chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Column: After finishing last in the Big East — again — DePaul is working with coach Dave Leitao on a

Column: After finishing last in the Big East — again — DePaul is working with coach Dave Leitao on a contract extension. What it should be doing is starting over.

It is fascinating and yet on brand for a program that exists in an alternate reality , as I described @ @ @ @ @ ’ s where losing is tolerated , where being put on NCAA probation is shrugged @ @ @ @ @ said of Leitao : “ We think he has done a really good job of @ @ @ @ @

DePaul men’s basketball is where time stands still.
It’s the program that has the same people in charge year after year, and school officials are OK with being fooled once (shame on you), twice (shame on me) and into eternity (shame on the season ticket holders).
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Really, we should not have been stunned to see the tweet from Stadium’s Jeff Goodman last week that athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto “has been telling people in recent days that head coach Dave Leitao will be offered a contract extension.”
DePaul athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto has been telling people in recent days that head coach Dave Leitao will be offered a contract extension, source told @Stadium.
The question here is also whether Ponsetto remains the AD. — Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 11, 2020
And yet we were.
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And based on reactions to the tweet, so was America.
One person posted a GIF of a standing ovation with the comment: “The rest of the Big East.”
An account with the handle @demonbluess posted: “Unbelievable. Fan for 15 years. I’m done. The acceptance of consistent failure is mind numbing as a fan. What’s the point in watching if the administration themselves don’t care about winning?”
It is fascinating and yet on brand for a program that exists in an alternate reality, as I described before the season. It’s where losing is tolerated, where being put on NCAA probation is shrugged off, where Lenti Ponsetto said of Leitao: “We think he has done a really good job of rebuilding the program.”
She said that in October. As DePaul built a 12-1 start, going 3-0 against the mighty Big Ten, I began preparing a mea culpa column.
And then during a stretch of 13 games from Dec. 30 to Feb. 9, the Blue Demons won a single time.
The industry was not surprised by the avalanche of losing.
Even during the winning streak, people with firsthand knowledge of DePaul’s players said stuff like this: Watch out what happens if things start going south. The players are talented, but they’re not winners. They have their own agendas.
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Even when the Blue Demons were 9-0, they said, players were getting kicked out of practice, not showing up for class and giving off a general sense of not caring.
An inability to score was the biggest problem all season; DePaul’s effective field-goal percentage of 47.9% ranked 254th nationally according to KenPom.com. The Blue Demons’ turnover percentage ranking of 272nd was shocking when you consider all the defenses redshirt junior point guard Charlie Moore has seen in his time.
DePaul’s defense caved in during the final stretch, with the Blue Demons surrendering 90-plus points three times in the last eight games. That speaks to a crummy culture.
DePaul did beat seventh-seeded Xavier in the first round of the Big East Tournament and would have faced Villanova if the event had not been scrapped because of the coronavirus outbreak.
So what’s next?
March Madness now exists only in our minds, and “One Shining Moment” is what we sing while washing our hands.
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But the college basketball carousel doesn’t stop.
Grand Canyon University got slammed for firing local legend Dan Majerle. UIC dismissed Steve McClain after the Flames came up one victory short of an NCAA Tournament bid.
The transfer portal is open, and coaches can communicate with players electronically.
Talk among college basketball insiders is that Lenti Ponsetto’s contract expires June 1. So far she has been afforded unassailable job security. Will it continue? Even if she does not remain as athletic director for a 19th year, it’s expected she would continue at the university in some capacity.
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What the school should be doing is starting over, hiring a sharp AD and courting Loyola’s Porter Moser. Former Valparaiso star and coach Bryce Drew also would have been a strong candidate, but Grand Canyon snapped him up Tuesday. John Beilein also is out there.
After going 3-15 in Big East play (16-16 overall) and finishing last or tied for last for a fourth straight season with mainly veteran players, the program needs a total overhaul.
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Lenti Ponsetto declined to comment, deferring to a statement that her energies are entirely focused on supporting DePaul’s student-athletes through the COVID-19 crisis.
“It would be inappropriate (to) comment outside of the fact that we are in negotiations with Coach Leitao as was stated prior to the start of this past season,” the school said.
Indeed, DePaul already took the unusual step of announcing it intended to extend Leitao’s deal.
That was in September, six months ago.
As always, nothing changes at DePaul.


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--15 to stream: What to watch as we wait out the coronavirus

Cable channels like Animal Planet or Nat Geo Wild offer plenty of good series about veterinarians or rescue groups , but there are other stories to be told as well .
Sometimes , there is drama enough in stories about people and their dogs .
Filling that gap is this Netflix docuseries .
Each of the six episodes centers on a different story .
They are all good , but two especially capture the nuances of the human-canine bond — and just as importantly , the personality of the dog in question .
“ Bravo , Zeus ” follows a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now living in Berlin , who is desperate to reunite with his Siberian husky , Zeus .
For two years the dog has been in the care of a good friend who is also trying to leave Syria , and the scenes of that temporary guardianship are incredibly touching .
“ Ice in the Water ” centers on a yellow lab named Ice who belongs to an Italian fisherman and restaurateur .
They spend long , solitary hours on the boat together , and the man is absolutely besotted with his dog , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the village .
Watching those scenes , there ’ s no doubt that Ice has an inner life .
When life feels bad , dogs can make us feel good .
Luckily , a second season is in the offing .
Netflix — Nina Metz

Lauren Hill, Nina Metz, Scott L. Powers, Tracy Swartz

1. ‘Outlander’
Caitriona Balfe and Richard Rankin in"Outlander." (Starz)
Honestly, I’m surprised it would take a pandemic to get anyone to watch this time-travel love story. But, OK. Diana Gabaldon’s book-turned-Starz-series is all about WWII nurse Claire (aka Sassenach) Randall and Jamie Fraser, a Scot who cuts a mean profile in a kilt. When Claire is transported from her time to the 1700s, thanks to some magical stones, viewers are treated to a love story that transcends eras. History buffs could get a kick out of it too. We get to see fashion change as Claire and Jamie try to make a difference in the world they inhabit. At a time when we’re bound to our homes, hearing accents from other parts of the world makes self-distancing a little less dramatic. You’ll be surprised how quickly five seasons go. Starz, Hulu, Netflix — Darcel Rockett
2. ‘Vida’
Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada star in "Vida." (Kat Marcinowski / Starz Entertainment)
The estranged Hernandez sisters, who couldn’t be more different from another, return to their Boyle Heights home following the death of their mother, Vida. Strong-willed Emma puts her corporate job in Chicago on hold. Whereas Lyn ditches the latest wealthy San Francisco man she’s dating. At the funeral, secrets are unearthed about Vida and her will. It’s now up to the sisters to decide if they want to save the family’s dilapidated bar within a gentrifying neighborhood. The show was created by former Chicago-based playwright, Tanya Saracho. Catch up on the first two seasons before new episodes start on April 26. Starz, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video — Hannah Herrera Greenspan
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3. ‘An American in Paris’
Gene Kelly stars in "An American in Paris." (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM))
Director Vincente Minnelli’s 1951 film musical has been famously refigured for the theatrical stage, but its unique cinematic qualities cannot be matched. For starters, there’s Gene Kelly’s singular star turn as Jerry Mulligan, his charismatic performance as an aspiring painter in the City of Light personifying all-American optimism after the ravages of World War II. Kelly’s choreography — by turns elegant, playful and exuberant — surges with the energy of jazz. Leslie Caron’s palpable innocence as his love interest, Georges Guetary’s quintessentially French charm as his romantic rival and Oscar Levant’s hilariously sour disposition as Mulligan’s friend speak volumes about love, camaraderie and sacrifice, thanks to Alan Jay Lerner’s witty and knowing screenplay. Above all, there are the musical numbers, none more captivating than Kelly and Levant’s duet in a cramped studio apartment, Kelly hoofing atop Levant’s piano is one of the most ingenious musical numbers ever filmed. The culminating ballet turns the title score by George Gershwin, whose indelible songs provide the film’s soundtrack, into a feast of rhythm, motion and narrative storytelling. In our difficult times, “An American in Paris” conveys much-needed optimism. Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu — Howard Reich
4. ‘I Love You America with Sarah Silverman’
Sarah Silverman in the final episode of her Emmy-nominated series, "I Love You, America." Hulu canceled the series after its second season. (Ali Goldstein / Hulu)
For my money, there are fewer comedians who are smarter, funnier, braver and, as revealed in this gone-too-soon Hulu series, empathetic than Silverman. In between timely and surprising riffs with comics and political figures (Will Ferrell, Bernie Sanders, Bill Maher, Corey Booker) that spice the humor with a gentle and caring world view, she visits people and places with politics, shall we say, slightly more conservative than hers. She visited a pro-life meeting, traveled to a conservative community in Texas and wrote a country song with Mary Gauthier (it was darn good). Every time, she found common ground. She added into this mix special guests — a series of remarkable folks doing great work for people out of the spotlight — who would walk onto her comfy living room mixed with a talk show set. And in case things got too weird (as they often did), her announcer, played by Mather Zickel, would make an attempt at normalcy by smooth-talking in a way announcers have done since TV talk shows began. Hulu pulled the plug after 21 episodes, way too soon. Watch it; it will make you feel good (and weird). Hulu — Scott L. Powers
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5. ‘Beats’
The Netflix film "Beats" filmed in Chicago in 2018. (Netflix)
This Netflix movie, which dropped in June 2019, humanizes the violence plaguing Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods. Bronzeville teen Khalil Everage makes his feature film debut as Roseland teen August Monroe, who withdraws from the world after his sister is fatally shot in front of him. “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson plays a disgraced music-manager-turned-high-school-security-guard who checks in on August at his home and learns he’s a hip-hop prodigy. They end up collaborating and changing each other’s lives. The movie, which also stars Uzo Aduba as August’s no-nonsense mother, filmed in the Chicago area in the summer of 2018. Netflix — Tracy Swartz
6. 'Dogs’
"Dogs," on Netflix, proves there's drama enough in simple stories about people and their dogs. (Netflix / HANDOUT)
Cable channels like Animal Planet or Nat Geo Wild offer plenty of good series about veterinarians or rescue groups, but there are other stories to be told as well. Sometimes, there is drama enough in stories about people and their dogs. Filling that gap is this Netflix docuseries. Each of the six episodes centers on a different story. They are all good, but two especially capture the nuances of the human-canine bond — and just as importantly, the personality of the dog in question. “Bravo, Zeus” follows a young man who escaped from Syria, now living in Berlin, who is desperate to reunite with his Siberian husky, Zeus. For two years the dog has been in the care of a good friend who is also trying to leave Syria, and the scenes of that temporary guardianship are incredibly touching. “Ice in the Water” centers on a yellow lab named Ice who belongs to an Italian fisherman and restaurateur. They spend long, solitary hours on the boat together, and the man is absolutely besotted with his dog, who will periodically go off and patrol the village. Watching those scenes, there’s no doubt that Ice has an inner life. When life feels bad, dogs can make us feel good. Luckily, a second season is in the offing. Netflix — Nina Metz
7. 'Encore!”
“Encore!” follows former high-school alumni as they attempt to recreate theater productions of their youth. (EricMcCandless/Disney / HANDOUT)
This show is for those who spent their time singing show tunes instead of shooting basketballs in high school. “Encore!” reunites high school alums from various graduation years (2007 to 1975), and asks them to recreate the musical they performed back in the good old days. Live theater is always exciting, but this time, age has added an extra layer of suspense: Will they remember their lines? Can they still do that tap number after back surgery? You will want to sing along to all of your favorites and stalk your former classmates on Facebook. Disney Plus — Lauren Hill
8. ‘Good Girls’
The women of "Good Girls," from left: Mae Whitman as Annie, Retta as Ruby and Christina Hendricks as Beth. (Justin Lubin/NBC / CTMG)
How many times have you wondered: What would I do in a situation like that? Well, this NBC show answered that for suburban middle-class moms who’ve daydreamed about resorting to crime to make ends meet. It starts off innocently enough for the three musketeers — two sisters and a best friend from childhood — but you know what they say about the best laid plans. Robbery of a neighborhood supermarket has led them into parts unknown, including into the path of gang leader Rio. While the women’s motives and reasoning make sense, the twists and turns and the dead bodies that keep piling up will have you tuning into watch every week. Stream now, and you’re hooked for life. Trust. This show started on NBC, got kicked to Netflix, and became so popular that NBC wanted it back. Cream rises to the top. Netflix, Hulu — D. Rockett
9. ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
Rachel Brosnahan leads the cast in the title role of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." (Nicole Rivelli/Amazon via AP)
What better way to distract yourself from social distancing than transporting yourself to New York City in the early 1960s? Midge Maisel’s life as a housewife is almost perfect with her gorgeous Upper West Side apartment, two children, overprotective parents and self-obsessed husband and aspiring comedian, Joel. She quite literally stumbles her own way into the comedy scene after Joel leaves her for his assistant. The Emmy Award-winning show follows Midge picking up the broken pieces of her life and the beginnings of her groundbreaking career in comedy along with her manager, Susie. Amazon Prime Video — H. Herrera Greenspan
10. ‘One Day at a Time’
Rita Moreno stars in the rebooted "One Day At A Time." (Michael Yarish/AP)
Reboot fatigue is real, but this reimagining of the classic Norman Lear sitcom now centering on a Cuban American family (from co-creators Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce) is a thrilling exception to the rule. Netflix claims there wasn’t enough of an audience to extend it past three seasons, but Pop TV stepped in and greenlit a fourth that premieres March 24 on good old-fashioned cable TV. The casting is primo. The incredible Rita Moreno (a rare EGOT winner with an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) steals every scene she’s in, as the happily opinionated, startlingly energetic elderly woman sharing an apartment with her daughter (the wonderful Justina Machado) and two teenage grandchildren. Be sure to catch up on Season 3, if you haven’t already; it’s the funniest of them of all so far. “Hold on tight we’ll muddle through, one day a time,” Gloria Estefan sings in the opening credits. Talk about encapsulating our current moment. Netflix — N. Metz
11. ‘Project Runway’ Season 18
"Project Runway," Season 18, marked a renewal for the show. (Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo)
It’s hard to make a TV show seem fresh after 15 years on the air, but “Project Runway” has done just that with its return to the Bravo network. Season 18 saw Season 4 winner Christian Siriano settle into his role as mentor and offer pointed comments to the contestants with a touch of humor. It also featured models of different sizes throughout various runway shows, instead of just regulating women with curves to a “real woman” challenge. Three Chicago designers competed on Season 18, the most the series has ever had. The finale aired March 12. On demand, Amazon Prime Video — T. Swartz
12. ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’
Mary Steenburgen and Peter Gallagher round out a top-notch cast in "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist." (Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)
This NBC show about a California-based coder named Zoey who can hear other people’s thoughts through song has all the feels without the underlying subterfuge. Pop songs surrounded by life lessons with a fantastic neighbor thrown in who gives great advice with a side of style and flair? What’s not to like, if you’re a pop culture nerd? Zoey helps those around her get to the root of their personal problems, which helps her get out of her shell. If you wish the world was more like a musical, this show is for you. Hulu— D. Rockett
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13. ‘Love is Blind’
"Love is Blind" is the latest reality dating show on Netflix. (Netflix/Handout/Netflix/TNS)
Catch up on the drama from Twitter’s favorite new dating show, “Love is Blind.” The show follows six couples’ journeys, within a span of 37 days, from blindly speed dating in private pods to the altar. After the couples get engaged, they head to a pre-honeymoon trip to Mexico, move-in together and meet one an each other’s families to see if their connection can survive outside of the pods. Included in these couples are Chicagoans Jessica Batten, Mark Cuevas and Diamond Jack. Netflix — H. Herrera Greenspan
14. ‘The Good Fight’
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart and Cush Jumbo as Lucca Quinn in "The Good Fight." (Patrick Harbron)
This Christine Baranski-fronted spin-off from “The Good Wife” is a legal drama that is at once stylish and deeply, wonderfully cynical about the world. Where “Law & Order” was once the standard bearer for ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling, “The Good Fight” has picked up that mantle and deepened it with finesse and complexity and sardonic fun that makes the show compulsively watchable. Showrunners Robert and Michelle King have long had a fascination with how wealth works — how it greases the wheels or makes problems disappear — but more than anything, this is a show that captures the surreal feeling of a world gone mad and yet everything is business as usual. The opening credits are high art: A mesmerizing encapsulation of the show’s ethos as office equipment and the accoutrements of the well-to-do explode in glorious slow-motion to a score that is both operatic and vaguely Elizabethan, as if a knowing wink to “The Good Fight’s” Shakepearean power plays. Season 4 premieres April 9. CBS All Access — N. Metz
15. ‘Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time’
"Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time" tournament was a celebration of sorts for host Alex Trebek, as Naperville native James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter competed on the trivia game show. (Jeopardy Productions)
This three-man competition felt like a return to must-see TV. Naperville native James Holzhauer, Seattle author Ken Jennings and TV personality Brad Rutter tear through clues in multiple nail-biting matches in the hopes of being named the greatest “Jeopardy!” player of all time. The contest, which aired in January 2020, also doubles as a celebration of show host Alex Trebek, who has pancreatic cancer. Pro-tip: It’s satisfying to keep score at home and note which clues the all-stars struggle to answer. On demand, Hulu — T. Swartz
16. ′Supernatural’
Jared Padalecki, left, and Jensen Ackles starred for 15 seasons in "Supernatural." (FRANK OCKENFELS / AP)
After 15 seasons of a show that showcases a unique blend of family, humor, tears and camaraderie, it’s hard not to be sentimental. Here is a show that took a somewhat known Jared Padalecki from “Gilmore Girls” and a Jensen Ackles of “Smallville” and delivered them unto the world as the cult characters Sam and Dean Winchester — siblings who hunt monsters as their family business. And it all begins, like most origin stories do, with a parent who is killed. Anything that goes bump in the night is hunted down and killed by the Winchesters. They keep the world safe, so others can maintain their sense of normalcy. And if that means contending with witches, demons, fangirls, death, and God himself, so be it. You root for them, you cry with them; it’s like your therapy for the week. After hundreds of episodes, the one thing that endures is family love, loyalty and good over evil. The classics are classics for a reason, people. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video — D. Rockett
17. ‘Ray Donovan’
Liev Schreiber plays Ray Donovan, a Hollywood fixer. (Showtime)
When Liev Schreiber took on the role of the title character in this Showtime series — he plays a fixer for Hollywood’s glitterati — life somehow became richer. Schreiber gave us a character with a dysfunction that was off the charts. His upbringing in South Boston taught him skills that get results on the West Coast. Along the way, through seven seasons of righting wrongs for the 1-percenters, viewers were treated to star power that often doesn’t get to the small screen. OK, so it can be a bit violent. But watching Ray’s business team make the impossible possible was a thing of beauty. Two words: Result driven. So much can be done with a bat, it’s amazing. Showtime, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video — D. Rockett
18. ‘Work in Progress’
Theo Germaine (left) as Chris and Abby McEnany as Abby in "Work in Progress." (Adrian S. Burrows/Showtime)
Dark thoughts and new love dominate the first season of this new comedy, which premiered in December and might be one of the most joyously queer shows on TV. Created by longtime Chicago improv performers Abby McEnany (who stars) and Tim Mason (who directs), it follows the travails of a dryly sardonic middle-aged lesbian who is seriously considering ending it all — a plan that gets thrown for a loop when she meets and falls for a young trans guy, played with real sweetness and complexity by Theo Germaine. McEnany is playing a somewhat fictionalized version of herself and her running commentary on the world’s many failings drives much of the show’s humor. But fundamentally the series is a deeply moving portrait of what it means to make ourselves vulnerable to another person. It was filmed entirely in Chicago, with “Matrix” co-creator Lilly Wachowski on board as writer and executive producer along with McEnany and Mason. Showtime recently greenlit a second season, which is expected to start filming this summer. Showtime streaming, Amazon Prime or Hulu — N. Metz
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19. ‘Shameless’
Cast members from Showtime's "Shameless" include, from left, Steve Howey as Kevin Ball, Shanola Hampton as Veronica Fisher, Kate Miner as Tami Tamietti, Jeremy Allen White as Lip Gallagher, William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher, Emma Kenney as Debbie Gallagher, ChristianI Isaiah as Liam Gallagher, Ethan Cutkosky as Carl Gallagher, Cameron Monaghan as Ian Gallagher and Noel Fisher as Mickey Milkovich. (Brian Bowen Smith/AP)
It’s time to catch up on this Showtime network dramedy before the 11th and final season airs this year. The series, which premiered in 2011, follows a dysfunctional Chicago family as they get into trouble around town. Some of the original cast members, including Emmy Rossum, have left over the years, but there are still enough high jinks and emotional moments to keep viewers hooked. The Season 10 finale aired Jan. 26. Cast members are expected to return to Chicago sometime this year, as they do every year, to film exterior scenes. On demand, Netflix — T. Swartz
20. ‘Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made’
Winslow Fegley stars as Timmy Failure. (Disney+/Dale Robinette)
A book series-turned-film, (à la Stephan Pastis), this feel good film features a kid detective, his best friend, and his partner, Total — a polar bear. Hijinks ensue when the trio tries to solve cases through Timmy’s Oregon-based agency Total Failure Inc. Characters that dot Timmy’s landscape center around his school life, but that doesn’t mean the adventures are any less unique. You may think: I have no children; why would I watch this? My response: If you liked any kid detective series — be it Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, or Harriet the Spy — you will be entertained. Self-isolating? More like self-enriching. Disney Plus — D. Rockett
21. ‘Come As You Are’
In "Come as You Are," three young men with disabilities hit the road with a jaded nurse driver to a brothel in Montreal catering to people with special needs. (Gene Siskel Film Center)
“Money Monster” actor Grant Rosenmeyer and “Lodge 49” alum Hayden Szeto play love-starved men in wheelchairs who join their blind buddy (“Grandfathered” alum Ravi Patel) on a road trip to a Canadian brothel for people with special needs. The movie, which filmed in the Chicago area in the summer of 2018, also stars “Empire” actress Gabourey Sidibe as a nurse who drives the men to the brothel. The dramedy is a remake of the 2011 Belgian film “Hasta la Vista,” which is inspired by the true story of a man in a wheelchair who lost his virginity at a Spanish brothel. Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video — T. Swartz
22. ‘Surviving R. Kelly’
Michelle Kramer (top row from left), Lisa Vanallen, Lizzette Martinez, Andrea Kelly and Kitti Jones; Asante McGee (bottom row from left), Faith Rodgers, Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards, Jerhonda Pace and Jovante Cunningham participated in the documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly." (Handout photos via Lifetime network/Associated Press)
The Lifetime network docuseries renewed interest in longstanding claims that Chicago R&B singer R. Kelly sexually abused teenage girls as an adult. Since the six-part series premiered in January 2019, Kelly has been charged in federal and state court. He has denied all the allegations against him, including in a bizarre March 2019 sit-down interview with Gayle King for “CBS This Morning.” Kelly remains behind bars while awaiting trial in Illinois and New York. The latest chapter of “Surviving R. Kelly” premiered in January and explores the South Side native’s downfall. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video — T. Swartz
23. ‘The Imagineering Story’
“The Imagineering Story” on Disney Plus chronicles the evolution of Disney parks. (Disney +)
In this six-episode docuseries, watch Disney parks evolve from Walt Disney’s original idea for Disneyland all the way up to the recent grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This isn’t a show about how awesome the Walt Disney Co. is and always has been. It considers how much creators struggled to move forward after Walt Disney’s death, the protests over Disney’s American history theme park and many other failures. Whether you have been to a Disney park once or hundreds of times, this show will take Mouseketeers behind the magic. Disney Plus — L. Hill
24. “Pick of the Litter”
Phil, an aspiring guide dog, appears in “Pick of the Litter.” (Sundance Selects)
The little puppies in this show have big dreams of becoming guide dogs for the visually impaired, but no dog ever starts off with the skills to do that important job. Watch six rambunctious pups leave their foster homes, learn to lead someone up and down an escalator, avoid cars that don’t follow traffic laws, and finally bring independence and mobility to humans of all ages. Find out if all of the dogs make it to graduation day and get paired with their very own new best friend. Disney Plus — L. Hill
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25. ‘The Circle’
Bill Cranley on Netflix’s “The Circle.” (Netflix)
“The Circle” has been described as an episode of “Black Mirror” as reality show. Multiple players enter the show by competing to be the most well-liked person through a social media platform called “The Circle.” The winner gets a prize of $100,000. Players can’t see one another but are housed in beautiful apartments, participate in challenges and can communicate with one another by sending private messages. Chicagoan Bill Cranley competed on the show. Netflix — H. Herrera Greenspan
26. ‘Frasier’
Kelsey Grammer stars on "Frasier." (NBC)
In these anxious times, I’ve started a nightly ritual: A long hot bath and my laptop propped up on the vanity playing episodes of “Frasier.” I have vague memories of watching the sitcom during its original run on NBC from 1993-2004, but starting it from the beginning has been a revelation. I can’t say enough about the writing — highbrow nincompoopery is skewered but good! — and the cast: The fastidious radio shrink (Kelsey Grammer), his equally fussy brother (David Hyde Pierce), their salt-of-the-earth father (Chicago’s own John Mahoney, who died in 2018) make up the core trio, along with Frasier’s no-b.s. producer (Peri Gelpin) and the doting in-home health-care-worker-turned-love interest (Jane Leeves). Pierce was nominated for an Emmy every season (he won four times), and there’s a reason for that: He finds just the right the sweet spot between ridiculous and real human emotion. Actually, they all do. A hilarious farce with a big, thumping heart at its core, rewatching the show has become the most reliable stress-free moments of my day. I’m on Season 10, and when I reach the finale I’m going to miss these snobby dum-dums something fierce. I may just go back and watch it all again. CBS All Access — N. Metz


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Tom Brady thanks Patriots fans and says ‘my football journey will take place elsewhere’

Brady would be the oldest starting quarterback in the league at 43 at the beginning of next season .
He @ @ @ @ @ his worst non-injury season .
He threw for 4,057 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2019 @ @ @ @ @ But he completed fewer than 56 % of his passes six times in the final @ @ @ @ @ , including a season-ending loss to Miami that cost the Patriots a first-round playoff bye @

FOXBORO, Mass. — Tom Brady, the centerpiece of the New England Patriots’ championship dynasty over the past two decades, appears poised to leave the only football home he has ever had.
The 42-year-old six-time Super Bowl winner posted Tuesday on social media "my football journey will take place elsewhere."
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The comments were the first to indicate the most-decorated player in NFL history would leave New England.
In a two-part message, Brady thanked the Patriots and the fans and said "FOREVER A PATRIOT."
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LOVE YOU PATS NATION pic.twitter.com/lxSQZmnjPL — Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 17, 2020
"I don't know what my football future holds, but it is time for me to open a new stage for my life and my career," he wrote. "Although my football journey will take place elsewhere, I appreciate everything that we have achieved and am grateful for out incredible TEAM experiences."
The one-year contract Brad y signed before last season expires Wednesday afternoon, and his agent could negotiate a deal with another team on Tuesday, though it can't be official yet. He actually could still work out a new deal with New England, but his Instagram post suggests that won't happen.
A four-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player and three-time league MVP, Brady has been the enduring face of the Patriots during a run that added another layer to Boston's already rich sports history. Only Bill Russell, who won 11 NBA championship rings in the 1950s and 60s with the Celtics, has won more titles as a member of one of New England's four major professional sports teams.
Brady would be the oldest starting quarterback in the league at 43 at the beginning of next season. He is also arguably coming off his worst non-injury season. He threw for 4,057 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2019, with eight interceptions. But he completed fewer than 56% of his passes six times in the final eight games of the year, including a season-ending loss to Miami that cost the Patriots a first-round playoff bye.
They lost at home to the Titans in the wild-card round, Brady's earliest postseason exit in a decade — and likely his last game in a Patriots uniform.
Brady had a one-year contract for 2019 that paid him $23 million, placing him 10th among starting quarterbacks. It was the latest renegotiation by Brady to help give the Patriots salary cap flexibility to fill out the roster.
The chief decision maker in player personnel decisions, Patriots coach Bill Belichick hasn't been shy about moving on from players he felt were past their prime or seeking contracts that exceeded value in relation to their age. Belichick has severed ties with players much younger than Brady during his time in New England.
But Belichick also acknowledged in January that Brady was a special case.
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“Everybody’s situation is different,” Belichick said. “Certainly, Tom is an iconic figure in this organization. And nobody respects Tom more than I do.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Young death in North Side police district where there’s been no murders in over a year. ‘What happen

Young death in North Side police district where there’s been no murders in over a year. ‘What happened?’ ‘A boy was shot.’

The last fatal shooting in the Lincoln police district was on Nov. 22 , 2018 about a mile and a @ @ @ @ @ Terrace neighborhood when two teens pulled a gun and tried to rob an off-duty Chicago @ @ @ @ @ grabbed his own gun and killed one of the teens .

A 15-year-old was shot and killed March 16, 2020, in the 2000 block of West Farragut Avenue in the Bowmanville neighborhood on the North Side, according to Chicago police. (Paige Fry / Chicago Tribune)
A dozen people formed a circle in the middle of the alley. They bowed their heads, held hands and said a prayer in Spanish for a 15-year-old boy who had just died there.
Someone shot Esteban Luvianos in the head, according to Chicago police, citing preliminary information. It happened about 9:30 p.m. Monday in the 2000 block of West Farragut Avenue in the Bowmanville neighborhood on the North Side. The motive was not clear, according to a law enforcement source. No one was in custody.
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David Ehl heard “one pop” while he was inside his apartment nearby. That was a shot, he thought to himself. He went outside and saw an unmarked police SUV pull into an alley. An officer jumped out and ran.
Ehl, 62, wondered if someone was hurt. His neighborhood is relatively safe. He moved to the block about a decade ago after he saw that young women felt comfortable walking their dogs at night. He couldn’t recall a recent fatal shooting but remembered many from when he lived in Albany Park.
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Ehl saw another neighbor across the street looking down the alley. He walked up and she pointed to show him where the boy’s legs rested.
“I’m not going to get that image out of my mind,” he said.
He walked closer and overheard a woman speaking to officers about the boy. Ehl said he believes the woman ran to the boy and checked his pulse after she heard the gunshot. He also heard her say he had braces.
Another woman who had been sitting on the steps of a home residence came over and asked Ehl if he knew who was hurt. He told her he thought it was a teenager with braces and the woman began to cry.
Ehl lingered near the scene and talked to anyone curious enough to ask.
“What happened? A shooting?” some said.
“A boy was shot," Ehl said. “Murdered.”
Their reactions were similar. "In this neighborhood?”
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The last fatal shooting in the Lincoln police district was on Nov. 22, 2018 about a mile and a half away in the Arcadia Terrace neighborhood when two teens pulled a gun and tried to rob an off-duty Chicago police officer. The officer grabbed his own gun and killed one of the teens.
The latest fatal shooting that didn’t involve an officer was in April 2017 when a 44-year-old man was killed in the Ravenswood neighborhood.
The police district didn’t have a single homicide last year, although a woman was found dead in a burning car in Andersonville in November. Her cause of death is still pending, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Monday night, police strung yellow tape across the alley entrance and parked a squad car to block the view of the boy’s body.
Family members and friends of the boy began to arrive. Some had a child wrapped in a blanket slung across their shoulder. Others wore pajamas or slide sandals with socks.
Eventually, more than 20 people paced the block, hugging one another and crying. They spoke in low voices as they comforted each other.
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Two officers asked for the woman Ehl had spoken to earlier and a man who said he was the boy’s father. The woman told the officers the boy wasn’t a bad kid.
An officer in a leather jacket and slicked-back hair told her they weren’t there to judge. They just wanted the facts to solve the case and anything the woman can tell them would help.
After the officers left, a girl gave a brown teddy bear to the woman. She hugged it and seemed to allow herself a small smile at the gesture.
A young man got belly down on the pavement to try to peer under the squad car when a body removal service van arrived on the other side of the alley. Some of the other young people ran up to the tape, standing on their toes to catch a glimpse. One woman held a small wooden cross tight to her chest.
Half of the group, including the woman who talked to the officers, walked away once the van left after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters finished hosing off the scene and officers took down the tape.
The other half paused and then everyone walked toward the middle of the alley to pray.
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pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Column: By taking care of United Center workers, Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz is taking on the co

Column: By taking care of United Center workers, Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz is taking on the coronavirus the Chicago Way

“ Hopefully , if we open again , it ’ s going to be a mad dash to the finish @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Who knows what ’ s going to happen ?
Some of the teams @ @ @ @ @ and you break their momentum .
... Let ’ s put it this way : @ @ @ @ @ up on the season , even though we were going to be long shots .
@ @ @ @ @ things have happened .
”

Before getting down to business, the first question I had for Rocky Wirtz was the same I have for everyone I know.
Got enough toilet paper, Rocky?
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“Yeah,” he said. “I’ve got my toilet paper.”
The 67-year-old Wirtz, chairman of the Blackhawks and president of their parent company, the Wirtz Corporation, said he knows a few people in the paper business. So he recently called up a buddy with connections and asked: “Why don’t you send six rolls of toilet paper to your friend?”
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“He hung up on me,” Wirtz said with a laugh.
We’re going to need a few laughs to get through this thing — this new world of staying home and being responsible citizens to slow the spread of the coronavirus. It’s a tough stretch ahead, and we all have to help each other get through it, from billionaires to pizza delivery drivers.
Wirtz really is just like the rest of us — only much richer, obviously, and in a position where he can snap his fingers and help many of those feeling the financial ramifications of the suspension of sports due to the coronavirus outbreak.
On Saturday, Wirtz and Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf announced a plan to to pay about 1,200 United Center workers for the remainder of the NHL and NBA seasons, a move every owner in both professional leagues should emulate.
The owners of the UC and the teams who call it home got together on the phone Friday with Bulls executives Michael Reinsdorf and Howard Pizer and decided it needed to be done. But bureaucracy was holding things up, so Wirtz and Jerry Reinsdorf decided just to do it together.
“He said, ‘How many games do we have left?’ ” Wirtz said. “I said, ‘You have seven, we have seven, so 14 games.’ Jerry said, ‘That comes to about $3.5 million. Let’s pay our United Center employees.’ That’s all it took. ... We just think it was the right thing to do.”
It’s also the Chicago thing to do.
If you’ve lived through all the blizzards and heat waves we’ve endured, you’ve seen how a big city can turn into a small town overnight. Lending a helping hand in times of need is second nature in Chicago, which is one reason Wirtz is confident we’ll get by with a little help from our friends.
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“One thing about Chicago, it’s folksy,” he said. “You travel a lot, to the East Coast and West Coast, and you see how it’s different here. That’s why so many of our players, after they retire, they want to come back and live in Chicago. It’s a nice place to live because the people are so nice.”
Some executives asked Wirtz if the athletes themselves shouldn’t kick in some money for the UC employees with no games to work, as several NBA stars, including Kevin Love, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson, have done for their teams’ employees.
Wirtz said he didn’t want to tell players what to do.
“That’s their business,” he said. “I’d rather just make it ourselves. The last thing I want to do is have Player X say, ‘I’m going to give $100,000,’ and then does that put pressure on Player Y to do it too?
“Let those players decide what they want to do.”
Wirtz, one of the more approachable owners in sports, has already heard from some of you. He was grocery shopping Sunday when a few customers stopped him and thanked him for taking care of the UC employees. Later on he was thanked by the owner of his favorite hot dog stand in Northfield, U Dawg U.
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“We weren’t doing it to get patted on the back,” Wirtz said. “It was just the right thing to do. With all due respect, Jerry and I aren’t going to miss a paycheck. People have mortgages and families to feed.
“My wife was working in a restaurant in Columbus (Ohio) before we were married. She was a single parent and had to roll her quarters to have enough money for milk for her daughter. I have great empathy, and I realize how lucky I am.”
Like most sports-obsessed fans in this town, Wirtz already misses watching games on TV, even aside from hockey.
“There’s only so much Turner Classic Movies a guy can watch,” he said. “I like a lot of sports and have always been a Sox fan, even before knowing Jerry. I’m missing all of it.”
Asked if he thinks the NHL could salvage the playoffs if it’s able to return later this spring, Wirtz said he’s still hopeful the league can finish out the regular season.
“Hopefully, if we open again, it’s going to be a mad dash to the finish line,” he said. “Who knows what’s going to happen? Some of the teams were doing really well, and you break their momentum. ... Let’s put it this way: We haven’t given up on the season, even though we were going to be long shots. As they say, funnier things have happened.”
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At this point in the conversation, I had to break the bad news to Rocky that I did give up on this season after those back-to-back losses to the Red Wings and Blues on March 6 and 8. “I was like, ‘Oh, c’mon,’ ” I told him.
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Wirtz laughed ... I think. Either way, whether the Hawks are still in it or not, he believes the hockey season will return in some form.
“This is a time when the league can be creative and figure out how to do it,” he said. “Maybe get a few games in without (fans), which certainly is an option.”
But for now, he’ll be keeping tabs on the Wirtz empire from home, trying to keep from going stir crazy like the rest of us. He laughed about going to the store and finding the Coke aisle empty, except of course for the Cherry Coke no one drinks.
Wait a minute, Rocky. Doesn’t the Wirtz Corporation include a beverage distributorship?
“Yeah,” he said. “But we don’t sell Coke. Only wine and spirits.”
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I told him we’ll be needing plenty of wine and spirits to get us through these next few months.
“Don’t run out, Rocky.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--‘Chicken’ nuggets and cream ‘cheese’ grow in trays in a South Side lab. Are you ready for alternativ

‘Chicken’ nuggets and cream ‘cheese’ grow in trays in a South Side lab. Are you ready for alternative proteins made from a volcanic microbe?

“ Across millennia , we don ’ t know or understand how that happened , but microorganisms managed to colonize @ @ @ @ @ to survive and thrive in this pretty barren environment , ” Jonas said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ to become super efficient at using the very rare resources they have .
For us @ @ @ @ @ the 10 billion of us on one little planet ( by 2050 ) , and @ @ @ @ @ organisms that are more efficient and do more with less , is relevant .
”

Eleanore Eckstrom, director of product design, on March 10, 2020, displays dishes such as sliders, pot stickers, nuggets and chocolate mousse that are made from an alternative protein at Nature's Fynd, based in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood. Nature’s Fynd uses a microbe found in the volcanic hot springs of Yellowstone National Park to create a "complete protein" that can be used to make faux meat, dairy, and other food items. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
A food tech company operating in the shadow of Chicago’s old Union Stockyards has developed a new kind of animal-free protein that it, and its big-name funders, believe can help feed the world’s growing population while fighting climate change.
Nature’s Fynd, which opened its headquarters and production facility last month in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, uses a microbe sourced from the volcanic hot springs of Yellowstone National Park to grow a protein that can be turned into numerous alternative meat and dairy products.
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The company, which plans to begin selling to the general public within the next 10 months, isn’t saying yet which products will hit retail shelves first, but its capabilities include “chicken” nuggets, sliders, cream “cheese,” “pork” dumplings and chocolate mousse.
Nature’s Fynd, which recently changed its name from Sustainable Bioproducts, on Tuesday announced it raised $80 million in a Series B round, adding to $33 million in Series A funding raised a year ago and to its list of prominent supporters. The new round was co-led by Generation Investment Management, whose chairman is Al Gore, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, whose funders include Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Michael Bloomberg. ADM, the Chicago-based ingredients giant, and Danone, the French dairy company, are also investors in the startup.
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Popular food items like sliders, pot stickers, nuggets and chocolate mousse — all made from an alternative protein, a microbe that's part of the fungi family — are displayed at Nature's Fynd. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Nature’s Fynd joins a growing array of protein alternatives catering to consumers who increasingly seek to eat less meat and dairy for health, environmental or animal welfare reasons. But it is different from its booming plant-based counterparts or the nascent industry of lab-grown meat derived from animal cells.
The microbe, part of the fungi family, undergoes fermentation in stacks of trays in a lab, feeding on starches and simple sugars to create a protein containing all nine essential amino acids, one of the few examples of a “complete” protein not derived from animals, said co-founder and CEO Thomas Jonas. The process takes just 3½ days and uses a fraction of the land and energy of traditional agriculture.
A single tray, the size of a baking sheet, can produce the equivalent of 30 chickens in a year, Jonas said. Once fully operational, the 36,000-square-foot facility will be able to produce, in burger equivalents, what would otherwise require about 15,000 acres in grazing land.
“It seems like science fiction, but it’s science, not fiction,” Jonas said. “It’s very real.”
The discovery of the microbe began as a NASA-funded research project to prepare for sending a probe to space to search for life on another planet. Scientists traveled to Yellowstone National Park, which contains the largest volcanic system in North America, to learn how life survives in different, harsh environments.
They took a small sample from a volcanic hot spring and discovered a microorganism that contained a complete protein that could multiply quickly. The initials of the microorganism’s scientific name, Fusarium Yellowstonensis (FY), inspired the company’s new name.
“Across millennia, we don’t know or understand how that happened, but microorganisms managed to colonize this environment and developed strategies to survive and thrive in this pretty barren environment,” Jonas said. “As a result they had to become super efficient at using the very rare resources they have. For us as a species, with the 10 billion of us on one little planet (by 2050), and global warming, looking at organisms that are more efficient and do more with less, is relevant.”
CEO Thomas Jonas and Chief Marketing Officer Karuna Rawal are two of the 50 people employed by Nature’s Fynd in Chicago. The company plans to grow its staffing to 100 by the end of the year. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The company for the past five years has been developing the fermentation technology at its research and development center in Bozeman, Montana. Karuna Rawal, chief marketing officer, compared the process to baking bread.
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“Think of (the microbe) like a yeast or dough starter,” said Rawal, who joined the company last summer from Publicis Groupe, the French parent of Leo Burnett, where she had a lead role in the much-praised Always “Like a Girl” campaign. “We took a small sample from Yellowstone, and we never need to go back. We have enough stored in freezers across the country and world to literally feed humanity.”
The company chose Chicago for its headquarters because of its density of large food companies and food industry talent, and also liked the poetic symmetry of locating near the former stockyards, which for decades were the center of America’s meatpacking industry. It employs half of its 50 employees in Chicago currently — the others are in Montana — and plans to grow its staffing to 100 by the end of the year.
“We are going to reclaim it as the headquarters for new protein,” said Jonas, a Frenchman who previously was a president at packaging giant MeadWestvaco.
In the test kitchen, Eleanore Eckstrom, director of product design and formerly a food scientist at Kraft Heinz, experiments with turning the substance into recognizable food. A crisp “chicken” nugget could be mistaken for the real thing. The chocolate mousse, made with chocolate, cashew nuts, cornstarch, vanilla and Nature’s Fynd in place of any dairy, is quite smooth.
Nature’s Fynd is versatile. The fermented raw material, which is white, ropy and rubbery in appearance, has a filamentous structure that mimics muscle in its solid form. But it also can be made into a creamy liquid — “milk” — by just adding water to a blender, or ground into powder for use in baked goods. A key part of the fermentation technology is that it renders the protein tasteless so that flavors can be added.
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The sci-fi nature of eating fermented volcanic microbes could be a turnoff to some. But the company’s research has found people are “way more open than initially expected to new forms of food,” Jonas said. “They want things that are healthy, taste good, and more and more, especially the younger generation, they care about the environmental impact. Which was not really true five to 10 years ago. It was nice to say, but people didn’t vote with their wallet. And that is something where we are seeing a shift happen."
Analyses conducted by third-party labs have found Nature’s Fynd digests better than most animal proteins and some plant-based proteins, such as pea, Jonas said. The substance is also naturally high in fiber and calcium and is vitamin dense. It has no cholesterol and one-tenth the fat of meat.
The company has self-affirmed its product as generally recognized as safe with the Food and Drug Administration, a process that allows manufacturers to vouch for the safety of a product.
The microbe’s utility doesn’t end with the food supply. Nature’s Fynd’s scientists in Bozeman are working with NASA to use it to create a bioreactor for space travel.
“We are at the heart an exploration company,” Jonas said. “Solving big problems is what gets us excited.”
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aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Moms promote Shamrock Hunt on social media to bust kids’ boredom; urge residents to display shamrock

Moms promote Shamrock Hunt on social media to bust kids’ boredom; urge residents to display shamrocks

Residents in Evanston , Franklin Park , Niles , Park Ridge , Northbrook , Elmhurst and other towns said they @ @ @ @ @ several of them started hanging shamrocks in their windows before Tuesday , according to Facebook @ @ @ @ @ even set up an interactive map that shows where participating houses are located in the @ @ @ @ @ Northbrook Moms page , the village president , Sandy Frum , wrote , “ I @ @ @ @ @

Facebook posts like this one popped up on moms' groups in communities across Chicagoland and the nation. The shamrock hunt is a safe and free way to get small children outdoors during the coronavirus St. Patrick's Day. - Original Credit: Facebook (HANDOUT)
As families find themselves stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, parents are searching social media for free and creative ways to keep the kids entertained.
A post urging residents to display shamrocks in their windows March 17 and inviting parents to walk their little ones through neighborhoods on a shamrock hunt went viral on Facebook moms’ groups and neighborhood pages.
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“It will keep the kids busy for an hour or so, I hope,” said Kelly Przekota of Niles, whose post about the shamrock hunt in the Everything Niles group quickly garnered 58 comments, most expressing enthusiasm, and 102 likes or loves after she posted it Sunday.
Residents in Evanston, Franklin Park, Niles, Park Ridge, Northbrook, Elmhurst and other towns said they planned to participate, and several of them started hanging shamrocks in their windows before Tuesday, according to Facebook posts. Someone in Elmhurst even set up an interactive map that shows where participating houses are located in the neighborhood. And on the Northbrook Moms page, the village president, Sandy Frum, wrote, “I’m in.”
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The most popular post on the topic starts by pointing out that staying home all day with little kids is crazy-making and urges residents to display a shamrock decoration in their home’s window. “Then we can get outside, walk around and see how many shamrocks we can find!” it continues.
“It’s easy. No human contact. Get fresh air. Don’t buy toilet paper. Just put a shamrock in your window.”
Other posts encouraged parents with young children to walk in small family groups and maintain social distancing by staying at least six feet away from others, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as they encouraged kids to search for shamrock decorations.
To participate, all residents had to do is place a shamrock decoration, store-bought or home-made, in their home’s window.
“I love this idea!!! I will try to get a good shamrock picture printed today!!,” wrote a member of the Evanston Area COVID-19 Community Support page on Facebook. That post said it was shared from a River Forest moms Facebook group page.
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Elizabeth Brundage said in an email that a moms’ Facebook page for the Brookdale subdivision in Naperville, which she described as a very close knit community, would participate in the shamrock scavenger hunt, which was expected to last for a few days. “Something better to do than shop for toilet paper,” she commented.
Przekota, the Niles mom, said the shamrock hunt idea was brought to her attention by a friend who saw it on the Franklin Park Community Connection Facebook page, and she also posted it on the Park Ridge Chatter Facebook page.
Przekota said she planned to walk or drive her children around the neighborhood.
She added that she would consider participating in other hunts like this in the future if the turnout is good, possibly with a spring theme such as bunnies.
“Hopefully this keeps us all busy and sane,” she said.


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--A theater critic confronts no shows to go to, no curtains to catch

It ’ s personal , of course .
I go to the theater most nights , most ordinary nights anyway @ @ @ @ @ some curtain somewhere goes up , is close to an obsession of mine .
Strike @ @ @ @ @ experience — the beauty , the ugliness , the rush of ideas , even the @ @ @ @ @ me though a good chunk of my adult life .
It always has felt not @ @ @ @ @ as a gift that transforms into something different every night and the chance to sing @ @ @ @ @ .

Audience members fill the mainstage space at Steppenwolf Theatre on Halsted Street in 2018. Both Chicago audiences and critics will have to wait before heading out to the theater again. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
I’ve written a Friday theater column for the Chicago Tribune for close to 25 years. The topics and issues have varied, but they’ve all had one thing in common. Each and every one has been inspired by the artists of the Chicago theater.
This week, for the first time, there is nothing going on.
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No valid listings. No Chris Jones Recommends, because I could not in good conscience recommend that you do anything other than stay home for your own safety and that of your fellow citizens. This week, and probably for weeks to come, the Chicago theater is officially closed for business.
So by necessity, this has to be a column about absence.
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It’s personal, of course. I go to the theater most nights, most ordinary nights anyway. Being there, as some curtain somewhere goes up, is close to an obsession of mine. Strike “close to.” The experience — the beauty, the ugliness, the rush of ideas, even the difficult confrontations — have sustained me though a good chunk of my adult life. It always has felt not so much like a job as a gift that transforms into something different every night and the chance to sing what happened from the rooftops.
Like many journalists — in times that were uncertain even before coronavirus — I’ve long had in my head a farewell speech. In my case, I’ve always wanted to tell the people of the Chicago theater one thing: that everything I have been doing all these years is merely reactive.
Even though a review might look like an evaluation or a judgment, that is just a smokescreen.
While a review or a story may (or may not) be artful, it has no purpose for existing without the work it critiques. With the loss of that basis, it dies.
Without the work of the artists, there is nothing to riff on, be inspired by, cry at, get angry at, marvel at, dream on, laugh at, shout back at, object to, smile at, cheer on, ovate for, believe in, defend, attack, get defensive over, feel fragile over, be empowered by, live through. To be glad all the way to the bottom of your heart that this is the city where you chose to spend your life.
Simple as that.
But fear not. As they say in the musical “Avenue Q,” this is only for a while. While theater might seem like life and death, that is not the case and it can wait, even if it will have to be back in production before we will truly be able to say that we have come alive again.
And then it will be the job of the Chicago theater to help us better understand all that we have been experiencing, and, in all probability, to help us to heal.
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In the meantime, faithful readers of this column, the artists of the Chicago theater, even though they under great financial duress, will find ways to keep you engaged. And I will do my part: this is time to drudge up old stories and memories of times spent together, and I have plenty of those to share.
And it’s a time to support your local artists, especially if you are missing them. You can buy a gift certificate for a show in the fall. You can pitch in to a campaign to help artists get through this income loss. You can donate your unused ticket, and not ask for a refund from a theater that may have very limited cash left in its accounts right now. I’ll try and help you do that.
This is, for all its surface conflicts, a caring community of the impassioned, and the audience is the biggest part of that group.
As I was trying to figure out how to end this non-column, the phone rang. It was Deb Clapp, the executive director of the League of Chicago Theatres, telling me that she had been told that The Saints, the volunteer (and mostly senior) group that ushers in most non-profit Chicago theaters, had authorized an emergency grant of $25,000 to support laid-off Chicago theater artists.
“They only had one question,” Clapp said. “Where should I send the check?”
See, we'll be back.
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Watch this space.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Court building that’s seen it all experiences something new: The sound of silence

“ Whenever ( you ’ re ) dealing with a felony case , it ’ s a traumatic event as @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` People want to be done with this as soon as possible , @ @ @ @ @ concept behind due process .
...
But now , because of the extenuating circumstances , @ @ @ @ @ very difficult .
And the effect it ’ s going to have on people is @ @ @ @ @ very difficult .
”

The normally bustling Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue in Chicago is largely empty now that courts have closed. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
A herd of sheriff’s deputies stood watch Tuesday morning in Cook County’s biggest criminal courthouse.
But the crowds they are usually tasked with wrangling — the scramble of jurors and spectators and defendants hoping to make it to court on time — were nowhere to be seen.
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So they guarded a largely empty lobby, rubbing sanitizer into their hands and giving any stragglers who wandered inside the news: Tuesday was the first day of a nearly complete court shutdown that left thousands of cases frozen in place and the normally bustling hallways of the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue in Chicago virtually abandoned.
Other than bond court, only two courtrooms in the hulking building will be open for the next 30 days, and those are only to deal with emergency matters.
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The coronavirus pandemic has left criminal justice authorities with the critical task of balancing the constitutional rights of defendants against a steadily deepening public health crisis. And when it all ends, there is only the looming untangling of the unprecedented court stoppage.
“They say this is going to last a month, (but) it’s kind of like dog years,” veteran attorney Jack Lanahan said. “We’ll be playing catch-up for seven months, or eight months, or a year.”
In the hope of mitigating the spread of COVID-19, virtually the entire Cook County court system has ground to a halt. Until at least mid-April, judges will not perform marriages, sign evictions, or preside over jury trials.
Social distancing is virtually impossible in normal courthouse circumstances. On a normal day, many hundreds of defendants and lawyers flood into Leighton, where lockups, jury rooms and courtroom galleries all keep people in close contact by design.
Only bond court was slated to continue as usual, as the question of whether someone can be released after they are arrested must be addressed.
Two fifth-floor felony courtrooms will also be open, but under special circumstances. A rotating group of judges will deal with urgent matters, as well as formally moving each day’s regularly scheduled hearings to a predetermined date in April or May.
Perhaps the most immediate issue court officials had to weigh had to do with defendants’ speedy-trial rights.
Once a defendant formally invokes those rights, a clock starts ticking: Prosecutors have 120 days by statute to go to trial if the defendant is in custody, or 160 days if they are out on bond.
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A spokeswoman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said prosecutors will “file motions on this issue as appropriate,” but did not elaborate.
Under Illinois law, prosecutors can request more time if they need it to track down witnesses or evidence. Attorneys told the Tribune they expect judges to approve requests for extensions due to the shutdown, given the extraordinary circumstances.
But dragging out the court process is tough on defendants no matter the circumstances, said attorney Emmanuel Andre.
“Whenever (you’re) dealing with a felony case, it’s a traumatic event as it is,” he said. "People want to be done with this as soon as possible, that’s the whole concept behind due process. ... But now, because of the extenuating circumstances, that’s very, very difficult. And the effect it’s going to have on people is going to be very, very difficult.”
On Tuesday morning, Judge Peggy Chiampas took the bench in one of the building’s two open courtrooms, tasked with handling 16 judges’ dockets at once.
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Clerks buzzed around the bench, talking to the few private attorneys who showed up as well as the handful of public defenders and prosecutors assigned to the room for that day.
“Everybody’s appearance is waived right now," Chiampas said to the nearly empty room, announcing to almost no one that defendants were not required to show up for court that day.
A courthouse staffer walked by wearing a cloth face mask and a single blue latex glove.
“Judge Sacks, Room 602, all matters continued to April 21, 2020,” Chiampas said. “Any of the attorneys here on Judge Howard’s call? Going once, going twice ... Judge Howard’s call, April 21, 2020, by order of the court.”
Most defendants were not brought from the jail to the courthouse, unless they were slated to appear in bond court or had a court order to appear, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office said.
Formal arraignments were largely delayed in Chiampas’ nearly vacant courtroom. Warrants for defendants on bond who did not show up in court were pushed off until the next court date.
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After Chiampas ran through the court call, a few people were still in the rows of benches, waiting for clarity or direction. Clerks and attorneys rushed over to try and clear up the confusion.
“I don’t want to get no warrant issued, we were here,” one woman told an attorney.
In Central Bond Court a few hours later, sheriffs limited the number of spectators allowed in the gallery — only one per defendant — and people had to sit a few feet apart.
Some court staffers said they believe bond hearings could soon be conducted by video, a practice discontinued in Cook County more than a decade ago after a lawsuit alleged it was unconstitutional to deny defendants a chance to physically appear before a judge.
By Monday, clerk’s office workers had been given latex gloves to wear. Some courthouse visitors wore masks, or pulled fabric up over their mouths and noses as they moved through the halls.
That day, Judge Angela Petrone presided over what promised to be her last normal court call for at least the next month.
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A prosecutor wiped her hands. The occasional coughs in the small courtroom were met with wary smiles.
One defendant was not brought to court from the jail because he was in the new isolated receiving area Cook County Jail has set up to observe new detainees for COVID-19 symptoms.
Another defendant was told his psychological examination for fitness to stand trial had to be delayed. The office that conducts those evaluations will be closed during the shutdown.
Petrone’s courtroom was slated for the building’s only potential jury trial that day, an attempted murder case. More than 80 jurors had reported for duty, but in the end, the defendant decided to have his case heard instead by Petrone herself.
After the first day of trial, the proceedings were continued — until the end of April.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Daywatch: Marie Newman ends Lipinski family control of House seat, Chicago woman is state’s first co

Daywatch: Marie Newman ends Lipinski family control of House seat, Chicago woman is state’s first coronavirus death and Shedd Aquarium’s penguins roam free during shutdown

Fifty-five new cases of COVID-19 were also announced Tuesday , which brought the total in the state to 160 , @ @ @ @ @ patients , at least four of whom have recovered and are no longer in isolation @ @ @ @ @ from 9 to 91 .

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other stories you need to know to start your day.
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Illinois officials on Tuesday announced the first state coronavirus death, as well as 55 new cases of coronavirus, which brought the state total to 160
Coronavirus infections across the U.S. reached approximately 5,200 on Tuesday, and the death toll surpassed 100, according to the Associated Press
The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 190,000 people around the world, according to the Associated Press. More than 7,300 have died, about half of them outside mainland China.
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Marie Newman speaks during a Chicago Tribune editorial board meeting in Chicago on Jan. 21, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Challenger Marie Newman claimed victory over Rep. Dan Lipinski on Tuesday night, ending nearly four decades of Lipinski family control of the Southwest Side and southwest suburban congressional seat. The congressman’s father, William Lipinski, served from 1983 until 2005, when he engineered the appointment of his son.
It was a rematch of their nationally watched Democratic congressional primary that was a battle between the party’s progressive and moderate wings.
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With confirmed cases of coronavirus in Illinois, area businesses, residents and travelers are making efforts to respond and prepare for its potential spread. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
A Chicago woman in her 60s was the first Illinois resident to die from the new coronavirus, and the state’s largest outbreak at a single location has taken hold at a west suburban long-term care facility where 22 people are now infected, state officials said Tuesday.
Fifty-five new cases of COVID-19 were also announced Tuesday, which brought the total in the state to 160, across 15 counties. The patients, at least four of whom have recovered and are no longer in isolation, have ranged in age from 9 to 91.
A retired nurse with a history of respiratory issues was the state’s first coronavirus death. But her Chicago relatives still don’t know how she got the virus.
We have to do this now’: Trump administration considering sending checks directly to Americans to bolster economy amid coronavirus
Illinois expands coronavirus testing guidelines, but many sick people still don’t qualify
Hopleaf co-owner Louise Molnar prepares a bag of mussels for Andy Kedzuch, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. The Andersonville beer bar, know widely for its mussels and frites, as well as its enviable range of craft and imported beers, gave away 100 pounds of the shellfish. (Kristan Lieb/for the Chicago Tribune)
Hundreds of bar and restaurant owners are left to navigate next steps for their businesses amid the shutdown order to dine-in customers that took effect 9 p.m. Monday. It’s an industry crisis few could have foreseen even a week ago, when functioning businesses still seemed possible alongside the idea of furious hand washing and relentlessly wiping down surfaces.
Students protest at Lincoln Park High School over misconduct investigations and a leadership shake-up on Feb. 6, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
One of the Lincoln Park High School administrators suspended in a leadership shake-up earlier this year has been reinstated. Dean John Johnson, who was removed from the school “due to multiple allegations of serious misconduct involving the athletics program,” can have his job back, according to a letter sent Monday night to Lincoln Park High families from Network Chief Laura LeMone.
Wellington the rockhopper penguin visits red-bellied piranhas in another exhibit while the Shedd Aquarium is closed to help prevent coronavirus transmission. (Shedd Aquarium)
WHO let the penguins out — in a manner of speaking, anyway.
Shedd Aquarium took this charming video of one of its rockhopper penguins, a male named Wellington, getting the run of the place now that the big lakefront aquarium is closed to try to help prevent coronavirus transmission.


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Ask Amy: Readers wonder how to meet, or repel

My friend says that I fall in love with every man who talks to me .
She told me recently @ @ @ @ @ avoid me because I 'm too aggressive .
I just like to talk to them @ @ @ @ @ .

Dear Readers: Every year, I step away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks in order to work on other writing projects.
My two memoirs, "The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Story of Surprising Second Chances,"(2010, Hachette) and "Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Coming Home" (2018, Hachette) are available from your favorite bookseller or library.
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Today's "Best Of" column from 2010 revolves around meeting and matching.
I'll be back with fresh Q and A next week.
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Dear Amy: I'm a kind, attractive man, but I'm shy around women. So, tell me: If I'm at the market and an attractive woman comes up next to me and silently looks at vegetables, does she want me to introduce myself?
— Shy in Boston
Dear Shy: Fellow shoppers actually could be shopping for food, but your instinct is correct; supermarkets can be great places to meet people. Practice your technique to see what works best for you.
Unfortunately, the produce section can lead a nervous (or nervy?) person to be inappropriate. Stay away from melons, tangelos and cucumbers.
Introducing yourself can seem abrupt, but opening with a question can be a great way to start a conversation with someone.
You say something like, "What do you think, do these peppers look fresh to you? I can never tell." A woman interested in meeting you will respond in a way that leaves room for a follow-up from you.
February 2010
Dear Amy: I am a retired man in my early 80s. My wife passed away last year, and I moved into a senior living residence so I would have some company.
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Although I am an "older adult," I still play tennis and keep myself in good shape.
Many women in my new home seem to be single and are aggressive about finding a man. Several have invited me for drinks and dinner, and later suggested I spend the night.
Now, I have nothing against pretty women, and I enjoy their company, but I just don't want to get into a relationship.
How do I let them know I'm not interested in a serious relationship without hurting their feelings?
Gosh, some men I know might think they had died and gone to heaven.
— Not Looking
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Dear Not Looking: Based on your story and other tales I'm hearing from the world of senior housing, I've come to the conclusion that the older generation really puts the "living" into "assisted living."
You may be misinterpreting the motives of the women at your complex.
Just because they come on to you and invite you to spend the night, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are looking for a serious relationship. You will learn this as you go.
If this sort of arrangement isn't to your liking (and it obviously isn't), you should respond with a version of, "Dottie, you're a dear and the casserole was wonderful, but I'm only looking for tennis partners."
February 2010
Dear Amy: I am 60 years old and have been single for 20 years. My best friend tells me I'm "man crazy" because I keep trying to connect emotionally with men at church, my favorite venue for meeting nice men.
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My friend says that I fall in love with every man who talks to me. She told me recently that she thinks men generally avoid me because I'm too aggressive. I just like to talk to them and get to know them.
Yes, there are times when I have been infatuated with men. But when I let a man know, he pretty much runs for the hills.
I think I have a lot to offer a man, but, evidently, I drive them away. I don't know how to proceed. Should I keep trying or mind my own business at church?
— Need to Know
Dear Need: You seem to think you attend the Church of the Heavenly Hookups. So let's start with your description of your house of worship as "my favorite venue for meeting nice men."
Church is a great place to connect with people, but the primary connection should be spiritual or communal.
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Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
You sound like a stalker, and from your description, you make people uncomfortable. You could work on understanding your galloping emotions by seeing a professional therapist.
Church is not the appropriate venue for you to practice flirting skills. Listen carefully to your friend's description of your behavior, and then ask her to help you behave differently.
She might make a good wingman for you -- but not at church.
October 2010
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(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.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Libertyville High School employee tests positive for coronavirus, officials say

“ District 128 continues to take the COVID-19 situation very seriously , ” Lea said in a statement .
“ @ @ @ @ @ with the experts at the Lake County Health Department during this uncertain time , and @ @ @ @ @ caution will continue to follow their lead and directives .
”

A staff member at Libertyville High School has tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to district officials.
District 128 Superintendent Prentiss Lea announced the case Tuesday night, the first instance an employee of a Lake County K-12 school publicly was confirmed to have the novel disease.
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“District 128 continues to take the COVID-19 situation very seriously,” Lea said in a statement. “We are fortunate to partner with the experts at the Lake County Health Department during this uncertain time, and out of an abundance of caution will continue to follow their lead and directives.”
Mary Todoric, spokeswoman for District 128, declined additional comment on the case Wednesday morning, citing privacy laws.
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Libertyville High School, along with other Lake County schools, closed Monday as part of a concerted effort to contain the spread of coronavirus. At District 128, school buildings will be closed this week and also the week after the district’s spring break, which lasts from March 23 through March 27.
As of Wednesday morning, the number of novel coronavirus cases in Lake County jumped to 14, according to the county health department. It was not immediately clear whether the Libertyville High School employee was among the reported number.
The county health department also reported that it appears some of those who have been infected contracted the virus from others in the community, not because of travel or contact with another confirmed case.
Lake County confirmed its first case on March 11, a man in his 50s who was hospitalized at the time in stable condition. A local hospital had also been reported as treating someone who was not a Lake County resident.
The number of cases has slowly climbed since then, hitting six cases by the end of the day Monday and jumping to 14 by Wednesday morning.
The sudden increase is in cases is not because of any cluster like Willowbrook is seeing at one of its nursing homes, said Hannah Goering, the department’s spokeswoman.
She said the department would no longer be releasing any demographic details about patients like age or gender as the outbreak moves into “a new phase” where the number of cases pick up rapidly across the state and so, the focus has been on simplifying the information provided.
The Lake County Health Department also is not following the treatment statuses of cases and cannot provide any information about how many of the patients have since recovered, she said. Any deaths will be reported if they do happen.
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The department is urging residents to take precautions to stay healthy and stop the spread of the virus by staying home, especially if sick, as it intensifies its recommended restrictions.
News-Sun reporter Emily K. Coleman and Pioneer Press reporter James T. Norman contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Barrington SD220 $147M referendum appears to garner ‘yes’ from voters

Barrington area voters responded to the school district ’ s referendum request for $ 147 million : “ Shall the @ @ @ @ @ and equip additions to and alter , repair and equip existing buildings , including but @ @ @ @ @ spaces , restrooms and food service areas , installing school safety and security improvements , @ @ @ @ @ electrical and plumbing systems and constructing additions to eliminate mobile classrooms , improve school sites @ @ @ @ @ school district to the amount of $ 147 [ million ] for the purpose of @ @ @ @ @ ”

Brian Harris, superintendent of Barrington School District 220, presents information Jan. 29, 2020 about the $147 million referendum question that was on the March 17 primary ballot. Unofficial vote results on election night appeared to show the referendum passed, (Kaitlin Edquist / Pioneer Press)
After an Election Day that started off with a number of hiccups – including no poll workers at one polling place and technical glitches at another – unofficial vote totals Tuesday night appeared to show the Barrington School District 220 referendum question headed toward a ‘yes’ from voters.
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Barrington area voters responded to the school district’s referendum request for $147 million: “Shall the Board of Education … build and equip additions to and alter, repair and equip existing buildings, including but not limited to renovating instructional spaces, restrooms and food service areas, installing school safety and security improvements, replacing roofs and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and constructing additions to eliminate mobile classrooms, improve school sites and issue bonds of said school district to the amount of $147 [million] for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?”
According to cumulative, unofficial results totals from the Cook, Lake, McHenry and Kane county clerks’ offices, 60% of voters responded ‘yes’ and 40% indicated ‘no’ Tuesday. Barrington SD220 enrolls more than 8,600 students in pre-K to 12th grade, across 12 schools. Also, the school district spans the four counties.
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Of 10 voters asked on Election Day about the referendum, all but one said they voted in favor of the bond issuance.
“The school district has been really good for the children here,” said Holly Velleuer, of Barrington. She has a fifth grader at Hough Elementary School and a daughter in the district’s special needs program.
Michael Louda of Barrington, 32, a SD220 alum who has no children enrolled in the district at the moment, said he voted ‘no’ to the referendum question.
“Last year they had one too,” Louda said. “The schools are good but can’t have champagne and oysters all the time.”
Steve Sadin is a freelancer.