chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Attorney: Toddler’s brain injury from foul ball in Houston off the bat of the Cubs’ Albert Almora Jr

Attorney: Toddler’s brain injury from foul ball in Houston off the bat of the Cubs’ Albert Almora Jr. is permanent

Mithoff said doctors have described the effects of the injury to her central nervous system as similar to those of @ @ @ @ @ of the brain affected include those in which injuries can lead to seizures , loss @ @ @ @ @ spatial awareness , he said .
Other potential effects include periods of unresponsiveness and staring @ @ @ @ @ night terrors , he said .

Albert Almora Jr. of the Cubs leaves the game after checking on a young child who was hit by a foul ball off his bat in the fourth inning against the Astros on May 29, 2019, in Houston. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON — A 2-year-old girl struck by a foul ball during an Astros game at Minute Maid Park continues to receive anti-seizure medication seven months after suffering a brain injury that could leave her at risk of seizures for life, an attorney for her family said.
In a report posted Tuesday, Richard Mithoff told the Houston Chronicle that the child's brain injury is permanent.
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“She remains subject to seizures and is on medication and will be, perhaps, for the rest of her life. That may or may not be resolved,” he said.
Mithoff said doctors have described the effects of the injury to her central nervous system as similar to those of a stroke. The areas of the brain affected include those in which injuries can lead to seizures, loss of sensation and loss of spatial awareness, he said. Other potential effects include periods of unresponsiveness and staring spells, frequent headaches and night terrors, he said.
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Doctors so far have not been able to determine if the child has cognitive deficits because of the skull fracture and brain injury resulting from the May 29 line drive to the back of her head off the bat of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr.
“She is able to continue with much of her routine as a girl her age would do, but her parents have to be particularly vigilant — as they are,” Mithoff said.
Almora was visibly distraught when the girl was injured.
“It’s opened my eyes to other things,” he said a few days after the incident. “I never want it to happen again.”
No legal action has been started, and Mithoff declined to comment on any conversations he may have had with Astros officials. However, he has advised them that he represents the family of the child, whose identity has not been released. The Astros have declined comment, citing concerns for the family's privacy.
Major League Baseball has announced that for the 2020 season all 30 teams will extend the netting that protects infield grandstands.


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Police give "all clear'' to 1 of 3 buildings, including Water Tower Place and Block 37, targeted by

Police give "all clear'' to 1 of 3 buildings, including Water Tower Place and Block 37, targeted by bomb threats, authorities say

“ Two police officers came in and told everybody we needed to get out of the mall quickly , ” @ @ @ @ @ himself as a Macy ’ s employee but declined to be identified in full .

Chicago police respond to a bomb threat on Jan. 8, 2020, at Water Tower Place while people stand outside. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Three downtown Chicago buildings targeted Wednesday afternoon by bomb threats have been swept and everything was “all clear,” Chicago police said.
Earlier, some people were being kept outside of Water Tower Place in the 800 block of North Michigan Avenue as police investigated one report of a bomb threat there.
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A Chicago police spokesman confirmed another report of a bomb threat at the Block 37 shopping center in the 100 block of North State Street. A third report of a bomb threat was made at the Four Seasons residences, in the 100 block of East Delaware Place, a Fire Department spokesman said.
The three threats were called in within minutes of each other — 4:26 p.m. for Michigan Avenue and 4:34 p.m. for the Delaware and State locations, police said.
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As of 6:40 p.m., the Delaware, Water Tower and State Street locations had been swept and “everything is all clear,” Chicago police said in a media notification.
Macy’s employees standing outside the south entrance of Water Tower Place said they were told to evacuate shortly after 4:30 p.m.
“Two police officers came in and told everybody we needed to get out of the mall quickly,” said one person who identified himself as a Macy’s employee but declined to be identified in full.
Another woman, who also declined to give her last name, said she was sitting in the Water Tower Place food court when she saw people starting to run.
“I saw people running, so I followed them,” she said.
Shortly before 5 p.m., there was a large, visible law enforcement presence outside Water Tower Place, with police officers stationed at entrances.


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Chicago man charged in death of 9-month-old son beat the boy because he was crying, prosecutors said

In that case , Juarez was accused of trying to choke the sibling , then 2 months old , by @ @ @ @ @ neck , according to Murphy and court records .
Juarez pleaded in Lake County , @ @ @ @ @ charge of domestic battery in front of a child less than 14 years of age @ @ @ @ @ years probation , which he was allowed to serve in Illinois , according to online @ @ @ @

Elyssa Cherney, Megan Crepeau, Rosemary Sobol

A Chicago man charged with fatally beating his 9-month-old son told authorities that he hit the boy and pushed his face into a blanket because he wouldn’t stop crying, prosecutors said.
Joshua Juarez, 28, was ordered held without bail on a first-degree murder charge in his first court appearance Wednesday. The death of his son, Josue Juarez, was ruled a homicide, caused by blunt head trauma and child abuse, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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The young boy suffered extensive injuries that indicate a history of abuse, including bruises to both ears “as if someone pulled and bent the ears downward," old fractures to his arm and back ribs, an adult bite mark and abrasions on his chest that appeared to be in the pattern of a shoe tread, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
Juarez reportedly told authorities that he “beats and smacks” the boy and his older brother, who is 1½ years old, according to Murphy. The mother of the boys has an active order of protection against him due to violence against the older sibling in Hammond in 2018, according to Murphy and Indiana court records.
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In that case, Juarez was accused of trying to choke the sibling, then 2 months old, by wrapping a blanket around his neck, according to Murphy and court records. Juarez pleaded in Lake County, Indiana, court to a charge of domestic battery in front of a child less than 14 years of age and was sentenced to two years probation, which he was allowed to serve in Illinois, according to online Indiana court records.
Joshua Juarez, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 9-month-old son, Josue. (Chicago Police Department)
In court Wednesday, an attorney representing Juarez said he has two children in his native Puerto Rico in addition to the two in Chicago.
It’s not clear how long Juarez had been living in Chicago when first responders were called to his apartment in the city’s Chicago Lawn neighborhood Saturday night.
The boy’s mother called 911 when she found him unresponsive in his crib, wrapped in a blanket and pale with blue lips, Murphy said.
Juarez allegedly told investigators that he “gets angry and frustrated” when Josue cries, Murphy said. When that happened Saturday night, Juarez was on a bed with the infant and started to beat him until his nose bled, Murphy said. He also made a reference to holding the boy upside down at times to try to stop his crying, Murphy said.
The parents initially told investigators that Josue choked while being fed, police said. When authorities questioned the parents further about the boy’s litany of injuries and bruises, Juarez said that he tripped on the stairs the day before while carrying Josue and his sibling in his arms, police said.
Juarez is on probation for the 2018 domestic violence case in Indiana, according to Cook County prosecutors. He was also convicted in 2012 on a charge of misdemeanor domestic battery.
Illinois child welfare officials said they did not have previous involvement with the family and were not notified about the family’s move to Illinois. The agency is investigating the death and has taken protective custody of the sibling.
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Indiana child welfare officials did not answer questions about the 2018 case, citing confidentiality laws.
echerney@chicagotribune.com
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Kraft Heinz finalizes new leadership team with hiring of Campbell’s executive Carlos Abrams-Rivera t

Kraft Heinz finalizes new leadership team with hiring of Campbell’s executive Carlos Abrams-Rivera to head U.S. business

Patricio , a longtime executive at Anheuser-Busch InBev , said assuming the role of U.S. president when he started at @ @ @ @ @ the business better .
He said he was able to meet talent within the company @ @ @ @ @ get to know the brands , which are in 97 % of U.S. households .

Kraft Heinz has named Carlos Abrams-Rivera, a former executive at Campbell Soup Company and Mondelez International, to lead its U.S. business. (Kraft Heinz photo)
Kraft Heinz announced Wednesday that it has named veteran packaged food executive Carlos Abrams-Rivera to lead its U.S. business, marking the completion of a new senior leadership team tasked with improving sales at the processed food giant.
Abrams-Rivera takes over the U.S. business, which makes up 70% of Kraft Heinz’s revenues, from CEO Miguel Patricio, who added the role to his global responsibilities when he took the helm of the company in July and shuffled the C-Suite.
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Paulo Basilio, who had been U.S. president until then, was named chief financial officer. The company said at the time that Basilio’s appointment was a “strategic decision to shift a seasoned veteran” into the role. Basilio replaced David Knopf, who was 29 when he was named CFO in 2017.
“My team is now in place,” Patricio said in an interview Wednesday.
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Abrams-Rivera, 52, joins Kraft Heinz, co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh, after five years at Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Soup Company. Most recently he served as executive vice president of Campbell Snacks, a recently created division whose combined portfolio of Snyder’s-Lance and Pepperidge Farms brands includes Goldfish, Milano, Snyder’s of Hanover, Lance, Kettle Brand and Cape Cod. The snacks division, representing 50% of sales, has been growing as Campbell has struggled with years of falling sales of its namesake soups.
A native of Puerto Rico, Abrams-Rivera previously worked at Deerfield-based Mondelez International, maker of Oreos and Chips Ahoy, where he was president of Mondelez Mexico and president of gum and candy for Mondelez Latin America, among other roles. He started his food career 20 years ago as a senior brand manager at Northfield-based Kraft Foods Group, where he spent more than a decade before the company split into Kraft and Mondelez.
Abrams-Rivera plans to move to Chicago with his wife, who is a Chicago native, and their two daughters.
Patricio said he was seeking a U.S. president who would “define the strategy with me, translate the strategy to action and be successful” as the maker of iconic ketchup and macaroni and cheese brands tries to right its ship. Abrams-Rivera, who helped turn around Mondelez’s Mexico business and the Pepperidge Farms brand at Campbell, brings a “very good commercial mindset and good consumer-centric mindset,” Patricio said.
Kraft Heinz, which owns Oscar Mayer, Velveeta, Cool Whip, Jell-O and numerous other household names, has struggled with sales declines as consumers seek fresh, minimally-processed foods and become less loyal to brands. The rise of nimble food startups touting healthier fare and private-label products present additional competition.
Last year the company wrote down the value of its brands and disclosed that the SEC was investigating accounting misstatements related to pricing agreements with its suppliers. Deep cost-cutting that helped it maintain industry-leading margins — a familiar strategy by 3G Capital, the Brazilian private equity firm that largely controls the company — has been criticized as coming at the expense of innovation and investment in its brands.
Patricio, a longtime executive at Anheuser-Busch InBev, said assuming the role of U.S. president when he started at Kraft Heinz helped him learn the business better. He said he was able to meet talent within the company as well as customers and get to know the brands, which are in 97% of U.S. households.
“What I learned is … how powerful our brands are and how important we are in the United States,” he said.
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With his team finalized and the improved financial results suggesting the business is stabilizing, Patricio said the focus now is the long-term strategy. Third-quarter net income grew to $899 million, from $619 million the over the same period the year prior, though revenues declined.


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Coyote bites 5-year-old boy outside Lincoln Park nature museum, officials say

According to Merritt , the boy was `` bitten about the head , '' and he was taken to Lurie @ @ @ @ @ where his condition had `` stabilized . ''

A Chicago police officer talks with an Animal Control worker as the search for a coyote takes place after a child was bit near the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago on Jan. 8, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
A 6-year-old boy was “attacked" and bitten in the head by a coyote on Wednesday afternoon outside a nature museum in Lincoln Park, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
It happened at 4 p.m. outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, said Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.
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The boy was “bit multiple times by a coyote that ran northbound from the location," said Officer Anthony Spicuzza, a police spokesman. Earlier, police said the boy was 5.
According to Merritt, the boy was "bitten about the head,'' and he was taken to Lurie Children’s Hospital, where his condition had "stabilized.''
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Earlier, Merritt said he was bitten in the hand.
Police were still searching for the animal as of about 4:45 p.m.
Check back for details.
[ Crews rescue a coyote from Monroe Harbor in downtown Chicago ]
[ Migrating bald eagles sighted near Naperville ]
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Jussie Smollett investigation: Judge orders Google to turn over a full year of the actor’s data as p

Jussie Smollett investigation: Judge orders Google to turn over a full year of the actor’s data as part of special prosecutor probe

Investigators sought a full year ’ s data — from November 2018 to November 2019 — even though the key @ @ @ @ @ place between late January and late March 2019 .
Authorities could be looking for any @ @ @ @ @ his manager , especially in the months after State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx ’ @ @ @ @ @ conduct charges against the then- '' Empire '' actor just weeks after his indictment .
@ @ @ @ @ American and openly gay , has declared the dismissal a vindication of his claims that @ @ @ @ @ a racist and homophobic attack .

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail on March 16, 2022, after he was ordered to be released pending appeal of his conviction and 150-day sentence. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
A Cook County judge has ordered Google to turn over Jussie Smollett’s emails, photos, location data and private messages for an entire year as part of the special prosecutor’s investigation into the purported attack on the actor.
Two sweeping search warrants, obtained by the Chicago Tribune, provide the first public glimpse at the direction of the probe by special prosecutor Dan Webb more than four months into the investigation.
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The warrants, filed last month in Circuit Court, sought a trove of documentation from Smollett and his manager’s Google accounts — not just emails but also drafted and deleted messages; any files in their Google Drive cloud storage services; any Google Voice texts, calls and contacts; search and web browsing history; and location data.
Investigators sought a full year’s data — from November 2018 to November 2019 — even though the key events in the controversy took place between late January and late March 2019. Authorities could be looking for any incriminating remarks from Smollett or his manager, especially in the months after State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office abruptly dismissed disorderly conduct charges against the then-"Empire" actor just weeks after his indictment. Smollett, who is African American and openly gay, has declared the dismissal a vindication of his claims that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.
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[ Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx hires outside legal help in Jussie Smollett probe, won’t say how much it’s costing taxpayers ]
The mysterious reversal by Foxx’s office — coming after Foxx herself stepped aside from overseeing the prosecution — sparked a public outcry that ultimately led Judge Michael Toomin to appoint Webb as special prosecutor in late August.
Toomin signed off on the search warrants on Dec. 6, the records show. In doing so, the judge ordered Google and its “representatives, agents and employees” not to disclose his order to turn over the records, saying to do so “may jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation.”
[ A timeline of the Jussie Smollett case ]
It was unclear from the file if Google has handed over the data on Smollett and his manager. A Google spokesman said he could not comment on specific requests for records from law enforcement.
Toomin gave Webb a broad mandate to investigate all aspects of the case — not only its initial handling by Foxx’s office but also whether to criminally charge Smollett again.
The search warrants make clear that Chicago police are assisting in Webb’s investigation.
[ Jussie Smollett will not return for final season of ‘Empire,’ Fox exec confirms ]
Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago police spokesman, confirmed that the department is working with the special prosecutor, conducting “follow-ups” on its initial investigation. But Guglielmi declined further comment, referring inquiries to Webb’s team.
Webb declined to comment on the search warrants or his broader investigation. Smollett’s attorney did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Smollett reported that two men attacked him near his high-rise apartment in the Streeterville neighborhood on a frigid night last Jan. 29, slipping a noose around his neck and shouting racist and homophobic slurs.
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[ Jussie Smollett files counterclaim against Chicago saying prosecution was malicious ]
Smollett’s manager — whose Google account information has also been ordered turned over — called 911 to report the attack and met responding officers in the lobby of Smollett’s building. He can be seen on body camera footage reaching toward Smollett to grab the noose around his neck with disdain. “The reason I’m calling (police) is because of this s--- ,” he said.
But Smollett eventually turned from victim to suspect after an intense investigation by Chicago police detectives who used two brothers’ cellphone records, internet search history and text messages to corroborate their story that the actor paid them $3,500 to stage the attack.
Prosecutors alleged that Smollett staged the attack because he was unhappy with the “Empire” studio’s response to a threatening letter he received at work a week earlier. Chicago police took it a step further, accusing Smollett of faking the letter as well.
[ Judge says Chicago can proceed with suit against Jussie Smollett over police overtime expenses for investigation ]
But just a few weeks after indicting Smollett on 16 counts of disorderly conduct, Foxx’s office made the stunning announcement that all the charges had been dropped with little explanation at an unannounced court hearing.
Smollett’s attorneys have painted the brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who are of Nigerian descent, as homophobic liars who carried out a real attack on Smollett with the help of an as-yet unidentified white co-conspirator. They have long alleged that the brothers’ attorney fed them a fabricated story to tell cops in order to avoid charges.
The whole episode has been costly for Smollett. He now faces a lawsuit from the city of Chicago seeking to recoup $130,000 in police overtime costs for investigating the incident, and the Osundairos have sued Smollett’s attorneys for defamation. Smollett, who reportedly won’t return to his role for the final season of the Fox series “Empire,” filed a counterclaim against the city, saying he was the victim of a malicious prosecution that caused humiliation and extreme distress.
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[ Special prosecutor in Jussie Smollett probe admits contributing $1,000 to State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s campaign in 2016 ]
The episode has also proved damaging to Foxx, who has faced harsh criticism for her handling of the case as she seeks a second term in office. In a campaign ad in November, Foxx acknowledged she had fallen short in the Smollett matter but was vague on specifics. “Truth is, I didn’t handle it well. I own that,” she said.
It is unclear if Webb’s investigation will be completed before she faces three Democratic challengers in the March 17 primary.
Foxx recused herself from overseeing the prosecution after revealing she had contact with a member of Smollett’s family early in the investigation at the request of Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff.
Foxx declined to provide details at the time, but communications later made public showed Foxx had asked then-Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to turn over the investigation to the FBI after she was approached by Tchen, a politically connected lawyer, about the case.
[ Who is Dan Webb? Meet the special prosecutor appointed to the Jussie Smollett case. ]
But other communications released to the Tribune after public-records requests showed Foxx claiming she recused herself because of false rumors that she was related to the actor, not any communications she’d had with his relatives.
Foxx also termed as “bull----” the explanation her own office gave for her withdrawal at the time, the texts show.
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Sheila O’Brien, a retired Illinois appellate judge, petitioned Toomin to appoint a special prosecutor to look into the handling of the Smollett investigation. After extensive legal arguments last summer, Toomin ruled that Foxx had the right to withdraw herself from overseeing the prosecution but held no legal authority to then delegate that responsibility to her top deputy.
With that deputy holding no real authority, the Smollett case made its way through the court system without a legitimate prosecutor at the helm, the veteran judge said, indicating that it was invalid from start to finish.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
jgorner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Girl Scout cookie sales have launched — with fresh packaging, new lemon cookie aimed at empowering f

Girl Scout cookie sales have launched — with fresh packaging, new lemon cookie aimed at empowering female entrepreneurship

In an email , Bouie said the local council `` works closely with licensed bakers to update cookie recipes and @ @ @ @ @ mix based on sales , flavor trends and consumer preferences .
We wanted to keep @ @ @ @ @ know and love but introduce a new take on it , complete with messages inspired @ @ @ @ @ !
”

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America launched cookie sales this month, including a new cookie called Lemon-Ups. (Girl Scouts of the United States of America)
The Girl Scouts launched cookie sales this month with a new lemony treat baked with empowering messages meant to promote female entrepreneurship.
The crispy Lemon-Ups cookie will come with eight messages, including “I am a go-getter” and “I am an innovator" baked into the top. The new cookies replace Savannah Smiles, a lemon wedge cookie topped with powdered sugar. Girl Scouts started selling cookies Jan. 1.
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Lemon-Ups, the newest Girl Scout cookie. (Girl Scouts of the United States of America)
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America also updated the cookie packaging this year with images featuring current scouts camping, canoeing, exploring space science, designing robots and helping improve their local communities. The images on the boxes are meant to show how proceeds from cookie sales are used.
The cookie-selling process promotes female entrepreneurship, said Britney Bouie spokeswoman for Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
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“Apart from the cookies being delicious, it’s a great opportunity ... to learn financial literary skills, customer service experience and leadership skills," Bouie said. "It becomes an opportunity they can take beyond selling cookies.”
The Girl Scouts will continue to sell well-known varieties like Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs and Do-si-dos. Each box of cookies sells for $5, the same price as last year. Sales for the local season run until March 23.
Little Brownie Bakers bakes the cookies sold by the local Girl Scout council. The council and the baking company decide which cookies are available locally based on customer preferences, sales and council traditions, Bouie said.
In an email, Bouie said the local council "works closely with licensed bakers to update cookie recipes and bring new ones into the mix based on sales, flavor trends and consumer preferences. We wanted to keep the same lemon flavor consumers know and love but introduce a new take on it, complete with messages inspired by Girl Scout Cookie entrepreneurs!”
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Last year, the Girl Scouts in the Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana council sold about $23 million in cookies, when there were 36,740 Girl Scouts registered to sell, Bouie said.
Each troop decides how to use proceeds from the cookie sales. Some troops use the money to pay for activities like camping, traveling and coding programs, she said.
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abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--George Perles, longtime Michigan State football coach and coordinator of Steel Curtain defense, dies

George Perles, longtime Michigan State football coach and coordinator of Steel Curtain defense, dies at 85

“ We worked on it during practice that season when we went on to win our first of four Super @ @ @ @ @ ’ t a big part of the game plan until we played Oakland in the @ @ @ @ @ in a 2019 interview with the Associated Press .
“ Oakland didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ .
For about 2½ seasons , no one could run inside us because we had @ @ @ @ @ George said my idea was bad , we may not have ever seen the Stunt @ @ @

George Perles, who coached Michigan State to a Rose Bowl victory in 1988 and was a key defensive assistant for the dominant Steelers teams of the 1970s, died Tuesday. He was 85.
Perles played football at Michigan State and later was an assistant coach, head coach, athletic director and member of the school’s governing body. Michigan State announced Perles’ death Wednesday.
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“George touched so many lives. He helped so many people. He was fiercely loyal and never forgot where he came from,” said Brian Mosallam, a former Michigan State football player now on the board of trustees. “We lost a giant.”
Michigan State hired Perles in 1983 to revive its beleaguered football program. He did just that, winning Big Ten titles in 1987 and 1990 and coaching the school in seven bowl games. He helped the Spartans beat USC 20-17 on Jan. 1, 1988, for their first Rose Bowl win in three-plus decades.
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Perles — whose first head coaching job was at St. Rita High School in Chicago in 1961 — was an assistant coach at Michigan State when the Steelers hired him in 1972 to coach their defensive line. He later was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for a team that won four Super Bowls in six years.
Steelers defensive line coach George Perles displays two Super Bowl rings July 8, 1976, during training camp in Latrobe, Pa. Perles later served as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the four-time champs. (MK/AP)
The Philadelphia Stars of the USFL signed Perles in 1982, but he got out of his contract to return to Michigan State.
The Packers tried to lure Perles to the NFL shortly after his Rose Bowl victory, and the Jets tried two years later. Both times Perles leveraged the opportunities to get what he wanted at Michigan State.
He signed a 10-year contract after passing on the chance to lead the Packers. Just before he was going to be introduced as Jets coach in 1990, he was given the title of athletic director despite objections from John DiBiaggio, the university president.
Perles was forced to give up the AD job in 1992 and was fired as coach late in the 1994 season with the team on the way to a 5-6 finish. After an outside investigation, Peter McPherson, then the school president, said the Spartans would forfeit their games because of an academic scandal. The NCAA cleared Perles.
“I would never have stayed at Michigan State if I knew there could be so much conflict about it, or that my staying could somehow hurt the school,” he said in his book, “George Perles: The Ride of a Lifetime,” published in 1995. “I would have taken the job with Green Bay (in 1988) or with the Jets (in 1990) if I had known what was coming.”
Nick Saban, a former assistant, took over as Michigan State coach after Perles.
“He was one of my mentors in this profession, and he gave me my first opportunity to be in a position of leadership as the defensive coordinator at Michigan State,” Saban said. “I learned an incredible amount of both football and life from him over the years.”
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Perles stayed in Michigan for the rest of his life and helped create the Motor City Bowl, using his charm to get the three major automakers to team up as sponsors.
“In addition to being a great Spartan, he was a problem solver,” said Ken Hoffman, who was a sports information director at Michigan State and also became executive director of the bowl. “Whenever there was an issue, he found a way.”
Perles was elected to the Michigan State board of trustees in 2006 and was re-elected eight years later. He resigned in November 2018, citing his age and his struggles with Parkinson’s disease.
Perles was born and raised in Detroit, where he lived in a one-bedroom apartment with his parents. He attended Western High School and starred on the baseball and football teams.
He went to the University of Tennessee to play football but lasted only a semester, transferring to Florida State and then moving back quickly to the Motor City. He joined the Army in 1954 and enlisted for two years before heading to Michigan State.
Shortly after he was eligible to play in 1958 as a lineman for coach Duffy Daugherty, Perles had a career-ending knee injury and accepted an offer to be a student assistant. After stints coaching high school football in Chicago and suburban Detroit, he was an assistant at the University of Dayton for two years before returning to be an assistant for Daugherty in 1967.
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Steelers coach Chuck Noll hired him to coach defensive linemen in 1972. Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene recalled how Perles asked players for their ideas.
Greene remembered suggesting to Perles during the 1974 season that he line up in an inside gap instead of slanting into it. That led to the Stunt 4-3, a staple of one of the NFL’s great defenses, known as the Steel Curtain.
“We worked on it during practice that season when we went on to win our first of four Super Bowls, but it wasn’t a big part of the game plan until we played Oakland in the playoffs,” Greene said in a 2019 interview with the Associated Press. “Oakland didn’t know what to do with it. For about 2½ seasons, no one could run inside us because we had everything locked down. If George said my idea was bad, we may not have ever seen the Stunt 4-3.”
Mark Dantonio, Michigan State’s current coach, recalled having Perles’ support from the moment he arrived on campus in 2007.
“Coach Perles exuded confidence, conviction and toughness. He really gave his life to Michigan State, all the way till the end,“ Dantonio said in a statement. “He was someone you could lean on.“
Funeral details were pending.
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AP’s Noah Trister contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Chicago activists denounce Trump administration for killing of Iranian general, call for protests

`` We have to protest , not relying on those in power to listen to us , '' Downey said @ @ @ @ @ mobilize millions of people to go into the streets and shut this society down to @ @ @ @ @ and to drive out the Trump/Pence regime . ''

A group of people gather to protest the escalation of military and political conflicts between the U.S. and Iran across the river from the Trump International Hotel and Tower Jan. 8, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
More than 100 activists gathered Wednesday evening across the Chicago River from Trump Tower to denounce the recent killing of an Iranian general by the United States in Iraq and to call for the removal of President Donald Trump from office.
Undeterred by the biting cold, the group chanted over the steady beat of a hollow drum, “No threats, no bombs, no war on Iran!"
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The rally came on the heels of a military exchange between the United States and Iran. On Tuesday, Iran fired a salvo of missiles at two military bases in Iraq housing American troops. The attack came a week after an American drone strike killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, responsible for military and covert operations abroad and designated by the U.S. State and Treasury departments as a terrorist organization. No Americans were killed or injured in Tuesday’s attack, Trump said Wednesday morning.
“Let’s be very clear who bears the responsibility for all of the death and destruction that could result from this,” Patrick McWilliams, a Chicago activist, said to the crowd Wednesday evening. “The United States is,” he said.
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[ Trump says no U.S. or Iraqi lives lost in Iranian missile barrage ]
Carrying signs that read “No war on Iran!” and “U.S. troops out of Iraq,” the boisterous crowd gathered on the northeast corner of Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue to voice displeasure with America’s attack on Iran, and then the protesters marched through the Loop.
Justin Miller attends a protest of the escalation of military and political conflicts between the U.S. and Iran across the river from the Trump International Hotel and Tower Jan. 8, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“We have to protest, not relying on those in power to listen to us,” said Lou Downey, a member of Refuse Fascism, an activist group formed to call for Trump’s removal. “But instead, mobilize millions of people to go into the streets and shut this society down to stop this potential escalating war and to drive out the Trump-Pence regime.”
In an address to the nation Wednesday morning from the White House, Trump appeared to move away from a continued military conflict with Iran as tensions rise.
“Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world,” Trump said Wednesday morning.
Lucha Bright, a Chicago activist, called the killing of Soleimani an "act of war."
“The biggest and most dangerous power in the world is destroying the lives of people all over the world,” she said. “And people in this country are turning their faces aside from it and letting it happen.”
janderson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Soccer player Kealia Ohai referred to as ‘J.J. Watt’s fiancee,’ showing ‘how far we still have not c

Soccer player Kealia Ohai referred to as ‘J.J. Watt’s fiancee,’ showing ‘how far we still have not come’ in gender equality

This week ’ s name gaffe isn ’ t the first time .
In a CBS news tweet last June @ @ @ @ @ criticized after it neglected to name Julie Ertz ( also of the Red Stars , @ @ @ @ @ women ’ s soccer team ) , instead referring to her as the wife of @ @ @ @ @ Ertz .

Kealia Ohai, second from left, celebrates with her teammates after scoring a goal during the Houston Dash's game versus Orlando Pride on June 27, 2018. (Stephen M. Dowell / Orlando Sentinel)
When it was announced that soccer player Kealia Ohai was traded to the Chicago Red Stars from the Houston Dash, sports journalists tweeted the news. One forgot to use her name.
A Houston TV station instead referred to Ohai in a tweet Tuesday as “J.J. Watt’s fiancee.”
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The tweet by Houston’s ABC 13 prompted fierce criticism from many, including Watt, a Houston Texans defensive end.
Houston Dash trade J.J. Watt's fiancee to Chicago https://t.co/EX9cX455kH pic.twitter.com/0dylaVKpK9 — ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) January 7, 2020
“Kealia Ohai (which is her name by the way, since you didn’t even bother to mention it) is incredible entirely on her own merit and deserves to be treated as such. Be better than this,” Watt tweeted.
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While the station later apologized, praising Ohai, and changed its headline on the story to use her name, the move serves as an unfortunate reminder, according to experts.
“It shows you how far we still have not come,” said Barbara Risman, sociology professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “We refer to women as their relationship to men. As a society, we have yet to really leave behind the notion that women are a part of men’s estates.”
This week’s name gaffe isn’t the first time. In a CBS news tweet last June, the news organization was criticized after it neglected to name Julie Ertz (also of the Red Stars, as well as the U.S. women’s soccer team), instead referring to her as the wife of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Zach Ertz.
Eagles tight end Zach Ertz leaves training camp to watch wife in World Cup https://t.co/9fmD1wjd9c pic.twitter.com/5FixB1TrZI — CBS News (@CBSNews) June 13, 2019
And in 2016, the Chicago Tribune apologized after a headline and tweet failed to name trapshooter Corey Cogdell-Unrein after she won the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, instead referring to her as the wife of a Chicago Bears lineman.
In crafting headlines and tweets, news organizations often aim to use the name of the most famous person for search engine optimization purposes.
But even the tradition of announcing a newly married couple at a wedding as “Mr. and Mrs.,” and then using only the man’s last name, perpetuates this inequality, Risman said, even if it’s done as a well-meaning tradition with no ill intent.
“Many people sort of unconsciously and unknowingly feed into it,” she said.
“People say it doesn’t matter, men and women are equal, and it’s just tradition,” Risman added. “But every time we use (that tradition), we in some way pass them on, and we validate it for the next generation.”
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Words and traditions matter, Risman said.
“We talk about women as ‘the wife of’ because men are the central players and women are the satellites around them,” she said. “One almost never hears a man described as a ‘husband of.’”
There have been significant strides when it comes to gender equality, Risman said, “but we are still in the middle of a movement toward equality.”
“These are just signs of how far and maybe how many generations unfortunately it may take us to leave these kinds of notions behind,” she said. “I think we are slowly but surely doing that.”
kthayer@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--How the Bears kept Eddie Jackson’s 2020 salary-cap number low in giving him a new 5-year, $60.55 mil

How the Bears kept Eddie Jackson’s 2020 salary-cap number low in giving him a new 5-year, $60.55 million contract

The two-time Pro Bowl performer received a $ 12 million signing bonus , and while he will earn $ 13.15 @ @ @ @ @ salary-cap number for 2020 is only $ 3,716,452 , according to documents provided by an @ @ @ @ @ s significant with the Bears projected to be snug against the salary cap , which @ @ @ @ @ be about $ 200 million in the event a new CBA is not reached .

The Bears were able to sign free safety Eddie Jackson to a lucrative contract extension without a big cap number in 2020 when the team will be tight against the salary cap unless a new collective bargaining agreement can be reached between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
Jackson agreed to an impressive four-year, $58.4 million extension Friday, four days after players from the 2017 draft class were first eligible to receive new deals, and signed the contract Saturday.
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The two-time Pro Bowl performer received a $12 million signing bonus, and while he will earn $13.15 million this year, his salary-cap number for 2020 is only $3,716,452, according to documents provided by an NFL source. That’s significant with the Bears projected to be snug against the salary cap, which the NFL has estimated will be about $200 million in the event a new CBA is not reached.
The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire at the end of the 2020 season. A new agreement, if reached before the start of the new league year March 18, could significantly raise the cap for the 2020 season.
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 43 Bears free safety Eddie Jackson heads to the locker room after a 21-9 playoff loss to the Saints on Jan. 10, 2021, in New Orleans. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The average salary of the four-year extension at $14.6 million is the highest in the NFL for the position. Folding in the fifth year of the contract, as Jackson was signed through 2020, the average of the $60.55 million deal is $12.11 million, which ranks fifth among safeties leaguewide behind Kevin Byard (14.1 million), Landon Collins ($14 million), Tyrann Mathieu ($14 million) and Earl Thomas ($13.75 million).
The contract is guaranteed for injury at $33 million and fully guaranteed at $22 million.
A breakdown of the deal:
2020
$12 million signing bonus
$1.05 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Cash total $13.15 million
Cap figure $3,716,452
Notes: Fully guaranteed for injury. Guaranteed for skill/cap if on 90-man roster on Feb. 5. Includes $8 million NFL Honors escalator, which is unlikely to be earned in order to comply with the NFL’s 30% rule (money from a renegotiation/extension can’t increase more than 30% per year).
2021
$8.95 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Cash total $9.05 million
Cap figure $11.45 million
Notes: Fully guaranteed for injury. Guaranteed for skill/cap if on 90-man roster on Feb. 5, 2020. Includes $2 million NFL Honors escalator, which is unlikely to be earned in order to comply with the 30% rule.
2022
$11 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Cash total $11.1 million
Cap figure $13.5 million
Notes: Fully guaranteed for injury. Guaranteed for skill/cap if on 90-man roster on third day of 2022 league year.
2023
$13 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Cash total $13.1 million
Cap figure $15.5 million
2024


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Two African American executives sue McDonald’s for alleged racial discrimination

“ At McDonald ’ s , our actions are rooted in our belief that a diverse , vibrant , inclusive @ @ @ @ @ stronger , '' the company said , noting that 45 % of its corporate officers @ @ @ @ @ field vice presidents are people of color .
`` While we disagree with characterizations in @ @ @ @ @ currently reviewing it and will respond to the complaint accordingly .
”

Two African American executives filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s alleging they were passed over for promotions, subjected to a hostile work environment and ultimately demoted due to “pervasive” racial discrimination at the Chicago-based fast food giant.
In the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Chicago federal court, Victoria Guster-Hines and Domineca Neal, who work out of the company’s Dallas office, cited a “hostile and abusive work environment” that included threats, derogatory racial comments and impediments to advancement for African Americans within the company.
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McDonald’s demoted both Guster-Hines and Neal from vice president to senior director positions in July 2018 as part of a broader corporate restructuring under former CEO Steve Easterbrook, which the lawsuit alleges was a “ruthless purge” of African Americans from the ranks of its senior executives.
Easterbrook, who was fired in November over an admitted consensual relationship with an employee, was named as a defendant in the lawsuit along with current CEO Chris Kempczinski and Charles Strong, the Chicago-based west zone president for McDonald’s.
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“In shocking ways difficult to overstate, McDonald’s under Easterbrook and Kempczinski declared war against the African American community,” the lawsuit said.
McDonald’s issued a statement Wednesday addressing the lawsuit and disputing its allegations.
“At McDonald’s, our actions are rooted in our belief that a diverse, vibrant, inclusive and respectful company makes us stronger," the company said, noting that 45% of its corporate officers and all 10 of its field vice presidents are people of color. "While we disagree with characterizations in the complaint, we are currently reviewing it and will respond to the complaint accordingly.”
Carmen Caruso, a Chicago-based attorney representing Guster-Hines and Neal in the lawsuit, said Wednesday both employees are on a leave of absence from their positions at McDonald’s.
Guster-Hines and Neal also filed charges of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Caruso said.
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The lawsuit, which recounts years of alleged racial discrimination, is seeking undisclosed monetary damages, but cites over $2 million in lost pay and benefits for Guster-Hines and “hundreds of thousands of dollars” for Neal.
Guster-Hines, who has an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, joined McDonald’s in 1987 as a management trainee, according to the lawsuit. She rose through the ranks to become a regional director of operations, among other roles, but was repeatedly passed over for higher-level executive promotions at McDonald’s by an “unwritten policy of racial discrimination that impeded her rise," the lawsuit alleges.
For example, the lawsuit cites a racial slur allegedly directed at Guster-Hines by an Ohio regional vice president in 2005. She reported the incident to her superiors, but McDonald’s did “absolutely nothing” in response, the lawsuit alleges.
In 2013, Guster-Hines was “finally” promoted to vice president of franchising and operations for the Houston office, but hit a “glass ceiling,” the lawsuit alleges. The hostile work environment continued, the suit alleges, with west zone president Strong allegedly labeling her and other African American employees as “angry black women.”
Guster-Hines alleges the environment was so stressful she took a 12-week medical leave of absence in September 2017, according to the complaint.
Neal, who has an MBA from the University of Michigan, joined McDonald’s in 2012 as a director trainee in Chicago. In 2015, she was named director of operations for the Indianapolis region and was promoted two years later to vice president of franchising and operations, according to the complaint.
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In July 2018, Guster-Hines and Neal were demoted to directors in the restructuring initiative by McDonald’s, which reduced the number of field offices serving the franchised restaurants, according to the complaint. Both were relocated to the company’s Dallas office.
Guster-Hines and Neal allege their demotions were retaliation for their support of the National Black McDonald’s Owners Association in ongoing internal protests against the restaurant chain over a “startling decrease” in the number of restaurants owned by African Americans during the Easterbrook/Kempczinski era, according to the lawsuit.
More broadly, the lawsuit alleges white officers were not dismissed or demoted in the same proportions as African Americans during the restructuring, and that in the three years prior to that, McDonald’s “demoted or severed ties” with 31 out of 37 African American officers.
A McDonald’s spokeswoman said in an email Wednesday that the company has reduced the number of officer level positions over the last five years, and that any decrease in African American officers is proportional to the overall reduction.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Verboten, the musical: The story of how punk changed the lives of four Evanston kids and went on to

Verboten, the musical: The story of how punk changed the lives of four Evanston kids and went on to inspire Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl

“ I came to Evanston every summer to visit relatives , only this particular time Tracey had turned into a punk rocker , which just blew me away , ” Grohl told the Tribune in a 1996 interview , on the eve of Foo Fighters ’ first tour .
“ I mean the only punk rock I ’ d been exposed to was either on ( TV shows ) ‘ Quincy ’ or ‘ C.H.I.P.S.
’ And here comes Tracey down the stairs in bondage pants , her hair cut short and black .
She took me to my first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raygun and Rights of the Accused , and it was the best time I ’ d ever had doing anything .
Then I find out she ’ s actually in a band , so she brings me to a Verboten rehearsal in their basement .
I couldn ’ t believe these kids my age were playing this style of music and writing their own songs .
Jason was playing this guitar that looked bigger than he was .
It was a huge revelation : ‘ I can do this too !
’ From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man .
”

The new musical “Verboten” is named after a punk band formed by a bunch of kids in Evanston, circa 1982-83. That may not seem like a big deal. But then there’s the subtitle, which promises a lot more: “A Story About How Punk Saves Lives.”
“It’s a corny phrase, but when we were kids, this band, this music, meant everything to us,” says Jason Narducy, Verboten’s co-founder and songwriter, who now records and tours with Bob Mould and Superchunk, among others, in between sessions with his band Split Single. As corny or melodramatic as that subtitle might be, for four kids from a Chicago suburb it continues to ring true.
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Narducy comes from a troubled home where he and his father were constantly at odds, each week a never-ending series of emotional cul de sacs. In contrast, picking up a guitar and playing fast, hard-edged music with his friends in a basement felt liberating.
“When anyone feels scared or lost, you’re just grasping for anything to hold on to,” Narducy says. “When you’re a kid, you feel even more desperate. You need things to feel good about. No one else was playing gigs at rock clubs at age 11. Playing in the band was important to all of us, a way to propel us through the turmoil of middle school and high school.”
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The play, which opens Jan. 16 at the Chopin Theatre, was directly inspired by a Verboten testimonial from Dave Grohl, founder of Foo Fighters and a former member of Nirvana, in his 2013 HBO documentary mini-series “Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways.” Grohl saw Verboten when he was a kid, and if it didn’t exactly save his life, it certainly transformed it.
Not that any of that was apparent in 1982 when Narducy and his friends in the band — singer Tracey Bradford, bassist Chris Kean and drummer Zack Kantor, ranging in age from 11 to 15 – bonded over their shared love of punk. When the band members went their separate ways after a mere 15 months, Verboten’s story seemed destined to occupy an obscure corner in Chicago punk lore. But the quartet’s impact loomed larger than anyone could have ever expected.
Jason Narducy (center) works with Jimmy Chung during a rehearsal of the new musical "Verboten" at the House Theatre of Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
As punk rockers, the band members were misfits not just in their school, but at local clubs unwilling to give a shot to untested bands who played a not particularly popular style of music. Yet the band wrote and recorded its own songs and even played a few gigs, including one at Cubby Bear opening for future Chicago punk icons Naked Raygun and Articles of Faith.
“We were definitely nervous,” Narducy says. “But everyone there that night – the band, the audience — we all felt like outsiders. It was hard to get an original band gig let alone a punk rock one at that point. You had to be a cover band or play country, reggae, anything but punk rock. But Tracey gave us an air of confidence because she knew so many people. The other bands (on the bill) embraced us because we were so precocious, and they were impressed not just that we knew this style of music but could write original songs. There was a lot of love in that room that night.”
Among those who became enamored with the band of adolescent punk rockers was a 13-year-old Dave Grohl. He had no idea about punk rock or that his cousin Tracey was in a band when he arrived from Virginia with his family to visit her in Evanston during the summer of 1982.
“I came to Evanston every summer to visit relatives, only this particular time Tracey had turned into a punk rocker, which just blew me away,” Grohl told the Tribune in a 1996 interview, on the eve of Foo Fighters’ first tour. “I mean the only punk rock I’d been exposed to was either on (TV shows) ‘Quincy’ or ‘C.H.I.P.S.’ And here comes Tracey down the stairs in bondage pants, her hair cut short and black. She took me to my first punk rock show ever, with Naked Raygun and Rights of the Accused, and it was the best time I’d ever had doing anything. Then I find out she’s actually in a band, so she brings me to a Verboten rehearsal in their basement. I couldn’t believe these kids my age were playing this style of music and writing their own songs. Jason was playing this guitar that looked bigger than he was. It was a huge revelation: ‘I can do this too!’ From then on, I was a changed man.”
Narducy didn’t connect the kid he briefly met in 1982 with the front man in Foo Fighters until he read the 1996 Tribune article. But Verboten left a deeper imprint on Grohl, who got teary eyed when discussing the band of young punks on “Sonic Highways.”
Evanston's Verboten in 1983 (from left): Zack Kantor, Chris Kean, Jason Narducy, Tracey Bradford. (Verboten / HANDOUT)
Brett Neveu, a senior lecturer at Northwestern University and a veteran playwright and scriptwriter for TV and film, happened to be watching and realized Grohl was talking about his neighbor in Evanston, where their daughters were both attending the same school.
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“I’d been in bands for 20 years and had wanted to do a rock musical for a while,” Neveu says. “I loved Jason’s music, the pop quality of it, and felt it would translate well to the stage. I had a vague idea for a story about the music that stayed with us from that age, this universal truth about how a play or a concert or a movie can connect with us at a certain point in our lives and inspire us.”
It wasn’t a straight path to the stage. The script underwent numerous revisions over five years as Neveu increasingly focused on the complex relationships of the band members with each other and their families. All the band members have found stability in adulthood – Bradford in Florida and Kantor and Kean in Evanston – and were supportive of the musical, but were wary of digging too deep into decades-old family conflicts.
“It died a number of times,” Narducy says of the play. “At one point I said to one of the band members that I don’t care about this musical as much as I care about us being friends. Our story as people was more important than our music. So I had to have a talk with my dad, and I’m sure others had discussions with their families. We finally found a comfortable space by making it a fictional story based on true events. In the interim, I remember losing momentum myself, but Brett just kept rewriting. His focus and dedication really propelled this forward.”
The play found a home at the House Theater of Chicago, where artistic director Nathan Allen signed on as director. Narducy wrote 20 new songs for the musical that reflected the viewpoints of both the band members and their parents, and they play a pivotal role by laying bare the personal turmoil that underpinned Verboten.
Artistic director Nathan Allen during a rehearsal of the new musical "Verboten" at the House Theatre of Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The process of writing the songs and excavating some of those adolescent emotions gave Narducy, who is married and has three children, a new perspective on the band and his life since then.
“It makes me very thankful that my own kids aren’t desperately trying to form another family like I was,” Narducy says. “Hopefully I’ve learned some things from the past. That is something that crosses my mind – forgiveness. I think of meeting my wife when I was 21, the ups and downs of the music business keeping me grounded, a recognition of how I ended up being OK. And I am OK.”
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For Neveu, those truths became central to the play. For him, the “A Story About How Punk Saves Lives” tagline isn’t just hyperbole, though he might tweak it a bit.
“As a person who loves punk, I think it saves lives and also gives life,” the playwright says. “As an art form, as a mode of expression, it gives life to those who hang on to it, or discover it. People think punk is about tearing things down, but in reality it’s about examination and a rally cry … Go back to the interview with Grohl – what was it about Verboten that he latched on to? These kids that you know are in pain, are like you, are regular kids from the suburbs, what about them is so inspiring? And I found out what it was in talking to all of them about that experience. Their story has this genuine heart.”
“Verboten: “A Story About How Punk Saves Lives,” opens 8 p.m. Jan. 16 (through March 8) at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division, $25-$50; (773) 769-3832.
Greg Kot is a Tribune critic.
greg@gregkot.com
Twitter @gregkot


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Blackhawks Q&A: Should they tank? How will they use their $11 million in salary-cap space? Will Core

Blackhawks Q&A: Should they tank? How will they use their $11 million in salary-cap space? Will Corey Crawford be traded?

Bottom-five teams in the Western Conference are the Blackhawks , Predators , Sharks , Ducks and Kings .
Arguably the @ @ @ @ @ 10 years .
To get back on top , the Hawks should focus on a @ @ @ @ @ , like they did when they were a last-place team in the 2000s .
If @ @ @ @ @ can still contend from their present position , they will stay at the bottom of @ @ @ @ @ decade .
Agree or disagree ?
The core contracts are what they are .
I @ @ @ @ @ trade guys like Alex DeBrincat , Dylan Strome and anyone in the 20-25 range , @ @ @ @ @ Tank the rest of this season and all of next season , and another 10-year @ @ @ @ @ only be a few years away .
— Doug E .

It’s finally 2020 and the new year is, well, looking a lot like 2019 for the Blackhawks.
They can’t build any real momentum toward the playoffs and another key player — this time Dylan Strome — will miss some time after injuring his right ankle against the Flames.
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Too soon to start thinking about 2021? Not based on some of the questions I received this week.
Let’s get to the questions — but first, join our vocal and growing Blackhawks fans Facebook group.
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Now that they have some games under their belt, the rookies appear to be playing better. Do you think this is why of late the arrow is pointing up for the Blackhawks? — Charles S.
Absolutely. Most of their rookies have been contributing during the last few weeks when they typically have been playing six of them on a given night.
Dominik Kubalik is a rookie by the NHL’s eligibility rules, but at 24 he’s not quite the same as the others. But he really has made a jump the last few weeks and has a great chance at a 20-goal season.
Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist are still teenagers, so while their numbers aren’t very good — Dach has one point in his last 23 games — the fact that they’re holding their own against much older competition is what’s impressive. That will pay even bigger dividends next season and beyond.
Dennis Gilbert has been decent as a third-pairing defenseman and Matthew Highmore is fine as a fourth-line forward.
The rookie to keep an eye on the rest of the way is Alex Nylander, who played Tuesday against the Flames after being a healthy scratch for three straight games. At 21, Nylander should be better by now, and his struggles should be a huge concern.
He makes too many mistakes, isn’t scoring enough — he has five goals and nine assists in 40 games — and isn’t showing he was worth trading defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the Sabres.
But just as Dach, Boqvist and Kubalik have improved recently, maybe it’s Nylander’s time for the lightbulb to go on. How he performs could be one of the keys to the rest of the season, especially if the right ankle injury Dylan Strome suffered Tuesday keeps him out for an extended period.
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Bottom-five teams in the Western Conference are the Blackhawks, Predators, Sharks, Ducks and Kings. Arguably the best teams over the previous 10 years. To get back on top, the Hawks should focus on a total rebuild for the future, like they did when they were a last-place team in the 2000s. If they continue to think they can still contend from their present position, they will stay at the bottom of the conference for the next decade. Agree or disagree? The core contracts are what they are. I’d be looking to trade guys like Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome and anyone in the 20-25 range, all for draft picks. Tank the rest of this season and all of next season, and another 10-year run at Stanley Cups might only be a few years away. — Doug E.
There’s a lot to unpack here. Let me repeat what I said earlier in the season that I don’t think any of the Hawks players — Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews included — should be untouchable. So on that we agree.
But you want to trade Strome and DeBrincat for draft picks? What would that solve? All the Hawks would be doing then is praying those draft picks turn into ... players like Strome and DeBrincat.
The main issue you’re pointing out is that the Hawks can’t decide if they’re a contender or in need of a rebuild. They will never use the word “rebuild,” that’s just not in the DNA of team President John McDonough, so don’t expect to see them behave like a rebuilding team anytime soon.
Which leaves them where they are now: A team with one superstar, a few really good players and a ton of question marks. One of the worst things that has happened to the Hawks in recent seasons is, assuming they miss the playoffs again, they will never have made it to the postseason when DeBrincat, Strome and Erik Gustafsson were dirt cheap.
This season they’re making a combined $3 million or so. Next season, Gustafsson is likely to be gone and DeBrincat and Strome will be getting around $11 million or so combined.
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With Kane and Toews eating up $10.5 million apiece in cap space — unlike the Bruins, Penguins and Capitals, whose top stars make considerably less — it’s essential that the Hawks strike while young players are performing at a high level on their entry-level deals.
Dach and Boqvist each have two more seasons with cap hits under $1 million. The Hawks expect them to continue to improve and be important players, but their value won’t be the same once their next deals kick in.
Ever since the Blackhawks put Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan on long-term injured reserve I’ve been curious to know what Stan Bowman’s options are with the $11 million-$12 million of cap space that opened up for the rest of this season. They are unlikely to go after high-priced rentals like they did in 2015, given the fact they aren’t in a position to realistically make a Cup run, so what other options are available to them? — Jason T.
Hey, Jimmy, now that the Hawks have $13 million free from Seabrook and de Haan out, who can they get to shore up their defense? — Tony C.
To be clear, the Hawks have roughly $11.7 million in cap space right now, according to capfriendly.com. If they will use it and how will they use it are two huge questions without obvious answers.
An important thing to keep in mind is that the cap space available because Seabrook and de Haan are on long-term injured reserve disappears when the season is over. So they’re not likely to go after anybody whose contract would hamper them during the summer free-agency period or next season.
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The three players who are on expiring deals and would be good fits are Devils defenseman Sami Vantanen, Kings forward Tyler Toffoli and Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
But these guys are not being dealt for spare parts. So if Bowman is getting any of them, he’ll have to give up something of value, and it’s just not something I see happening unless they go on a long winning streak over the next month.
Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford gives up a goal to the Devils' John Hayden on Dec. 23, 2019. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Hi, Jimmy. Two questions. Is there a chance Corey Crawford could be traded? It makes sense to me for a lot of reasons. Also, are you as afraid as I am that Bowman will make yet another mistake and trade important draft picks or prospects for a rental player just because of the temporary cap space? Just sneaking into the playoffs to get rocked in Round 1 is not worth it. — Jonathan S.
It’s extremely unlikely Corey Crawford gets traded unless he wants to be. He has a limited no-movement clause that allows him to name the 10 teams he can be dealt to, so it’s still largely in his control.
If he doesn’t want to go anywhere, his agent can figure out which 10 teams would have little need for a 35-year-old goalie and give that list to the Hawks.
The other factor is that there just aren't many, if any, contending teams in need of a starting goalie. And also keep in mind that Crawford isn't a clear-cut starter anymore.
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He has been really good at times and has had two really strong games while Robin Lehner has been dealing with a knee injury, but he’s the No. 2 goalie now on a team that likely isn’t making the playoffs.
Will there be a market for him? Sure, but at best the Hawks would get a late-round pick and I can't imagine they're willing to dump their two-time Stanley Cup winner to take a flyer on the 150th pick in next year's draft.
As for Bowman trading for a rental, I don’t think that’s his mindset. Not because he wouldn’t want to desperately avoid a third straight season without the playoffs, but because he’s smart enough to know it’s a real long shot and because the Hawks simply don’t have the assets.
There is a huge gap between their top young players — Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist — and the next tier of Evan Barratt, Philipp Kurashev and Nicolas Beaudin. Dylan Sikura isn’t a prospect anymore and is young enough with some potential upside to entice some teams, but he’s hardly a centerpiece to any trade.
I do believe Bowman will make some moves before the Feb. 24 trade deadline if the Hawks stay close to a playoff spot, but there are only 18 games left until then and they have a brutal road schedule in February. They may be far enough back by then that no trade to help them this season will be worth making.
What’s the status on Andrew Shaw and timeline for return? — Mark M.
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Andrew Shaw’s condition is becoming one of the more perplexing storylines of the season, but that’s often the case with concussions. Unlike Drake Caggiula, who has been out with a concussion since Nov. 10 but has been skating for over a month, Shaw hasn’t been practicing with the Hawks.
It's not clear when Shaw suffered the concussion or even if it happened during the last game he played for the Hawks on Nov. 30 against the Avalanche. There's no timeline for his return.
Keep in mind that Shaw has a history of concussions, which he used to try to conceal to get back on the ice. Only after experiencing deep anxiety, depression and headaches did he come to the realization that getting back to playing at all costs wasn't the way to go.
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“If there’s something wrong, right away you have to speak up and say something,” he told Canadian network Sportsnet in 2017.
The Hawks do not provide updates on players who have concussions, and with Shaw not practicing he hasn't been available for interviews. But there's no indication he's any closer to returning than he was a month ago.
Despite the team’s overall performance it seems like Robin Lehner is enjoying his Chicago experience. Do you think that will hold any weight during free agency? — Kevin P.
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Yes, especially since the Hawks have exclusive-negotiating rights with him until free agency begins July 1. But Lehner thought he was getting a long-term deal last summer from the Islanders — a team he loves after how they supported him through his addiction recovery — so loyalty may not be as big a part of the equation as one might expect.
Also, while the Hawks will gain $6 million from Corey Crawford’s expiring contract, they’re not in a great position with the salary cap. Including getting Crawford’s money back, the Hawks will have only about $15 million in cap space for next summer.
That doesn’t include the possibility of trades and buyouts to give them more money to work with, but in addition to Lehner they’re also going to need to re-sign Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik, both of whom are unrestricted free agents.
My guess is Lehner returns on a four-year deal worth around $25 million, but if he doesn’t sign before free agency starts, then teams with more money to spend and a glaring need at goal could make a play for him.


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Reefer, man: A brief history of marijuana in the movies, from demon weed to sight gag and beyond

“ It ’ s going to take some of it out , ” argues Columbia College Chicago associate professor Ron @ @ @ @ @ and film history .
“ Part of comedy is dealing with the forbidden , and @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not the same .
From a screenwriting perspective I wonder if the actions @ @ @ @ @ film , or TV show ) take , if they ’ re using marijuana , @ @ @ @ @ plausible .
More people are going to know what marijuana is , and what it @ @ @ @ @ t do .
”

It’s 420 day, or 4/20 day, if you’re into forward slashes. Weed day! It’s weed day. And this is a column about marijuana in the movies, going back many, many decades — as does cannabis.
A half-century has passed since Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong gave us the “Dave’s not here” routine. It remains 83 seconds of stupidly perfect stoner comedy, and without it, just about every commercially successful 21st-century pothead odyssey, with side orders of violence and snacking — “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” “Pineapple Express,” dozens more — is unthinkable.
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Does legalizing the forbidden take the funny out of it?
“It’s going to take some of it out,” argues Columbia College Chicago associate professor Ron Falzone, who teaches screenwriting nd film history. “Part of comedy is dealing with the forbidden, and once something becomes legal it’s not the same. From a screenwriting perspective I wonder if the actions that characters (in a film, or TV show) take, if they’re using marijuana, will have to be more plausible. More people are going to know what marijuana is, and what it does, and doesn’t do.”
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Falzone likens the Illinois cannabis legalization to the 1933 end of alcohol’s Prohibition era. “After Prohibition had turned the entire nation into criminals,” he says, even with the Depression raging “there was this period of elation in the movies.” He doesn’t expect a comparable pop-culture celebration regarding pot.
Kal Penn (left) as Kumar and John Cho (right) as Harold in New Line Cinema's comedy, "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle." (AP Photo/Sophie Giraud)
Neither does Tamika Spaulding, a recent graduate of the Harold Ramis Film School at The Second City. She agrees with Falzone: Legalization will “change the way it’s shown on screen.”
“Two things,” she says, "pop out to me when I think about how it’s usually dealt with: in a caper, like ‘Pineapple Express,’ or in a coming-of-age experimentation way.” The relatively uncharted territory, Spaulding says, lies in “being honest about the actual effects of marijuana. As a writer and director, it makes me think about marijuana as a storytelling device, and how to think about it differently."
"There’s something interesting in how you can start to portray it on screen, as a part of an ordinary, everyday life.”
In the silent film era, marijuana (along with cocaine, heroin and other drugs) meant either criminality or hijinks or both, depending on the movies and on the political sentiment of the moment. The 1924 short “Notch Number One,” also known as “High on the Range,” delivered anti-marijuana propaganda in a Western setting. When an upright, clean-cut cowboy decides to experiment, it’s only a matter of time before he turns into a killer.
Other films, especially in the early sound era prior to the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code, turned marijuana into a gag — laughing gas in cigarette form. In the 1932 “Jewel Robbery,” William Powell is a suave burglar who disarms various authority figures by offering them his special cigarettes, “a pleasant, harmless smoke.” Bam! They’re giggling like maniacs in no time.
Depression-era audiences could’ve gotten high just watching some of the pre-Code musical numbers. In “The Big Broadcast” (1932), Cab Calloway hi-de-hoes his way through the song “Kickin’ the Gong Around,” borrowing the jazz underground phrase for smoking a “muggle,” or some “mezz,” aka cannabis. (Jazz lingo really is the best.) “It was down in Chinatown/All the cokies laid around/Some were high, and some were mighty low,” the lyrics went.
A year later Calloway was back with an up-tempo ode to marijuana habitues, in the W.C. Fields comedy “International House” (1933). “What’s the matter with this cat here?” the bandleader asks his sidemen, while the bass player, plainly stoned, slaps out a crazy rhythm.
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“He’s high!”
“Whaddya mean he’s high?”
“Fulla weed!”
“Fulla weed?!”
And off they sail into a frantic comic ditty called “Reefer Man.” The song’s lyrics paint the man in question as a disoriented goofball half out of his mind. Just before the fade-out, however, Calloway is heard to utter: “Now pass that thing slightly, lightly and politely.”
One of the strangest of all pre-Code movies, “Murder at the Vanities” (1934), offers a musical interlude titled “Sweet Marihuana,” with an h. (Historical footnote: A 1921 edition of the humor magazine “Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang” includes the seriocomic poem “Pangs of Conscience”: “For now I’m down and out,/ And broken is my will,/ I’d sell my very clothes/ For a marewanna pill.”) Against a backdrop of cactus and a chorus of Mexican guitars, vocalist Gertrude Michael wails: “Soothe me with your caress ... help me in my distress, sweet marihuana.”
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Bowing to boycott threats from, among others, the Catholic Legion of Decency, that same year Hollywood cleaned up its act. The Production Code, long sidestepped by the studios, went into enforcement. Meantime: With alcohol again legal, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics needed something to target.
A scene from "Reefer Madness." (HANDOUT /)
Presto: reefer! Before long, wild-eyed anti-marijuana scare pictures such as “Reefer Madness” (1936) entered the marketplace. Decades later that title once again became big business, although this time a punchline, when it recirculated in midnight screenings in the 1970s.
By that time the establishment culture had run headlong into the counterculture, and Hollywood didn’t know whether to follow the old blueprints or listen to the younger generation. Scare tactics, however, still made for effective melodrama. In the notorious 1967 “Dragnet” TV episode titled “The Big High,” a respectable-looking middle-class couple, not-so-secret dopers, leave their baby unattended in a rapidly filling bathtub. The child drowns.
“The baby in the bathtub scene is not mine; Jack Webb did an uncredited rewrite to make his point,” screenwriter David H. Vowell, a veteran of ‘60s and ‘70s series television, told me last year. “I objected at the time. And I still object. And this is the first time I’ve gone on the public record. But Jack was good to me. He had his finger on the pulse of law and order, and of law enforcement.” Vowell’s original script ended with the couple getting busted, and the child alive and well. Webb saw things differently.
Cheech & Chong saw things differently, too. By the time the comedy duo made it big with their self-titled 1971 debut album, the Jack Webbs of Hollywood had largely receded and the complex, contradictory pop culture swirl of New Hollywood spun forward.
Tommy Chong, left, lights up with Cheech Marin in "Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke," from 1978. (Courtesy Everett Collection)
Now marijuana was funny, or cool, or both. When Cheech & Chong tried their first movie, “Up in Smoke” (1978), it made tens of millions of dollars. And none of the most recent generation of stoner comedies would’ve been possible without it.
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Things change. “I’m a Seth Rogen fan myself,” says Columbia College film professor Falzone, “but watching his movies over the past 10, 15 years, you can see a maturing process at work, just from the way he approaches storytelling. He doesn’t want to play the idiot the rest of his life.”
Then again, some things stay the same. A little over a year ago, just before COVID, the children and grandchildren of anyone who saw “Reefer Madness” in the ‘70s found an unlikely love-to-hate-it successor. A Washington Post story by Maura Judkis detailed a novel phenomenon: The film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Cats” and its unlikely ascendancy to a higher realm, let’s say.
“People are seeing ‘Cats’ while high out of their minds. These are their stories.” That was the Post’s headline. Thanks to anguished reviews and terrible word-of-mouth, noted Judkis, “Cats” had become “a siren call for people who believe they know how to salvage an irretrievably weird movie, at least for themselves: by doing drugs first.”
As Falzone puts it: “There are movies about being high. And there are apparently still movies best appreciated when high.”
Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
mjphillips@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @phillipstribune


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--University of Illinois hospital seeks to build $191 million outpatient building on city’s West Side

The project , which comes amid a national trend of hospitals expanding their outpatient services , would allow the hospital @ @ @ @ @ outpatient services in a more efficient manner than is currently possible , given the hospital @ @ @ @ @ ” the system said in its application to the state .
About half of the @ @ @ @ @ cases are now done on an outpatient basis , meaning without an overnight stay .

The proposed $191 million outpatient facility on the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Science System campus in Chicago. (University of Illinois Hospital / HANDOUT)
The University of Illinois Hospital and Health Science System is seeking approval from the state to build a $191 million, six-story outpatient building on its main hospital campus on the city’s West Side.
The 200,000-square-foot building would house clinics, a pharmacy, imaging services and areas for procedures, according to an application submitted by the hospital system to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, which must approve such projects. A bridge would connect the outpatient building to the main 462-bed hospital near the intersection Taylor and Wood streets.
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The project, which comes amid a national trend of hospitals expanding their outpatient services, would allow the hospital system to “provide selected outpatient services in a more efficient manner than is currently possible, given the hospital’s space constraints,” the system said in its application to the state. About half of the hospital system’s surgical cases are now done on an outpatient basis, meaning without an overnight stay.
The hospital system is also seeing about 5% annual growth in many types of outpatient surgeries, said Mike Zenn, CEO of University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, in a statement.
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“The new outpatient surgery and multispecialty procedure floors are designed to meet this demand in a much more efficient and patient friendly setting,” Zenn said. “It will also allow for expanding the number of complex inpatient surgeries being performed in the main hospital’s surgery facility, for which there is also a growing demand.”
The project would be funded through a private-public partnership. The nonprofit Provident Resources Group plans to finance most of the cost through bonds and then lease the facility to the health system. The project wouldalso be partially paid for with a $10 million donation from Bruno and Sallie Pasquinelli.
Bruno Pasquinelli was the president and co-founder of a large home building company based in Burr Ridge, and Sallie Pasquinelli co-founded the Village Artists art studio in the south suburbs in the 1960s. Pasquinelli Homebuilding filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2011.
The third floor of the new facility, which is slated to include eight operating rooms, would be named the Bruno and Sallie Pasquinelli Outpatient Surgery Center. The outside of the building would also bear their name.
The new building would occupy what’s now an open space. Construction is expected to start this year and wrap up in 2022.
The state board is scheduled to vote on the proposal April 7.
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In recent years, many hospitals have been working to adapt to a shift toward more outpatient services. More procedures can be done on an outpatient basis than in the past, leaving hospitals competing to attract outpatients and their dollars, especially as demand for overnight stays weakens.
Rush, also on the city’s West Side, is in the process of building a $450 million, 10-story outpatient care center and a 900-space parking garage. That project is expected to be complete in 2022. And Bronzeville’s historic Provident Hospital gained state approval last year to replace its existing facility with a new $240 million building that will have fewer beds for overnight patients but 70 outpatient exam rooms.
lschencker@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--The latest change to Libertyville’s downtown: Starbucks is closing after 25 years

“ They ’ re saying this particular store does not do enough business and they want to move on , @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re actually one of the original stores when they opened as cafes .
@ @ @ @ @ This was what Starbucks was .
Obviously , Starbucks thinks the old model doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @

Starbucks plans to close its downtown Libertyville store, 542 N. Milwaukee Ave., later this summer after roughly 25 years in business. (Phil Rockrohr / Pioneer Press)
Starbucks’ recent decision to close its longtime storefront in Libertyville marks the latest change in a series of different developments to affect the village’s bustling downtown.
But many Libertyville residents and merchants say that even though they were surprised to hear Starbucks was planning to close the popular store, they don’t believe the decision reflects a larger problem for the village, pointing out how downtown vacancies don’t seem to last long when they do happen.
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Village President Terry Weppler said he is always disappointed to see any store close in Libertyville, but he noted the closing of the downtown Starbucks shouldn’t make the village a “coffee desert."
“We do have local businesses that are coffee shops. There is another opening in a week or two," Weppler said. "We will not be a coffee desert, but Starbucks has been a longtime staple in downtown and will be missed by residents.”
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Weppler said he spoke with a Starbucks vice president who told him that the company is shifting many of its stores to include drive-throughs, which the downtown Libertyville location doesn’t have. The store at 542 N. Milwaukee Ave., which has been open for 25 years, also doesn’t have the capacity to add a drive-through, he said.
For that reason and because of a drop in sales at the store, Starbucks chose not to renew its lease and will close the store on June 30, according to Weppler.
“They’re saying this particular store does not do enough business and they want to move on,” he said. “We’re actually one of the original stores when they opened as cafes. We were store 267. This was what Starbucks was. Obviously, Starbucks thinks the old model doesn’t work anymore.”
Representatives with Starbucks could not be reached for comment.
But Claudia Bugarin, a barista trainer at the downtown location, disputed the claim that the storefront is doing less business nowadays than other locations in the Chicago area, noting how the Libertyville location is “a pretty busy store.”
She said the closing is happening because Starbucks can’t install nitro brewing machines and other equipment that is needed to modernize the location.
“The building is old,” Bugarin said. “Because it used to be a bank, there are four pillars in the middle of the floor. We can’t knock them down without the whole building coming down.”
All of the employees at the downtown location have been reassigned to other stores and will relocate after the store closes later this summer, Bugarin said.
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Libertyville residents and merchants say the state of downtown Libertyville is strong and remains attractive to interested developers despite recent vacancies. (Phil Rockrohr / Pioneer Press)
Along with Weppler, several area residents and two local business owners say the forthcoming Starbucks closing is not symbolic of a bigger issue.
The downtown business landscape has experienced a variety of changes recently, including the closing of a popular dance studio and bakery and a proposal to demolish the Liberty Theater.
Weppler pointed out how Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters, a regional coffehouse, announced plans to open a location at the former Lovin’ Oven Cakery, 355 N. Milwaukee Ave., not too long after the popular bakery closed.
Conscious Cup should be open for business in the coming weeks, he said.
“I don’t think these are more than typical closings,” he said. “When one business closes, another one opens up right away. It’s still an attractive downtown. People are constantly contacting our community development director looking for locations downtown.”
Carol Fanuda, who operates Village Jewelers, 618 N. Milwaukee Ave., said she was surprised to hear the nearby Starbucks was closing because it’s “doing very good business.”
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But Fanuda said the closing doesn’t reflect upon the entire downtown.
“I’m not worried,” Fanuda said. “I wouldn’t say it’s bad. It will get filled up pretty quickly.”
Fanuda’s son, Steve, who owns MobileTech consultants on the same stretch of property, said the decision is more a reflection of Starbucks’ decision to move toward drive-throughs than on the state of downtown Libertyville.
Although at least four or five businesses are vacant in the downtown area, the closings have not affected other businesses, including both of his family’s businesses, Steve Fanuda said.
“It just looks bad to have an empty spot,” he said. “It doesn’t affect us one bit, but a town doing well is based on aesthetics and having a vacant spot doesn’t look good.”
Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Shorter suicide hotline number in the works. 988 would save lives and lessen stigma, experts say, bu

Shorter suicide hotline number in the works. 988 would save lives and lessen stigma, experts say, but funding needed.

The creation of a 988 number would likely mean it would increase its hours , Carroll said , given that @ @ @ @ @ available .
While the center offers other 24/7 crisis intervention , it does not answer @ @ @ @ @ other Illinois centers do because there ’ s not as much of a need in @ @ @ @ @ suicide hotlines available through hospitals or other nonprofits , he said .

Kathryn Haeffner, an emergency service counselor, provides guidance during a follow-up call at the crisis call center at the DuPage County Health Department on Jan. 6, 2020, in Wheaton. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
An easy-to-remember, three-digit number similar to 911 for those contemplating suicide could save lives, experts say, but it also represents a symbolic shift in a still stigmatized world — that mental health emergencies are just as important as physical ones.
But the ease of the new number and improved access should also come with additional funding for mental health services, according to mental health advocates. Both concepts are represented in pending federal legislation that would eventually establish 988 as the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which currently is longer: 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255).
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“This is one step — making it easier to find help if you need it,” said Colleen Creighton, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology. “It’s one step in the right direction, but not the full solution.”
The Federal Communications Commission began studying the creation of a new three-digit emergency number for mental health crises after the passage of the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018. And in a report released last summer, the FCC recommended the switch, saying it would improve access to lifesaving resources. Last month, the FCC formally began the process of establishing 988, also referencing a need to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness.
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But that process could take 18 months or longer, given necessary communication infrastructure work, as well as the need for a public information campaign.
Bipartisan federal legislation, if passed, would also establish 988, but it would allow states to collect fees, akin to existing 911 charges on phone bills, to fund local lifeline and mental health resources.
The 988 number is “a game changer,” said John Draper, executive director of the national lifeline, referencing the significance of treating mental health crises with the same urgency as 911 medical crises. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Establishing 988 as another emergency number sends the message that mental health crises are on par with physical medical issues, he said.
It also will improve care for those who can’t think of the national lifeline’s current 800 number in the midst of a crisis and instead dial 911, Draper said.
“A police officer and ambulance shows up at their door. If that’s how our society treats mental health emergencies, people aren’t as likely to report,” he said. The proposed 988 number “would not only give them the right care, but it won’t give them the wrong care.”
Kathryn Haeffner, left, and Jeanne Kirby, emergency service counselors, take calls at the crisis call center at the DuPage County Health Department on Jan. 6, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The FCC report estimated calls to the lifeline (which surpassed 2 million in 2018 and were expected to have totaled about 2.5 million last year, according to Draper) could double once the easy-to-memorize 988 is in place.
That means increased volume to local call centers, as well as a strain on the already under-resourced mental health care system across the country, Creighton said.
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The national lifeline routes calls based on a caller’s area code to about 160 local crisis centers staffed with trained counselors. Those centers, for the most part, are not run with federal dollars, but with state, local and private grants, she said. Additional state revenue through the proposed phone bill fees could fund additional centers, staff, training and other resources.
“Our concern overall ... as this moves forward, is that we need to ensure the (mental health support) systems ... get more funding,” Creighton said. “This is not a sustainable model at the funding level it has.”
“That is the crux,” said Karen Ayala, executive director of the DuPage County Health Department, which runs one of the Chicago region’s call centers that accepts lifeline calls. “If we’re going to expand access, then do we have the capacity to meet that?”
Ayala added that it’s not only having enough staff to answer the calls and immediate treatment resources, but also long-term care for those who need it.
At the DuPage County call center, which operates 24/7 and is staffed with up to six master’s-level counselors or social workers, callers are immediately assessed for their risk, said Lori Carnahan, director of behavioral health at the DuPage County Health Department.
That assessment determines if the caller needs an emergency response or hospitalization, or referral to other services, she said. Sometimes follow-up is also necessary.
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In DuPage County, a federal grant provides extensive follow-up efforts that include a mobile crisis unit and an in-house, 12-bed unit, Carnahan said. But most funding for services provided by the DuPage call center is through state dollars.
If call volume increases, Ayala said, she’d hope there would be ways for the state to increase funding streams, “especially during these lean times in Illinois.”
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago is the only lifeline call center in the city of Chicago, said President Chris Carroll. The center, which provides many other services, only answers lifeline calls during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.
The creation of a 988 number would likely mean it would increase its hours, Carroll said, given that there’d be funding available. While the center offers other 24/7 crisis intervention, it does not answer lifeline calls daily as some other Illinois centers do because there’s not as much of a need in Chicago, given the other suicide hotlines available through hospitals or other nonprofits, he said.
But 988 would likely become the go-to number for those in crisis and is likely to bring in scores more calls, Carroll said.
“You can only imagine the level of distress where you’re ready to take your own life,” he said. “Can you imagine if you needed to call more numbers (than 911) to reach police? People would be frustrated about that.”
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“Across the country, everybody as a kid is trained to dial 911,” he added. “That’s been in our brains for anything and everything that may be a problem. But I do think that having (988) for suicide is really great. It’s really about the people on the other end of that phone. What’s the quickest way to get help?”
kthayer@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ made fun of Illinois’ legal weed frenzy with a ‘Pottillo’s’ ske

‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ made fun of Illinois’ legal weed frenzy with a ‘Pottillo’s’ sketch

Colbert , a Northwestern University graduate and Second City alum who lived in Chicago for 11 years , is fond @ @ @ @ @ his CBS network show .
He revisited Illinois pot sales in Tuesday ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ line : “ Weed became legal in Illinois as of the new year , and @ @ @ @ @ $ 10.8 million worth of recreational weed in the first five days of sales , @ @ @ @ @ terms that stoners will understand , you know Rick Wakeman ’ s organ solo in @ @ @ @ @ much weed .
”

“Fat Al” and “South Side Donnie” invited Chicagoans to Pottillo's in the 80-second sketch that opened the January 7, 2020 episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” (YouTube)
Now that legal weed sales have started in Illinois, “Fat Al” and “South Side Donnie” are inviting Chicagoans to try their stoner special — a pot dog and fries for 99 cents — and their $2.99 gyro pre-roll at their new joint, Pottillo’s.
They even have a jingle: “For Chicago-style wacky tobaccy, come to Pottillo’s on South Pulaski.”
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With Chicago accents as thick as their deep-dish kush, “Fat Al” and “South Side Donnie” (played by Second City alumni Brian Stack and Joe Liss) made a strong sales pitch in the 80-second sketch that opened Tuesday’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Colbert, a Northwestern University graduate and Second City alum who lived in Chicago for 11 years, is fond of mentioning the city on his CBS network show. He revisited Illinois pot sales in Tuesday’s “Meanwhile” segment with this line: “Weed became legal in Illinois as of the new year, and marijuana shops sold more than $10.8 million worth of recreational weed in the first five days of sales, or to put that in terms that stoners will understand, you know Rick Wakeman’s organ solo in ‘Roundabout?’ That much weed.”
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Al and Donnie had already made the requisite joke about “da bongs” in the opening sketch.
“The Late Show” airs at 10:35 p.m. weeknights on WBBM-Ch. 2.
tswartz@tribpub.com