chicagotribune--2020-04-01--Streaming Friday: ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always,’ a teenaged odyssey far from John Hughes country

“ Don ’ t you wish you were a dude ?
” Skylar asks Autumn early on .
“ Yeah @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Like , all the time.
” The film ’ s title comes from @ @ @ @ @ Parenthood questionnaire regarding Autumn ’ s sexual history , health and partners .
The scene @ @ @ @ @ .
We learn more about Autumn , more or less against the character ’ s @ @ @ @ @ has no use for pat solutions , beyond the presence of the main character ’ @ @ @ @ @ .
Real-life social worker and onetime Planned Parenthood staffer Kelly Chapman plays Autumn ’ s @ @ @ @ @ clinic .
Acting is new to her .
Flanigan , the lead actress , has @ @ @ @ @ .
You believe these two every second .

Eliza Hittman’s excellent drama “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” opened in a few theaters March 13. The coronavirus pandemic closed those theaters before many people could see what film festivalgoers at Sundance and Berlin had been debating since January.
Now, following the online release of the bracing Jane Austen adaptation “Emma,” Focus Features is making Hittman’s film available for home viewing starting Friday. It’s heartbreakingly good. It’s a story about what it’s like to be a teenage girl in many parts of America, before the pandemic, during and in the unwritten aftermath, though the U.S. Supreme Court will be rewriting its own story of reproductive rights as we go. The movie is issue-driven, but it gets where it’s going through its characters’ behavior, not through a screenwriter’s polemics.
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Seventeen-year-old Autumn, played by newcomer Sidney Flanigan, learns she’s pregnant. She keeps the news to herself, just as the film keeps the identity of the father ambiguous. Her mother and stepfather don’t qualify as safe haven or potential sounding boards for anything this serious. But she has a cousin in town, a fellow grocery store cashier, Skylar, played by Talia Ryder.
Together, after her rural Pennsylvania health clinic steers Autumn away from having an abortion, the girls slip away by bus to New York City. There, in one quietly gripping sequence after another, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” stays close to Autumn and Skylar through an odyssey. A film such as this one can go a hundred different ways. Just about every decision Hittman makes with her screenplay, her camera (cinematographer Hélène Louvart shoots it analog, on film, not prettily but beautifully) and her actors intensify the experience.
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Sidney Flanigan in a scene from "Never Rarely Sometimes Always." (Courtesy of Focus Features/AP)
The movie begins with a scene typically found later or at a rigged-up climax in other dramas. We’re at a ’50s-themed high school talent show in which Autumn, coping with hecklers and her own early suspicions that she’s pregnant, sings a forlorn rendition of the old Exciters hit from 1963, “He’s Got the Power.” The fatally lovestruck lyrics tell us the whole story without a speck of exposition. Autumn is a person with limited options. She has lived a life among but mostly in evasion of men and boys. The world has not been set up for her happiness or freedom, only her acquiescence.
Arriving at Manhattan’s Port Authority terminal, Autumn and Skylar drag a suitcase around with them, as Autumn arranges for the abortion. On the street, a boy, Jasper (Theodore Pellerin), ingratiates himself after eyeing Skylar. He offers to take them out for bowling and karaoke. He likes being the kid with the money and a shot at an out-of-towner; the girls are just looking to spend a few hours off the streets before Autumn’s Planned Parenthood clinic appointment the following morning. Without turning Jasper into a sub-human predator, the movie’s clear about his transactional strategy: He’s buying their gratitude, or hopes to.
“Don’t you wish you were a dude?” Skylar asks Autumn early on. “Yeah,” she says back. “Like, all the time.” The film’s title comes from questions listed on the Planned Parenthood questionnaire regarding Autumn’s sexual history, health and partners. The scene in the clinic is remarkable. We learn more about Autumn, more or less against the character’s own will. But Hittman has no use for pat solutions, beyond the presence of the main character’s resourceful and reliable cousin. Real-life social worker and onetime Planned Parenthood staffer Kelly Chapman plays Autumn’s empathetic questioner at the health clinic. Acting is new to her. Flanigan, the lead actress, has never made a feature before. You believe these two every second.
There are times I wanted more daily life and casual conversation in the early scenes, though it’s plain to see that honest, unguarded talk doesn’t come easily to these girls, even after they’ve gotten out of town. In an interview with The Playlist, filmmaker Hittman observed: “So much of becoming a young woman is about learning to navigate and deflect male attention and ultimately become desensitized to it.” Like many of the best American independent films of recent years, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” exists in a middle ground between wrenching drama and documentary-like reality. It’s a political film, yes. If it were a candidate instead of a movie, a large swath of the country likely wouldn’t vote for it.
That doesn’t, however, mean they won’t be able to relate to it, and to the obstacles and feelings and the people on the screen.
‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ — 3.5 stars
MPAA rating: PG-13 (for disturbing/mature thematic content, language, some sexual references and teen drinking)
Running time: 1:41
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Streaming premiere April 3, $19.99, on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Xfinity, Vudu, Google Play and Fandango Now.
Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
mjphillips@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @phillipstribune


chicagotribune--2020-03-26--Lane reduction scheduled through April for I-294 northbound

The Illinois Tollway is reconstructing the bridge , which carries the triple-track railroad over the roadway between Hinsdale and Western @ @ @ @ @ reconstruction and widening of the central Tollway .
The existing bridge will be replaced with @ @ @ @ @ steel beam structure that will accommodate four tracks and will allow for reconstruction and widening @ @ @ @ @ according to information from the Illinois Tollway .
The new fourth track on the bridge @ @ @ @ @ railroad for maintenance purposes .

Northbound traffic on the Interstate 294, also known as the Tri-State Tollway, will remain reduced to three lanes from four through April, between 47th Street and Ogden Avenue, to make way for work to rebuild the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway bridge in that area.
“The Illinois Tollway is committed to ensuring the roadway remains safe for both drivers and workers during construction, which is part of our overall commitment to roadway safety,” Illinois Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez said in a statement from the Illinois Tollway. “We ask drivers to be attentive in work zones by watching for changing traffic patterns and using caution, especially when workers are present.”
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Electronic message signs and construction signage have been put in place to alert drivers to the closures. Additional lane closures will be scheduled in both directions as needed. All planned work is weather dependent.
The Illinois Tollway is reconstructing the bridge, which carries the triple-track railroad over the roadway between Hinsdale and Western Springs, to accommodate the reconstruction and widening of the central Tollway. The existing bridge will be replaced with a longer, wider two-span steel beam structure that will accommodate four tracks and will allow for reconstruction and widening of the Tollway underneath, according to information from the Illinois Tollway. The new fourth track on the bridge will be used by the railroad for maintenance purposes.
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The bridge project is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Metra, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Cook County, along with local municipalities, park districts, police and fire departments.
The work is part of the Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--1 dead, at least 5 others wounded in Chicago shootings since Thursday evening

Two 16-year-old boys were in an alley when a light-colored vehicle pulled up , and .
a gunman exited who @ @ @ @ @ .
On of the boys was shot in the back , and the other teenage @ @ @ @ @ back and right thigh .
Both were taken in critical condition to the University of @ @ @ @ @ said .

A man is dead and at least five others have been wounded in shootings since about 6 p.m. Thursday, Chicago police said.
The fatal shooting happened about 10:15 p.m. Thursday in the 3000 block of West Flournoy Street in the Lawndale neighborhood. A 28-year-old man was standing on a corner when someone in a passing black sedan fired shots, striking him in the stomach area, police said.
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He was taken in serious condition to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Information on his identity had not been released by Friday morning.
The latest Friday shooting happened about 3:20 p.m. in the 7200 block of South Carpenter Street in the Englewood neighborhood, police said.
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Two 16-year-old boys were in an alley when a light-colored vehicle pulled up, and. a gunman exited who fired shots in their direction. On of the boys was shot in the back, and the other teenage boy suffered wounds to the back and right thigh. Both were taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
In other shootings:
About 11 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot when he was standing outside in the 5400 block of South Christiana Avenue in the Gage Park neighborhood. He heard shots, felt pain and discovered later he was grazed in the right upper arm.
About 7:50 p.m., an 18-year-old man shot himself in the facial area in the 4400 block of West Carroll Avenue in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. He was taken to Stroger Hospital where his condition was stabilized, police said.
About 6 p.m., a 26-year-old man was shot in the 4700 block of West Lexington Street in the same neighborhood. He was walking outside when someone in a passing light-blue Ford Taurus fired shots, striking him in the leg. One of his friend drove him to Loretto Hospital, where he was in fair condition, police said.
No one was in custody and police were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Old Mill Creek priest is next bishop in southern Illinois

“ Now I look forward to meeting the many faith-filled people of the 28 counties in southern Illinois , hearing @ @ @ @ @ have encountered Jesus in your lives and how much the Lord has done for you @ @ @ @ @

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Pope Francis has picked a Lake County priest as the next bishop of the Catholic Diocese in southern Illinois.
The Rev. Michael McGovern follows Bishop Edward Braxton, who is retiring as leader of the 28-county Belleville Diocese.
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McGovern, 55, lately has been the pastor at St. Raphael the Archangel in Old Mill Creek in Lake County, a rural community close to the Wisconsin border.
A native of Evergreen Park, he attended Christ the King Grammar School and St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 1986 and from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1994.
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His previous assignments include Immaculate Conception Parish in Highland Park, St. Mary Parish in Lake Forest, and St. Clement, Holy Name Cathedral, St. Juliana and Queen of the Universe, all in Chicago.
“Now I look forward to meeting the many faith-filled people of the 28 counties in southern Illinois, hearing your stories of how you have encountered Jesus in your lives and how much the Lord has done for you,” McGovern said.
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said McGovern “will be a strong and compassionate leader.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Column: The Bears say it’s an ‘open competition’ at QB, but all signs point to Nick Foles starting a

Column: The Bears say it’s an ‘open competition’ at QB, but all signs point to Nick Foles starting ahead of Mitch Trubisky

“ Competition and all that is great , but it can be unhealthy with a team that ’ s filled @ @ @ @ @ and things like that .
Trust me , I get the situation .
Mitch has @ @ @ @ @ years , Mitch has been the quarterback , and I ’ m respectful to that @ @ @ @ @ going to go there and just be the best support system I can for him @ @ @ @ @ doing .
But when I ’ m playing , I ’ m going to be @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m going to do what I have to do in the huddle to @ @ @ @ @ called at that moment .
Ultimately , our goal is to help the Bears be @ @ @ @ @ I thought it was important to have that conversation , just to get started on @ @ @ @ @

Bears quarterback Nick Foles walks to the field before the first quarter against the Seahawks at Lumen Field on Dec. 26, 2021. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The Bears spent the early part of the offseason selling the public on another chance for quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
They took 45 minutes during a Friday morning conference call selling the idea of a fair competition with newcomer Nick Foles, right down to saying Trubisky will take the first snap whenever NFL teams can get on the field again.
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As thorough as general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy were in explaining the situation in these uncertain times with the coronavirus pandemic delaying offseason workout programs indefinitely, it’s difficult to buy the idea of a true battle for the starting position.
An impressive Foles, who delicately discussed the dynamic of an open competition, sure sounded as if he’s the starter during his own 30-minute call. Short of the 31-year-old falling on his face or being injured, it’s his job to lose.
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After all, Pace again pushed off discussion of the fifth-year option in Trubisky’s contract for 2021. A decision is due next month, and it’s hard to imagine the Bears would be inclined to pick up the option with the price tag about $24 million. So if the Bears can’t commit to Trubisky a year from now, are they truly devoted to seeing a competition unfold?
“What’s important, and what y’all are going to find out in this process is it’s going to be real simple — it’s going to be very transparent and very honest,” Nagy said. “We’re not there yet — you guys will have questions — but we’ll have a great plan of how to evaluate it. Ultimately what it really comes down to is winning, scoring points, physical and mental toughness. And then obviously command and leadership with some other things.”
From the standpoint that the Bears could need Trubisky this season, it is smart to present the depth-chart decision as a competition. They don’t want to lose him in the event something happens to Foles, who last season with the Jaguars suffered a broken left clavicle on the second series of the opener. Foles never has started more than 11 games in a regular season and has only 13 regular-season starts over the last four years.
“Mitch is a competitor,” Pace said. “When you’re built that way, competition brings out the best in you. Matt and I had that discussion with him, and you could feel that in him right away — kind of that, ‘OK, let’s go. What’s best for the team and this is going to bring out the best in all of us.’ The key word is just that he embraced the competition.”
As much as the anticipated loss of an offseason program affects Foles and his need to learn the intricacies of an offense very similar to what he experienced with the Eagles and Chiefs, it’s a blow to Trubisky, who needs to be in the classroom and on the field improving.
The Bears were 29th in scoring last season (17.5 points per game), 31st in yards per play (4.7) and 27th in first downs (18.6). Trubisky’s passer rating was 28th (83.0), and he was 32nd in yards per attempt (6.1). The offense had a critical shortage of explosive plays, and without maximized practice time, how realistic is it he can show evidence of true gains?
What Foles provides is a comfort level for the coaches — Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo all have previous experience with him. If the Bears had a comfort level with Trubisky, they would have been content re-signing Chase Daniel or identifying some other clear No. 2-type and moving forward.
Instead, the team traded a fourth-round pick, leaving the Bears with two selections (Nos. 43 and 50) in the first 162 picks, and guaranteed Foles more than $20 million to breathe life into an offense that was broken all season.
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This is the opposite of the 2017 scenario in which Pace identified a veteran the club believed had upside and guaranteed Mike Glennon $18.5 million with the idea he would stabilize the position after Jay Cutler’s departure and before trading up to draft Trubisky at No. 2 with the belief he would become the answer to the organization’s quarterback dilemma.
Lauded as a consummate teammate akin to Josh McCown by one source, Foles reached out to Trubisky after the trade was announced.
“We had met when we played against each other, but that’s different than this situation,” Foles said. “The big thing was just to introduce myself, just to say that I wanted to introduce (myself) and I’m excited to be your teammate, I’m excited to work with you. Obviously heard great things about him. Just looking forward to the opportunity. Really just starting on the right foot.
“Competition and all that is great, but it can be unhealthy with a team that’s filled with a bunch of egos. Trust me, I get the situation. Mitch has been there for a couple years, Mitch has been the quarterback, and I’m respectful to that situation. I’m going to go there and just be the best support system I can for him, whatever we’re doing. But when I’m playing, I’m going to be me in the huddle, I’m going to do what I have to do in the huddle to execute that play that Nagy called at that moment. Ultimately our goal is to help the Bears be the best team.
"But I thought it was important to have that conversation, just to get started on the right foot.”
I don’t doubt the Bears were serious about raising the level of performance at every position coming off a disappointing 8-8 season despite a defense that is playoff-caliber. Maybe there wasn’t enough competition last summer when Nagy held the starters out of preseason almost completely. He talked about sending a different message to the team whenever it can get together for the first time.
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But it’s not a stretch to think the first snap Trubisky takes with the first-team offense will be one of the last times he goes first at the position.


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson’s message to fans longing for the return of baseball: ‘Stay prepare

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson’s message to fans longing for the return of baseball: ‘Stay prepared’

`` You can stay prepared in the mind and think about that thing more so when time does come , @ @ @ @ @ .
I think that ’ s a good way to stay in the positive lane @ @ @ @ @ the negative things .
Like , we could be playing , yeah , but try @ @ @ @ @ positive out of it and stay prepared in the mind so you never get caught @ @ @ @ @ time does come .
”

Tim Anderson has a message for White Sox fans longing for the return of baseball.
“Stay prepared too. When the time comes, we’re going to need the same energy,” the shortstop said Friday during a conference call. "And I know they’re going to be hungry to cheer us on. We’re going to be hungry to play. We need both energies to match when we step between the lines.
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“I know they’re excited, we’re excited too. It’s going to be great when we do start back up, the fans are going to be really excited and the energy is going to be crazy. I can’t wait to see what happens.”
Anderson, who led the majors with a .335 average last season, also is doing his best to remain prepared while baseball is on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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“It’s definitely tough to not be going through that routine and being on schedule like we usually are," Anderson said. "But it gives us more time to think about it. More time to think about what’s going to happen now, or what can we do to deliver something. That’s the ultimate goal.
"You can stay prepared in the mind and think about that thing more so when time does come, it makes us more hungry. That’s a good way to stay in the positive lane and not really think about the negative things. Like, we could be playing, yeah, but try to (take) the positive out of it and stay prepared in the mind so you never get caught off (guard) when time does come.”
Anderson remains in Arizona. He’s doing some workouts on his own and spending quality time with his family.
That included a recent viral video of Anderson presenting his family in the fashion of an NBA pregame lineup announcement, complete with the song “Sirius" by the Alan Parsons Project, which is used during Bulls player introductions.
“It was something to do," Anderson said. "It was something to show, giving me an opportunity to show my family and show people what we’re doing at home. And also introduce my family to people who follow me and allow them to see our personalities and that we are real in what we do at home.”
Before Major League Baseball announced the suspension of spring training on March 12, Anderson liked how his spring was progressing. He got a crack at leading off in several games.
“It was more so the learning for me, I was more so in a learning and focused stage,” Anderson said. "I was excited about which way I was going and which way I was headed and how I was going about my work.
"I was just open to learning more from (new hitting coach Frank Menechino), and the vibes were different. I feel like it was going good. I definitely was learning a lot and locking in on focusing on a lot of things.”
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Anderson has remained in contact, through Instagram and texting, with some teammates. He is confident this break won’t slow the momentum the Sox were building.
“Regardless of how many games we play, we’re going to be ready to take the field,” Anderson said.


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--‘What would TV look like if it actually tried to represent people who aren’t just heterosexual, whit

‘What would TV look like if it actually tried to represent people who aren’t just heterosexual, white rich men’: Open TV will go live with its 5th cycle of pilot premieres and shorts

Among the reveals during the live event will be Interviews with show creators , comedic skits , and performances , @ @ @ @ @ game for the audience at home to participate in , McKinnon said .
More content @ @ @ @ @ spring and summer following this first screening on April 7th , Chrstian said .
The @ @ @ @ @ virtually in May via livestream as well , on May 1 , 15 , and @ @ @ @ @ really wants to put out programming that breaks the molds of what traditional TV is @ @ @ @ @ launch its app , which will provide exclusive content that adds to that mission .

Just because we’re stuck inside doesn’t mean our horizons can’t be broadened.
That’s where local streaming service Open Television (OTV) comes in with its annual OTV Tonight screening/presentation. Except this year, the distribution and development company, which usually holds the event at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), is going completely live with its premieres of pilots and shorts on its web platform.
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“I think people are definitely looking for opportunities for joy right now and looking for ways to connect outside the confines of their homes,” said Elijah McKinnon, OTV’s executive director. “We still want the energy of getting dressed up and going into the MCA on a Tuesday night and watching content that is revolutionary, so we’re really happy about the fact that we’re able to continue pushing forward, especially after enduring the climate that we’re currently transitioning in.”
This time around, the intersectional web-TV platform will premiere “Conspiracy Theorist,” an original pilot from Rebba Moore of Chicago. The piece focuses on Renee Hawthorne, a competitive doctoral candidate in neuropsychology, whose life is unexpectedly derailed by a psychotic spell. The other pilot comes from creators out of Detroit; called “Femme Queen Chronicles," it’s a story of four black trans women as they navigate through love, life, shade, and trade in the city of Detroit or as OTV’s co-founder Aymar Jean Christian puts it: an untraditional pilot in that kind of inverts the “Sex and the City” model, where instead of single gals are buying Manolo Blahniks, they are missing paying their rent.
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“I think all the things that we’re showing on Tuesday are really challenging mainstream narratives,” he said. “We’re all being shaken right now, but I think it’s cool that we’re able to put avant-garde artistic work out there live and for people to watch.”
A first for OTV, created and produced by McKinnon, is the Brave Futures Film Race — a competition that challenged storytellers to create a short film in 48 hours using one intersectional theme, one prop, and one action in metropolitan cities like Johnanessburg, South Africa and Berlin, Germany. McKinnon and other OTV staff traveled internationally to make it happen.
The awardee from South Africa is “Safe Outside,” wherein a 24-year-old has internalized the shame imposed on her about her sexuality and a 15-year-old is settled in her expression of love. But it’s the moment in which they collide that reveals an ascension. And the awardee from Berlin is “Seven of Tentacles," which looks at the adaptability of octopuses and asks the question: When self-care becomes synonymous with self-optimization and pop culture aestheticizes diverse sisterhood without acknowledging its complexity – what can we learn from them about surviving in a world that wants us to consume or be consumed?
“Brave Futures is really a provocation in how we show up and build community outside of Chicago,” McKinnon said. “We’re actually expanding not only just the platform, but also our reach globally. What’s really beautiful about the content that we’re showing from Chicago, from Detroit, from Berlin, from Johannesburg is that it’s aligned. It’s not aligned around a pandemic. It’s aligned around this fearless, divine, revolutionary act of being liberated and being a person who has the ability to share their stories and knowing that they have people in the world that need that and need to hear that.”
Among the reveals during the live event will be Interviews with show creators, comedic skits, and performances, as well as an interactive game for the audience at home to participate in, McKinnon said. More content will be released through the spring and summer following this first screening on April 7th, Chrstian said. The remaining screenings will take place virtually in May via livestream as well, on May 1, 15, and 30. Christian said OTV really wants to put out programming that breaks the molds of what traditional TV is and in summer OTV will launch its app, which will provide exclusive content that adds to that mission.
“We know that our audience is gender-diverse, racially-diverse, age-diverse, ability-diverse and really runs the gamut,” he said. “For us, it’s about showing the power of intersectionality and what would TV look like if it actually tried to represent people who aren’t just heterosexual, white rich men. I think once you shift your focus a little bit, you’ll see there’s a tremendous wealth of cultural capital in everyone who is excluded by traditional television.”
The live event will take place on Tuesday, April 7, at 7 p.m., just a few months shy of OTV’s fifth anniversary.
drockett@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Watch live: Members of the coronavirus task force hold a press briefing

Watch live as members of the coronavirus task force provide an update on the coronavirus outbreak in a briefing scheduled @ @ @ @ @ Read the latest .

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chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Where to order Passover dishes or full dinners for pickup in Chicago area

The bad news : Max and Benny ’ s is already sold out of Passover meals for Sunday through Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ You can still get one for Thursday .
The food comes in meals for four @ @ @ @ @ eight ( $ 189 ) , and the packages include : matzo , matzo kugel @ @ @ @ @ balls and chicken pieces with carrots and celery , plus choice of appetizer , entree @ @ @ @ @ Items are also available a la carte .
Pre-orders accepted only , and pickup hours @ @ @ @ @ .
461 Waukegan Road , Northbrook , 847-272-9490 , maxandbennys.com

With COVID-19 causing a shutdown of many hospitality businesses, and making grocery shopping a fraught experience, acquiring Passover fare is different this year. Fortunately, some Chicago restaurants have been able to stay open and are offering traditional dishes to help you celebrate the holiday, which begins Wednesday, April 8, at sundown this year and ends April 16. Be quick about it — some places are selling out already.
The Bagel
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A full holiday menu is available at The Bagel, but note that Passover-appropriate items are indicated accordingly on the menu. The apps, soups, entrees, sides, casseroles, breads and pastries are the usual Jewish-deli fare, with all items available a la carte. Order online or over the phone. 3107 N. Broadway, 773-477-0300, bagelrestaurant.com
Bistronomic
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Under normal circumstances, Bistronomic would offer a three-course prix-fixe menu, as it has done in recent years. This year, the restaurant will be able to make the pivot and offer its Passover dinner to-go. Passover dinners are available in two family-style options. The first ($45) includes carrot veloute, braised short ribs and dessert, while the other lineup adds a yellow beet salad ($55). Call to place your order. 840 N. Wabash Ave., 312-203-9843, bistronomic.net
Goddess and Grocer
Goddess and Grocer, the freshly sourced grocer with multiple locations, will have its usual Passover menu this year, and it includes several vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. You’ll also find plenty of traditional options including potato latkes, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup and more. All items available for pre-order a la carte. Delivery also available for extra fee. Call or email catering@goddessandgrocer.com to place orders. Locations vary, 773-292-7100, goddessandgrocer.com
Happ Inn
The Happ Inn will provide its Passover fare for carryout this year, with all items served a la carte. The menu includes matzo ball soup among the starters, plus braised beef brisket, roasted chicken and matzo-crusted whitefish for the entrees. Potato pancakes, horseradish mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes are also available. Only available between Wednesday and Thursday; pre-orders accepted via phone between the same hours. 305 N. Happ Road, Northfield, 847-784-9200. thehappinn.com
JB’s Deli
The classic JB’s Deli has a simple selection of Passover dishes available a la carte on its GrubHub menu. Selections include slow-baked brisket, gefilte fish, matzo cracks, red baby potatoes with carrots, plus horseradish and other toppings. You can already place your order online. 5501 N. Clark St., 773-974-1719. grubhub.com
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Max and Benny’s
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The bad news: Max and Benny’s is already sold out of Passover meals for Sunday through Wednesday. The good news: You can still get one for Thursday. The food comes in meals for four ($109) or eight ($189), and the packages include: matzo, matzo kugel, chicken broth with matzo balls and chicken pieces with carrots and celery, plus choice of appetizer, entree, vegetable and potato. Items are also available a la carte. Pre-orders accepted only, and pickup hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday. 461 Waukegan Road, Northbrook, 847-272-9490, maxandbennys.com
Prairie Grass Cafe
If you’re seeking dinner for two, Prairie Grass Cafe in Skokie offers a $75 package for you. The courses include matzo ball soup, matzo, a pint of chopped chicken liver, plus brisket — roasted chicken available upon request — with cauliflower mash and roasted carrots. There’s also flourless chocolate cake for dessert. Bottles of wine are also available for 50 percent off. Orders must be placed by 5 p.m. Sunday for curbside pickup Wednesday. 601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, 847-205-4433. prairiegrasscafe.com
Steingold’s
Steingold’s is planning a Passover meal that feeds four-to-six people, and it’s available for delivery or pickup. The $250 offering includes matzo ball soup, black truffle potato kugel, carrot tzimis, gefilte fish terrine, matzo, macaroons and cola-braised brisket. Add-ons, including bottles of wine, also available at additional cost. Order online to receive between Wednesday and Sunday, April 12. 1840 W. Irving Park Road, 773-661-2469. steingoldsdeli.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Bo Jackson and other athletes promote social distancing in new campaign to stop coronavirus spread

The Cure is US website , thecureis.us , states a vaccine for the virus is a year or more away @ @ @ @ @ need to stop waiting for someone else to figure this out and start doing what @ @ @ @ @ of us , today , to stamp out COVID-19 .
”

Former White Sox player, Oakland Raiders football player and Burr Ridge resident Bo Jackson (left) puts up a banner at the Burr Ridge Village Center for a campaign called "The Cure is US" to encourage people to stay at home and practice social distancing to stop the coronavirus pandemic. (Kimberly Fornek / Pioneer Press)
Former professional baseball and football player Bo Jackson hopes his name recognition will reinforce the message that people can stop the spread of the coronavirus by following health experts’ instructions to remain at home or staying at least 6 feet apart if they do go outside.
Jackson is part of a group promoting “The Cure is US” social media campaign, that encourages individual responsibility and collective action as the most effective way to combat COVID-19.
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The Cure is US website, thecureis.us, states a vaccine for the virus is a year or more away. Therefore, “We need to stop waiting for someone else to figure this out and start doing what we can, each one of us, today, to stamp out COVID-19.”
“Everybody needs to follow the directions of the (Centers for Disease Control),” Jackson, who lives in Burr Ridge, said as he hung a banner with “The Cure is Us” slogan and website address at the entrance to the Burr Ridge Village Center.
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Former professional football and baseball player and Burr Ridge resident Bo Jackson (right) with Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso launches a campaign called "The Cure is US" to encourage people to stay at home and practice social distancing to stop the coronavirus pandemic. (Kimberly Fornek / Pioneer Press)
Similar banners have been placed at the intersection of Plainfield and County Line roads and some area McDonald’s restaurants, said Lisa Stafford of Stafford Communications.
“It’s just simple. We have to get control of this,” said Jackson, who in the 1980s and ’90s played for the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and the California Angels in Major League Baseball and for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League.
Jackson said a few of his friends, including area resident Matt Cook and Jeff Graham, contacted him about an idea to rally people together and help the country get through the coronavirus crisis.
Jackson said staying at home is not hard for him.
“I don’t socialize that much,” Jackson said. “I like my privacy.”
“What worries me is finding out if my friends and family are safe.”
Other athletes and celebrities, such as Olympic gold-medal winning skier Mikaela Schriffin and Ben Higgins from the Bachelor television show, have posted You Tube videos supporting, The Cure is Us campaign.
The Cure is Us website includes graphics people can print and display in their homes and businesses, plus links for ways to provide protective equipment for healthcare workers, to donate blood, to donate money to organizations, including the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the World Health Organization, and other efforts to support the fight against the pandemic.
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From the website, messages, such as “Stand together by staying apart,” and “This home would like to say thank you to those who are working to help keep the rest of us safe during this time,” can be shared via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or printed and placed in people’s front windows.
The website also paraphrases health and government officials’ guidelines in plain language, such as advising the public to use the time at home to “binge watch shamelessly,” and “Panic buying and hoarding stuff like it’s a zombie apocalypse is not cool. Don’t do it.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Construction projects continue as lighter traffic aids workers

Work continues on the Jane Byrne Interchange continues on April 3 , 2020 .
For many road construction projects for @ @ @ @ @ the lack of traffic has actually helped with the works progress .
( Jose M. @ @ @ @ @


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--The Bulls reportedly will seek a top front office executive with full basketball authority, altering

The Bulls reportedly will seek a top front office executive with full basketball authority, altering the controversial GarPax era

This year was just the latest in a line of underwhelming seasons for a team almost certain to miss the @ @ @ @ @ season and fourth in the past five years .
But as the Bulls quickly became @ @ @ @ @ teams in the NBA this season , reports began to surface that at least a @ @ @ @ @ would take place during the offseason .

The Bulls’ front-office shake-up that has been speculated about for months — and fans have clamored over for years — will begin next week.
The team will start a formal search to hire an executive with full authority on basketball decisions, a source confirmed to the Tribune on Friday.
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ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski initially reported the Bulls’ plans to begin the search process, including a list of candidates the team is considering.
ESPN story on the Chicago Bulls plans to begin talking with candidates to run the franchise's basketball operations, including plans to contact Denver's Arturas Karnisovas and Toronto's Bobby Webster. https://t.co/O7ZWIfSmi4 — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 3, 2020
The Bulls plan to seek permission to interview Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas and Raptors general manager Bobby Webster. Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan and Heat assistant general manager Adam Simon also are expected to be initial targets, according to NBC Sports Chicago and The Athletic.
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Each executive comes from one of the NBA’s most respected and forward-thinking franchises. That appears to be the route the Bulls will explore during their search rather than continue a league trend of hiring executives within player agencies.
The new hire will help shape a franchise that has seen few front-office changes during the tenure of Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
John Paxson, the executive vice president of basketball operations, was hired in 2003 to replace general manager Jerry Krause as the Bulls’ top decision-maker. Paxson is expected to remain in the organization in some capacity, the Tribune confirmed. ESPN reported that could be in an advisory role.
Ownership also is expected to discuss a future role with general manager Gar Forman, who already had taken a step back from personnel moves to a role more focused on scouting.
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Paxson is one of the longest-tenured heads of basketball operations in the NBA, trailing only Heat President Pat Riley, who took over in 1995, and Gregg Popovich, who has led the Spurs since 1994. Paxson was hired a month ahead of Celtics President Danny Ainge.
The other three executives all presided over champions and dynasties. Charged with leading the Bulls out of the shadow of the Jordan dynasty, Paxson has been the architect behind some exciting teams, including one with championship aspirations under coach Tom Thibodeau featuring Derrick Rose, Jokaim Noah and eventually Jimmy Butler.
Paxon’s resume, however, lacks the championship pedigree or consistency of his peers with similar longevity. The Bulls have advanced as far as the Eastern Conference finals only once during his tenure, and they lost to the Heat in five games in 2011.
Once that championship window closed, the Bulls launched into a rebuild, trading Butler to the Timberwolves on draft night in 2017, but this season has made it evident their progress has become stagnant.
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They began the year hoping to compete for a playoff spot in the East, but instead the team was 22-43 when the NBA suspended play March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. NBC Sports Chicago reported the Bulls would like to have their new hire in place by the time the season resumes.
This was just the latest in a line of underwhelming seasons for a team almost certain to miss the playoffs for the third straight year and fourth in five. As the Bulls quickly became one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA, reports began to surface that at least a reorganization of the front office would take place during the offseason.
A new hire also seems almost certain to have authority on the future of coach Jim Boylen, who is 39-84 (.317) since taking over in December 2018 after the firing of Fred Hoiberg.


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Trump’s EPA still hasn’t told thousands of Americans about cancer risks from ethylene oxide

“ Risk communication goes to the heart of EPA ’ s mission of protecting public health and the environment , @ @ @ @ @ in a July 2018 speech .
“ We must be able to speak with one @ @ @ @ @ the American people the relevant environmental and health risks that they face , that their @ @ @ @ @ children face .
”

Nearly two years after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified hot spots of ethylene oxide across the nation, the Trump administration still hasn’t told thousands of Americans they face elevated cancer risks from breathing the toxic pollution.
Trump appointees have failed to schedule public meetings or provide information about ethylene oxide in 16 of the 25 communities where the lifetime risk of developing cancer exceeds agency guidelines, according to a new report from the EPA’s inspector general.
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The findings mirror reporting by the Chicago Tribune since August 2018, when the Trump EPA released the latest National Air Toxics Assessment without notice and left it up to state and local officials to decide for themselves whether to draw attention to elevated cancer risks in their communities.
Some have demanded aggressive action, most notably Willowbrook, a wealthy, predominantly white Chicago suburb where local officials hastily organized a community forum after learning about the pollution assessment.
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Concerned about ethylene oxide emissions from a Sterigenics sterilization plant in the DuPage County village, residents and elected officials enlisted a bipartisan coalition that pressured the EPA to monitor air quality and take their concerns seriously.
“Our task force found independent experts to help us understand what we were dealing with,” Willowbrook Mayor Frank Trilla said this week. “Having the EPA hold public forums in communities is key. It is not a community’s responsibility to translate the EPA. Communities aren’t qualified to do that.”
More than a half-million Americans exposed to toxic air pollution face unacceptable cancer risks, according to EPA data mapped by the Tribune last year. Ethylene oxide is the chief chemical of concern.
Medline Industries in Waukegan on Sept. 28, 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Yet none of the other communities exposed to the toxic gas have received the same level of attention Willowbrook got from the EPA, including Lake County neighborhoods near a Medline Industries sterilization plant in north suburban Waukegan.
Other places highlighted in the inspector general’s report are poor, African American and Latino communities in Louisiana and Texas near chemical plants that manufacture ethylene oxide.
EPA officials didn’t break any laws, the report concluded. But the agency’s lack of outreach runs counter to one of the priorities outlined by Administrator Andrew Wheeler soon after he ascended to the top job.
“Risk communication goes to the heart of EPA’s mission of protecting public health and the environment,” Wheeler told EPA employees in a July 2018 speech. “We must be able to speak with one voice and clearly explain to the American people the relevant environmental and health risks that they face, that their families face and that their children face.”
Wheeler sharply disagreed with the inspector general’s report. The former Republican congressional aide and coal company lobbyist took the unprecedented step of urging the independent office to rescind its findings.
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Among other things, Wheeler said, the EPA has held public hearings in Houston and Washington, D.C., about proposed updates to regulations for chemical plants that make ethylene oxide and commercial sterilization plants that use it.
“The tone and substance of this report indicates a disconnect in the U.S. EPA IG’s office,” Wheeler said in a statement.
Wheeler’s response prompted a rebuke from U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who has criticized the administration’s response to hazards posed by ethylene oxide, also known as EtO.
"I’m disappointed that Administrator Wheeler is trying to bully the inspector general into rescinding this report,” Duckworth said. "I also urge Administrator Wheeler to reverse course on EPA’s recently proposed rule that fails to adequately reduce EtO exposure and protect public health.”
The Tribune reported in December that under increasing pressure from industry lobbyists, Wheeler and his aides agreed last year to reconsider how dangerous the toxic gas is to Americans.
Agency leaders adopted a stringent safety limit during the last days of the Obama administration, based on decades of research that determined ethylene oxide is harmful at extremely low concentrations. But drafts of the Trump administration’s proposed rules open the door to overruling career EPA scientists and two panels of independent scientists.
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Redrafting the EPA’s evaluation to deem ethylene oxide less harmful would make the elevated cancer risks abruptly disappear on paper. Chemical companies and their customers would avoid government mandates to spend millions of dollars on pollution-control equipment, or perhaps stop using ethylene oxide altogether.
Absent federal action, some state and local officials have taken steps to protect their constituents.
In Illinois, a law crafted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state legislators requires industries to dramatically reduce emissions. Medline recently resumed operations after overhauling its Waukegan facility; Sterigenics closed its Willowbrook plant in September, citing an unstable regulatory landscape and a failure to broker a new deal on its lease amid opposition from community groups and local politicians.
Another Sterigenics facility in suburban Atlanta shut down last year under pressure from state and local officials. The company installed new pollution controls and this week a federal judge allowed the plant to temporarily reopen.
Neighbors remain concerned about pollution from the Atlanta facility. So are community groups in Waukegan now that Medline has started using ethylene oxide again.
“The intentional neglect of the U.S. EPA will continue to have irreparable consequences not only for identified environmental justice communities but also for the members of the most vulnerable communities across the nation,” said Celeste Flores, a Gurnee resident who grew up in the area and now lives a mile from Medline.
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Flores is the Lake County outreach coordinator for Faith in Place, a nondenominational coalition of religious leaders that focuses on environmental issues. Her advice:
“Since the EPA has chosen to abdicate its responsibility to the American people,” she said, “community members must advocate at every level of government for the basic human rights of safe and clean water and air.”
mhawthorne@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Don’t tell anyone, but baking bread — even sourdough, one of the biggest lockdown pastimes — is easy

I know those loaves look like someone toiled for years to perfect , but you too can inspire jealousy on @ @ @ @ @ network of choice with minimal effort .
All you need is one book .
( @ @ @ @ @ full recipe here , but the directions go on for several pages .
I believe @ @ @ @ @ between a recipe that ’ s simple and one that ’ s easy to follow @ @ @ @ @ also need some very basic equipment and a whole lot of time .
Don ’ @ @ @ @ @ an excess of the latter right now ?

Doesn’t it feel like everyone is baking bread right now? And not just staid, white loaves in aging bread machines, but gorgeous sourdough with crackly brown crusts. My social media feeds look like every other person had secretly interned at the most prestigious Parisian boulangerie before they had to self isolate.
As someone who has regularly baked bread for the past two years, I must admit something. Baking bread is easy — even sourdough or bread made with natural yeast. How else do you think most of humanity ate bread for thousands of years without instant dry yeast? Some people refer to this natural leavening agent as a levain, a starter or even a mother, but it’s nothing more than flour and water that’s transformed into a bubbling mass thanks to naturally occurring yeast.
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Here's a loaf I make most Sundays. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
I know those loaves look like someone toiled for years to perfect, but you too can inspire jealousy on Facebook or your social media network of choice with minimal effort. All you need is one book. (I’d reprint the full recipe here, but the directions go on for several pages. I believe there’s a difference between a recipe that’s simple and one that’s easy to follow.) You’ll also need some very basic equipment and a whole lot of time. Don’t most of us have an excess of the latter right now?
The only drawback is that you’ll have to turn into a bread person, the kind who cares passionately for a container of uncommunicative, multiplying yeast. You’ll find that your kitchen will always be covered in a dusting of flour, even after wiping down all the counters for the third time. Dried out dough will permanently cling to your fingernails, but you won’t even care. You bake bread, and whatever the dough wants, it gets.
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Mostly that means keeping a strict levain feeding schedule. This dedication may set you apart from other members of society. That’s OK! Though marked as an eccentric outcast among regular folk, soon you’ll be able to suss out all the other bread bakers in the wild just by their crazed stare. Together you’ll be able to discuss the finer points of life, like what brand of flour to use and your preferred dough hydration level.
I wasn’t always this way. I became a bread baker by accident. I initially got into making pizza at home, before realizing that I should probably learn about bread first. After some simple overnight loaves, I decided to try one made with a levain. Each loaf looked like I swiped it from an adorable French bakery, with a gorgeous crackly crust and a tender, almost custardlike interior. Yet, nothing about the cooking process took much effort.
And the compliments didn’t hurt. I’ve been cornered at parties and admired online. (You have to Instagram every loaf, right?) A French couple sampled a slice at a dinner party and declared that they haven’t tasted bread this good since moving to the States. Sometimes I feel momentarily invincible.
But whenever I get too full of myself, I just remember that I’m only following the exact directions laid out in Ken Forkish’s incredible cookbook, “Flour Water Salt Yeast.” Seriously, it’s all there. I don’t really care about the specifics of what is happening in the dough. I just know that if I follow the simple directions, I’ll have some drool-worthy bread. As I mentioned above, while the recipe is easy to follow, it’s also extremely long. That’s why I’m not including it here. But trust me, the book is worth the purchase.
You’ll need some basic kitchen gear. The most important is a Dutch oven. The best European bakeries have steam-injected ovens, a luxury most home kitchens don’t have. But start your loaf in a closed Dutch oven, and the steam trapped inside helps the bread rise.
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But mostly, you just need time. Don’t have a levain? You don’t have to politely ask for some from a superstar baker. Forkish explains how you can make your own in five days from flour and water. That’s all it takes. While this may have sounded like an absurdly long time to wait before, now that we are stuck in a purgatory of self-isolation, a week doesn’t seem that bad.
What about keeping the levain alive? To do that you’ll need to feed it. If that word brings back nightmares of trying to coax your toddler to eat vegetables, the process is nothing more than discarding some of the levain, and then adding in more flour and water. It takes about a minute each day. And if you’re not planning to bake bread for a few days, you can stash it in the fridge for a week.
When I want to bake bread on a Sunday, I remove the levain from the fridge on a Friday and feed it. I feed it again on Saturday morning. On Saturday afternoon, I mix together a bit of the levain with flour, water, salt and the tiniest bit of instant yeast. Now I have dough. I leave this to rise for a few hours, before shaping it and then stashing it in the fridge overnight. On Sunday, all I must do is plop some dough in a preheated Dutch oven and bake.
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There are a number of recipes to follow in “Flour Water Salt Yeast,” but I’m partial to the pain de campagne. I realize it sounds fancy because the name is French, but Forkish writes that it’s really just a “rustic country bread that has a golden color to its crumb, subtle round flavors from fermentation, and a chewy delicious crust.” Doesn’t that sound great?
I was amazed at the first loaf of pain de campagne I pulled from the oven. Sure, that one loaf had taken more than a week of planning, but with little more than flour, water salt and time, I’d created something truly exceptional.
But if you’re a bread novice, don’t feel like you need to jump straight into bread made with a levain. Start with one of these basic recipes, like basic French-style bread, before ramping up to trying this no-knead sourdough recipe.


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Column: David Schuster lost his job at WSCR-AM 670 — but not his sense of humor: ‘At least I’m not l

Column: David Schuster lost his job at WSCR-AM 670 — but not his sense of humor: ‘At least I’m not lying down yet’

Schuster isn ’ t too worried about his future , though he ’ s having a difficult time being at @ @ @ @ @ following the schedules of the local teams .
Like every sports reporter , he has @ @ @ @ @ family events and friends ’ parties over the years because there always was a game @ @ @ @ @ , some players who needed to be interviewed and thousands of listeners who needed to @ @ @ @ @ .

No matter what time of the season it was, you could always count on seeing David Schuster in press boxes and locker rooms at ballparks and stadiums around Chicago.
If a game was being played, the longtime radio reporter usually was there covering it, gathering quotes from players, managers, coaches and general managers, and then sending it back to his station to deliver to listeners with a brief summary of what happened.
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Schuster has no enemies in the media, which is no easy task in a competitive business and in a sports-crazed town.
If there was any question of that, all one had to do was look at the reaction on social media Thursday after Schuster confirmed reports he was among those laid off by WSCR-AM 670 because of budget cuts related to the coronavirus pandemic. Hundreds have sent messages of support on Twitter and Facebook, including dozens of colleagues in the Chicago sports media.
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So many people have commented and asked already so I'll confirm that yes I was a casualty of belt tighetening at WSCR Radio. Life isn't always fair but I'll be all right. Please take care of yourselves during this tough time and wash your hands OFTEN. — David Schuster (@Schumouse) April 3, 2020
In typical fashion, Schuster reacted Friday as if it was no big deal, resorting to the favored cliche of the modern-day athletes he has covered.
“What are you going to do?” he said from his north suburban home. “It is what it is.”
Schuster, 63, harbors no ill will toward his former station, at which he worked for two decades. He said he understood the position the company was in, comparing it to restaurant-industry layoffs caused by the stay-at-home orders.
“Unemployment is going up across the country, and I’m just a casualty,” he said. “That’s just the way it is. Maybe, hopefully, when this all passes, I’ll be back in the saddle somewhere. I’ve gotten some incredible warm responses, not just from listeners and fans but from a lot of people in the industry, including the Cubs and other teams.
”It just tells me my work, and my work ethic, has been appreciated. It’s almost like an epitaph. I don’t really want to hear that, but it tells me I’ve been appreciated for a long time, and that’s nice to hear even under these circumstances.”
I told Schuster it was probably as close to being at your own wake as one can get.
“At least I’m not lying down yet,” he said with a laugh.
Schuster has been in the sports radio business since graduating from Southern Illinois in 1979, where he admittedly lived up to the Carbondale credo: “I had such a good time I don’t remember any of it.”
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He started out at Sports Phone — a pre-sports talk radio service fans called in to for scores and updates — but mostly is known to local fans for his reporting at WMVP-AM 1000 and the Score. Schuster’s expertise is the NBA, and his annual Christmas Day interview with Bulls executive vice president John Paxson became a Score tradition. He also provided movie reviews on occasion, just for fun.
“I’m a jack, or a jerk, of all trades,” he said. “But I am a basketball junkie, and baseball too.”
Schuster isn’t too worried about his future, though he’s having a difficult time being at home after a lifetime of following the schedules of the local teams. Like most sports reporters, he has missed out on dozens of family events and friends’ parties over the years because there always was a game to cover, players to interview and listeners to inform.
“My social calendar is based on the sports calendar,” he said. “If there is a game, my family knows I just can’t be there, for the most part. I was at everything, to be honest.”
Schuster and the other Score employees who were laid off — including hosts Connor McKnight and Julie DiCaro and producer Rick Camp — are not alone in these difficult times. The shutdown has affected employment at media outlets all over the country, and it doesn’t look as though it will end any time soon.
But don’t feel sorry for Schuster, because he’s certainly not feeling sorry for himself.
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His Facebook bio reads: “I have covered 12 major sports championships in my hometown. I’m a lucky guy.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Mitch Trubisky vs. Nick Foles is ‘an open competition’ to be the Bears starting QB. Plus 3 more thin

Mitch Trubisky vs. Nick Foles is ‘an open competition’ to be the Bears starting QB. Plus 3 more things we learned from Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy.

“ Yet at the same time when you look at the stuff that he ’ s doing when he ’ @ @ @ @ @ or maybe when he ’ s not making a block but you see him within @ @ @ @ @ like , you then visualize what you can do with him and with conceptually what @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s the exciting part , just understanding the knowledge he has for @ @ @ @ @ s very , very motivated right now .
Which I love .
And so it @ @ @ @ @ for us .
”

Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy spoke with reporters on a conference call Friday morning, their first availability since February. Both Pace and Nagy had a lot to say with all that has unfolded since the combine ended, free agency began and the coronavirus crisis became a national emergency. Here are three highlights from that 40-minute session.
1. The Mitch Trubisky-Nick Foles quarterback duel has officially been labeled ‘an open competition.’
That declaration came from Ryan Pace right out of the gates Friday, a clear indication that Mitch Trubisky’s grip on the starting role is as loose as it has been since he took over the huddle in October 2017.
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Nagy stressed that Trubisky would be the first quarterback into the huddle at the next Bears practice — whenever that might be. But the Bears coach also said that practice reps would be divided up equally and that he intended to give both quarterbacks equal time with the first-unit offense to make an informed decision on who the starter will be.
Nagy also said both Trubisky and Nick Foles will see game action in the preseason as part of the evaluation process.
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“No. 1, what we’re trying to do is what is best for the Chicago Bears,” Nagy said. “Plain and simple. That’s what this comes down to. Ryan and I have had really awesome talks with both of them. And what’s important, and what you’re all going to find out through this process, is going to be real simple. It’s going to be very transparent and very honest.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 60 Bears quarterback Nick Foles walks to the field before the first quarter against the Seahawks at Lumen Field on Dec. 26, 2021. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Pace declined to comment when asked if the Bears had made a decision on picking up Trubisky’s fifth-year option for 2021. But at this point, with Foles arriving for an open competition, it would be a stunner if the Bears chose to pick up that final-year option on Trubisky’s rookie deal. If they are unwilling to declare him their Week 1 starter for 2020, why would they be ready to give him any sort of commitment — however loose it might be — for 2021?
Nagy said he felt Trubisky’s edge come forward when he was told that he would have to fight to retain his starting job.
“You could feel how much of a competitor he is,” Nagy said. “You know it and you see it. He’s a competitor now. He’s embracing it and excited to get back to work.”
2. The Bears have come up with multiple adjustments and contingency plans because of the coronavirus crisis.
The NFL has shut down team facilities for all but essential personnel, and Illinois has a stay-at-home order in effect through the end of April.
That means Bears general manager Ryan Pace and his staff must make preparations for the April 23-25 draft from their homes. And coach Matt Nagy must get ready to prepare his team remotely since they don’t know when they will be able to meet as a group again.
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Nagy said he has four computers in an office in his house, and his coaching staff has embraced the challenge of working separately. His strength coaches have been staying on top of players to make sure they are healthy and able to stay in shape from their homes. They also have discussed the best ways to lead their team virtually when team meetings begin.
“You’re not going to be standing there in front of 30 or 60 or however many players speaking your team message for the day,” Nagy said. “You’re going to have to rely on them looking at it online, with online installations. How do we do that by being as clear as we possibly can, but also too not making it be forever to where they get bored staring a screen for a long time?”
Pace said the Bears are sorting through their options for draft night. Their three options are using a limited number of people in their draft room at Halas Hall, operating at an offsite location or working from their homes entirely remotely. He said they haven’t yet pinpointed the offsite location they would use.
Pace credited the Bears’ video and IT staff with helping with the challenges as they get ready for the draft.
“The silver lining is that I think it’s pushed us further from a technology standpoint,” Pace said. “It’s actually been highly efficient, and in some ways better. … It’s really been seamless with the ability to watch video, have meetings and communicate, interview players. That part’s been really good, and it’s a credit to our staff.”
3. The belief in new tight end Jimmy Graham is shared by the Bears front office and coaching staff.
Ryan Pace said the Bears front office and coaching staff were “all connected on a vision” for how Jimmy Graham fits with the team.
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“You have the physical evaluation of the player and he’s a guy obviously we know well,” Pace said. “But then you have the fit for our offense and within our scheme. And I just think there were a lot of discussions on how to best maximize Jimmy Graham in this offense. ... And we’re all really excited about him being a Bear and how we’re going to maximize him.”
Packers tight end Jimmy Graham (80) scores a touchdown past Bears defensive back Deon Bush (26) during the first half at Soldier Field on Sept. 5, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Added Matt Nagy: “You have to be able to look at this with an ability to see ‘How could he’ or ‘How does he’ fit into what we want to do. So there’s a lot more to that than just looking at numbers with the stats you see and where he’s at. He’s obviously had a hell of a career. But with that, he’s also grown older.
“Yet at the same time when you look at the stuff that he’s doing when he’s not catching the football or maybe when he’s not making a block but you see him within the play doing something you like, you then visualize what you can do with him and with conceptually what you do how it fits. That’s the exciting part, just understanding the knowledge he has for the game. He’s very, very motivated right now. Which I love. And so it’s just a fit for us.”
4. The Bears are confident they have upgraded their pass rush.
Out goes Leonard Floyd, in comes Robert Quinn.
In the end, Floyd’s versatility and his ability in coverage didn’t make up for his shortcomings as a pass rusher. The Bears signed Quinn to a $70 million, five-year contract with the key figure being a guarantee of $30 million over the next two seasons. The move didn’t come as a surprise as the Bears wound up cutting Floyd, the No. 9 pick in 2016. First-round draft picks, if they’re a success, generally have new contracts after Year 3 or 4 and Floyd was nowhere near an extension with the Bears.
“With Robert Quinn, it’s obviously a position we value,” Pace said. “One of the first things that comes to mind as you strengthen your team is your pass rush affecting the opposing quarterback. We just feel like Quinn is a proven pass rusher. He’s got excellent edge speed. He’s got outstanding ability to bend the corner. We take a position of strength on our defense and we make it even stronger and more dangerous when you add Quinn and combine him with the players that are already up there, especially up front.
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“I think the Quinn/Leonard Floyd decision … look, Leonard had some very good years here. He was a key part of a top defense. Acquiring Robert isn’t necessarily a knock on Leonard, it’s just doing what we feel is best for our team. I think you saw how quickly Leonard signed elsewhere, a pretty good (open-year) contract, so we’re happy for him. But for us, we’re constantly tweaking and trying to upgrade our roster and we feel we like we have done with that with our pass rush in Robert Quinn.”
How Quinn fits in the defense is a good question for coordinator Chuck Pagano. Quinn, who is entering his 10th season, had 11½ sacks in 14 games for the Cowboys last season. It was his first double-digit sack season since 2014. He traditionally has been far more productive playing in base 4-3 schemes and the Bears run a 3-4 but wind up being in a sub package, often with four down linemen, more than two-thirds of the time.
“You do have to look at it and say, ‘OK, how has this player had success in the past and how can we make sure we maximize that?’ ” Pace said. “So that was discussed. He’s played a lot on the right side of the defense so, ‘Hey, let’s get everybody in the spots where they’re best but without being predictable at the same time.’ We feel very comfortable with that. He’s a really natural pass rusher."


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Local leaders praise Pritzker plan to reopen Westlake Hospital to treat COVID-19 patients

“ We also must slow the spread of the virus , ” he said Thursday at his daily news conference @ @ @ @ @ ’ t , there could never be enough hospital capacity to treat all of those @ @ @ @ @ job — all of us in Illinois — our job is both to keep our @ @ @ @ @ , and to keep our residents , especially our older and immunocompromised residents , safe @ @

Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park is set to reopen this month to help treat COVID-19 patients, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced April 2. The hospital will provide 230 additional beds for patients. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-7) was one of several local leaders praising the state’s plans to reopen Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park to treat COVID-19 patients, saying he hopes it will be up and running within weeks.
“I’m truly excited about that news,” Welch said. “I am thankful to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his strong, stable, steadfast leadership during this time of crisis. He told me all along he was trying to make this happen. I trusted and believed in him, and he got it done.”
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On Thursday, Gov. Pritzker announced Westlake Hospital, which closed in August 2019, is to be the fourth facility being readied to house coronavirus patients. The hospital will provide 230 beds, officials said.
Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park is set to reopen this month to help treat COVID-19 patients, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced April 2. The hospital will provide 230 additional beds for patients. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“Westlake was a perfect location in the western suburbs to be part of the answer to the crisis we’re in,” Welch said. “The 230 beds will be very helpful. Westlake is for non-acute COVID-19 patients. The most serious patients will not be at Westlake, but they will make room for acute patients in other facilities.”
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In addition to Westlake, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois National Guard are setting up a 3,000-bed field hospital at McCormick Place, while also setting up a total of 500 beds at two other closed suburban hospitals: the former Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin and MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island. All facilities are expected to open by month’s end, officials said.
Pritzker said state officials are also working on a plan to open another “alternate care facility in central Illinois in the coming weeks.”
“We also must slow the spread of the virus,” he said Thursday at his daily news conference. “If we don’t, there could never be enough hospital capacity to treat all of those who would become ill. Our job — all of us in Illinois — our job is both to keep our health systems operating within capacity, and to keep our residents, especially our older and immunocompromised residents, safe.”
While the move is expected to be temporary, Welch said he is grateful the state is preparing for a worst-case scenario by creating hundreds of additional hospital beds across the region.
“Our numbers will continue to grow significantly,” Welch said. “I hope that when this thing peaks in a couple weeks, we are over-prepared and don’t need these beds, but we need to be prepared.”
Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park is set to reopen this month to help treat COVID-19 patients, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced April 2. The hospital will provide 230 additional beds for patients. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
When in operation, Westlake had about 600 employees, Welch said. To staff the reopened hospital, Welch said he expects the state to tap into a pool of retired medical professionals that have agreed to help out during the pandemic.
“Over 1,100 people have signed up to come back,” Welch said. “I had so many messages from former staffers yesterday who are ready to sign up for the call of duty again. I don’t think there will be any issue with getting Westlake [staffed].”
The closure of Westlake by Pipeline Health last year was like “a sudden death in the family,” Welch said.
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“After a company like Pipeline told us one thing and did another, it pulled the rug out from under us,” Welch said. “This news from the Governor yesterday, you could hear the excitement across the community. Even the announcement that it’s temporary, there’s an emotional [investment] to the community knowing the doors will reopen.”
Welch was joined on a conference call Friday morning by Maria Franco, a board member of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, who also praised the Governor’s move.
“We are working together to address this crisis,” Franco said. “The community really came together for this. Many signed petitions and our CSPL members pushed to get allies and supporters. It was definitely a beacon of hope when the news came out that our governor was going to reopen this hospital.”
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Who is the most popular Cub: The dazzling Javier Baez, the mellow Kris Bryant or the charitable Anth

Who is the most popular Cub: The dazzling Javier Baez, the mellow Kris Bryant or the charitable Anthony Rizzo?

As he removed his elbow guard , ESPN ’ s game analyst remarked : “ Guys like Anthony Rizzo and @ @ @ @ @ love , but Javy Baez is now getting to be that superstar , one of @ @ @ @ @ this team .
This guy is a superstar in his own right .
He has @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Javier Baez did something extraordinary during the Cubs’ Aug. 5 game against the Athletics: He walked.
As he removed his elbow guard, ESPN’s game analyst remarked: “Guys like Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant get all the love, but Javy Baez is now getting to be that superstar, one of the most well-known players on this team. This guy is a superstar in his own right. He has emerged as a fan favorite.”
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The analyst was David Ross, who will manage all three stars once Major League Baseball returns from the coronavirus shutdown.
Ross’ comment raised the question: Who is the most popular player on the Cubs? And how do you measure it? (Editor’s note: The reporting for this story was completed last summer, but the Tribune waited for comment from Baez, who proved elusive.)
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Here are the candidates:
— Baez, the flashy infielder ESPN nicknamed “The Sultan of Smooth.” (It didn’t stick.) Baez can hit home runs and spit sunflower seeds almost simultaneously. He is baseball’s best tagger … after making that into a thing.
It’s ridiculous how smooth Javy Baez is 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sYU4Ngsuw2 — Quarantine Bros (@BaseballBros) May 9, 2019
— Bryant, the 2016 National League MVP. Tall, dark and faux-hawked, he carries a mellow vibe and seemingly gets along with everyone. And he was immensely popular with former Cubs manager Joe Maddon for being able to play five positions.
— Rizzo, the longest-tenured Cub and unofficial team spokesman. He tag-teamed with Bryant on those hilarious Bryzzo Souvenir Company ads for MLB. And his charitable work is commendable.
So who is most popular?
Bryant and Rizzo see it the same.
“It’s Javy,” Bryant said last summer. “He’s a human highlight reel. I’m definitely not as cool, but if you put me and Anthony together, I think we’d beat him out.”
Said Rizzo: “How can you not like Javy? He has (the support of) all the Latin American people too.”
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There’s data to back that up.
Baez had baseball’s No. 4-selling jersey last year behind the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, the Phillies’ Bryce Harper and the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger. Rizzo’s jersey came in 10th and Bryant’s 16th.
How about Instagram and Twitter as a measure of popularity?
It’s close.
Baez has the biggest Instagram reach (1.3 million) but the smallest Twitter following (507,000). Bryant’s combination of about 1.75 million is a tick shy. Rizzo has the largest Twitter audience (885,000) for a total of about 1.68 million.
Nick Segovia, a sales associate at Clark Street Sports, said last summer that one Cub towers over the others: “Baez for sure. Second is Rizzo. Bryant, people like his style. But Javy has it all. He’s very cool and a fantastic player. People love the ‘El Mago’ shirts.”
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Asked to estimate a percentage of sales among the three, Segovia said 65% Baez, 25% Rizzo and 10% Bryant — “with (Kyle) Schwarber close.”
Schwarber, by the way, believes Rizzo is most popular in Chicago.
“Over the country I’d say it’s a tossup between Kris and Javy,” Schwarber said. “Rizz has made his name here, been here longer. He’s the guy that everyone looks to.”
The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation does incredible work — and not only for kids fighting cancer. Earlier this week it helped deliver 150 meals to staff and patients at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in South Florida, not far from Rizzo’s hometown.
Next up! An autographed jersey.
Text Hope44 to 52000 to donate $20 or https://t.co/AfQLkHgb3o. For every $20 you donate you will receive one entry into the raffle.
All dollars raised will go directly to show our appreciation to the front line medical staff. pic.twitter.com/uXTGXqT8sS — Anthony Rizzo (@ARizzo44) March 23, 2020
“He is known outside the game,” Schwarber said. “People love him. He’s a giver. It’s not a burden on him. He wants to do it. It’s something we all look up to.”
Said Rizzo: “You try to help anybody you can. You win some fans over, even some White Sox fans, by helping kids. That’s obviously not the goal, but you hear that.”
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Bryant called Rizzo “the leader of this team, the captain, and he reaches so many people with his charity work. It’s what I strive to do too.”
Bryant attracts some non-seamheads by pulling pranks and through his relationship with Red Bull. Last summer the energy drink manufacturer set up a batting cage near the Chicago River so fans could watch Bryant launch missiles.
Day off ✅
New limited edition @redbull can ✅
Taking batting practice in the streets of downtown Chicago ✅
Wanna join? Come check it out TODAY- Wolf Point @ 11:45, maybe you’ll catch a ball ⚾ 💥 pic.twitter.com/mLEmd9YS6g — Kris Bryant (@KrisBryant_23) July 11, 2019
“With Red Bull I do have some crossover to extreme sports,” he said. “I get so many kids who show me their hair and I say, ‘I’m glad your parents let you do that.’ Me, I do it (sport the faux-hawk) because I play baseball for a living and it’s one of the jobs where you don’t have to fit a certain mold. You don’t wear a suit and tie. You can express yourself.”
Big picture, Bryant said, “With all the attention on me super early on in spring training 2015, I feel like I got a ton of people into baseball. I don’t know where I am now, I just appreciate anyone who supports me. Javy being from Puerto Rico, he has a huge Latin following as well as here. It’s super cool and he handles it real well.”
Former Cubs reliever Brandon Kintzler, who signed with the Marlins in the offseason, broke it down like this: “Rizzo is your old-school guy. Kris is your silent assassin. Javy is the showman. The kids relate to him more. Everywhere we go it’s, ‘Javy!’ Everyone loves Javy. They love Rizzo too, but the kids, the girls, go crazy for Javy. He’s got the look — the superstar, edgy kind of look.”
Pedro Strop, now with the Reds, used to hang out with Baez on the road.
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“We used to go to the mall and everywhere together,” he said. “It’s: ‘Javy! Javy! El Mago!’ I said: ‘Man, I can’t go out with you anymore. It’s too much!’ ”


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--'A staple in the scenery of the White Sox’: Darrin Jackson, A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko reflect

'A staple in the scenery of the White Sox’: Darrin Jackson, A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko reflect on time spent with Ed Farmer

“ He also got me on Air Force One one time , ” Pierzynski said .
“ He never let @ @ @ @ @ He also got me to go to the Secret Service training facility , and he @ @ @ @ @ down .
He ’ d get you on a golf course , and three years @ @ @ @ @ up to you and go , ‘ Remember that time you played Augusta National ?
@ @ @ @ @ ?
Well , that was because I ’ m Ed Farmer and you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ Ed Farmer .
”

Ed Farmer once put in a call for a round of golf with his White Sox radio partner Darrin Jackson.
Former President George W. Bush was among the other participants that day.
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“I don’t think you can have a friend that had higher-ups than Ed Farmer did,” Jackson said Thursday during a conference call. "And I was fortunate enough to meet most of them.
“You can’t really get much better than having George W. Bush take you on his golf team and kick Ed Farmer off of it and say to Ed, ‘I don’t know why you put yourself on my team. I want Darrin.’ It doesn’t get any better than that.”
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Jackson, A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko reflected on some of the time they spent with Farmer, a fixture in the Sox radio booth who died Wednesday at age 70 of complications from a previous illness.
“He was a staple in the scenery of the White Sox,” said Konerko, the retired first baseman who with Pierzynski were two stars on the 2005 World Series championship team.
Jackson was in the radio booth with Farmer since 2009.
“The thing that I say about Ed why he’s so unique is because there is no other person you will probably ever come across in your life even close to his personality,” Jackson said. "He was real. He is a person that so many people wanted to be and couldn’t be because he would tell you the truth.
“He would just be honest on what he felt, whether you wanted to hear it or not. It was not constructed in a negative way. He was never ever trying to beat somebody down. He was always there to try to help you.”
White Sox announcer Ed Farmer watches members of the grounds crew prepare the field before a game against the Royals on April 26, 2017, at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago . (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Farmer, who played 11 seasons in the major leagues, including three with the Sox from 1979-81, would often lead the conversations in the clubhouse on various topics.
“Everyone knew he had a great curveball,” Pierzynski, the former catcher, said. “He let us know that a million times, that he had the best curveball and no one could hit it. He would talk to pitchers about how to throw their curveball, he’d talk to pitchers about pitching, he’d talk to hitters about hitting. Most of the time when he came over and talked to me, it was about golf or about college football.”
Farmer was a huge Notre Dame football fan. Konerko and Pierzynski made trips to South Bend, Ind., to check out the team’s facilities thanks to Farmer. That was just one of the many destinations, and Pierzynski jokingly added that Farmer was quick to remind them who provided the hookup.
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“He also got me on Air Force One one time,” Pierzynski said. “He never let me live that down. He also got me to go to the Secret Service training facility, and he never let me live that down. He’d get you on a golf course, and three years later, Eddie would come up to you and go, ‘Remember that time you played Augusta National? And I got you on? Well, that was because I’m Ed Farmer and you’re not.’ That was just Ed Farmer.”
Added Konerko: “He just had many connections, and his reach was deep and far with a lot of different things. And he always tried to spread the wealth on that. Every time we went somewhere and he could help, (he’d) take you to something, bring you to something or expose you to something that you otherwise would never have a chance to do. He tried to bring everybody in on that.”
Pierzynski has spent time in the booth after his playing days ended. Farmer’s advice: "Just be yourself.”
“I was lucky, now that I’m on the broadcasting side, I had him and Hawk (Harrelson) that were there to talk to me a little bit," Pierzynski said. "Ed Farmer was a character. He was one of a kind. He was always himself. He was true to himself, and that’s what he said to me, and it stuck with me over the years.”
Jackson cherishes those moments.
“No matter what you thought of him as a play-by-play, you’ll never forget what he brought into your home (or) into your car,” Jackson said. “And the times he was broadcasting, he’s just such a memorable guy that there’s absolutely no way he didn’t make a difference in your life.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Jeff Mauro co-hosting ‘quarantine edition’ of Food Network’s ‘The Kitchen’ from his River Forest hom

Jeff Mauro co-hosting ‘quarantine edition’ of Food Network’s ‘The Kitchen’ from his River Forest home

BIG NEWS !
All new # TheKitchen : Quarantine Edition premiers this Saturday at 11a | 10c .
This is @ @ @ @ @ special for many reasons .
1. we are all cooking from our own homes with @ @ @ @ @ what we have in our own pantry ’ s .
2 .
This episode was @ @ @ @ @ ones , & in my case @ smauro1 & @ lorenzoluccamauro were an amazing crew @ @ @ @ @ Me and my cohost still chat , laugh and drink together via the magic of @ @ @ @ @ in and let ’ s all feel somewhat normal this Saturday morning .
Together .
@ @ @ @ @ Be safe and smart .
# WeCook

Saturday’s episode of “The Kitchen” will look different — and not just because co-host Jeff Mauro said he filmed the episode while sporting “quite a gross mustache.” The Food Network show’s first “quarantine edition” will feature the five co-hosts cooking separately at their respective homes, instead of together at a New Jersey studio, because of coronavirus.
Mauro makes crispy skin salmon Provençal with charred red cabbage salad in his River Forest kitchen. The dish sounds fancy, but Mauro said it was made with items pulled from his pantry.
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“Luckily we had enough salmon frozen that we could do this recipe,” Mauro told the Tribune. “We do not have the resources that we normally do for ‘The Kitchen.’ We have the same stuff that everybody else has. It made it that much more special.”
Mauro said there are usually between 70 and 80 crew members on set to film “The Kitchen.” His wife, Sarah, and their 11-year-old son, Lorenzo, helped him for the at-home episode. Turning his kitchen into a TV studio was “exhausting” and involved multiple iPhones, an iPad, a laptop and other technology, he said. He and his co-hosts — Sunny Anderson, Alex Guarnaschelli, Katie Lee and Geoffrey Zakarian — communicated via the Zoom video conferencing service.
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“I’ve always had respect for crew, any crew on a television set, but this gives you a whole new appreciation,” Mauro said. The hour-long special is scheduled to air at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Mauro, who won Season 7 of “Food Network Star” in 2011, said he recently turned in the manuscript for his first cookbook, which is due out next spring. He said he has other television projects in the works, but he isn’t looking to get back in the restaurant business right now.
Mauro was the face of Pork & Mindy’s, a local barbecue chain that closed shop last year. “It’s not the time to even try to venture to get into that business. I had a good run, and then we’ll see. I have so many ideas that I can’t wait to launch. We’ll just wait until the world calms down a little bit and gets itself healthy,” Mauro said.
tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Ask Amy: After his scam-sham wedding, friend tries again

In a family as large as this one , it should be fairly easy to avoid your sister-in-law .
You @ @ @ @ @ positive conversations with your other relatives at these gatherings .
Never gossip about this in-law @ @ @ @ @ if they invite you to trash her , the rules of sisterhood dictate that they @ @ @ @ @ you can not .

Dear Amy: Our ostentatious friend is getting married (again) -- for real, this time. His first wedding was an extravagant affair, complete with a destination bachelor party, a destination wedding at a fancy resort, expensive bottles -- the works.
We gave him a sizable gift on top of our over-the-top travel expenses.
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When the unhappy couple split up, after three tumultuous years, we discovered they were never married at all!
These two successful lawyers took a look at their relationship and decided not to file the marriage license. They would say that they were procrastinating, hoping their relationship would improve to a point where marriage would become less risky, but it never got there.
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They certainly blew the 60-day window to file the license, but never returned any gifts.
Now our friend is engaged to a new woman. In true fashion, his bachelor party and wedding will be in fabulous destinations and will demand great expense.
We plan to give the couple a modest gift.
We can't help but feel some injustice has been done, though we're not sure what. He never even sent us a gift for our wedding. Is it petty to consider this all in the past?
— Witness
Dear Witness: Your friend's sense of entitlement is ... impressive. However -- if you don't like the way this wedding is structured, you don't have to participate in it. Being invited to an extravaganza does not obligate a person to attend.
I hope you spoke your mind (to him and his "bride") when you learned that his previous extravaganza was a scam, and I wonder if you like or respect him enough to continue to have a close relationship with him.
It must be tempting to punish him for his previous behavior, but it is important to remember that he isn't the only person participating in this wedding. His bride should be presumed innocent (until proven to be equally craven).
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If you attend, a modest gift is called for. If you don't attend, you're off the hook.
Dear Amy: My husband and I have been married for almost seven years. He has seven sisters (he is the only male in the family). He has one sister who always has to be the center of attention at family gatherings.
It's so damn annoying! She always has to bring up the expensive family trips she has planned for the summer, and is always bragging about how good she has it, as if to say, "Don't you wish your husband was rich like mine?"
She acts like a snotty, spoiled teenager.
I would like to scream and tell her to shut up! If I sit down with one of his other sisters, she butts right into our conversation because she's "assuming" that I'm talking smack about her.
I go to these gatherings for the sake of my husband and in order for our son to spend time with his cousins.
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Should I just sit in a corner and not talk to anyone, so I won't get bitten by the "poisonous serpent?"
— Confused
Dear Confused: If your sister-in-law acts like a spoiled teenager, then perhaps you should treat her like one. My preferred technique is to remember that I am the grown-up. Sometimes -- reacting at all is just feeding the serpent.
You should practice behaving in a way that comes off as mature, detached, and overall neutral. Be aware that your body language can betray tension, and so try not to clench when you encounter her.
In a family as large as this one, it should be fairly easy to avoid your sister-in-law. You should strive to engage in positive conversations with your other relatives at these gatherings. Never gossip about this in-law with her siblings -- even if they invite you to trash her, the rules of sisterhood dictate that they can criticize her, but you cannot.
Dear Amy: "Stepmom-to-be" shared her concerns that her future adolescent stepson didn't do some little things around the house, like "pushing in his chair after dinner."
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Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
This made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Thank you for this line: "You should ask him to choose ways to contribute, go easy on him when he flakes out, and give him credit when he does well."
I got a stepmom when I was his age, and I felt like she only noticed when I messed up!
— Stepson
Dear Stepson: The whole "step" relationship is a long game. Yes, positive reinforcement is vital.
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
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chicagotribune--2020-04-03--Trump EPA still hasn’t told thousands of Americans about cancer risks from ethylene oxide