the greatest advantage possible,” Renteria said.
3. Adam Engel has had a productive spring.
Center fielder Adam Engel went 0-for-3 on Monday but has been one of the more productive hitters in the Cactus League. Engel is hitting .333 with two doubles, two home runs, 11 RBIs and eight runs in 12 games.
“He does a lot of different stuff,” Rick Renteria said. “And he’s continued to grow and move and learn and continued to adapt. He’s putting himself in a position where he can do multiple things, specifically in the outfield, on the bases, with the bat.
“We were hopeful it would ultimately happen, and it seems like it’s starting to happen for him. He’s very comfortable in his skin right now. Hopefully we can use that to our advantage.”
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Engel is projected to make the roster as a reserve outfielder.


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Vernon Hills police is latest to embrace automatic license plate scanners. Like other suburbs, they

Vernon Hills police is latest to embrace automatic license plate scanners. Like other suburbs, they had to weigh technological pros and cons.

“ We ’ re certainly always interested in any technology that will help law enforcement , ” Jogmen said .
@ @ @ @ @ comes constant evaluation of its ability to do what it sets out to do .
@ @ @ @ @ and obviously comfort level for everyone involved .
”

Cars head east on Route 60 in Vernon Hills. Police say the area is one of the locations in the village that will be monitored by automatic license plate scanners. (James T. Norman / Pioneer Press)
Vernon Hills is set to become the latest suburb in the Chicago area to start using newer technology that is designed to help police and aid investigations by automatically scanning license plate numbers of cars that pass through the village.
But like with any technological advancement, the automatic readers come with its share of pros and cons. Some police departments in Lake County have raised concerns with the reliability of the images collected on the devices and privacy concerns to both residents and law enforcement.
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Last month, Vernon Hills officials approved an agreement to lease 10 stationary cameras with the ability to automatically scan license plates at a cost of $20,000 a year.
The final vote came after Police Chief Patrick Kreis and Deputy Police Chief Patrick Zimmerman made their case to village board members for the technology. Zimmerman told trustees the readers can capture vehicle registration information, along with the color and type of vehicle.
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“The system also has the capability to think like a detective," Zimmerman said. "It can recognize manufacturer’s logos, their shapes, their rear light design.”
The new cameras, which will be housed within a weather-proof unit and run on solar power, will not be mounted at any intersections because of their size, Kreis said.
Vernon Hills police won’t divulge the exact locations of all the readers, but one likely location will monitor activity on the east and westbound lanes along Route 60 near the Des Plaines River, he said.
The department did have some reservations when researching the new equipment because of the reputation of similar legacy systems that were older, and known to be unreliable and require too much maintenance, Kreis said.
But the vendor that is a part of the village’s new agreement, Flock Safety, seems to have fixed many of those issues, he said, adding how he also contacted other departments that have used similar technology already.
In nearby Mundelein, officials recently moved away from using a single roaming camera that the police department was using for a half decade.
Officials in Highland Park, meanwhile, are in the process of acquiring an automatic license reader, but they want to use it in a limited capacity when enforcing parking violations. Vernon Hills’ northern neighbor, Libertyville, also doesn’t use the technology, but officials said they have begun researching it.
Mundelein Police Chief Eric Guenther said his department decommissioned its roaming camera last year after about six years of regular use.
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While the camera was at the end of its life and needed to be replaced or repaired, Guenther said he felt the technology wasn’t providing an added benefit with the department’s criminal investigations.
Police encountered technological issues regarding hot sheets the department uses for certain criminal investigations, saying officers often ended up having to update and review the list. But the camera assisted well with acquiring information on suspended driver’s licenses, he said.
“It never quite flowed the way it was supposed to,” Guenther said.
The constant movement of traffic patrols also posed difficulties, he said. If a police officer was driving in one direction, the camera oftentimes would register a hit on a car going the opposite direction.
“That officer has to manually run (and look) at that screen and physically identify that vehicle that is passing him,” Guenther said. “To do that and whip around and find that car, it just doesn’t happen quite often.”
While Vernon Hills is adding stationary cameras, Kreis said the department looked at the remote option but determined it didn’t meet the department’s needs.
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A provided photo displays Flock Safety's automatic license plate reader. Vernon Hills recently approved an agreement to start leasing the readers from Flock Safety. (Courtesy of Flock Safety)
The remote option does provide its own set of benefits but it’s not always helpful with criminal investigations, which is what prompted the village to start researching the technology, he said.
Kreis said he still can recall how an investigation that included Vernon Hills and spanned years into a crime ring involving hundreds of burglaries across the Chicago area greatly was helped out by portable makeshift cameras picking up license plate information.
When addressing trustees last month, Kreis specified the department wouldn’t use the scanner technology beyond criminal investigations. If someone were to call the department and ask police to find out where their spouse was headed, officers wouldn’t cooperate, he said.
Information stored by the cameras in Vernon Hills also would be removed after 30 days, he said. But Vernon Hills police do acknowledge that the cameras aren’t guaranteed to capture a usable image.
Traffic congestion, as well as certain license plate covers, can make it challenging to find reliable information, said Kreis, who noted how any type of license plate cover is illegal in Illinois.
“I’m confident it’s going to help us solve crimes,” Kreis said. “And when we can solve one crime, we are solving multiple crimes.”
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In Highland Park, police are acquiring an automatic reader to help officers with parking enforcement, said Police Chief Lou Jogmen. While the department isn’t looking to use it for criminal investigations, the technology still seems to add value to different parts of police work, he said.
“We’re doing something similar to (parking enforcement) and we’ll probably grow the program,” Jogmen said.
But he said his department is going to stop short of linking information collected from the devices to national databases.
In Vernon Hills, police are planning to cross-check information picked up by the cameras with data maintained by the National Crime Investigation Center, Kreis said.
The cameras will take images of the plates and run them against the center’s hot sheet. If there is a hit, police within the department will be notified, Kreis said.
Other concerns with the new technology were related to privacy, not only from residents, but from Vernon Hills police, as well.
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Kreis said they vetted privacy concerns when looking into the technology, including whether any of the information would be used or sold to a third party. He said he confirmed that wouldn’t happen with the department’s new agreement.
“(The information) is only available to us and we are only going to use it for criminal investigation purposes,” he said.
Jogmen said that while his department will start tinkering with the technology, Highland Park police doesn’t have plans to expand it at the moment.
“We’re certainly always interested in any technology that will help law enforcement,” Jogmen said. “But with any technology comes constant evaluation of its ability to do what it sets out to do. Cost is always a factor and obviously comfort level for everyone involved.”
jnorman@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--‘American Idol’ reveals ‘fourth judge’ on Sunday’s show

Earlier in the week , Perry revealed to fans that she was expecting with the release of a new song @ @ @ @ @ ” In the song ’ s music video and via an Instagram story , Perry @ @ @ @ @ Orlando Bloom , whom she has been dating for three years , are due this @ @

“American Idol” judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan shared some happy news in the opening segment of Sunday night’s broadcast of the ABC program: the arrival of a “fourth judge.”
"I think it's the perfect addition to this panel," said Bryan, adding the news "should come from Katy."
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"We're having a baby," said Perry, as she proudly displayed her baby bump for the cameras.
Richie and Bryan beamed like proud uncles, with Richie exclaiming, "This is so exciting!" Bryan then teased Perry about the size of her dressing room.
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Perry asked if the two were going to throw her a baby shower, and Richie was quick to say that he would cover all the shopping while Bryan offered a fishing tackle, an idea quickly shot down by Perry.
"You will have the outdoors dialed in and the Gucci shoes," Bryan promised.
“Everything is going to be bigger and better on ‘American Idol’ season three,” promised Perry.
Earlier in the week, Perry revealed to fans that she was expecting with the release of a new song, “Never Worn White.” In the song’s music video and via an Instagram story, Perry stated that she and actor Orlando Bloom, whom she has been dating for three years, are due this summer.
Katy Perry cradles her growing baby bump while performing during a concert following the ICC Women's T20 Cricket World Cup Final between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 8, 2020, in Melbourne, Australia. (Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)
"Let's call it a reveal," she said of "probably the longest secret I ever had to keep." Perry added that a new album is also expected in the coming months. "I'm excited, we're excited and we're happy."
Perry, 35, is in her second trimester, and may have dropped a hint about the sex of the baby over the weekend at an appearance in Melbourne, Australia. “I hope it’s a girl,” she said from the stage.


chicagotribune--2020-03-08--14 CTA bus passengers injured in Grand Crossing crash, police say

The crash occurred about 11:20 a.m. at the intersection of South Cottage Grove Avenue and East 69th Street in the @ @ @ @ @ said .
The CTA bus was heading north on Cottage Grove when a vehicle traveling @ @ @ @ @ lanes .

Fourteen passengers on a CTA bus were taken to hospitals after a vehicle struck the bus on the Far South Side on Sunday morning, according to Chicago police.
The crash occurred about 11:20 a.m. at the intersection of South Cottage Grove Avenue and East 69th Street in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, police said. The CTA bus was heading north on Cottage Grove when a vehicle traveling south veered into the northbound lanes.
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The bus tried to avoid the crash, but the vehicle hit the passenger side of the bus, police said. No serious conditions were reported.
The bus passengers were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, St. Bernard Hospital and South Shore Hospital, police said. They were all in good condition.
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The driver of the vehicle was also taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said. The driver was cited for minor traffic offenses.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-03-10--Park Ridge fourth-grade teacher on leave after arrest on battery, hate crime charges; accused of cal

Park Ridge fourth-grade teacher on leave after arrest on battery, hate crime charges; accused of calling victim a ‘Nazi’

Sweeney has taught at Franklin School for 13 years and has been employed by District 64 for 14 years , @ @ @ @ @ , she was a member of the district ’ s English-Language Arts Review Committee , @ @ @ @ @ for reading instruction , according to school board meeting documents .

Nancy Sweeney, of Niles, was charged with aggravated battery and committing a hate crime on Feb. 28, according to Niles police. (Niles Police Department / HANDOUT)
A Park Ridge elementary school teacher is on paid administrative leave following her arrest last month on charges that included committing a hate crime.
Nancy Sweeney, 45, a fourth-grade teacher at Franklin School in Park Ridge, was placed on leave March 4, the morning after officials with Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 learned of her Feb. 28 arrest and the allegations surrounding it, said District Spokesman Peter Gill.
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According to Niles police, Sweeney, of the 7000 block of Touhy Avenue in Niles, was accused of striking a a female neighbor in the face with a purse inside a parking garage at the Renaissance condominium complex, causing the neighbor, who is 87 years old, to fall and suffer facial lacerations and bruises.
The woman declined to be taken to the hospital, police said.
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Acting Police Cmdr. Anthony Scipione said the alleged incident occurred on the night of Feb. 20 and involved a reported disagreement that Sweeney had with the neighbor over the woman’s use of the parking garage.
Sweeney was accused of calling the woman, who is of German descent, a “Nazi” during the alleged attack, Scipione said.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved a felony aggravated battery charge against Sweeney due to the victim’s age and also approved a hate crime charge based on the alleged Nazi reference, Scipione said.
Sweeney has taught at Franklin School for 13 years and has been employed by District 64 for 14 years, Gill said. In 2017, she was a member of the district’s English-Language Arts Review Committee, which was studying best practices for reading instruction, according to school board meeting documents.
Phone and email messages left with Sweeney were not immediately returned Tuesday.
Gill said an internal investigation regarding the teacher is being conducted. He declined any additional comment.
Bond for Sweeney was set at $15,000 and she is scheduled to appear in court on March 13, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-03-10--Evanston bans access to shoreline revetment rocks after January storms

“ I have teenagers who frequent the rocks and they are like seals down there in the summertime , ” @ @ @ @ @ need to do a little more than signs to get teenagers not to sit down @ @ @ @ @ to jump in and do things that teenagers do .
”

Residents will not be allowed to sit on the waterfront revetment rocks in Evanston this summer, like these at Dawes Park in 2017, after big waves and high water levels in January left the rocks unstable. (Genevieve Bookwalter / Pioneer Press)
Evanston lakefront visitors will need to remain a few more feet back from the shoreline this summer, after aldermen Monday voted to restrict access to the popular revetment rocks.
The rocks, which front Lake Michigan at many spots on the east side of town, are popular locations for sunbathing and gathering, city staff said. But January storms flooded parks following high winds and record-breaking lake levels.
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The storms also washed out sand under the rocks and left them prone to shifting, according to a staff report to aldermen from Public Works Director David Stoneback.
“As additional high wave events occur, the chance of increased movement of rocks in the revetment continues to grow,” the staff report reads.
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Initially, staff proposed installing signs that read “Caution - Unstable Rocks - Keep Off,” according to the report.
But Ald. Cicely Fleming, 9th Ward, said it will take more than that to dissuade teens who like to hang out on the rocks all summer.
“I have teenagers who frequent the rocks and they are like seals down there in the summertime,” Fleming said. “We need to do a little more than signs to get teenagers not to sit down there, but also not to jump in and do things that teenagers do.”
Fleming asked if more dangerous sections of the rocks could be fenced off or made otherwise inaccessible.
Ald. Don Wilson, 4th Ward, also asked that some of the signage be in Spanish.
The item passed 6-0 with aldermen Melissa Wynne, 3rd Ward; Robin Rue Simmons, 5th Ward; and Tom Suffredin, 7th Ward; all absent.


chicagotribune--2020-03-10--What you need to know for Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day parades

Chicago officials said Monday they have no plans to call off the two parades downtown and on the South Side @ @ @ @ @ .
J.B. Pritzker said he ’ s “ been in close communication with the mayor @ @ @ @ @ Day and the celebrations that are planned for the weekend .
”

The Chicago River is dyed green for St. Patrick's Day as seen from the LondonHouse rooftop patio, on Saturday, March 16, 2019 in Chicago. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Dublin and Boston canceled their St. Patrick’s Day parades because of the growing number of coronavirus cases, but the outbreak is not stopping the Chi-rish.
Chicago officials said Monday they have no plans to call off the two parades downtown and on the South Side. On Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he’s “been in close communication with the mayor about St. Patrick’s Day and the celebrations that are planned for the weekend.”
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“She is in close communication with the organizers of those various events, and I know that they’re planning to — they may be making announcements tomorrow sometime about any decisions that have been made,” he said.
As a precaution, the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee recommends anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms should stay at home.
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If you go, here’s what you need to know to enjoy the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday and the South Side Irish Parade on Sunday.
What: Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade
When: Noon, Saturday, March 14
Where: The parade begins at the corner of Columbus and Balbo drives and moves north up Columbus. Attendees can enter the route starting at 9 a.m. at either Jackson Drive or Ida B. Wells Drive.
Cost: Free! Unless you want VIP grandstand seating, which will cost you $50 a seat. Grandstand seating is located near Ida B. Wells and Columbus, in front of Buckingham Fountain. Tickets can be purchased in advance until 9 a.m. Friday. The grandstand opens at 11 a.m. Saturday with general admission seating.
Additional information: Plumbers Local 130 will dye the Chicago River green at 9 a.m. on Saturday. According to the parade’s website, you get the best view from Upper Wacker Drive between Columbus and Wabash.
There are security checkpoints at the entrances of the parade. Despite common belief, alcohol is NOT allowed along the parade route. Your bags and purses will be checked at the security points.
Getting there: Parade officials strongly recommend you take public transportation. Those taking the Blue or Red Line can exit anywhere in the Loop. Riders on the Brown, Green and Orange lines can exit anywhere along Wabash Avenue and walk east to Columbus Drive.
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For additional public transit options, as well as driving and parking options, check the parade website’s parade day details page here.
Parade website: https://www.chicagostpatricksdayparade.org/
-----------
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 17 The Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department marched during the 2019 South Side Irish Parade in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
What: South Side Irish Parade
When: Noon, Sunday, March 15
Where: The parade kicks off at 103rd Street and Western Avenue in the Beverly neighborhood and moves south toward 115th Street.
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Cost: Free! (Actually free!)
Additional information: Again, alcohol is not allowed along the parade route. The parade’s website warns attendees about its zero-tolerance alcohol policy: “It is strictly enforced in accordance with a City of Chicago ordinance, which includes fines up to $1,000 for open containers in the public way.”
Getting there: There are parking restrictions in place on the day of the parade. Despite its beginnings as a small neighborhood event, the parade has drawn over 200,000 spectators in past years, according to its website. Finding a parking spot could be a challenge.
If you live near the parade route, be sure to check parking restrictions to ensure your vehicle isn’t towed. The South Side Irish Parade website has information on parking restrictions here.
Parade website: https://southsideirishparade.org