chicagotribune--2020-02-12--The 78 megadevelopment to kick off with 3 million square feet of construction, including U. of I.-le

The 78 megadevelopment to kick off with 3 million square feet of construction, including U. of I.-led research facility

U. of I .
's three campuses each will get additional funding for facilities that will be part of the @ @ @ @ @ including $ 85 million for the Drug Discovery and Innovation Pavilion in Chicago , $ @ @ @ @ @ Data Science and Analytics Hub on the Urbana-Champaign campus , and $ 15 million for @ @ @ @ @ Springfield .
Another $ 35 million will be devoted to hubs in Peoria and at @ @ @ @ @ public universities .

University of Illinois System’s Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) has signed a letter of intent to build a new innovation center at The 78, on land donated by Related Midwest. (Related Midwest)
The 78 megadevelopment along the Chicago River in the South Loop will start construction in the next year with a nearly 3 million-square-foot first phase that will include apartments, student housing, retail space and a long-discussed University of Illinois-led innovation center.
Related Midwest, the developer behind the $7 billion riverfront project, on Wednesday confirmed details of the first phase of the 62-acre project that will eventually stretch from the South Loop to Chinatown and bring as many as 10,000 homes to the new neighborhood.
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The U. of I.-led Discovery Partners Institute has signed a letter of intent to begin building its research facility within the next 12 months on land donated by Related Midwest. Other buildings will be under construction within the next year.
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“This is the biggest project any of us have ever done here, and maybe the biggest real estate project in Chicago history,” Related Midwest President Curt Bailey said in an interview.
The more than $2 billion first phase also will include 1.5 million square feet of loft-style and high-rise office space; 700,000 square feet of apartments and student housing; and 100,000 square feet of fitness, retail, hotel, restaurant, retail and cultural space. Related said it plans to complete the first phase, mostly at the north end of the site, by 2024.
[ Goose Island could go from zero residents to thousands: Developer plans as many as 2,500 apartments ]
Future rounds of construction will add another 10 million square feet of buildings.
The initial construction phase also will include infrastructure improvements such as the already ongoing Wells-Wentworth Connector road, adding LaSalle and 15th street extensions through the site, the relocation and enclosure of Metra tracks and reconstruction of the riverfront seawall.
The institute will focus on areas such as data analytics and computing, and it will have about 2,000 students on-site annually, according to Related.
At a Wednesday news conference at the site, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he decided to release the $500 million in state funding, which was originally approved under then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, after the university raised $230 million from the private sector, including $5 million from board of trustees Chairman Don Edwards. The plan calls for private funding to match the state’s contribution.
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The governor said the state releasing its portion of the funding will help spur more private-sector commitments.
“When you’re making a pitch to someone who might be a contributor, questions someone might raise are, ‘Well, gee, is the state really in all the way?’ ” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said it was important for the university to secure some private funds before the state put up its share.
“We wanted to make sure that we weren’t putting the money forward and then all of the philanthropy would say, ‘Well, gee, we don’t need to. The state is doing all of it,’ ” he said.
The $500 million in capital funding from the state is separate from Pritzker’s $45 billion “Rebuild Illinois” infrastructure plan, though the governor said the university could apply for additional funding for building or transportation projects through that program.
The largest portion of the state funds — $235 million — will be dedicated to construction of the planned 500,000-square-foot Discovery Partners Institute facility along the river.
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U. of I.'s three campuses each will get additional funding for facilities that will be part of the new Illinois Innovation Network, including $85 million for the Drug Discovery and Innovation Pavilion in Chicago, $40 million for the Big Data Science and Analytics Hub on the Urbana-Champaign campus, and $15 million for the Capital Innovation Center in Springfield. Another $35 million will be devoted to hubs in Peoria and at the state’s other public universities.
In addition to the contribution from Edwards, the project has received funding from Deerfield Management, Foxconn, The Joyce Foundation and OSF HealthCare, among others.
Office leasing efforts are likely to be lifted by the institute’s commitment, Bailey said.
“The DPI is at the forefront of what really excites office tenants," he said. "This is an important inflection point in terms of being able to attract tenants to the site.”
Related Midwest wrapped up final City Council approval for The 78’s development plan and public infrastructure funding last year, allowing the developer to move forward in planning 13 million square feet of commercial and residential buildings on the site, including as many as 10,000 homes. As many as 2,000 will be affordable units.
The 78 plan is backed by up to as much as $700 million in public funds as part of the new Roosevelt/Clark tax increment financing district. So far, the City Council has approved $551 million worth of infrastructure projects connected to The 78, including a new CTA Red Line station.
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, speaking at the news conference, said the city is still working with Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, to put together a 17-member community advisory council to provide neighborhood input on the project.
“We’re anxious to get the process up and running as quickly as possible,” Lightfoot said.
Related named its project The 78 because it envisions the sprawling, multiuse development becoming Chicago’s 78th community area. The site is bordered by the river, Roosevelt Road, Clark Street and Chinatown’s Ping Tom Park.
Plans for The 78, which include skyscrapers as tall as 950 feet, have been years in the making.
Related made its first public presentation in May 2018 and gained city zoning approval in April 2019.
The design by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill includes a 7-acre park that curves along the path where the river ran until it was straightened to accommodate barge traffic in the 1920s.
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Twitter @PetrellaReports


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Woman hid under SUV as gunman killed husband and a friend in Chinatown parking lot, prosecutors say

Ducking underneath the car , she saw her husband collapsed on the pavement and not moving .
She heard a @ @ @ @ @ her friend also fell to the ground .
Police say she grabbed her husband ’ @ @ @ @ @ as the attacker ran off , leaving bloody footprints that led police straight to him @ @ @ @ @ outdoor mall early Sunday .

Rosemary Sobol, Paige Fry, Jeremy Gorner, William Lee

Dozens of Chinatown residents and supporters listen in as Terry Wilson, foreground, speaks to the media at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Feb. 11, 2020, following a bond hearing for Alvin Thomas. Thomas is facing two counts of first degree murder for a double homicide in Chinatown early Sunday. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The woman was just getting out of her SUV when she heard shots, then noticed her husband was no longer standing on the other side.
Ducking underneath the car, she saw her husband collapsed on the pavement and not moving. She heard a struggle and more shots as her friend also fell to the ground. Police say she grabbed her husband’s cellphone and called police as the attacker ran off, leaving bloody footprints that led police straight to him at the nearby Chinatown Square outdoor mall early Sunday.
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The suspect, Alvin Thomas, 20, was wearing bloody shoes and a gun was sticking out of his right pants pocket, police said. Thomas ran, but officers quickly arrested him and recovered a 9 mm handgun.
On Tuesday, Thomas appeared in bond court on first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Weizhong Xiong, 38, and Huayi Bian, 37. Dressed in a multicolored sweatshirt, tattered jeans and Air Jordan sneakers, he was mostly quiet as a judge ordered him held without bail. Nearly 100 friends and supporters of the victims watched from the courtroom gallery.
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Alvin Thomas, 20, is facing two counts of first-degree murder after two men were shot dead in a robbery attempt early Feb. 9, 2020, police said. (Chicago Police Department)
The shooting occurred shortly after 2 a.m. in a parking lot outside Bian’s apartment in the 2000 block of South Wells Street as he, Xiong and his wife returned from dinner, prosecutors said. The couple, who have a 12-year-old son in China, had been staying with Bian for about a week.
Xiong and Bian were outside the car, guiding Xiong’s wife into a parking space, when Thomas approached and shot Xiong repeatedly in the face and head, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy told the court. Thomas then struggled with Bian and shot him several times in the head before fleeing.
The woman saw Bian’s body “drop to the ground and she saw that he was not moving,” Murphy said.
Surveillance video showed Thomas entering the parking lot just after the SUV arrived, according to Murphy. It also captured Thomas fleeing the parking lot and wandering the area of the outdoor mall until officers saw him near the entrance. A woman in a nearby apartment told police she heard the shots and saw Thomas running away.
After his arrest, a gunshot residue test on Thomas’ hands was positive, authorities said. Shell casings found at the parking lot matched the gun found with Thomas.
Authorities did not mention a motive during the hearing but noted that Thomas, a package handler from the South Side, was on probation for two street robberies. Prosecutors also noted that $10,000 was found on Bian’s body but never mentioned it again.
Afterward, supporters of the victims tearfully described them as generous men who worked long hours to send money back to relatives in their native China. Xiong supported a handicapped father, while Bian worked six days a week, 12 hours a day to support a younger brother and ill mother.
“Really kindhearted, hardworking people,” said Terry Wilson, one of the people who showed up in court. “And for this to happen is wrong. There was no reason for this to happen."
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He said Xiong’s wife was too upset to attend the hearing.
Thomas’ family, who arrived too late for the hearing, was also at a loss to explain the deaths. A group of relatives that included his mother, Sherie Kellum, acknowledged his criminal record but believed he had turned a corner.
“That’s not him,” she said. “He’s a good guy ... a good person. He loves everybody."
Thomas was expected to return to court Feb. 24. He faces life in prison if convicted.
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wlee@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Family of Chicago man beaten to death in Cook County Jail cell files lawsuit: ‘Nothing is going to t

Family of Chicago man beaten to death in Cook County Jail cell files lawsuit: ‘Nothing is going to take away this pain’

The wrongful death lawsuit , filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court , names Gonzalez , along with Cook County @ @ @ @ @ County as defendants .
The family argues the jail should have segregated Gonzalez from the @ @ @ @ @ should have kept him away from socks and bars of soap and “ engaged in @ @ @ @ @ showed a corrupt or malicious intent , ” according to the lawsuit .

Leticia Ruiz cries Feb. 11, 2020, as she discussed the death of her 19-year-old son, Pedro Ruiz, who was beaten while in custody in the Cook County Jail. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The family of a man beaten to death in a Cook County Jail cell has filed a lawsuit, seeking answers about why he and the alleged perpetrator were housed together and why correction officers didn’t stop the attack.
Pedro Ruiz, 19, was beaten early Feb. 1 for 10 continuous minutes by his cellmate, Christian Gonzalez, 24, with a sock filled with bars of soap, according to Cook County prosecutors. Ruiz had been arrested only hours earlier and had been in the cell for about a half-hour when the beating happened, authorities said.
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Ruiz’s mother, Leticia Ruiz, looked down as her eyes filled with tears during a news conference Tuesday in the law office of attorney Nenye Uche. Ruiz, speaking in Spanish, said she was heartbroken by what happened to her son.
“I would have never imagined that no one was watching him,” she said. “Please, I only ask for justice to shed light on the situation. And I want whoever did this to pay for what they did to my child.”
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The wrongful death lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, names Gonzalez, along with Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart and Cook County as defendants. The family argues the jail should have segregated Gonzalez from the rest of the population, should have kept him away from socks and bars of soap and “engaged in willful and wanton misconduct that showed a corrupt or malicious intent,” according to the lawsuit.
Ruiz was an alleged member of the Almighty Saints, a street gang that has long feuded with the Satan Disciples. Gonzalez was an alleged member of the rival gang, yet the men were housed in the same cell. Ruiz had requested not to be placed in the same cell as Gonzalez, according to the lawsuit.
Pedro Ruiz was killed while in custody in Cook County Jail. (Family photo)
In an email, the sheriff’s office said criminal charges have been filed against Gonzalez and an internal investigation into the incident continues.
“We take all acts of violence in the jail extremely seriously and work tirelessly to prevent those intent on committing harm from being able to do so,” the sheriff’s office stated.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Ruiz’s family has lingering questions about why the attack wasn’t stopped. Uche questioned how it was possible that not a single guard heard the attack.
Teresa Castro, an aunt, said the family was told by other inmates that they heard Ruiz screaming for help. They hope the lawsuit will generate more information about what unfolded in those minutes.
“I miss him,” Yulissa Ruiz said about her brother. “Nothing is going to take away this pain. We just want justice, answers and the most evidence to show us how this happened to him.”
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In November, Gonzalez was among five detainees who attacked another inmate inside Cook County Jail, authorities said. In that incident, the men punched and kicked a 41-year-old man and stabbed him with a shank, officials said. The detainees left a joker playing card on the man’s body, prosecutors previously said.
In Tuesday’s lawsuit, the family argues Gonzalez should have been kept away from soap and socks because they were used to create a weapon in the November attack. Those were the same things he used to beat Ruiz, according to the lawsuit.
Leticia Ruiz said her son worked construction jobs, liked sports and as a child participated in Ballet Folklorico, traditional dances from Mexico. At his funeral, the family heard from an elderly man who said Ruiz frequently helped him get to and from a store to pick up groceries.
“He had a good heart,” Leticia Ruiz said. “I don’t believe what they said he did. As a mother, I feel like he isn’t like that, that isn’t the story.”
Ruiz, who lived in Back of the Yards with his family, had been arrested by Chicago police after he was identified as a suspect in a January shooting of a 21-year-old man in the 1800 block of West 47th Street, Chicago police said.
Yulissa Ruiz said her brother called her from the jail. She remembers him telling her, “I love you, Sister. I want you to take care of yourself.”
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Gonzalez has been jailed since June on charges in the 2017 shooting of a man whom multiple police sources have identified as a leader in the Saints. That shooting left the Saints leader in critical condition and a 3-year-old boy with minor injuries.
emalagon@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--5 things to know about Cubs target Jason Kipnis, including his 'Dirtbag’ nickname and why he sings A

5 things to know about Cubs target Jason Kipnis, including his 'Dirtbag’ nickname and why he sings Adele songs to himself during games

Cleveland , I ’ ll keep it short ...
Thank you .
For taking a chance on me as an organization and as a fan base .
You guys joined me on this ride to get this great org back to where it belonged , at the top competing for a WS every year !
I ’ m sorry I couldn ’ t finish the job for you .
You helped shape me into the person I am today and I ’ m forever grateful .
From the polite and respectful greetings you showed my family , friends and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every bar , every heinen ’ s , everywhere !
You made me feel 10 feet tall !
Many of you went from fans , to familiar faces , to even friends .
Keep that Rally Together spirit going for this team .
You ’ re holding them to a high standard and that ’ s the way it should be .
I was fortunate enough to play with some of the best teammates , coaching , medical and equipment staff in the game and wouldn ’ t have had the run i @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are lifelong friends now .
I ’ ll always cherish my time in Cleveland and always tried to show you how much I loved wearing that jersey by the way I played for you !
Forever grateful , forever part of the Tribe !
Thank you Cleveland .
Kip , Dirtbag , # 22

Jason Kipnis joined the Cubs in spring training, settling for a minor-league contract that will pay him $1 million if he makes the major-league roster. If he does, the Northbrook native and Glenbrook North High School graduate would come to Chicago after spending the first nine seasons of his major-league career with the Indians.
Kipnis, 32, is a two-time All-Star with a career .261/.333/.417 slash line. In 2018, he became the first player in Indians history to reach 1,000 hits, 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases with the team. He ranks at or near the top among Indians second basemen in several categories, including home runs (first with 123), total bases (second, 1,787) and extra-base hits (second, 398).
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“It’s been a thrill to be here,” Kipnis told Cleveland reporters Sept. 18, after a broken hamate bone in his left hand ended his 2019 season. “I’ve loved this city from Day 1. It’ll be missed. It’ll be hard to part ways. There will always be part of me here. But the unknown can also be exciting too.”
In an Instagram message posted Feb. 12, Kipnis thanked the Indians and their fans "for taking the chance on me as an organization and as a fan base. ... “You helped shape me into the person I am today and I’m forever grateful.” Six days later, he posted a photo of himself in a Cubs uniform.
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Here are five things to know about Kipnis.
1. He grew up a Cubs fan.
Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis hits a three-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the World Series on Oct. 29, 2016, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Indians won 7-2 to take a 3-1 series lead. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Kipnis admitted to getting choked up and called it “a special perfect storm” when the Cubs clinched a berth opposite the Indians in the 2016 World Series. But he made it perfectly clear he was in no way conflicted.
“There’s not one part of me that doesn’t wish this curse keeps going,” he said in lead-up to the Series.
The Cubs (107 years) and Indians (67) entered the Fall Classic with the longest championship droughts in Major League Baseball.
“(Theirs is) the only drought that can make ours look small,” Kipnis said. “No disrespect. Both franchises have been yearning for the next championship, longing for it. I think it's neat that one of them will come to an end here.”
Kipnis did his part, hitting .290 (9-for-31) with two home runs — including a three-run blast in Game 4 at Wrigley Field that helped give the Indians a 3-1 series lead. And he nearly delivered the championship-clinching home run, roping an Aroldis Chapman slider down the right-field line in the ninth inning of a tied Game 7 at Progressive Field.
But the ball hooked foul, Kipnis struck out four pitches later and the Cubs went on to win 8-7 in 10 innings for their first title since 1908.
Jason Kipnis strikes out in the bottom of the ninth inning during Game 7 of the World Series on Nov. 2, 2016, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Kipnis also grew up near infamous Cubs fan Steve Bartman — whom he said never should have been blamed for something any fan would do — and remembers police officers stationed outside of his house for protection after the foul-ball incident during the 2003 National League Championship Series.
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2. His nickname is ‘Dirtbag.’
Kipnis was a fan favorite in Cleveland because of his productivity and a gritty approach — headfirst slides and diving for grounders — that often resulted in his uniform being covered with dirt (thus the nickname).
The Indians' Jason Kipnis scores ahead of Cubs pitcher Jon Lester's tag on a wild pitch in the fifth inning of Game 7 of the World Series on Nov. 7, 2016, in Cleveland. Kipnis scored from second base on the two-run play that trimmed the Cubs' lead to 5-3. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Manny Acta, the Indians manager for Kipnis’ first two seasons, used it affectionately and was responsible for making the longtime nickname public.
“I like it because it’s fun to get the uniform dirty,” Kipnis told Cleveland.com in 2012. “It means you’ve been involved in the game, that you’ve been doing something.”
His other nickname, which needs no explanation, is “Kip.”
3. He was a 12-sport, er, multisport athlete in high school.
Kipnis was a center fielder, shortstop and pitcher at Glenbrook North and was the Central Suburban League MVP and a Tribune First-Team All-State selection his senior season, hitting .481 with eight home runs and going 32-for-32 in stolen-base attempts. As a freshman, he scored a school-record 41 goals for the soccer team and played basketball.
Kipnis also played wide receiver and kicker on the football team his junior and senior years, earning two All-CSL selections and setting the school’s single-season records for receptions, yards and touchdowns and career marks for receptions and receiving yards.
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He did not, however, play 12 sports, as one publication erroneously stated (and his then-Indians teammate Lonnie Chisenhall pointed out).
@Indians @BIGLON8 They added them all up throughout the years! 3 sports X 4 years = 12 sport athlete! — Jason Kipnis (@TheJK_Kid) January 14, 2015
After graduating in 2005, Kipnis went to Kentucky for two years (he redshirted as a freshman), then transferred to Arizona State. He was a Padres fourth-round pick in 2008 but opted to stay at ASU. The next season he slashed .384/.500/.709 with 16 homers, 72 RBIs and 27 steals, earning first-team All-America honors.
The Indians drafted him in the second round in 2009, and he made his major-league debut two years later, going 0-for-2 with a hit by pitch against Gavin Floyd and the White Sox on July 22, 2011, in Cleveland.
In nine seasons with the Indians, he racked up 1,120 hits in 1,121 games and made more than $53 million, according to Baseball Reference.
4. He sings to himself on the field to help stay calm.
MLB Network in 2012 began experimenting with using live audio with select players during spring-training games. Kipnis was one such player, and during a Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks, the live microphone caught him singing Adele’s “Someone Like You” to himself between pitches while playing the field.
Today's Tribe game was mic'ed up so here's footage of Jason Kipnis singing Adele's "Someone Like You" at 2B ... http://t.co/7Wfl7WkM — MLB (@MLB) March 8, 2012
“Yep, singing Adele,” he says in the video, which drew plenty of feedback online. He tweeted afterward: “The mic had nothing to do with it... I sing all the time!! It keeps me relaxed when Im on the field #andentertained.”
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Kipnis tweets frequently and isn’t afraid to poke fun at himself, like the time in 2013 when he burned a hole in his uniform pants …
This is what happens when you have a couple layers on and ur coach is talking to you by the heater.. #didntevenfeelit pic.twitter.com/cDiqajLBZJ — Jason Kipnis (@TheJK_Kid) May 12, 2013
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… and the time in 2014 when he fell for Derek Jeter’s juke on a steal attempt that ended in a double play.
Or it was a straight steal 🙊 RT“@MLBFanCave: Derek Jeter fakes out Jason Kipnis.
WATCH: http://t.co/ecPFbSyKVE pic.twitter.com/RLkxATE1U6” — Jason Kipnis (@TheJK_Kid) July 8, 2014
5. He hasn’t forgotten his roots.
Thanks in large part to a “generous donation” from the major-leaguer, Northbrook Baseball last year opened the Kipnis Center, a 2,200-square-foot youth training facility across the street from the high school.
Players from Northbrook Baseball and the Glenbrook North teams can practice year-round at the center, which opened in October. The facility has three full batting or pitching cages plus state-of-the-art training equipment.
Jason Kipnis, left, and Lincoln Buti pose during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Kipnis Center, a baseball training facility in Northbrook, last fall. (Lucas Buti Photo)
Kipnis also donated his game-worn jerseys from the 2013 and 2015 All-Star games, which are prominently displayed on a wall at the facility.
“If we had this when we were younger, I’m sure we would have been asking for the key code and coming in at night and doing what we could,” Kipnis told NBC-5 in January. “You want to encourage them and you want to give them the opportunity to want to pursue practicing baseball, especially in the winter. … Now they have a place to go. …
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“To me, it’s giving back to the game of baseball, because that’s given a lot to me.”
Sources: Tribune reports, Baseball Reference, Cleveland.com, MLB.com, news services.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Oak Park residents hope to preserve historic auto dealership slated for demolition in Pete’s Market

Oak Park residents hope to preserve historic auto dealership slated for demolition in Pete’s Market proposal

“ There are many examples of successfully doing this throughout the country , ” Heitzman said .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ as well as best preservation practice to adaptively reuse one of the most beautiful and @ @ @ @ @ .
”

A proposed 49,000 square foot Pete's Fresh Market is being proposed for the northeast corner of Madison Street and Oak Park Avenue. If approved, it would be the second Pete's location in Oak Park. (API Architects)
A group of Oak Park preservationists are hoping to save a former Madison Street auto dealership that is slated to be demolished to make way for a new grocery store.
The former Foley-Rice auto dealership, also known as the Hill Motor Sales building, 644 Madison St., has sat vacant since 2007. A developer’s proposal is calling for the building to be demolished to make way for a new 49,000-square-foot Pete’s Fresh Market.
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Resident Frank Heitzman said the “Save the Hill” coalition believes the most responsible solution is to reuse the existing building as part of a larger grocery store.
A group of Oak Park residents are hoping to preserve the former Foley-Rice auto dealership, 644 Madison St., which is proposed to be demolished for a new Pete's Fresh Market. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
“There are many examples of successfully doing this throughout the country,” Heitzman said. “It is the most sustainable result, as well as best preservation practice to adaptively reuse one of the most beautiful and significant buildings in our community.”
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According to Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest, the east wing of the building was constructed in 1924, while its eastern addition was built in 1927. The buildings were designed by E.E. Roberts and his son Elmer.
The building includes large windows that look into its former showroom, while the exterior features a number of characters built into its façade that show its former use as an auto dealership.
Architect Ken Nadolski of API Architects said the project is slated to include 246 parking spaces both above and below ground, and the store could bring about 100 jobs to the community.
In designing the store, he said many options were explored to save or preserve portions of the building during meetings with concerned residents.
“The current design incorporates the existing terra cotta caricatures on the new building’s south façade,” Nadolski said.
If approved, the store would be the second Pete’s Fresh Market in Oak Park. The store at 259 Lake St. opened in September 2015.
“Pete’s intends to have all of the offerings currently at the Lake Street store, including a wide array of local and international products, fresh produce, an on-site butcher, bakery, prepared foods with indoor and outdoor seating, etc.” Nadolski said.
A group of Oak Park residents are hoping to preserve the former Foley-Rice auto dealership building, 644 Madison St. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
Village planner Craig Failor said Oak Park has received a preliminary application for the Pete’s Market, and said the proposal would head to a future plan commission meeting for review.
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In late 2018, the village board named Jupiter Realty Company as the preferred developer of the parcels at the northeast corner of Madison Street and Oak Park Avenue. A 7-story, 174-unit senior living facility, which had been proposed by Redico and American House Senior Living, was recently approved for the south side of the street.
For years, the village attempted to lure developers to the area, and previously named Jupiter its preferred developer in 2016, although those initial plans never materialized.
In 2017, the village purchased a former Car-X property at 700 Madison St. and sought a new round of proposals for redeveloping the roadway, which led to the most recent contract with Jupiter.
The building is one of the last examples of a time when Madison Street was an automobile sales district, and Heitzman said he is hopeful more can be done to preserve it.
“It would be an elegant solution relevant to Oak Park and its long tradition of architectural excellence,” Heitzman said. “Pete’s has said they take pride in working with the community to make each store unique. Incorporating old with new would do just that and be a win-win.”
In 2019, Landmarks Illinois named the building among its most endangered historic places in the state.
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In early 2019, Heitzman and Lipo sought to have the building landmarked, however, that designation was voted down by the Oak Park village board.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--The word queer, used by actress Jameela Jamil when she came out last week, is increasingly popular a

The word queer, used by actress Jameela Jamil when she came out last week, is increasingly popular among millennials and teens

Jamil came out last week after a controversy over her role as a judge on the upcoming HBO voguing competition @ @ @ @ @ some critics saying that the gay men and trans women who created ballroom drag culture @ @ @ @ @ tweeted that she was queer , and that she had added a rainbow to her @ @ @ @ @ ago , and had answered honestly if asked directly about her sexual orientation .

Actress Jameela Jamil, known best for her role in "The Good Place," came out as queer on social media last week. (Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Choose Love)
Lea Grover has used the terms bisexual and LGBTQ, but queer, she says, is a better fit.
Grover, 35, likes that queer encompasses a wider range of gender identities and sexual orientations than even LGBTQIAA, a shifting acronym that typically refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, intersex and asexual people, and their allies.
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She likes that it’s easier to say, and there’s no danger of leaving out a letter. And then, as a bisexual woman married to a cisgender man, she likes the way the term shuts down intrusive questions about her sexual history with women.
“It’s sort of a relief” to be able to call herself queer, said Grover, a writer who lives in the western suburbs. “It’s like here’s a word (for me), instead of all the other words.”
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The word queer, spotlighted last week when the actress Jameela Jamil used it to come out on social media, is increasingly popular and accepted, with a 2016 survey finding that 90% of LGBTQ students at a college conference felt comfortable using the word to refer to sexual orientation. The Chicago Park District’s Queering the Parks initiative presented an LGBTQ prom called the MasQUEERade Ball in November, and local groups such as Chicago Queer Sober Social use the term proudly.
“There’s a real generational shift," said University of Illinois at Chicago sociology professor Barbara J. Risman, author of “Where the Millennials Will Take Us: A New Generation Wrestles With the Gender Structure.”
“Part of it is the notion of rejecting strict categories,” Risman said. "Queer doesn’t have the restrictive meaning that gay and lesbian have. One can be queer and be bisexual, or only attracted to same-sex, or not, or questioning. One doesn’t take (queer) in quite the same restrictive and exclusive way.”
Queer can also refer specifically to gender. A person might identify as nonbinary — or not exclusively male or female — or use the term genderqueer or simply queer.
The term has an inclusive feel, according to Diane Zosky, a professor of social work at Illinois State University. But queer also carries a hint of the shock value and spirit of protest it had in the 1990s, when queer was widely used as an anti-gay slur and AIDS activists reclaimed it with protest chants such as “We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it!”
Brin Bixby, 41, of Rolling Meadows, said that using the word queer to describe yourself is inherently political: “It outright rejects the narrow categories you want to put me in.”
Saying you’re queer can also carry the implication that the details of your gender identity or sexual orientation are not open for discussion at this time, said Bixby, a transgender woman who has referred to herself as queer for about 10 years. And queer opens the door to possibilities beyond the confines of the usual LGBTQ categories.
“There are a lot of people who are very comfortable and very happy with an identity of gay or lesbian or bisexual or pansexual or asexual," she said. "That’s fine, but it’s also OK to not want to answer the question — even to yourself — because you want to hold space for growth or change.”
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Jamil came out last week after a controversy over her role as a judge on the upcoming HBO voguing competition “Legendary,” with some critics saying that the gay men and trans women who created ballroom drag culture were being overlooked. She tweeted that she was queer, and that she had added a rainbow to her Twitter handle a few years ago, and had answered honestly if asked directly about her sexual orientation.
Other performers who have come out as queer in the past few years include singer Kehlani and “Euphoria” star Barbie Ferreira, who told Out Magazine “I’m really in my queerness.”
Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Hans Lindahl, 28, had a positive impression of the word queer, but she didn’t start using it to refer to herself until four or five years ago. Lindahl, who is intersex, or born with a body that doesn’t fit standard definitions of male or female, likes that the word queer is strongly associated with gender identity.
Young people may use different words for their sexual orientation or gender identity, depending on the situation, Lindahl said. You might tell your Uber driver you’re gay, tell someone who is familiar with LGBTQ terminology that you’re queer, and then go into the specifics of your sexual orientation and gender identity with your more knowledgeable friends, Lindahl said.
Some older people, both LGBTQ and allies, have trouble with the term queer — memories of its widespread use as an anti-gay slur are just too vivid.
Carolyn Pinta, the mother of 13-year-old LGBTQ activist Molly Pinta, said that she was initially very uncomfortable with the term. But after the co-sponsor of Molly’s gay-straight alliance explained the modern meaning of the term, Pinta came around.
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“Now that I have a different feeling of it, (queer) sounds to me like the word colorful, and I always think of the gay community as a very colorful place, in a very positive way: colorful, cheerful, friendly,” said Pinta, 42, a teacher who lives in Buffalo Grove.
Bixby expects the popularity of the word queer to grow, in part because it’s so useful; in part because it short-circuits intrusive and insensitive questions aimed at bisexual and pansexual people; and in part because the next generation of LGBTQ people embraces the ambiguity and fluidity of the word.
“I think we’re well on our way to ‘queer’ being supremely common,” she said.
Zosky also sees queer as a word that’s in tune with the times.
“This generation, they’re so much more comfortable with (fluidity)‚” she said. “They just really claim ‘I am uniquely, beautifully me, and that might change from day to day.’”
nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-13--Man killed, another wounded in possible ‘narcotics-related’ shootout inside car in Gage Park

At the crime scene on West 53rd Place and Albany , two officers guarded a triangle of yellow crime tape @ @ @ @ @ .
There were no shell casings to be found , but tire marks were embedded @ @ @ @ @ A silver sedan with its driver ’ s seat open was parked in front of @ @ @ @ @ room , guarded by more officers and a Chicago police forensic services van .

Chicago police were trying to piece together what happened after one man was killed and another wounded from a burst of gunfire inside a car in Gage Park.
Three people were in the car in the 5300 block of South Albany Avenue around 10:20 p.m. when a person in the back seat opened fire and struck a 27-year-old man in the front seat while the car was moving, according to police.
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The 27-year-old fired back, possibly striking the gunman in the backseat before running out of the car, police said. A friend took him to Holy Cross Hospital, then he was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.
Around the same time, police found a 20-year-old man at the Gage Park location with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was with two other people when someone inside the car started shooting, police said.
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The 20-year-old was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died. His identity has not been released.
A police source said the shooting likely stemmed from narcotics, but detectives have yet to figure out the chain of events.
At the crime scene on West 53rd Place and Albany, two officers guarded a triangle of yellow crime tape over a quiet sidewalk corner. There were no shell casings to be found, but tire marks crossed the snow-covered ground.
A silver sedan with its driver’s seat open was parked in front of the Holy Cross Hospital emergency room, guarded by more officers and a Chicago police forensic services van.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Blackhawks fire 49 shots but drop their 5th straight, 3-0 to the Canucks

`` To the people of Vancouver and British Columbia , we came here in 1999 and it felt like home @ @ @ @ @ Henrik Sedin said .
`` We want to thank you .
To play in front @ @ @ @ @ an honor . ''

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Blackhawks outplayed the Canucks for most of the game Wednesday night, but Jacob Markstrom made a career-high 49 saves to lead his team to a 3-0 victory after the Canucks retired the numbers of former stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
Brandon Sutter had a goal and two assists, and Bo Horvat and Adam Gaudette also scored to help the Canucks win their second straight after a four-game skid (0-3-1). Markstrom was marvelous in recording his second shutout of the season and fifth of his career.
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Corey Crawford finished with 17 saves as the Hawks lost their season-high fifth straight (0-3-2).
There was an electric atmosphere in the building for the retirement ceremony. The sellout crowd was on its feet cheering as Henrik Sedin’s No. 33 and Daniel Sedin’s No. 22 were raised to the rafters at Rogers Arena.
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“To the people of Vancouver and British Columbia, we came here in 1999 and it felt like home from Day 1,” Henrik Sedin said. “We want to thank you. To play in front of you has truly been an honor.”
In their 17 years as Canucks, the Sedins totaled 633 goals and 1,478 assists in 2,637 games. They are franchise leaders in seven major categories.
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The Canucks were badly outplayed all night and needed big saves from Markstrom to stay in the game. In the second period he stopped Patrick Kane’s shot from the high slot after a giveaway by Quinn Hughes. In the first he also got a pad on a shot from an open Dominik Kubalik.
The Canucks led 1-0 after the first period despite being outshot 17-7. Horvat scored on a power play on a pretty three-way passing play with Sutter and J.T. Miller with 4½ minutes left in the period.
The penalty came after the Hawks asked for a review of a referee’s decision to disallow a Hawks goal because of goaltender interference. The call stood and the Hawks were assessed a penalty for delay of game.
Gaudette made it 2-0 at 6:26 of the second. After Antoine Roussel found him alone at the side of the net, Gaudette beat Crawford for his 10th goal of the season.
In the third period Gaudette threw a couple of big punches in a fight with the Hawks’ Connor Murphy.
Sutter capped the scoring with an empty-netter with 2:09 left.
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The Hawks’ five-game trip continues Saturday in Calgary and concludes Sunday in Winnipeg.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Ask Amy: 'Green card' marriage worries friends

One way your husband might have of `` addressing it '' would be to not address it at all , @ @ @ @ @ and kick the emojis down the road , deciding to only address this if it @ @ @ @ @ into an inappropriate flirtation .
Is this what he has decided to do ?
You @ @ @ @

Dear Amy: My dear friend of almost 40 years is getting ready to enter into a green card marriage with a young man he met on the internet!
My friend, "Frederick," is a hairstylist in his mid-60s, who has never been lucky in love. His longest relationship was 25 years ago and lasted only three months. He has never lived with anyone. After building a successful salon, he is now nearing retirement, owns his own home, and has a nice nest egg.
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Unfortunately, he is lonely and vulnerable.
Frederick recently shared with a few of his closest friends that he had met a 26-year-old young man, "Juan," on a dating site. Juan is from an impoverished country renowned for its violent culture. They have met in person only twice at a resort in Florida, and apparently "clicked," sexually and otherwise.
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Now Frederick is in a fantasy world of romance. He plans to sponsor Juan, bring him to the U.S. next month, and move him into his home where they will share a bedroom.
I persuaded Frederick to get a background check on Juan, which revealed that he had been essentially truthful in describing his background, but the report strongly cautioned that his poor country has a cottage industry of seeking U.S. citizens for green card marriages.
On one level Frederick acknowledges that he is almost literally courting disaster and heartache, but he is giddy talking about his upcoming wedding and honeymoon with this virtual stranger (who is young enough to be his grandson).
Frederick is very sensitive, and has asked for my advice, but then clearly doesn't want to hear it. He has a "yes, but" for every concern raised by me or others.
Do we just watch this ship hit the iceberg? Is there nothing we can do?
— Caring Friend
Dear Friend: Yes, you will watch this ship hit the iceberg, but you should do so from your own lifeboat, bobbing patiently and at the ready for a rescue, if necessary.
"Frederick" trusted your advice enough to follow through on a background check, so he is actually listening to you.
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You should accept his romantic choices -- as disastrous as they seem to be -- and confine your counsel to practical matters. This is the equivalent of tossing him a lifesaving buoy. He should legally safeguard his financial assets, business and property, as a hedge against his somewhat uncertain romantic future.
Stay close to Frederick and get to know his new partner. His friendships offer an important emotional support system.
Dear Amy: Recently my husband received a text from a co-worker, who is also married, and she attached little hearts at the end of the text.
I feel that this is not only unprofessional, but a personal breach as well.
I asked him to please address it and he said he would. He has not. Your thoughts?
— Wondering Wife
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Dear Wondering: Here's a little story: Years ago, my husband (a builder who spends his days working out of his pickup truck), ended a telephone call with a subcontractor by saying, "Love you, honey." Oops. He had just gotten off the phone with me and ... it just flew out.
My point is that if someone texts a lot, it is possible that the little heart emojis basically flew out. Or -- if this colleague was asking your husband for a work-related favor, the heart emojis might have been her (clumsy) way of saying either "please" or "thank you." I agree that this is not business-like.
One way your husband might have of "addressing it" would be to not address it at all, but to basically ignore it and kick the emojis down the road, deciding to only address this if it recurs or seems to evolve into an inappropriate flirtation. Is this what he has decided to do? You could ask him.
In the meantime, I don't think you should worry about it.
Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Dear Amy: "Anonymous" wrote to you, complaining about her boyfriend, who didn't want his photo posted on her Instagram account.
Every single thing about this letter screamed "narcissist." Thank you for calling her out about her need to violate his privacy for her own bragging rights.
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— Fed Up
Dear Fed Up: What "Anonymous" didn't seem to realize is that she can actually have this both ways. She can enjoy her curated Instagram life, and she can enjoy the relationship with her boyfriend. She just can't do both things on the same channel.
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Ayo Dosunmu suffered no structural damage to his leg in Illinois’ loss to Michigan State

“ What happened with Ayo last night is as difficult a situation as you ’ ll see a young man @ @ @ @ @ feeling where the outcome of the game goes from primary to secondary in a split @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ We received positive news today from the MRI scan .
@ @ @ @ @ with him around the clock on treatment and recovery .

Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu has no structural damage to his left leg, the school announced Wednesday, after falling on the final play of Tuesday night’s 70-69 loss to Michigan State at the State Farm Center.
Dosunmu underwent an MRI on Wednesday, a day after he slipped and fell awkwardly while attempting to drive for a potential winning basket. He was helped off the court without putting pressure on his left leg.
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Illinois fans fell silent, and coach Brad Underwood said after the game he was unsure of the severity of the injury.
Illinois did not release the specifics of Dosunmu’s injury Wednesday, but Underwood’s statement indicated hopefulness about his prognosis.
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“What happened with Ayo last night is as difficult a situation as you’ll see a young man go through, and a feeling where the outcome of the game goes from primary to secondary in a split second,” Underwood said in a statement. “We received positive news today from the MRI scan. Our medical staff will work with him around the clock on treatment and recovery.
“Ayo and his family have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from Illini Nation and college basketball fans everywhere.”
In a post on his Twitter account Wednesday, Dosunmu thanked Illinois fans for their prayers and wrote: “The dub slipped away last night. Today it’s back to work. Be back soon ...”
Thanks for all your prayers #IlliniNation. The dub slipped away last night. Today, it’s back to work! Be back soon ... 🤙🏾#UnfinishedBusiness pic.twitter.com/Ybr7uonbUU — Mr WhyNotMe (@AyoDos_11) February 12, 2020
Dosunmu, a sophomore from Morgan Park, leads Illinois with 15.8 points per game. The Illini, seeking their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013, lost their third consecutive game Tuesday to fall to 16-8 overall and 8-5 in the Big Ten.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--4 injured after Metra train hits vehicle that then strikes pedestrian

An adult was removed from underneath the train , Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said , and was taken in @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center .
Another adult was also taken to that hospital , while two adults @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Medical Center and were in critical condition , Langford said .

Metra trains on the SouthWest Service line were halted Wednesday night after a train hit a vehicle in Hometown and a pedestrian was then struck by the vehicle, officials said.
At about 7:30 p.m., train No. 833 hit a vehicle containing three people at West 87th Street and South Pulaski Road, said Metra spokeswoman Katie Dahlstrom. The vehicle then struck a pedestrian, leaving a total of four people hospitalized.
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An adult was removed from underneath the train, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said, and was taken in grave condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center. Another adult was also taken to that hospital, while two adults were taken to University of Chicago Medical Center and were in critical condition, Langford said.
The train was scheduled to arrive at Orland Park 179th station at 8:02 p.m.
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The crash remains under investigation by Metra police.
The intersection has had at least two other serious crashes in the past six years. On December 2015, a Metra and car collision killed two passengers of that vehicle. About a month later, another grade-crossing accident happened and a driver was injured.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Double-jeopardy claim for Jussie Smollett could hark back to landmark case against mob hit man

In ordering a special prosecutor in the Smollett case last summer , Toomin echoed what he ’ d said in @ @ @ @ @ that since State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx had not properly recused herself from the @ @ @ @ @ was essentially invalid from start to finish .
Prosecutors could use the ruling to argue @ @ @ @ @ legal jeopardy for Smollett in the first place .

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail on March 16, 2022, after he was ordered to be released pending appeal of his conviction and 150-day sentence. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
At first blush, the criminal cases against Jussie Smollett and Harry “The Hook” Aleman would seem to have little in common.
One involves a minor celebrity who gained international notoriety for allegedly staging a hoax hate crime on himself. The other was a shadowy Outfit enforcer who twice stood trial for the 1972 gangland slaying of a union steward.
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But even though Aleman’s decidedly more serious case unfolded decades — and worlds — apart from Smollett’s, it now provides an intriguing look at the legal pathway prosecutors might use to block Smollett’s attempts to get the new charges against him thrown out of court on double-jeopardy grounds.
And linked to both cases is the same Cook County judge — Michael Toomin.
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In 1997, Aleman became the first defendant in U.S. history to be retried on murder charges after having been acquitted at trial. In a landmark decision, Toomin ruled that the Constitution’s double-jeopardy protections didn’t apply to Aleman because the original judge had been bribed.
Fast-forward 23 years, where there promises to be a legal fight over whether new disorderly conduct charges filed against the actor Tuesday violate those same double-jeopardy protections. Lawyers for Smollett are expected to argue the new charges represent prosecutors unfairly taking another bite of the apple, as the actor first was charged last year in a case that eventually was dropped amid controversy.
But legal experts told the Tribune that defense argument is likely to fail, and point to Aleman’s case as Exhibit A.
[ Actor Jussie Smollett faces new disorderly conduct charges in alleged fake attack ]
In ordering a special prosecutor in the Smollett case last summer, Toomin echoed what he’d said in the Aleman case, ruling that since State’s Attorney Kim Foxx had not properly recused herself from the investigation, the entire case was essentially invalid from start to finish. Prosecutors could use the ruling to argue there was never any real legal jeopardy for Smollett in the first place.
“That first (Aleman) trial was a sham trial because he really wasn’t in jeopardy, the case was fixed,” said K.S. Galhotra, a former supervisor in the Cook County public defender’s office now in private practice. “This is sort of along those lines … because Judge Toomin said it was a void prosecution, the case can begin anew."
'The Hook’
Aleman was one of the Chicago Outfit’s most feared hit men, a ruthless enforcer who could bring a wayward gambler or anyone else who’d run afoul of the mob back in line with one hard stare from his notoriously coal-black eyes.
Harry Aleman, center, flanked by his wife, Ruth, and his attorney, leaves court in 1977 after being acquitted of murder. (Chicago Tribune file photo)
Nicknamed “The Hook” for his mean left fist while growing up in Chicago’s Taylor Street neighborhood, Aleman was suspected in brazen executions of victims sitting in front of their homes, stepping out of cars, or dining in restaurants with their family. Others were found blindfolded and tortured, stuffed in car trunks, stabbed in the neck with a broken mop handle.
But it was the Sept. 27, 1972, shotgun slaying of Teamsters dockworker William Logan that eventually brought Aleman down — and made legal history. It was the first criminal case in the country where a defendant who was initially acquitted was retried on the same charge, a move that seemingly violated the long-held legal principle against double jeopardy.
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Aleman’s first murder trial ended in acquittal in 1977, when Cook County Circuit Judge Frank Wilson cleared him in a bench trial despite testimony from Aleman’s friend and alleged accomplice, Louis Almeida.
More than a decade later, crooked mob attorney Robert Cooley, who had begun cooperating with federal investigators as part of a sweeping undercover probe dubbed Operation Gambat, admitted he delivered the $10,000 payment to Wilson.
When Aleman was recharged in Logan’s murder in 1993, prosecutors knew they were in for a legal fight over whether they had violated double-jeopardy protections. The case landed before Toomin, at the time a circuit judge sitting at the 26th and California courthouse.
In 1994, in what was hailed as a first-in-the nation ruling, Toomin held that the bribe paid to Wilson had so fundamentally tainted the first trial that it could be considered a “sham,” invalidating any double-jeopardy protections afforded to Aleman. Toomin said he’d researched the issue going back centuries but could not turn up a single case offering any legal precedent.
Aleman was convicted by a jury at the retrial in 1997 and sentenced by Toomin to serve up to 300 years in prison. He died in 2010 at age 71, while serving out his sentence in a downstate prison.
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Smollett’s legal challenges
A special Cook County grand jury on Tuesday indicted Smollett on six counts of disorderly conduct alleging he orchestrated a racist and homophobic attack on a frigid night in downtown Chicago in January 2019.
The allegations were nearly identical to charges brought — and then mysteriously dropped — by Foxx’s office last year. Foxx had recused herself from overseeing the prosecution, revealing she’d had contact with a member of Smollett’s family early in the investigation at the request of Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff.
But in appointing attorney Dan Webb as special prosecutor last year, Toomin wrote that Foxx botched the recusal by handing the reins to her top deputy. Because the recusal was invalid, the entire process played out without a real prosecutor at the helm, he wrote.
"Discerning members of the public have come to realize that the ‘recusal that really wasn’t’ was purely an exercise in sophistry,” Toomin wrote.
The ruling was reminiscent of his decision in the Aleman case because it essentially invalidated the entire prosecution. Legal experts said the similarities may be the strongest shield prosecutors have against any attempts to get Smollett’s new case thrown out.
“Toomin wrote a brilliant opinion in Aleman," veteran defense attorney Richard Kling said. “It … came to the conclusion, no jeopardy, no double jeopardy.”
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The experts did raise a few possible avenues for Smollett’s attorneys to challenge the new indictment — but all of them likely would be long shots even without Toomin’s finding, they said.
Smollett’s attorneys hinted months ago that any new charges would violate his double-jeopardy protections. But those only kick in once a guilty plea has been entered or a trial has begun, experts said.
Alternately, Smollett’s attorneys could argue that last year’s agreement to drop charges counts as a binding contract, similar to a formal plea, Kling said. New charges would violate that agreement.
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Or the defense could try to throw out the case based on the legal principle that prosecutors cannot bring new charges based on the same alleged incident without potentially violating the defendant’s right to a speedy trial.
But that may not be successful either, experts said, since the first case was dropped altogether and a new set of prosecutors is starting over completely.
“There’s a lot of angles (the defense) can play, I just don’t think any of them are going to pan out,” Galhotra said.
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Smollett is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 24 at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
Meanwhile, his attorneys have steadfastly maintained his innocence, and last year rebuffed attempts to negotiate a formal plea. If they couldn’t get a full dismissal, they told the Tribune last year, they would take the case all the way to trial.
If they maintain that position, both sides are in for an extensive fight over the actual evidence. And Smollett’s attorneys have already laid out much of their case in public, largely by attacking the credibility and motivations of two key prosecution witnesses, brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo.
The brothers told police and a grand jury that Smollett paid them to stage the attack.
The actor’s attorneys have argued in previous filings that the brothers’ story was just a frame-up to avoid culpability for their actual attack on Smollett.
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But those arguments will only play out in a courtroom if the defense fails in its attempts to toss out the new case altogether. And as the Aleman case showed, claiming a double-jeopardy violation likely won’t do the trick.
After Toomin’s ruling in 1994, then-Cook County State’s Attorney Jack O’Malley said double-jeopardy was “amongst the most recognized, yet most commonly misunderstood, doctrines in our law.”
"Everyone thinks they know what double jeopardy is, and very few people do,” he said.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Family of Chicago police commander killed in the line of duty sues online gun marketplace

The journey of the Glock 26 9 mm was detailed in a 2018 Tribune story that revealed how the so-called @ @ @ @ @ through both licensed and private sales until it wound up in the hands of a @ @ @ @ @ guns over Armslist and , allegedly , into the hands of Shomari Legghette , a @ @ @ @ @ alleges .

A photo of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer next to a wreath of white flowers at a short memorial service at the Thompson Center on the one-year anniversary of his death on Feb. 13, 2019. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
A federal lawsuit has been filed against the online gun dealer Armslist for facilitating the sale of a handgun that was used in the 2018 fatal shooting of on-duty Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer.
The lawsuit was filed in Milwaukee federal court on behalf of the family of Bauer, who was shot and killed in February 2018 in the Loop, allegedly by a convicted felon.
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The lawsuit was filed by the Brady organization, formerly known as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which has brought numerous other lawsuits that target the gun industry for negligence that leads to gun violence, including against Armslist.
The journey of the Glock 26 9 mm was detailed in a 2018 Tribune story that revealed how the so-called Baby Glock was passed along through both licensed and private sales until it wound up in the hands of a Wisconsin man who regularly sold guns over Armslist and, allegedly, into the hands of Shomari Legghette, a four-time felon, the lawsuit alleges.
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The fact that the gun wound up in the hands of Legghette, who was prohibited from owning a gun as a convicted felon, is a result of Armslist’s practice of allowing private sellers to sell guns anonymously and without the oversight required at federally licensed dealers, including keeping sales records and doing background checks, according to the lawsuit.
Shomari Legghette. (Cook County sheriff's office)
“The Armslist Defendants knew or should have known their actions would foreseeably supply Prohibited Purchasers like Legghette,” the lawsuit reads. “If the Armslist Defendants had acted with reasonable care — instead of callous and willful disregard for human life — Commander Bauer would still be alive.”
The lawsuit seeks both financial damages and injunctions to force Armslist to change its practices.
Bauer, 53, had just parked his police vehicle at Clark and Lake streets when he heard a police radio description of Legghette, who had bolted away from officers who tried to detain him on nearby Lower Wacker Drive, authorities said.
Wearing body armor and carrying the Glock, which was outfitted with an extended magazine, Legghette ran to Upper Wacker toward the Thompson Center, according to the charges against him. Bauer tried to detain Legghette at the top of the Thompson Center stairs, but the two struggled.
Legghette stumbled down the stairs, and Bauer either fell or followed him down the stairs to a landing.
There, Legghette allegedly drew the Glock and fired seven shots at Bauer, striking him six times, the charges allege.
Legghette, 46, is expected to stand trial for first-degree murder later this year.
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Bauer, who was married and had a daughter, was a 31-year department veteran and was commander of the Near North patrol district. He was the highest-ranking Chicago officer killed in decades.
Thomas Caldwell, center, heads into the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on Nov. 1, 2018, for sentencing for selling firearms without a federal license. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s 2018 report showed that the Glock’s tragic path started in December 2011 at a small shop in south-central Wisconsin, where it was first sold.
Thomas Caldwell then bought the Baby Glock in March 2015 for about $350 from the man who had purchased it from the gun shop.
Two years later, Caldwell allegedly sold it to a Milwaukee man with ties to Chicago after they met over Armslist, according to federal authorities and the lawsuit.
Caldwell, a Vietnam War veteran diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, was sentenced to three years in prison for his illegal gun sales, which he had described as an addiction.
John Escalante, a former interim Chicago police superintendent and a childhood friend of Bauer’s, gave an emotional address at Caldwell’s sentencing, saying there needed to be accountability for the slaying of the devoted family man and cop.
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“That accountability has to be on those who commit the violence and those who put the guns in the hands of people who commit the violence,” Escalante said.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--3 takeaways from White Sox spring training Wednesday, including Yasmani Grandal, Lucas Giolito and G

3 takeaways from White Sox spring training Wednesday, including Yasmani Grandal, Lucas Giolito and Gio Gonzalez dealing with ‘minor’ injuries

“ If this was during the regular season , we may well push through with normal usage , ” Hahn @ @ @ @ @ we have all this time on our hands , we can take a slower route @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t appear in Cactus League games for about the first week .
”

GLENDALE, Ariz. — White Sox pitchers and catchers reported to spring training Wednesday. Here are three takeaways from the first day of camp.
1. Yasmani Grandal, Lucas Giolito and Gio Gonzalez are dealing with ‘minor’ injuries.
A mild left calf strain has slowed Grandal, but when asked about the setback, the catcher joked: “What I actually wanted was not to run in spring training. I planned that well.”
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Grandal is one of three players with injuries that general manager Rick Hahn stressed are “minor.”
Giolito is dealing with a muscle strain in the rib-cage area. His fellow pitcher Gonzalez is experiencing left shoulder soreness.
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“Everyone is going to be fine, we anticipate, by opening day,” Hahn said.
Grandal’s injury occurred about a week to 10 days ago.
“If this was during the regular season, we may well push through with normal usage,” Hahn said. “But since we have all this time on our hands, we can take a slower route with him and he likely won’t appear in Cactus League games for about the first week.”
Grandal did some catching Wednesday and said he was “fine.”
“We’re going to take it day by day,” Grandal said. “We don’t need to rush now. We’re not really worried about spring training as much as the season. We’re going to be ready for the season and we’ll go from there.”
Giolito had a bad case of the flu that caused him to miss SoxFest last month.
“(That) got him fairly dehydrated and set behind his program a little bit as well,” Hahn said. “When he ramped back up, he felt soreness in his rib-cage area.”
Hahn said Giolito also likely won’t participate in the first week of Cactus League games.
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Giolito said his level of concern for the injury is at “0%.”
“I was throwing out to 120 feet (Wednesday) and felt fantastic,” he said. “It’s pretty much behind me. Just unfortunate with the flu, pretty bad timing.”
Gonzalez was doing his throwing program at home about two weeks ago when he felt discomfort in his shoulder.
“We got him treated up, he showed up here feeling great, but again, due to the missed time, he’s a little bit behind as well,” Hahn said. “Likely also won’t participate in the first week of spring games, but we anticipate him being ready to go when the bell rings come the end of March.”
2. Reynaldo Lopez is focusing on what he can control.
Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon are at various stages of coming back from Tommy John surgery. When the Sox are at full strength, they could have a variety of options for a rotation that already includes Lucas Giolito, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Keuchel, Reynaldo Lopez and Dylan Cease.
Lopez, who is looking to bounce back from an inconsistent 2019 in which he went 10-15 with a 5.38 ERA, is keeping his focus on what he can control.
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“When you’re in this level, everyone knows you can’t be comfortable because there’s a lot of people behind you that want the spot,” Lopez said through an interpreter. “That’s my mindset.
“I know what I need to do. I know my abilities and all the things I’m able to do. I’m just going to have confidence in myself and in my work and then we’ll see what happens.”
3. Now is the ideal time for extension talks.
At SoxFest, a fan asked Rick Hahn about the possibilities of contract extensions for Lucas Giolito and third baseman Yoan Moncada. Both players become free agents after the 2023 season.
While no names were mentioned, the topic of extensions came up again Wednesday,
“This tends to be the most productive time of year in terms of getting extensions done,” Hahn said. “Doesn’t mean anything is going to happen. But especially early in camp when things are a little quieter, it’s a little easier to have those conversations and certainly not distract the player from their in-season games or their late camp preparation.
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“In terms of whether any of those will materialize, we’ll see.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--3 takeaways from Cubs spring training Wednesday, including Brandon Morrow talking about the Astros’

3 takeaways from Cubs spring training Wednesday, including Brandon Morrow talking about the Astros’ sign stealing and David Ross’ way with words

“ You ’ re thinking they ’ re not cheating , but stealing signs or working to get signs and @ @ @ @ @ Morrow said .
“ So you ’ re doing everything you can , but it @ @ @ @ @ .
They got a camera on the catcher and got some programmed algorithm to break @ @ @ @

MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs officially opened spring training Wednesday with the first workout for pitchers and catchers, while the other players also have arrived at Sloan Park. Here are three takeaways from camp.
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1. Brandon Morrow feels worse for others who were affected by the Astros’ sign stealing.
Slightly more than two years after allowing four runs and not retiring a batter in Game 5 of the 2017 World Series for the Dodgers, Morrow said he didn’t feel a “big vindication” after the Astros were penalized by Major League Baseball for an elaborate electronic sign-stealing system.
Instead, Morrow felt worse for pitchers like Mike Bolsinger, who filed a lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging the Astros’ tactics damaged his career after he allowed four runs in one-third of an inning in his final major-league appearance in 2017.
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“I don’t feel any different,” Morrow said after a long pause. “The games were played on the field. They were decided on the field, so it doesn’t change anything for me.”
Morrow said the Dodgers tried to do “everything they could” to prevent the Astros or any playoff team from getting an advantage.
“You’re thinking they’re not cheating, but stealing signs or working to get signs and stuff like that,” Morrow said. “So you’re doing everything you can, but it’s hard to protect. They got a camera on the catcher and got some programmed algorithm to break your signs.”
Morrow said the noise inside Minute Maid Park made it too loud to hear the sound of a garbage can being struck that tipped off hitters about specific pitches.
“But there were rumors about other stuff they had going,” said Morrow, who said he isn’t a conspiracy theorist.
Morrow admitted that not winning the World Series was hard to accept, but said he isn’t sure whether the scandal heightened his emotions.
“I had the feelings that were already established by losing in seven games,” Morrow said. “I haven’t really gone back and watched the games or really thought too much.”
2. Talks already are percolating for who will be the season-opening starter against the Brewers.
Manager David Ross has some thoughts about his rotation for the season-opening series against the National League Central rival Brewers but plans to talk with coaches Tommy Hottovy and Mike Borzello and the candidates before announcing his decision.
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“I’m going to put the guy I see best fit for that (opening day) spot,” said Ross, looking at past success, who finished strong last season and looks sharp in spring training.”
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Right-handers Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks and left-handers Jon Lester and Jose Quintana all are viable candidates to pitch in the opening series.
3. David Ross has a passion for prose.
Ross quipped that “there was a lot of standing around” supervising his first workout as manager.
But his emotions occasionally could veer off script when he talks to his players as a group.
“You write down your thoughts, and want to organize them the right way and not bounce all over the place,” Ross said.
“When I speak freely, I bounce all over the place. There’s definitely an order I try to keep. I’m finding when I start, there’s a lot that comes out that I’m passionate about and start speaking to. It’s things I’ve written, and it’s on my heart, and they’ve come up in a meeting.”
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Ross’ blend of passion and conciseness during his second interview fully convinced Cubs officials to hire him as manager in October.
“The nerves will be there,” Ross said. “I think I’d be silly to not think I’d get nervous about something.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--State Rep. Camille Lilly on proposed bill: It was ‘never the intent’ to make pumping own gas illegal

State Rep. Camille Lilly on proposed bill: It was ‘never the intent’ to make pumping own gas illegal in Illinois

“ You can continue to do that with this concept , ” Lilly said .
“ As mentioned , the @ @ @ @ @ , it was just a vehicle to be utilized to talk about what the intent @ @ @ @ @ discussed was how can you have both these options at a gas station .
This @ @ @ @ @ would move forward to make pumping your own gas illegal .
That was never the @ @ @

State Rep. Camille Lilly speaks during a Feb. 11 town hall at the Oak Park Public Library regarding the proposed graduated-rate state income tax, which will appear on the November 2020 ballot. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
During a town hall Tuesday night in Oak Park, state Rep. Camille Y. Lilly appeared to backtrack on parts of her proposed bill that would make pumping your own gas illegal in Illinois.
Lilly appeared with State Sen. Don Harmon at the Oak Park Public Library to discuss the state’s proposed graduated income tax, which will appear on the November ballot. Following that discussion, Lilly addressed the crowd about the gas pumping issue that had been in the news throughout the day.
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“The bill I chose looked at bringing what I would title safety and convenience at the gas pump,” Lilly said. “It had some verbiage that was not my intent at all.”
The bill, which had its first reading Feb. 5, has been referred to the rules committee for review.
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As currently written, HB 4571 would create the “Gas Station Attendant Act,” which provides that no gas may be pumped at a gas station in the state unless it is pumped by a gas station attendant employed at the gas station.
Lilly said the bill was designed to address convenience and safety issues at the gas pump, adding it is her plan to let people continue to pump their own gas should they want.
“You can continue to do that with this concept,” Lilly said. “As mentioned, the bill that is out there, it was just a vehicle to be utilized to talk about what the intent is. The thought we discussed was how can you have both these options at a gas station. This is not a bill I would move forward to make pumping your own gas illegal. That was never the intent.”
When one attendant pointed out full-service is available at some Illinois gas stations already, Lilly said she merely wanted to provide that option to all drivers who may need help when pumping gas.
“Not every station has these options,” Lilly said. “[Drivers] have to go around and find where they’re going to get that convenience. We’re having an increase in fires at gas stations around the country. We have a number of people who may be in a hurry and don’t know how to use the new technology. There are options to allow [full-service] and continue what we are doing.”
Some in attendance felt such a law could drive up gas prices even higher as stations would likely pass along new employee expenses to consumers.
“I really believe, as we move forward in our economy and society, things often change,” Lilly said. “That’s how we got self-service. We thought that would be a discount for everyone pumping their own gas. Gas has been going up ever since.”
Lilly reiterated her intent to use the bill as the beginning of a discussion on how to shape such a law and not ban self-service at Illinois gas pumps.
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“What I’m saying is let’s talk to people and see where they are,” Lilly said. “The talks [so far] got really muddled because everyone has an opinion and we want to respect that. We’re not going to create legislation that’s not the desire of Illinois.”
New Jersey is the only state that requires full service at gas stations. Oregon, which previously had such a law, loosened those restrictions in 2018.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Paul English, Willie Nelson’s longtime drummer, has died

Nelson bragged on their escapades in the song , singing `` And at the airport in Milwaukee , They refused @ @ @ @ @ plane at all , They said we looked suspicious , But I believe they like @ @ @ @ @ Paul . ''

A publicist for Willie Nelson says Paul English, Nelson's longtime drummer and the inspiration for Nelson's song "Me and Paul," has died. He was 87.
Elaine Schock had no other details on English's death as of Wednesday.
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English joined Nelson's band, nicknamed the Family, in 1966 and continued with him for most of his long career. English earned a reputation for brandishing a firearm and engaging in off-stage scuffles that made him an outlaw sideman as tough as Nelson himself.
Nelson bragged on their escapades in the song, singing "And at the airport in Milwaukee, They refused to let us board the plane at all, They said we looked suspicious, But I believe they like to pick on me and Paul."
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English was also known for wearing a black cape on stage, and one of his capes is currently on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the “Outlaws and Armadillos” exhibit.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Is this very spicy? A guide to the sometimes confusing array of hot sauces on your restaurant table

But spice is also a personal journey .
What I might find mild , others could consider lethal .
That @ @ @ @ @ sauces come to the rescue .
Whether it ’ s a bottle of hot sauce @ @ @ @ @ salsa , they allow each guest to customize the heat experience .
Many places treat @ @ @ @ @ essential , either leaving them on the table or bringing them over after an order @ @ @ @ @ eating an interactive dance of drizzling different sauces to see how they match with the @ @ @ @ @ sauce clashes , and you have to move on .
But more often than not @ @ @ @ @ a whole new way to experience your meal .

I can’t imagine my life without chiles. From breakfast, when I douse my avocado toast with hot sauce (I’m a millennial, after all) to a late-night snack of chips and salsa, chiles manage to find their way into most things I eat. Critics could claim that I’m simply covering up the taste of everything I devour, but I believe that chiles are nothing short of miracle drugs.
Sometimes chiles simply add a helpful counterpunch to overly starchy food. But when administered in the right dosage, chiles heighten my senses, allowing me to sit in the moment and worry about nothing else. Food tastes better, and textures sound louder. Wild sensations curl around my body. My nose runs. Sweat collects around my brow. Finally, a warm glow wraps around my body, like an electric blanket set to high.
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How can chiles do this?
According to Harold McGee in “On Food and Cooking,” the heat we experience from eating chiles comes from capsaicin, which “appears to be a chemical repellent aimed specifically at mammals.” Birds, which swallow chiles whole, feel no pain when snacking on chiles. But since most mammals chew their food, they disperse the capsaicin chemical around their mouths. As McGee writes, “it’s a wonderfully perverse achievement for our mammal species to have fallen in love with this anti-mammalian weapon.”
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No doubt, chile heat is often described in masochistic terms, as if chiles only dish out pain. But that’s not how I see it at all. Chiles have actual flavor, from the bright, tart notes of guajillos to the dark, chocolate aromas contained in pasillas. Chiles are fruits, after all.
But spice is also a personal journey. What I might find mild, others could consider lethal. That’s where table hot sauces come to the rescue. Whether it’s a bottle of hot sauce or a container of spoon-able salsa, they allow each guest to customize the heat experience. Many places treat these condiments as automatic and essential, either leaving them on the table or bringing them over after an order is placed. This makes eating an interactive dance of drizzling different sauces to see how they match with the food. Sometimes the hot sauce clashes, and you have to move on. But more often than not, the sauce opens up a whole new way to experience your meal.
Here’s a condiment-by-condiment breakdown for what to find on the table at some of Chicago’s spiciest restaurants, from Thai and Vietnamese to Peruvian and Mexican.
Khruang phrung from JJ Thai Street Food. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Few cuisines understand the importance of personal heat customization as Thai cuisine. Sit down at JJ Thai Street Food (1715 W. Chicago Ave.) and a waitress will bring over a green caddy containing five condiments, three of which are spicy. These are called khruang phrung. As chef and cookbook author Andy Ricker writes in “Pok Pok Noodles,” this “isn’t a foreign concept to Westerners — people put mustard and sauerkraut on hot dogs. … Yet it often eludes people who are new to the food of Thailand.” My advice? Sample a little bit of each sauce with some rice. While three of the condiments are spicy, each adds a different profile to the plate. For example, in the top left you’ll see phrik naam som, a vinegar and chile mixture that adds a lively acidity and mild heat. On the bottom right, you’ll find phrik pon khua, a toasted-chile powder that’s smoky and dark.
The condiment options at Pho Viet, including a tall bottle of Sriracha. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
You’ll find a collection of sauces on the table at most Vietnamese restaurants, too, though one condiment stands supreme. Sriracha, which you can find at all kinds of restaurants these days, actually originated in Thailand. But thanks to Huy Fong Foods, a company based in California, it’s now customary to see the sauce in Vietnamese restaurants. The thick, bright red sauce has a moderate heat followed by a pleasing sweetness. It’s on the table at Pho Viet (4941 N. Broadway), along with chile garlic sauce, pickled shallots, hoisin, fish sauce and soy sauce. By the way, while you could cover a bowl of pho with Sriracha, it’s customary to squirt some on a small plate and then dip meat from the bowl in the sauce with your chopsticks. But you do you.
Spicy chile oil at Noodle Deli in Hoffman Estates. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
At some Chinese restaurants you’ll find a small container of chile oil on the table. Made by pouring hot oil over chile flakes and sometimes other seasonings, the sauce is usually blood red, and has a dark roasted chile presence. That’s what you’ll find on the table at Noodle Deli (2 Golf Center) in suburban Hoffman Estates, an exciting new shop that serves complex bowls of beef noodle soup. Just know that you’ll need to stir the contents of the oil, because the chile sediment collects on the bottom, and you’ll want some of those crunchy bits.
Aji verde at D'Candela in Irving Park. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Asian restaurants aren’t the only place to look. At D’Candela (3449 W. Irving Park Road), a Peruvian restaurant in Irving Park, a server will bring out a tiny cup of aji verde made with the genuinely spicy aji amarillo chiles. But thanks to the addition of mayonnaise, it comes off as only moderately spicy. The sauce is especially great with the restaurant’s pollo a la brasa.
Table full of hot sauce options at Heaven on Seven in the Loop. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Of course, it’s not unusual to find a bottle of Tabasco on the table of every American diner, but often this feels like an afterthought, instead of an integral part of the eating process. That’s certainly not the case at Heaven on Seven (111 N. Wabash Ave., floor 7) in the Loop, which cares about bottled hot sauce more than any other place in town. I counted 26 kinds of hot sauces on my table, from multiple varieties of Tabasco and Crystal to brands I’d never heard of before (Melinda’s?). While it’s a fun gimmick, the restaurant’s Cajun and Creole food also benefits from a drizzle of at least one of these vinegar-heavy hot sauces.
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Chile sauces of Mexico
But no cuisine puts as much effort into making sure you can customize the spice level of your meal like the food at Mexican restaurants. That’s because no cuisine uses chiles as extensively or as creatively. This makes sense considering the current theory is that chiles were domesticated in the area of current-day Mexico more than 9,000 years ago. The word “chile” even comes from Nahuatl, the language spoken in the Aztec empire (also called the Triple Alliance).
Salsa options at Guapo Taco in Brighton Park. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
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Essentially every Mexican restaurant in the Chicago region dishes out salsa when you sit down. But my favorite places don’t just bring one salsa; they bring loads. Place your order at the tiny Guapo Taco (2430 W. 47th St.) in Brighton Park and the waiter will bring out a lovely red and green ceramic vessel with pickled jalapenos and three salsas, each of which brings the heat.
Salsa options at Restaurante y Taqueria Guerrero in Back of the Yards. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Restaurante y Taqueria Guerrero (1922 W. 47th St.) in Back of the Yards also serves three salsas, including a salsa roja so incendiary I had to chug a whole glass of water after sampling it.
All the salsa options at La Chaparrita in Little Village. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
All three salsas at La Chaparrita, one of my favorite places to eat in all of Chicago, mean business. An avocado and green chile salsa lends creaminess and a fair amount of fresh heat, while a complex salsa roja pulls your tongue in all directions. But my favorite is the hilariously spicy habanero salsa, which adds a rush of citrus notes before an all-encompassing heat floods your senses.
Tripa taco from La Chaparrita with habanero and avocado salsa drizzled on top. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
With its mix of wild fruity aromas and intense heat, it’s hard to beat the habanero. I’m not the only person who feels this way. I share an affection for the chile with New York chef Alex Stupak, who called the habanero in his cookbook “Tacos: Recipes and Provocations” a “tricky little siren.” He describes the initial aroma of a habanero as “all passion fruit, guava, and fresh-cut grass," before the heat “locks its jaws around your tongue.” As he writes, “nothing in the world tastes so beautiful and is so ephemeral. ... To love the habanero is to be in constant pursuit of those opiate moments just before the capsaicin rolls in.”
At La Chaparrita and plenty of other chile-friendly establishments around the city, this federally legal way to experience sensory overload is available to all who want it.
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nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com
Note: This article has been updated to correct the origin of Sriracha hot sauce.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Natalie Portman responds to Rose McGowan’s criticism of her female director-embroidered Oscars cape

“ If these films do get made , women face enormous challenges during the making of them .
I have @ @ @ @ @ times of helping get female directors hired on projects which they were then forced out @ @ @ @ @ they faced at work , ” Portman said .
“ After they are made , @ @ @ @ @ into festivals , getting distribution and getting accolades because of the gatekeepers at every level @ @ @ @ @ say , I have tried , and I will keep trying .
While I have @ @ @ @ @ I am hopeful that we are stepping into a new day .
”

Natalie Portman has responded to Rose McGowan's social media critique of her red carpet protest at the Oscars. The "Black Swan" star created a stir with her decision to wear a black and gold Dior dress that included a cape embroidered with the names of snubbed female directors.
However, her act of haute couture defiance didn't sit well with McGowan, who called Portman a "fraud" and said that wearing the cloak wasn't an act of bravery, it was, "More like an actress acting the part of someone who cares." In a statement, Portman agreed with McGowan that she didn't deserve to be called brave.
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"I agree with Ms. McGowan that it is inaccurate to call me 'brave' for wearing a garment with women's names on it," Portman said. "Brave is a term I more strongly associate with actions like those of the women who have been testifying against Harvey Weinstein the last few weeks, under incredible pressure."
Some thoughts on Natalie Portman and her Oscar ‘protest.’ The kind of protest that gets rave reviews from the mainstream... Posted by Rose McGowan on Tuesday, February 11, 2020
McGowan has accused Harvey Weinstein of multiple sexual assault, one of dozens of accusations against the former movie mogul. In her post, McGowan implied that Portman only paid lip service to working with female filmmakers, but noted that she had only worked with a few female directors over the course of her career.
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"I find Portman's type of activism deeply offensive to those of us who actually do the work. I'm not writing this out of bitterness, I am writing out of disgust. I just want her and other actresses to walk the walk," McGowan wrote on Facebook. "Natalie, you have worked with two female directors in your very long career- one of them was you. You have a production company that has hired exactly one female director- you."
Portman went on to state that she hoped that the industry would begin to offer more opportunities for women to direct movies.
Natalie Portman arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
“The past few years have seen a blossoming of directing opportunities for women due to the collective efforts of many people who have been calling out the system,” Portman said. “The gift has been these incredible films. I hope that what was intended as a simple nod to them does not distract from their great achievements.It is true I’ve only made a few films with women. In my long career, I’ve only gotten the chance to work with female directors a few times - I’ve made shorts, commercials, music videos and features with Marya Cohen, Mira Nair, Rebecca Zlotowski, Anna Rose Holmer, Sofia Coppola, Shirin Neshat and myself. Unfortunately, the unmade films I have tried to make are a ghost history.”
This year's Academy Awards were sharply criticized for not highlighting more films from women, with acclaimed works such as Lulu Wang's "The Farewell" and Greta Gerwig's "Little Women" failing to score directing nominations.
Portman went on to cite studies from Stacy Smith of USC, who has chronicled the lack of studio movies made by women, to claim that films from female filmmakers have a harder time getting greenlit or financed.
“If these films do get made, women face enormous challenges during the making of them. I have had the experience a few times of helping get female directors hired on projects which they were then forced out of because of the conditions they faced at work,” Portman said. “After they are made, female-directed films face difficulty getting into festivals, getting distribution and getting accolades because of the gatekeepers at every level. So I want to say, I have tried, and I will keep trying. While I have not yet been successful, I am hopeful that we are stepping into a new day.”