chicagotribune--2020-04-15--NTSB: Roy Halladay was on drugs and doing stunts when his plane crashed

Halladay had taken off from a lake near his home about 15 minutes before the crash and a previous report @ @ @ @ @ about 105 mph just 11 feet above the water before he started doing his maneuvers @ @ @ @ @ hours of flight time after getting his pilot ’ s license in 2013 , the @ @ @ @ @ 51 hours in Icon A5s with 14 in the plane that crashed .

Baseball Hall of Famer Roy Halladay had high levels of amphetamines in his system and was doing extreme acrobatics when he lost control of his small plane and nosedived into Tampa Bay in 2017, killing him, a National Transportation Safety Board report issued Wednesday said.
Halladay had amphetamine levels about 10 times therapeutic levels in his blood along with a high level of morphine and an anti-depressant that can impair judgment as he performed high-pitch climbs and steep turns, sometimes within 5 feet of the water, the report says about the Nov. 7, 2017, crash.
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The maneuvers put loads of nearly two-times gravity on the plane, an Icon A5 Halladay had purchased a month earlier. On the last maneuver, Halladay entered a steep climb and his speed fell to about 85 mph. The propeller-driven plane went into a nosedive and smashed into the water. The report says Halladay, 40, died of blunt force trauma and drowning.
The report does not give a final reason for the crash. That is expected to be issued soon.
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About a week before the crash, the former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies star had flown the plane under Tampa Bay's iconic Skyway Bridge, posting on social media, "flying the Icon A5 over the water is like flying a fighter jet!"
Halladay, an eight-time All-Star, pitched a perfect game and a playoff no-hitter in 2010. He played for the Blue Jays from 1998-2009 and for the Phillies from 2009-13, going 203-105 with a 3.38 ERA. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously last year.
Halladay had taken off from a lake near his home about 15 minutes before the crash and a previous report says he was flying at about 105 mph just 11 feet above the water before he started doing his maneuvers. He had about 700 hours of flight time after getting his pilot’s license in 2013, the previous report said, including 51 hours in Icon A5s with 14 in the plane that crashed.
Rolled out in 2014, the A5 is an amphibious aircraft meant to be treated like an ATV, a piece of weekend recreational gear with folding wings that can easily be towed on a trailer to a lake where it can take off from the water.
The man who led the plane's design, 55-year-old John Murray Karkow, died while flying an A5 over California's Lake Berryessa on May 8, 2017, a crash the NTSB attributed to pilot error.
Because of that crash, Icon issued guidance to its owners two weeks before Halladay's accident saying that while low-altitude flying "can be one of the most rewarding and exciting types of flying," it "comes with an inherent set of additional risks that require additional considerations."
It added that traditional pilot training focused on high-altitude flying "does little to prepare pilots for the unique challenges of low altitude flying." Icon told the NTSB that Halladay had received and reviewed the guidance.
There is no indication in the report Halladay received low-altitude training.


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Medical examiner rules death of Oak Park attorneys homicides, reports couple was stabbed to death

“ They were wonderful people , ” Gilbert said .
“ He was the sort of person where , if @ @ @ @ @ ’ d be there .
Leslie was quieter , but she was a person who @ @ @ @ @ read .
She ’ d read three novels a week .
They were just as @ @ @ @ @ you ’ d want to meet .
They ’ ll always be remembered as wonderful @ @ @ @ @ of their kindness and generosity is the thing that marks them as human beings .
@

Friends and neighbors sing during a vigil for Thomas E. Johnson and Leslie Ann Jones in Oak Park on April 15, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Two prominent attorneys who were found dead inside their Oak Park home on Monday evening were stabbed to death, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
On Wednesday evening, the medical examiner ruled both Leslie Ann Jones, 67, and her husband, Thomas E. Johnson, 69, were killed as a result of “multiple sharp force injuries.” Both deaths were ruled homicides.
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The news came as neighbors were preparing to hold a memorial observance in front of the home Jones and Johnson shared in the 500 block of Fair Oaks Avenue.
Police were initially called to the home Monday night to conduct a welfare check, and officers located their bodies inside. Johnson and Jones were pronounced dead at 7:47 p.m. by Oak Park police.
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[ Cops probe deaths of attorneys — husband and wife — found in their Oak Park home. ‘Compassionate ... welcoming ... they were interested in helping people.’ ]
Oak Park police Chief LaDon Reynolds said a preliminary investigation showed the deaths occurred under “suspicious circumstances,” later saying the deaths were not self-inflicted.
Police called on the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force for assistance with the investigation. The task force offers expertise and resources of police departments across the region.
On Wednesday morning, the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed through a statement it is also assisting with the case.
“The FBI is aware of the situation in Oak Park and is assisting at the request of local law enforcement,” the statement read. “There is no further information at this time.”
Friends and neighbors gather in the 500 block of Fair Oaks Avenue in Oak Park for a vigil for Thomas E. Johnson and Leslie Ann Jones on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Johnson was particularly well-known for his work as a hearing officer for the Chicago Police Board, and also represented late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington for a time.
In his role on the Police Board, he oversaw the hearings for four officers accused of covering up the investigation into the 2014 Laquan McDonald shooting. He also presided over the hearing of an officer who shot and killed 55-year-old Bettie Jones and 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier during a confrontation with LeGrier in 2016.
Among Johnson’s clients were coal miners seeking black lung benefits and children from Chicago’s Austin neighborhood who sued the state for tighter regulation of gun sales, saying they had suffered trauma from witnessing shootings.
A person views a small memorial as friends and neighbors gather for a vigil for Thomas E. Johnson and Leslie Ann Jones in front of their home on Fair Oaks Avenue in Oak Park on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Jones, also an accomplished attorney, was known for her charitable efforts. She was involved with the arts council in Oak Park and was a longtime board member of Hephzibah Children’s Association.
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Johnson and Jones, both graduates of Harvard Law School, were partners in the downtown law firm of Johnson, Jones, Snelling, Gilbert & Davis. Jones specialized in health care, civil rights and real estate law, while Johnson worked on issues of social justice and corporate accountability, litigating cases all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Attorney Jeffrey B. Gilbert joined the two at the firm in 1994, but knew Johnson since 1973. He came to know Jones in the 1980s when the couple married.
“They were wonderful people,” Gilbert said. “He was the sort of person where, if you needed somebody, he’d be there. Leslie was quieter, but she was a person who was incredibly artistic and well read. She’d read three novels a week. They were just as decent and wonderful of people you’d want to meet. They’ll always be remembered as wonderful attorneys, but the depth of their kindness and generosity is the thing that marks them as human beings.”
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Longtime Chicago criminal defense lawyer Edward Genson dies at 78

Genson was also a great storyteller .
Glozman said he once relayed how a client had come into the office @ @ @ @ @ hire Genson because he ’ d seen him beat a case in years earlier that @ @ @ @ @ .
Genson agreed to represent the man , and after he won an acquittal for @ @ @ @ @ agent “ took his badge off and stomped on it in the courtroom , ” @ @ @

Defense attorney Edward Genson arrives at the Cook County Criminal Courts Building in Chicago for the third day of R. Kelly's child pornography trial on May 13, 2008. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune)
Ask anyone in Chicago’s legal community about longtime criminal defense attorney Eddie Genson and they invariably have a story — or three — to tell.
There’s the one where Genson loudly cracked his cane over the defense table to startle a sleepy courtroom during his six-day cross-examination of a government mole; that time he tapped a prosecutor on the back and whispered to “get ready” to object to a question he was about to ask; even a tale of Genson hopping into the jury box in the middle of a trial just for dramatic effect.
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Over the years, Genson was said to have narrowly escaped a mob hit on his own client, disarmed a man he represented who’d taken a hostage in a store, and planted a woman and children unrelated to a defendant in the front row of the courtroom, imploring the jury during his closing argument to “Send this man home to his family!”
Genson, whose five-decade legal career ended in 2017 after he was diagnosed with bile duct cancer, died Tuesday. He was 78.
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A lifelong resident of the Chicago area, Genson lived in Deerfield with his wife, Susan. They have three children and five grandchildren. His law partner, Vadim Glozman, told the Tribune that Genson’s family was mourning his loss and did not wish to comment.
Known as one of Chicago’s old guard of criminal defense attorneys, Genson for decades played a pivotal role in just about every big investigation in town, serving as the go-to lawyer for an array of judges, politicians, wiseguys and celebrities who found themselves at the wrong end of an indictment and needed a bulldog to fight their case in court.
“Eddie was really one of a kind,” said Marc Martin, a Cook County judge who spent the first 28 years of his legal career working with Genson. “He helped people from all walks of life. He had a tremendous ability to empathize with individuals. It didn’t matter if they were an English lord or someone of lesser means. He became their advocate.”
Raised in the Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, Genson’s inherent street smarts combined with a brilliant legal mind made for a formidable combination in court.
He often used a motorized scooter to get around due to a neurological condition that made it painful for him to walk. But those who knew him — which was almost everybody — knew not to underestimate him.
Jeffrey Cramer, a former federal prosecutor who sparred with Genson on several big cases, said Genson would drop the jaws of even seasoned litigators with his cross-examinations, which often drilled down to the most minute detail.
In the 2005 trial of Bruno Mancari on a gun possession charge, Cramer said, Genson cross-examined a Chicago police officer for more than an hour and a half over a one-page arrest report.
“That’s all Eddie had with him, that one page,” said Cramer, now a consultant with Berkeley Research Group. “No notebooks, nothing else. Just one piece of paper. In a normal attorney’s hands, this is a 15-minute cross. Eddie did an hour and a half. It was like time stopped.”
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Among Genson’s earthy roster of clients was Pat Marcy, the legendary political boss and reputed “made” member of the Chicago Outfit who helped run the old mobbed-up First Ward. Genson said in a 2005 profile in Chicago magazine that he found Marcy “fascinating as hell.”
Genson represented a string of clients — including Marcy — swept up in a pair of massive investigations beginning in the 1980s known as Operation Greylord and Operation Gambat, which targeted judicial corruption as well as the once-ironclad nexus between business, politics and the Chicago mob.
He also represented media mogul Conrad Black, whose first appearance to face charges at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse caused such a media frenzy that Genson had to beat back reporters with his cane to keep from being knocked off his scooter.
In 2008, Genson was briefly hired by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and represented him during impeachment hearings in the General Assembly. Genson soon quit the case, however, later declaring that Blagojevich wouldn’t listen to his legal advice.
“A big part of Chicago history walked through his office,” Glozman said.
Glozman, who began working with Genson in 2012, said Genson was a gifted litigator with a theatrical courtroom style that could swing from charming to intimidating.
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“Eddie was part of an old era of defense attorneys in Chicago that has all but disappeared,” Glozman said. “He could look at a set of facts that everyone else just took as the truth and see something totally different about it.”
Genson also lived for the action of a trial and rarely took on clients who were looking to cut a deal. Prosecutors knew that when Genson signed on to a case, it was most likely going to a jury.
“You’re not gong to intimidate Eddie Genson by saying, ‘I got your guy cold so you better not go to trial,’" Cramer said.
Raised on Chicago’s West Side, Genson was the son of a bail bondsman and spent his early childhood hanging around the city’s dingy police station courthouses, selling pastries, reading court transcripts and soaking up knowledge.
He earned his law degree from Northwestern University in 1965 and opened a law office at the famed Monadnock Building across the street from federal plaza. Over the years, he teamed up with a vanguard of powerhouse attorneys, including Sam Adam Sr., R. Eugene Pincham and Terence Gillespie, trying one big case after another.
Though he could be a bear in court, Genson was affable and approachable otherwise, often stopping to chat or exchange wisecracks with anyone who sought his counsel, his friends and colleagues say.
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“It was impossible to go to a courthouse with Eddie and get out in less than two hours,” Glozman said. “Everybody wanted to stop to talk to him — lawyers, judges, deputies, court clerks, you name it.”
Like any defense lawyer, Genson lost his share of cases. But his victories stood out as well, particularly those in federal court, where the conviction rate typically stands at more than 90%.
“It’s hard to win acquittals in that building, but Eddie won more than his share,” said veteran defense attorney Ted Poulos.
In 2008, Genson and a team of defense attorneys won perhaps his highest-profile acquittal — albeit in Cook County Criminal Court — convincing a jury to find R&B superstar R. Kelly not guilty on all counts alleging he had sex with an underage girl, even though the alleged encounter was captured on videotape.
With Kelly at the height of his fame, the trial brought worldwide attention to Chicago, and Genson basked in it. During one particularly contentious cross-examination, Genson suggested that a prosecution witness, Stephanie “Sparkle” Edwards, was out for Kelly’s money. After Edwards called Genson “Sweetie,” he whirled around dramatically and yelled, “I am not your sweetie!”
Martin said that while moments like that garnered headlines for Genson, it was the meticulous work he put into each trial that won the day. In the Kelly case, for example, Genson spent months preparing for the cross-examination of the prosecution’s video expert — a crucial element of the case. And when he got the expert on the stand, Genson picked him apart.
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Years earlier, Genson took on a client in a complex case involving commodity trading, a business Genson knew nothing about. Martin said Genson set about learning the ropes and by the time the case went to trial, “he knew more about how it worked than the traders did.”
“Nobody knew a file like Eddie did," Martin said. “It was just tremendous preparation. He would spend hours and days and weeks preparing a cross-examination ... and then he had an ability to improvise in the courtroom based on what kind of answers he was getting.”
Genson also saw things in a case that no one else could — which sometimes led to some novel defenses.
In the 1999 ghost-payrolling trial of former state Rep. and Chicago Ald. Miguel Santiago, Genson decided to attack the case by claiming thousands of dollars in payments Santiago allegedly received as a do-nothing consultant to the treasurer’s office was actually legal lobbying activity.
Martin said he and some of the other lawyers on the case were skeptical of the tactic. But there was a kernel of truth to it that Genson was able to convey to the jury, Martin said. And the result?
“Eddie won,” he said.
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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Michael Jordan’s restaurant offering a special ‘Last Dance’ dinner to pair with the ESPN documentary

Each dinner — costing $ 24 ( not $ 23 ? )
each — will include garlic bread , soup @ @ @ @ @ ( salmon , roast chicken or bbq ribs , or an upgrade of NY Strip @ @ @ @ @ ) , two sides and triple chocolate brownie .
Select wine bottles are available starting @ @ @ @ @ kids meal is offered per paid adult meal .

The Chicago Bulls celebrate their 6th NBA title during a rally in Grant Park on June 16, 1998. From left; Tony Kukoc, Ron Harper, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Mayor Richard M. Daley, coach Phil Jackson and Gov. Jim Edgar. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)
When live sports came to a complete halt in March, the entire basketball world focused in on ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary.
The 10-part series, which chronicles the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls season was pushed up to meet the demand and will debut on April 19.
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And Michael Jordan, who gave ESPN unprecedented access for the documentary, is getting in on the action. His Michael Jordan’s Restaurant in Oak Brook will offer a “Last Dance” dinner for Sunday pick-up.
Each dinner — costing $24 (not $23?) each — will include garlic bread, soup or salad, an entree (salmon, roast chicken or bbq ribs, or an upgrade of NY Strip or Filet for $15), two sides and triple chocolate brownie. Select wine bottles are available starting at $19. One kids meal is offered per paid adult meal.
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Fans can place their orders on Tock or by calling 630-828-2932 before Friday.


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Column: Sports without tailgates, traditions or fans in the stands? It would be weird, but it’s stil

Column: Sports without tailgates, traditions or fans in the stands? It would be weird, but it’s still better than the alternative.

“ There ’ s a way of doing that — nobody comes to the stadium , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ ) in big hotels ( near ) wherever you want to play .
Keep them @ @ @ @ @ them tested like every week and make sure they don ’ t wind up infecting @ @ @ @ @ .
Just let them play the season out .

Over breakfast on Sept. 10, 2005, one sports writer set to cover that evening’s jam-packed Texas-Ohio State game at Ohio Stadium expressed concern about accessing the media parking near the ’Shoe.
He proposed: Let’s do a dry run.
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Wait, practice driving to the stadium rather than simply arriving three hours before kickoff?
It spoke to the jittery nature of the writer.
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But more so, it speaks to the nature of college football.
No sport is more linked to its fans, starting with pregame traditions such as tailgating on the golf course at Michigan, lining the path of LSU’s Tiger Walk and holding up goofy signs behind the set of ESPN’s “College GameDay” (“SABAN BOWLS WITH BUMPERS”).
Basketball? Stream a pickup game featuring LeBron James and Steph Curry and we’d watch. The only observer you really need is a ref.
Baseball? Yeah, it would be weird. When Wrigley Field is empty during batting practice, the crack of the bat creates an unmistakable echo off the seats. But let’s get real: Last year the White Sox resumed a suspended game against the Royals on a Tuesday afternoon with fewer than 100 fans in the house. They could hear Ed Farmer’s call from the radio booth.
Cardboard cutouts of fans before the CPBL season opener between the Rakuten Monkeys and CTBC Brothers at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium on April 11, 2020, in Taoyuan, Taiwan. (Gene Wang / Getty Images)
Taiwan has limited outdoor mass gatherings to 500 people, so the Rakuten Monkeys supplemented masked baseball fans with mannequins and drum-playing robots. It still might be wise to leave the Bartman seat empty, just in case.
Hockey? Ugh. An empty building would be another gut punch to the Blackhawks fans who learned Wednesday that their annual fan convention scheduled for July 26-28 had been canceled. But it’s doable.
The NFL? The last Soldier Field game I attended was Jets-Bears in a cold drizzle. The first half featured one interesting play and about 37 TV and injury timeouts. Stay home, watch RedZone and curse your flawed fantasy lineup.
Golf? A Masters without spectators would be like a cheeseburger without meat. But when we’re this hungry, we’d settle for grilled cheese.
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Golf Digest reported Tuesday that the PGA Tour intends to restart tournaments with a June 11-14 event in Fort Worth, Texas, without spectators.
PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said the PGA Championship, slated for Aug. 6-9 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, is still worth holding even if players don’t have to shout, “Fore!” after stray drives.
“We believe that having it as a television event is worth doing regardless of whether there’s fans there or not,” Waugh said on SiriusXM Radio. “Obviously that’ll change the experience, but we think the world is starved for entertainment — particularly in sports — and we think golf has the unique ability to be first out among sports in that we’re played over a couple hundred acres.”
The specter of spectator-free sports grew even more real Wednesday with the release of a new Snapchat interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci. The nation’s top expert in infectious diseases strongly implied there’s only one option for major sports in 2020.
“There’s a way of doing that — nobody comes to the stadium,” he said. “Put (the players) in big hotels (near) wherever you want to play. Keep them very well-surveilled. … Have them tested like every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family. Just let them play the season out.
“People say: You can’t play without spectators. Well, I think you’d probably get enough buy-in from people dying to see a baseball game, particularly me. I’m living in Washington. We have the world champion Washington Nationals. I want to see them play again.”
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And Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this Tuesday on CNN: “We’re not going to allow sports to reopen, major-league sports, unless we have all of these preconditions set because I’m not going to have tens of thousands of people getting into an arena together and giving each other COVID-19.”
OK, OK. We get it.
What seems weird now will eventually seem normal.
What looked completely normal about a month ago now seems weird.
I rewatched the episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in which Larry David picks up a random magazine in a friend’s house and draws a Hitler mustache on the cover subject. My thoughts: 1) Real nice, Larry; and 2) Ewwww, who would pick up a magazine that others have touched?
We lived decades without hesitating before shaking a hand, and now it’s unthinkable.
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So, yes, college football would be absolutely bizarre without fans.
“One hundred percent different,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald texted Wednesday. “The passion of our fans is a major part of our great game.”
“It would be eerie, for sure,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Wednesday. “Certainly eerie to hear other (coaches) screaming across the field. But we need to keep everybody safe and healthy. Any football is better than no football.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Snow leads to massive pileup on the Kennedy Expressway

About 50 vehicles are at the scene of a crash on the Kennedy Expressway near North Avenue early Wednesday and @ @ @ @ @ to hospitals , according to the Chicago Fire Department .
In addition to the 14 @ @ @ @ @ hospitals , 32 others were evaluated at the scene but will not be transported , @ @ @ @ @ traction on the expressway caused multiple collisions , according to fire officials .
Illinois State @ @ @ @ @ that roads are covered in sheets of ice , which have caused multiple vehicle crashes @ @ @ @

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chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Daywatch: Pritzker says Illinois is bending the curve, medical students join the pandemic fight and

Daywatch: Pritzker says Illinois is bending the curve, medical students join the pandemic fight and how Chicago ecologists work on virus predictions

Instead , Vedak marked his early graduation from the University of Illinois College of Medicine on Friday by logging on @ @ @ @ @ He and some of the 191 other early graduates made their solemn pledge to dedicate @ @ @ @ @ of humanity , and although the medium made it hard to recite their oath in @ @ @ @ @ was still there , ” Vedak said .

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Illinois officials on Tuesday reported 1,222 new known cases of the coronavirus and 74 additional deaths, bringing the number of known cases statewide to 23,247 and the death toll to 868
In the U.S., more than 25,000 were reported dead and approximately 600,000 infections were confirmed by Johns Hopkins University’s count on Tuesday
Worldwide, about 2 million confirmed infections have been reported and over 120,000 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Gov. J. B. Pritzker speaks during his daily press briefing on COVID-19 in the James R. Thompson Center on Monday, April 6, 2020. (Raquel Zaldivar / Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday said Illinois is “bending the curve” on the coronavirus pandemic, citing a slowdown in the growth rate of new cases and stability in the number of patients using intensive care unit beds.
A key barometer is how quickly the state is doubling the number of new COVID-19 cases. About two weeks ago, cases were doubling every 3.6 days, he said. As of Sunday, that was stretched to about 8.2 days.
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Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks Nov. 1, 2019, at the Democratic Party Liberty and Justice Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa. Biden has all but clinched the Democratic nomination for president. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden for president Tuesday, calling him the best person to lead the nation amid the coronavirus pandemic while also offering a pointed critique of Republican President Donald Trump’s leadership and his response to the health crisis.
President Trump halts payments to the World Health Organization while the US reviews its coronavirus warnings
A woman's blood is collected to test for coronavirus antibodies at a drive-thru testing site April 14, 2020, in Hempstead, New York. The test was administered by Somas Community Care. (Seth Wenig / AP)
The FDA has given emergency approval to one company’s serology test, strictly for laboratory use in helping to diagnose COVID-19 cases. “The results obtained with this test should only be interpreted in conjunction with clinical findings, and the results from other laboratory tests and evaluations,” the FDA stated in its notice on the Cellex test.
Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the FDA, spoke over the weekend about the importance of serology tests, which he called “one of the keys” to managing the pandemic, while also expressing concerns about the accuracy of tests not yet approved by his agency.
Shivam Vedak is among Univerity of Illinois medical students who graduated early as the demand for health care workers grows amid the pandemic. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
For years, Shivam Vedak had pictured the day when his father and sister, both physicians, would drape over his shoulders a long-coveted ceremonial hood, signifying his own graduation from medical school.
Instead, Vedak marked his early graduation from the University of Illinois College of Medicine on Friday by logging on to a Zoom call. He and some of the 191 other early graduates made their solemn pledge to dedicate their lives to the service of humanity, and although the medium made it hard to recite their oath in sync, “the symbolism was still there,” Vedak said.
Sylvia Ranjeva is a member of a team of ecologists and epidemiologists at the University of Chicago who are building predictive modeling that will help the state decide when to lift the shelter-in-place order. The team members are all working from their homes. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Sarah Cobey, like you, isn’t sleeping.
She is working from home, and by now the routine has become fairly predictable: She wakes up and does a little yoga, she showers and pours a cup of tea, she logs into work and then she stays there, for a long, long while. She is creating something you’ve heard about. She is creating predictive models.


chicagotribune--2020-04-14--Lollapalooza organizers to make a ‘definitive decision’ about the Chicago fest by end of May

“ We remain in touch with our partners in the City of Chicago about this year ’ s Lollapalooza .
@ @ @ @ @ several months away , we are taking careful consideration to work through our options .
@ @ @ @ @ will have enough information to make a definitive decision about the path forward by the @ @ @ @ @ read a post on Lollapalooza ’ s Instagram account .

Lollapalooza organizers plan to make a decision about the fate of this year’s festival by the end of May, representatives announced Tuesday.
“We remain in touch with our partners in the City of Chicago about this year’s Lollapalooza. As the festival is still several months away, we are taking careful consideration to work through our options. We are confident that we will have enough information to make a definitive decision about the path forward by the end of May,” read a post on Lollapalooza’s Instagram account.
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“Chicago is our home, and we will continue to remain optimistic about Lollapalooza 2020. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to listen closely to government and public health leaders and stay safe.”
The announcement comes days after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said event organizers should “think carefully about canceling large summer events” amid the coronavirus crisis. Pritzker later called his comment merely a suggestion. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday said it’s too early to think about events in July and August. Illinois remains under a stay-at-home order through April 30.
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Lollapalooza is scheduled for July 30-Aug. 2 in Grant Park. Chicago’s largest music festival typically draws about 100,000 music fans each day to see more than 170 acts play across eight stages. The lineup for this year’s festival has not been announced, and tickets are not on sale. Last year, the lineup was revealed on March 20.
tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-14--DJ was 16 for just a week when he was gunned down, months after his best friend was fatally shot. ‘H

DJ was 16 for just a week when he was gunned down, months after his best friend was fatally shot. ‘He said he was scared to die young’

He wanted to prove people wrong .
Every day , DJ reminded his mom that he loved her and appreciated @ @ @ @ @ his siblings , she said .
He told her that he was going to get @ @ @ @ @ .
His goal was to graduate high school and rap like his favorite artist , @ @ @

Valencia Pullum, left, and her best friend Wivionia Haywood outside House of Branch Funeral Home on April 8, 2020, in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago during the viewing for Pullum's 16-year-old son Darius Lane, Jr. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Valencia Pullum leaned over her son’s casket. His half black, half blond dreads were tied up on top of his head. His outfit was mostly white with a red Gucci belt. He loved to dress nice, stand out.
“My baby look so good,” she said to herself as others came up to look at the boy.
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Darius “DJ” Lane Jr. was 16 just for a week when he was shot dead, but his round face and height — around 5-foot-4 — made him look younger. He was born at Stroger Hospital and that was where his body was taken after he died March 28.
Chicago police say someone got out of a silver four-door BMW and began firing at him in the 2100 block of West Maypole Avenue in West Town, just a block away from the boy’s grandmother’s house.
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Darius Lane Jr., 16, was shot and killed in West Town on March 28, 2020. (Family photo)
DJ was hit in the upper body and neck, police said. There were 23 9 mm shell casings found at the scene. His grandmother was with him, her first grandchild, as he died, Pullum said.
Five months earlier, DJ’s best friend — Frank Looney, also 16 — had been shot and killed. DJ said afterward that he didn’t want a life on the streets. He didn’t want to die young.
DJ was killed not far from where his friend was shot in another West Side neighborhood. When Pullum went to Stroger, she wasn’t allowed inside because of the coronavirus until she said she was there to see her son.
“My baby. This is my baby,” was all she could think when she saw him.
No arrests have been made in either boy’s death.
‘A way out’
DJ always seemed to be dancing and laughing.
Next to fashion, music was his favorite thing. He was his mom’s oldest child and wasn’t shy about poking fun at loved ones. But he always checked in on Pullum if she looked sad or angry and would plant big wet kisses on her.
He wanted to prove people wrong. Every day, DJ reminded his mom that he loved her and appreciated her hustle for him and his siblings, she said. He told her that he was going to get them out of the hood. His goal was to graduate high school and rap like his favorite artist, NBA YoungBoy.
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But after DJ’s best friend died, Pullum said she saw something change in her son. He kept up his usual charm around friends, but she would hear him listening to his friend’s last rap and crying when he was alone.
“He was sad, just sad every day,” said Parrish Pullum, DJ’s 18-year-old uncle who was more like a brother to him. “Besides his family, that was probably the person closest to him. … He just said he was scared to die young.”
Frank Looney was killed last October when two gunmen opened fire at the bottom of a staircase at a party in Homan Square, police said. DJ was at the party and saw Frank get shot.
Instead of going to his school’s homecoming, DJ went to a funeral repast for his friend, but waited till Dec. 24 to visit his grave for the first time.
“He just knew after that. He never thought that life was for him,” said a friend, Salese “KoKo” Ray, 25. “He just knew he wanted to stay in school and find a way out.”
If Frank’s death were not enough, DJ’s friend Jeff Austin, 21, had been killed in 2018. He was shot in the neck by someone in his car, police said. He was able to drive to a hospital but died a week later. Pictures of DJ on social media show him wearing a chain with the name “JEFF,” which he had bought himself.
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“They’re taking death after death,” Valencia Pullum said. “They’re too young to be experiencing death like this. ”
Pullum grew up in the Henry Horner Homes, a public housing complex on the Near West Side that has since been razed. She sometimes thinks things were better in public housing, which was notorious for violence, because at least people looked after each other there, she said. Now the crime and gangs occur block by block.
She wonders, who would roll up and gun down her teenage son at 11 in the morning?
“It hurt everybody because they see him laid out on the streets, and it’s not only his friends,” she said. “It’s the whole community.”
‘Darius just got shot’
Pullum was minutes from being with DJ as he took his last breath.
She had dropped him off at her mother’s house about 10:40 a.m. and drove home. She took off her coat and washed dishes until she started getting phone calls. One after another until she finally answered.
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“Darius just got shot,” her aunt said.
She got her other three kids in the car and raced back. When she arrived, she saw her son in the street surrounded by red police tape. She tried to run to him. Five police officers held her back.
“I believe my son, he wanted me. He was asking for me. He wanted me. I was trying to get to him. I was trying to get to him,” Pullum said. “My baby took his last breath. He was gone.”
A Chicago police report noted that DJ was “known to be a Black Disciple but not documented.” Pullum said her son wasn’t in a gang but believes police assumed he was because some of his friends were on the street. “Guilty by association,” she said.
DJ had tattoos, but Pullum said they weren’t gang-related: one was her name and the other two were for Frank and Jeff. She kept an eye on his social media and saw her son every day, “I always say to him, DJ be safe.”
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Masks, and his favorite color
Pullum said she couldn’t have a proper funeral for DJ because of the coronavirus.
The House of Branch Funeral Home in Lawndale allowed only a few people inside at a time last Wednesday for his viewing. Only close family could sit in the chairs. People would walk in — some wearing masks and a bit of orange, DJ’s favorite color — and walk toward DJ’s casket. Many of them hugged Pullum before her mother directed them out the side exit so the next group could come in.
“He was loved by a whole lot of people,” Marina Pullum, his grandmother, said. “Everyone he met, he left a print on them.”
At the viewing, a funeral program was passed out. Inside, DJ’s 9-year-old sister wrote to him, “Hey DJ, it’s your sister Rihanna. I can’t believe you are gone. … All I need is for you to remember DJ stayed flee, always and I love you. You were so funny and kept everyone laughing.”
More than 300 people filtered in through the church that Wednesday and Thursday, Pullum said. They later had a funeral service for him with just close family. Friends joined DJ’s procession to Oakridge Cemetery, where Pullum plans to visit every Saturday like Frank’s father does for his son every Sunday.
DJ had been the youngest person shot and killed in Chicago since the Illinois stay-at-home order was issued March 21. But as people stood inside the funeral home about 3:30 p.m. to see DJ, someone shot and killed a 15-year-old boy two miles away.
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pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Pier 1 Imports closing up to 450 locations; storewide sales underway at half of chain’s 24 Chicago-a

Pier 1 Imports closing up to 450 locations; storewide sales underway at half of chain’s 24 Chicago-area sites

The home decor company said Monday it is closing up to 450 stores and will also shutter distribution centers .
@ @ @ @ @ the store closures would occur , but it operates stores in the U.S. and Canada @ @ @ @ @ layoffs at its corporate headquarters in Fort Worth , Texas .

The Pier 1 Imports store in downtown Oak Park, seen Dec. 30, 2019, is set to close in spring 2020. The chain said Jan. 6, 2020, that it will be closing up to 450 stores as well as some distribution centers. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
Fort Worth, Texas — Pier 1 Imports is closing nearly half its 942 stores as it struggles to draw consumers and compete online.
The home decor company said Monday it is closing up to 450 stores and will also shutter distribution centers. It didn't say where the store closures would occur, but it operates stores in the U.S. and Canada. Pier 1 also plans layoffs at its corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Pier 1 operates 24 stores in the Chicago area, and storewide sales are underway at 12 of them, according to the company’s website.
Pier 1, which said it would utilize a third-party liquidator to help manage store closings, didn’t say how many workers will be affected.
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The moves had some investors wondering if a bankruptcy filing was imminent. Also Monday, Pier 1 added two members to its board with expertise in corporate restructuring.
Pier 1's shares fell 17% to close at $5.18 Monday. They fell another 6% in extended trading following the announcement of the store closures.
[ Downtown Oak Park’s Pier 1 Imports to close early next year ]
Pier 1 named a new CEO with a background in corporate turnarounds in November. Robert Riesbeck previously served as the company's chief financial officer.
“Although decisions that impact our associates are never easy, reducing the number of our brick-and-mortar locations is a necessary business decision," Riesbeck said Monday in a statement.
Pier 1 said sales in its most recent quarter fell 13% to $358 million as store traffic fell. It reported a net loss of $59 million for the quarter, which ended Nov. 30.
[ Peppa Pig playland to open this summer in former Rainforest Cafe site at Woodfield Mall ]
The company — which was founded in California in 1962 — has been trying to revamp its cluttered stores and change its offerings to appeal more to younger customers. But it is struggling to compete with budget-friendly home decor sites like Wayfair.
Chicago Tribune staff contributed.
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chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Chicago could get more than 50 new co-working spaces this year. New perks — child care, yoga, blow-o

Chicago could get more than 50 new co-working spaces this year. New perks — child care, yoga, blow-outs, beer — are part of the arms race for nice spaces.

Abron , who works from the River North WeWork location , feels “ light and airy , like I can @ @ @ @ @ ” when she walks to her desk in the morning .
WeWork allows her to @ @ @ @ @ Millie , she often takes care of for a friend .
She regularly hosts networking @ @ @ @ @ hangs out in the common area where she meets other “ co-workers ” who have @ @ @ @ @ .

Shaniqua Davis, who runs a new business Noirefy, which helps companies look for job candidates from diverse backgrounds, gets some work done on her laptop Jan. 6, 2020, at a WeWork co-working space in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Shaniqua Davis is a seasoned co-worker — but not in the traditional sense, working alongside fellow employees or shooting the breeze at the office water cooler.
Davis, 29, is the new definition of co-worker — one who rents a desk alongside strangers, takes meetings on sofas in cozy common spaces and steps into a tiny phone-booth-like space when she needs privacy.
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In the past two years in Chicago, she’s had plenty of locations to try as she builds her diversity recruiting business, Noirefy. Davis has set up shop at 1871, WeWork, Novel, came close to joining The Wing and now is back at WeWork.
Co-working, she said, has given her an office, an attractive and centrally located meeting space for clients and a venue for networking. She likes getting out of her home office a few days a week and having somewhere to be in the morning, and working in a space that doesn’t look like a traditional office.
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“I’m a small company ... I’m only one person. Usually people like me aren’t doing co-working spaces (because they are expensive), but I’ve figured out the kinks,” Davis said. “I love working in co-working spaces. It’s flexible.”
Davis’ experience illustrates the allure of co-working, a workplace phenomenon that has caught on with freelancers who want a communal table to sit at, entrepreneurs looking for a space to take meetings and large corporations trying to free themselves from long-term leases and expensive office remodels.
WeWork’s internal strife aside, co-working’s upward trajectory continues but the industry is changing. Big shared office space players like WeWork and Industrious are blanketing chosen cities with locations or acquiring competitors. Regus, which outnumbers its competitors in co-working locations around the world fourfold, is making investments to keep up with current trends.
Meanwhile, newcomers to the shared office space industry are moving away from the one-size-fits-all approach and going after specific niches.
Changing demographics are on the industry’s side. By 2025, 40% of working-age individuals will work as freelancers or independent contractors or for a small organization, according to Robert O’Brien, a global real estate and construction expert at Deloitte.
“One of the things that has really driven growth in co-working has been changes to the workforce,” he said. “The fact that there are more freelancers and virtual workers and people who can work for an organization of any size, but work from a distance."
An open workspace inside a WeWork office is seen Jan. 6, 2020, at 1 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
At the end of November, Chicago had 94 co-working spaces occupying about 3.4 million square feet. By the end of this year, that number is expected to jump to 163 spaces and 4.2 million square feet, according to a report from Newmark Knight Frank and Chicago Creative Space.
Amenities and services are increasingly important in the co-working arms race. The offerings depend on the clientele co-working operators are wooing: blow-dry salons, yoga studios, child care, laundry services, nice bathrooms and showers, wine, beer and chic networking events are all designed to keep tenants happy and paying rent. Members of Working From_ Fulton Market at the Hoxton can grab a $25 discounted room at the luxury hotel.
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“It’s all about creating a great tenant experience,” said Deloitte’s O’Brien. “You’re basically taking what hospitality organizations have tried to do by creating a great guest experience and now applying it to co-workers in a work environment."
An awareness of what certain tenants are craving is part of what led Alicia Driskill to found EvolveHer, a women-only co-working space in the Loop that offers events to help women mentor and be mentored, child care through a partnership with another business and a podcasting studio. Co-working "is just going to continue to grow,” Driskill said. “Giant corporations and organizations and gyms, hotels ... everyone is building out workspace toward saturation and there’s a demand for personalization.”
Co-working operators will home in on a niche because “it’s not just about the space but the impact you can create,” Driskill said.
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Co-workers want to be part of a community, and the search for one will drive the growth of co-working locations, Deloitte’s O’Brien said. “They feel connected to it and they are disciples, helping the community grow," he said.
Operators “will focus more on the user experience, differentiating themselves from their competitors and using technology to understand what their customers want and how to operate efficiently,” O’Brien said.
Anna Cerniglia, an art consultant, works out of the Hoxton Hotel's new co-working space "Working From_ Fulton Market" in Chicago on Dec. 20, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Anna Cerniglia’s experience as she connects with new artists and artwork is what drew her to Working From_ Fulton Market at the Hoxton Hotel in the Fulton Market district.
The art consultant and entrepreneur gravitated toward the 2-month old space for its high-end design, comfort and quiet. The in-house design team curated the co-working space with custom-designed soft lighting, contemporary furniture in warm tones and high-gloss cabinets and brass fixtures in the kitchens. There’s a yoga studio and beverages for sale, like wine and beer.
“I feel very special here,” she said. “When I go to another space and they have a restaurant, I’m always regretting how much I spend. ... I feel like here, they are kind of helping you. You can just get a free cup of coffee when you want.”
Cerniglia likes co-working so much that she has started her own space, Art/Work, in the West Town neighborhood geared specifically to people who work in servicing the art industry.
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"Working From_ Fulton Market" is the Hoxton Hotel's new co-working space. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
The rise of newcomers is prompting companies with longer roots to adapt. IWG, the parent company of industry mainstay Regus, which has locations all over the world, is launching a new brand of short-term high-end rentable office spaces called No18. In Chicago, the space will be located on the top two floors of 110 N. Wacker and, according to its website, will be a “cosmopolitan” space filled with “quirky furniture and chic art” for members.
An in-house report by Regus found flexible workspaces and co-working could bring $127 billion to local economies in the U.S. over the next decade. “It’s important to always remain relevant,” said Michael Berretta, vice president of network development at IWG, which owns Regus. “The focus is always going to be around a professional work environment that’s coupled with an interesting experience."
Industrious, which now has eight locations in the Chicago area after acquiring the three Assemble locations in 2018, has started a new brand, Canvas, designed for companies with 20 to 200 employees. “They are designed for Fortune 500 companies who might be opening in new markets to move into co-working spaces rather than sign new leases,” said Marie Adrian, Industrious’ Midwest regional manager.
While cool amenities and services are important, co-working operators also need to make money, which has led several operators to team up with landlords. Co-working businesses get a partner to help share the costs, and landlords get access to a pipeline of future tenants who may need more space as their businesses grow.
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For most entrepreneurs, picking which space to settle down in is a matter of both the finances and the feel of the space.
Teddy Heidt, who runs The Gauge Collective, a digital marketing freelance community, left WeWork and recently settled at Working From_ Fulton Market because he found it quieter, more communal and offered a more affordable and flexible leasing arrangement, he said. “It’s more open here and pushes us to be more communicative and social with each other,” Heidt said. “I don’t work with the people around me, but we’ve turned this into a type of cohort where we refer each other to people who may be interested in our work.”
Vanessa Abron, who runs Agency Abron, a public relations, marketing and communications firm, stands near her workspace at WeWork in Chicago's River North neighborhood on Dec. 3, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Vanessa Abron, who runs Agency Abron, a public relations, marketing and communications firm, said despite the slight uptick in rent in the three years she’s been at WeWork, she’s staying the course with the co-working space where, ironically, she’s already put down some roots.
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Abron, who works from the River North WeWork location, feels “light and airy, like I can take on the world,” when she walks to her desk in the morning. WeWork allows her to bring in the dog, Millie, she often takes care of for a friend. She regularly hosts networking events in the space and hangs out in the common area where she meets other “co-workers” who have helped her with her business.
But it’s not all perfect, she said. “I do hate that they got rid of the beer and no one will tell me where it went,” she said. “I can’t get a consistent answer.”
This story has been updated to correct the last name of Michael Berretta, vice president of network development at IWG, and to correct the number of Chicago-area Industrious locations.
crshropshire@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Ford’s lagging production of new Chicago-built Explorer SUV leads to 15% sales decline

Ford sold about 48,000 Explorers in the fourth quarter , down nearly 15 % from the same period in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ report issued by the automaker Monday .
But “ improved availability ” led to a @ @ @ @ @ over the third quarter , when reported production issues at the Chicago plant slowed the @ @ @ @ @ .

Workers on the assembly line at the Ford Chicago Assembly Plant, where the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator sport utility vehicles are built. Ford reported fourth quarter sales of the Explorer were down because of production issues at the Chicago plant. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
While production of the 2020 Explorer has ramped up to full speed at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, it didn’t come quickly enough to stave off a fourth-quarter sales decline of the redesigned SUV.
Ford sold about 48,000 Explorers in the fourth quarter, down nearly 15% from the same period in 2018, according to a sales report issued by the automaker Monday. But “improved availability” led to a 52% jump in sales over the third quarter, when reported production issues at the Chicago plant slowed the rollout of the all-new SUV.
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“It was a slower ramp up than we had hoped,” Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said.
Felker said launching the redesigned Explorer after a “huge” renovation of the plant took more time to get production — and vehicle quality — up to full speed.
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In March, Ford spent $1 billion and shut down its Torrence Avenue plant on Chicago’s Southeast Side for a month, transforming the nearly century-old facility, which phased out production of the Taurus sedan last year to focus on building SUVs.
The plant began building the redesigned 2020 Ford Explorer in June, but the production lagged projections amid some quality concerns. In October, Bloomberg reported about 2,500 Explorers were shipped to Ford’s factory in Flat Rock, Michigan, to fix and finish vehicles produced at the Chicago plant.
Felker confirmed that thousands of Explorers were shipped from Chicago to Flat Rock in the fall.
“It was not like every single vehicle had to necessarily have fixes,” Felker said. “But every single vehicle had to be inspected to determine if it needed fixes.”
The Chicago plant enters the new year with 5,700 hourly employees working three shifts to churn out the new 2020 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs. The plant is now operating at full production, Felker said.
Overall, Ford sold nearly 602,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter, a 1.3% year-over-year decline. Annual sales were down 3% across all product lines to about 2.4 million vehicles, according to Ford. SUVs and light trucks represented 86% of Ford’s sales in 2019, in line with broader industry trends, as consumers move away from traditional sedans.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--American Airlines says it has reached deal with Boeing, will get millions in 737 Max compensation

The wiring issue came to light after the Federal Aviation Administration asked Boeing to audit key systems on the Max @ @ @ @ @ new software and faulty sensors were implicated .
During that review of changes Boeing is @ @ @ @ @ Boeing discovered that bundles of electrical wiring were too close together and — at least @ @ @ @ @ potential for a short circuit that could cause pilots to lose control of the plane @

Grounded Boeing 737 Max jets belonging to American Airlines are seen May 24, 2019, stored at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Okla. American Airlines said Jan. 6, 2020, that it has reached agreement over compensation from the plane maker for thousands of flights it canceled because its Max jets were grounded most of the year. (Tom Gilbert/Tulsa World/AP)
Dallas —
The financial damage to Boeing from the 737 Max crisis came into sharper focus Monday as American Airlines said it has reached agreement over compensation from the plane-maker for thousands of flights it canceled because its Max jets were grounded most of 2019.
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American did not say how much it will receive but said it will give $30 million to employees as profit-sharing. American estimated in October that the Max grounding would cost it $540 million in pretax income for all of 2019.
Aeromexico said it too settled with Chicago-based Boeing but declined to release details. The airline has six Max jets.
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The list of items Boeing could be forced to fix before federal safety officials let the grounded Max airliner fly again has grown and now includes a problem with electrical wiring used for the plane’s controls.
The wiring issue came to light after the Federal Aviation Administration asked Boeing to audit key systems on the Max after two crashes in which new software and faulty sensors were implicated. During that review of changes Boeing is making to the plane, Boeing discovered that bundles of electrical wiring were too close together and — at least in theory — raised the potential for a short circuit that could cause pilots to lose control of the plane.
“We identified this wiring-bundle issue ... and we are working with the FAA to perform the appropriate analysis,” said Boeing spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
The company said, however, it is too soon to know whether it will need to make any design changes, such as moving the wiring bundles farther apart. Boeing says it believes that other safeguards, including circuit breakers and insulation around the wiring, could be sufficient to prevent a short-circuit from leading to another crash.
The discovery of the wiring issue was first reported by The New York Times.
Boeing built and delivered nearly 400 Max jets to airlines before the plane was grounded in March after two crashes that killed 346 people. Since then, another 400 or so Max jets have rolled off the assembly line, although they can't be sent to airlines.
Boeing engineers have finished changes to a key software system called MCAS that was activated by faulty sensors in each crash, firmly pushing the noses of the planes down, a condition called runaway stabilizer.
The recent review of changes to the Max raised the question whether a wiring short circuit could also cause a runaway stabilizer.
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Boeing has been working for more than a year to fix MCAS, which was designed partly to prevent the plane from aerodynamic stalls that could cause it to fall from the sky. Boeing is making the system less powerful and linking it to two sensors instead of one for extra protection against the kind of sensor failures that occurred before the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
Separately, in June FAA test pilots were able to cause a failure of flight computers on the Max during a simulator test.
It is unclear when the Max will be cleared to fly. On Monday, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford repeated the agency's position that it has no timetable for reviewing the plane. He said the FAA and Boeing are analyzing findings from the recent review of Boeing's changes to the plane, and “the agency will ensure that all safety related issues identified during this process are addressed before the aircraft is approved for return to passenger service.”
The FAA has not yet decided whether to require that Max pilots train on flight simulators before carrying passengers. That would cause another long delay in the plane's return. For one thing, there are only a handful of Max simulators, while Southwest has nearly 10,000 pilots who fly the Max and other versions of the 737; American has 4,200.
Southwest Airlines, which has 34 Max planes, the most of any carrier, announced last month that it reached a deal on partial compensation from Boeing and will share $125 million of the undisclosed amount with employees. United Airlines has not announced a settlement.
Before the grounding, the Max was Boeing’s best-selling plane, with nearly 5,000 unfilled orders. However, Boeing will stop production temporarily in mid-January, affecting about 3,000 employees in the Seattle area. On Monday, the company began notifying them whether they will move or change jobs. Boeing promises to avoid layoffs or furloughs.
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The crisis cost former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg his job. He was ousted last month and will be replaced next week by David Calhoun, a private-equity executive who once ran General Electric’s jet-engine business and has served on Boeing’s board since 2009, most recently as chairman.
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chicagotribune--2020-01-07--For the cast of ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ the end is near. That means one thing: heartache

`` I thought I 'd be sad , '' says Murphy , dressed as Alexis in party clothes , with @ @ @ @ @ a bean bag through .
`` But it 's just made me a husk of @ @ @ @ @ left in her body .
There 's a part of all of us that 's @ @ @ @ @ !
What have done ? '
People are so deeply invested in the show and @ @ @ @ @ think it 's the right choice , and we were really , really lucky to @ @ @ @ @ way Dan and the writers wanted to .
All of the characters are going to @ @ @ @ @ beautiful little bow . ''

ORANGEVILLE, Canada — To get to the Rosebud Motel, proprietors Johnny Rose and Stevie Budd, you drive northwest from Toronto for an hour, through fields of suburban McMansions, flat farmland giving way to rolling hills sheltering country estates with names like Windwood. At a certain point you turn right, climb a hill and round a corner, and there on your left, a little below the road, you will see it: the signature location of the television show "Schitt's Creek."
You will also have to drive into the past. It is June 25, 2019, and “Schitt’s Creek” is finishing filming on its sixth and final season, which began Tuesday on Pop. In three days all will be as it once was — that is to say, the building will still be here, but the Rosebud Motel will be gone.
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"Schitt's Creek" tells the story of the Roses, a rich family that loses all its money and winds up living in two adjacent motel rooms in the moderately eccentric small town that gives the series its name. Stories of people who need to lose what they have in order to learn what they need are not new, but there is something especially original and touching about these characters, growing more real with each season, even as they remain outlandish, suspended between acceptance and a dream of escape.
Most of the main cast is working today. Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy, who play parents Moira and Johnny Rose, were on "SCTV" and in three Christopher Guest movies together. Annie Murphy and Dan Levy — who created the series with Eugene, his father, and continues to run it — play their adolescent adult children, Alexis and David. Emily Hampshire, who plays Stevie, Johnny's business partner and David's best friend, is here. Chris Elliott and Jennifer Robertson, who play the Schitts, Roland and Joceyln, are here. Absent are Noah Reid (David's fiancé and business partner, Patrick), Dustin Milligan (Alexis' veterinarian boyfriend, Ted) and Sarah Levy, Eugene's daughter and Dan's sister, who plays town waitress Twyla.
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Dan Levy is not performing but is on set for questions, suggestions and last-days camaraderie. His vision transformed "Schitt's Creek" bit by bit from a fish-out-of-water comedy into something deeper, wider, more universal; in the bargain, he became something of a screen heartthrob and LGBTQ standard-bearer. (In Hollywood, Pop is advertising the final season with a Sunset Boulevard billboard of David and Patrick kissing.) The series, little noticed at first, gained traction when Netflix began streaming earlier seasons; it's going out as a legitimate sensation.
"It's beautiful, this part of Ontario," Dan says, monitoring the filming by video feed from around the corner of the building. "In the early days, people would camp because it's so long to get back to Toronto. The crew would set up little camping tents and fires. We'd play volleyball in the back when global warming hadn't hit us quite so hard and the ground was firm and not actually marshland."
Catherine O’Hara (left) in “Schitt’s Creek.” (Pop TV/handout)
Indeed, having rained the night before, there are muddy puddles to navigate in the dirt lot fronting the motel. Fleecy white clouds scud across a bright blue sky, providing enough intermittent shade to keep temperatures tolerable. "It's been terrible weather," says Dan, "and we've just been terrified. It was supposed to be raining all day today. We don't have any flexibility — there's so much to shoot in so little time and we have no budget for anything to change."
"It's been a real roller coaster of a week," says Murphy, taking a moment to talk in a room that smells of "mothballs and rat poison and the great outdoors." From the outside, one would imagine this to be the motel office, but it's a kitchenette that opens at the back onto a wide expanse of lawn. The rooms here, used to touch up hair or makeup, for costume changes, for walking out of a shot or into one, are even more cramped and dull than the ones into which the Roses crowd — or crowded. The interior sets, built on a soundstage in Toronto, have been struck.
Before "Schitt's" moved in, the Rosebud had been the dormitory for a basketball camp, and when someone tells you it needed airing out, it is clear they are speaking about years, not days or weeks.
"I thought I'd be sad," says Murphy, dressed as Alexis in party clothes, with hoop earrings you could toss a bean bag through. "But it's just made me a husk of a woman with no moisture left in her body. There's a part of all of us that's like, 'Oh, no! What have done?' People are so deeply invested in the show and its message. But I think it's the right choice, and we were really, really lucky to be able to end the way Dan and the writers wanted to. All of the characters are going to be tied up in this beautiful little bow."
If you travel a little farther down the road past the motel, you come to a little village, which is not Schitt's Creek. (The buildings that serve for the series' other signal locations — the Rose Apothecary, the boutique David runs with Patrick, and the Tropical Diner, where Twyla works — are an hour to the east.) Here, in the miniature Hockley Community Hall (built 1894), lunch is being self-served. Eugene Levy, in shirtsleeves, is sitting with directors Jordan Canning and Andrew Cividino, both of whom are working today. Scenes for five different episodes are being shot, mostly in front of the motel, but also in a nearby field.
"It's hard," Eugene says, of the coming end. "But you can't go there. You can really slow down the day. You've got to redo makeup. Touch up the eyes again."
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"I'll cry on Thursday," says Canning. "That'll be a tough one."
"This was a project I had to succeed in," says Eugene, "getting this idea off the ground, because it was the only time in his life Daniel came and said, 'Do you want to work on this with me?'
"At the beginning, I was in a slightly different frame of mind, more kind of mentoring — 'This is what you have to do here. Be careful what you're doing there.' It didn't take long before I realized, 'All I have to do is give him some space and not crowd him with what I think.' I could not be prouder of what he's done, and I'm really glad I had the opportunity in my life to be able to say we had a good run working together, me and my kids — Sarah too. It's just been a joy."
Did Dan come to tell him he wanted to end the show?
"We had a conversation, and he told me what he was thinking, and I said, 'I'm right there.' This is the natural end point for character growth, for the relationships, and anything after that is just more of the same. Then you get into the dangerous territory of diminishing returns. It's a clean out."
"I'm glad were ending at the motel," says Hampshire, sitting cross-legged in a director's chair between takes. Where Stevie is guarded and contained, Hampshire is open and fleet, a fast talker, a runner, not a walker. Driving back from lunch, she had mentioned that the motel's clothesline had triggered a memory; now she is looking at it. "That was one of my first scenes. I remember I had the [cleaning] cart, and David and Alexis were there and I wanted to invite them to a tailgate party. And it just reminded me it was such a different relationship then. Fans do these compilation videos and they'll put in stuff from Season 1, and Dan will forward me one — 'You're such a baby' — and I'll forward him one — 'We're so old.'
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"We finished shooting in the office and were moving on to something else and Dan was like, 'That was the last time we were in that place,' and I'm like 'Oh!' I'm glad he didn't tell before." She's taking the stag painting that hung on that set home with her. "It's huge. It's going to fill my entire apartment."
It's expected that actors speaking to the press about their latest project will describe it as the best experience of their life. It does actually seem to be the case that the people of "Schitt's Creek" are crazy about their show and one another. "This is like being at camp with your best friends," says Hampshire.
Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara in “Schitt’s Creek.” (Pop TV/handout)
"I do see a future in which a road trip movie needs to happen with me and Dan. I can't see us all not doing something else together." (In the near term, Dan has rented a villa in Italy and invited some of the cast over — it's there that he'll learn of the series' first Emmy nominations in July. "We're going to see Elton John and just have some fun together, no deadlines, no sides to learn. It defuses the permanency of the last day of shooting.")
They have already had their wrap party. "There were a lot of people," O'Hara recalls, "wild, drunk and excited and emotional. And we've done a clip package at the party every year, but they did extra and they had moments from all six years, with Sarah Levy singing, 'There are places I remember...' There was a lot of crying."
"This year was sort of very anthemic, empowering, a lot of Queen," Dan says. "Noah sang Elton John's 'Daniel,' which was a loving tribute, but I'm pretty sure he dies in the song, so … There's always a show-stopping Noah moment at the karaoke, because he can sing, and the rest of us just scream into mikes. I thought it would be sadder, but I think we've all decided that it's better for our sanity if we choose to be excited rather than melancholic."
"Love" is a word you hear a lot here, not in the casual, hyperbolic, verbal air-kissing Hollywood sense, but the real emotion, the spiritual state, the intentional action. "No one ever talked to me about how this show was going to be written from love and about love," says O'Hara. "It never came off as any kind of agenda. It's just the world that Daniel would love to live in."
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She is fighting a cold. "It's really hard to keep my eyes open. My eyes just want to be asleep, closed."
Seated in the sun on a plastic chair on the walkway that runs the length of the motel, O'Hara is in full Moira regalia — though because Moira's outrageous wardrobe and wigs are considered spoilers, she is covered with an extra jacket and a hat. There is a newspaper photographer on the set today, and fans have gathered along the road that overlooks the motel. She is watching them watch her watching them. Whenever anything they shouldn't see or hear is happening, anything that might give away the direction of the season, they will be asked to move away a little.
"lt's such a surprise that I would wear black and white," O'Hara jokes.
"When we're actually doing a scene, I'm not thinking about [the end]. But then it hits me, looking around at this funny motel. I think as much about it being a place where the kids from basketball camp would stay. It started really rough. First and second seasons, it was, 'Please say "action" so I can get out of this room.' It's much nicer now.
"Our show is a bit of a late bloomer and I'm grateful for that," she says. "Who wants to peak early? [Viewers] are seeing the show that we did for ourselves, as opposed to doing things when you're aware of an audience. Even after the tour, Daniel said, 'OK, now I have to go back and write and forget that I saw this, forget I experienced this.'"
The tour: In September 2018, the cast gathered before a rapturous crowd at L.A.'s Ace Hotel theater for "Schitt's Creek: Up Close & Personal," an evening of stories, clips and games whose tickets had sold out in no time at all. Surprised and gratified, they took their live show on the road around North America to packed houses and standing ovations.
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"They're there as much for each other as for us," O'Hara says of the fans. "It's almost that we don't have to be there, but we brought them together somehow."
One by one, scenes are written into history. Johnny and Stevie. Roland and Johnny. Stevie and Moira. Annie and Johnny. Moira and Johnny and Roland and Jocelyn. Small adjustments are made between takes: Stand a step back, come in a beat later, move a hair faster, struggle harder. Hampshire, pushing a cart down the walkway, comments on her own performance as she gives it: "I don't know why I got an accent there… This is the room I'm going to, I should stop here." O'Hara plays with the music of her lines, turning "vigilante" and "vandalization" over in her mouth, putting a hint of air between the syllables, stretching some out like taffy, pushing vowels into new shapes.
For all that the end is near, it's a pleasant day on a country road. Birds are singing. A school bus drives by, a hand waving out the window. Crew members pitch in egging a car for a scene. O'Hara's husband, production designer Bo Welch ("Men in Black," "A Series of Unfortunate Events"), is visiting, as is executive producer Andrew Barnsley. It's not a party, but there is something convivial going on alongside the work. Late in the day, production stops for several minutes, while O'Hara brings out a cake — someone is turning 25 — the cast and crew sing and Elliott attempts to plant a slobbery kiss on the the birthday boy.
"Hysterical tears are not the most productive thing to be experiencing when we have three pretty big days out here," Dan muses, "but I've found myself in the most random of times just completely falling apart. To people who don't know what's going in my life, I look a little unstable. You get flooded by memories. Every little thing carries slightly more substantial weight than it did before."
Retiring the series "was a really tough decision, obviously, because I love these people and would love to work with them for 50 years," he says. "But I love the show more. Our viewers have such an intimate connection to it, and for them to question why we're still on the air is not a place that I ever want to find myself."
Who will be on hand when the last bit of footage is shot?
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"Everybody. It's a big scene, actually. We always do a little bit of some Champagne and make a toast. But, yeah, it'll be messy. Annie legitimately called me saying she wants an EMS crew there.
"I'm not good with letting go of things, generally speaking. I'm the person who worries, 'What if I throw something out or give it away and need it later?' It's a similar thing I'm experiencing with this. But in a weird sort of philosophical way it's been an amazing exercise in appreciating what you have, respecting the process and letting go."
In fact, he isn't entirely letting go. "If we feel like there's more story to tell, then great — let's do a movie, let's do a holiday special. I'm by no means saying I would never want to revisit these characters. I would love to. I have been saying to our production design team, 'Document everything, 'cause if we have to rebuild this down the line, I want it saved for posterity.'
“I don’t know what will happen to this,” Dan says, indicating the funny little motel that has been at the center of his life for six years. “If this were a bigger show, we’d have just bought the property by now.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Mitch Trubisky’s future with the Bears is ______. 4 answers to 4 big Bears questions this offseason.

It would be stunning if the Bears don ’ t do as much as possible within the constraints of available resources ( draft picks , cash and salary-cap space ) to augment one of the NFL ’ s worst offenses .
Coach Matt Nagy has started the process of reshaping his offensive coaching staff , and the Bears need more explosive and more reliable skill-position players around Trubisky .
That means upgrading at tight end , where the Bears can ’ t count on Trey Burton or Adam Shaheen .
That means adding a wide receiver , potentially to replace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robinson and Anthony Miller , who could be sidelined until training camp with his second left shoulder surgery in two years .
That means seeking help for the offensive line to get Nagy ’ s handpicked running back , David Montgomery , going .
It also means Nagy taking a close look at what he ’ s doing scheme-wise with his players .
The Bears are clearly intent on making it work with Trubisky considering their massive investment in him .
The view at Halas Hall is that quarterbacks develop at different rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 42 starts into his career , including postseason , Trubisky is just trailing other young stars at the position who have shown consistent high-level play , it ’ s also impossible to say Trubisky isn ’ t potentially following the career arc of former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and other high picks who never clicked .
Last week , Nagy outlined some of the areas Trubisky needs to improve , citing decision-making , understanding coverages , footwork and comfort in the pocket .
That ’ s quite a to-do list heading into what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Trubisky and those who doubt him — is a make-or-break year .

Brad Biggs, Rich Campbell, Colleen Kane, Dan Wiederer

As the Bears head into a critical offseason after a disappointing 8-8 finish, our team of Bears writers weighs in on four timely topics.
1. Mitch Trubisky’s future as the Bears starting quarterback is ______.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 181 Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky heads to the locker room after a 21-9 loss to the Saints in a playoff game Jan. 10, 2021, in New Orleans. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Brad Biggs: Tied to that of general manager Ryan Pace.
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It would be stunning if the Bears don’t do as much as possible within the constraints of available resources (draft picks, cash and salary-cap space) to augment one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Coach Matt Nagy has started the process of reshaping his offensive coaching staff, and the Bears need more explosive and more reliable skill-position players around Trubisky. That means upgrading at tight end, where the Bears can’t count on Trey Burton or Adam Shaheen. That means adding a wide receiver, potentially to replace Taylor Gabriel, to go with Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller, who could be sidelined until training camp with his second left shoulder surgery in two years. That means seeking help for the offensive line to get Nagy’s handpicked running back, David Montgomery, going. It also means Nagy taking a close look at what he’s doing scheme-wise with his players. The Bears are clearly intent on making it work with Trubisky considering their massive investment in him. The view at Halas Hall is that quarterbacks develop at different rates. While it’s possible that 42 starts into his career, including postseason, Trubisky is just trailing other young stars at the position who have shown consistent high-level play, it’s also impossible to say Trubisky isn’t potentially following the career arc of former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and other high picks who never clicked. Last week, Nagy outlined some of the areas Trubisky needs to improve, citing decision-making, understanding coverages, footwork and comfort in the pocket. That’s quite a to-do list heading into what everyone should agree — those who believe in Trubisky and those who doubt him — is a make-or-break year.
Rich Campbell: Going to become clearer during free agency.
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I don’t doubt general manager Ryan Pace’s faith in Trubisky. Pace staked his career on Trubisky with his unwillingness to settle for another quarterback in the 2017 draft. He has indicated he weighs Trubisky’s flashes of quality more than the large body of work showing an inconsistent playmaker and erratic passer who’s still working to master coverages entering his fourth season. However, Pace knows — regardless of what he said at his postseason news conference — that the Bears’ greatest need is improved quarterback play. And I would bet anything he’s sensible about the need for a sound Plan B if Trubisky’s development remains stalled. Let’s see whom the Bears add as Trubisky’s backup/competition, and then we’ll get a better sense of how long Trubisky’s leash is.
Colleen Kane: Precarious.
Yes, I heard Ryan Pace declare Trubisky the Bears starter for 2020. But I don’t believe Pace will go into the season without — at the very least — a better option to replace Trubisky than Chase Daniel. It would be foolish not to seek competition for Trubisky, and I’m not sure why Pace wouldn’t acknowledge that. He might still believe in Trubisky and have patience in his draft pick’s development that’s difficult for outsiders to understand. But he knows the Bears can’t continue with the type of inconsistent play they’ve been getting from Trubisky. Pace’s job depends on it. That should make the Bears less hesitant to make a switch than they were in 2019 if Trubisky doesn’t turn it around.
Dan Wiederer: Tenuous.
Sure, general manager Ryan Pace asserted last week that Trubisky is the team’s undisputed starter heading into 2020 and that, in Pace’s mind, Trubisky’s long-term potential as a franchise quarterback is “wide open.” But the true value of those words won’t become apparent until we see how the Bears remodel their quarterbacks room. Once we see whom they tab to be the backup, we can translate how that changes the length of Trubisky’s leash. Then we’ll have a better feel for how unwavering Pace’s patience truly is. In the same context, coach Matt Nagy has begun vocalizing the checklist for what Trubisky must accomplish in 2020. At the top of Nagy’s list: “I want him to be a master at understanding coverages.” Fair demand for a fourth-year starter, right? Nagy also said Trubisky needs to learn how to trust the pocket better, improve his footwork to improve the timing of the passing game and become successful with the touchdown-to-checkdown mentality the team has been stressing for two years. Nagy didn’t sound anywhere near as willing to be tolerant of pronounced struggles and growing pains next season. So let’s see how this plays out.
2. Other than improved quarterback play, the Bears’ biggest need on offense is _____.
Bears tight end Jesper Horsted (49) tries to break through a tackle in the second quarter against the Cowboys. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Biggs: A playmaker who can threaten defenses and produce in the red zone.
Other than Allen Robinson, the Bears didn’t have a player who could challenge defenses in the middle of the field. Other than glimpses from Taylor Gabriel, they lacked a receiver who could take the top off the defense and be a consistent vertical threat. Whatever avenue they choose, be it a tight end or wide receiver, they have to upgrade the offense. As former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio once bluntly put it, “We’ve got to get our so-called good players playing better.” The Bears’ so-called playmakers, outside of Robinson, haven’t produced enough, and that group needs an upgrade. Fortunately, the draft is expected to be particularly deep at wide receiver, meaning the Bears could get a very good one with one of their two second-round picks. Don’t discount the priority the Bears should place on creating competition behind quarterback Mitch Trubisky and finding a player who can step in if Trubisky has an uneven start to 2020.
Campbell: The interior line.
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The line is an independent position group, as opposed to a dependent position such as running back. With improved line play, the Bears running game would be more effective. Achieving that upgrade in 2020 is essential to complementing a playoff-caliber defense. Plus, Mitch Trubisky, like most quarterbacks, is much more accurate and timely when he trusts the pocket. Coach Matt Nagy said Trubisky needs to get better at climbing the pocket and remaining a threat to pass and run. That would be easier with improved interior blocking. But the Bears are committed to left guard James Daniels (2018 second-round pick) and center Cody Whitehair (signed an extension in 2019), both of whom were too unreliable in 2019. So how do the Bears get those two to win more blocks? Upgrading at right guard should be a priority.
Kane: A better running game.
The Bears finished 27th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (91.1) and yards per carry (3.7). And that’s after they dumped Jordan Howard in favor of rookie David Montgomery. It’s going to take better play from the offensive line, whose regression Ryan Pace stressed was detrimental in 2019. And it’s going to take a better commitment from Matt Nagy, whose team ran the ball seven times against the Saints. Even though it felt as if offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand were taking the fall for much bigger problems when they were fired last week, it makes sense to seek new voices to try to solve both of those problems.
Wiederer: Tight end production.
Consider this a photo finish with more reliable offensive line play. But it’s hard to deny that the inability to establish any continuity or get any meaningful production at tight end was a major handicap in 2019. The Bears’ leader in receiving yards by a tight end was J.P. Holtz, who was claimed off waivers after the Redskins cut him in Week 2 and who contributed seven catches and 91 yards. So, yeah, a big-play tight end is needed right away. With two second-round picks, Ryan Pace, Matt Nagy and the talent evaluation staff need to start dialing in on the college tight ends who best fit their system.
3. In two seasons, Matt Nagy’s performance as Bears coach has been ____.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 3 Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy speaks during the Bears100 Celebration Weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on Friday, June 7, 2019. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Biggs: Exhilarating and then deflating.
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The great disparity between 2018 and 2019 creates questions heading into his third season. If you asked Bears fans when Nagy was hired to replace John Fox if they would be happy with a 20-12 record through two years, I can’t imagine you would find one who would be disappointed. Had he followed an 8-8 first season with a 12-4 year, the vibe would be entirely different. But you can’t re-order history, and there is pressure for the Bears to be more competitive after Nagy’s offense was a tremendous disappointment. Most frustrating is that they didn’t find ways to adjust and improve during the season. Scoring was a problem at the start of the year, and that never changed. Now the question is how effectively Nagy can work with the talent he has and play to the strengths of his players with the Bears likely in win-now mode under general manager Ryan Pace. Nagy’s contract runs through 2021, one more season than Pace, and while he’s not as closely linked to Mitch Trubisky as his boss is, he has to find a way to win with Trubisky and a defense that remains good but might not regain the form it had in 2018 under coordinator Vic Fangio.
Campbell: Unfulfilling because his offense hasn’t taken off.
Nagy has established himself as a capable leader, and that absolutely counts for something. But he was brought here to ignite the offense and develop Mitch Trubisky. Those are his top two responsibilities, and the Bears went backward in both areas after a modest first season. Nagy is unproven as the lead offensive strategist, play caller and quarterback coach, and that is unsettling after two seasons. Then again, Nagy has detailed a number of explosive plays the Bears failed to capitalize on because of Trubisky’s poor decision-making or inaccuracy. He is effectively saying, “See, this offense works!” But Trubisky’s regression can’t be separated from the job Nagy has done coaching him. This crucial partnership hasn’t yielded sufficient results, and we can only wait to see where that takes the Bears in 2020.
Kane: Not good enough.
Nagy has done a lot of things well in his first two seasons. He helped instill a winning culture and brought the Bears back to the playoffs in 2018. He did a commendable job keeping his team from unraveling after a four-game losing streak in 2019. But his offense was rarely functional this season and finished 29th with 296.8 yards per game. He hasn’t done enough to elevate the play of quarterback Mitch Trubisky, whose regression this season was jarring. And he needs to prove he isn’t too stubborn to adapt when his plans aren’t working. Of the Big Three being questioned in this space — Ryan Pace, Nagy and Trubisky — Nagy, a year removed from being named NFL Coach of the Year, is the one who deserves the most patience to right his deficiencies.
Wiederer: A mixed bag.
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On the day Nagy was hired, if Bears fans had been promised a two-season surge in which the Bears won 20 games and posted a .750 winning percentage in NFC North games, they would have been doing cartwheels through Millennium Park. Nagy’s 20 victories are the most by any Bears coach in his first two seasons. The problem is that 2019 was such a major disappointment — a “regression” in the eyes of Ryan Pace — that faith in a quick turnaround has decreased significantly. Nagy’s leadership skills and positive energy are assets. And it’s ridiculous to completely discard the Coach of the Year honor he received for 2018. Still, Nagy arrived with the responsibility of enlivening the Bears offense and lifting Mitch Trubisky to new heights, and thus far he has failed on both assignments. In 20 of 33 games, including postseason, Nagy’s offense has failed to score 20 points.
4. As the Bears evaluate Ryan Pace’s work as general manager, they should zoom in on _____.
rs general manager Ryan Pace speaks at a press conference at Halas Hall on Dec. 31, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Biggs: The success of his moves this offseason.
Pace’s draft history, like everyone’s, has its ups and downs, and the Bears’ 34-46 record since he was hired in 2015 is not as significant as their record in 2020. This season’s 8-8 finish was the second-best under Pace, and entering his sixth year, no one can say he hasn’t had enough time to build a consistent winner. It’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, making this a critical season for Pace. Focusing on busted draft picks such as Kevin White and Adam Shaheen and players who haven’t matched their draft status such as Leonard Floyd takes attention from the only thing that will matter to ownership, and that is how the team performs in 2020 and sets up for the future.
Campbell: His stated goal of “sustained success.”
The Bears’ regular-season record under Pace is 34-46, which partly reflects the scope of the roster problems he inherited. If the Bears had followed their 12-4 season in 2018 with double-digit wins or a playoff berth in 2019, it would be easier to dismiss the fact they won only 14 games in Pace’s first three seasons. We would be more certain the Bears had gotten over the hump. But the “regression,” as Pace accurately put it, reflects a football operation that hasn’t reached Pace’s goal of sustaining a winning record. And remember, Pace has said great quarterback play is the key to sustaining success, and his handpicked quarterback continues to fall short. Three years after selecting Mitch Trubisky, it has become one of the most notorious draft picks in recent NFL history. Pace has to see that through clear eyes and find ways to get the Bears back into the playoffs.
Kane: His early-round draft picks and his decision-making process in choosing Mitch Trubisky.
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Pace’s entire body of work needs to be considered, including the way he rebuilt the roster over five seasons. Let’s not forget his accomplishments in 2018, when he signed Allen Robinson, drafted Roquan Smith and traded for Khalil Mack. He has done good things. But his legacy in Chicago, where quarterbacks have so often destroyed hope, cannot be untangled from how Mitch Trubisky’s story unfolds. And so far, the selection of Trubisky — and those of first-round picks Kevin White and Leonard Floyd, for that matter — hasn’t panned out. Maybe Pace’s patience with Trubisky pays off in 2020, or maybe the Bears need to start over at quarterback again. In the latter case, there should be serious reservations about whether Pace should lead that charge.
Wiederer: Specifics.
Too often, the bosses above Pace have difficulty articulating exactly what their performance reviews are based on. Just last week, Chairman George McCaskey was asked what he wanted to see in 2020 to continue believing in the franchise’s leadership, and he answered: “We believe in them. We have, we do and we will.” In some ways, it feels like belief for belief’s sake, a trap the Bears fall into far too frequently. When pressed on the matter, McCaskey emphasized the importance of the upcoming evaluation process that Pace and Matt Nagy will go through to identify reasons for the 2019 letdown. “It’s going to be thorough,” McCaskey promised. “It’s going to be forthright. It’s going to be honest. And at times, it may be painful.” It also has to produce results. McCaskey steered around a public assessment of Pace’s decision to draft Mitch Trubisky and wouldn’t say how much weight that move carries in his evaluation of Pace. But at some point, the Bears need to set a bar. They need to identify clear, specific goals and targets and establish consequences if those aren’t met.


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Kenneka Jenkins case investigated on new MTV docuseries

“ This is Chicago .
If we have issues or beef or problems , I ’ m not going to @ @ @ @ @ suburb or west suburb in a public place where cameras are located to kill you @ @ @ @ @ drink or put you in a freezer when we could just shoot you .
You @ @ @ @ @ saying ?
This is what we do , ” Stoner told Pongo .
Stoner was @ @ @ @ @ South Loop in May 2018 , about four months after the interview .

Friends and family of Kenneka Jenkins, who was found dead in a walk-in freezer at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont in 2017, continue to fuel conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding the 19-year-old’s death on the premiere episode of the new MTV docuseries “True Life Crime.”
The episode — titled “Tragic Accident or Calculated Murder?” — follows former WGN-AM 720 news anchor Dometi Pongo as he returns to his hometown of Chicago to investigate the case that drew interest from around the world. Pongo talked to people close to Jenkins who doubted that she stumbled into a freezer after drinking alcohol at a party at the hotel.
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The Cook County medical examiner’s office determined Jenkins died of hypothermia. Alcohol intoxication and a drug used to treat epilepsy and migraines were “significant contributing factors,” the office said. Rosemont police called the death an accident and closed the case.
[ Kenneka Jenkins case was a nightmare for family but it was never a murder mystery ]
“This case, in particular, was like none I’ve ever seen before,” Rosemont Public Safety Superintendent Donald E. Stephens III said on the docuseries. “We work on facts. We don’t work on speculation, so I find it ludicrous that anybody truly believes that there was any conspiracy or any cover-up.”
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The investigation of the death of Kenneka Jenkins left more questions than answers. @nevschulman and @dometi_ are on a mission to close this case once and for all. #TrueLifeCrime premieres Wednesday, January 8 at 9/8c on @MTV. Watch the first look here: https://t.co/Pph28Ir6Pa pic.twitter.com/HejT9mMIwK — True Life #TrueLifeCrime (@MTVTrueLife) January 2, 2020
The “True Life Crime” episode, which was screened Monday in Chicago, is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. Wednesday on MTV. Pongo, an MTV News host, filmed it in early 2018.
Zack Stoner — the founder of ZackTV1, a YouTube channel devoted to Chicago black culture — gave a particularly chilling interview.
“This is Chicago. If we have issues or beef or problems, I’m not going to take you to the south suburb or west suburb in a public place where cameras are located to kill you or put something in your drink or put you in a freezer when we could just shoot you. You know what I’m saying? This is what we do,” Stoner told Pongo. Stoner was shot to death in the South Loop in May 2018, about four months after the interview.
Jenkins’ uncle, Jonathan Jackson, meanwhile, remembered her on the docuseries as “full of joy, man, just like an angel.” Jackson was fatally shot on the West Side in March 2018.
The eight-episode “True Life Crime” docuseries also explores the deaths of Utah runner Jerika Binks and New Jersey teenager Sarah Stern.
tswartz@tribpub.com