chicagotribune--2020-01-08--Walgreens’ earnings tumble. What’s ahead for 2020? ‘Treading water,’ predicts one analyst.

The company and its competitors have been hurt by challenges like tighter prescription reimbursement from insurers and other payers and @ @ @ @ @ like Amazon .
That has eaten into sales at the front end of their stores @ @ @ @ @ the pharmacy .

A Walgreens store at State and Randolph streets is seen Oct. 28, 2015, in Chicago. The Deerfield-based drugstore chain reported first-quarter earnings on Jan. 8, 2020 that missed Wall Street expectations. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Walgreens is kicking off its year much as it ended its last, with a big earnings plunge.
First-quarter net income tumbled about 25% as the drugstore chain filled fewer prescriptions than expected and continued to work through a cost-cutting program geared to produce billions in future savings.
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Walgreens executives said Wednesday that the company was hurt, in part, by a difficult market in the United Kingdom, but it also generated more cash than expected, and the company said that cost-cutting may exceed its goal of $1.8 billion in annual savings by 2022.
Future savings were overshadowed by the current environment of sliding profits, however. Shares of Deerfield-based Walgreens, a Dow component, closed Wednesday at $55.83, down 5.8%.
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Walgreens Boots Alliance runs more than 18,750 stores, including nearly 9,300 in the United States.
The company and its competitors have been hurt by challenges like tighter prescription reimbursement from insurers and other payers and growing competition from online options like Amazon. That has eaten into sales at the front end of their stores, or the areas outside the pharmacy.
Walgreens is trying a number of different partnerships to draw more people into its stores. It is adding health care services and testing primary care clinics in some markets.
The company also is partnering with grocer Kroger Co. to improve food selection in other stores. Those companies also formed a group purchasing organization to save money.
The potential growth from these partnerships will take years to develop, believes Edward Jones analyst John Boylan.
“We anticipate that profitability and sales growth may be hard to come by for the foreseeable future,” Boylan wrote in a research note.
Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Stefano Pessina told industry analysts Wednesday that the company has a medium- to long-term improvement strategy instead of focusing mainly on bumping up the next quarter’s results.
“I hope that in the end, we will be right,” he said.
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The company said in October that its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings had tumbled 55%, and it raised its annual cost-cutting savings target to $1.8 billion by fiscal 2022.
Pessina said in a prepared statement that the company was satisfied with the progress it’s made so far in that program and with Walgreens’ cash flow. Walgreens recorded $1.1 billion in net cash from operating activities in the quarter.
[ Walgreens reportedly considers going private, possibly the largest leveraged buyout ever. Here’s what that could mean. ]
Walgreens earned $845 million in the quarter that ended Nov. 30. That’s down from $1.12 billion in the previous year’s quarter. Revenue grew less than 2% to $34.34 billion.
Earnings adjusted for one-time items totaled $1.37 per share.
Analysts expected, on average, earnings of $1.41 per share on $34.58 billion in revenue, according to FactSet.
Walgreens also reaffirmed on Wednesday a forecast it made last fall for roughly flat earnings in fiscal 2020 compared to 2019, when it posted adjusted earnings of $5.99 per share.
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FactSet says analysts expect, on average, adjusted earnings of $5.93 per share.
Nothing in the company’s first-quarter numbers indicates that Walgreens is building momentum, said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail.
“They suggest that 2020 will largely be a year of treading water and slow progress,” he said.
Sign up for the Tribune’s free midday business newsletter at chicagotribune.com/workinglunch.


chicagotribune--2020-01-08--The newest food trend: Chaffles light up the internet

Naturally , as with many such trendy foods , there ’ s a specialty appliance involved .
In this case @ @ @ @ @ Dash mini waffle maker , which makes personal-sized waffles about 4 ½ inches in diameter @ @ @ @ @ There are several other brands , and all are inexpensive and small enough to tuck @ @ @ @ @ .
But any chaffle recipe may be made in bigger waffle irons as well ; @ @ @ @ @ , just double the amounts to make chaffles in a larger iron .

Chaffles are a flourless version of waffles that became popular among keto and gluten-free sets but have crossed over to a wider audience. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune; Shannon Kinsella/food styling)
People who eat a ketogenic diet love chaffles, and so do gluten-free eaters. What started as a trend for those who follow restrictive diets, however, has spread now to Facebook groups with hundreds of thousands of members and Pinterest and Instagram boards by the hundreds.
What is a “chaffle”? The arguably unattractive name comes from the combination of cheese plus waffle, and signifies a waffle made from an egg-cheese batter, rather than a flour-based one.
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Or at least that’s what it meant in the beginning. Now you’ll find cheese-free chaffles as well, including one that chaffle fans swear tastes “just like Wonder Bread!” That may not sound like an admirable goal to some of us, but for many people whose diets limit or prohibit bread, the Wonder Bread chaffle suddenly makes sandwiches part of their lives again.
Naturally, as with many such trendy foods, there’s a specialty appliance involved. In this case, it’s the Dash mini waffle maker, which makes personal-sized waffles about 4 ½ inches in diameter, one by one. There are several other brands, and all are inexpensive and small enough to tuck into a drawer for storage. But any chaffle recipe may be made in bigger waffle irons as well; as the recipes here note, just double the amounts to make chaffles in a larger iron.
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Once baked, chaffles can be incredibly versatile. There are recipes online for chocolate-chocolate chip chaffles; for pizza chaffles; for pumpkin-spice chaffles; for chaffle French toast; for little chaffle layer cakes with cream cheese frosting — the permutations are nearly endless.
Because they are high in protein — and sometimes high in fat — chaffles are filling and they keep your tummy happy for a long time.
Around my house, a basic chaffle spread with cream cheese and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning has become a breakfast standard. Because they’re so quick and easy to prepare, little chaffle “pizzas” make a lazy dinner satisfying.
Will this trend last, or is it a mere flash in the waffle maker? It’s hard to say. I think, however, that when a trend satisfies a need, it’s probably here for the long run.
Robin Mather is a longtime food journalist and the author of “The Feast Nearby,” a collection of essays and recipes from a year of eating locally on a very tight budget.
Basic chaffle recipe
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Makes: 2 chaffles
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Sprinkling a little cheese on the waffle iron before adding the batter adds additional crispness, but it’s optional. The waffles will be soft when first removed from the iron but will crisp as they cool. This recipe is designed for a personal-sized waffle maker. Double this recipe if you’d like to prepare it in a larger waffle iron. Refrigerate any extras for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
1 large egg
½ cup shredded mozzarella, plus additional for sprinkling on the iron
1 tablespoon almond flour OR 1 teaspoon coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1. Heat the waffle maker. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork until it is well blended (as for scrambled eggs). Stir in cheese, almond or coconut flour, and baking powder until well blended.
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2. For extra crispness, scatter a little mozzarella over the waffle iron’s bottom surface. Let it melt for a moment, then spread approximately half the batter onto the bottom surface. Top with a few sprinkles of extra mozzarella, if you like.
3. Close the waffle iron and allow the chaffle to bake until it stops steaming. Lift the lid — if it offers any resistance, cook a few moments longer — and transfer the finished chaffle to a paper-towel lined plate to cool.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, using mozzarella sprinkles before and after adding the batter, if you like.
Nutrition information per chaffle: 137 calories, 9 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 111 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 10 g protein, 346 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
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The white bread chaffle is made with, from left, baking powder, almond flour (or coconut flour), an egg, cheese, mayonnaise and water. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune; Shannon Kinsella/food styling)
White bread chaffles
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Makes: 2 chaffles
Many people prefer these to basic chaffles if they have a sandwich in mind. You won’t taste the mayonnaise, but it contributes a little sweetness and makes the chaffles tender. The almond or coconut flour in these chaffles lends structure, so don’t omit it. It also helps absorb any extra egg. This recipe is designed for a personal-sized waffle maker. Double this recipe if you’d like to prepare it in a larger waffle iron.
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1 egg
3 tablespoons almond flour OR 1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon water
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1. Heat the waffle iron. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork until it is well blended (as for scrambled eggs). Add the almond or coconut flour, mayonnaise, water and baking powder; stir until the mixture is well blended.
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2. Close the waffle iron and allow the chaffle to bake until it stops steaming. Lift the lid — if it offers any resistance, bake a few moments longer — and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.
Nutrition information per chaffle: 143 calories, 13 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 96 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 5 g protein, 144 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
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chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Man pleads guilty to DUI, reckless homicide in crash that killed Downers Grove North student and vol

Man pleads guilty to DUI, reckless homicide in crash that killed Downers Grove North student and volleyball player as she crossed street in front of school

Donahoe said police found Xanax , a medicine used to treat anxiety and depression , along with liquor and crack @ @ @ @ @ where Kucharski had been staying .
He told police he had been taking the drug @ @ @ @ @ and he did not have a prescription for it .
In the four days before @ @ @ @ @ police , he had only slept about 10 hours , Donahoe said .

Joseph Kucharski, accused of running a red light and striking and killing a 17-year-old Downers Grove North junior, enters the courtroom at the DuPage County courthouse in Wheaton on March 15, 2019. Kucharski entered a guilty plea to charges of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide on Jan. 9, 2020. (Bev Horne / Daily Herald)
A former Naperville resident pleaded guilty Thursday to being under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he ran a red light last year, and struck and killed a Downers Grove North High School junior and standout volleyball player as she was walking toward school.
Joseph Kucharski, 52, entered a guilty plea to charges of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide in a hearing in DuPage County court. In return for the guilty plea, DuPage prosecutors agreed to drop other counts he was facing in the death of 17-year-old Beth Dunlap.
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Kucharski’s negotiated plea did not include an agreement on a sentence, which will be decided at a March 6 hearing before Judge Liam Brennan. Kucharski could face up to 14 years in prison, though a sentence of probation is possible.
Kucharski, who is out on bond, told the judge that he is residing at a sober living center and attending or chairing up to three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a day. Prosecutors asked to have Kucharski taken into custody, but Brennan said he could remain on bond as long as he resides at the facility.
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“This morning, Mr. Kucharski appeared before the Court where he took responsibility for the death of Beth Dunlap,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. “While today’s plea does nothing to ease the pain Beth’s family, friends and the entire community have endured since Feb. 19 and will most likely feel their entire lives, it is the first step in holding Mr. Kucharski responsible for his incredibly reckless and irresponsible actions.”
The girl’s family declined to comment.
Authorities say Kucharski was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he drove in the wrong lane and ran a red light on Feb. 19, 2019, striking Dunlap as she crossed Main Street at Grant Street in front of the school.
Dunlap, a talented volleyball player, had participated in a tournament and received permission to arrive late that day, authorities said. The accident happened about 11 a.m.
In a lengthy proffer, Assistant State’s Attorney Nancy Donahoe recounted the four-day binge of drug and alcohol use by Kucharski that preceded the collision.
Investigators, she said, located a witness who said he and Kucharski had traveled to Chicago in the days before the accident to buy crack cocaine, which the witness and Kucharski smoked together.
The witness said Kucharski had been his AA sponsor.
Donahoe said police found Xanax, a medicine used to treat anxiety and depression, along with liquor and crack cocaine in the hotel room where Kucharski had been staying. He told police he had been taking the drug to help him sleep, and he did not have a prescription for it. In the four days before the crash, Kucharski told police, he had only slept about 10 hours, Donahoe said.
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Crash experts estimate that Kucharski was traveling about 40 to 45 mph when he struck Dunlap. The force of the collision wedged her backpack into the front grill of Kucharski’s car. She suffered severe head and brain trauma, and died five days later.
The collision was captured on video, Donahoe said, and police later played it for Kucharski.
“That was me? Holy (bleep). That’s disgusting,” he reportedly told police.
He later admitted that he had fallen asleep at the wheel several blocks before striking Dunlap, Donahoe said. He told police that he awoke and considered stopping, but decided to keep driving. Kucharski told police he was initially unaware that he had struck Dunlap, Donahoe said.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Evanston dismisses citations issued to 5 Northwestern students over Jeff Sessions protest

Northwestern officials said in a statement Thursday that “ the University is following the agreed upon process between the City @ @ @ @ @ Now that it is a civil matter , it is up to the City of @ @ @ @ @ as it deems appropriate .
”

Five Northwestern University students posed for photos on Jan. 9, 2019, after learning that civil citations against them were dropped by the City of Evanston. The students are, from left, Christopher Myorta, Miara Geshaw, Ross Patten, Ying Dai and Kelsey Phalen. (Genevieve Bookwalter / Pioneer Press)
Evanston officials dropped all charges Thursday against five Northwestern University students who police cited for disorderly conduct in connection with the November protest of a campus presentation by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The announcement came at a municipal court hearing Thursday at Evanston’s Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center. City Attorney Michelle Masoncup declined to comment on the decision to dismiss the citations.
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The students said they were surprised and relieved at the city’s decision, even though they still face disciplinary measures from Northwestern officials. They declined to elaborate on what those might be.
“I didn’t expect it,” said student Kelsey Phalen, 23, about the city’s decision.
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Ross Patten, 21, said after the hearing that he was “feeling good.”
“It’s been an immense amount of stress,” said Patten, noting that he worried about the hearing his entire winter break.
Christopher Mayorga, 21, said he was relieved because “I was not at the protest,” and he received two citations alleging he was there after the university’s month-long investigation.
He’s still fighting discipline at the university level. Having the city citations dismissed is one less thing to worry about, he said. Mayorga said he believes university officials identified the wrong person and that he was “nowhere near the event.”
Attorney Molly Armour, one of the lawyers representing the five students, said they received a total of 11 citations for disorderly conduct following an investigation after the protest.
Northwestern officials said in a statement Thursday that “the University is following the agreed upon process between the City of Evanston and Northwestern. Now that it is a civil matter, it is up to the City of Evanston to handle the matter as it deems appropriate.”
The citations were issued after the former attorney general came to Northwestern Nov. 5 at the invitation of the College Republicans. According to the Daily Northwestern, about 150 people protested the event, some climbing through open windows and pushing through doors to interrupt the speech.
The Daily Northwestern staff was criticized by some students for posting photos from the protest to social media, identifying at least one protester by name and contacting students through information provided in the student directory to ask if they might comment on the event.
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Newspaper staff later took down some photos and removed the name of a protester, and issued a letter of apology.
“We feel that covering traumatic events requires a different response than many other stories. While our goal is to document history and spread information, nothing is more important than ensuring that our fellow students feel safe ... We failed to do that last week, and we could not be more sorry,” the paper’s senior editorial team wrote.
That apology then drew national coverage and backlash from some journalists, who argued the student reporters did nothing wrong and reporters should never apologize for doing their job and reporting the news.


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Thousands of coyotes live in the Chicago area. But attacks on people, like the one that left a young

Thousands of coyotes live in the Chicago area. But attacks on people, like the one that left a young boy injured, are extremely rare.

It has been a busy news week for coyotes , beginning on Tuesday when one was rescued from Monroe Harbor @ @ @ @ @ water near the 100 block of North Lake Shore Drive .
The animal was loaded @ @ @ @ @ in a blanket by responding emergency crews .
Chicago Animal Care and Control took possession @ @ @ @ @ was scheduled to be picked up by Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation , which has facilities @ @ @ @ @ Barrington where it cares for coyotes , other wild mammals , birds and reptiles .

Patrick M. O'Connell, Elyssa Cherney, Javonte Anderson

A Chicago Animal Care and Control van drives in the Gold Coast on Jan. 9, 2020, in an area where officials were searching for a coyote that may have bitten a child in the Lincoln Park area and a man outside Northwestern Memorial Hospital. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
For years, teams of researchers in Chicago and the suburbs have been tracking the movement of coyotes throughout the region, using a network of motion-activated cameras and radio collars to study the animal’s tendencies and gauge how many live amid the skyscrapers, residential neighborhoods and forest preserves of the region.
Coyotes, the research shows, are abundant in northern Illinois, even if they are not always visible to people going about their everyday lives. The coyote population in Cook County is between 2,000 and 4,000, according to Stanley Gehrt, a professor of wildlife ecology at Ohio State University and researcher with the Urban Coyote Research Program. They scamper and sleep in busy city parks and quiet suburban enclaves throughout the year. Thousands of additional coyotes roam the more rural areas downstate.
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What’s not as common, animal experts say, is what happened this week in Lincoln Park. There, near a walking path near the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, a coyote lying on a grassy hill bit a 6-year-old boy on the head Wednesday afternoon, sending the boy to the hospital. The boy’s nanny and bystanders came to the boy’s aid, pulling the animal off the boy.
[ Bystanders rush to help boy found bleeding from coyote attack in Lincoln Park: ‘We just ran over there instinctively’ ]
The attack on the boy is believed to be the first by a coyote on a human in the Chicago area in at least a decade, said Kelley Gandurski, executive director of Chicago Animal Care and Control.
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“The reality is, it is very rare for coyotes to approach people, let alone to attack like that,” said Stan McTaggart, the wildlife diversity program manager with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “There’s just something about a coyote that brings out an extra level of fear in people, and I don’t know that it’s justified by the numbers. We’re not downplaying what happened at all, but it’s important to put it into context.”
[ Coyote bites 5-year-old boy outside Lincoln Park nature museum, officials say ]
Animal control officials said the boy may have startled the coyote, which led it to attack. McTaggart pointed out that there are millions of domesticated dog attacks each year in the U.S., while coyotes rarely attack or injure people.
McTaggart said that if people encounter a coyote, they should not turn their back or run and instead should make themselves appear big. Animal experts also said people should use common sense around all wild animals, emphasizing that coyotes should not be fed.
Gandurski said “there is no evidence the child attempted to feed the coyote," adding that “he’s in good spirits” at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
[ Man reports coyote bit him in the buttocks on Gold Coast sidewalk; 2nd attack within a day ]
It has been a busy news week for coyotes, beginning Tuesday when one was rescued from Monroe Harbor after it fell into the water near the 100 block of North Lake Shore Drive. The animal was loaded onto a stretcher and wrapped in a blanket by responding emergency crews. Chicago Animal Care and Control took possession of the coyote and it was scheduled to be picked up by Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, which has facilities on Northerly Island and near Barrington where it cares for coyotes, other wild mammals, birds and reptiles.
Emergency responders help a coyote that was rescued from Lake Michigan near Randolph Street in downtown Chicago on Tuesday. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Officials have not yet been able to confirm that a coyote was responsible for a Wednesday night incident in which a man told police he was bitten in the buttocks while he walked on a sidewalk in the 700 block of North Fairbanks Court in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, police said.
And while Lincoln Park High School students were held inside and prevented from going between buildings for a time Thursday, animal control officials did not spot a coyote near the school or Oz Park.
Although a coyote sighting may be a photo-worthy event for many city dwellers, thousands of coyotes live throughout Illinois, according to Illinois Department of Natural Resources statistics and estimates from researchers.
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Coyotes are so common in Illinois that it is legal to hunt them almost year-round, except for deer shotgun hunting season, and in areas like Chicago where hunting is prohibited under municipal law. In 2017, the Illinois Natural History Survey estimated that 107,000 coyotes were killed by hunters throughout the state.
The animals can be seen in parks along Chicago’s lakefront, especially the Lincoln Park area, which they often use as a type of coyote thoroughfare to avoid the danger of busy cross streets. They frequent suburban yards as well as prairie and forested areas throughout northern Illinois.
The Cook County Urban Coyote Research Program is “still going strong, currently tracking about 60 coyotes, and will be radio collaring more soon,” Gehrt wrote in an email.
“They are part of our ecosystem here in Chicago and have lived amongst us for generations,” Gandurski said.
Coyotes are spotted more often in winter, when it is harder for them to find food, and trees and shrubs are bare of leaves and foliage making them easier to spot, said Dan Thompson, an ecologist with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
“Yes, we will see them more, but that doesn’t mean there are more of them,” Thompson said. “Whether you have ever seen a coyote in your neighborhood, they are out there.”
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The Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute has been photographing coyotes with motion-activated cameras for about a decade, said Seth Magle, the program director.
The program has stationed 110 cameras in parks, golf courses, cemeteries and other large plots of open land in Chicago and its neighboring communities — up to about 30 miles from downtown.
While the photos don’t allow researchers to estimate the coyote population, they do help figure out where the animals gather — they tend to like affluent communities with large yards — and during what parts of the day.
“One of the take-homes of our research is there are few parts of the city that are really coyote-free," Magle said. "They are good at adapting and making use of most parts of our city.”
Coyotes have been spotted as far away as Lockport in Will County and Lombard in DuPage County, Magle said, but they have also been found scampering through the zoo.
The photos have shown coyotes to be more active here during the middle of the night — the opposite of their behavior in the wild. Coyotes might have flipped their schedules, Magle said, to stay away from traffic and human contact.
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“We’re trying to understand events like this attack and understand what is it that causes an urban animal to get into a situation where they would attack someone or attack a pet,” he said.
The middle of February is usually mating season for coyotes, and during that time the animals tend to patrol more intently and may shadow people walking their dogs, Thompson said. Residents should not be worried about this behavior, he said, as the coyote is only protecting its territory and not primed to become aggressive.
Coyotes have been known to attack pets from time to time, especially small dogs, and can be a nuisance to livestock in rural areas, scientists said. The potential threat to farm animals is part of the reason why coyotes are allowed to be hunted year-round in Illinois, McTaggart said.
Coyotes, wildlife researchers say, are an important part of the ecosystem. Their main sources of food are meadow voles, mice, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks. Thompson said they are often “nature’s answer” to the small rodents and mammals that can be nuisances in urban and residential areas.
Television footage from Wednesday captured a coyote wandering the Chicago streets and appeared to show the animal limping or injured. McTaggart said that a coyote who is hurt may become more desperate or hungry, though experts did not necessarily believe those conditions would make them more aggressive toward humans. Gandurski said animal control received reports last week that a limping coyote was spotted in the Lincoln Park area.
A coyote roams Graceland Cemetery in the snow on Feb. 4, 2018. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)
In 2017, a coyote wounded a dog, a cairn terrier, in north suburban Northfield. Earlier that year, in Grayslake, police reported two separate coyote attacks on small dogs near the Lake County village. And in 2018, after reports of wolflike creatures roaming counties in western Illinois, wildlife researchers appeared to confirm through DNA testing that the animals were, in fact, the more common coyotes, not wolves, which do not have a presence in the state.
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Animal experts urged residents to attend to dogs when they are outside, keep cats indoors and not leave pet food outside for foraging coyotes to consume.
“Coyotes are here and we as a society need to understand that it’s not necessary to fear them,” Thompson said. “We need to learn to coexist with them.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Hands shackled behind her back, R. Kelly’s girlfriend pleads not guilty to attacking another girlfri

Hands shackled behind her back, R. Kelly’s girlfriend pleads not guilty to attacking another girlfriend at singer’s Trump Tower condo

Judge Erika Orr agreed with the request , telling Savage she would have to forfeit $ 2,000 if she doesn @ @ @ @ @ next court date in two weeks .
Her family was waiting at the courthouse .
@ @ @ @ @ in a police lockup after being charged with misdemeanor domestic battery .

R. Kelly's girlfriends Azriel Clary, left, and Joycelyn Savage leave following a hearing for Kelly at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Sept. 17, 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Her hands shackled behind her, a public defender at her side, a girlfriend of jailed singer R. Kelly pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that she hit another girlfriend with a cellphone while yelling, “I can’t stand you. I hate you.”
During a brief hearing in domestic violence court, prosecutors said Joycelyn Savage, 24, “became irate” Wednesday afternoon after entering Kelly’s condo in Trump Tower that she has shared with the other girlfriend, Azriel Clary, 22. Savage allegedly began kicking and hitting Clary, who was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for injuries to her face.
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Assistant State’s Attorney Collin Willman said the attack apparently was caught on Instagram Live, and he asked that the video be preserved as evidence. The video shows the inside of Kelly’s condo, where an apparent Grammy could be seen, as well as balloons and a “Welcome Home” sign.
An assistant public defender representing Savage asked that she be released on a recognizance bond. She said Savage doesn’t work and lives off an inheritance.
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Judge Erika Orr agreed with the request, telling Savage she would have to forfeit $2,000 if she doesn’t appear at her next court date in two weeks. Her family was waiting at the courthouse. Savage had spent the night in a police lockup after being charged with misdemeanor domestic battery.
[ Prosecutors seek to keep identities of two alleged R. Kelly victims secret even from the singer, cite concerns of intimidation ]
Last year, both women disputed allegations that the 53-year-old singer has been holding them against their will and brainwashing them. Kelly is facing more than a dozen sex-crime charges filed in two federal courts and two state courts.
The confrontation between the two women began shortly after 2 p.m. at the Trump Tower in the 400 block of North Wabash Avenue, where Kelly still keeps a condo.
In one video purporting to show the attack, Clary can be seen inside the condo surrounded by boxes, apparently packing up to move. She appears to be yelling at Savage, who stands outside the doorway.
“The skeletons is coming out, period,” Clary says. “You know what? Rob has been lying to all of y’all, and that’s the sad part about it. ... And he had people like me lying for him.”
[ R. Kelly pleads not guilty to bribing Illinois official to wed 15-year-old Aaliyah in 1994 ]
Savage began striking Clary, according to police and prosecutors, and then fled. The younger woman was taken to Northwestern in good condition.
Clary’s name came up last month in Brooklyn when prosecutors asked for any Cook County marriage records. The case involved a new indictment brought in New York that alleged Kelly bribed an Illinois official to get a fake ID for 15-year-old singer Aaliyah a day before he married her in 1994.
Kelly is in federal custody awaiting trial on the New York charges as well as a separate indictment brought by federal prosecutors in Chicago alleging the singer conspired with two former employees to rig his 2008 child pornography trial in Cook County by paying off witnesses and victims to change their stories.
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[ Feds charge R. Kelly with bribing official in Illinois to marry 15-year-old singer Aaliyah in 1994 ]
In addition, Kelly, who turned 53 Wednesday, was charged in Cook County criminal court in February 2019 with four separate indictments accusing him of sexual misconduct over more than a decade. Three of those alleged victims were underage at the time.
If convicted in all jurisdictions, the embattled singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, could face the rest of his life in prison.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--‘Young and talented’ White Sox team with a ‘great future’ enticed Edwin Encarnacion to sign a 1-year

‘Young and talented’ White Sox team with a ‘great future’ enticed Edwin Encarnacion to sign a 1-year, $12 million deal

“ He is certainly someone who we feel can play a role on a championship club , ” Hahn said @ @ @ @ @ made no secret about how highly we think about James and the fact that we @ @ @ @ @ him a year ago and the impact he had in our clubhouse and the impact @ @ @ @ @ our pitchers .

Edwin Encarnacion described the White Sox as a “young and talented team” with a “great future.”
That combination was a major factor in the veteran slugger’s decision to sign with the Sox.
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The Sox announced the one-year, $12 million agreement with the designated hitter/first baseman on Thursday. The Sox hold a $12 million option for 2021, which does not include a buyout.
OFFICIAL: The #WhiteSox have agreed to terms on a one-year, $12-million contract with three-time All-Star first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnación (@Encadwin), which includes a club option for 2021. pic.twitter.com/98Kq5pcRfp — Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) January 9, 2020
“From the other side, what I see is they’re very smart hitters," Encarnacion said of the Sox during a conference call. “They have a great idea of what they’re doing at the plate.
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“I’m very close to (left fielder) Eloy Jimenez. I’ve seen him since he was 14 years old. He’s a great hitter, too, and all those young guys.”
The Sox believe Encarnacion, 37, will aid in their hitters’ development and also make an impact at the plate.
“We’re quite pleased to add someone of his caliber to this lineup,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “The numbers speak for themselves in terms of continuing to be a dangerous presence and an outstanding source of power for the last decade-plus.
"We feel he’s someone who’s going to not only improve our run-scoring but (also) be a significant positive within our clubhouse.”
Encarnacion had a .244/.344/.531 slash line with 18 doubles, 34 homers and 86 RBIs in 109 games with the Mariners and Yankees in 2019. He was out from Aug. 3 to Sept. 3 because of a broken right wrist.
Sixteen of his homers came as a designated hitter. The Sox had a combined 17 home runs from their designated hitters in 2019.
The sky is blue.
Water is wet.
The Mariners hit dingers. #TrueToTheBlue x Edwin Encarnación pic.twitter.com/H4sld69KSX — Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 7, 2019
“It (was) an area of need entering this offseason,” Hahn said of the need for more power, “and one that we feel we’ve managed to address here over the last few months.”
Encarnacion has hit at least 32 homers in each of the last eight seasons. The three-time All-Star (2013-14, ’16) has 414 homers in his 15-year career.
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Encarnacion, who has hit 255 homers since turning 30 before the 2013 season, said the key to continuing to put up big power numbers is to “keep working.”
“I try to work hard every day, especially in the offseason,” Encarnacion said. “Continue to do my program and take care of my body. Take care of myself and keep working hard every day and continue to do what I’ve been doing the last couple of years.”
The Sox’s options at DH in 2020 could include Encarnacion, first baseman Jose Abreu and catchers Yasmani Grandal, James McCann and Zack Collins.
Hahn addressed where McCann, who made the All-Star team last season, fits after the offseason additions of Grandal and Encarnacion.
“He is certainly someone who we feel can play a role on a championship club,” Hahn said. "We’ve made no secret about how highly we think about James and the fact that we are thrilled with having added him a year ago and the impact he had in our clubhouse and the impact he had on some of our pitchers.
“Having quality depth is a positive thing on good clubs, and it’s part of what makes good clubs able to withstand the unexpected, whether it’s injuries or underperformance. We view James as potentially playing a role on a championship club, and that hasn’t changed.”
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To make room for Encarnacion on the 40-man roster, the Sox designated left-hander Kodi Medeiros for assignment.
SoxFest: Two-day and Saturday-only passes have sold out for SoxFest 2020, the Sox announced. A limited number of Friday-only passes remain available at whitesox.com/SoxFest .


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Child dies of the flu in Chicago, marking state’s first pediatric influenza death this season

It can be difficult to predict how severely influenza will spread each season in the United States .
By looking @ @ @ @ @ flu in Australia and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere , which has its season six @ @ @ @ @ medical experts here thought there was a chance this season could be particularly harsh .

A child has died in Chicago of the flu — the first pediatric flu death in Illinois this season, according to a news release from the Chicago Department of Public Health.
The department reported the death Thursday, but the minor died sometime last week. Officials wouldn’t confirm the exact date or the age of the child.
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Across the country, there have been 27 influenza-related deaths of children so far this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. During the 2018-19 season, there were 143 deaths tied to the flu in the United States. In 2017 to 2018, there were 187 flu-related deaths.
Influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory illness caused by a virus that can be contagious, according to the CDC. Symptoms range from a fever to body aches to a sore throat.
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It can be difficult to predict how severely influenza will spread each season in the United States. By looking at the outcomes of the flu in Australia and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, which has its season six months before the U.S., medical experts here thought there was a chance this season could be particularly harsh.
While it can be hard to say when the flu will peak in different parts of the country, cases of influenza tend to increase from December to February, according to the CDC.
City officials considered the risk for influenza high as of last Friday, according to a newsletter update from the department. There were reports of 16 people who were hospitalized for flu-related illnesses from Dec. 22 to Dec. 28.
The flu season starts in October and ends in May. Health officials say the best way to prevent contracting the flu is to get a flue vaccine each season. In a prepared statement, Allison Arwady, the city’s acting commissioner for the department of public health, urged the public to get vaccinated.
“People should know that it is not too late to get the flu vaccine; it is safe, effective, and universally available," Arwady said in the statement.
In Chicago, children and adults without medical insurance can get a free flu shot through the department of public health by visiting one of five clinics spread across the city.
emalagon@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. reportedly to miss ‘multiple weeks’ with a high ankle sprain

“ My goal is to come back no later than the end of this month , ” Carter said Monday @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s what I ’ m looking forward to right now .
But @ @ @ @ @ come back by Wednesday ( against the Pelicans in New Orleans ) .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ the person I am .
”

The Bulls will be without second-year center Wendell Carter Jr. for an extended period as he recovers from a high right ankle sprain.
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While X-rays were negative, the Bulls said Thursday that an MRI and a CT scan confirmed the injury is a severe ankle sprain that will keep Carter out an estimated four to six weeks.
Carter suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Bulls’ Monday game against the Mavericks. He spent several moments on the ground after landing on Dwight Powell’s foot and rolling the ankle. He left the court in a wheelchair.
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Carter had told NBC Sports Chicago on Monday that his goal was to return by the end of January.
Carter has missed plenty of time to injury in his short career. As a rookie he played in only 44 games after suffering a season-ending thumb injury last January. During the offseason Carter underwent surgery to repair an abdominal muscle.
But Carter returned reinvigorated this season with plans to play all 82 games. He was the Bulls’ most reliable defender and served as a rare source of stability on a 13-25 team.
He’s averaging 11.7 points and 9.9 rebounds in 37 games, both averages up from his rookie numbers of 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Wesco raises its bid for Glenview-based Anixter to $100 a share, but the door is open for a higher o

Wesco raises its bid for Glenview-based Anixter to $100 a share, but the door is open for a higher offer

Glenview-based Anixter , a manufacturer of electrical and electronic wire and cable , said its board had not withdrawn its @ @ @ @ @ Clayton , , but it notified the firm of its determination that Wesco ’ s @ @ @ @

Anixter International headquarters is seen in Glenview. The company said Jan. 9, 2020, that its board decided a buyout offer from Wesco International was a better deal than an offer from private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. (Anixter International)
Anixter International announced Thursday that it favors an increased takeover offer from Wesco International valued at about $4.5 billion. The decision comes a week after the company agreed to a buyout from an affiliate of private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
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Glenview-based Anixter, a manufacturer of electrical and electronic wire and cable, said its board had not withdrawn its support for a merger with Clayton, , but it notified the firm of its determination that Wesco’s offer was superior.
Under terms of the merger agreement, the private equity firm has five business days to amend its merger agreement to improve upon Wesco’s offer, Anixter said.
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Pittsburgh-based Wesco on Thursday confirmed its $100-a-share cash-and-stock offer to acquire its rival. Wesco has been gradually raising its offer for the company as it bids against Clayton.
Last week, Wesco had raised its offer to $97 per share in cash and stock.
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If Anixter decides to pursue a transaction with Wesco, it would have to pay a $100 million termination fee under terms of its proposed agreement with Clayton. However, Anixter said Thursday that Wesco has agreed to foot that bill.
Sign up for the Tribune’s free midday business newsletter at chicagotribune.com/workinglunch.


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Review: With ‘Pure Lies,’ young magician Trent James shows he’s ready for the action at Chicago Magi

Review: With ‘Pure Lies,’ young magician Trent James shows he’s ready for the action at Chicago Magic Lounge

I ’ d concur , except for the moments when James tries to fake his way into standing ovations , @ @ @ @ @ Notwithstanding such folly of youth , this is a very impressive hour from a smart @ @ @ @ @ nicely straggling old schools and new .
“ Pure Lies , ” as James calls @ @ @ @ @ to his youth ? )
, is impressive for its panache but mostly for its @ @ @ @ @ has figure out how to do a whole lot of things that people spend lifetimes @ @ @ @ @ a big step up for him ; check him out , on a Wednesday .

In the space of barely an hour, Trent James does card tricks, quick-changes, ventriloquy and shadow puppetry. He holds a seance. He reads a couple of minds. He makes a flute disappear.
He does all of this at the age of 22.
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It was whispered in my ear at the Chicago Magic Lounge — where whispering in ears is a feature of many an evening — that James only recently moved out from his parents’ home in west suburban Brookfield and got his own apartment in Oak Park. That likely explained the especially enthusiastic table to my left, where James’ proud parents were hanging out, hooting and hollering and watching their prodigiously smooth kid.
They hardly were alone. Chicago Magic Lounge has been one of the great recent success stories in live entertainment in Chicago. Even on a Wednesday night in boring early January, with no famous name on the bill, the joint was packed. Over the holidays, I was told, with hard evidence proffered, it was tough even to get through the door.
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I’ve been making a habit of heading up there on Wednesdays. On that night, the Magic Lounge has residencies, meaning that certain magicians sit down, in theatrical parlance, and the artist and the show stay the same for two or three months, meaning I can tell readers what to expect. On the weekends, by contrast, the acts mostly are fleeting one-offs, and you never can fully trust magicians.
Plus magic geeks avoid weekends in the same way that steady drinkers and serious dancers avoid New Year’s Eve. Wednesday is a kind of industry night, although the Magic Lounge, which has a room small enough for intimate magic, attracts a motley crew of characters — so much so, in fact, that the audience interaction there is far more entertaining than is usual.
At one point Wednesday, James was trying to find a volunteer who had been to a seance. “Any experience?," he asked one guy, who was flapping his arms. “No,” the mark said. “But I just really want to be on the stage.” He came up and got his pocket picked for his trouble.
James has taken over the slot of Lucy Darling, the vampy alter-ego of the magician Carisa Hendrix, who will be back in the fall, I’m told. James has a way to go to match Lucy D’s level of smooth trickery and sandpaper-dry comedy but the story around the Magic Lounge is that Hendrix burst into his dressing room and demanded more information about his identity, being as Lucy Darling knows talent when Lucy Darling sees it and Lucy Darling does not like competition.
I’d concur, except for the moments when James tries to fake his way into standing ovations, which I find immoral. Notwithstanding such folly of youth, this is a very impressive hour from a smart and gifted Chicago magician, nicely straggling old schools and new. “Pure Lies,” as James calls his act (a nod to his youth?), is impressive for its panache but mostly for its packed contents. James quickly has figure out how to do a whole lot of things that people spend lifetimes mastering. This gig is a big step up for him; check him out, on a Wednesday.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Review: Trent James “Pure Lies” (3 stars)
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When: Wednesdays through March 25
Where: Chicago Magic Lounge, 5050 N. Clark St.
Running time: 1 hour
Tickets: $35-$45 at 312-366-4500 or www.chicagomagiclounge.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Commentary: Kenneka Jenkins case was a nightmare for family but it was never a murder mystery

But if the program has a failing , it ’ s that it dangles the question of what happened to @ @ @ @ @ for the sake of suspense when it could make clear throughout that Jenkins ’ death @ @ @ @ @ and never was despite suggestions otherwise .
The “ mystery ” was solved once the @ @ @ @ @ s office conclusively ruled that Jenkins ’ death was due to hypothermia , along with @ @ @ @ @ medication topiramate and the death was an accident .
The concept of an imperiled young @ @ @ @ @ free themselves is something that will resonate with any parent .

An image of Kenneka Jenkins, who was found dead in a freezer at Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel & Conference Center in Rosemont in Illinois on September, 2017. (Facebook)
MTV’s new true crime series that features the 2017 death of Kenneka Jenkins brought back some terrible memories of not only the senseless loss of another young life, but the recklessness that can come when you meld true crime, social media and misinformation.
Nearly from the start, the most pernicious element of this story was how it convinced regular people Jenkins’ end came of foul play and at first glance, her story sounds like a “Dateline” story. A woman in the prime of her life dying inside a giant freezer at a suburban hotel.
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Covering this surprise national story up close sometimes felt like a train wreck. Activists jockeyed for visibility and position, family members were visibly angry their initial outcries weren’t heard and last but certainly not least, the muddy whirlpool of conspiracy theories that filled my email and voicemail inboxes whenever my byline was matched with Jenkins.
But if the program has a failing, it’s that it dangles the question of what happened to Jenkins for far too long for the sake of suspense when it could make clear throughout that Jenkins’ death wasn’t a homicide and never was despite suggestions otherwise. The “mystery” was solved once the Cook County medical examiner’s office conclusively ruled that Jenkins’ death was due to hypothermia, along with intoxication from alcohol and the medication topiramate, and therefore was an accident. The concept of an imperiled young person trapped and unable to free herself is something that will resonate with any parent.
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Chicago native and journalist Dometi Pongo does a good job of humanizing Jenkins, a vibrant young woman with a bright smile and girlish presence. He also addresses the true central and overlooked theme of the story: Could Kenneka’s life have been saved had the surveillance video system been checked in those early hours after the Jenkins family first appeared to hotel staff seeking help. Jenkins’ body was found 17 hours after her mother first called the hotel asking that someone search surveillance for any signs of her missing daughter. But that’ll be for a judge or jury to decide.
“At the end of the day, somebody in that room knows what happened to that girl,” Nikki Luciano, one of the online sleuths who poured over videos inside the hotel room where Jenkins’ disappeared, said in the MTV special.
Or, her friends were too busy partying to have been keeping tabs on her. That’s possible, right?
Still, amateur online detectives, mothers to teenagers, former law enforcement to security guards, swarmed every news story on the case, sharing their theories — highly toxic or unlikely scenarios — with one another, or even Jenkins’ family members. Knowledge of the city and its people not required.
Their evidence included a closeup shot of one of Jenkins’ friends talking into the camera, which amateur sleuths surmised hid some sort of vital clue like a Beatles album played backward.
Some low points include speculation that Jenkins’ friends put a $200 hit out on her (in a public place, mind you) or an underground organ harvesting ring (yes, really) used the freezer to save her organs for selling on the black market. This killer must have been blessed with the powers of stealth (or maybe just invisibility), telepathy and as much of a whiz at editing video as avoiding detection.
The show gets points for its interview with the late Zach Stoner, aka legendary street videographer ZachTV, for throwing cold water on the whole hotel-murder theory.
Some sleuths even tracked down Jenkins’ friends online, speculating about their involvement in her death. I officially shut off on the controversy after I watched a YouTube video of a woman accusing the family of profiting off the girl’s death.
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Meanwhile in Chicago, people in the neighborhoods were concerned that Jenkins, a young woman they’d never met, died suspiciously and its evidence hushed up. The fear of an unknown stalker prowling the South or West sides for vulnerable young women is a real concern, and actual women and trans women have wound up dead or disappeared in recent years.
“We’ve been following this ever since it happened — crying, staying up late at night — it’s heartbreaking. It feels like a relative,” one mourner told me outside Jenkins’ 2017 packed funeral at House of Hope church.
Mistrust in public institutions and authority is common today, as an April 2019 Pew Research poll found that only 17 percent of Americans say they can trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always.”
Hopefully the conspiracy theories-affecting-real life isn’t a trend, though months after Jenkins’ death, authorities in rural Virginia were forced to publicly release graphic details of a 22-year-old woman’s fatal mauling by dogs after rumors persisted that she had been killed by a human.
These years later, I still can’t get over how brazenly strangers could walk up and offer theories of murder to the family seemingly without filter. I witnessed this very thing during a memorial balloon release for Jenkins in Douglas Park on the city’s West Side not long after her death. Speaking with a small handful of reporters, Martin was greeted by hundreds of strangers who offered hugs, cash in envelopes or their opinions of what happened to Kenneka. No matter how unhinged.
After the balloon release, some of those in attendance convinced Martin and her family to stage a milelong march to the FBI field office in a failed attempt to get the agency to intervene.
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I still recall Martin telling two other reporters and me that she was thankful for the support she’d received, but was slightly on edge because she didn’t know many of the people who were showing up. Later, one of the attendees, a gray-haired man, insinuated to reporters that neighborhood residents somehow knew more about Jenkins’ death than anyone else, he said with a grin.
It’s hard to find peace when your supporters are gleeful and happy to share doom.
wlee@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MidNoirCowboy


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Chicago-based Grubhub may put itself up for sale

Grubhub has said it hopes to double the number of restaurants on its platform by the end of 2020 by @ @ @ @ @ included nonpartnered restaurants .
The company has admitted the new strategy contradicts its philosophy of @ @ @ @ @ and that it was not in the company ’ s best interests long-term , but @ @ @ @ @ efficient way to keep current customers and lure new ones .

Grubhub delivery person Robert Wold packs his car with food Dec. 4, 2018 in Rockford. Shares of Chicago-based Grubhub jumped almost 13% after reports Jan. 8, 2020, that the company could put itself up for sale. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Big changes could be coming to the food delivery business, where companies have been struggling with high costs and fickle consumers.
Chicago-based Grubhub, the second-largest player in the U.S. market by sales, is considering putting itself up for sale, The Wall Street Journal first reported late Wednesday, sending shares up almost 13%. The stock continued to climb 1% to $55.33 Thursday on the news.
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Grubhub said it would not comment on speculation.
[ UPDATE: Grubhub ’unequivocally’ denies reports that it is being sold ]
The company was a pioneer in the sector, but it’s since been joined by Uber Eats, DoorDash, Postmates and others. As of November, DoorDash claimed 37% of the U.S. delivery market, while Grubhub held 30%, according to Second Measure, a data analysis company. Uber Eats had 20% share.
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Still, Grubhub is the leader in some key markets, including New York, Chicago and Boston.
The companies are finding that customers jump freely between services to find the best deal, making it difficult to deliver stable sales numbers. Aggressive discounting and heavy marketing costs to win new users have also taken a toll on profits.
[ It’s not all rainbows for Chicago’s $1 billion tech ‘unicorns’ ]
Grubhub has also been left out of some big deals. McDonald’s began offering delivery through Uber Eats in 2017 but didn’t add Grubhub as a partner until last fall. Chipotle has a partnership with DoorDash.
In October, Grubhub reported a third quarter profit of $1 million, down from $22.7 million in the prior year, even though its revenue rose by 30%.
At the time, GrubHub slashed its full-year revenue expectations and cautioned on competition, sending its shares tumbling 43%. In a letter to shareholders, Grubhub said customers have become “more promiscuous,” using multiple delivery services.
“As we dug into the data, we saw that our newer diners, particularly those in our newer markets, were not driving as many orders as we expected at that point in their lifecycle,” the company said in the letter.
The Food deslivery services are fighting over a limited number of customers, for now. Delivery represents only about 3% of all restaurant orders, according to NPD Group, a market research firm. But that’s expected to grow by double digits this year.
Consolidation has happened before in the delivery market. Grubhub merged with Seamless in 2013. DoorDash bought upscale service Caviar last spring. In Europe, rivals Takeaway.com and Just Eat are in the midst of a merger.
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But Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak says more consolidation is necessary. A bigger company could optimize driver routes, rely less on discounting and make more deals with big chains, which pay lower rates.
"The runway is long, but generating cash flow in a highly competitive food delivery industry is challenging," Nowak said in a note to investors.
Nowak says Uber Eats is the most likely buyer if Grubhub is sold, since it has the most cash. But he cautioned that U.S. regulators could oppose such a deal.
[ Grubhub making sure your Cheesy Gordita Crunch gets to you faster as Taco Bell delivery goes nationwide ]
The difficult environment has given some businesses pause. In October Postmates postponed plans to become a publicly traded company, saying the conditions were not favorable.
Grubhub has said it hopes to double the number of restaurants on its platform by the end of 2020 by expanding a pilot program that included nonpartnered restaurants. The company has admitted the new strategy contradicts its philosophy of delivering only for partnered restaurants and that it was not in the company’s best interests long-term, but that it’s an efficient way to keep current customers and lure new ones.
In August, Panera began offering delivery through Grubhub and other third parties, but it uses its own drivers. Dan Wegiel, Panera's chief growth and strategy officer, said the industry is still trying to figure out how delivery can be profitable for restaurants and delivery companies yet still appealing to consumers.
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“The equilibrium of pricing and profit in this space has not found its center,” he said. “Someone has to shoulder the cot of delivery, and I don’t think we’ve settled on who that is.”
Sign up for the Tribune’s free midday business newsletter at chicagotribune.com/workinglunch.


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--A Chicago-area sportswriter disappeared 31 years ago in Colorado. The search for him continues on a

A Chicago-area sportswriter disappeared 31 years ago in Colorado. The search for him continues on a new Travel Channel series.

“ Seeing that location , hearing the depositions of the people that have something to do with the story , @ @ @ @ @ trigger something for someone who maybe hiked in that area , who maybe connected with @ @ @ @ @ something , heard something that they didn ’ t think mattered , but if they @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Wow , that little bit of information that I had , if I @ @ @ @ @ that could actually further this investigation.
’ That ’ s our hope , ” Philipps @ @

Filmmaker J.J. Kelley (left) and journalist Kinga Philipps try to find out what happened to missing Daily Herald sportswriter Keith Reinhard on an episode of the Travel Channel series "Lost in the Wild." (Travel Channel/Handout)
Keith Reinhard was on a three-month sabbatical from his job covering prep sports for the Daily Herald in 1988 when he left for a solo mountain hike in Colorado and never returned. The 49-year-old Algonquin resident had been staying in a small mining town west of Denver and writing a novel inspired by Tom Young, who had gone missing from that same town the year before.
Filmmaker J.J. Kelley and journalist Kinga Philipps try to figure out what happened to Reinhard and Young on an episode of their new Travel Channel series, “Lost in the Wild,” that’s scheduled to air at 10 p.m. Sunday. Philipps describes the eight-episode series as a “true crime podcast come to life.”
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“A lot of times these cases are not that well investigated, especially when you get into some of our international cases, where the government might have had a hand in covering things up. A lot of times these people have never been interviewed on the record. If they have been interviewed, those transcripts have been buried. With the Keith Reinhard story specifically, I think yeah, we definitely went in there trying to uncover new information,” Kelley told the Tribune by phone.
Young, a bookstore owner in Silver Plume, Colorado, went missing in September 1987. His body, along with the body of his dog, were found in mountain wilderness outside Silver Plume in July 1988. They both had been shot in the head. Young’s death was ruled a suicide, though some people were not convinced that Young would have killed his beloved dog.
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Reinhard — who was working out of Young’s vacant storefront — told people on Aug. 7, 1988, that he was going to climb Pendleton Mountain, which would have been an arduous hike for anyone, but especially for Reinhard, who was known to have a fear of heights. His disappearance spawned a massive search at the time.
Kelley and Philipps visit Silver Plume, interview people connected to the case and consult a professional medium to try to solve the mystery.
“Seeing that location, hearing the depositions of the people that have something to do with the story, we sincerely hope that would trigger something for someone who maybe hiked in that area, who maybe connected with Keith, who maybe saw something, heard something that they didn’t think mattered, but if they saw the show and thought, ‘Wow, that little bit of information that I had, if I bring that to someone, that could actually further this investigation.’ That’s our hope,” Philipps said.
Upcoming episodes of “Lost in the Wild,” which premiered in December, are slated to explore disappearances in the Galapagos Islands and Malaysia.
Reinhard’s story, meanwhile, is getting the movie treatment. “Dark Side of the Mountain,” slated to screen at film festivals this year, delves into the conspiracy theories about Reinhard’s disappearance. The documentary is said to feature exclusive interviews with Reinhard’s family and friends and never-before-seen footage shot by Reinhard himself.
tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Bears hire veteran assistant Clancy Barone as tight ends coach

“ I was only there with him for probably three to four weeks , but in that time , I @ @ @ @ @ he was running the quarterback room with Donovan McNabb , ” Nagy said in a @ @ @ @ @ media last season .
“ It was great for me as a young , up-and-coming @ @ @ @ @ somebody runs a quarterback room and how they watch tape , study coverages and handle @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll always remember that .

Matt Nagy moved a step closer to completing his coaching staff Thursday as the Bears hired veteran Clancy Barone as tight ends coach.
Barone replaces Kevin Gilbride, one of four coaches let go the day after the team’s 8-8 season ended.
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Barone, 56, was out of the league in 2019. He was the Vikings’ offensive line coach in 2018 a year after coaching their tight ends. Before that, Barone spent nine seasons in Denver, including time under coach John Fox, with stints directing the offensive line and tight ends.
He also has worked for the Chargers and Falcons, originally joining the NFL in Atlanta during the 2004 season. Barone made many stops at the college level before reaching the NFL, including a stint as the offensive line coach at Eastern Illinois from 1994-1996.
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Nagy’s first hire was adding Juan Castillo as offensive line coach. Nagy and Castillo previously worked together previously on the Eagles. The Bears have yet to replace offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich or assistant special teams coach Brock Olivo.
It’s possible the Bears will consider former Giants coach Pat Shurmur for the offensive coordinator role. Nagy and Shurmur also were together briefly with the Eagles, and Nagy has spoken highly of him.
“I was only there with him for probably three to four weeks, but in that time, I was with the quarterbacks and he was running the quarterback room with Donovan McNabb,” Nagy said in a conference call with New York media last season. “It was great for me as a young, up-and-coming coach just to see how somebody runs a quarterback room and how they watch tape, study coverages and handle relationships with these players. I’ll always remember that.
“Probably my greatest story with him ... is just the appreciation when I was out of football. I used to try to stay in touch with the people that you connect with, and he was one. I put a phone call and a text message in to him and he got right back to me. I just always remembered that, thinking, ‘You know, that’s a high-character guy who doesn’t think he’s too big for anybody.’”
Considering Nagy is expected to continue calling plays for the Bears, it’s questionable how attractive the Bears will be to Shurmur.
Barone takes over a position that struggled last season. Bears tight ends combined for 46 receptions for 416 yards and two touchdowns.
Trey Burton, signed to a four-year, $32 million contract in 2018, played in eight games with 14 catches for 84 yards. Former second-round draft pick Adam Shaheen also played in eight games and had nine receptions for 74 yards. Both ended the season on injured reserve, forcing Gilbride to juggle former undrafted free agents at the position.


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Chicago tech company Jellyvision lays off 15% of staffers. ‘This is not a business in duress. It’s a

Chicago tech company Jellyvision lays off 15% of staffers. ‘This is not a business in duress. It’s a business that wants to be faster and better.’

The layoff is an effort `` to better align the company for speed and innovation , not a culling of @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We built so many centralized departments that we were creating a bit of @ @ @ @ @ were at least a little bit impacted .
”

Amanda Lannert, chief executive officer of Jellyvision, is seen in the company's office in 2012. (Brent Lewis/For the Chicago Tribune)
Jellyvision laid off 65 people Tuesday, cutting staff by about 15% as the Chicago technology company works to increase revenue and become more nimble.
The layoffs at the 18-year-old company reduced the total number of employees to 356, said CEO Amanda Lannert. Jellyvision hit its profitability targets in 2019, she said, but missed revenue projections. She declined to disclose specifics.
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“This is not a business in duress," she said. "It’s a business that wants to be faster and better and it comes at a very high price.”
Jellyvision got its start making computer games. Now, it makes software that helps employees select health insurance and benefits. Companies buy the software from Jellyvision and make it available to their workers. According to the company’s website, 1,500 companies with more than 18 million employees use the software, called Alex.
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The layoff is an effort "to better align the company for speed and innovation, not a culling of underperformers,” Lannert said. “We built so many centralized departments that we were creating a bit of bureaucracy, and most departments were at least a little bit impacted.”
Health benefit selections typically occur near the end of the year, Lannert said. That can leave some Jellyvision employees without much work at other times of the year.
The company plans to use more seasonal workers so it is better aligned “with the ebbs and flows" of the industry, she said. Additionally, Jellyvision will work to decentralize some of its departments.
amarotti@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Chicago has a new place to power nap. Here’s how it works and the difference between good and bad na

Chicago has a new place to power nap. Here’s how it works and the difference between good and bad naps

Hardy was inspired by feeling more productive after a nap and also travel , where she had to check out @ @ @ @ @ she had a spot to rest before a flight .
Plus , sometimes she found @ @ @ @ @ between appointments and could have used a quiet space .

A nap pod at ReJuve, in Block 37, offers downtown workers and tourists the chance to squeeze in a power nap in a private room. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Forget New Year’s resolutions. For many people, trying to get more sleep is a constant goal.
In downtown Chicago, a new business, ReJuve, offers workers the opportunity to sneak in some sleep during the day, with napping suites beginning at $15 available in increments of 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 90 minutes.
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The business, which opened in Block 37 in November as a pop-up, just extended through the spring, said owner Florence Hardy. She aims to provide a relaxing space, with aromatherapy, sleep masks and noise-canceling headphones.
The three different sleep spaces include, depending on price points, ergonomic beanbag-style chairs, “not just your college beanbag,” Hardy said, a reclining chair or a full bed. Hardy said she opened ReJuve after experiencing burnout as an attorney.
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“People are sort of nervous about the idea of napping, I think, in the U.S.,” she said. “It really has a negative connotation, like, ‘What, a nap in the middle of the day? You’re lazy.’”
Hardy was inspired by feeling more productive after a nap and also travel, where she had to check out of a hotel but wished she had a spot to rest before a flight. Plus, sometimes she found herself with extra time downtown between appointments and could have used a quiet space.
“I need it, so hopefully other people need it too,” she said, adding that because of requests for time intervals even shorter than 15 minutes, they are considering a room where people share space at a lower cost.
It’s not the first time a napping business has opened in Chicago; Peace Power Napping opened in 2017 but has since closed. Cities such as New York and Washington, D.C., also have sleep stations or nap cocoons. Many airports also have nap pods available for weary travelers.
Phyllis Zee, chief of sleep medicine at Northwestern Medicine’s Department of Neurology, said napping benefits depend on whether it’s a good nap or a bad nap.
First, she pointed out that napping in the middle of the afternoon is not abnormal, and other countries like Japan have napping pods.
“We tend to think in our society that naps may be bad, because they prevent you from being able to sleep during the night,” she said.
But scheduled naps can be beneficial. If someone wakes up at 6 a.m., she noted, by the time the post-lunch slump hits at 2 p.m., they have already been awake for eight hours.
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“Having a short nap in the middle of the afternoon, let’s say right around lunch or right after lunchtime, is natural,” she said.
And a power nap can also allow someone to be more functional for the rest of the day. “Otherwise, you’d be very sleepy throughout that entire time,” Zee said.
Where napping can be less helpful, she said, is when people are very sleepy because they’re not getting enough sleep at night. Keep an eye out for sleep deprivation signs; these can include falling asleep unintentionally, irritability and mood disorders.
If, like many people, you’re getting less than seven hours of shuteye per night on a regular basis, Zee said, “You’re probably not getting sufficient sleep.”
For those considering an afternoon catnap, Zee suggests aiming for 30 minutes. “If you nap for an hour or two, what happens? You wake up feeling pretty groggy, and it takes you another 20 or 30 minutes to wake up.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Prosecutors say judge too lenient in Chicago terrorism case: Plotting to kill hundreds isn’t ‘what t

Prosecutors say judge too lenient in Chicago terrorism case: Plotting to kill hundreds isn’t ‘what teenage boys do’

Prosecutors had asked Johnson for 40 years in prison for Daoud , who also pleaded guilty to trying to solicit @ @ @ @ @ FBI agent leading the terrorism investigation and viciously attacking another inmate while awaiting trial at @ @ @ @ @ At the time he was arrested in the bombing plot , Daoud was just 18 @

Federal prosecutors argued in a court filing made public Thursday that the judge who handed a 16-year prison sentence to Adel Daoud in a plot to detonate a car bomb outside a crowded Loop bar placed too much weight on Daoud’s young age and seriously miscalculated the danger he still poses to society.
In a 66-page brief, prosecutors took the relatively rare step of asking the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate the sentence imposed on Daoud in May by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, saying the sentence was far too lenient under the law.
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Prosecutors had asked Johnson for 40 years in prison for Daoud, who also pleaded guilty to trying to solicit the murder of the undercover FBI agent leading the terrorism investigation and viciously attacking another inmate while awaiting trial at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. At the time he was arrested in the bombing plot, Daoud was just 18.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgia Alexakis argued in the filing that Coleman improperly characterized Daoud’s attempt to bomb the Cactus Bar and Grill in the Loop “as the product of immaturity, neediness, braggadocio, and simply ‘what teenage boys do.’”
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“Plotting to kill hundreds of innocent people is not ‘what teenage boys do.’ ” Alexakis wrote. “People of any age can appreciate the seriousness of a plan to detonate a 1,000-pound car bomb capable of killing hundreds, and the criminal justice system cannot countenance otherwise.”
Daoud’s other convictions, Alexakis wrote, "demonstrate he was ... also ready, willing, and able to commit other violence to further his beliefs."
Lawyers for Daoud have until Feb. 7 to file a response.
Daoud, now 26, is serving his sentence at a high-security federal prison in Kentucky, records show. He’s scheduled to be released in May 2026.
The move by prosecutors to appeal a sentence further prolongs what already has been one of the longest and most unusual terrorism cases in Chicago history.
The case was delayed for nearly two years after Daoud, who had been prone to frequent outbursts in court and once accused the judge of being “a reptilian overlord,” was found mentally unfit for trial and was sent to a federal facility for treatment.
Daoud’s attorney, Thomas Anthony Durkin, has often accused the government of goading a mentally fragile American-born teen into a horrific plot instead of seeking alternative ways to defuse the situation.
After prosecutors notified the court of their intent to appeal the sentence last year, Durkin called the move "cruel, wrongheaded and stupid."
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"This is nothing more than the U.S. attorney's office trying to protect itself and the FBI from the decisions they made in the investigation and prosecution of this case," Durkin said at the time.
Daoud first came under FBI scrutiny in 2012 after analysts posing as terrorists exchanged messages with the teen and eventually got him to meet with an undercover agent who was purportedly their “cousin” interested in waging jihad.
Over several months, Daoud and the agent met a number of times in the Chicago area to discuss potential targets for an attack, including movie theaters, a suburban mall and military recruiting centers, according to prosecutors.
On Sept. 14, 2012, he parked a Jeep he thought was packed with explosives outside the bar on South Wells Street, then walked to an alley about a block away.
FBI agents swarmed in after he twice pressed the phony detonator.
In imposing the 16-year prison term last year, Coleman said she was essentially dealing with a different person from the “awkward” and giggly suburban Hillside teen who first appeared before her in 2012. She also chided both sides for infusing their arguments through the years with “hyperbole and hysteria.”
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The U.S. attorney’s office has appealed only a handful of sentences in the past decade, but its success has been mixed.
In 2010, the 7th Circuit reversed the sentence of probation given to former Chicago Ald. Edward Vrdolyak for a real estate fraud conviction. A district judge later imposed a 10-month prison term on Vrdolyak.
But the same court in 2015 upheld the probation sentence given to Ty Warner, the billionaire creator of Beanie Babies who evaded nearly $6 million in federal taxes by hiding income in Swiss bank accounts.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--A bold new experiment from Chicago vibist Thaddeus Tukes comes to Andy’s Jazz Club

“ The restrictions are more loose , because it ’ s just two people making musical decisions .
We can @ @ @ @ @ can shorten it .
If a soloist is doing alternate chord changes , I don @ @ @ @ @ about coordinating with the bass player .
If we decide a set list isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ have to ( adjust ) between two people .
We can focus on having fun @ @ @ @

It’s easy to admire Chicago vibraphonist Thaddeus Tukes’ art, not only for its fluid technique and lyrical core but also for its pervasive elegance.
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During the next several weeks, however, listeners will get to hear him in an unusual context: performing in a duo Wednesday evenings at Andy’s Jazz Club, on East Hubbard Street.
Tukes says he never has played duets in a club setting, and for this first foray he’ll be testing himself, performing with a different partner every week.
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“What I wanted to do with the series is showcase a lot of the great young talent that’s in Chicago,” says Tukes.
“A lot of people move to New York or L.A. – they think in Chicago there’s a limit. What I’m trying to do is blow the lid off that."
Tukes does exactly that every time he steps into the spotlight, telling the audience how much he always has admired jazz made in Chicago. Once he applies his mallets to vibraphone or marimba, he reaffirms his links to this city’s musical traditions, thanks to the propulsive swing and deep-blues sensibility of his work.
He’ll underscore the point with the upcoming Andy’s shows, sharing the stage with such noteworthy Chicago artists as bassist Jeremiah Hunt (Jan. 15), pianist Jo Ann Daugherty (Jan. 29), pianist Julius Tucker (Feb. 5), saxophonist Irvin Pierce (Feb. 12), trumpeter Victor Garcia (Feb. 19) and saxophonist Isaiah Collier (Feb. 26). (Andy’s is hosting a private fundraiser event on Jan. 22.)
In effect, Tukes will be showing audiences the depth of Chicago’s jazz talent pool, as well as its stylistic breadth.
Though Tukes more typically appears in larger ensembles — whether his own bands or more expansive ones, such as Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic -- he believes the pleasures of working in a duo are not easily found elsewhere.
“The greatest thing about the duo setting is that, as I like to say, we just vibe a little more,” observes Tukes.
“The restrictions are more loose, because it’s just two people making musical decisions. We can expand a piece; we can shorten it. If a soloist is doing alternate chord changes, I don’t have to worry about coordinating with the bass player. If we decide a set list isn’t working, we only have to (adjust) between two people. We can focus on having fun with each other.
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Thaddeus Tukes, vibraphonist, performs with Joaquin Garcia, pianist, Jeremiah Hunt, bass, and Ernie Adams, drums, at City Stage on the Polk Bros Performance Lawns at Navy Pier on Wednesday, August 2, 2017. (Brittany Sowacke / Chicago Tribune)
“And other musicians are excited to be part of it, because it’s a chance to be free and take the music wherever you want it to go. It’s almost like a jam session where we’re prepared.”
The duo scenario affords Tukes yet another opportunity: to play something besides vibraphone and marimba. Though he’s most associated with these instruments, Tukes also knows his way around a piano and organ, meaning that his duo shows will offer a greater array of sonic possibilities than listeners might have expected.
All of which suggests that these performances could lay the groundwork for a future Tukes recording. Indeed, he says he thinks that’s a possibility and hopes to record the Andy’s sessions for potential future use.
As a Chicago musician clearly on the way up, Tukes often finds himself asked the same question.
“I get inquiries all the time, asking why I haven’t moved to L.A. or New York, Memphis or New Orleans,” says Tukes.
“It can be very tempting. There have been times that I felt that because I’m based in Chicago, some of the significant things that are being worked on might have been received differently if I was based somewhere else and (later) came back to Chicago.
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“But there is a group of people that have been so supportive of me, and Chicago is such a unique place. I personally feel that Chicago is still the real hub of jazz.
“Without Chicago, a lot of other jazz scenes wouldn’t be what they are," adds Tukes. "Chicago is still amazing.”
Thaddeus Tukes plays duets at 7 and 9 p.m. Wednesdays in January (except Jan. 22) and February at Andy’s Jazz Club, 11 E. Hubbard St.; $10; 312-642-6805 or www.andysjazzclub.com.
Winter Chamber Music Festival
Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music this weekend will launch its annual response to the cold weather: the Winter Chamber Music Festival. Violinist James Ehnes and pianist Andrew Armstrong will perform 7:30 p.m. Friday and Sunday; Aizuri Quartet, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17; Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19; Bienen Faculty and Guests, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24; American String Quartet with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26; at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; 847-467-4000 or music.northwestern.edu
Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.
hreich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy works hard, but he used to work a lot harder, so it’s cool

For now , he ’ s focusing on the Legends shows and “ hanging on there , trying to keep @ @ @ @ @ is happy SiriusXM has a channel devoted to the blues , unlike AM-FM radio , @ @ @ @ @ is too expensive for fans to discover the genre .
“ Nothing come free no @ @ @ @ @ , then launches into a tangent about his greatest regret : “ If I ’ @ @ @ @ @ to buy drinking water , I would never have been a guitar player — I @ @ @ @ @ Vegas and put $ 500 down that one day you ’ re going to have @ @ @ @ @ would have been one of the richest guys in Vegas .
”

Buddy Guy is 83, and the number of blues shows he’s headlining this month at his South Loop club, Legends, is 16. That’s a lot, right?
“Well, I was born on a farm,” says the singer and guitarist who famously journeyed by train from his home in Lettsworth, La., to Chicago in 1957. “Every time I think I’m overworked, I think about the mule and the plow. We had to work from sunup to sundown. So that keeps me going.”
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Guy’s work ethic has kept him afloat for six decades in the blues, to the point that Rolling Stone recently called him “the greatest living Chicago bluesman, and one of the most influential guitar players ever.” He has made dozens of albums, but they’ve never been much help financially. “I make my biggest money off touring,” he says. “I only missed one day since I’ve been a professional musician — I was supposed to go to Tokyo, and my doctor told me to cancel it. I went and made it up later.”
After six decades of struggling to be heard, first among a group of legendary bluesmen cutting heads at nightclubs on the South and West Sides, then in an industry where white guitarists earned far more money and fame than the African-American pioneers who inspired them, Guy has achieved a sort of mythical status in recent years. After his mentor B.B. King died in 2015, the New Yorker’s David Remnick said Guy was “like one of those aging souls who find themselves the last fluent speaker of an obscure regional language.”
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By phone from his Chicago home, though, he’s focused on more nuts-and-bolts issues. The Legends shows are coming up, which reminds him of the time in 1989 when he first opened the club in a barren, not-yet-developed part of town. “Around that corner was just ghetto,” he says. Guy had owned nightclubs in the past, including the famous Checkerboard Lounge on the South Side, but, he adds, “Blues clubs don’t make you rich — it makes you rich in the love of music but it don’t make you rich in money.”
Buddy Guy for Traditional Blues Album arrives in the press room during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/Getty)
Although he does not pick his opening acts in January, from veteran guitarist Jimmy Johnson to 20-year-old Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Guy is a fixture at the club, a neighborhood celebrity who poses nightly for tourist selfies at the bar and studies the performers. “They can’t run me away no more, because the mayor said, ‘I want you to stay downtown,’” he says. “I was the first blues club to come that close downtown.”
Guy’s parents were Louisiana sharecroppers, near the Mississippi River, and he learned to play the guitar from visitors like a family friend named Henry “Coot” Smith" and John Lee Hooker records on jukeboxes. He was half a generation younger than the Mississippi Delta singers who journeyed to Chicago to invent the electric blues, so by the time he arrived in the late ’50s, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and the rest were already established at the many local nightclubs. “There’s a lot of blues guys who weren’t from the Delta, man,” he says. “I had to straighten them out about me when I come here.”
Guy was a talented young guitarist who could learn just about any song quickly and an underrated singer who could shriek like James Brown but knew how to put across an emotion with just a few quiet words. And unlike many of his contemporaries, notably the late guitarist Otis Rush, he was a showman who smiled relentlessly behind his signature polka-dotted Stratocaster. Chess Records, the South Side label home of Waters, Wolf, Little Walter and many others, hired him to perform on others’ records and occasionally put out tracks of his own, like 1960′s “First Time I Met the Blues.”
But Guy never was able to capture the wide-eyed improvisation he put across on stage, even on his best work, such as the late harpist Junior Wells’ 1965 classic “Hoodoo Man Blues” or his 1981 album “Stone Crazy!” Last year’s “The Blues Is Alive and Well” is an explosive album, full of typically fiery solos and soulful vocals, but Guy co-wrote only three of its 15 songs and didn’t contribute much to the production.
He’s starting work on the next album — all he’ll say about it is veteran R&B singer Bobby Rush makes an appearance — but seems disconnected from the process. “I’ve got to put my vocal on it in April or May, then I’ll know more about it,” he says.
For now, he’s focusing on the Legends shows and “hanging on there, trying to keep the blues alive.” Guy is happy SiriusXM has a channel devoted to the blues, unlike AM-FM radio, but he worries the service is too expensive for fans to discover the genre. “Nothing come free no more,” he says, then launches into a tangent about his greatest regret: “If I’d known you were going to buy drinking water, I would never have been a guitar player — I would’ve went to Vegas and put $500 down that one day you’re going to have to buy water. I would have been one of the richest guys in Vegas.”
Steve Knopper is a freelance writer.
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ct-arts@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @chitribent
When: Friday-Sunday, Thursday plus other dates throughout January
Where: Buddy Guy’s Legends, 700 S. Wabash Ave.
Tickets: $55-$70 (some shows are sold out); 312-427-1190 or www.buddyguy.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-09--It’s Girl Scout cookie time. Here’s why they look different this year.

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--2020-01-09--Blackhawks rookie Kirby Dach is doing everything right — except finding the scoresheet: ‘He can be m

Blackhawks rookie Kirby Dach is doing everything right — except finding the scoresheet: ‘He can be more of a shooter’

“ He ’ s been doing a great job with helping our line , helping the team really get that @ @ @ @ @ said of Dach .
“ Can ’ t really worry about ( not scoring ) @ @ @ @ @ s a tough league .
He ’ s 18 years old .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ every night , so you ’ ve just go to handle it the best you @ @ @ @ @ tough going from junior and scoring every night to coming in here and not doing @ @ @ @

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Kirby Dach has done everything the Blackhawks have asked of him without complaint since being the No. 3 pick in the NHL draft last summer.
When they asked him to participate in the NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Mich., before training camp, he went.
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When Dach suffered a concussion during the tournament, he worked with the Hawks medical staff and patiently waited to get back on the ice.
When he finally made his NHL debut on Oct. 20, he moved from line to line, getting comfortable with new teammates and showing off a work ethic and skill set that quickly led the Hawks to realize they weren’t sending him back to his junior team. Ever.
The only thing Dach hasn’t done is score a whole lot. But the Hawks haven’t asked him to score — at least not yet.
The points will come later. At least they had better.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 38 Blackhawks center Kirby Dach celebrates after scoring in the first period against the Stars on April 6 2021, at the United Center. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
No. 3 picks aren’t drafted to be role players. But no one in the Hawks organization expects that out of Dach, who at 18 is just getting his feet wet and contributing in ways other than filling the scoresheet.
At 6-foot-4 with a long reach, Dach has been a tireless forechecker and effective at carrying the puck into the offensive zone.
His most recent linemates, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome, have taken it from there. Since Colliton put the trio together six games ago, DeBrincat has five points and Strome six while the line has only allowed one defensive goal.
"Ever since we put them together they've been arguably the best line," Colliton said.
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Dach, however, hasn’t scored in those six games. In fact, the center has just one point in his last 23 games, a beautiful goal he swept in from a nearly impossible angle to help the Hawks to a comeback win against the Avalanche on Dec. 21.
Remarkably, Dach doesn’t have an assist since Nov. 19 despite playing in every game and averaging 14 minutes, 9 seconds of ice time. To put that into perspective, 11 NHL goalies have had assists since Dach last had one — and the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy has had three in that span.
“I think he can produce more,” Colliton said. "He can be more of a shooter, take the puck inside, take the puck to the net. But I also think he’s been a big part of the goals that his line has scored. A lot of those goals, he’s an integral part of scoring. He just doesn’t get a point.
“We have to evaluate the whole picture of his game and we’re pretty happy with it.”
Dach has been on many lines, and it looks as if — at least temporarily — he’ll have another new linemate with Strome out for at least one game after suffering a right ankle injury Tuesday against the Flames.
“There’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment period when you lose one of your linemates, and you’ve got to find new chemistry with guys," Dach said. "At this point everybody is comfortable playing with everybody in this locker room, and you’ve just to find the right fits in each line to help us win.”
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When Dach was playing his final season with the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades, he had 25 goals and 48 assists in 62 games, which was 30th in the league and well behind Dylan Cozens (34 goals, 50 assists), whom the Sabres selected four picks after Dach.
But Cozens is back in the WHL for another season while Dach is with the Hawks learning how to make it in the NHL.
“The only thing I really need to do more to help myself offensively is maybe shoot the puck more,” Dach said. "There’s times in the game where I could just put a puck on net, and that’s why the guys who lead the league in points and goals every year are the guys who shoot the puck the most.
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“You’re going to get a bounce here and there, and it’s going to go your way. I’ve just got to do that a little bit more and keep playing the way I’m playing, and hopefully they’ll go in.”
Dach has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 38 games. DeBrincat had 13 goals and 12 assists in his first 38 games during rookie season of 2017-18, but he wasn’t asked to play a 200-foot game like Dach and was a year older.
“He’s been doing a great job with helping our line, helping the team really get that depth back,” DeBrincat said of Dach. “Can’t really worry about (not scoring) too much. It’s a tough league. He’s 18 years old. It’s not going to go in every night, so you’ve just go to handle it the best you can. It’s tough going from junior and scoring every night to coming in here and not doing the same.”
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It might be tough but it doesn’t seem to be taking its toll on Dach, who credits advice from veterans Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, among others, with helping him adjust to life in the NHL.
“Each game I’ve taken a step more confidently and being better and focusing on playing a good 200-foot game,” Dach said. “I take a lot of pride in being a plus player and not being scored on. I’ve tried to improve my defensive game and at the same time contribute offensively. I’ve got a find way to do both.”
He does need to find a way. But for now, with his whole hockey life still ahead of him, Dach believes the points will come.
At least they had better.