chicagotribune--2020-02-05--Chicago-based GrubHub reports fourth-quarter loss of $28 million

GrubHub shares have risen 14 % since the beginning of the year .
In the final minutes of trading on @ @ @ @ @ 55.44 , a decrease of 31 % in the last 12 months .

GrubHub Inc. on Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter loss of $27.7 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier. (Mark Lennihan/AP)
Grubhub CEO Matt Maloney shot down rumors that the company might put itself up for sale, telling investors during an earnings call Thursday that a media report last month “was and is not true.”
Competition in the food delivery industry has been hot recently, and companies have struggled with high costs and customers that flit from platform to platform. Grubhub has been working to grow its user base and the number of restaurants on its platform.
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It was not the first time Grubhub has worked to quell what Maloney called speculation around a potential sale. The company “unequivocally” denied reports it was being sold days after the Wall Street Journal first reported on a potential sale.
The Chicago-based company reported a fourth-quarter loss of $27.7 million on Wednesday, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier.
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Grubhub said it had a loss of 30 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 5 cents per share.
The results did not meet Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 3 cents per share.
The online food ordering service posted revenue of $341.3 million in the period, which topped Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $326.9 million.
For the year, the company reported a loss of $18.6 million, or 20 cents per share, swinging to a loss in the period. Revenue was reported as $1.31 billion.
On Thursday, KFC owner Yum Brands reported its 2019 financial results and said its investment in Grubhub shaved 5 cents off Yum’s fourth-quarter earnings per share. Yum paid $200 million for a stake in Grubhub in 2018.
For the current quarter ending in April, Grubhub said it expects revenue in the range of $350 million to $370 million.
The company expects full-year revenue in the range of $1.4 billion to $1.5 billion.
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Grubhub shares have risen about 12% since the beginning of the year. Shares closed Thursday at $54.60, down about 2% for the day.
Chicago Tribune’s Ally Marotti contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Lombard man kidnapped by Taliban-linked group in Afghanistan, official says

It was not immediately clear why Frerichs was in Afghanistan or where precisely he was picked up , though Newsweek @ @ @ @ @ kidnapping — said he was taken into custody last week in Khost province , in @ @ @ @ @ country , and that he has worked as a contractor in conflict zones .

WASHINGTON — An American citizen has been kidnapped in Afghanistan by a Taliban-affiliated group, a U.S. official said Thursday, and authorities are working to rescue him.
U.S. officials believe Mark Frerichs of Lombard, Illinois, was kidnapped by the Haqqani network, according to an official who was not authorized to discuss the case by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.
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It was not immediately clear why Frerichs was in Afghanistan or where precisely he was picked up, though Newsweek — which first reported the kidnapping — said he was taken into custody last week in Khost province, in the eastern part of the country, and that he has worked as a contractor in conflict zones.
The investigation is being handled by the FBI-led Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, a multi-agency effort created by the Obama administration amid criticism over the government's response to hostage-taking.
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Art Frerichs, who identified himself as Frerichs' father, told an Associated Press reporter on Thursday that he believed the Newsweek report was true. “I don't want to say any more now for security reasons,” he said. "I have the utmost faith in President Trump and the FBI."
The Taliban said it had no information on the kidnapping and nothing to say about it. No one has claimed responsibility for kidnapping Frerichs.
The kidnapping comes as the United States and Taliban try to reach an agreement that would reduce hostilities in Afghanistan and open a window to signing a peace deal to end Afghanistan's 18-year war, bring U.S. troops home and start negotiations between combatants on both sides of the conflict to decide the face of a future Afghanistan.
Khost province is the headquarters of the Haqqani network. In November, Anas Haqqani , the younger brother of Sirajuddin, the Taliban's deputy head and chief of the Haqqani network, was freed in exchange for the release of American professor Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks.
The two professors at the American University in Afghanistan were kidnapped in 2016 in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Gayle King angry at CBS promo of interview questions about Kobe Bryant

“ An excerpt was posted that did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview , ” the @ @ @ @ @ are addressing the internal process that led to this and changes have already been made @ @

In the wake of a social media backlash, CBS' Gayle King says she is embarrassed and angry with how the network promoted part of her interview with WNBA star Lisa Leslie that concerned the late Kobe Bryant.
A video clip distributed online and on CBS News’ social media accounts, taken from a wide-ranging “CBS This Morning” interview that aired Tuesday, focused on Leslie addressing a sexual assault charge that had been brought against Bryant and dismissed. Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.
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On Thursday, King posted a video in response on Twitter.
“I know that if I had only seen the clip that you saw, I'd be extremely angry with me, too,” King said. “I am mortified, I am embarrassed and I'm very angry.”
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CBS, in a statement Thursday, noted that King's interview was thoughtful and wide-ranging.
“An excerpt was posted that did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview,” the network said. “We are addressing the internal process that led to this and changes have already been made.”
In the interview, King asked Leslie whether Bryant's legacy had been complicated by the assault case. Leslie said it hasn't, and called on the media to be more respectful of Bryant's memory.
It was the clip that appeared to launch the backlash. The response included a profane video posted on Twitter by rapper Snoop Dogg telling King to back off, “before we come get you.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--In ‘The Poop Diaries,’ Abby Ross gives us a peek into the lives of the people we can’t live without:

In ‘The Poop Diaries,’ Abby Ross gives us a peek into the lives of the people we can’t live without: Plumbers

Not to give too many spoilers , but the stories from Carissa and Jac , women plumbers , are not @ @ @ @ @ was installing a urinal in a bar when a customer approached her for a date @ @ @ @ @ story about a collection of condoms clogging a toilet , which leads to the client @ @ @ @ @ home-wrecker .
Jac fixed a restaurant ’ s toilet pro bono and offered her advice @ @ @ @ @ to give to the business ’ owner .
When asked why the owner didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ employee ’ s response was : “ I showed him your card .
When he @ @ @ @ @ , he did not believe anything you said .
”

South Loop resident Abby Ross penned her first book, "The Poop Diaries," which looks at the most memorable service jobs that plumbers (local and international) have faced through their careers. (Douglas Gorenstein / BlackRoseWriting)
Yes, plumbers have encountered fake vaginas, snakes, rats, weapons and drugs while on duty, but according to the plumbers who fill 10 chapters of Abby Ross’ book, “The Poop Diaries,” they wouldn’t trade their jumpsuits for any other career.
Ross, a Chicago resident and Highland Park High School alumna, takes us behind the scenes of plumbers’ service calls, so readers can get a firsthand account of some of the more memorable ones. What unfolds in the 200-plus-page book, released Thursday, are tales that are “disgusting, hilarious, or scary.” But don’t be fooled, as Ross says in her intro, this book is about poop — but so much more.
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“At first I pictured the book to be pure humor, but as I interviewed these people, I realized that there was so much more depth to their experiences than just the sex toys and poop," Ross said. "And that’s really the message that I wanted to send.”
The “more” lies in the details, such as that many folks fell into the trade by happenstance — a neighbor or uncle asks for help on some jobs, or existing careers weren’t challenging or paying enough.
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“I never thought about contractors or plumbers, and most people don’t," Ross said. “It’s so funny because plumbers know so much about us, but we know so little about them.”
It was when Ross met her plumber Jon (Ross only uses first names in the book) on a cold night in Chicago that she got the idea to write about this particular field of contractors.
“My toilet clogged on a Wednesday night,” Ross said. “I called a plumber around 8-9 p.m. Jon came over and fixed the clog within 20 minutes. He obviously knew his stuff. I asked if he could tell me his five greatest hits, his best service calls, and he was so hilarious. I really enjoyed his stories and thought: I want to write a book about you.”
Ross broadened her scope and talked with plumbers who grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, who make their home in Edmonton, Canada, and who work in Oakland, California, as well as several local plumbers, including a former president of the local Plumbing Contractors Association (PCA).
Not to give too many spoilers, but the stories from Carissa and Jac, women plumbers, are not to be missed. Carissa was installing a urinal in a bar when a customer approached her for a date. There’s another story about a collection of condoms clogging a toilet, which leads to the client accusing Carissa of being a home-wrecker. Jac fixed a restaurant’s toilet pro bono and offered her advice and card to an employee to give to the business’ owner. When asked why the owner didn’t call her, the employee’s response was: “I showed him your card. When he saw you were a woman, he did not believe anything you said.”
“Their perspective adds so much to the book,” Ross said. “These are the types of things that only a woman could experience. ... I think that with the #MeToo movement, women’s rights have come a long way. Unfortunately in plumbing, it’s just not there yet."
Ross went on to say that that’s unfortunate, given that there is a shortage of plumbers, as mentioned by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar on the campaign trail and numerous trades publications and learning institutions. Ross hopes her book encourages people to go into the trades.
“A lot of people think plumbers are blue-collar workers who have plumber’s cracks and don’t make a lot of money — that is so far from the truth,” Ross said. She adds that many of the plumbers she interviewed have second homes and boats, lives they created after attending a trade school or doing an apprenticeship instead of going to college.
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Kelly Castrogiovanni, president and owner of Terry Plumbing, preordered Ross’ book. As a female owner of a plumbing company based in Countryside for almost 10 years, she says people are often shocked when they meet her in person. Many assume she must be male because she owns a plumbing company.
“There’s always people who look at me and think: Why are you here? You don’t fit in. You must be a front for a husband or brother or something like that,” Castrogiovanni, treasurer of the PCA, said. “That’s my challenge: to try to prove myself. I feel like I have to prove myself 10 times harder than what a man would.”
Castrogiovanni says becoming a licensed plumber takes five years of learning and training, but once the license is in hand, plumbers will always be able to find a job because they’re always needed. That’s what she’s trying to get across to other women.
“It is a hard sell because there’s a lot of heavy lifting. People think they don’t want to be knee-deep in a sewer line,” she said. “But you get out of school making $100,000 instead of getting out of college owing over $100,000.”
Rachel Macias, 33, of Portage Park, is a plumber’s apprentice at Castrogiovanni’s company. She came in through Chicago Women in Trades, which helps women get into the building trades.
“It was something I wanted to do, but I didn’t really know how to get into it,” she said. “I wanted to have a skill. That was the main reason.”
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Macias works primarily in new construction and less on the service (on-call side) and is already making close to $30 an hour — which she says will go as high as $51 per hour when she becomes a journeyman. With two children, ages 14 and 9, she finds the working hours stable and the health care benefits amazing. She’s thankful that she hasn’t had the kind of experiences Jac and Carissa have had while on the job.
She’s looking forward to reading Ross’ book. When asked if a younger version of herself would have chosen plumbing as a profession, she says she’s not sure.
“It’s never been an out-there option for us,” Macias said. “I thought I was going to be a lawyer or something, but if I had known it was possible, then yeah, I would have thought that I could be a plumber. Like my daughter now, she says she wants to be a plumber. I don’t think she is, but it’s motivation.”
drockett@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Woman told police she attacked street musician at Loop Red Line station because he was giving her a

Woman told police she attacked street musician at Loop Red Line station because he was giving her a headache

Malinowski was performing at the Jackson station , 230 S. State St. , about 1:35 pm Tuesday when Johnson approached @ @ @ @ @ , he said Thursday .
She then started to push him and pull at his @ @ @ @ @ him onto the subway tracks .
Malinowski pushed at Johnson , trying to create space @ @ @ @ @ attacker continued pursuing him , prosecutors said .

Busker Michael Malinowski jams for CTA Red Line commuters at the State and Lake subway station in 2017. He was stabbed while performing this week. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Michael Malinowski, known as “Machete Mike” to riders of the Red Line where he regularly plays guitar, had just been stabbed by a woman angry his music was giving her a headache. Now she was tossing his guitar onto the tracks at the Jackson stop.
"I was bleeding out everywhere,” Malinowski said. “I just lit a cigarette, sat on a bench and watched her destroy my s---.”
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The woman, Barbara Johnson, was quickly arrested after the Tuesday attack -- for at least the 43rd time in her life. Malinowski was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for a cut to his left arm.
Malinowski, 26, said Thursday he is recovering but it will be a while before he is able to play again.
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“It’s one thing to get beat up or robbed, but at this point, I feel like I got robbed in the worst way,” he said. “She essentially destroyed my arm and that’s my whole livelihood. That’s the whole reason I even have a career.”
The attack was the second in two days on a CTA train. On Wednesday, a 30-year-old man was shot in the back by a gunman as a Blue Line train pulled into the UIC-Halsted stop. The victim was taken to nearby Stroger Hospital, and a suspect was arrested within hours. Like Johnson, he has an extensive arrest record.
Barbara Johnson (Chicago Police Department)
Johnson, 38, of Blue Island, told officers she began attacking Malinowski because the music was giving her a headache, according to police records. She was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery in a public place and criminal damage to property.
Her court-appointed attorney said she suffered from “mental health illnesses” but a judge denied her bail, calling her a “clear and present danger to the community.” Court documents show Johnson has more than 40 arrests on her record, many of them for battery and resisting arrest.
Malinowski said he was performing at the Jackson station, 230 S. State St., around 1:35 pm Tuesday when Johnson approached and unplugged his amplifier. Then she started to push him and pull at his hair and tried to shove him onto the subway tracks. Malinowski said he pushed back at Johnson, trying to create space between them, but she continued pursuing him, prosecutors said.
Malinowski said he swung at Johnson repeatedly to free himself from her grip. When she appeared in court Thursday, she had a black right eye.
Interim Chicago police Superintendent Charlie Beck said Thursday there “may have been some mental illness involved,” and added that it raises some tough questions for police.
“I think this also brings up a really serious issue that faces Chicago and other major cities in the United States, which is the incidence of violence connected to mental health," he said. “How do we address that and what are the big systems we need to put in place.”
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Johnson was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer in 2005, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm in 2012, aggravated battery to a peace officer in 2014, resisting a peace officer in 2017, and misdemeanor battery in 2017. She was cited for disorderly conduct on the CTA in 2010, records show.
Beck said he planned to meet with officials Friday about deploying more police on CTA lines.
Meawhile, Malinowski’s sister has launched a GoFundMe page to help her brother raise money for new equipment. The page had raised more than $4,700 as of early Friday. He was shocked his sister did that, but said he needs the help.
Malinowski is due to release a second EP, titled “Stations Creation,” sometime soon. Like his first EP, “Tales of The Tunnels,” it will feature music he wrote while working in the subway.


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Reputed gang member beat rival to death just half hour after two placed in same cell in Cook County

Reputed gang member beat rival to death just half hour after two placed in same cell in Cook County Jail, prosecutors say

While surveillance cameras didn ’ t capture the inside of the cell , footage from a camera on the tier @ @ @ @ @ window of the cell — showed an inmate inside raising his arm up and down @ @ @ @ @ detainee beginning at about 1:05 a.m. when a light turned on in the cell , @ @ @ @ @ is also seen grabbing the other man by his long hair and dragging him violently @ @ @ @

Christian Gonzalez, 24, was charged with murder in the beating death of his cellmate, Pedro Ruiz, 19, at Cook County Jail. (HANDOUT)
A reputed gang member was viciously beaten to death just half an hour after he was placed into a two-man cell in Cook County Jail with an inmate who belongs to a rival gang, Cook County prosecutors said Thursday.
A security video partially captured Christian Gonzalez, 24, beating Pedro Ruiz with a sock filled with bars of soap for 10 continuous minutes, prosecutors said. He also violently dragged Ruiz by his “shag hairstyle,” according to prosecutors.
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Investigators recovered a bloody, ripped sock in the cell and what appeared to be a bloody undershirt and boxers from Gonzalez that he was wearing under a clean set of jail scrubs, prosecutors said.
Gonzalez, a reputed member of the rival Satan Disciples street gang, later told a correctional officer that he beat Ruiz, 19, because he was a rival gang member, according to prosecutors. At a recorded interview later, though, Gonzalez said Ruiz was experiencing "breathing problems” and that guards took too long to respond, prosecutors said.
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Ruiz belonged to the Almighty Saints, a street gang that has long feuded with the Satan Disciples.
Calling Gonzalez “a danger to everybody,” Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ordered him held in the jail without bond at the Thursday hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
Prosecutors laid out a timeline of the early-morning killing, but little remains known about why rival gang members were housed together, why standard security checks failed to register such a lengthy and brutal attack or why supervisors took more than 20 minutes to respond to the cell after a guard reported Gonzalez said his cellmate was “acting strange.”
Adding to the questions was the disclosure by the Chicago Tribune earlier in the week that Gonzalez was among five detainees who attacked a lone inmate Nov. 19 in a day room of Division 9, a maximum-security wing of the jail.
In a clip of surveillance video, five men are seen attacking a fellow inmate in November in a day room of Cook County Jail. (Cook County Sheriff's Office) (Chicago Tribune Handout)
Surveillance video obtained by the Tribune shows Gonzalez punched and kicked the 41-year-old victim before the other detainees stabbed him with a shank, beat him and stomped on his head. A few moments after leaving the victim lying in a pool of blood, Gonzalez and another inmate dropped a joker playing card on his body, Murphy said in court.
About seven minutes passed after the attack before correctional officers came to the aid of the victim in the day room, the video showed.
Gonzalez and the other four inmates were each charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and mob action, court records show.
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Last Friday, Ruiz was assigned to Tier 2C of Division 9 shortly after coming through court on an attempted murder charge, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said in court. It wasn’t until 12:30 a.m. Saturday that he was put in the cell with Gonzalez.
While surveillance cameras didn’t capture the inside of the cell, footage from a camera on the tier — if zoomed through a window of the cell — showed an inmate inside raising his arm up and down repeatedly as if beating another detainee beginning at about 1:05 a.m. when a light turned on in the cell, Murphy said. The inmate is also seen grabbing the other man by his long hair and dragging him violently, he said.
At one point during the 10-minute attack, Gonzalez slowed down as if he was growing tired, Murphy said.
Cook County jail detainee Pedro Ruiz, 19, was found fatally beaten inside his jail cell on Feb. 1, 2020. (Cook County Sheriff's Office)
Ruiz had been ordered held without bond Friday after his arrest for the shooting of a 21-year-old man on the night of Jan. 28 in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.
Gonzalez had been jailed since last 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.
Asked why Ruiz was placed in the same cell with a rival gang member less than three months after he was alleged to viciously beat the other inmate, sheriff’s spokesman Joseph Ryan declined to comment other than to say that the department was reviewing “every facet” of the weekend killing.
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The sheriff’s office was still conducting its own internal review of the November beating when Ruiz was found beaten to death in his cell early Saturday, authorities said. Now the office has launched a separate internal review of the killing to determine if corrections officers followed proper protocol, Ryan said.
According to prosecutors, a guard performing a security check stopped by the cell door just before 1:30 p.m. Gonzalez said something was wrong with his cellmate, but the guard did not respond and left the tier.
A few minutes later, the guard radioed his sergeant that Gonzalez said his cellmate was “acting strange,” Murphy said.
Supervisors did not arrive at the cell for more than 20 minutes.
As officers tried unsuccessfully to revive Ruiz, Gonzalez was taken to a separate cell, where surveillance video showed him speaking to a correctional officer. Though the video has no audio, prosecutors said Gonzalez confessed to the guard that he beat Ruiz with a sock full of bar soap because he was a rival gang member.
Chicago Tribune’s Liam Ford, Peter Nickeas and Jason Meisner contributed.
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mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Lincoln Park High School students protest again as another administrator leaves and video surfaces o

Lincoln Park High School students protest again as another administrator leaves and video surfaces of encounter with student: ‘At a time when we need transparency, healing and safety, they fell short’

Friday , school officials announced that Interim Principal John Thuet and Assistant Principal Michelle Brumfield were removed from the school @ @ @ @ @ .
Brumfield confirmed to the Tribune that she has been terminated from CPS and placed @ @ @ @ @ According to Lincoln Park High ’ s Local School Council , Thuet was also terminated @ @ @ @ @ not confirmed that or detailed why the administrators were removed , and Thuet could not @ @ @ @ @

Eli Grant, an LSC community member at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, talks to reporters regarding the changes in the administration at the school on Feb. 7, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Tensions at Lincoln Park High School resulting from a widening misconduct scandal were heightened Thursday by student walkouts, sit-ins and, in a few instances, physical altercations.
Amid the upheaval of multiple misconduct investigations and the removal of the school’s top administrators, concerns for students safety grew on Thursday as videos made the rounds on social media showing sometimes violent confrontations among students.
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That prompted school officials to release a statement to families late Thursday addressing the day’s events and saying they would bring in additional student support.
For the latest on the situation, with updates from Friday, click here.
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“While the student action was generally peaceful, there were a small number of altercations among students inside our school building that you may have seen reported,” the statement said. “While the images may be troubling, no students or staff were seriously injured as a result of this incident, and we are handling the situation in accordance with CPS policy. The parents of the impacted students have also been made aware.”
School officials also said “rumors involving gang activity in the vicinity of the school” prompted extra police and security when classes let out Thursday but no problems were encountered.
Yet as Chicago Public Schools officials seek to regain order at Lincoln Park High, another misconduct claim surfaced that one of the administrators brought in last week to take charge of the school has herself left “after determining she was not a good fit for LPHS,” according to a letter sent to parents.
A district spokesman confirmed later Wednesday that the administrator, Judith Gibbs, is the subject of “an allegation involving improper contact with a student.” CPS has not elaborated on the nature of the claim, but a widely circulated video appears to show an adult female momentarily placing her hand on the student’s chin after she reached for something in the student’s hand and he yanks it away.
Lincoln Park High School junior Jovani Muñoz talks to reporters outside of the high school Thursday. He said a newly installed administrator reached her hand out and held his chin momentarily during an encounter at the school Tuesday. She has since left the school. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A Lincoln Park junior who said he’s the student in the video, Jovani Muñoz, left class Thursday morning and spoke to reporters outside.
Muñoz said he was pulled aside Tuesday before first period by one of the school’s security guards for not having his school ID visible. The newly appointed administrator arrived at the altercation a short time later and the situation escalated, he said.
“She reached for my pocket and snatched my arm. Right after that she grabbed my face,” he said. “The shock got me.”
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Muñoz said he was in school for most of the day and got progressively more upset.
Gibbs could not be reached for comment.
Social media traffic from inside the school and reports from parents suggest the school day was chaotic. Videos posted on Instagram from the school Thursday show students sitting in hallways holding signs. Other videos appear to show altercations breaking out among students and an ambulance pulling up in front of the building as students, officers and media stand by.
Chicago police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli later said authorities were called to school late Thursday morning for a report of a battery in progress but that the call did not generate a report. While police are aware of videos circulating of action inside the school, she said there were “no police reports related to things making waves.” The Fire Department said it took an 18-year-old woman from the school to a hospital for an asthma-related problem.
School officials said a second student was taken to a hospital after slipping on water.
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They also announced new student support measures to “promote a calm and supportive environment." The two new “adminstrators-in-charge,” for example, will visit every classroom starting Friday to hear student’s thoughts and concerns, and specialists from CPS’s offices of Social and Emotional Learning and Safety and Security will be on hand to promote tools like talk circles. A hotline and email has also been set up.
Since early January, several administrators and basketball coaches at Lincoln Park High have been removed or reassigned amid a widening scandal that has prompted five internal investigations against both adults and students as well as at least one police investigation. CPS officials have said investigators have uncovered multiple serious violations, including allegations of sexual misconduct, improper student discipline, recruiting violations, retaliation against witnesses and financial misconduct.
The varsity boys basketball team had to forfeit its city league playoff game Tuesday and has been withdrawn from the state postseason tournament.
Separately, Chicago police confirmed Thursday that they are investigating a report by a 15-year-old girl that she was sexually assaulted by a male at the school on Jan. 13.
Friday, school officials announced that interim Principal John Thuet and Assistant Principal Michelle Brumfield were removed from the school and Dean John Johnson reassigned. Brumfield confirmed to the Tribune that she has been terminated from CPS and placed on its do-not-hire list. According to Lincoln Park High’s Local School Council, Thuet was also terminated, though the district has not confirmed that or detailed why the administrators were removed, and Thuet could not be reached for comment.
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The school council also has sent letters to parents criticizing the handling of the situation.
“Based on what we have seen — like many of you who are writing to us — we remain unconvinced that the punishments in this case fits any alleged failures specific to administrators Thuet, Brumfield and Johnson,” a Wednesday letter from the council states. “We continue to see these administrators as dedicated educators who vastly improved safety and security — and administration generally — taking the fall for a culture of neglect that goes back years.”
The statement echoed one made by other students and parents who credited Thuet and Brumfield with making positive changes in the school since the fall and said the district has not disclosed adequate information about the administrators’ removals.
“We need our administration back,” said another student who left class Thursday and spoke outside the school. “Students are angry. Usually in the hallways people are happy and smiling. It’s been dead quiet. It’s really sad and depressing. All the kids’ heads are down.”
Speaking to the Tribune late Wednesday, Brumfield, the now former assistant principal, also said her termination was not explained. She said she was at school Friday when she was called to CPS headquarters and told she was fired.
A letter she was given, and which she provided to the Tribune, noted she was an at-will employee and stated in part: “A decision has been made to terminate your employment with Chicago Public Schools effective immediately.”
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“I just really didn’t understand it. I felt like, I asked questions, I didn’t get any answers, and I really left confused in a daze,” Brumfield said, “especially because if this is an ongoing investigation, no one had communicated with me about it.”
Leading up to her dismissal, Brumfield, who had a long career with CPS and started at Lincoln Park High in the fall, said she was not questioned or given any indication she was under investigation.
“I was literally speechless," Brumfield said. “I want Mr. Thuet and myself and the dean, I want us to get reinstated and to have our jobs back. We miss the kids. We miss the community, the parents.”
Donovan Robinson, a reserve coach who was brought in to help lead the varsity boys basketball team after head coach Pat Gordon was removed earlier in January, said he was on vacation and learned from a media report on Jan. 31 that he had been reassigned pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.
Robinson, also a community relations representative at Michele Clark High School, then checked his email and saw that same date, CPS sent him an email stating he was removed from duty, with pay, as a community relations representative, pending the outcome of a pre-suspension hearing “based on an allegation that, while coaching at Lincoln Park High School, you engaged in inappropriate communication with students.” The day before, an investigator with CPS had sent him an email asking to interview him, according to a copy of the email provided by Robinson.
Robinson said he was not given any more specific information about the allegation against him at the hearing, which took place Tuesday, but that he was told his suspension would continue without pay.
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“I’m stressed out," he said. "I have not slept, I have not eaten right or anything, and nobody can tell me why I am suspended.”
The Local School Council for Lincoln Park sent another letter to families on Thursday that referenced the video that apparently shows Tuesday’s encounter between the administrator and the student.
“While she has been removed from the school, we were disappointed that the subsequent letter from CPS did not share the true circumstances of this sudden removal,” the letter stated. “At a time when we need transparency, healing and safety, they fell short. We were told these administrators were installed to make our school safer. That wasn’t the case.”
With all that’s been happening at the school, some students reported that they struggled to focus on anything other than the recent events, and some teachers told students they were free to participate in the protests.
During the first phase of Thursday’s sit-in, students reported multiple fights at school, though CPS officials did not provide information to the community until about 9 p.m. During fourth period, about 100 students left the building with signs and a bullhorn, chanting and walking a circuit around the neighborhood before returning to school.
Eventually, district officials came to the school and invited students to a talk in an auditorium, where video shows one district official assuring students their next leaders won’t be chosen without input from parents and students, and adding that possibilities included a student town hall and surveys.
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“We want to find someone that will love you and care for you and lead the school just like Thuet and Brumfield,” the official says. “You did have it and you will have it again.”
hleone@chicagotribune.com
jvillagomez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Chicago Black Restaurant Week returns with more than 30 participants

Specific deals and menus have not yet been released , but organizers will make updates to the CBRW website .
@ @ @ @ @ s Facebook page at facebook.com/officialchicagobrw .
Unlike Chicago Restaurant Week ’ s prix fixe menus @ @ @ @ @ participants will set their own prices , ending in 20 cents as a nod to @ @ @ @ @ year , prices ended in 19 cents ) .

Chicago Black Restaurant Week returns for its fifth year, running from Feb. 9-16, with more than 30 restaurants, caterers and other food and beverage businesses participating.
Chicago Black Restaurant Week is held the second week of Black History Month, designated as “Negro History Week” by historian, author and journalist Carter G. Woodson in 1926. The event aims to “create a platform for African American Owned Eateries (in the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs) to be recognized and patronized,” according to the website.
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Specific deals and menus have not yet been released, but organizers will make updates to the CBRW website. Also check the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/officialchicagobrw. Unlike Chicago Restaurant Week’s prix fixe menus, Chicago Black Restaurant week participants will set their own prices, ending in 20 cents as a nod to the year. (Last year, prices ended in 19 cents).
Participating businesses include:
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BR Bar (18601 S. Cicero Ave., Country Club Hills)
The Bureau Bar and Restaurant UIC (724 W. Maxwell St.)
Coffee Pops ( coffeepopsshop.com )
Dirty Birds Southern Kitchen (8052 S. Racine Ave.)
Dock’s (321 E. 35th St., or 4011 W. 167th St., Country Club Hills)
Dusties Southern Style Buffet (4012 Lincoln Highway, Matteson)
Flammin Restaurant & Co. (641 E. 75th St.)
The Good Life Soul Food Cafe (11142 S. Halsted St.)
Irie Jerk Bar and Grill (3404 N. Clark St.)
Irie Jerk Soul Food Express (130 E. 51st St.)
Juiced By Shic (14736 Pulaski Ave., Midlothian)
Kenny’s Ribs & Chicken (16825 Torrence Ave., Lansing)
Kimbark Beverage Shoppe (1214 E. 53rd St.)
Kozy Korner Catering & Deli (15443 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Dolton)
Lexington Betty Smoke House (6954 W. North Ave. and 756 E. 111th St.)
Litehouse Whole Food Grill (1660 E. 55th and 1823 Church St., Evanston)
Luella’s Gospel Bird (2009 N. Damen Ave.)
Luella’s Southern Kitchen (4609 N. Lincoln Ave.)
Mikkey’s Retro Grill (5319 S. Hyde Park Blvd., 8126 S. Stony Island Ave., and 503 E. 47th St.)
Phlavz Bar & Grille (717 W. Maxwell St.)
Ribs & Soul BBQ (4844 183rd St., Country Club Hills)
Soul Shack (1368 E. 53rd St.)
Surf’s Up Oak Park (6427 W. North Ave., Oak Park)
Surf’s Up South Shore (2236 E. 71st St.)
Sweet Honey Tea (7601 S. Cicero Ave.)
Urban Grill Chicago (1132 W. Wilson Ave.)
Venue75 (125 W. 75th St.)
Whipped Inc. ( whippedbrands.com )
Windy City Rib & Whiskey (67 E. Cermak Road)
The Woodlawn (1200 E. 79th St.)
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Jay Cutler reportedly talking to CBS and ESPN about NFL TV job — 2½ years after ‘Very Cavallari’ co-

Jay Cutler reportedly talking to CBS and ESPN about NFL TV job — 2½ years after ‘Very Cavallari’ co-star walked away from Fox deal

`` I put a lot of effort in with Jay and I like Jay a lot ... but do I @ @ @ @ @ football is great ?
I do n't , '' Burkhardt said in 2017 .
`` @ @ @ @ @ and I get it , because we ( would have had in Cutler ) a @ @ @ @ @ .
But I think a two-man booth for football is the way to go .
@

Jay Cutler, who got intercepted en route to the broadcast booth 2½ years ago, might be back in play as a potential NFL TV analyst.
CBS and ESPN have met with the former Bears quarterback, according to The Big Lead.
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Whether that means the man who provides much-needed comic relief on wife Kristin Cavallari’s E! Entertainment Television reality show “Very Cavallari” will be working in the booth or studio next fall isn’t yet clear.
What is indisputable is that his unflappable, deadpan presence on “Very Cavallari” has shown him to be much more likable than he may have seemed to critics in his playing days.
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This tweet contains Jay reading Kristin’s Laguna Beach dialogue. Enjoy 😂 #VeryCavallari pic.twitter.com/Dkco3OE4CH — Very Cavallari (@verycavallari) January 30, 2020
One Chicago sports columnist, the Sun-Times’ Rick Telander, called Cutler “a strong-armed athlete with zero soul, zero charisma" near the end of his run with the Bears.
But Cutler always seemed to have fun during his regular radio chats with Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle on WMVP-AM 1000.
“As fake as TV is, that’s real Jay,” former Bears teammate Kyle Long said Thursday on WMVP-AM 1000 of Cutler’s reality TV persona. “That is him, cut and dry — and honest.”
Cutler originally signed with Fox in 2017, having supposedly retired as a quarterback after 11 NFL seasons, the last eight with the Bears.
Jay's next business pitch isn't getting the reception he expected. Tune in next week for a new #VeryCavallari pic.twitter.com/5QBhsYm65Q — Very Cavallari (@verycavallari) January 31, 2020
Just three months later and three weeks before he was to make his debut, however, he was lured back by Adam Gase, the former Bears offensive coordinator who then was head coach of the Dolphins.
The Dolphins had lost quarterback Ryan Tannehill to injury and needed help.
They continued to need help even with Cutler, who got banged up during a forgettable 6-10 season.
During a midseason prime-time loss to the Raiders, just two weeks after Cutler was sidelined with cracked ribs, NBC commentator Cris Collinsworth wondered if Cutler had had second thoughts.
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"You had to wonder when he had that devastating hit, broke his ribs and was lying on the ground, exactly what he was thinking," Collinsworth said. "He could have been sitting up here in a nice cozy booth … enjoying the game. Instead, he couldn't breathe and he couldn't sneeze."
Cutler had seemed tentative about giving up playing to do TV from the time it was announced, balking when the word “retirement” was brought up.
"I don't feel that anyone ever really retires from the NFL," he said on “Waddle & Silvy.” "You are either forced to leave or you lose the desire to do what's required to keep going. I'm in between those situations at this point in my life.”
Cutler originally had been set to be part of Fox’s No. 2 NFL announcing team with Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis. Burkhardt previously was paired with John Lynch, who left to become general manager of the 49ers.
When Cutler made his U-turn to reunite with Gase, Fox wisely allowed Burkhardt and Davis to work as a two-man broadcast team.
"I put a lot of effort in with Jay and I like Jay a lot ... but do I think a three-man booth for football is great? I don't," Burkhardt said in 2017. "We were doing it, and I get it, because we (would have had in Cutler) a rookie who needed some guidance. But I think a two-man booth for football is the way to go."
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Burkhardt said Cutler impressed him in their short time together, including dry runs calling games from tape.
"We would have had fun and we would have made it work,” Burkhardt said.
Jay is ready to bring down the hammer in tonight's episode of VeryCavallari. 👀
Don't miss it at 10|9c on @eentertainment. pic.twitter.com/jhbbtmkRxv — Very Cavallari (@verycavallari) March 17, 2019
At the time Fox announced it had hired Cutler, another just-retired quarterback was joining the network TV ranks and similarly was set to take a high-profile position despite his lack of broadcast experience.
That was former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who was installed as analyst on CBS’ No. 1 NFL announcing team alongside Jim Nantz. Romo was an immediate hit.
With his first contract having run its course, Romo is now in line to become the highest-paid NFL TV analyst ever.
Like Cutler, he’s talking to CBS and ESPN.


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Man with history of robbery and gun arrests charged with shooting on Blue Line train at UIC-Halsted

Man with history of robbery and gun arrests charged with shooting on Blue Line train at UIC-Halsted stop

One of Waldon ’ s first arrests was for battery when he was 17 .
The charge was later stricken @ @ @ @ @ why .
He also was arrested in 2009 and 2010 on a range of charges @ @ @ @ @ aggravated use of a weapon and unlawful restraint , according to court records .
But @ @ @ @ @ Waldon pleaded guilty in one case to just robbery and , in the other , @ @ @ @ @ of a weapon .

A man with an arrest record going back 15 years has been charged with shooting a passenger on the Blue Line as it pulled into the UIC-Halsted stop, then grabbing a backpack off him as the doors opened, according to Chicago police.
Patrick Waldon, 31 and a parolee, was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, armed robbery and being an armed habitual criminal. He was arrested hours after police released photos from surveillance cameras around the station on the Near West Side.
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During his bond hearing on Thursday afternoon at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, a judge held him without bond.
Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi credited the photos with helping in the arrest. “You’re on camera and you will be caught," he tweeted.
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The victim, a 30-year-old man from the Near North Side, was shot in the lower right back and was taken to nearby Stroger Hospital in serious condition. He underwent surgery but his condition has since stabilized.
Witnesses told police that Waldon got on the Blue Line train at the Jackson station in the Loop about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, prosecutors said.
The rider, who had transferred from the Red Line to Blue Line at Jackson, noticed Waldon and another person watching him on the platform. Both boarded the same car as the victim. Waldon sat down near him.
As the train headed west, Waldon began talking to the man and demanding his backpack, but the victim ignored him and stood up at the car’s door as the train approached the UIC-Halsted stop.
Waldon then got behind him, demanded the backpack again and pressed the gun into the man’s back before shooting him.
“The offender approached and stood directly behind the victim, pulled out a silver revolver and shot the victim one time in the back at close range,” police said in a report. “The victim fell to the ground and, after the car doors opened, the offender took the victim’s backpack and fled.”
Witness behind Waldon saw the incident and it was also captured on CTA surveillance video.
The gunman may have had an accomplice, police said, because another man was seen talking to him after the shooting and also ran from the platform.
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Patrick Waldon (Chicago Police Department)
At a Thursday morning news conference at the department’s South Side headquarters, Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said CTA surveillance video shows Waldon on the CTA platform with the victim. They both get on the train, and Waldon sat right next to the victim, he said.
The video shows Waldon display a handgun, and the two struggle with the victim’s backpack, Deenihan said. Waldon ran off the train after the shooting.
Investigators used surveillance cameras to track the suspect from the CTA station to a nearby Target, where he threw away some items from the victim’s backpack, Deenihan said.
Detectives then received several tips about his identity when they pushed out surveillance images, he said.
A witness from the train identified Waldon from a photo array, he said.
“There were people on the train that came to this victim’s aid and stayed with him until emergency personnel came,” Deenihan said, adding that they also spoke with officers afterward. “Those people did a remarkable job. Without their help, the case is not solved either.”
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Waldon was taken into custody later in the day during a traffic stop in the 3000 block of West Harrison Street, about 2½ miles from the shooting. Authorities said he has been arrested at least 14 times by Chicago police and has four felony convictions on his record.
Waldon has “preyed on the people of Chicago for years,” interim Chicago Police Superintendent Charlie Beck said at the news conference.
One of Waldon’s first arrests was for battery when he was 17. The charge was later stricken but it was not known why. He also was arrested in 2009 and 2010 on a range of charges, including aggravated battery, aggravated use of a weapon and unlawful restraint, according to court records. But those charges were dropped and Waldon pleaded guilty in one case to just robbery and, in the other, one court of aggravated use of a weapon.
In 2013, Waldon was hit with 17 charges after an arrest in January. They ranged from armed home invasion to residential burglary, aggravated unlawful restraint and kidnapping. He pleaded guilty to armed robbery with no weapon, and the other charges were dropped, according to court records. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and was paroled in 2018.
Beck said he is meeting with CTA officials on Friday to discuss increasing police deployment on public transportation. “Obviously when crime occurs on public transportation, it affects everybody,” he said. “This is a system that affects all of Chicago.”
The shooting happened one day after a man was stabbed and injured Tuesday afternoon on the platform at the Red Line’s Jackson stop. Barbara Johnson, 38, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery in a public place, both felonies. She is also charged with a misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property.
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Beck said the stabbing likely involved mental illness.
Serious crime aboard CTA trains, on the rise since 2015, has flared in recent months, particularly the Red and Brown lines. The violence, which includes robberies of smartphones or random attacks on unsuspecting riders, has persisted despite the installation of 1,000 high-definition surveillance cameras at CTA stations last year.


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Breaking down the contract details for Bears’ latest addition, former CFL cornerback Tre Roberson

He ’ s an interesting addition for the Bears , who lack depth at the position and likely will consider @ @ @ @ @ and the draft at cornerback .
Roberson worked out for 12 NFL teams since the @ @ @ @ @ contract offers from nine of them .

Tre Roberson, the all-star cornerback from the CFL who signed with the Bears last week, received $215,000 guaranteed in his two-year contract.
The Bears signed the former Illinois State quarterback after he spent two seasons playing cornerback for the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL, becoming one of the best at his position in the league.
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He’s an interesting addition for the Bears, who lack depth at the position and likely will consider other moves in free agency and the draft at cornerback. Roberson worked out for 12 NFL teams since the start of January and had contract offers from nine of them.
Here is a breakdown of the two-year, $1.235 million contract:
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2020
$75,000 signing bonus
$510,000 base salary ($140,000 fully guaranteed)
$25,000 workout bonus
$393,000 base salary split (if he’s on injured reserve)
Total cash: $610,000 ($215,000 guaranteed)
2021


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--‘The Masked Singer’ reveals the identity of the Llama: Here’s the star under the mask

`` I thought it was going to be a quick ride , '' Carey told Variety .
`` After I @ @ @ @ @ , everything else was gravy ...
I like to carry a tune .
I knew @ @ @ @ @ win that contest .
There 's no way to watch that show and take it @ @ @ @ @ you have Wayne Brady and Seal and whomever else on there , I 'm not @ @ @ @ @ people on a singing show !
But as far as having a goof and having @ @ @ @ @ that .
And I 'm pretty self-aware .
I watched the show , and I @ @ @ @ @ like me on the show .
They always have a beloved old guy .
I @ @ @ @ @ last ! ''

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead, if you have not watched Season 3, Episode 2 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired Feb. 5 on Fox.
Drew Carey, come on down! You’re the next contestant to be eliminated... on “The Masked Singer.”
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The comedian and "The Price is Right" host became the second celebrity to be unmasked on Season 3 of "The Masked Singer," following Sunday's reveal of hip-hop star Lil Wayne. Carey was dressed as the Llama, and was voted off despite a rousing rendition of Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual" on Wednesday night's show.
"I thought it was going to be a quick ride," Carey told Variety. "After I got past the first round, everything else was gravy... I like to carry a tune. I knew I wasn't going to win that contest. There's no way to watch that show and take it seriously, really. When you have Wayne Brady and Seal and whomever else on there, I'm not going to win against those people on a singing show! But as far as having a goof and having fun, I can do that. And I'm pretty self-aware. I watched the show, and I know why they have somebody like me on the show. They always have a beloved old guy. I knew how long I'd last!"
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Carey confirmed that "The Masked Singer" takes the anonymity of its contestants seriously: "I was under the impression when I signed up that all the celebrities would be hanging out and we'd get to talk, and then we'd put on our masks. But then I found out, you don't even know who anybody else is. They keep everybody separate. I never saw anybody until we were doing pictures together in costume. We're under strict orders not to talk to anybody."
THE MASKED SINGER: The Llama. (Tribune Content Agency)
“The Masked Singer” is filmed at CBS Television City, where “The Price is Right” is also shot, which made it a bit challenging for Carey.
"That was a pain, pretending it was my first time there," he said. "I can walk there in three minutes from where I walk from 'Price is Right,'" he said. "The 'Masked Singer' stage manager, Jonathan, was the stage manager on 'The Price is Right' for four years. If anybody knows me, this guy knows me. That's his whole job, to look at me, point me to places and make sure I'm standing in the right place. So his eyes are on me, hours a day, and he had no idea who I was."
The first two episodes of "The Masked Singer" Season 3 were taped back-to-back on the same day, which made for a long 14-hour span, Carey said. "And I had to go into the Grove shopping center and park in the parking lot and change into the hoodie and the mask, and get in the back of the car while they drove around the block back into CBS. And so I was there for 14 hours and each song is only a minute and a half long. It was this incredibly long interviews, pictures, all this stuff, and then oh, by the way, go do your song. That part was like a fever dream."
Carey said he hasn't even had a chance to discuss the show with his "Whose Line Is It Anyway" pal Wayne Brady (who also hosts another CBS game show, "Let's Make a Deal"), even though Brady won "The Masked Singer" last season.
"You sign this inch-thick NDA," he said. "I didn't tell best friends. I had people over watching the Super Bowl that day who wanted to watch 'The Masked Singer' and I had to get them to change the channel after the White Tiger got done. I was like, 'can we watch something else? This show sucks!'"
The one person who figured out the Llama's identity was Carey's son: "After the show aired, he watched it on Monday and he sent me a text, 'What's up, Llama?' I had to do a friendly denial."
Host Nick Cannon and Drew Carey in the "The Playoffs: Group" episode of THE MASKED SINGER airing Wednesday, Feb 5 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Greg Gayne/FOX / HANDOUT)
The show's panelists didn't come close to guessing Carey. Nicole Scherzinger guessed Woody Harrelson, while Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Kelsey Grammer. Robin Thicke picked Adam Carolla, while Ken Jeong guessed Joel McHale. Guest panelist Jason Biggs thought it was Johnny Knoxville.
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"I didn't think there was any way anyone would guess it was me," Carey said. "And I was really genuinely laughing under the mask. Even the serious guesses, I was like, 'you guys are so far off.'" Carey noted that he even knows McCarthy Wahlberg, who once guested on "The Drew Carey Show."
In the season premiere, which aired after the Super Bowl, Carey-as-Llama performed Ricky Martin's "She Bangs," which the comedian said is his go-to karaoke song.
As for choosing the Llama costume, "I saw it and said, 'holy cow, that's me!' That costuming is so good, that was easy. It weighed nothing and it was kind of fun moving around, and it was not cumbersome at all. The mask fit very well, they really do a great job with the fittings. And the mouth is right next to the screen, and I can see out of it, and all I had to do is put the mic up toward the screen, and I was all set to go."
Opening the show, host Nick Cannon acknowledged its major Super Bowl boost on Sunday: "There are more eyes on us than ever. It was water cooler talk at its finest, with the biggest reveal in 'Masked Singer' history."
As for the remaining Group A contestants, here's how White Tiger, Turtle, Miss Monster, and Kangaroo performed on night two:
Ms. Monster
Song: "Fancy" by Bobbie Gentry
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Voice-over: “I’m happy that people loved my first performance. Even without knowing who I was. It felt so good. And now I can just focus on being an artist. People say, ‘Ms. Monster, you can’t do it all.’ But why not try? You’ve got to stand up for yourself in this dance. Tonight, I want you to see that I’m like Mr. Monster. Capable of anything and full of love.”
Voted Most Likely To Do at the Masked Academy: “I was most likely to be in the presence of royalty.”
Panel guesses: Mary Wilson, Priscilla Presley, Celine Dion
White Tiger
Song: "Good Vibrations," by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Voice-over: “I had no idea how much work would go into taking a stage like this. I’m putting in the time to hone this new craft. To put the math in mask. But my motto is work hard, play harder. I’m no stranger to celebrating. I love a good block party. And this may sound kind of crazy, but dancing heals my body after taking a beating. So I’m ready to cut a rug on that stage tonight, and cut it up.”
Voted Most Likely at the Masked Academy: “I was voted most likely to go to the mat for a friend, and I did, literally.”
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Panel guesses: Hulk Hogan, Rob Gronkowski, Charles Haley
Kangaroo
Song: "You Know I'm No Good," by Amy Winehouse
Voice-over: “Keep it 100, recently it seems like I’ve been watching my life from the sidelines. And to be honest, it’s scary putting myself in the spotlight again. Sometimes it seems like everyone is against me. But I know I just need to have courage and get back in the game. I’m already feeling more confident and I’m determined to make the most of this fresh start. You may underestimate me, but that’s OK. I’m owning this underdog story and I’m not pulling any punches. Plus, I’ve got to be a role model for my little 'roo. This is my time to fight back, there’s no way I’m going home now.”
Voted Most Likely at the Masked Academy: “I was voted most like to appear on a list with Seal and Mike Tyson. And I might have been.”
Panel guesses: Candace Parker, Tatiana Ali, Gabrielle Union
Turtle
Song: “Say You Won’t Let Go,” by James Arthur
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Voice-over: “Being here feels like such an opportunity to break out of my shell. People have always expected me to act a certain way. That really tests me. Well, I want to rebel from all of that. You can punish me all you like for being myself. But if I want to sing a love song, I’m going to sing a love song.”
Voted Most Likely at the Masked Academy: “I was voted most likely to hunt for booty, and I have, often.”
Panel guesses: A.J. McLean, Billie Joe Armstrong, Darius Rucker, Zac Efron


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 2-1 OT loss to the Bruins, including why Drake Caggiula’s disallowe

3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 2-1 OT loss to the Bruins, including why Drake Caggiula’s disallowed goal should have counted

`` It 's disappointing , '' Colliton said .
`` But there will be another night where we come out @ @ @ @ @ it .
These things have a way of evening out , but it 's just @ @ @ @ @ been a big two points for our team .
They outplayed us early on .
@ @ @ @ @ as the game went on , they 're an excellent team and we grinded it @ @

For the second straight game, the Blackhawks had a miserable first period.
But unlike Tuesday against the Wild, this one wasn’t self-inflicted.
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The Bruins came to the United Center with the NHL’s second-best record and played like it, outshooting the Hawks 16-5 in the first en route to a 2-1 overtime loss.
Adam Boqvist left the game in the second period with a right shoulder injury and didn’t return, though Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said he didn’t think was very serious.
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“They’re a good team and they challenged us,” Colliton said. "It was a challenge for our guys. Especially when we go down to five (defensemen). We played most of the game or you know the last half of the game at five D.
“With the way they forecheck and the type of sharpness you need defensively, especially when their top line is on, I’m happy we found a way to grind it out.”
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s OT loss:
1. Drake Caggiula’s disallowed goal should have counted.
The goal horn blew and a celebration commenced after Drake Caggiula put the Hawks ahead 2-1 on a shorthanded goal with 1:05 left in the third period.
But the sounds turned to fury moments later when an official waived off the apparent go-ahead goal, telling the Hawks the play was blown dead because of a hand pass.
The only problem? There was no hand pass and the play should have been allowed to continue. According to Jonathan Toews, the official admitted the whistle should not have been blown.
“He said it was his mistake,” a visibly frustrated Toews said after.
Goal or no goal? pic.twitter.com/dMESFxq2d0 — Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 6, 2020
It was a difficult pill to swallow after the Hawks held the Bruins at bay while being outshot 40-22. If it weren’t for Robin Lehner’s heroics, the official’s mistake never would have been an issue.
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And while Toews was seething, Jeremy Colliton already was attempting to get past the anger over losing out on a much-needed point in the standings.
"It's disappointing," Colliton said. "But there will be another night where we come out on the other end of it. These things have a way of evening out, but it's just disappointing because it would've been a big two points for our team. They outplayed us early on. I thought we got better as the game went on, they're an excellent team and we grinded it out.
"That's the type of home game that we haven't played so much of where it's not necessarily pretty but we find a way. So these points are big."
2. Kirby Dach was the best Hawks player on the ice not named Robin Lehner.
It’s hard to believe there was a time this season that it seemed Kirby Dach was better off playing for Saskatoon than in Chicago.
Nobody would have batted an eye if the Hawks had let the third pick in last June’s draft go back to the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades for more seasoning. And while it’s possible that it could have been better for him in the long run, it’s clear the Hawks need him now.
Dach had a blue-collar assist on Alex DeBrincat’s second-period goal, fighting through traffic in front of the Bruins net to get off a shot that was stopped but ended up on DeBrincat’s blade.
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 15 Blackhawks forwards Patrick Kane, left, and Jonathan Toews argue with the officials in the first period against the Bruins. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
He also had a breakaway late in the third period that didn’t go in, but he did draw a penalty on the play to give the Hawks a late power-play chance.
Dach hasn’t just been one of the Hawks’ better rookies of late, he has been one of their best players with points in five straight games. This is after a stretch in which he had only one goal and no assists in 28 consecutive games.
“He’s been great and it’s really helping our team and there’s more there,” Jeremy Colliton said. “He’s close. He creates a lot and just hasn’t quite been able to finish but starting to produce offensively. But for me it’s more his two-way game just adds some depth to our team and I know he’s going to keep getting better.”
Jonathan Toews has been as impressed as anybody.
“He’s using his speed, but he’s stronger and stronger on the puck, winning those battles,” Toews said. “He stripped whoever it was there and walked in on a breakaway and had a great chance. When he’s just staying in that puck area, having that strong stick, he’s making things happen and it’s really good to see. The stronger he gets, the more and more he’s going to create for us.”
3. Alex DeBrincat may be back on track.
The Hawks have been waiting all season for Alex DeBrincat to go on a scoring binge everyone knows he’s capable of.
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Whether it was another tease or the start of something big, DeBrincat scored his 13th goal of the season against the Bruins. It was his first goal in his last six games and also came on the power play, another source of frustration for the Hawks this season.
The Hawks came into the game against the Bruins 3-for-26 on the power play over their last 11 games before DeBrincat's rebound goal in the second period.
“(The power play) was much better,” Jeremy Colliton said. “Mentality was much better, just willingness to shoot the puck and you give yourself a chance. Then all of a sudden, you got some pretty good looks off broken plays. The extra pass is there once you recover a puck.”
Here is coverage from Wednesday’s overtime loss:
Charlie McAvoy scored 1 minute, 19 seconds into overtime as the Blackhawks fell to the Bruins 2-1 on Wednesday night at the United Center.
The Hawks have played three consecutive overtime games since the All-Star break ended, dropping the last two to fall to 25-21-8.
The Bruins outshot the Hawks 40-22.
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The Hawks’ Zack Smith took a terrible penalty with 2:26 left in the third when he struck Torey Krug in the head with his shoulder, giving the Bruins a chance to win the game in regulation. Drake Caggiula appeared to score shorthanded, but it came seconds after a delayed penalty on Krug was called, and the referee ruled the play was dead before Caggiula’s shot went in.
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The Hawks had 55 seconds of power-play time to start overtime but didn’t convert. Krug had a breakaway as soon as he came out of the box, which Robin Lehner stopped. A few seconds later, McAvoy beat Lehner for his first goal of the season.
In earning a point, the Hawks moved within two points of the Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Each of the other contenders, including the Flames, were off on Wednesday.
The Hawks were dominated in the first period for the second straight night. But unlike on Tuesday against the Wild when the Hawks had trouble putting one foot in front of another, the Bruins simply put their superior talent on display.
Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each had three shots on goal while the Bruins outshot the Hawks 16-5 in the period, which remained scoreless only because Lehner was brilliant while making his first start since Jan. 21.
ROBIN. LEHNER. 😳
A standing ovation for the @NHLBlackhawks goalie! pic.twitter.com/IYqipdiDAU — NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) February 6, 2020
The Hawks picked up their first power play midway through the second period when David Krejci was called for boarding Adam Boqvist, who left the game with a right shoulder injury and didn't return.
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The Hawks took advantage when Kirby Dach tried to stuff a shot past Jaroslav Halak, who made the save, but Alex DeBrincat was there for the rebound to give them a 1-0 lead. It was DeBrincat’s 13th goal, his ninth on the power play.
But it was a short-lived lead. A little less than six minutes later, the Bruins tied it on Sean Kuraly’s fifth goal of the season.


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Cubs Q&A: Has Kyle Schwarber peaked? Can Craig Kimbrel return to form? Who will be a spring surprise

Cubs Q&A: Has Kyle Schwarber peaked? Can Craig Kimbrel return to form? Who will be a spring surprise?

As for Kimbrel , I believe a normal spring training is the first step to a rebound season .
You @ @ @ @ @ of “ spring ” training in June after he signed was enough preparation ( he @ @ @ @ @ waiting to be signed ) , but he suffered an array of nagging injuries that @ @ @ @ @ velocity also dipped by 2 mph from 2017 to 96.2 , according to Fangraphs .

The Tribune’s Mark Gonzales answers your Cubs questions and offers tributes to new Reds reliever Pedro Strop and the late Phil Rizzo.
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Kyle Schwarber finished with respectable numbers in 2019. Do you think he continues to have upside to improve, or has he topped out? Also, has there been any word on what steps Craig Kimbrel has taken this winter to correct whatever mechanical issues he experienced last year? — Tim Garrity
In the second half of 2019, Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber batted .280 with a .366 on-base percentage, and his OPS increased by more than 200 points to .997. Those numbers swelled in September, when he slashed .341/.419/.681 in 26 games.
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One area Schwarber can still improve is his contact rate, which increased by nearly 2% from 2018 to 73.9.
I’m still on board with Schwarber as a prominent part of this team going forward. He and first baseman Anthony Rizzo provide power from the left side, and Schwarber has made enough improvement to his overall game.
Kyle Schwarber hits a double against the Cardinals on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019 at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
As for Kimbrel, I believe a normal spring training is the first step to a rebound season. You can debate whether three weeks of “spring” training in June after he signed was enough preparation (he did stay in shape while waiting to be signed), but he suffered an array of nagging injuries that stunted any progress. His velocity also dipped by 2 mph from 2017 to 96.2, according to Fangraphs.
As a predominately two-pitch pitcher, Kimbrel must be sharper with his fastball. Right-handed hitters were too comfortable against him, batting .289 with a .426 on-base percentage and five home runs in 38 at-bats.
This season, pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and others will be able to evaluate him in the spring and make suggestions if necessary.
If the Cubs fall out of playoff contention in the first half, I’d expect them to listen to offers for Kimbrel (he has no-trade rights to eight teams). But the most urgent priority is getting him back to his All-Star form.
Craig Kimbrel prepares to pitch to the Brewers in the ninth inning Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019 at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
What do the Cubs plan to do to address their situational hitting plague? — Jeff McIntire
The Cubs actually were around the middle of the pack in the National League with a .259 batting average with runners in scoring position, and their .243 mark with runners in scoring position with two outs was seven points above the league average.
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The problem is that they struck out 26.6% of the time with runners in scoring position and whiffed in 29% of their at-bats with RISP with two outs.
The emphasis, as President Theo Epstein stressed in his end-of-season news conference, is on improving the team’s woeful contact rate.
According to Epstein, the Cubs’ 73.8% contact rate was last in the majors, and they saw 57.4% percent fastballs, which was second lowest.
“Controlling the strike zone” will be a mission among Cubs’ hitters this spring, and an improvement can lead to better results with runners in scoring position.
Who is your sleeper this spring? — Fred Lowder
Reliever Dan Winkler needs to regain effectiveness of his cut fastball against left-handed hitters to play an important role. But I’m encouraged by his 115 strikeouts in 100⅓ career innings while limiting opponents to a .214 batting average.
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Winkler, 30, faces a lot of competition, and he has a minor-league option left.
Dan Winkler pitches for the Braves against the Marlins on May 5, 2019 in Miami. (Eric Espada/Getty)
On another note, as another season starts, I received two reminders that the game is strong because of its people more than any other factor.
Pedro Strop touched everyone who was a teammate or worked in the clubhouse. Behind his electric smile and tilted cap was an unselfish reliever who would provide the right words of motivation to his teammates, from All-Star shortstop Javier Baez to a continuous wave of young relievers in need of wisdom in the bullpen.
If Strop was upset, he usually had a reason. His spat with Yasiel Puig late last June provided great video and plenty of copy, but he proved his point and there were no repercussions.
Reds players would be wise to soak in the knowledge provided by Strop, whose acquisition with Jake Arrieta from the Orioles for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger midway through the 2013 season ranks as the best trade of the Theo Epstein administration.
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The press boxes and scouts sections at Cactus League ballparks, Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field will feel empty after the death of Chicago native and longtime scout Phil Rizzo at 90.
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There was no gray area with Phil, who always would tell you how he felt about a player or strategy. He never was afraid to challenge his son Mike, whom he helped groom to eventually build the 2019 World Series champion Nationals.
Phil was a proud Chicagoan, and I remember a conversation involving him and Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo at spring training a few years ago.
“What part of Italy are you from?” Anthony asked Phil outside the Cubs’ complex.
“Halsted and Taylor,” Phil replied quickly, in reference to the Little Italy neighborhood where he was proud to have grown up.
I was lucky enough to know Phil for the last 20 years. I noticed instantly how respectfully he treated female reporters. I didn’t realize my visit at a Bolingbrook retirement home seven weeks would be the last time I’d see him. He recalled several key points of the World Series and provided his patented edge. I learned a lot of the nuances of evaluating players and managers from him.
I’m sure many scouts gained a lot of wisdom from listening to Phil Rizzo, just as I did.


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Happy hour deals in Chicago, Feb. 6-12

Happy hour deals in Chicago, Feb. 6-12

Ask your server for your complimentary upgrade and you ’ ll receive a 50 percent discount on your bill during @ @ @ @ @ hour from 4-7 p.m. at Beatnik ( 1604 W. Chicago Ave. 312-929-4945 ) .

One of the cocktails on offer at Tropical Layover, at Beatnik. (Ethan Jolle)
Thursday, Feb. 6
Cocktails and snacks are half price from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Y2K-themed Winter Bar at Waydown (311 N. Morgan St. 312-784-1919).
Friday, Feb. 7
Enolo Wine Cafe (450 N. Clark St. 312-477-7674) offers $7 select glasses of wine and $5 select appetizers from 4-6 p.m.
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Saturday, Feb. 8
Le Sud (2301 W. Roscoe St. 773-857-1985) offers $6 glasses of wine, $4 pretzel bread, $12 lamb tartine and $11 duck confit with frites from 5-6:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 9
The Lounge at The Robey (2018 W. North Ave. 872-315-3084) offers $8 cocktails and $4 beer from 4-6 p.m.
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Monday, Feb. 10
Cans of wine and draft beers are half price from 3-6 p.m. at The Fifty/50 (2047 W. Division St. 773-489-5050).
Tuesday, Feb. 11
Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap (41 E. Superior St. 312-266-0400) offers $5 fried pickles, $6 select draft beers, $7 select cocktails and $8 glasses of wine from 4-6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 12
Ask your server for your complimentary upgrade and you’ll receive a 50 percent discount on your bill during the secret Tropical Layover happy hour from 4-7 p.m. at Beatnik (1604 W. Chicago Ave. 312-929-4945).


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Meet Marquee Sports Network reporter Taylor McGregor, who’s joining Cubs TV from the Rockies: ‘The w

Meet Marquee Sports Network reporter Taylor McGregor, who’s joining Cubs TV from the Rockies: ‘The whole crowd went, “Don’t take Arenado with you!”’

“ I think I knew and understood the reach of the Chicago Cubs , but being there and seeing it @ @ @ @ @ McGregor said .
“ It was awesome .
I was loving every second of it @ @ @ @ @ so cool , just the passion and the knowledge the fans have .
They know @ @ @ @ @ and that really impressed me and excited me for what ’ s to come .
@

Rockies fans may be sorry to see in-game TV reporter Taylor McGregor leave for Chicago’s soon-to-launch Marquee Sports Network.
But if they’re going to lose someone to the Cubs, Coloradans figure at least it’s not five-time All-Star Nolan Arenado.
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“I was doing a luncheon (last week) in Fort Collins and they announced that I was leaving, and the whole crowd went, ‘Don’t take Arenado with you!’ ” McGregor said with a laugh.
“That’s above my pay grade, but I’ll tell you, people in Colorado, they wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking him with me.”
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The Rockies’ coveted third baseman is a known quantity to baseball fans in Denver and Chicago alike.
Cubs fans don’t know McGregor yet, but they will as they get used to watching 150 or so games this season on Marquee*, the channel the team plans to launch with Sinclair Broadcast Group on Feb. 22.
(*No new Marquee carriage agreements have been announced since last month’s Cubs Convention. This column isn’t about that. When there’s news about Comcast or other systems and streaming services, it will be reported.)
Taylor McGregor interviews the Rockies' Trevor Story as teammate Gerardo Parra celebrates Story's walk-off home run against the Mariners on July 15, 2018 at Coors Field in Denver. McGregor will be an on-field reporter for the Cubs' Marquee Sports Network. (Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
For all the hoopla accorded guest analysts such as Rick Sutcliffe and Lou Piniella, who occasionally will sit in with announcers Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies on Marquee, McGregor is the only new regular joining Len and J.D. on game telecasts.
“Anytime you leave a job, it’s hard to say bye to other people, but I wouldn’t have made this move had the opportunity not been incredible,” said McGregor, who worked Rockies games the last two seasons. “What Marquee is going to be — and being with the Cubs — was such an amazing opportunity that it kind of overshadows the thought of leaving the Rockies and leaving Colorado.”
McGregor had longstanding, deep-rooted ties to the Rockies.
Keli McGregor, her father, was a former NFL player who joined the nascent Rockies organization in 1993 and rose through the executive ranks to become team president from 2001 until a rare virus that infected his heart claimed his life in 2010 at age 48.
A few months after his death, a memorial “KSM” placard was unveiled near the auxiliary scoreboard in right field at Coors Field.
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Rockies owner Dick Monfort only last year announced that a mixed-use development across the street from the ballpark opening in 2021 will be called McGregor Square in his honor.
From the 2007 World Series to the Todd Father and everything in-between. Thank you @Rockies 💜💜💜 https://t.co/PgwdqGiau5 — Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) January 19, 2020
Taylor McGregor, now 27, rejected the suggestion it was in any way important to move on from Denver.
“I would say the right opportunity came up,” McGregor said.
After all, she has put Colorado in her rearview mirror before. She went to college in Arkansas and worked TV jobs there and in Wyoming before circling back to Denver.
Of late, she had added to her resume by working as an ESPN college football sideline reporter. So the Cubs job seemed like a natural progression.
Nothing quite prepared her, however, for the size and intensity of the Cubs Convention, where she was formally introduced to the team’s fans.
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I’ve never experienced anything like @Cubs convention. What a weekend. So thrilled to be apart of this. Is it February 22nd yet?! #GoCubsGo pic.twitter.com/yV5gQMUxhQ — Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) January 19, 2020
“I knew and understood the reach of the Chicago Cubs, but being there and seeing it firsthand was amazing,” McGregor said. “It was awesome. I was loving every second of it. I thought it was so cool, just the passion and the knowledge the fans have. They know what’s going on, and that really impressed me and excited me for what’s to come.”
One fan during the session with Crane Kenney, the Cubs president of business operations, suggested hiring Kelly Crull, who had what will be McGregor’s role when Cubs games were on NBC Sports Chicago.
Another noted McGregor was the only woman among the hires Marquee announced. While tight-lipped because she is not authorized to share details, McGregor said she doesn’t believe that will be an issue going forward.
“I know about some announcements that are going to be made, so I didn’t give too much thought into it,” McGregor said. “One of the reasons that I took this job … I just have all the confidence in Mike McCarthy and Mike Santini,” who are Marquee’s general manager and programming/production chief, respectively.
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“When you look at their track record of who they’ve hired in the business, like Tracy Wolfson, Doris Burke and Sam Ryan, they’ve hired a lot of really successful women, and they’ve been huge advocates for women in the industry. … I know what these men are capable of and what Marquee is going to be.”
Much of the speculation about Marquee’s game coverage has focused on those guest analysts and the ability to deploy microphones and cameras in new and different places.
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“Unprecedented coverage like you’ve never seen before in regional sports. … Marquee’s going to be run like a national network,” McGregor said. “We’ll see on the specifics. I don’t know how much I can comment on that.”
Her job will be to report and tell stories.
“The biggest thing is I want people at home to know the players on a personal level,” McGregor said, offering up Ian Happ’s interest in art as an example. “Peeling back the layers on that and adding that into the broadcast (should help) people at home know these guys on a deeper level.”
Along the way, they’ll get to know McGregor.
She’s not Nolan Arenado, but who is?


chicagotribune--2020-02-05--Former Chicago actor Kei Rawlins is starring in Disney Plus film ‘Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made’

Kei : We went to Disneyland , the entire cast , to do press , so we did press and @ @ @ @ @ and we got to ride some rides for press too .
After press was over @ @ @ @ @ Then after that we got our own VIP tour guide and it was even better @ @ @ @ @ ’ t even have to wait for the FastPass line : We would just go @ @ @ @ @ the emergency exit of the ride and then we would ride the ride before anyone @ @ @ @ @ .

Kei Rawlins (left), a former Chicagoan, is starring in his first Disney film, "Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made." The film airs on Disney Plus starting Friday. (Disney+/Dale Robinette)
A lot can happen in a year or two.
The last time we saw a young Kei Rawlins, he was 9 years old, making his professional stage debut in the 40th anniversary of the Goodman Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol.” He would go on to play CJ for the Chicago Children’s Theatre’s production of “Last Stop on Market Street” in the spring of 2018.
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Now, at the ripe old age of 11, the former Cratchit/Turkey Boy is starring in his first Disney movie — “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.”
The film, set to premiere on Disney Plus Friday, is based on the book of the same name, which follows the exploits of Timmy Failure, who runs Total Failure Inc., a Portland, Oregon, detective agency with his partner Total, a CGI polar bear. But Failure is still in elementary school, so he has to solve cases while dealing with his mother (played by Ophelia Lovibond), her boyfriend (Kyle Bornheimer), and teachers/counselors ((Wallace Shawn/Craig Robinson). Rawlins plays Rollo Tookus, Timmy’s best friend, who goes along for Timmy’s (Winslow Fegley) adventures. Some of Kei’s antics are captured in the trailer.
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Michael Anthony Rawlins, Kei’s dad, recounted Kei’s path to playing the Tookus character that began with an audition in 2017. The family has since relocated to Los Angeles.
“We didn’t hear anything for a year, and then we got a call to audition in 2018,” he said. “They said they’d fly him out to Vancouver for a screen test. We were still in Chicago at that point and flew to Vancouver, did the screen test and he got the part. I think it was as much his personality as much as it was his comic sensibility.”
Kei’s personality shone when it came to first meeting the director/co-writer of the film, Tom McCarthy — yes, the one who won an Oscar for his “Spotlight” screenplay. According to Kei, when they met, he asked McCarthy where Jerry was? It took him a while to get that Kei was referring to the classic cartoon team “Tom & Jerry” a creation of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in the 1940s.
“He didn’t get it at first," Kei said. "He looked at the girl who was working the camera and she was covering her mouth laughing because she didn’t want him to see her and then he thought about it for five seconds and then he got it and started laughing.”
We caught up with Kei on the phone following his red carpet premiere in Los Angeles. His father (joined in on the call) and said they’ve seen the finished product and admits it feels more like watching an “independent film” that is “grounded and down to earth.” Kei shared his excitement over his Disney first, details about the movie, and what has transpired with the Rawlins family since we last saw them (dad acting in stage productions like “Moon Man Walk" and appearing in shows like “Empire” and his mom working as a TV production accountant on the “Chicago Fire” TV series). The interview has been condensed and edited.
Kei Rawlins (third from right), a former Chicago actor, is starring in his first Disney film, "Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made." (Disney+/Dale Robinette)
Q: What were your best and worst parts of the film?
Kei: I don’t really think that I had a worst part. My favorite part was when I ran into the door in the bank – I think that was in the trailer. I ran into the door and I did my own stunts for the first two takes. Tom was cracking up but he told me I had to stop running into the door because he didn’t want me to hurt myself.
Michael: The stunt coordinator was like: “Kei, ACT like you’re running into the door!” You’re going to hurt yourself, we’re concerned. We tried to tell the stunt coordinator one of his favorite things to do is fall on the floor, fall off of furniture — he’s been doing stunts since he was a baby.
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Q: What was it like working in the Disney bubble?
Michael: It’s a very privileged bubble.
Kei: We went to Disneyland, the entire cast, to do press, so we did press and took pictures around the park and we got to ride some rides for press too. After press was over, they fed us. Then after that we got our own VIP tour guide and it was even better than FastPass because we didn’t even have to wait for the FastPass line: We would just go behind the ride, through the emergency exit of the ride and then we would ride the ride before anyone with FastPass could ride it.
Michael: Now that we did Disneyland that way, I can’t imagine going and waiting in a line.
Q: Are we going to see more comedy from you, less drama in the future?
Kei: I want to do comedy and drama. I like comedy, but I like drama better because sometimes in comedy they can take out all the dramatic moments ... . So I’m open to both.
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Q: Last time we chatted, you were hoping to land a spot on your favorite show, “Stranger Things.” Any progress on that front?
Michael: He had an audition for “Stranger Things” recently for an eight-episode arc in December or November. It didn’t happen, but we were very excited to get the audition.
Q: Since the family moved to Los Angeles, you’ve also done a guest spot on the ABC show “Fresh Off the Boat,” that aired in October. What other shows can we see you in?
Kei: I did a guest star role on a Disney Channel show called “Just Roll With It." I played Kyle. I shot it in December.
Michael: We don’t know when it will air though. “Just Roll With It’s" second season hasn’t started airing yet, but it is episode number seven and it’s called “Owen’s Bromance.”
Q: Let’s address the elephant in the room. Why is Timmy’s sidekick a polar bear?
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Kei: The polar bear was on an iceberg that branched off from the Arctic ice caps and he ended up in Portland, Oregon. And he comes to Timmy’s house and actually knocks down the door of Timmy’s house and the rest is history. The polar bear is a substitute father … that steps in to fill a void. Timmy even goes so far as to call Total Papa Bear.
Q: Are there any plot twists or surprises that you can reveal?
Kei: Not really. I will say that it’s definitely set up to have a sequel.
Michael: Let’s just say that the Russians may not be who they appear to be.
Q: Would you be up to doing a sequel, if there is one to come?
Kei: I totally would do a Part 2 and a Part 100!
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drockett@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Ask Amy: Neighbors worry about financial fraud

Please , attempt to communicate about this further .
His niece could be taking advantage of him .
A total @ @ @ @ @ advantage of him .
Has he been able to verify that the person asking for @ @ @ @ @ money is actually his niece ?
You might be able to help him verify the @ @ @ @ @ the money .
If this is his niece , a red flag would be if @ @ @ @ @ these transactions a secret from her other family members .
Encourage him to talk with @ @ @ @ @ .
If the niece does have a drug problem , money from Fred could make @ @ @ @ @

Dear Amy: My husband and I live next to a sweet elderly widower, "Fred." We check in on him once or twice a week. He's told us he has a brother and nieces and nephews that live a few hours away.
A few months ago, Fred asked for my help with "something on the computer."
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I went inside his house and he handed me handwritten instructions, saying he needed help connecting his checking account to a money transfer app, so he could send money to his niece. He asked me to send her $500, and then had me write out instructions.
I didn't think it was my place to question this.
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Yesterday, Fred and I were chatting, and he said that he was worried about this niece, as she was fired from her job, didn't have a car, and might have a drug problem.
I immediately became concerned and asked if she was taking advantage of him. He seemed slightly offended, became dismissive, and then changed the subject.
I can't stop thinking about this. My husband said I should disconnect his checking account from the app (yes, I remember his password), but I feel like Fred would just ask for my help to connect it all again.
I don't have the names or contact information for his brother or any family.
What should I do?
— Worried Neighbor
Dear Worried: Financial exploitation is a growing problem for elder Americans. According to the National Adult Protective Services Association (napsa-now.org), 1 in 9 elders are victims of financial abuse. Because of the emotional factors involved, this crime is extremely underreported. Yes, intervene.
Please, attempt to communicate about this further. His niece could be taking advantage of him. A total stranger could also be taking advantage of him. Has he been able to verify that the person asking for (and receiving) this money is actually his niece? You might be able to help him verify the identity of the person receiving the money. If this is his niece, a red flag would be if she insists that he keep these transactions a secret from her other family members. Encourage him to talk with his brother about this situation. If the niece does have a drug problem, money from Fred could make matters worse for her.
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Don't approach him as if he has made a mistake. Tell him that just like he wants to help her, you want to help him. Don't press too hard. He will likely feel embarrassed, and this may lead to more isolation.
If you become more alarmed and believe that he is being defrauded, disconnect the app.
The National Adult Protective Services Association has a searchable database; you could report suspected fraud by calling your local hotline.
Dear Amy: A friend of mine is in a hole of debt, denial, and inaction. The person has debts growing at a rate that leads to foreclosure.
The individual's circle of friends, many of whom have made personal loans, are getting angry that our friend refuses to recognize reality. The sooner the house is sold and debts are paid off, the larger the remainder of money will be, and the loss of friends backing the person will be lessened
Our friend always responds: "You people need to trust me." These words are coming from someone who is an expert in failed plans that lead to financial ruin.
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What approach do you think might work in trying to get our friend to see the light?
— Worried
Dear Worried: You should assume that -- no matter what -- your friend will not see the light. Nor should you trust him when he says he has a plan.
A group intervention would likely backfire and cause him to hide.
Each person he is indebted to should describe a reasonable plan for repayment, and attach a real consequence (possibly legal, definitely relational) if your friend doesn't get a handle on his problem. Each of you should urge him to attend Debtors Anonymous meetings (debtorsanonymous.org).
Dear Amy: Another anecdote about an older father being mistaken for a grandfather: My father was 57 when the youngest of my parents' 10 children was born.
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One day, he had a group of us out at a park when a woman said, "Oh, it's so nice that you're out with your grandchildren for a picnic!"
My father said, "These are not my grandchildren, and believe me, this is no picnic!"
— Nancy, in Columbia MD
Dear Nancy: With that many children, a quick wit is a necessity.
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
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