chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Villages, schools in central Lake County take precautionary steps amid coronavirus outbreak

Members of the Countryside Fire Protection District in Vernon Hills have been talking to senior living communities in the village @ @ @ @ @ and prevent illness to the higher risk senior population , he said .
Police in @ @ @ @ @ a meeting on the different preventative actions communities can take to the limit the spread @ @ @ @ @ .

Local governments in central Lake County are taking steps to try and prevent any chance of the new coronavirus from spreading, including canceling public events, school trips overseas and after-school activities.
Officials representing the villages of Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills and their respective school districts indicated Thursday they are in the process of planning their next steps to address any potential risks and continue to monitor any developments related to COVID-19.
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At Libertyville and Vernon Hills high schools, officials in District 128 recently announced they canceled all spring break trips that students were planning to take abroad, including stops to Canada, Guatemala and France.
In late February, district officials decided to cancel a spring break trip to Thailand as the new coronavirus continued to spread and said they were monitoring the status of the other three trips. While District 128 hasn’t canceled school, officials said they will implement their e-learning platform that allows students to take classes online if and when cancellations happen.
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At nearby Hawthorn School District 73, officials announced they’ve canceled all after-school activities for the foreseeable future, including field trips, before- and after-school clubs, sporting events, evening activities and assemblies.
But schools will remain open and students will be released at normal time, officials said.
Jon Petrillo, assistant village manager for Vernon Hills, said business-related events that typically attract large groups, such as the GLMV-Chamber of Commerce Block Party, have been postponed.
Members of the Countryside Fire Protection District in Vernon Hills have been talking to senior living communities in the village about best practices to limit and prevent illness to the higher risk senior population, he said. Police in the village also recently attended a meeting on the different preventative actions communities can take to the limit the spread of coronavirus, Petrillo said.
Elsewhere in Lake County, local officials have either closed or suspended activities and programs at senior centers, including facilities in Lake Forest and Highland Park. The responses have come as public health officials in the county confirmed Wednesday the first case of coronavirus in Lake County.
The global coronavirus crisis was officially declared a pandemic Wednesday. The latest cases announced by Illinois officials have brought the total number in the state to 25.
Area libraries, including the Fremont Public Library District in Mundelein and Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville, also announced recently that public programs have been canceled until further notice.
Libertyville officials have said they haven’t, yet, announced any cancellations, but they are continuing to monitor the situation and plan to meet again Friday morning.
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Village officials are in contact with its senior center, which is limiting the size of any events held there, said Village Administrator Kelly Amidei, adding how the entire situation remains fluid.
“I think we’re in pretty good shape right now,” Amidei said. “We’re trying to balance keeping panic low and doing the right thing, and that’s the fine line."
At Mundelein Village Hall, officials said they haven’t, yet, canceled any community events. But village officials have assessed employees on the protocols for working from home in the event officials decide to allow village workers to report remotely, said Dawn Jenrich, spokeswoman for Mundelein.
Mundelein Park District officials stated in a letter Thursday they haven’t canceled any events or activities since public health officials haven’t recommended doing so.
Officials at Mundelein High School District 120, meanwhile, have canceled all non-essential activities. While school remains in session, district officials stated they would use their e-learning services if cancellations do happen.
jnorman@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--We’re now in a bear market. What’s that, again? Six investor questions answered.

A correction is Wall Street ’ s term for an index like the S & P 500 , the Dow @ @ @ @ @ even an individual stock , that ’ s fallen 10 % or more from a @ @ @ @ @ market occurs when the index or stock falls 20 % or more from the peak @ @ @ @ @ time .

A member of a satire group dressed in a bear costume reads a financial newspaper outside the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 6, 2008, during the last bear market for stocks. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP/Getty Images)
Wall Street’s staggering skid that began less than three weeks ago has pulled the Dow Jones Industrial Average into what’s known as a bear market.
After a string of sharp losses, the Dow has now fallen more than 20% from its last peak on Feb. 12.
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On Thursday, the S&P 500 plummeted 9.5%, for a total drop of 26.7% from its all-time high, set just last month. That puts it way past the 20% threshold to make this a bear market, snapping an unprecedented, nearly 11-year bull market run.
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Here are some common questions asked about bear markets and corrections and what they mean for average investors:
How is a bear market different from a market correction?
A correction is Wall Street’s term for an index like the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, or even an individual stock, that’s fallen 10% or more from a recent high. A bear market occurs when the index or stock falls 20% or more from the peak for a sustained period of time.
Corrections are common during bull markets, and are considered normal and even healthy. They allow markets to remove speculative froth after a big run-up and give investors a chance to buy stocks at lower prices.
The major U.S. stock indexes entered a correction this month amid mounting fears about the impact that the coronavirus outbreak could have on the global economy and company earnings growth. A oil market price war this week that led analysts to lower their profit forecasts for energy companies fueled more selling on Wall Street.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 fell 260.74 points, or 9.5%, to 2,480.64. The Dow lost 2,352.60 points, or 10%, to 21,200.62. The Nasdaq dropped 750.25 points, or 9.4%, to 7,201.80.
What’s bothering investors?
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The outbreak of the coronavirus that originated in China has quickly grown into a pandemic that is threatening major sectors of the global economy, stoking fear that the U.S. and other economies could be tipped into a recession.
Many companies, including airlines, cruise operators and big consumer technology manufacturers, have warned their earnings will take a hit this year due to the economic fallout from the outbreak.
Investors remain uncertain over whether action taken by the Federal Reserve and the Trump administration to shield the economy will be effective or arrive quickly enough to prevent widespread economic pain.
More recently, a sharp drop in crude oil prices has further dimmed the overall outlook for corporate profits this year and next. Company profits tend to be the biggest driver of stock market gains.
How often do market corrections become bear markets?
In the S&P 500, there have been 23 corrections since 1945 and 12 bear markets, not including the current near-bear market, said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist for CFRA. That works out to corrections becoming bear markets a little less than 35% of the time.
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Should the S&P 500 enter a bear market before April 11, it would mark the fastest drop of 20% by the index on record, Stovall said.
When was the last time we had a bear market?
The last bear market for the S&P 500 ran from Oct. 9, 2007 through March 9, 2009. The index fell 56.8%. in that 17-month period as the U.S. housing downturn and mortgage crisis erupted, triggering a credit crunch.
How long do bear markets last and how deep do they go?
On average, bear markets have lasted 14 months in the period since World War II, while market corrections have lasted an average of five months. The S&P 500 index has fallen an average of 33% during bear markets in that time. The biggest decline since 1945 occurred in the 2007-2009 bear market.
History shows that the faster an index enters into a bear market, the shorter they tend to be. Historically, stocks take 270 days to fall into a bear market. When the S&P 500 has fallen 20% at a faster clip, the index has averaged a loss of 26%, Stovall said.
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What are the signs that a correction or a bear market has ended?
Generally, investors look for a 20% gain from a low point as well as sustained gains over at least a six-month period.
On average, bull markets last 4.5 years. In terms of the S&P 500, the current bull market has been going on for almost 11 years.
The shortest bear market for the S&P 500 was in 1990. It lasted almost three months, sliding 20% in that period. The longest was a 61-month bear market that ended in March 1942 and cut the index by 60%.
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chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Hinsdale High School District 86 reports Hinsdale South student’s coronavirus test is negative

The district also has created a form where families who are planning to travel can share information about their trips @ @ @ @ @ voluntary , Prentiss said , but having the information will help the district prepare and @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .
Click on the link to see the form .

The medical tests for the Hinsdale South High School student who may have been exposed to the coronavirus were negative, Hinsdale High School District 86 announced Thursday, which means school will resume as normal Friday.
However, the district will take proactive steps to help reduce the spread the of the virus, which is also known as COVID-19, including cancelling all field trips and overnight trips and events, District 86 Superintendent Tammy Prentiss said in a statement announcing the news.
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“We are reviewing . . . the short- and long-terms plans for athletics and activities,” Prentiss said.
All rentals of the district facilities by outside groups have been canceled through Sunday, March 15.
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Hinsdale South’s boys basketball team will play its sectional semi-final game against Benet Academy in Lisle at 7 p.m. Thursday in South’s main gymnasium. However, the game is not open to the public.
Per Illinois High School Association guidelines, the number of spectators is limited to 60 per team. The game can be watched online via livestream on the NFHS Network.
The district will continue routine cleaning in its buildings, which includes disinfecting common touch points such as drinking fountains, doorknobs and locker handles, but no extra deep cleaning of the schools is scheduled at this time.
Several of the measures are being implemented based on the advice from the DuPage County Health Department and the DuPage Regional Office of Education, Prentiss said.
The district also has created a form where families who are planning to travel can share information about their trips. Completing the form is voluntary, Prentiss said, but having the information will help the district prepare and respond to the possible spread of the virus. Click on the link to see the form.
Administrators will continue to communicate with District 86′s feeder schools, community partners, and local health, police and fire officials about the status of COVID-19 in the community and plans for dealing with its potential impact, Prentiss said.


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Evanston Unitarian Church cancels services after congregation member tests positive for COVID-19

The congregation member was in the church building on Sunday , March 1 , and did not display symptoms of @ @ @ @ @ , according to the statement .
Then on March 4 , the individual attended a @ @ @ @ @ and began to experience symptoms .

Evanston Unitarian Church will be closed through at least March 18 after a congregation member tested positive for coronavirus.
In a statement posted Wednesday, church leaders said there will be no gatherings, meetings or services at the building for the next week.
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The church learned of the congregation member’s positive test for COVID-19 the evening of March 10. The individual is currently hospitalized and is expected to fully recover, according to the statement. The person is not an Evanston resident, according to city officials.
The congregation member was in the church building on Sunday, March 1, and did not display symptoms of the virus at that time, according to the statement. Then on March 4, the individual attended a meeting with five other people and began to experience symptoms.
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The other attendees of the meeting have been contacted and are self-quarantined, according to the statement. None of those individuals have experienced symptoms in the seven days since the meeting, the statement said.
The spouse of the person who tested positive for COVID-19 has tested negative for the virus and is also in quarantine, according to the statement.
Church leaders and Evanston city officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The church plans to offer an online worship service this Sunday and will provide resources for small gatherings to meet virtually.
[ Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area ]


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Chicago real estate broker Dustin Kendrick replaces Chris Bukowski for ‘Bachelor’ stage show in Chic

Chicago real estate broker Dustin Kendrick replaces Chris Bukowski for ‘Bachelor’ stage show in Chicago

Kendrick , who works as a broker for @ properties and as a server at Soho House Chicago , said @ @ @ @ @ opportunity last week .
A reason for the substitution wasn ’ t given , and @ @ @ @ @ Tribune requests for comment .
The team behind the traveling stage show tweeted Wednesday : @ @ @ @ @ will be an amazing Bachelor on Saturday and is excited to participate as a guest @ @ @ @ @ and 8pm shows in Chicago at @ broadwaychicago !
”

"The Bachelorette" alumnus Dustin Kendrick is slated to star in one of "The Bachelor Live on Stage" shows at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago on March 14, 2020. (Courtesy of Broadway in Chicago/Handout)
It wouldn’t be “The Bachelor” without some 11th-hour drama. Chicago real estate broker Dustin Kendrick has replaced entrepreneur Chris Bukowski as the star of one of “The Bachelor Live on Stage” shows Saturday at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
Kendrick, who works as a broker for @properties and as a server at Soho House Chicago, said he was informed about the opportunity last week. A reason for the substitution wasn’t given, and Bukowski didn’t return Tribune requests for comment. The team behind the traveling stage show tweeted Wednesday: “Chris knows that Dustin will be an amazing Bachelor on Saturday and is excited to participate as a guest star in both the 3pm and 8pm shows in Chicago at @broadwaychicago!”
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Kendrick, 31, was a contestant on Hannah Brown’s season of “The Bachelorette,” which aired last year. He lasted longer than the other Chicago-area suitors, but didn’t get much screen time. He said life hasn’t changed much since he competed on the ABC network show, though dating has been tricky.
“It’s kind of tough because you have a lot of girls that are interested in you, but you don’t know if they’re really interested in you for you,” said Kendrick, who lives in the West Town area. “I’m looking for a woman that is confident, that is funny, caring. Someone that’s adventurous, someone that’s spontaneous, someone that’s a mix between an introvert and extrovert.”
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Kendrick is slated for the 3 p.m. Saturday show, while “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” alumnus Kenneth “Diggy” Moreland is set for the 8 p.m. performance. Former NFL journeyman Clay Harbor, who lives in the Chicago area, is the star of Sunday’s show in Milwaukee. The stage shows try to mimic the TV competition with dates, rose ceremonies and a PG-version of the fantasy suite. Tickets are available at broadwayinchicago.com.
tswartz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Do you want to see your attorney on reality TV? Some Chicago lawyers don’t mind being judged.

No one from Flanagan Bilton , which is based in the Loop , returned a Tribune request for comment .
@ @ @ @ @ his firm , Goldstein & McClintock , has been “ completely supportive ” of him @ @ @ @ @ “ They thought this was a really good opportunity for me personally to not only @ @ @ @ @ someone who is Indian , someone who is an attorney , especially being first-born generation @ @ @ @ @ being LGBT , they thought it would be a really good story for people , @ @ @ @ @ relate to .
So they ’ ve been supportive since day one , ” Kapai @ @

Chicago attorney Amrit Kapai and his family made their reality TV debut on Sunday’s premiere of the Bravo network series “Family Karma,” which follows a group of Indian-American friends living in the Miami area.
Kapai grew up in South Florida, and cameras trail him as he grows his law firm’s Miami office. He also opens up about his personal life. He said he’s in a long-term relationship with a man he met years ago at the Berlin dance club in Lakeview.
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“I’ve really grown comfortable in my skin, so for me, it wasn’t as nerve-racking,” Kapai told the Tribune about revealing that he is gay. “My parents, on the other hand — as you’ll see, without me giving out too much information — but for them, they were more nervous about it and (weren’t) sure how viewers would react. They were a little apprehensive about me sort of announcing to the country, to the world, about my sexual orientation.”
Chicago fitness trainers, singers, marketing professionals, teachers, restaurant workers and tattoo artists have made their mark on reality TV, but it’s unusual to see Chicago attorneys share their lives on the small screen. Perhaps that’s because reality TV competitors and cast members usually need weeks off from work to film or maybe it’s because attorneys worry about how they or their law firm would be portrayed.
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Chicago attorney Kelley Flanagan wore lingerie on the most recent season of “The Bachelor” and admitted she was “a little nervous. I mean, who wants to see their attorney dressed in lingerie on a TV show?” The 28-year-old North Barrington native works at her family’s property tax firm, Flanagan Bilton, which was featured on the January season premiere. Cameras captured one of Flanagan’s brothers wondering aloud whether “The Bachelor” star, pilot Peter Weber, was a member of the mile-high club.
Chicago attorney Kelley Flanagan (center, holding pillow) participates in a pillow fight group date on an episode of Season 24 of "The Bachelor." (John Fleenor/ABC)
No one from Flanagan Bilton, which is based in the Loop, returned a Tribune request for comment. Kapai, meanwhile, said his firm, Goldstein & McClintock, has been “completely supportive” of him being on reality TV. “They thought this was a really good opportunity for me personally to not only serve as an example of someone who is Indian, someone who is an attorney, especially being first-born generation, but also, me being LGBT, they thought it would be a really good story for people, for viewers to hear and relate to. So they’ve been supportive since day one,” Kapai said.
The 33-year-old senior associate said no one from the firm told him what he could or couldn’t say, and he couldn’t recall any ethical issues arising during filming of the series, which airs at 8 p.m. Sundays.
Andrew Savage said his Chicago firm at the time, then known as Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, was “unbelievably supportive” of him competing on the seventh season of “Survivor.”
“They knew that I was a big-hearted guy, that in my core, I’m not a liar. I’m not a cheat and I don’t steal, so they trusted me when I went on the show — despite the fact that it’s basically a show of deceit — that I would represent the firm really well, and I think I did for the most part,” Savage told the Tribune.
When asked if he had any regrets about how he represented the firm in the CBS network competition, Savage recalled the season premiere, which aired in September 2003.
Savage, then 39 and a junior partner in the information-technology practice group, started the show in a suit and tie. But as he led his tribe during the first immunity challenge, he stripped his clothes off to show support for his teammate, equity trade manager Osten Taylor, whose shorts kept falling down because he had lost weight. CBS carefully censored the tribe’s body parts.
“In hindsight, of course, we were the first guys ever to get naked on ‘Survivor’ like that. And it was a big hit, but it wasn’t kind of who I am,” said Savage, who also competed on “Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance,” an all-star season that aired in 2015, and who now works for a Silicon Valley company.
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“It’s a tough call, just trying to protect folks that I legitimately cared about on the tribe versus the public perception is, what is Savage doing getting naked? But it was edited well, where it explained exactly why I did it, but just from a prominent-law-firm, partner-in-a-big-firm perspective, I may have done something differently,” Savage said.
Former Chicago attorney Andrew Savage competed on two seasons of "Survivor." (CBS)
Steve Splitt — spokesman for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, the administrative agency that regulates licensed Illinois lawyers — said he couldn’t recall any attorney getting disciplined for what they said or did on reality TV. He said the state panel this month recommended disbarring former Gov. Rod Blagojevich for his corruption convictions, not for his actions on the third season of “The Celebrity Apprentice.” (He was fired on the fourth episode after sleeping on the job.)
Timmy Knudsen let cameras document renovation of his Lincoln Park condo on a 2018 episode of “House Hunters,” but said he’s turned down offers to appear on other reality TV shows.
“I really geek out about home design and renovation and everything HGTV has to offer. It was like a quirky, super fun, harmless experience that I knew going into it wouldn’t come back to haunt me like I think other shows maybe would,” said Knudsen, an associate in the corporate department of Katten Muchin Rosenman.
Josh Seiter isn’t concerned about his time on reality TV. He was a recent graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law when he appeared on the E! network series “Escape Club” and Season 11 of “The Bachelorette.” He was sent home on “The Bachelorette” premiere after performing a strip-tease during his introduction (he worked as an exotic dancer in his 20s).
After the season aired in 2015, Seiter wrote a memoir and became popular on Instagram by sharing his struggles with mental illness and depression. He said he’s considered becoming an attorney, and he proudly owns his past.
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“I think it’s all about what you do with your time on TV. Maybe some people would be embarrassed by stripping. I don’t think it was anything bad. I don’t think it would haunt me in any way. I think it would just be a conversation starter if anything,” Seiter said.
tswartz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Drive By Truckers is going to say what it wants to say, and doesn’t really care if you like it, so l

Drive By Truckers is going to say what it wants to say, and doesn’t really care if you like it, so let the political songs begin

This record ’ s almost more like the crisis of the soul , of living through these times right now @ @ @ @ @ it to your kids .
So many of these songs came directly from conversations I @ @ @ @ @ things .
To me , it is a really personal record .
Politics is personal @ @ @ @ @ have been to some extent political , going all the way back to stuff about @ @ @ @ @ , ( or ) George Wallace .
So it ’ s always been there in @ @ @ @ @ John McCain had voted differently in that vote about the Affordable Care Act , my @ @ @ @ @ of our insurance , because three-fourths of our family has pre-existing conditions .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ gets .
Without health insurance , I very well could go bankrupt .
I might @ @ @ @ @ something was to happen .
You ’ re walking a precarious line at best , @ @ @

Even for a band like Drive-By Truckers, who have spent a lifetime confounding expectations, making two deeply political albums in a row felt like a risk.
Weeks before the 2016 election, the group released the wounded, furious “American Band,” which tackled racism and gun violence in the dawning era of Trump. In January, it dropped “The Unraveling,” which cast an equally unsparing eye on the election’s aftermath.
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DBT began life as an alt-country band from Alabama, but have since spun off in a dozen more ambitious directions. They have historically steeped themselves in politics and the culture wars, but still: They worried “The Unraveling” was too much, even for them.
Singer Patterson Hood, on the phone from an airport layover in Atlanta (he’ll be in town for a sold out Metro show Friday), talked about the band’s dark new album, the uncertainty of its birth, and why the personal is political:
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The following are excerpts from that conversation:
At first, it seemed like “American Band” might be a disaster
Going into the last record, you would think from Facebook, “Wow, they just lost one half of their fanbase in one fell swoop.” But the last record was, by most ways of measuring it, our most successful record we’ve ever had, and this one looks like it’s going to be even more so. ...
That didn’t necessarily make me feel more positive about how this one would be received. That made me think it might not bode well for this record, (but) it’s gotten a crazy good reaction.
In its earliest incarnation, “The Unraveling” was very different
My first inclination as an artist is to sort of head for the opposite ditch. I’m a lifelong Neil Young fan, and that was kind of the way we did things. ... I wrote a good number of songs that were in a different direction, but it just didn’t feel right, it didn’t feel like what we needed to do, or in the end, what we wanted to do. We felt, this stuff is going on and it’s not getting better, and it felt kind of cowardly to not do this.
The political is personal, anyway
This record’s almost more like the crisis of the soul, of living through these times right now, and how to explain it to your kids. So many of these songs came directly from conversations I had with my kids about things. To me, it is a really personal record. Politics is personal. All of our records have been to some extent political, going all the way back to stuff about AIDS on our first record, (or) George Wallace. So it’s always been there in our music, but if John McCain had voted differently in that vote about the Affordable Care Act, my family would have lost three-fourths of our insurance, because three-fourths of our family has pre-existing conditions. That’s as personal as it gets. Without health insurance, I very well could go bankrupt. I might do it anyway, if something was to happen. You’re walking a precarious line at best, right now.
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He worried the new album would be polarizing
You never quite know, and this one I really particularly wondered. I pretty much had resigned myself, I had psyched myself up to be receptive of whatever happens, because I just didn’t know. I knew it was a great record, I knew we did good work, but there’s a lot more to it than that, and I honestly didn’t know if anybody would want to hear this s--- (laughs). It’s such a dark record, and such a record about these (messed) up times we’re in, and I get the impulse of, “All right, enough already. I don’t want to hear any more about it. I want to hear (something fun).” I figured if everybody hates it, we’ll put out another record before too long, and we’ll survive.
On whether there are many unhappy Republicans in the audience at shows
No, I don’t think there are. There may be a few, but I don’t think many. We have some fans who are Republicans who aren’t necessarily into what’s happening right now, what’s become of their party, but I don’t think there’s a lot of people coming and stewing. I think we kind of ran most of those people off last time.
Opposition just makes him dig in more, anyway
There were people shooting us birds when we played “Puttin’ People on the Moon” in 2004. I can recall some very specific nights where that type of thing happened pretty regularly, because that was a very heated election cycle, the Kerry-Bush election. Simpler times. It didn’t make me back down, that’s for damn sure. I grew up loving punk rock. I don’t mind a little antagonism.
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Allison Stewart is a freelance writer.
ct-arts@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @chitribent
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.
Tickets: Sold out; metrochicago.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--‘The Masked Singer’ reveals the identity of the Bear: Here’s the star under the mask

Palin , who performed `` Baby Got Back '' by Sir Mix A Lot in the episode , told host @ @ @ @ @ not be able to see much of anything out of this is really nice .
@ @ @ @ @ off the world .
Everything looks a little softer , nicer .
I needed this @ @ @ @ @ ?
`` The bear is part of my nickname growing up and the whole 'Mama @ @ @ @ @ they 're in Alaska .
They 're in their front yards .
Bear was easy @ @ @ @ @ of 'The Masked Singer , ' they let me exploit men .
I changed the @ @ @ @ @ about men . ''

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 3, episode 7 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired March 11 on Fox.
We can bear-ly believe it: Former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin was unmasked as the Bear on Wednesday night’s edition of “The Masked Singer,” and her song choice was... well, unexpected.
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Palin, who performed "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix A Lot in the episode, told host Nick Cannon that "to not be able to see much of anything out of this is really nice. It takes the sharp edges off the world. Everything looks a little softer, nicer. I needed this." Why the bear? "The bear is part of my nickname growing up and the whole 'Mama Bear' thing, and they're in Alaska. They're in their front yards. Bear was easy. I was so appreciative of 'The Masked Singer,' they let me exploit men. I changed the lyrics and it was all about men."
Host Nick Cannon and Sarah Palin in the "Last But Not Least: Group C Kickoff!" episode of "The Masked Singer" airing Wednesday, March 11 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Michael Becker/FOX / HANDOUT)
Said Cannon: "This might be the most shocked I've ever been on this show." Fox hyped the episode as one of the biggest in the three-season history of "The Masked Singer," promising fans in promos "a reveal so shocking that you've got to see it to believe it." That's a bit arguable, however, as Palin has appeared on plenty of reality shows in the past.
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Palin is the first star to be kicked off in Group C, the final of three groups of six celebrities (making 18 total) competing in this year's competition. Describing this collection of six celebrities, Cannon revealed that "between them they have one Guinness World Record, three 'New York Times' bestsellers and 36 gold records."
Palin's exit this season follows Lil Wayne, Drew Carey, Chaka Khan, Tony Hawk, Dionne Warwick and Tom Bergeron.
Robin Thicke guessed Tina Fey, Ken Jeong guessed Jodie Sweetin, while Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Candice Cameron Bure and Nicole Scherzinger named Christina Applegate. "This was hella hard," Scherzinger said. Added McCarthy Wahlberg: "I never struggled so hard."
"I have been both hunter and hunted," the Bear said in the pre-taped package before her performance. "But after years of hearing all the phony baloney, So this mama bear is coming out of hibernation. maybe I've been a bit polarizing, but just like a bear it's been to protect my cubs. Under this mask, I found the courage to come out of my cage, stop hiding and face the world head on. Now tonight, I bear exercise my right to a killer performance."
Here's a recap of the other contestants and their performances on Wednesday:
Swan
Song: "Fever," by Peggy Lee
Voice-over: “The swan is known for its fierceness. One of the only birds that flies despite the burden of the weight it carries across the universe. I am the swan, here because I refuse to be tuned out. I’ve played games, I’ve lived fame, I’ve seen shame and I claim on this stage that you won’t know my name. I’m someone and no one. I’m laughing and screaming and now I’m euphoric, flushed with fever as I bear my soul to you.”
Strength: Diving
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Weakness: Often flighty
Panel guesses: Nina Dobrev, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Rhino
Song: "Have a Little Faith in Me," by John Hiatt
Voice-over: “While my exterior may look tough and callous, I’m really just a gentle giant. As a young rhino, I was center stage, the toast of the town every week. But that talk came with an addiction. When I suddenly wasn’t the best, I crashed and burned. I pushed the people closest to me away. But I got the help I needed to get back on my ride. And now I’m hear to take a leap of faith, just outside my comfort zone. Because I’m ready to soar again.”
Strength: Headbutts
Weakness: Poachers
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Panel guesses: Jason Aldean, Tim Tebow, Tim McGraw
T-Rex
Song: "So What," by Pink
Voice-over: “You want to hear to the story of my journey? A tale of evolution of glory of survival. Like the dinosaur, I was discovered by another, who plucked me out of obscurity and into another called T-Rex island, a magical world where I was part of dozens across the land. All similar in looks, strength and skill, a sisterhood of fun and friends. But soon I heard rumors of extinction. That unless you were special, you were doomed. And then it happened. A cataclysmic event that changed my world forever.”
Strength: Killer smile
Weakness: Push-ups
Panel guesses: Kourtney Kardashian, Maddie Ziegler, Rebecca Black
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Astronaut
Song: "You Say" by Lauren Daigle
Voice-over: “I’ve always dreamed in flying high because I believe if you want something enough not even gravity can hold you back. While it’s a bit crazy to leave my home planet I’ve been hungry for a chance to explore new territories. This voyage may be bumpy and I may be far from home but the idea of endless possibilities gets my heart throbbing. People say the sky’s the limit, but when you’re an astronaut, the sky is only the beginning.”
Strength: Defies gravity
Weakness: Needs space
Panel guesses: Adam Devine, Josh Hutcherson, Lance Bass, Zac Efron
Night Angel
Song: “You Give Love a Bad Name,” by Bon Jovi
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Voice-over: “There’s something about the night that’s so deliciously mysterious... just like me. Like an angel, I feel deeply blessed my entire life. Doors have always opened for me. While fame has sometimes brought me down like a landslide, I’ve always been able to find a light. This positive attitude is my best magic trick. And a key to my success. But man, I feel like this angel can’t be good all the time. That boy is mine and tt’s my prerogative to have a little fun, y’all. So tonight I’ve chosen a song a little bit dangerous and a little bit sweet, just like me.”
Strength: Night vision
Weakness: Dawn
Panel guesses: Taylor Dayne, Monica, Lil Kim


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--‘One of the most perfect hires I could have made’: Illinois assistant coach Chin Coleman is known fo

‘One of the most perfect hires I could have made’: Illinois assistant coach Chin Coleman is known for his creative scouting reports, snazzy fashion sense — and helping the Illini win

“ It ’ s an easy cliche ( to ) say , ‘ I ’ m living my dream , @ @ @ @ @ wiping tears with a napkin .
“ But I really am .
It means so @ @ @ @ @ a part of what we ’ re doing right now .
I ’ ve witnessed @ @ @ @ @ this place means to people from the state of Illinois , from Chicago .
I @ @ @ @ @

Champaign — After about eight years coaching youth, AAU and high school basketball, Chin Coleman landed his first job as an assistant on a Division I college staff.
He approached his new boss, Colorado State’s Tim Miles, with a request.
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Coleman wanted to present himself as professionally as possible, he explained. That meant shedding his childhood nickname, given by a neighborhood kid decades earlier. From now on, he said, “Call me Ronald.”
That lasted about a week.
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“Everywhere he went, it was this persona: Chin,” Miles recalled. “It’s like Madonna or Pele. He’s calling himself Ronald? ‘No, dude. Chin, who you are is perfect. None of this Ronald stuff. No Ron. It’s Chin. Chin!’ ”
Eight seasons into the college game, Coleman’s name in coaching circles is well-regarded.
Illinois assistant coach Chin Coleman huddles with the team during a game against Michigan State on Feb. 11, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
When Illinois coach Brad Underwood was assembling his staff in 2017, “Chin’s name just kept coming up,” he said. Underwood jokes now: “Chin’s the guy who knows a guy.”
Coleman’s thumbprint is on every facet of the Illinois rebuild — from recruiting to player development to game planning.
The Illini (21-10) were the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and scheduled to open play Friday against the Minnesota-Iowa winner. But conference officials on Thursday canceled the tournament amid coronavirus fears less than 20 minutes before the first quarterfinal was set to tip off at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Illinois is poised to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013 — if the tournament is played. NCAA President Mark Emmert on Wednesday said tournament games will not be open to the general public because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
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Still, Underwood and his coaching staff have resuscitated the program. As part of Underwood’s three-year extension agreement this month, his top assistants — Coleman, Orlando Antigua and Stephen Gentry — received raises and extensions through 2021-22.
“The situation here, it’s a dream come true,” Coleman said. “It came fast. It’s still going fast.”
Underwood was initially impressed by Coleman’s untraditional coaching path. He didn’t just start from the bottom rung; he lugged the ladder out of the garage.
Coleman, who played in high school at South Shore, also worked as an assistant at Bradley and UIC.
“I knew where he started and (how) he grinded,” Underwood said. “It showed me his character. He wasn’t afraid to get in the trenches and work. He’s probably one of the most perfect hires I could have made. The glove has fit just perfect.”
‘I am a basketball coach’
Coleman was about 30, back home and contemplating his next career step.
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He had finished his college playing days at Lamar as the team’s three-time leading scorer, and it looked as if the point guard’s seven-year professional career — mostly overseas — was coming to an end.
Coleman accompanied a friend to watch the man’s son win a youth game. He noted how if he had coached the opposing team, the boy’s team would have lost.
“My buddy says: 'We practice at 7. Come by practice and show our guys some stuff then,’ ” Coleman recalled. “I showed up that Wednesday and haven’t stopped coaching.”
He coached that team to multiple regional championships. He then led Benjamin E. Mays Elementary in Englewood to an eighth-grade city championship. He joined Young’s staff for three seasons, helping guide the Dolphins to the 2009 Class 4A state title.
Coleman also coached for the elite AAU Mac Irvin Fire from 2005 to 2011, developing future NBA players such as Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor and Meyers Leonard.
“He was watching film constantly,” Fire CEO Mike Irvin said. “Chin was always finding new plays that we could run. You knew at that point he was going to be a good coach.”
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To pay the bills, Coleman also worked at the Chicago Public Schools central office, placing substitute teachers among other tasks.
“I knew that was not what I was going to do,” he said. “When I was done playing, there was no plan. These doors just opened for me. I knew coaching was my path.”
The widest swung open in 2011 when he joined Miles’ staff at Colorado State, then a Mountain West power. Coleman followed Miles briefly to Nebraska to serve as director of player development.
Coleman left before the 2012-13 season to work on Geno Ford’s Bradley staff for three seasons. After Ford was let go, Coleman joined Steve McClain’s UIC staff from 2015 to 2017.
“When I got in coaching, I was into it,” he said. “I started going to different colleges, learning as much as I could. I went to Memphis to see the dribble-drive. I was filing away different tapes, hearing this coach speak and that coach speak.”
Years earlier, he had joined Miles at dinner with Underwood during an AAU tournament.
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“He was peppering me with questions on our defense,” recalled Underwood, then at Stephen F. Austin. “Then the phone calls I would get: ‘What about this?’ And, ‘How do you do this?’ I have so much respect for people who have a passion for the game and want to continue to learn.”
Coleman takes pride in growing up as the rare South Side player who “got a pass” to play on any West Side court.
That pass hasn’t expired.
Miles witnessed it. He had been unsuccessful in making Chicago recruiting inroads.
Coleman’s understanding of how to navigate the city’s basketball scene, coupled with his charisma and eye for talent, were essential.
“When I was with Chin, there wasn’t a door closed to me in Chicago,” Miles said. “Everywhere we’d go, we were accepted because of Chin Coleman. It opened a plethora of options. That says a lot about him.”
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Chicago’s top recruits had been notoriously — and embarrassingly — spurning Illinois. Coleman earned credit for reopening those pathways, most notably signing Morgan Park recruit Ayo Dosunmu, now a star sophomore guard in Champaign.
Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu drives to the basket during the first half against Northwestern on Feb. 27, 2020, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Coleman helped secure commitments from Class of 2020 top-40 recruit Adam Miller, who also plays at Morgan Park, and three-star forward Coleman Hawkins from California.
“He’s a good recruiter but he’s as good as a player developer,” Ford said. “He brought a lot of life to practices. He grabbed guys to do extra individual workouts, and the player never felt like it was anything but a chance to get better. He’s very genuine.”
Unsolicited while speaking with the Tribune, every coach Coleman worked for eagerly emphasized his coaching skills. McClain called him “a great basketball mind.” That’s important.
Many black assistant coaches express frustration at being pigeonholed into recruiter roles. Stuck on the road, opportunities to prove themselves in game planning and player development are limited and career advancement stymied.
It’s one reason for the disparity in numbers of white head coaches and black players and assistants.
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“Every day I come to work and I live to change that narrative,” Coleman said. “I never want to be typecast. I never want to be put in this box: ‘Oh, he’s just a recruiter.’ I fight against that every day with my studies, my knowledge of the game and how I scout teams.
“Recruiting is part of what I do, but it’s not solely who I am. I am a basketball coach.”
‘He’s got swag’
As soon as Coleman’s older brother went out the door, Coleman sneaked into his closet or dresser before school to swipe Guess jeans and other coveted ‘90s fashion apparel. He would sprint home to return them in pristine condition, hopefully no one the wiser.
Coleman was always fashion-conscious.
A pair of plain Prospecs sneakers his single mom purchased was a source of embarrassment — until a friend with less money asked him for the affordable but unpopular shoes.
Now Coleman obsessively outfits himself with sophisticated flare.
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“I didn’t have a lot of money, but I always had that eye,” he said. “I’ve been a haberdasher for a long time. They’re trophies for the labor. And I like to look nice.”
Illinois coach Brad Underwood, left, and assistant Chin Coleman argue a call during a game against Iowa on Feb. 2, 2020, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall / AP)
His tailor stitches custom-made suits from fine European threads. Perfectly folded, boldly colored pocket squares with flecks of orange or blue peek from his jacket breast. Bright socks slide into leather Ferragamo Loafers.
Coleman hasn’t been shy to mention his bosses’ sneakers need a shine. Equipment managers run players’ warm-up options by him. Underwood won’t take the court without Coleman’s glance of approval.
“God forbid you buy a shirt off the rack,” Ford said.
Said Miles: “I thought his kerchief might jump out of his front pocket. He looked so dandy.”
Added Dosunmu: “He’s got swag.”
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Coleman’s scouting reports are as detailed and creative as his attire.
Before Illinois’ two-point win at Michigan on Jan. 28 — the Illini’s first victory there since 2010 — Coleman showed the team a clip from the rock-climbing documentary “Free Solo.” He added a quote: “We didn’t come this far to come this far.”
In other words: No turning back. It has become Illinois’ rallying cry.
Before playing at Northwestern, Coleman’s scouting report included a clip from the movie “Troy,” reminding the Illini of their road-warrior mentality. Before ending a four-game losing streak at Penn State, it was a highlight from “Creed” and the DMX song “Who You Be” that nudged players to regain their identity.
The hype is essentially psychological fuel, motivating players to execute the X’s and O’s of his scouting reports.
“He gives us that extra push,” Dosunmu said.
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Underwood credits much of Coleman’s scouting report against Wisconsin, which focused on shutting down the Badgers’ post to sacrifice 3-pointers, for Illinois’ 71-70 road win Jan. 8. Coleman also was responsible for the scouting report before Sunday’s victory over Iowa in the regular-season finale.
“He’s really astute,” Underwood said. “He’s really good on the bench. He sees things really quick. He doesn’t need to see something five times to say, ‘Hey, they’re hurting us with this.’ He does an unbelievable job with scouts and relating to players. In today’s world, that’s the whole package.”
Home sweet home
Illinois assistant coach Chin Coleman, right, argues with Iowa staff after the Illini's victory on Feb. 2, 2020, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Matthew Holst / Getty Images)
Coleman recalled afternoons on Chicago playground courts lightheartedly arguing with friends before games about who got to pretend to be which Flyin’ Illini player.
“It was, ‘No! Today I get to be Nick Anderson.’ Or, ‘Today, I’m Marcus Liberty.’ ‘I’m Kendall Gill.’ ‘I’m Stephen Bardo,’ ” he said.
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In some ways, those days seem eons ago. In other ways, wasn’t that just yesterday?
Has he really come this far? Is his job really on the same court where his heroes played?
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Coleman’s eyes welled as he sat on a cozy sofa in a lounge area in the bowels of the State Farm Center hours before a Big Ten tipoff.
“It’s an easy cliche (to) say, ‘I’m living my dream,’ ” Coleman said, wiping tears with a napkin. “But I really am. It means so much to me to be a part of what we’re doing right now. I’ve witnessed it. I know what this place means to people from the state of Illinois, from Chicago. I share that passion.”
He hopes to become a head coach someday. He has found his passion — and a home to practice it.
There is comfort in that.
Under those fancy suits, Coleman has just one tattoo: On his right shoulder are the words “I love this game.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--The deadline for NFL players to vote on the CBA is Saturday. Here’s what you need to know.

“ Democracy is messy , ” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told news outlets , including the Athletic , at @ @ @ @ @ Why would I ever be in a world where I would look at them voicing @ @ @ @ @ ?
I get that Aaron is passionate and he expressed his opinion .
Other players @ @ @ @ @ passionately expressing their opinion .
It ’ s fine .
I would much prefer that @ @ @ @ @ they didn ’ t have a voice .
”

The NFL has a dizzying five-day stretch ahead.
Teams face the franchise- and transition-tag deadline Monday. Free-agency negotiating also opens Monday. And the new league year begins Wednesday.
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But first, the players’ vote on a new collective bargaining agreement will come to a close Saturday night. That will end a lengthy stretch of negotiations and debate about how to achieve labor peace.
UPDATE: The CBA vote passed by a margin of 1,019 to 959.
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Here’s what to know about the CBA vote as offseason activity kicks into high gear.
What’s at stake in the CBA vote?
An agreement that would run through 2030 was sent to roughly 2,000 players to vote March 5, and it will pass if a simple majority of the players who vote yes.
The two topics most fans will be interested in is the addition of a 17th game some time between 2021-2023 and the expansion of the playoff field from 12 to 14 teams.
Of course, the agreement goes much deeper than that. Much debate has centered on whether the players would receive enough in return for acquiescing to the addition of an extra regular-season game amid concerns about its effect on player health.
The new CBA would increase rosters by two and practice squads by two initially and four by 2022. The contract would reduce preseason games from four to three, reduce padded training camp practices from 28 to 16 and cap training camp practices at 2½ hours, among other improvements to working conditions.
.@judybattista provides six-point guide to understanding proposed CBA ahead of voting deadlinehttps://t.co/Wu6dO6IItN pic.twitter.com/8HaERtNbig — Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 10, 2020
Revenue splits are another hot topic, with players set to receive a bump from 47% to at least 48% in 2021.
That number could go up different fractions of a percentage point, depending on the size of the NFL’s new media contracts, as NFL.com detailed. Minimum salaries for players with less than one year of experience would jump about 20% to $610,000 this year and would top $1 million by 2030, ESPN reported. Other minimum salaries would see similar increases.
An increased overall pot of money also would come from playoff expansion.
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NFL players soon will vote on a new CBA proposal. Here's a detailed look at what's actually in it, beyond just the 17 games and expanded playoffs: https://t.co/G9hONLoyXu — Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 3, 2020
Given the increasing legalization of marijuana, the league’s drug policy would significantly relax under the new deal. It would eliminate suspensions for positive marijuana tests, reduce testing to the first two weeks of training camp and increase the threshold for a positive test.
The current CBA doesn’t expire until after the 2020 season, so a lockout wouldn’t come until 2021.
But there are varying degrees of incentive to get the deal done now. Team owners undoubtedly would like to see an agreement so they can negotiate new TV contracts with a deal through 2030 in place. Players would receive immediate bumps in salary.
Whether the concessions the players receive in return for a 17th game are enough to warrant agreement to an 11-year deal is in question.
What are players saying about the vote?
Players have publicly voiced support for and opposition to the deal.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tweeted his reasons for casting a “no” vote shortly after discussions between players and owners wrapped up, suggesting players needed to receive more in return for the 17th game.
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Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs are among the other big names to publicly suggest they would vote “no.”
“Democracy is messy,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told news outlets, including the Athletic, at the NFL combine. “Why would I ever be in a world where I would look at them voicing that in a negative way? I get that Aaron is passionate and he expressed his opinion. Other players have come out and are passionately expressing their opinion. It’s fine. I would much prefer that than for anybody to think they didn’t have a voice.”
“A lot of guys want to see how much power we’ve got.” Why players disagree over the CBA. My story https://t.co/Fryn59GIM0 — Daniel Kaplan (@KaplanSportsBiz) March 3, 2020
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick put a video on Twitter saying he would vote yes.
He listed the fact that the players would increase their revenue share — and overall revenue also would increase — as one reason for his support. He also said he believes the players get many of the things they wanted addressed, including increased minimum salary, an adjusted marijuana policy and better working conditions.
I’m not telling any #NFL player to vote yes or no on proposed CBA.
My only goal is to educate players on both sides & help explain the 456 pages in the document. Athletes need to hear a variety of perspectives. This from Ryan Fitzpatrick, who voted yes. pic.twitter.com/L7uzmjeYPd — Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) March 6, 2020
Former Bears linebacker Sam Acho, a member of the NFLPA executive committee, said he is in favor of the new CBA because it benefits the majority of players who make minimum or lower salaries. He acknowledged the deal wasn’t as good for star players, since franchise tags would still be in place.
“But let’s not be fooled,” Acho said. “This deal is a really good deal for a majority of NFL players, who like most Americans who work, get paid more if you play more. This deal eliminates superstar economics and it brings everyone up with a tidal wave.”
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Though 1% of NFL players have the loudest voice, the proposed #CBA is a good deal for the other 99%.
Here’s why: pic.twitter.com/PgtPRhHRMw — Sam Acho (@TheSamAcho) March 8, 2020
Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III was among those who engaged with Acho’s video, saying “the divide and conquer tactics are exactly what the other side wants.”
New NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, a Browns offensive lineman, put out a lengthy letter on the details of the deal, including the overall economics, players salaries, rosters and work rules. It’s worth a read for those interested beyond the bullet points.
Players: We are preparing to vote on a CBA that most of us will play under for the rest of our careers. Before you decide whether you’re for or against it, please get informed. Read up on it, talk to your player director/rep, send me questions, etc. Get as much info as you can. https://t.co/ivO7phEFdf — JC Tretter (@JCTretter) March 4, 2020
What are former NFL executives saying about it?
Two think pieces on the CBA from former NFL executives with differing opinions circulated over the last two weeks.
Joe Banner, the former Eagles and Browns executive, detailed for USA Today site Touchdown Wire several terms he considers “wins” for the players. Among them were increased minimum salaries, increased payout for more retired players and changes in player benefits. (Though the New York Times lays out how disability benefits for some former players could shrink.)
Banner argued that, while it’s not a great deal, the players should not risk getting a worse deal when this one will make an impact on several issues important to many players.
I always take note when @JoeBanner13 weighs in on NFL matters. His thoughts about the proposed CBA. https://t.co/dWNr7zETma — Joel Corry (@corryjoel) March 10, 2020
On the flip side, former Packers vice president Andrew Brandt wrote for Sports Illustrated that players should make a 50/50 revenue split non-negotiable if they’re going to agree to a 17-game season that most don’t want. And he also believes they should negotiate for an opt-out after four years to negotiate a better deal.
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Brandt called fears of the unknown should the players reject this CBA “misplaced,” noting owners need this deal.
NFL owners said the 17th game was non-negotiable. Players should do the same—with a 50/50 revenue split or opt-out clause.@AndrewBrandt breaks down the proposed CBA, through the eyes of a former team exec and agent https://t.co/FVqBDI1oWg — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 8, 2020
How does the vote factor into offseason roster building?
The NFL pushed back the franchise and transition tag deadlines to Monday because whether teams can use one or both this season depends on the CBA vote.
Usually teams can use just one of the tags per year, but in the final year of the current CBA, both can be used. If the new CBA passes in the players’ vote, it will go back to one tag per team this year.
Among the most notable effects on a team such as the Bears is that the salary cap would increase with a new agreement, giving them a little more room to spend this offseason.
Associated Press contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Daywatch: Pritzker considers ban on large public gatherings, some Illinois schools move classes onli

Daywatch: Pritzker considers ban on large public gatherings, some Illinois schools move classes online and a barber program for juvenile detainees

Some teenagers in custody at the state ’ s youth prison in Chicago are participating in the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ juvenile detainees .
The youths are earning credit hours to obtain a barber or cosmetology @ @ @ @ @ at the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice ’ s Warrenville and Chicago facilities .
The @ @ @ @ @ a push by the department to provide postsecondary educational opportunities for detainees who have received @ @ @ @ @ school .

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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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Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner Chicago Department of Public Health, provides an update on COVID-19 at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications in Chicago on March 11, 2020. coronavirus. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday that the state is evaluating new federal guidance on limiting large public gatherings as cases of the new coronavirus in the state continued to mount.
“We are looking closely at this new guidance as well as doing our own state-level analysis, led by (the Department of Public Health) and (the Illinois Emergency Management Agency), of how COVID-19 has been mitigated across the globe," Pritzker said on Wednesday. “We’re committed to taking every precaution, while ensuring the least amount of disruption to people’s lives."
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Students walk the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, Jan. 31, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Becoming the first Illinois colleges to drastically alter campus operations, the University of Illinois System, Northwestern University and Illinois State University all announced that classes will be moved to online formats for several weeks in an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus, now deemed a global pandemic.
Coronavirus and sports: NCAA Tournament will be played without fans this year, while Big Ten Tournament isn’t allowing fans starting Thursday
Harvey Weinstein leaves the courthouse during jury deliberations in his rape trial in New York on Feb. 21, 2020. (Mary Altaffer / AP)
Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in prison after breaking his courtroom silence with a rambling plea for mercy in which he professed to be “totally confused” by the #MeToo movement that spelled the Hollywood producer’s downfall.
Then-Ald. Daniel Solis, 25th, appears at a Chicago City Council meeting on March 16, 2016. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
A Chinatown developer who wore a wire on former Ald. Daniel Solis and helped the FBI break open a sweeping political corruption probe has been charged with fraud related to a South Side condominium project.
Juvenile prisoners work on a fellow detainee's hair March 11, 2020, inside the Illinois Youth Center in Chicago. The teens are participating in the state’s first accredited barber program for juvenile detainees. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Some teenagers in custody at the state’s youth prison in Chicago are participating in the state’s first accredited barber program for juvenile detainees. The youths are earning credit hours to obtain a barber or cosmetology license through the program given at the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice’s Warrenville and Chicago facilities. The barber school is part of a push by the department to provide postsecondary educational opportunities for detainees who have received their GED or completed high school.


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Lineup for 2020 season at Ravinia is historic for outgoing CEO Welz Kauffman

Says Kauffman : “ What this is about is to take a moment in your Ravinia experience , especially if @ @ @ @ @ one of our big nonclassical shows – where people come , have a meal on @ @ @ @ @ of our restaurants , they might have a couple hours before the show . ''

Marin Alsop will step into her new role as Ravinia's chief conductor and curator. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Welz Kauffman’s 20th and final season as the Ravinia Festival’s president and CEO looks to be historic in several regards.
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Among them:
· The completed RaviniaMusicBox – an immersive theater and museum space – will open June 12 (a portion of it was open last summer featuring a Leonard Bernstein exhibit).
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· Marin Alsop will make her bow as the festival’s first chief conductor and curator July 10.
· The festival will extend its Leonard Bernstein celebration into a third season with multiple attractions, including a rare performance of “A White House Cantata,” July 30.
· And several events will mark the centennial of the Constitution’s 19th Amendment, which secured women’s right to vote.
“Oh, man, it’s a whole mixture of feelings, as you might imagine,” says Kauffman in reflecting on the import of his last season at Ravinia’s helm. “But I’m really excited about the season itself and what we’ve been able to program.”
Following are highlights. For more information visit www.ravinia.org.
RaviniaMusicBox
The new building, which was partially open last summer, will feature two major attractions this summer: “Bernstein’s Answer,” a “wrap-around, 4K film experience” (meaning high-definition) telling Bernstein’s story; and the Midwest premiere of “Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music,” an exhibition created by the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
Artist's rendering of the RaviniaMusicBox Experience Center. (/ HANDOUT)
“This is the project I’ve been working on with the Ravinia family, as we have been discussing in a very vibrant and refreshing dialogue about audiences, and the audience for classical music,” says Kauffman. “It’s been going on for 15 years of these discussions.”
The idea is to give visitors another reason to visit Ravinia and, ultimately, to expand the audience for classical music.
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Says Kauffman: “What this is about is to take a moment in your Ravinia experience, especially if you’re coming to one of our big nonclassical shows – where people come, have a meal on the lawn or in one of our restaurants, they might have a couple hours before the show."
Marin Alsop
Ravinia audiences are familiar with conductor Alsop’s work as curator of the festival’s recent Bernstein celebrations, most notably her masterful conducting of the composer’s “Mass,” to be broadcast on PBS’ “Great Performances” at 8 p.m. May 15 on WTTW-Ch. 11.
Starting this summer, she’ll have a heightened presence at the festival.
“One of the most key things (this year) is the reintroduction of Marin as chief conductor and curator,” says Kauffman.
Alsop will conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in five concerts:
July 10: A celebration of violinist Isaac Stern’s centennial, with Midori playing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 on a program with Bernstein’s “Slava! A Political Overture” and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad.”
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July 11: An all-Rachmaninoff concert featuring Lukas Vondracek making his CSO debut in Piano Concerto No. 3.
July 12: “Legendary Women’s Voices” with singer Cynthia Erivo, Alsop and the CSO in a Ravinia gala.
July 16: CSO premiere of Richard Einhorn’s “Voices of Light,” performed with a screening of Carl Dreyer’s 1928 silent film “The Passion of Joan of Arc.”
July 17: Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations, Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn and Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, with pianist Jorge Federico Osorio.
More Bernstein
The festivities, which began with a 2018 centennial celebration, continue:
July 27: “Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Anniversaries.’” Pianist Spencer Myer plays a series of Bernstein’s piano pieces, with narration by Jamie Bernstein, the conductor-composer’s daughter.
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July 30: “A White House Cantata.” Patricia Racette and Rod Gilfry star in a concert presentation of Bernstein’s collaboration with Alan Jay Lerner, drawn posthumously from their musical “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” Gary Griffin will direct a performance that also will feature the Apollo Chorus of Chicago.
Women’s Voices
Several programs will mark the 19th Amendment’s centennial:
June 18: “Clara Schumann at 200.” Pianist Lara Downes will mark both the 19th Amendment’s centennial and Schumann’s bicentennial with a recital featuring music of Schumann, Florence Price, Paola Prestini and others.
Cynthia Erivo at the 51st NAACP Image Awards earlier this year. (Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
July 12: Cynthia Erivo will sing music of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, among others, during Ravinia’s gala.
July 25: Teddy Abrams will make his CSO conducting debut in the Midwest premiere of Paola Prestini’s “Hindsight” for piano and orchestra (co-commissioned by Ravinia), with Lara Downes’ CSO debut as soloist. Also on the program: the CSO premiere of Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement.
Itzhak Perlman’s 75th
The great violinist marks the occasion with several concerts:
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Aug. 13: “An Evening With Itzhak Perlman.” Perlman tells his story in a multimedia program.
Aug. 15: “Perlman’s 50th Ravinia Concert.” He’ll perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, with Edo de Waart conducting the CSO.
Aug. 16: “Tchaikovsky Spectacular.” Perlman conducts the CSO in Symphony No. 5, “1812” Overture and Piano Concerto No. 1, with Garrick Ohlsson as soloist.
Eschenbach at 80
Christoph Eschenbach was Ravinia’s music director from 1994 through 2003 and returns to celebrate his birthday:
Aug. 7: He’ll lead the CSO in Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique” and Khachaturian’s Flute Concerto (a transcription of the Violin Concerto), with Stathis Karapanos making his CSO debut as soloist.
Aug. 8: Eschenbach leads the CSO, chorus and soloists in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
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Aug. 9: “Viennese Evening.” Eschenbach conducts the CSO in Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and Korngold’s Violin Concerto, with soloist William Hagen in his CSO debut.
Welz Kauffman farewell
Aug. 23: “All’s Welz That Ends Well.” Kevin Cole, Sylvia McNair, Josephine Lee, Michelle Areyzaga and Welz Kauffman perform a farewell concert.
Nonclassical concerts
Jill Scott at the 51st NAACP Image Awards earlier this year. (Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Debuts will include Jesse & Joy (June 12); Musiq Soulchild with the returning Jill Scott (June 14); Ruben Studdard with the returning Patti LaBelle (June 18); Black Violin (June 20); Tonic with returning Collective Soul and Better than Ezra (June 24); Ani DiFranco and with returning Indigo Girls (June 26); King Crimson and The Zappa Band (July 5); Brian McKnight with returning Macy Gray (July 14); Dispatch (July 26); Ziggy Marley (Aug. 12); The Australian Pink Floyd Show (Sept. 2).
Returning performers include Sheryl Crow (June 13); Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie (June 17); Andrew Bird (June 19); Steve Miller Band and Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives (June 27); The Roots and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (June 28); John Fogerty (July 1); Carrie Underwood (July 18 and 19); Chick Corea with Ruben Blades (July 24); Willie Nelson & Family (Aug. 2); Michael Feinstein and Betty Buckley (Aug. 14); Train (Aug. 21-23); Bryan Ferry (Aug. 24); John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band (Aug. 25); Diana Ross (Aug. 26); Gipsy Kings (Aug. 27); Tony Bennett with Antonia Bennett (Aug. 29); Gladys Knight and Heather Headley (Aug. 30); John Legend (Sept. 6); Ms. Lauryn Hill (Sept. 11); The Beach Boys (Sept. 12); and Rodrigo y Gabriela (Sept. 13).
Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.
hreich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-11--Hinsdale High School District 86 awaits results from coronavirus test of Hinsdale South student

Although the student who may have contracted the coronavirus attends South , which is in Darien , administrators and some @ @ @ @ @ go to more than one location , so the possibility exists the virus , if @ @ @ @ @ could have been spread to the facilities at Hinsdale Central High School or the Transition @ @ @ @ @ Clarendon Hills Road , just south of the Indian Prairie Public Library .

Hinsdale High School District 86 officials called an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss how to proceed in response to a student at Hinsdale South being tested, but not confirmed, for the coronavirus. They expect to find out Wednesday night the test results. (Kimberly Fornek / Pioneer Press)
Hinsdale High School District 86 is waiting to hear the results of a coronavirus test done on a Hinsdale South High School student.
The family of the student told the district the test results are expected Wednesday night, District 86 Superintendent Tammy Prentiss said.
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If the result is positive, the district will close all the school buildings, including the Transition Center, and have its cleaning crews conduct a “deep clean” that will take three days or more, Prentiss said.
The basketball game between Hinsdale South and Benet Academy, which was scheduled for Wednesday night at South, has been postponed until Thursday.
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South and Benet will face each other in a Class 3A Boys Basketball Sectional semifinal game.
Although the student who may have contracted the coronavirus attends South, which is in Darien, administrators and some students and staff members regularly go to more than one location, so the possibility exists the virus, if the student is infected, could have been spread to the facilities at Hinsdale Central High School or the Transition Center, which is on Clarendon Hills Road, just south of the Indian Prairie Public Library.
The student showed symptoms of illness that prompted a visit to a doctor, who recommended the student go to a hospital where he or she could be tested for the virus, Prentiss said. The family will notify the district once they receive the results, Prentiss said.
If the test shows no sign of the COVID-19 virus, school will continue as normal, Prentiss said.
Unrelated to the Hinsdale South student, Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills School District 181 decided to cancel all extracurricular activities for a week beginning Thursday, March 12, at all of its nine elementary and middle schools, “out of the utmost caution and care for our students, families, and those most vulnerable to COVID-19,” district officials said in a statement March 11. “As of this time, District 181 has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among students and staff,” according to the statement.
School District 181 will re-evaluate the decision March 19, based on the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Illinois Department of Health, and the DuPage County Health Department.
Prentiss contacted officials at the other elementary school districts that feed into District 86 and said at this time, they are not changing any of their scheduled activities.
District 86 called an emergency meeting of its school board at 5 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the situation, while conferring with staff at the DuPage County Health Department, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the IHSA. Board members decided that if the test shows the student is infected with the virus, school will be cancelled at all three buildings Thursday, and students will study at home Friday via remote learning.
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Students would be told to be ready to “log in” on Friday, Prentiss said.
The District 86 custodial staff and its cleaning service, GSF-USA, then would proceed with a deep clean beginning with Hinsdale South. Assuming the gymnasium at South would have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected by Thursday evening, the basketball game would proceed, the board decided. Spectators would be advised of the situation.
DuPage County has a protocol regarding notifying the family and others who may have been in contact with the student about home confinement and other measures, Prentiss said.


chicagotribune--2020-03-11--Ryan Pace heads into a busy — and important — offseason as Bears GM, starting with key decisions on

Ryan Pace heads into a busy — and important — offseason as Bears GM, starting with key decisions on Leonard Floyd and Mitch Trubisky. The Bear Download podcast breaks it down.

Dan Wiederer and Brad Biggs look ahead to free agency and what the Bears and general manager Ryan Pace have @ @ @ @ @ with discussing the impending decision regarding Leonard Floyd , talk about positions to improve and @ @ @ @ @ get the offseason right .
Brad opens up his mailbag to discuss Mitch Trubisky ’ @ @ @ @ @ break down the shopping spree at quarterback that will happen across the NFL this offseason @ @ @ @ @ ... the Eagles ?

Welcome to the Bear Download podcast, a weekly Chicago Bears podcast.
Listen below or subscribe and listen on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Play.
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Dan Wiederer and Brad Biggs look ahead to free agency and what the Bears and general manager Ryan Pace have in store. They begin with discussing the impending decision regarding Leonard Floyd, talk about positions to improve and the need for Pace to get the offseason right. Brad opens up his mailbag to discuss Mitch Trubisky’s fifth-year option before they break down the shopping spree at quarterback that will happen across the NFL this offseason. They finish by crowning ... the Eagles?


chicagotribune--2020-03-11--Chinatown developer who wore wire on Ald. Daniel Solis charged with fraud

According to the charges , Wong promised to sell units at steep discounts if money was paid up front without @ @ @ @ @ be completed .
He did so without the consent of the bank , and used @ @ @ @ @ funds to pay personal loans and other costs instead of depositing it into an escrow @ @ @ @ @ to the charges .

A Chinatown developer who wore a wire on former Ald. Daniel Solis and helped the FBI break open a sweeping political corruption probe has been charged with fraud related to a South Side condominium project.
See Y. Wong was charged in a seven-page criminal information with wire fraud for allegedly lying to banks and buyers involved with his Canal Crossing building, records show.
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A criminal information typically indicates a defendant intends to plead guilty. Wong is scheduled to be arraigned at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday, records show.
Wong’s lawyer could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
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Wong began cooperating with the FBI in May 2014 after he was caught up in the fraud scheme and agreed to secretly record Solis in hopes of receiving a reduced sentence once he was charged, according to a federal search warrant affidavit unsealed in 2019.
While Wong was not named in the affidavit, two sources with knowledge of the probe confirmed his identity to the Tribune.
See Y. Wong, then-president of Richland Realty, at one a new housing developments near Chinatown Square, in 1999. (Bonnie Trafelet/Chicago Tribune)
Wong’s cooperation led Solis in turn to wear a wire for the FBI for two years, recording numerous conversations with then-powerful Ald. Edward Burke, the Tribune has previously reported. Burke has since been charged in a sweeping corruption indictment alleging he tried to shake down business owners seeking help at City Hall.
The search warrant affidavit, which was filed in 2016, revealed that Wong also secretly recorded a meeting in August 2014 with Solis, House Speaker Michael Madigan and representatives of a Chinatown hotel project at Madigan’s law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner, which specializes in real estate tax appeals.
"Well, our interest would be that we represent buildings like that on the real estate taxes ... and we do quite a few hotels,” the affidavit quoted Madigan as saying. “And, uh, we have a little different approach to representation on hotels than the other law firms that do the work.”
Madigan said he was interested in representing the businessman in other projects as well.
“We’re not interested in a quick killing here,” Madigan allegedly said. “We’re interested in a long-term relationship.”
Madigan has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged.
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The charges against Wong revolve around a $13.7 million loan that Wong’s company, Emerald Homes LLC, took out in 2007 -- at the cusp of recession that would rock Chicago’s real estate market -- to fund construction of the 60-unit Canal Crossing condo building on South Canal Street.
According to the charges, Wong promised to sell units at steep discounts if money was paid up front without waiting for a building to be completed. He did so without the consent of the bank, and used some of the buyers’ funds to pay personal loans and other costs instead of depositing it into an escrow account as required, according to the charges.
When the lender, Cathay Bank, found out about the discounted sale prices, it invoked liens held on the properties to force the new homeowners to pay the remainder of the purchase price before they could close on the property, according to the document.
In all, the scheme cost Los Angeles-based Cathay Bank about $1.8 million and buyers a total of about $1 million, the charges alleged.
The 120-page affidavit filed in the Solis investigation, meanwhile, revealed the FBI spent more than two years secretly listening in on thousands of phone calls as the alderman solicited everything from campaign donations to erectile dysfunction medication and sexual services at a massage parlor.
Solis abruptly retired from the City Council in January 2019 before the document became public. There are no charges against him in public records.
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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-11--A City Council vote next week could ban horse-drawn carriages from the streets of Chicago

“ The violations that the city has amassed against these operators are beyond dispute .
Some of the argument centers @ @ @ @ @ actually indicative of cruelty to the animals .
...
The fact remains we have specific @ @ @ @ @ , and this industry has operated in consistent violation of those rules over a period @ @ @ @ @ Ward Ald .
Brian Hopkins said at the council meeting .

Horse drawn carriage driver Dave Ford guides his horse Callie as he takes Achal Jain and Neeta Wadhwa on a ride around the Near North side on Aug. 29, 2018. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Horse-drawn carriages could be pulled from the streets of Chicago if the City Council passes an ordinance next week.
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The city’s Committee on License and Consumer Protection on Wednesday unanimously approved the ordinance, which would effectively take carriages off the streets by Jan. 1. The measure halts the issue of new licenses and bars operators from renewing existing licenses. The city’s 10 current carriage licenses, each of which has a $500 annual fee, would expire at the end of the year.
The City Council is set to vote on the measure next Wednesday.
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Horse-drawn buggies were once a popular mode of transportation, roaming the streets of Chicago in the 19th century. But as automobiles became prevalent, the business began catering to tourists looking for a different way to see the city. Some offer rides around the Loop, taking passengers to Millennium Park, along riverside buildings and to Buckingham Fountain.
But the horse-drawn carriage business is under pressure from animal rights activists and aldermen who want to eliminate the attraction.
In 2018, the consumer protection committee considered a similar measure, but declined to vote on the ordinance in hopes that animal rights activists and horse and carriage owners would find a compromise.
Animal rights activists who have documented the alleged mistreatment of horses and pushed the controversial issue at city hall were elated Wednesday.
“They all saw the inherent cruelty that the operators refused to follow the laws that impact public safety, as well as animal welfare laws. ... This is a trade that doesn’t follow the law. We haven’t had that many accidents of horses dying, but we are lucky," said Jodie Wiederkehr, founding member of the Chicago Alliance for Animals.
Carriage operators received 334 citations from the city in 2017, Wiederkehr said.
Aldermen on the committee said they opposed the old-time entertainment business and argued that horse-drawn carriages disrupt traffic and create a safety hazard.
“The violations that the city has amassed against these operators are beyond dispute. Some of the argument centers on whether these violations are actually indicative of cruelty to the animals. ... The fact remains we have specific rules that are laid out, and this industry has operated in consistent violation of those rules over a period of time,” 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins said at the council meeting.
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Hopkins said businesses have failed to self-regulate. But carriage owners say they’ve done nothing wrong.
Jim Rogers, owner of Great Lakes Horse and Carriage, acknowledges his business and the two other operators in the city received frequent citations in the past. But Rogers said those citations have dropped, and last year his firm had no citations.
“We were expecting it,” Rogers said of the council’s vote.
Rogers said he will be forced to sell his horses if the city decides to ban carriages.
“If I can’t afford it I will try to find homes for them. They have been members of our family for more than 20 years,” Rogers said. “They (Chicago Alliance for Animals) are trying to put us out businesses.”
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If Chicago bans horse-drawn carriages, it would follow other cities that have bans, including Salt Lake City; Biloxi, Mississippi; Camden, New Jersey; and several cities in Florida.
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-03-11--Multi-use development plans revealed for former McDonald’s campus site in Oak Brook

Planned changes to the property include new buildings added over time , a broadening of the types of uses , @ @ @ @ @ to the community , an enhanced landscape that preserves the existing scene , and having @ @ @ @ @ from when McDonald ’ s owned and occupied the property .

A rendering of part of the Oak Brook Reserve development planned for the former McDonald's campus site. (JPD Oak Brook Holdings, LLC)
A mixed-use development that includes new townhomes and apartments, along with retail and recreation, are in the plans for the 80-acre former McDonalds’ campus site in Oak Brook.
To be called Oak Brook Reserve, proposed plans will be headed soon to the village’s planned development commission, before eventually coming to the Village Board for final approval.
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The development is the vision of John Paul DeJoria, who purchased the property in June 2019 from McDonald’s for $40 million. DeJoria is the co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems, a company that has served the professional beauty industry with hair care products and styling tools for nearly 40 years, and of Patron Spirits Company.
“This will go from exclusive to inclusive,” Kyle McDaniel, who represented JPD Oak Brook Holdings, LLC, the official buyer of the property, told the Oak Brook Village Board Tuesday during a preliminary master plan presentation. “We really want to engage people with nature. We’ll have things like biking and hiking.”
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Tentative plans call for 80 townhomes, along with two separate areas that each have 150 high-end apartments, bringing a residential component to the property for the first time, other than the existing Hyatt Lodge, a hotel that will remain open.
Village board member Asif Yusuf said the number of residential units, about 380 total, is something the board will have to discuss before considering approval.
“That’s a lot of residential on a site that doesn’t have any,” he said.
Development plans include three major guiding principles: embrace nature, foster community and elevate the standard.
The plan for embracing nature calls for providing varied open spaces for unique experiences and community gathering and interaction, embracing exercise culture for the health and well-being of the community, and engaging people with nature.
To foster the community, plans call for a well-connected pedestrian and bike network for leisure and mobility, outdoor experiences and activities, and events, markets and exhibitions. McDaniel said hosting a large farmer’s market is a goal.
JPD plans to elevate standards by creating a “live, work, play, stay” environment, having year-round activated programming and supporting the economy through the creation of jobs.
A focus on user experience, next-level amenities, modernized infrastructure and smart green buildings are characteristics in plans for the property.
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Planned changes to the property include new buildings added over time, a broadening of the types of uses, the site being more open to the community, an enhanced landscape that preserves the existing scene, and having multiple users, a change from when McDonald’s owned and occupied the property.
JPD has no plans to change the view from the surrounding road, with the exception of some signage; entry and exit points, setbacks, the existing buildings, other than possibly incremental changes, mostly interiors.
McDaniel said it’s too early to provide an overall cost of the project or the planned residences.


chicagotribune--2020-03-11--Man shot by Chicago police on CTA Red Line platform files federal lawsuit

The 13-page lawsuit filed by lawyers for Ariel Roman in U.S. District Court named the city and the two officers @ @ @ @ @ Butler , who were captured on a viral video by a passerby as they tried @ @ @ @ @ busy Grand Avenue station on Feb. 28 .

Police officers put up crime scene tape at the corner of Grand Avenue and State Street above the CTA Red Line Grand station on Feb. 28, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
A man shot during a struggle with two Chicago police officers on a CTA Red Line platform last month alleged in a federal lawsuit Wednesday that he was suffering from an anxiety attack when he was “harassed, chased, tackled, pepper-sprayed, tasered and shot twice” without justification.
The 13-page lawsuit filed by lawyers for Ariel Roman in U.S. District Court named the city and the two officers, Melvina Bogard and Bernard Butler, who were captured on a viral video by a passerby as they tried to subdue Roman at the busy Grand Avenue station on Feb. 28.
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The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, alleged the officers first encountered Roman when he crossed into their train car “while suffering an anxiety attack.”
The officers asked Roman why he was crossing into other cars — which is a city ordinance violation — and began harassing him after he replied that he "felt threatened” by their questions, according to the suit.
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The officers chased Roman onto the platform, leading to a struggle. Police have said the officers deployed their Tasers and then one of them, identified in the suit as Bogard, opened fire, striking Roman twice.
Roman, 33, who was unarmed, was wounded in the abdomen and buttocks, according to the suit.
The suit alleged Bogard and Butler were placed on the police mass transit unit “without proper training, direction, or supervision.”
At a news conference in the Loop, one of Roman’s lawyers, Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, said her client has “many more” operations to go as he recovers from his injuries. Due to his wound to the abdominal area, Roman was outfitted with a colostomy bag, Schmidt Rodriguez said.
“Hopefully in three or four months he will heal enough so they can take the colostomy bag out,” she said.
As for his second wound to the buttocks, that bullet ended up near his sciatic nerve, Schmidt Rodriguez said. “He cannot sit without pain. He cannot lay without pain. He cannot move without pain,” she said.
Bogard and Butler were stripped of their police powers after video of the incident surfaced on social media that depicted Butler yelling “shoot him” to Bogard before she opened fire.
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in the wake of the incident that she had serious concerns about the officers’ actions.
A spokeswoman for the Law Department, which represents both officers, said Wednesday the city had not yet been served with the lawsuit and had no comment. Neither officer could immediately be reached for comment.
At the news conference, Schmidt Rodriguez said her client is fortunate to be alive. She said the first shot that struck in his abdomen destroyed tissue that connected the bladder with the small intestine.
She said Roman felt like he was having a panic attack while riding the train on Feb. 28. He then got up to walk around and crossed from one train car to another.
He then “locked eyes” with the officers, according to Schmidt Rodriguez, before he was chased.
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“They wrestled him to the ground by grabbing him from behind,” she said.
Roman’s lawyers said the Cook County state’s attorney’s office has interviewed Roman about the shooting. He has not spoken with the FBI, they said, which is offering assistance to prosecutors.
Another lawyer on Roman’s team, Andrew Stroth, said the widely circulated cellphone video of the shooting shared on Twitter was key to the lawsuit being filed.
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“We thank God that there was a citizen bystander who had the presence of mind to capture the video of that incident in that Red Line station on that day,” Stroth said.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
jgorner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-11--NorthShore University HealthSystem treating hospital group’s first case of COVID-19

“ We have assembled a cross-functional team , including clinical , administrative and operational leaders .
This team meets daily @ @ @ @ @ supplies , people , and communication aspects to inform our readiness , planning and activities @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We continue to work diligently to provide all of our patients , visitors @ @ @ @ @ we serve with safe and effective care .
”

A patient who has tested positive for COVID-19 is being treated at one of NorthShore University HealthSystem’s five hospitals, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Hospital system employees were notified by email Wednesday morning of the patient’s presence. When asked for comment, a spokesman declined to say at which of the system’s hospitals the patient was being treated.
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NorthShore owns Evanston Hospital, Glenbrook Hospital, Highland Park Hospital, Skokie Hospital and Swedish Hospital in Chicago.
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In a prepared statement, the hospital said they are working closely with public health officials and using the most up-to-date evidence in their approach.
“We have assembled a cross-functional team, including clinical, administrative and operational leaders. This team meets daily and reviews the systems, supplies, people, and communication aspects to inform our readiness, planning and activities,” the statement reads. “We continue to work diligently to provide all of our patients, visitors, staff and the communities we serve with safe and effective care.”
Hospitals officials declined to give the medical condition of the patient, but described the patient as being stable.
It was not immediately known if the patient is one of the 19 confirmed cases already reported by Illinois officials.
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gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com