chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Ex-volleyball coach who recorded hundreds of children in bathroom with hidden camera given almost 7

Ex-volleyball coach who recorded hundreds of children in bathroom with hidden camera given almost 7 years in prison

“ I know I can ’ t take back what I did , but I can sincerely apologize , ” @ @ @ @ @ an orange jail jumpsuit and pausing at times to regain his composure .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ am not strong enough to handle this on my own and I need the support @ @ @ @ @ ”

A former west suburban volleyball coach who installed a hidden camera to record videos of hundreds of children using a bathroom at an athletic training facility was sentenced Friday to just under seven years in federal prison.
In addition to making the recordings, Michael Liedtke, 35, also enticed a 16-year-old boy to send pornographic videos of himself and also viewed other child pornography online, according to prosecutors.
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Michael Liedtke, of Streamwood, is charged with unauthorized videotaping and possession of child pornography. (DuPage County state's attorney)
While no evidence showed Liedtke had inappropriately touched a child, prosecutors sought a sentence of at least 11 years in prison, saying his “dastardly obsession with sexualizing innocent children” was worsening before his arrest in January 2019.
“There is concern that given the escalating nature of Liedtke’s criminal conduct, he would have abused a child if he was not arrested in this case,” prosecutors wrote in a recent court filing.
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Liedtke, of Streamwood, pleaded guilty in August to one count of receiving child pornography.
In handing down the sentence of six years and 11 months, U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo said Liedtke was an “intelligent person” who knew he needed help but for whatever reason made other choices.
“It certainly looks like you were really heading in a wrong direction, and obviously things were getting worse,” Bucklo said.
Before he was sentenced, Liedtke stood at the lectern and sniffed back tears as he read a written statement apologizing for his actions.
“I know I can’t take back what I did, but I can sincerely apologize,” said Liedtke, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit and pausing at times to regain his composure. “I’ve realized that I am not strong enough to handle this on my own and I need the support of mental health professionals.”
Liedtke, a Western Illinois University graduate and former jail guard, was first charged by DuPage County authorities after a tipster noticed a camera in a unisex bathroom at the DuPage Training Academy, where Liedtke rented space to operate a volleyball program called Xcel Athletics.
Authorities found the recording device in a drop ceiling with wiring leading back to a computer in an office Liedtke rented at the facility, according to court records.
Liedtke admitted in his plea agreement in U.S. District Court last year that he recorded more than 400 people using the restroom, including approximately 300 children, court records show.
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In an interview with police after his arrest, Liedtke initially claimed he’d installed the camera because he wanted to catch people who were smoking or vaping in the bathroom. He also gave police permission to search his phone, yielding the illicit video of the 16-year-old victim, according to the federal charges.
The minor depicted in the video had connected with Leidtke through an online dating site and was apparently not involved in Liedtke’s volleyball program, records show.
In their recent sentencing filing, prosecutors said there was evidence that Lietke had “engaged students that he coached in an inappropriate manner,” including communications sent to players that “joked about two of the boys kissing each other.”
Liedtke later told one of the boys that the joke should make him “feel special," according to prosecutors, who said it was classic “grooming behavior.”
“Joking about sexual activity with young children is blatantly inappropriate,” the filing said.
Liedtke’s attorney, Kendall Hartsfield, asked the judge to limit the sentence to the mandatory minimum five years in prison, writing in a sentencing memo Friday that Liedtke has led an otherwise law-abiding life and even started a Bible study group at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the federal jail in downtown Chicago.
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“He knows what he did was wrong, and is truly interested in receiving help in the form of counseling,” Hartsfield wrote.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Face masks selling out and Lunar New Year events canceled as Chicago’s Chinese community reacts to c

Face masks selling out and Lunar New Year events canceled as Chicago’s Chinese community reacts to coronavirus spread

Huan Wang , vice president of the Association of Chinese-American Scientists and Engineers and partner in the restaurants Peppercorns Kitchen @ @ @ @ @ s Chef Xiong – Taste of Szechuan and University Village ’ s L ’ Ours @ @ @ @ @ ’ s seen a decrease in the number of people who have visited his restaurants @ @ @ @ @ , the drop-off in customers has made business difficult .
Many patrons have opted to @ @ @ @ @ dining in , a service that takes a cut out of Wang ’ s overall @ @ @ @ @ his staff and patrons , his restaurants are also taking extra precautions to sanitize tables @ @ @ @ @ disinfectants for cleaning .
Also , they are posting notices in the restaurants encouraging people @ @ @ @ @ diners by covering their mouths when coughing or sneezing .

A Walgreens sales clerk rings up a purchase of face masks in Chicago's Chinatown as people take protective measures against the spread of the coronavirus Jan. 24. A person infected with the coronavirus is being treated in a Chicago hospital after traveling to Wuhan, China. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
On the eve of Lunar New Year, a time meant for celebration with family and arguably the most important Chinese holiday, many Chinatown residents found themselves instead standing in line to buy bright blue boxes of face masks, seeking to protect themselves from the coronavirus after the first case was confirmed in Chicago.
By early afternoon Friday, the lone Walgreens in Chinatown was sold out. Meanwhile, some events celebrating Lunar New Year were canceled, and restaurant owners in the community complained of waning business.
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Lunar New Year, celebrated from Friday to Feb. 4, marks one of the busiest travel seasons among Chinese, as it’s part of the cultural tradition to return to one’s hometown and reunite with family. But this year, many plans have come to a halt because of the coronavirus outbreak in China that has begun to spread to the U.S.
On Saturday, tourists and area residents walked mostly mask-free, and businesses were open like any typical day in January. Despite some festive decorations, activity in the area was light due to poor weather and coronavirus concerns.
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Paulynette Acosta walked in and out of stores while shopping along South Wentworth Avenue, holding a fruit smoothie in one hand and wearing a medical face mask with a decorative design that covered her mouth.
“I just want to be cautious,” Acosta said, referring to news reports of the virus having been detected in a Chicago resident who returned from Wuhan on Jan. 13. “It’s like there’s something new every year.”
From restaurant reservation cancellations to travelers eschewing trips to the homeland, many Chinese Chicagoans have taken a cautious approach to this year’s festivities, opting to stay home and avoid crowds to limit opportunities for exposure. The identification of Illinois’ first coronavirus case Friday underscored the risk for some.
The Chicago woman had returned from caring for her sick father in China earlier this month, and was diagnosed with the respiratory coronavirus, which has sickened more than 1,200 in China and killed at least 41 there, officials said Saturday. The woman’s condition had been stabilized, and she was “clinically doing well," officials said.
In Chicago’s Chinatown on Friday morning, it seemed like the only indications that it was Lunar New Year’s Eve were the red lanterns, wet from the unrelenting drizzle, swaying between trees on Cermak Road.
A couple in Chinatown wear masks as a precaution in Chinatown on Jan. 25, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The usually bustling neighborhood seemed concentrated at the sole Walgreens in the area, on Cermak near Archer Avenue. Boxes of surgical-grade face masks sat on the counter near the cash register, and people lined up, buying them as quickly as the employees could stock them. But the real prize, 3M N95 masks, which customers favor for protection against viruses, had been sold out within two hours that morning. All 400 of them.
[ China’s president calls accelerating coronavirus a ‘grave situation’ as some streets appear abandoned on Lunar New Year holiday ]
A woman who worked at the Walgreens said Friday that another shipment of 600 masks was due to arrive later that day, hopefully in time for Lunar New Year celebrations. But before 2 p.m. the store was sold out of all face masks, all types. There were no signs alerting customers of the next shipment, nor were any signs posted at other businesses that referenced the virus.
Wearing a black disposable face mask, Hai Xia, 25, who lives in Prairie Shores, came to the Chinatown Walgreens in hopes of finding the 3M N95 masks. His friend had told him via WeChat that Costco and Target were already sold out, so he was hoping he’d get lucky by venturing to Chinatown. But he came up empty-handed once again. It was his second try for the day, and at that point, he was ready to try his luck online, but he said he couldn’t find what he was looking for.
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“We just want to protect our life,” he said in Mandarin.
Hai Xia, right, leaves the Walgreens in Chinatown empty-handed on Jan. 24 after hoping to purchase a box of a specific brand of surgical face masks to protect himself and others from the coronavirus. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
With their hoods up and umbrellas extended, patrons of Park To Shop in Chinatown hurried from their car to the store for last-minute groceries Friday. Many of them, including small children bundled up in puffy winter jackets, wore face masks as they browsed the aisles of produce and red Lunar New Year boxes full of traditional cookies and candies.
“I don’t want to go back (to China),” Qinan Zhao, who was wearing a face mask while loading some green onions into the basket on her bicycle, said in Mandarin. “It’s very scary. But I’m sure the Chinese will find a cure very quickly.”
Huan Wang, vice president of the Association of Chinese-American Scientists and Engineers and a restaurateur, said he’s seen a decrease in the number of people dining out in his establishments. The health scare combined with the weather has made business difficult.
Many patrons have opted to order delivery online instead of dining in, a service that takes a cut out of Wang’s overall profits, he said.
Still, Wang was not oblivious to people’s concerns about health risks. To help protect his staff and patrons, his restaurants are also taking extra precautions to sanitize tables and utensils, using extra-strong disinfectants for cleaning, he said. Also, they are posting notices in the restaurants encouraging people to be considerate of other diners by covering their mouths when coughing or sneezing.
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Wang said some of his friends who own restaurants in Chinatown have seen cancellations for reservations booked for Lunar New Year, including a group of 80 people who canceled on Thursday. The reservations are hard to fill so close to the holiday, he said. Because festivities typically begin around dinnertime, the cancellations have dealt a heavy blow to the small businesses.
[ Northwestern University professor leading research team trying to stop coronavirus: ‘We are here specifically for this.’ ]
Among the events canceled Friday was the Festival of Spring, a huge show hosted by the Chinese American Association of Greater Chicago featuring music and dance performances to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Still, another large celebration, the Chinatown Chinese Lunar New Year Parade, is on for Feb. 2, said Mabel Moy, president of the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce.
She said many people who were from Southern China seemed to be less worried than their Northern Chinese counterparts, and her Cantonese friends are still making dinner reservations.
Yang Jiong, of the Zhejiang Opera Theatre, performs at the Chicago Cultural Center in downtown Chicago on Jan. 24, 2020, in celebration of the Chinese New Year. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Videos of how to cover your mouth when you cough and how to take preventive measures against the virus are sweeping across WeChat groups, both locally and internationally. Wang said his family, many of whom work in the medical field, have been extra diligent about sharing tips with family, friends and online groups that they’re a part of.
“I think people really underestimate the potential impact of coughing,” he said. “They think they’re healthy so they don’t think they need to do anything different.”
Many online groups are also putting together packages of supplies to send to Wuhan, the city where the outbreak is concentrated in China, Wang said. And various community organizations have held informational seminars to help educate people on how to protect themselves and how to help.
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[ What is coronavirus and what precautions should people in the Chicago area be taking? ]
While preventive measures are necessary, Wang said there’s no need for panic. And there’s certainly no need for people to be afraid to visit the Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago.
“Many of us haven’t been back to China in years,” he said with a laugh.
Paulynette Acosta wears a medical face mask while shopping on South Wentworth Avenue in Chinatown on Jan. 25, 2020. "I just want to be cautious," Acosta said, referring to a coronavirus originating from Wuhan, China, which has spread to other countries. "It's like there's something new every year." (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s John Kim contributed
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Suburban man charged with cannabis trafficking after undercover investigation ties him to 64 pounds

Abouelkheir was arrested shortly after 2:40 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of West Superior Street after an undercover investigation @ @ @ @ @ In a search , investigators uncovered 64 pounds of cannabis , as well as a @ @ @ @ @ handle cargo , police said .

A monthslong undercover investigation tied a man to 64 pounds of cannabis and THC edibles, and a forklift and Land Rover used in his operation, Chicago police said.
Abdulaziz Abouelkheir, 34, of the 500 block of North Peshtigo Court in Homer Glen, was charged with felony cannabis trafficking of 5,000 grams or more, and felony cannabis delivery of 10 to 30 grams, police said.
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Abdulaziz Abouelkheir was charged with felony cannabis trafficking of 5,000 grams or more and felony cannabis delivery of cannabis of 10 to 30 grams, police said. (Chicago Police Department)
Abouelkheir was arrested shortly after 2:40 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of West Superior Street after an undercover investigation tied him to trafficking. In a search, investigators uncovered 64 pounds of cannabis, as well as a forklift and vehicle used to handle cargo, police said.
Abouelkheir also was identified as the person who delivered less than an ounce, approximately 20 grams, to an undercover officer on Nov. 2, 2018.
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Legally, a person 21 years and older can possess up to 30 grams of cannabis leaf, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate and 500 mg of cannabis-infused products, according to the Chicago Police Department.
Abouelkheir was scheduled to appear Friday at a bail hearing. Check back later for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--NCAA Tournament tracker: Breaking down Illinois’ and DePaul’s resumes for an at-large berth

Both teams are in the hunt this season , and we ’ re tracking their resumes in several key metrics @ @ @ @ @ ( NET ) rankings ; predictive analytics rankings by Ken Pomeroy , Jeff Sagarin and @ @ @ @ @ Index ( BPI ) ; quality wins in Quadrant 1 and 2 games , as @ @ @ @ @ ; and potentially damaging losses in Quadrant 3 and 4 games .

Illinois is on course for its first NCAA Tournament invitation since 2013, and we’re tracking the Illini’s resume in key metrics while following updated projections of the field by renowned “bracketologists” Joe Lunardi of ESPN and Jerry Palm of CBS Sports.
Palm moved Illinois up a line to a No. 6 seed in his new bracket Monday after the Illini defeated Iowa on Sunday night in Champaign. He has them opening in Greensboro, N.C., against the winner of a First Four game between Wichita State and Richmond.
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Lunardi still projects Illinois as a No. 7 seed, facing Marquette in a first-round game in St. Louis.
Regardless of seeding, the Illini’s spot in the NCAA Tournament appears secure entering this week’s Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Eight Big Ten teams look like locks, all projected as No. 7 seeds or higher by both forecasters: Michigan State, Maryland, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan.
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Rutgers, meanwhile, took a big step toward earning its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1991 when it won at Purdue on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights’ resume had been lacking a quality road win. Lunardi now sees Rutgers as a No. 9 seed, while Palm moved the Scarlet Knights from one of his “first four out” to a No. 11 seed playing a First Four game.
Both forecasters also have Indiana in the field, which would give the Big Ten a conference-record 10 bids. (The current record of eight was set last year.) Lunardi has the Hoosiers in a First Four game as one of his “last four in,” while Palm sees them as a little more secure on the No. 10 line.
Purdue, despite top-25 rankings in most predictive metrics, remains on the outside, though Lunardi does have the Boilermakers as one of his “next four out.” The good news for Purdue fans is the Boilermakers will have chances to burnish their resume this week in Indianapolis with games against Ohio State and, if they win, Michigan State.
Here is Illinois’ resume, including its position in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings; predictive analytics rankings by Ken Pomeroy, Jeff Sagarin and ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI); quality wins in Quadrant 1 and 2 games, as defined by the NET rankings; and potentially damaging losses in Quadrant 3 and 4 games.
(The NCAA defines Quadrant 1 as home games against opponents with a NET ranking between 1 and 30, neutral games versus 1-50 teams and road games against 1-75 teams. Quadrant 2 is home 31-75, neutral 51-100, road 76-135. Quadrant 3 is home 76-160, neutral 101-200, road 135-240. Quadrant 4 is home 161-353, neutral 201-353, road 241-353.)
The Big Ten rankings and seed projections follow Illinois’ resume.
Updated through games of March 8.
Illinois
Record: 21-10, 13-7 Big Ten
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Illinois players prepare to take the court against Northwestern on Feb. 27, 2020, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
NET: 38
Pomeroy: 30
Sagarin: 26
BPI: 34
Quad 1 record: 5-8 (wins vs. Michigan, at Wisconsin, at Purdue, at Michigan, at Penn State)
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Quad 2 record: 5-1 (wins vs. Purdue, vs. Rutgers, vs. Minnesota, vs. Indiana, vs. Iowa)
Quad 3 record: 2-1 (loss vs. Miami)
Quad 4 record: 8-0
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Lunardi (last updated March 8): No. 7 seed
Palm (last updated March 9): No. 6 seed
Upcoming games
Friday in Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, 1:30 p.m., opponent TBD
Big Ten
In NET ranking order, with Pomeroy-Sagarin-BPI rankings and Lunardi and Palm seed projections
7. Michigan State (22-9, 14-6), 7-2-4, 3 seed, 3 seed
16. Ohio State (21-10, 11-9), 8-8-9, 5 seed, 5 seed
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18. Maryland (24-7, 14-6), 11-12-12, 4 seed, 3 seed
24. Wisconsin (21-10, 14-6), 22-13-21, 4 seed, 5 seed
25. Michigan (19-12, 10-10), 16-22-18, 6 seed, 7 seed
32. Rutgers (20-11, 11-9), 27-29-31, 9 seed, 11 seed (last four in)
33. Purdue (16-15, 9-11), 24-23-19, not in field (next four out), not in field
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34. Iowa (20-11, 11-9), 23-30-27, 6 seed, 7 seed
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35. Penn State (21-10, 11-9), 26-42-28, 6 seed, 5 seed
38. Illinois (21-10, 13-7), 30-26-34, 7 seed, 6 seed
43. Minnesota (14-16, 8-12), 29-51-33, not in field, not in field
60. Indiana (19-12, 9-11), 40-36-39, 11 seed (last four in), 10 seed
158. Northwestern (8-22, 3-17), 128-121-136, not in field, not in field
198. Nebraska (7-24, 2-18), 154-167-171, not in field, not in field


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Review: ‘Grease’ at the Marriott Theatre is a refreshing blast of Pink Ladies and 1959-era Chicago

And it didn ’ t take me long Thursday to see that Scott Weinstein , the director , got what @ @ @ @ @ directors don ’ t .
He has cast actors who can play high school kids @ @ @ @ @ not so much a matter of physical appearance or even of age , but of @ @ @ @ @ and insecurity that makes up teenagers , who really don ’ t change much with @ @ @ @ @ risk of spoiling the dramatic tension — please !
— the best moment in this @ @ @ @ @ Sandy ( Leryn Turlington ) .
In all those crummy national tours you saw , @ @ @ @ @ She dropped her old persona to please her guy .
Not here .
Sure , @ @ @ @ @ but she looks ridiculous and Weinstein and Turlington — who plays a nervous kid , @ @ @ @ @ way to the casting office and a new life — make clear she is still @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t really changed .
Teenagers can not transform overnight .

“Huh,” I thought, wandering into the typically packed Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre Thursday, kicking the salt from my shoes. "You can still get an audience for ‘Grease.’”
The salty haired suburban crew Thursday — and I say this with love — were mature enough that a betting person might wager that at least a few of them went to Taft High School, the original Chicago musical’s setting, or at least hung out with T-Bird or Pink Lady types. On one of the best days of my career, Jim Jacobs, the co-writer, drove me around the North Side and said, as we cruised Norwood Park and Harwood Heights and the blocks right around Taft, “Sandy lived here” and “Danny lived there,” even as my eyes popped out on stalks.
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“Grease” was written about real Chicago kids (I’ve since been haunted by how Jacobs described the real Danny’s difficult post-high school life) and its scenes had specific locales (Frenchy’s party takes place in Caldwell Woods). These were working-class kids, mostly the spawn of Italian and Polish immigrants. They were far, far away from Broadway or Hollywood or John Travolta or Olivia Newton-John.
And it didn’t take me long Thursday to see that Scott Weinstein, the director, got what mattered most even though most directors don’t. He has cast actors who can play high school kids. Actually, this is not so much a matter of physical appearance or even of age, but of understanding the mix of braggadocio and insecurity that makes up teenagers, who really don’t change much with the times. At the risk of spoiling the dramatic tension — please! — the best moment in this production is the transformation of Sandy (Leryn Turlington). In all those crummy national tours you saw, she changed, right? She dropped her old persona to please her guy. Not here. Sure, she dresses up a bit but she looks ridiculous and Weinstein and Turlington — who plays a nervous kid, not an ingenue on her way to the casting office and a new life — make clear she is still the same Sandy. She hasn’t really changed. Teenagers cannot transform overnight.
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The other truth about “Grease,” I’ve decided in all my 20 or more viewings, is that Danny (Jimmy Nicholas) is really just good-looking furniture. This is the Pink Ladies’ show, folks. And Weinstein has a coiled Rizzo in Jacquelyne Jones who’ll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, such is the emotional freight she adds to those Warren Casey cord changes. Add in Michelle Lauto as Marty and Landree Fleming as Frenchy and you got a gang.
Cast Fleming in a character role and you get entire little separate shows going on, being as Fleming, a signature listener on the stage, always completes every tiny moment. She had me laughing my socks off at a bit I bet she invented where she pretends to stick a fork into the back of the loathsome Patty Simcox (Alaina Wis, who gives as good as she gets).
The other great strength of the show is that Weinstein constantly plays with teenage fantasy and self-dramatization, shifting perspectives from their actuality to their dreams, especially in “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” Jonathan Butler-Duplessis has a terrific cameo as the Teen Angel, but the show doesn’t forget that scene really is about Frenchy.
The set isn’t much — it doesn’t need to be much. The choreography, by William Carlos Angulo, doesn’t pretend these kids are on “Dancing with the Stars,” which can ruin its veracity.
But this simple milieu does evoke Bryn Mawr Avenue (what an ironic name), Walgreens, Superdawg and Jewel. The Marriott is not using “The Original Grease,” as re-created for American Theater Company in 2011, but it is retrofitting the licensed version. Very well. In the ways that matter.
Behind me, I heard a silver-haired lady chuckle at a mention of Robert Hall.
I stopped her on the way out. “Where was that?” I asked. “Oh, we all went to Robert Hall Clothes,” she said, with a wink.
At 2900 W. Devon. 'Round the corner from Rizzo’s place.
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Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Review: “Grease” (3.5 stars)
When: Through March 15
Where: Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Running time: 2 hours
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Tickets: $50-$60 at 847-634-0200 and www.MarriottTheatre.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--From suburban bubble to urban bustle: McDonald’s employees say HQ move to Fulton Market has made the

From suburban bubble to urban bustle: McDonald’s employees say HQ move to Fulton Market has made the company faster, younger. And applications are way up.

Conagra lost 10 % of its 250 suburban employees when it closed its Naperville office as part of its headquarters @ @ @ @ @ , Neb.
, and just a third of those in Nebraska who were offered to @ @ @ @ @ Chief Human Resources Officer Charisse Brock .
But the company , which has 550 employees @ @ @ @ @ the Merchandise Mart plus some 1,200 employees in Omaha , was able to fill 90 @ @ @ @ @ six months and has a more “ vibrant ” energy now .
Colleagues connect more @ @ @ @ @ and it has been able to hire people with more diverse points of view , @ @ @

The McDonald's headquarters building in the West Loop on Feb,. 27, 2020. The building has sold for more than $412 million, in the highest-price property sale ever in Chicago’s Fulton Market district. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
When Nubia Murray moved to Chicago from Manhattan three years ago to take a corporate job at McDonald’s in Oak Brook, she didn’t realize what a culture shock it would be to go “from subway fights to Pleasantville.”
The sprawling corporate campus, lush with fountains and greenery, was lovely but felt “stuck in time,” said the 35-year-old global marketing manager. Spread out over four buildings in an 88-acre suburban idyll, employees would often drive or take a shuttle to meet with colleagues from other business units.
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The energy shift has been palpable since the fast-food giant moved its global headquarters to Chicago’s booming Fulton Market neighborhood in June 2018, putting it in the heart of the city’s restaurant scene and a stone’s throw from Google and other envelope-pushing companies, Murray said.
McDonald's employees Nubia Murray and Tim Litterio walk by Hamburger University at the company's global headquarters Dec. 19, 2019, in Chicago's Fulton Market district. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
With all 2,000 employees under one roof, decisions happen faster, collaborating is easier, and, McDonald’s reports, a lot more people seem to want to work at the world’s largest burger chain.
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Applications for corporate jobs have increased 20% since the move, totaling 250,000, and tech hires have doubled as the company invests in self-service kiosks, voice-ordering technology and mobile apps. The company has beefed up its campus recruiting and last year launched a two-year program to prepare recent college grads for technology roles; this summer it will debut its first formal technology internship.
“We have aged ourselves backwards,” Murray, who lives in the South Loop, said as she sat with several colleagues referred by the company to discuss life at the new headquarters. “We have been transformed into such a younger and faster-moving organization.”
McDonald’s is among a parade of suburban companies that over the past decade have moved their headquarters downtown or opened satellite city offices, mainly to attract and retain talent but also to freshen their brand image and keep closer tabs on what consumers want.
Employees stand Dec. 19, 2019, outside the entrance to Hamburger University at the McDonald's global headquarters in Chicago's Fulton Market district. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Employees have had to adjust to new commutes and dramatic changes in office space design — no cubicle walls, lots of social and meeting spaces, quiet rooms designated for focused work and, in the case of McDonald’s, no assigned desks.
But companies from McDonald’s to Beam Suntory to Conagra to Ferrara Candy say, enthusiastically, that the investments have been worth it.
“It’s been so good for our culture and people,” said Paula Erickson, chief human resources officer at spirits maker Beam Suntory, which moved to the Merchandise Mart from Deerfield three years ago. “It breathes new life into our company.”
‘This was the right decision’
Over the past five years, 17 companies have relocated their headquarters to Chicago from somewhere in the nine-county region, and another 21 have moved in from outside the region, according to World Business Chicago.
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Corporate suburb-to-city moves slowed significantly last year, not because the city has become less popular but because many of the companies that would move have already done so, said Paul Reaumond, a vice chairman at real estate brokerage CBRE who specializes in directing corporate relocations around Chicago.
The trend shows no sign of reversing, even as the millennials who inspired companies to move downtown now move to the suburbs to raise families, Reaumond said. Millennials still prefer to work in the city for the amenities, and ride-share companies have made it easier to commute, he said.
The expensive decision to move downtown always starts with a discussion about labor, as large employers compete with the likes of Google and Facebook not only for tech talent but also finance and marketing candidates, Reaumond said. While downtown rents can be double those in the suburbs, the cost is offset by hiring the right people and reducing turnover, he said.
About 8.5 million square feet of office space has been relocated from the Chicago suburbs to the city since 2007, including full headquarters and satellite offices. Reaumond expects most future city moves will be for satellite offices, which companies often use to target Chicago’s rich pool of marketing talent.
Over half of relocations went to River North and the West Loop, which is attractive because of its proximity to Metra stations used by suburban employees, he said. The West Loop’s Fulton Market district is emerging as the choice destination as developers churn out office buildings in the former meatpacking hub.
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Companies that move to the city risk losing suburban employees inconvenienced by the commute, and have to assess whether “the gain is worth the pain,” said Steve Patscot, who leads the human resources practice for executive search firm Spencer Stuart. It takes a decade to see whether a move brings the benefits a company hopes to achieve, he said.
Conagra lost 10% of its 250 suburban employees when it closed its Naperville office as part of its headquarters move to Chicago from Omaha, Neb., and just a third of those in Nebraska who were offered to move did so, said Chief Human Resources Officer Charisse Brock. But the company, which has 550 employees on a single floor in the Merchandise Mart plus some 1,200 employees in Omaha, was able to fill 90% of its jobs in six months and has a more “vibrant” energy now. Colleagues connect more easily, decisions come faster and it has been able to hire people with more diverse points of view, Brock said.
Oreo-maker Mondelez International, which in April plans to move its headquarters and 400 employees from Deerfield to Fulton Market, is offering a one-time relocation bonus to senior-level employees and will roll out a commuter benefits program to defray train and parking expenses, said spokesman Tom Armitage.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 12 The reception area of Ferrara Candy headquarters in the newly refurbished Old Post Office building. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Ferrara Candy, which in November was one of the first tenants to move into the freshly renovated Old Post Office, was warned that it could lose up to a quarter of its workforce when it left Oakbrook Terrace, said Chief Human Resources Officer Mike Goldwasser. But few of its nearly 400 corporate employees jumped ship, and 2019 ended up having the lowest attrition since Goldwasser joined the company four years ago.
Ferrara offered several new benefits to help people adjust to the changes, including a commuter stipend, a cellphone stipend now that no one has a landline, and permission to work from home one day a week.
There have been jarring moments as some suburbanites jet out early to catch a train, and managers have had to trust that people are working even when they are hunkered out of sight in one of the building’s many loungelike nooks.
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But “we intuitively know that this was the right decision for us,” Goldwasser said. “We think it is going to pay significant dividends in the years to come.”
The interior of the newly refurbished Old Post Office building is decorated with the stylized image of an eagle, which represents the building's history. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The Old Post Office’s grand marble lobby and urban-industrial aesthetic offer a different vibe than the four floors the Lemonheads and Trolli maker had occupied in a traditional Oakbrook Terrace office tower since 2012. The building’s amenities include a 28,000-square-foot gym, which prominently features a boxing ring, and a chic bar with a bocce ball court, which Ferrara will share with incoming tenants including Deerfield-based Walgreens, which is opening a satellite office there for 1,800 employees.
Ferrara’s office, which will exceed 110,000 square feet on a single floor once it’s fully developed, exudes contemporary sophistication rather than Candyland cheer. Collaborative spaces abound, including a bustling cafe with a Nespresso machine and free beer, wine, kombucha and cold brew on tap, where the hope is that spontaneous encounters between co-workers can stimulate new ideas.
Already, the quality and quantity of applicants has increased, Goldwasser said. It’s taking a week less to make hires now than it did when the company was in the suburbs, he said.
While the city location was important for appealing to job candidates who might not be willing to commute to the western suburbs — especially young city dwellers without cars — just as critical was designing an impressive space to reflect the candy-maker’s ambitions, Goldwasser said.
“We are one of the fastest-growing confections companies in the U.S., and we think we can challenge the biggest confection companies that are out there,” said Goldwasser, who hired 250 new corporate employees last year and expects to hire another 100 to 125 this year. “This shows our employees that we believe that we can. There’s a sense of self-confidence, a sense of optimism about the future that the space has helped to create.”
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Changing the office culture
McDonald’s move to Fulton Market, spearheaded by former CEO Steve Easterbrook, came as the chain set out to modernize its restaurants and embrace technology as it fights for convenience-hungry customers who have more plentiful dining options and a growing preference for fresher, healthier food. Easterbrook was fired in December for having a consensual relationship with an employee in violation of company policy, and was succeeded by Chris Kempczinski, who had been president of McDonald’s USA.
McDonald’s 500,000-square-foot complex, a $250 million project on the former site of Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios, spans nine floors, including a top-floor gym and bar featuring Thursday night happy hours. A rooftop garden, with three beehives, produces teas and honey offered in the office cafes. There are four outdoor spaces, outfitted with Wi-Fi, for working or socializing.
Two levels of parking below the building are open to anyone, but they’re barely used. McDonald’s operates a shuttle, conspicuously branded, from the Metra stations.
“We were very concerned about parking if a lot of suburban employees would want to drive, but we learned that people definitely prefer public transportation,” said Sheri Malec, senior director of workplace solutions for McDonald’s.
Though the company expected some attrition with the move, it said it did not see a spike in turnover that year.
The conference center at McDonald's global headquarters in Chicago's Fulton Market district. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The building, which McDonald’s rents from developer Sterling Bay, features various nods to the history of the 65-year-old company. An original neon Speedee sign from an early restaurant greets people heading to the bar, and an old menu board advertising 10-cent fries decorates the two-story Work Cafe. A wall of hundreds of Happy Meal toys through the years is curated by McDonald’s archivist Mike Bullington, whose office full of memorabilia is also in the building so employees can drop by if they need to tap his vast knowledge of the brand.
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But the company’s focus is toward the future, which it wanted reflected in the cutting-edge design of its office. Glass conference rooms can be reserved with digital control panels on the doors, and every room is video conference-enabled so remote workers can participate. Speakers pump out white noise to deaden the voices of loud phone talkers. The ceiling also contains noise-reducing materials made of recycled Coke bottles.
There are no assigned desks, aside from some exceptions for health reasons plus seven offices for executives — and that has drastically cut printing and paper usage because there’s nowhere to put it. Murray, the marketing manager, says the change has forced her to work faster, responding to requests in real time and producing concise bullet points rather than wordy documents.
“We have been on a journey to change our culture for the past five years to be more collaborative, nimble, agile, technology-focused, and certainly the move here has helped accelerate that, just by the physical workspace that people are in,” said Jez Langhorn, vice president of Global People at McDonald’s. “It supports being collaborative.”
The move also came with the introduction of flexible working hours, which emerged as an employee priority during focus groups.
The policy requires employees to be in the office during core hours of 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but they can decide when to work the rest of their 7.5-hour workday to accommodate personal responsibilities like school pickups. Managers are also now required to let employees work from home one day a week.
At Beam Suntory, perks helped ease the transition. The spirits company relaxed its dress code and instituted a one-day-a-week remote work policy. It allows employees to expense Ubers and cabs if they worry about safety on public transportation or need to speed home for a sick child or other emergency.
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Beam, which moved in part to be closer to the bars where mixology trends were taking shape, also gave Chicago employees an extra $250 in annual “ambassador dollars” to spend on its brands at bars and restaurants, on top of the $500 U.S. employees receive.
“We wanted employees to proactively be going out to bars in the city, to understand what consumers are ordering, understand what the trends are so we can be better at what we’re doing from a business perspective,” Erickson said.
Beam Suntory’s offices, which house 500 employees in 110,000 square feet on a single floor, have a “buzz” about them now, she said. The company lost just five employees as a result of the move, and has seen a 25% increase in applications, she said. That bigger applicant pool has helped reduce the time it takes to fill a position to 65 days from 85. The number of multicultural hires has tripled.
While talent was part of the motivation for the move, Beam said being downtown also has improved business. Since 2017, Beam Suntory’s bar and restaurant business has grown 40% faster in Chicago than its U.S. average, in part because of sponsorships of the Chicago Cubs and Bears and other community events in the city that feature its products, the company said. Sales teams also can better foster relationships with customers and get more menu placements, Erickson said.
For Tim Litterio, corporate finance manager at McDonald’s, escaping the company’s “suburban bubble” has given the company better insight into how and what people are eating. On Randolph Street, which is littered with restaurants, “you can see how fast-paced the consumer is” as people grab a pre-ordered lunch from a pick-up shelf and leave, he said.
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“We didn’t see that in Oak Brook because we were hidden behind this great landscape of trees,” said Litterio, 27, who commutes on the train from Lisle.
A greater sense of community has spurred a renaissance for employee groups, which report increased participation and engagement. In August they collaborated for their first joint volunteer day, sending employees to charity projects at 10 sites throughout the city.
Litterio, who heads the Young Professional Network at the company, said participation has doubled since the move, in part because of the new hires.
Litterio makes it a point to ask new hires if they would have applied for the job if it were in Oak Brook.
“It’s always the same answer,” he said. “No.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Great Lakes commander: Brief lockdown started after base employee passed security point without prov

Great Lakes commander: Brief lockdown started after base employee passed security point without providing credentials

“ There was a report of a crash on the base as a result of the gate runner , and @ @ @ @ @ There was also a report of a car fire on the base , and this @ @ @ @ @ Leung said .
There was a limousine fire Friday morning just outside the base that @ @ @ @ @ graduation , which was delayed by an hour because of the gate incident .

A traffic jam at the entrance of Naval Station Great Lakes, which was on lockdown Friday morning after a vehicle went through the gate without stopping. (Joe Shuman/For the News-Sun)
Naval Station Great Lakes was placed on lockdown Friday morning after a car driven by a base employee went through a security checkpoint without providing credentials, according to authorities.
“We had a gate runner at 7:09 a.m. where someone drove through the entry control area without showing credentials and kept going,” said John Sheppard, a spokesman for the base near North Chicago.
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The gate runner was later identified as an employee of the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Medical and Dental Clinic on the base who drove his vehicle through the checkpoint without showing his identification, causing the base to shut down. By mid-morning, restrictions had been lifted for all entrances except the main gate and shelter in place orders were cancelled.
Sheppard said in a statement that "the driver did not follow directions of the gate sentry,” and that an investigation was ongoing. Capt. Ray Leung, commanding officer for Naval Station Great Lakes, said the individual was found shortly after going through Gate 1.
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“Naval law enforcement officials are conducting an investigation of the incident,” he said at a media conference Friday afternoon, where he read a statement and did not answer a question about if any charges would be filed against the individual.
“The cause of the unauthorized entry is still undetermined,” Leung added.
“We appreciate the support of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, North Chicago Police Department, Waukegan Police Department, NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) and also the FBI,” Leung said.
According to Leung, the vehicle and individual was found shortly after the breach in security.
“There was a report of a crash on the base as a result of the gate runner, and those reports are false. There was also a report of a car fire on the base, and this too was false,” Leung said. There was a limousine fire Friday morning just outside the base that was going to a recruit graduation, which was delayed by an hour because of the gate incident.
The gate runner, driving a black Toyota Camry, made the unauthorized entry at approximately 7 a.m., and Leung said the vehicle and surrounding area was swept by military and civilian working dogs. Several buildings were also evacuated.
“Was the incident related to or an act of terrorism? It was not,” Leung said.
There were no reported injuries or damage to property.
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“The base returned to normal operations by noon today,” he said at the press conference.
In a tweet following the entry, everyone on the base was told to “take cover in nearest building or structure. Await instructions. All gates are closed."
A graduation on the base, scheduled for 9 a.m., was postponed until 10 a.m. because of the lockdown, according to the base.
“Attention families and friends of graduation this morning,” read a Facebook post by the U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command. “Due to a variety of circumstances this morning, the graduation ceremony is delayed by one hour.”
The base is the Navy’s largest training installation and the home of the Navy’s only boot camp. It covers more than 1,600 acres along Lake Michigan.
At the nearby Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, traffic was closed completely until just after 8 a.m., when one entrance was opened for incoming traffic only and a shelter in place order went out.
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“All, please be aware, our gates are closed with the exception of the Green Bay entrance, incoming traffic only. We will conduct 100 percent ID checks for anyone entering that gate,” according to the Lovell Center Facebook page.
“We are coordinating increased security measures with Naval Station Great Lakes in response to an active threat," the posted statement added.
Earlier this month, the hospital complex took “precautionary measures” at its facility in North Chicago by closing all entrances except the main gate on Buckley Road, which is now manned by police. The heightened security came after the death of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike and a terrorist attack on a military base in Kenya.
“We are taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety and security of all patients, staff and visitors to our facility, in the wake of recent world events,” according to a statement on Facebook and the veteran hospital’s website.
The closed entryways are at the intersection of Green Bay Road and Cavin Drive as well as other auxiliary entrances. The main entrance at Buckley Road and Lewis Avenue will also have officers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police manning the gate.
Jayna M. Legg, public affairs specialist for the Lovell Center, said during the second week of January that officials, "are just taking extra precautionary steps that we have done in the past.”
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This week, Naval Station Great Lakes announced in a statement it was preparing to participate in the scheduled exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain (CS/SC) 2020, which is set to take place Feb. 3-14. All Navy installations within the continental United States participate in the annual two-week anti-terrorism and force protection (ATFP) exercise.
Citadel Shield takes place the first week under the direction of the Commander of Navy Installations Command (CNIC), and the following week, Solid Curtain under the direction of the commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC).


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Chicago resident who traveled to China diagnosed with coronavirus, health officials say

Nationwide , more than 2,000 people had been screened for the virus as of Thursday , and 63 patients in @ @ @ @ @ Friday because of possible signs of the virus , according to the CDC .
Local @ @ @ @ @ many of those patients are in Chicago or in Illinois , but they are trying @ @ @ @ @ to Wuhan before the two confirmed cases .
Still , Arwady and other public health @ @ @ @ @ the general public remains low despite the confirmation of the case .

Men take part in a Friday prayer on May 15, 2020 at the Tahara mosque in Marseille southern France, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as France eases lockdown measures. (Clement Mahoudeau/Getty-AFP)
A Chicago woman who returned from caring for her sick father in China earlier this month has been diagnosed with the respiratory coronavirus that has sickened more than 1,280 in China and killed at least 41, officials said Friday.
The woman, who is in her 60s, remained hospitalized Friday, but her condition had been stabilized and she was “clinically doing well," said Dr. Allison Arwady, the Chicago health commissioner, during a news call with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The woman traveled to Wuhan, China, in late December and on Jan. 13 returned to Chicago, Arwady said.
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Two deaths were confirmed outside the Chinese province of Hubei. The outbreak began last month in the city of Wuhan in Hubei — a city four times the population of Chicago. Scientists have identified the illness as a new kind of coronavirus, a large family of viruses, including those that cause the common cold.
The Chicago resident is the second confirmed coronavirus case in the United States. Earlier this week, a Washington state resident in his 30s was diagnosed with the virus. He had traveled to the same region of China.
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Nationwide, more than 2,000 people had been screened for the virus as of Thursday, and 63 patients in 22 states were being investigated Friday because of possible signs of the virus, according to the CDC. Local officials refused to say how many of those patients are in Chicago or in Illinois, but they are trying to identify others who traveled to Wuhan before the two confirmed cases. Still, Arwady and other public health officials said the risk to the general public remains low despite the confirmation of the case.
[ What we know so far about the coronavirus in Illinois ]
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who was briefed Friday on the situation, said in a video posted Friday morning that “my understanding (is the woman) was administering to her elderly father who was sick while she was” in China.
The Chicago woman didn’t have any symptoms while traveling, but she began to feel unwell a couple days after arriving home, Arwady said. When she called her doctor’s clinic, her doctor referred her to a hospital that began treating her and started ruling out other possible illnesses, Arwady said in a news conference with other local officials.
Health officials did not detail what symptoms the woman experienced. In general those who have contracted the virus might experience a fever, a cough and shortness of breath.
[ What is coronavirus and what precautions should people in the Chicago area be taking? ]
The woman was diagnosed with the virus after undergoing testing by the CDC, Arwady said.
The CDC was sending a team to Chicago to interview the woman and her family about people she has had contact with since returning to the U.S., Durbin said.
There weren’t any other Chicago or Illinois residents who traveled with the woman, Arwady said. For now, officials do not believe she was contagious when she was traveling, Arwady said.
Officials did not say at which hospital the woman was being treated, but they do know she had not taken public transportation in Chicago and had not attended large gatherings after she returned home, Arwady said. The woman had limited close contact at her home before she was hospitalized, and officials are monitoring the people she was in contact with for any signs of coronavirus, she said.
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[ Face masks selling out and Lunar New Year events canceled as Chicago’s Chinese community reacts to coronavirus spread ]
The woman will remain hospitalized and undergo regular testing until she no longer shows signs of being infectious, Arwady said.
China expanded its lockdown against the deadly new virus to an unprecedented 36 million people and rushed to build a prefabricated, 1,000-bed hospital for victims Friday. Meanwhile, France announced two people had fallen ill with the virus — the disease’s first appearance in Europe
Confirmation of the local coronavirus case comes on the eve of the Lunar New Year, arguably the most important Chinese holiday where it’s a tradition to return to one’s hometown and reunite with family. In the city’s typically bustling Chinatown, some restaurants were reporting cancellations as some have opted to celebrate at home. The neighborhood’s Walgreens sold out of face masks within hours and others were putting together packages to send to Wuhan.
State officials have been in contact with hospitals and medical providers to exchange information about testing and guidance in case a possible patient shows up at a doctor’s office, said Dr. Jennifer Layden, chief medical officer for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“This coordination between providers, hospitals and public health is critical for our continued effort to best respond and reduce further transmission,” Layden said Friday.
Air travelers arrive in Terminal 5 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Jan. 24, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Public health officials noted the Chicago woman diagnosed with coronavirus did the right thing by calling her doctor first with concerns about her symptoms rather than showing up in person at the clinic.
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In the suburbs, local health departments also have been fielding questions from residents, schools and organizations. As in all cases of viral illnesses, health officials are encouraging people to wash their hands frequently, avoid interacting with people who are sick and make sure all their immunizations are up to date, said Susan Stack, a spokeswoman for the Kane County Health Department.
[ O’Hare to begin screening passengers from Wuhan, China, as coronavirus first reaches US ]
“If a person thinks they might be ill, it is advised to call your health care provider before you seek medical attention,” she said. “They might have quarantine procedures for you to follow so as not to spread the disease."
The CDC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection began screening passengers coming from Wuhan to O’Hare for symptoms of the virus Thursday, according to a memo from the Chicago Department of Public Health sent to airport employees.
[ Coronavirus death toll jumps to 41 in China as lockdown expands to unprecedented 36 million people ]
On Friday, only one or two workers at O’Hare were spotted wearing masks.
“Better safe than sorry,” said a masked worker.
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Passengers on a United flight from Beijing to Chicago Friday morning said they went through an extra temperature check before departing in Beijing but did not go through additional screening when they landed. Some noticed signs warning travelers about the virus and encouraging those who had been to Wuhan and felt sick to notify someone on the way to customs after landing.
Travelers said most passengers and crew wore masks during the 12.5-hour flight, and some kept them on after landing.
Jay Humphries, who works with the Beijing Royal Fighters, a professional basketball team, flew to the U.S. the day after the league decided to postpone the season for three weeks because of the outbreak.
Humphries, of Denver, said he wasn’t particularly concerned because he lives in a hotel in Beijing and was unlikely to come into contact with someone from Wuhan.
“Of course it’s a bit of a different atmosphere, but I wasn’t concerned,” he said.
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Exquilynn Stanford Brown, of Chicago, who had been visiting Humphries, wore a mask while traveling to be cautious.
Though they were not initially concerned, “When people started to leave, we thought maybe we should too,” she said.
Earlier this week, United and American airlines’ flight attendant unions urged the airlines to put emergency measures in place, including sharing information on identifying signs and symptoms and procedures for handling people who many be ill with the virus.
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Airlines reported Friday they were taking more precautions. United is issuing masks to crews working on flights from China, though workers don’t need to wear them unless they are interacting with a passenger showing symptoms, said Charles Hobart, a spokesman for the airline. American is stocking extra hand sanitizer wipes on China-bound flights.
American and United are giving passengers refunds if they cancel trips to Wuhan. Delta Air Lines will let customers reschedule or cancel flights to Beijing or Shanghai.
Even though the precautions are worthwhile, Travelers have a low chance of catching the virus at airports, said Robert Citronberg, director of infectious diseases at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. Generally, those who have contracted coronavirus got it as a result of close contact with someone who has the disease, according to the CDC.
Hospitals in the Chicago area already had started screening patients for the virus earlier this week. Medical staff have been asking patients about their travel history if they have coronavirus symptoms. Experts say they don’t know how easily it can spread and many of the symptoms mimic those associated with the flu.
Meanwhile, some area universities have sent advisories to students and faculty, urging caution, particularly if they are feeling unwell or were planning to travel to China.
Officials at Northwestern University are urging students and faculty who have traveled to the Wuhan region to immediately seek medical care if they are ill.
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Not many students are traveling abroad during the winter quarter, but Northwestern officials are evaluating any school-sponsored spring break trips to China. Summer travel remains on schedule so far.
“The university encourages all members of the Northwestern community to consider postponing travel to China at this time, given the uncertainty about how rapidly the virus is spreading, as well as the possibility of travel disruptions due to new areas in China that are under quarantine,” officials wrote in a campus message Thursday. “Keep in mind that Lunar New Year holidays, between now and Feb. 3, is a busy travel period during which the virus could spread further throughout China and other countries in the area.”
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chicago were urging students who feel sick to go to campus health centers if they have come in contact with someone who might have the virus.
Some businesses are also taking precautions. Chicago-based Archer Daniels Midland Co. is using teleconferencing technology when possible to conduct business and minimize the need to travel to and from China, according to a statement from the company.
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Chicago Tribune’s Angie Leventis Lourgos, Abdel Jimenez, Sophie Sherry, Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Grace Wong and The Associated Press contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Australian Open: Serena Williams ousted, while 15-year-old Coco Gauff knocks off No. 1 Naomi Osaka

This was the first Grand Slam tournament in 11 years with each of the top 10 seeded women reaching the @ @ @ @ @ have suspected Williams would be the first to lose , followed soon thereafter by No @ @ @ @

MELBOURNE, Australia — Perhaps Serena Williams, now 38, will win a 24th Grand Slam title someday.
And maybe Coco Gauff, still just 15, never will earn her first major championship.
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Sure felt, though, as if a generational shift was being signaled Friday at the Australian Open, with a pair of monumentally significant third-round results hours apart in the same stadium: a surprising first-week loss by Williams, then a historic victory by Gauff.
First, Williams faltered down the stretch for her earliest exit at Melbourne Park in 14 years, a 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5 loss to 27th-seeded Wang Qiang of China. It pushed Williams' gap between Slam trophies to three years.
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"I'm way too old to play like this at this stage of my career," Williams said. "Definitely going to be training tomorrow, that's first and foremost — to make sure I don't do this again."
Gauff also was planning a practice session for Saturday, but hers was to prepare for a fourth-round match.
That's because the 67th-ranked Gauff took the latest step in her quick progression, becoming the youngest player in the professional era to eliminate the defending women's champion at the Australian Open, beating former No. 1 Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4.
Only once the last point had been played did the preternaturally poised Gauff turn into a rather typical teen, joking about wanting to take "a selfie for Instagram" with Rod Laver, the 11-time major champion after whom the tournament's main stadium is named.
"Honestly, like, what is my life? Like, oh, my gosh!" Gauff told the crowd. "Two years ago, I lost first round in juniors and now I'm here. This is crazy."
It certainly is remarkable.
With a booming serve, a top-flight backhand and a winner's mentality, Gauff reversed the result from the first time she was across the net from Osaka, a former No. 1 who already owns two major titles at the age of 22.
Coco Gauff celebrates after winning match point against Naomi Osaka on Jan. 24, 2020. (Matt King / Getty Images)
When they played each other at the U.S. Open last September, Osaka won in two quick sets and then consoled Gauff, encouraging her to speak to the spectators who were pulling for her.
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One reminder of just how young Gauff is: Most of the entrants in this year's junior Australian Open are older than she is.
Another: She is taking online classes and said she's been given permission to turn in homework late, "considering the circumstances."
Yet another: She doesn't have an official driver's license quite yet, stuck practicing behind the wheel with a learner's permit.
But put a tennis racket in her hands and move out of the way: Gauff is now 8-2 in her nascent Grand Slam career, with three of those wins coming against women who have multiple major titles. Her next match is against No. 14 Sofia Kenin, a 21-year-old American who beat Zhang Shuai of China 7-5, 7-6 (7).
The most intrigue in men's action came at the very end of the night — at nearly 1 a.m., actually, when Roger Federer reeled off the last six points to edge 47th-ranked Australian John Millman 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8).
It lasted more than four hours in humid conditions, and Federer needed to overcome a hard-to-believe 48 unforced errors from his forehand and an 8-4 deficit in the last tiebreaker, which is first-to-10.
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Federer had lost to Millman at the 2018 U.S. Open and it sure seemed this one might be headed that way again.
"Oh, God, it was tough," Federer said.
Williams vs. Wang was a rematch from Flushing Meadows last season — and the reverse result also happened for them. At the U.S. Open, Williams won 6-0, 6-1 in 44 minutes.
Wang credited that with prompting her to spend more time in the gym so she could add more oomph to her shots.
"I always believed I could do this one day," Wang said with a laugh. "I didn't know which day."
Like Wang, Gauff was much better Friday than in New York. Gauff's improvement revealed itself in her serving — she put 15 of her initial 16 first serves in play — and her steadiness.
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Gauff declared herself more calm for this matchup.
"That," she decided, "made the difference."
So did letting Osaka make the mistakes, 30 unforced errors in all, compared to 17 for Gauff.
With that, Gauff became the youngest player to beat a top-five opponent in a women's tour-level match since Jennifer Capriati did it at 15 in 1991.
"You don't want to lose to a 15-year-old, you know?" Osaka said.
So, Naomi, could you have done something differently?
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"Put the ball in the court," came the reply.
Williams had similar issues, and even though she went from a massive deficit to even as can be, she could not do what was required in the late going.
Down to what sure felt like her last chance, Williams came through with a cross-court forehand winner to close a 24-stroke point, then raised her arms, held that celebratory pose and looked over toward her guest box.
Finally, on her sixth try, after 1½ hours of action, she had managed to convert a break point against Wang. Soon enough, they were headed to a third set and it appeared that the comeback was on.
It turned out that Williams only was delaying a surprising defeat.
Serena Williams reacts as she plays Wang Qiang in their third round singles match at the Australian Open. (Lee Jin-man/AP)
So tough at the toughest moments for so many years, Williams was the one who came undone, often displaying what she later called "the signature 'Serena frustration' look."
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Since grabbing major championship No. 23 at the 2017 Australian Open, while she was pregnant, Williams hasn't added to her total.
She appeared in four major finals over the past two seasons, losing each one.
Williams owns seven trophies from the Australian Open and hadn't lost as early as the third round at either of the hard-court Grand Slam tournaments — in Melbourne or at the U.S. Open — since all the way back in 2006.
This was the first Grand Slam tournament in 11 years with each of the top 10 seeded women reaching the third round. Who would have suspected Williams would be the first to lose, followed soon thereafter by No. 3 Osaka?
Williams was only seeded No. 8, on account of how infrequently she has competed since being away from the tour while having a baby in September 2017.
She started 2020 well enough, winning a hard-court tuneup title in Auckland, New Zealand, this month for her first trophy of any sort in three years — and first as a mom.
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But Williams wasn't able to carry that success to the Grand Slam level, where it matters the most to her.
She began her news conference by crediting Wang but eventually shifted to criticizing herself for not playing well enough to win.
“I didn’t return like Serena. Honestly, if we were just honest with ourselves, I lost that match,” Williams said. “I can’t play like that. I literally can’t do that again. It’s unprofessional. It’s not cool.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--3 Illinois Bed Bath & Beyond stores on closure list

Three Illinois Bed Bath & Beyond stores are on a list of 40 sites nationwide that the home goods retailer @ @ @ @ @ the stores on the list have already closed , while others will shut down this @ @

The Bed Bath & Beyond store at Randhurst Mall in Mt. Prospect is seen in 2010. The store is slated to close. (Andrew A. Nelles/ for The Chicago Tribune)
Three Illinois Bed Bath & Beyond stores are on a list of 40 sites nationwide that the home goods retailer is closing. Some of the stores on the list have already closed, while others will shut down this year.
The local stores on the list are at 530 N. State St. in Chicago and in Mount Prospect and McHenry.
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Robyn D’Elia, the company’s chief financial officer and treasurer, said in a Jan. 8 earnings call that Bed Bath & Beyond plans to close 40 stores, including 20 of its concept stores. Last year, the retailer announced 60 total closures by the end of fiscal 2019.
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[ Bed Bath & Beyond coupons are squeezing the company's profit margin ]
D’Elia said during the earnings call the company delayed those closures until the first half of fiscal 2020.
Jessica Joyce, a Bed Bath & Beyond spokesperson, said in an email the closures are “a limited number of stores that no longer meet the standards our customers expect from us.”
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Family keeps vigil in the rain after man is shot and killed at Walgreens drive-through on South Side

A beige SUV , its front doors open , was the focus of the crime scene that stretched between the @ @ @ @ @ .
Both of the doors ’ windows were mostly shot out .
Officers shined flashlights @ @ @ @ @ the slushy ground around it .
One of them kicked over a lump of snow @ @ @ @ @ .

A man was shot and killed as he sat in his SUV in a Walgreens drive-through lane in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, according to Chicago police.
Kendredge Dillard, 27, was shot in the head around 9:50 p.m. in the first block of East 75th Street by someone in a black sedan, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Dillard lived about a mile away in the 8000 block of South Stewart Avenue.
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A female with him was taken to St. Bernard Hospital with minor injuries from flying glass flying, police said.
No one was in custody.
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A beige SUV, its front doors open, was the focus of the crime scene that stretched between the Walgreens and South State Street. Both of the doors’ windows were mostly shot out. Officers shined flashlights into the SUV and on the slushy ground around it. One of them kicked over a lump of snow to see what was underneath.
Over a dozen shall casings were scattered on the drive-through ground to the west of the vehicle.
A group of people who believed they knew the victim waited on State Street. One man rushed over and asked an officer, “Is the body still there?” Looking at the SUV, he later said, “I might know that person.”
He and others stood in the rain for hours as evidence technicians took photos of the SUV, the body and shell casings.
Meanwhile, others drove into the Walgreens parking lot, only to find the store closed. Several of them expressed anger at the gun violence. When is this s--- going to stop?” one woman implored as the family of the man tearfully embraced on State Street.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Charges filed against 2 suspected of shooting man during Logan Square gang wake, then firing at purs

Charges filed against 2 suspected of shooting man during Logan Square gang wake, then firing at pursuing police officers

The shooting occurred around 8:35 p.m. Tuesday at a funeral home in the 3300 block of West Armitage Avenue as @ @ @ @ @ surveillance during the wake for a known gang member , police said .
The officers @ @ @ @ @ with a gun running on Armitage Avenue and then get into a silver Honda Accord @

Charges have been filed against two men suspected of shooting and seriously wounding someone during a Logan Square gang wake, then firing at pursuing police officers before crashing into a bank, according to Chicago police.
Josue Becerra, 24, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and unlawful use of a weapon, police said. The driver of the getaway car, Marcial Arriaga, 26, was charged with aggravated fleeing and cited with five traffic violations, police said.
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The shooting occurred around 8:35 p.m. Tuesday at a funeral home in the 3300 block of West Armitage Avenue as gang intelligence officers were conducting surveillance during the wake for a known gang member, police said. The officers heard shots and saw someone with a gun running on Armitage Avenue and then get into a silver Honda Accord.
Police say the driver of the getaway car, Marcial Arriaga, 26, was charged with aggravated fleeing and cited with five traffic violations during the incident that began in the 3300 block of West Armitage Avenue about 8:35 p.m. on Jan. 21, 2020. (Chicago police / HANDOUT)
The officers found a 43-year-old man shot several times in the parking lot of the funeral home. He was taken in critical condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
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Police began chasing the Honda. In the 2500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, someone inside the car began firing at police, authorities said.
The pursuit ended in the 4400 block of North Western Avenue in the Ravenswood neighborhood when the car smashed into the wall of a bank. The two suspects were taken into custody. No injuries were reported from the crash.
A gun was recovered in the 2500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, according to a law enforcement source. Officers closed off a section of a construction site where the gun was found.
Arriaga, of the 4800 block of North Talman Avenue, and Becerra, of the 5400 block of North Artesian Avenue, are scheduled to appear at the Leighton Criminal Court Building for bond hearings on Friday.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-24--Chicago’s classical scene has Grammy magic, mojo that comes from a group of creative women on the ci

Chicago’s classical scene has Grammy magic, mojo that comes from a group of creative women on the city’s new music scene

When Brooklyn flautist Joachim moved to Chicago to join Eighth Blackbird five years ago , her solo projects were buoyed @ @ @ @ @ ’ s networks across the arts and business communities .
She says , “ Women @ @ @ @ @ is not ( akin ) to tokenism.
” Her “ Fanm d ’ Ayiti ” @ @ @ @ @ is the result .
“ This debut album is my very first step in claiming @ @ @ @ @ as a Haitian woman , as a black woman and as an American female composer.
@ @ @ @ @ mentorship in the arts is essential , and when it can happen from woman to @ @ @ @ @ In Chicago , I see the same talented women popping up in different organizations , @ @ @ @ @ the years , on both the administrative and creative sides of projects .
They make @ @ @ @ @

If winning a Grammy is a sign of creative achievement then Chicago could well be described as the contemporary classical music epicenter of the world. Year after year for the past two decades, a Grammy ceremony doesn’t pass without the name of a Chicago musician, producer, or ensemble etched on one of its gilded trophies.
There are a few explanations for this sustained record of achievement, but there is one common denominator: women. Together, the names of Julia Nicols-Corry, Deirdre Harrison, Reba Cafarelli, and Alyssa Martinez form a super pack of women who direct the operations behind the creative virtuosity of Cedille, Eighth Blackbird, Third Coast Percussion and the Spektral Quartet. On Sunday, Third Coast hopes to repeat its 2017 victory as the best chamber music/small ensemble, and Nathalie Joachim – former flautist of the four-time Grammy winning Eighth Blackbird – celebrates her first nomination with her debut album “Fanm d’Ayiti” – a collaboration with the thrice nominated Spektral.
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The unique story of women at the helm on Chicago’s art music scene is a lineage that begins with composer Augusta Read Thomas, and passes to Lisa Kaplan, the pianist, founding member and Executive Director of Eighth Blackbird.
Thomas reigns as the matriarch. As the Chicago Tribune’s 2016 Chicagoan of Year, Thomas accolades and accomplishments easily fills four resumes. The indefatigable pioneer spearheaded the Ear Taxi Festival in 2016, branding Chicago as a new-music town. In 2017 – through her position as Professor at the University of Chicago – Thomas instituted the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition. She describes her success as a “lifetime of work, a whole gestalt of being active.” When I ask her about the influence of Ear Taxi on the local contemporary scene, she simply replies, “My three years of action speak louder than any words I can say to you.” The marathon two-day festival brought together 350 musicians, performing 54 world premieres. Her altruism appears endless: “My role is to deepen the path,” she says.
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Reba Cafarelli left, and composer Augusta Read Thomas in 2016. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Thomas roll-up-your-sleeves attitude is emblematic of the women she mentors. There is true grit at play as Chicago women defy the odds in an industry known for its gendered division of labor. The record for women’s participation in classical music is bleak. Musicologist and sociologist Hyacinthe Ravet, the Vice-Dean of Equality at Paris-Sorbonne University noted in a 2016 study that “women make up approximately ten per cent of composers of contemporary music and a quarter of musicians while about one third of actors are women.” In 2019, women composed three per cent of the music performed by orchestras across the globe, according to Deborah Borda, president of the New York Philharmonic in a recent interview.
Despite the low probabilities, Nicols-Corry, Harrison, Cafarelli, and Martinez have carved out distinctive, multi-faceted careers. As the chief operating officer of Eighth Blackbird, Harrison leads the administration for the 23-year-old ensemble. With a double Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and actors’ training from London’s Royal Academy of Arts, Harrison detoured to administration in 2002 because, she says, of “economics and the U.S. Health system.” As co-artistic director of the band The Lucky Trikes, Harrison says her “storyteller training helps with her leadership functions.”
Cafarelli began her studies as a bassoonist at the Eastman School of Music, but her entrepreneurial flair led her to the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition and Ear Taxi Festival, before she landed in her present position as executive director of Third Coast Percussion. Martinez, development and production coordinator for Spektral Quartet, brings creativity as a poet and visual artist.
The contributions of these women create a cornerstone of the success of these ensembles, but their achievements cement it even further. These women are agents of empowerment for other women. Long before the celebrity influencers of Hollywood’s #metoo rallied for gender parity in their industry, Chicago’s trailblazers have been proving how women promoting women is one of the most powerful acts of solidarity.
When Brooklyn flautist Joachim moved to Chicago to join Eighth Blackbird five years ago, her solo projects were buoyed by the support of women’s networks across the arts and business communities. She says, “Women supporting women’s work is not (akin) to tokenism.” Her “Fanm d’Ayiti” (Women in Haiti) is the result. “This debut album is my very first step in claiming my identity in my music as a Haitian woman, as a black woman and as an American female composer.” Martinez agrees that “mentorship in the arts is essential, and when it can happen from woman to woman, even better. In Chicago, I see the same talented women popping up in different organizations, roles, and capacities over the years, on both the administrative and creative sides of projects. They make Chicago music great.”
The eighth blackbird sextet, from left: Nicholas Photinos, Michael J. Maccaferri, Lisa Kaplan, Nathalie Joachim, Matthew Duvall, and Yvonne Lam. (Saverio Truglia)
Harrison describes her fellow colleagues as “radically generous women.” “We often communicate by email or calls, share templates, contacts or idea," she says. "We want to nurture the process of supporting each other’s growth.”
Presiding over globally recognized ensembles and their Grammy nominations requires this same collaborative, nurturing spirit. As director of operations at Cedille since 2015, Nicols-Corry participates in all aspects of the production process from the moment artists propose a recording project, to the recording sessions, to managing the release and marketing the finished product. Nicols-Corry says her fulfillment comes from “seeing first hand the impact how Cedille’s recordings have on an artist’s career.”
These recordings can elevate the city’s music scene. They also feed into the morale and creative energy of the next generation, and can lead to other accolades.
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Harrison believes that a Grammy win has “real power in the chamber music world. It becomes part of a narrative and identity that can open doors.” For Chicago ensembles, the door-opening Grammys lead to expanded touring schedules, fascinating collaborations and new initiatives. Third Coast Percussion has performed across 33 U.S. states, in addition to engagements in Colombia, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Taiwan and Germany. The quartet has worked with architects at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and musicians from Zimbabwe’s Shona people. For Eighth Blackbird, the triumphs have attracted new resources to enable the Blackbird Creative Lab network to generate further commissions and ignite community engagement. In May, Cedille hosts its first recording competition for young Chicago classical musicians. And its inclusive policy has allowed far ranging independent recording projects such Chicago Sinfonietta’s African Heritage Series to succeed.
Chicago’s ensembles are built on indefatigable work ethic and outside the box thinking. These qualities can flourish in Chicago because the city allows a work-life balance, and an affordable lifestyle that the more saturated musical capitals of the world can’t offer. When there is space to breathe and access to community, ideas and innovations prosper.
“There is a wider margin for risk and you need that room if you are trying to push the envelope artistically” says Cafarelli. “I worked with Augusta Read Thomas for many years and she always said something to the effect that the history of the world is written in art. This has really stuck with me. Long after we are all gone, the music of our time will remain. Future generations interpret the world and learn from us through what we create now and leave behind for them.”
Xenia Hanusiak is a freelance writer.
ct-arts@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @chitribent