chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Egg McMuffin vs. Baconator: Fast food opens a new front in the breakfast wars

The chains are hungry for diners ’ morning dollars as people increasingly get breakfast and morning snacks from quick-service restaurants @ @ @ @ @ only part of the day experiencing consistent growth at such restaurants , up 8 % @ @ @ @ @ compared with flat growth for the total industry , said market research firm NPD Group @

A McDonald's Egg McMuffin is displayed at a McDonald's restaurant on July 23, 2015 in Fairfield, California. The breakfast sandwich, which has been served since 1971, is being offered for free March 2, 2020, for diners who order through McDonald's mobile app, as rival chain Wendy's unveils a new morning menu. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Wendy’s on Monday officially rolled out a new morning menu that it hopes unseats McDonald’s as the longtime victor in fast food’s epic breakfast wars.
But Wendy’s new Breakfast Baconator, Frosty-ccino and collection of croissant and biscuit sandwiches face an uphill battle against the world’s largest burger chain, which has been serving Egg McMuffins since 1971.
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Chicago-based McDonald’s, which is relying on breakfast to drive traffic to its restaurants, flexed its muscle by declaring Monday National Egg McMuffin Day. It offered diners a free Egg McMuffin from 6 to 10:30 a.m. Monday if they ordered through the mobile app.
The chains are hungry for diners’ morning dollars as people increasingly get breakfast and morning snacks from quick-service restaurants. Morning visits are the only part of the day experiencing consistent growth at such restaurants, up 8% over the last five years compared with flat growth for the total industry, said market research firm NPD Group.
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McDonald’s last month launched a limited-time breakfast McChicken Biscuit and a Chicken McGriddle, perhaps in response to the breakfast offerings of insurgent competitor Chick-fil-A. Wendy’s breakfast menu also capitalizes on the recent chicken sandwich fervor with a honey butter chicken biscuit.
Wendy’s plans to spend $70 million to $80 million in advertising to promote breakfast this year, executives said during an earnings call last month, and it isn’t pulling any punches on its larger rival.
Wendy’s has featured former McDonald’s corporate chef Mike Haracz in social media videos extolling the deliciousness of its breakfast. On Friday, Wendy’s tweeted a tombstone for the Egg McMuffin with the hashtag #EggRIPMuffin and the jab: “Here lies mediocrity.”
Other fast-food chains also are gearing up for a morning fight. Taco Bell has doubled down on its dollar menu for its breakfast burritos and quesadillas while its competitors have gravitated toward bundled deals. Dunkin’ recently added Snackin’ Bacon — eight bacon strips in a bag — to its growing breakfast menu.
[ Tweaking McMuffins speeds McDonald's ahead of breakfast rivals ]
Numerous efforts over the years to break McDonald’s stranglehold on breakfast have come up short, said Bob Goldin, president of the Chicago-based food consultancy Pentallect. When someone encroaches, the company discounts and defends its position.
“I don’t think any of the competitors have been able to come up with anything enticing to draw consumers on a sustained basis,” Goldin said.
McDonald’s has emphasized the importance of remaining dominant in breakfast as it strives to turn around years of declining guest traffic at its U.S. restaurants.
“It starts with breakfast,” CEO Chris Kempczinski said during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call last month. “Breakfast is the only daypart in the industry that’s seeing traffic growth. We have to win at breakfast.”
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Wendy’s plans to give the giant a run for its money with offerings like the Breakfast Baconator, which contains an egg, six strips of applewood-smoked bacon, a square sausage patty, two slices of American cheese and hollandaise sauce.
aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Man accused of killing Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer readies unusual self-defense claim

Jurors are also expected to learn that the police chase began with an infraction that turned out to be tragically @ @ @ @ @ hearings earlier this year revealed for the first time that police officers only stopped Legghette @ @ @ @ @ day because he appeared to be urinating on a wall or pillar .

People gather outside the Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church for the funeral Mass for Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer on Feb. 17, 2018, in Chicago. (Lou Foglia / Chicago Tribune)
It was midday on a Tuesday in the bustling Loop, and eyes were everywhere.
Office workers on the sidewalks, a slew of security cameras and pursuing cops all saw Cmdr. Paul Bauer chase a man into a stairwell outside the busy Thompson Center.
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They heard a rapid series of gunshots. They saw the man — Shomari Legghette — emerge and be placed under arrest.
But there are no living witnesses to exactly what happened in that long, dim stairwell on Feb. 13, 2018, except Legghette himself.
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Shomari Legghette is taken into custody by police officers after the fatal shooting of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer outside the Thompson Center on Feb. 13, 2018. The weapon allegedly used to kill Bauer was recovered by arresting officers and is seen in the hand of the officer at left. (Obtained by Tribune / HANDOUT)
Two years later, as the 46-year-old four-time felon stands trial in Bauer’s slaying, his fate will come down to those crucial concealed moments. Opening statements are slated for Tuesday, and the trial is expected to stretch into next week.
Legghette, who is claiming self-defense, is expected to take the stand on his own behalf — a rare move in any murder trial, let alone one for the high-profile daylight downtown slaying of a police commander.
Bauer was a 31-year veteran of the force, and the highest-ranking CPD officer killed on-duty in decades. His death sent shock waves through the city. In his Bridgeport neighborhood, many of the blue ribbons tied around trees and streetlamps in his memory stayed up for more than a year.
At nearly every pretrial hearing for Legghette, uniformed Chicago police officers have packed the gallery of Judge Erica Reddick’s courtroom, crowding into the aisle to observe and be a visible presence. When Legghette’s case is called, the officers and supporters stand, and often remain on their feet for the entirety of the hearing.
Legghette’s argument will hinge on his claim of self-defense, which, after two years of citywide public mourning and accolades for Bauer’s professionalism, might be a controversial proposition for a jury.
Shomari Legghette is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer. (Cook County sheriff's office)
And the stakes are high: Prosecutors have indicated they will seek a life sentence for Legghette if he is convicted.
Attorneys have indicated previously that Legghette is likely to take the stand and say that he did not know when he fired the fatal shots that Bauer was a police officer.
“Mr. Legghette’s like, ‘Who, why is this guy using force on me?’” his attorney Scott Kamin said in court last month. “He didn’t hear what Cmdr. Bauer (said), he didn’t know that a cop was chasing him.”
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Prosecutors have scoffed at the idea that Legghette didn’t know Bauer was a law enforcement officer. And while they are not expected to present any witness who heard Bauer identify himself as such, the commander was on duty, in full uniform and carrying a police radio on full volume, assistant state’s attorneys noted in court last month.
Bauer also was found laying on top of his handcuffs, indicating that he had unholstered them and was carrying them as he chased Legghette. His service weapon, on the other hand, remained secure in its holster.
Jurors are also expected to learn that the police chase began with an infraction that turned out to be tragically minor. Witnesses in pretrial hearings earlier this year revealed for the first time that police officers only stopped Legghette on Lower Wacker Drive that day because he appeared to be urinating on a wall or pillar.
When they approached, Legghette declined to speak to them, then ran off.
An officer then radioed a description of his clothing and told dispatchers that a shooting had recently taken place in the area.
Bauer, downtown for a meeting with aldermen after attending training earlier in the day on how to handle mass shootings, heard a radio call of a fleeing suspect and spotted Legghette running nearby moments later, authorities have said.
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Bauer chased Legghette to the top of a stairwell on the east side of the Thompson Center and attempted to detain him, authorities said. The two struggled and tumbled down to a landing below. Legghette, who was wearing body armor, drew a handgun and fired seven shots, fatally wounding Bauer, prosecutors have said.
A police sergeant stands guard outside the Thompson Center after the fatal shooting of Cmdr. Paul Bauer on Feb. 13, 2018, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Judge Reddick last month denied a defense request to let jurors hear about incidents from Bauer’s past that Kamin said illustrated he “did unreasonably aggressive things and he was an unreasonably aggressive officer.”
The incidents dated from more than a decade ago and would do little to help jurors understand Bauer’s conduct in 2018, Reddick said in making her ruling.
But in a boost for the defense, she granted Kamin’s request to restrict the dress of Chicago police officers or department supporters who attend the trial, saying it was “paramount” that there not be outside influences on the jury.
“I don’t want this to turn into a visual display,” she said, adding that she will instruct court personnel to monitor clothing in the gallery throughout the proceedings.
After Bauer’s death, Legghette was painted as an example of a too-lenient system. He should not have been out on the streets at all, critics said. He has convictions for drug possession, armed robbery and gun possession on his record.
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A Police Department chaplain at Bauer’s funeral even compared him with a leper, too toxic to be out among the public.
But from early on, Legghette was indicating that he fired in self-defense. Now he will have a chance to convince a jury that was the case.
In an interview with Chicago magazine in 2018, he compared himself with Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teen fatally shot in Florida by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer.
“Would Trayvon Martin have been guilty with George Zimmerman if it had went the other way?” Legghette was quoted as saying.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Woman, 28, sexually assaulted by ride-share driver on Northwest Side, police say

She told police the male driver sexually assaulted her inside the vehicle and then dropped her off at 7:40 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ the bar in the 3300 block of North Karlov Avenue in the Kilbourn Park neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ police said .

A woman reported that she was sexually assaulted Sunday night by a driver of a ride-share service, according to Chicago police.
The 28-year-old woman was picked up at a bar in the 3300 block of North Sheffield Avenue in the Lakeview neighborhood on the North Side, police said.
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She told police the male driver sexually assaulted her inside the car and then dropped her off at 7:40 p.m. about 4 miles west of the bar in the 3300 block of North Karlov Avenue in the Kilbourn Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side, police said.
The woman was taken to Community First Medical Hospital in good condition, police said.
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No arrests have been made.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-03-01--Ask Amy: Parents ponder disclosing abuse to the kids

The worst message you can send is to tell your kids that alcoholism is genetic ( this is partially correct @ @ @ @ @ drinking -- and sometimes drunk -- in front of them .
Your children will sniff @ @ @ @ @ .
They will also get the message that alcohol is more powerful than they are @ @ @ @ @ my folks !
Resistance is futile ! ''
)

Dear Amy: I am a 42-year-old man. My wife is 40. We were both abused as children.
I like to drink, and now my wife has followed this path.
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We have two kids, whom we love very much.
Should we tell our kids about our past troubles?
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We have done very well for ourselves. Our kids are great. They know we love them, and they have done very well.
Obviously, they see us drink too much at times.
The oldest is going off to college. He is a top-notch kid and he knows we love him.
I've told him about the genetics of alcohol (it does run in our family), but should I tell him about the abuse?
You always talk about being honest, but this seems like it might be too much?
I'm not sure if I'm trying to cover my own insecurities by telling him, or if honesty is the best policy here?
— Loving Father
Dear Father: Yes, honesty is the best policy. So, let's talk about your drinking.
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You seem to gloss over your alcohol abuse by saying that it is genetic; I infer that your childhood abuse has also been a factor and that both are likely related to your drinking.
It is also possible that your childhood abuse was perpetrated by people who were -- like you -- abusing alcohol.
My point is that you need to start your conversations by getting real about your alcohol abuse. The most impactful statement you could make to your entire family would be to admit that you are abusing alcohol -- and to seek recovery.
The worst message you can send is to tell your kids that alcoholism is genetic (this is partially correct), while you are drinking -- and sometimes drunk -- in front of them. Your children will sniff out the hypocrisy very quickly. They will also get the message that alcohol is more powerful than they are. ("Look at my folks! Resistance is futile!")
Your kids love you. But -- here's a shock -- all of that love will take a back seat to the vulnerable legacy imposed by your untreated addiction. Children of alcoholics are often high-functioning "fixers," with a deep well of anxiety they hide from the world. (In short, you don't actually know how "great" they are doing.)
Yes, you should tell your children about your childhoods, but not right before your son heads off to college, and not while you are still drinking.
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You should start by admitting your alcoholism, telling your story to a qualified therapist, and working toward recovery. Al-Anon's program for kids: Alateen, would be most useful for your kids. Check Al-Anon.org for information about local meetings.
Even if you are not in recovery, this would be a gift for them.
Dear Amy: I've been with my boyfriend for two and a half years. He was married before and had children with his ex-wife (they are adults, now).
The marriage ended almost 10 years ago, when she told him she had been having an affair.
My issue is that his family continues to invite her to family functions -- not just major holidays, but birthdays and such.
I have nothing against her -- it just feels wrong!
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Am I wrong if I tell them that as long as they continue to invite her to events, we will not attend?
My boyfriend is too nice to tell his family it bothers him, although in my opinion he shouldn't have to.
— Savvy Girlfriend
Dear Savvy: Are you the boss of your boyfriend -- and his family? Do you get to dictate the terms of their socializing?
You don't have anything against this woman; your boyfriend's family obviously don't have anything against her, and your boyfriend likely doesn't care one way or the other, because if he really did, he would give them the message that he didn't want to socialize with his ex.
If you don't want to attend events where his ex is also invited, then you can stay home, but if you make your attendance conditional, you should be prepared for them to choose her.
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Dear Amy: I thought your advice to "Old Wounds" was great. Yes, she should tell her parents that she was sexually assaulted in middle school.
Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
I'd like to add, however, that a great way to do this is to write a letter.
Face-to-face communication can catch people very off guard.
— Been There
Dear Been There: I agree that putting thoughts down on paper is an ideal way to frame -- and tell -- a story. Thank you.
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
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Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-03-01--AT&T launching new live TV streaming service that feels just like cable. It even has a box.

The inaugural prices for both plans are for the first year of a two-year agreement , with “ prices higher @ @ @ @ @ , according to the fine print .
At current rates , the standalone video plan @ @ @ @ @ to $ 93 per month in the second year , according to Monahan .

AT&T's new live streaming TV service, seen at the company's flagship store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Feb. 28, 2020, uses a single compact control box and remote. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The streaming TV revolution has come to this: Even the cable companies are cutting the cord.
AT&T, the second largest pay-TV provider behind Comcast, is launching a nationwide live TV streaming service Monday that offers a cablelike experience — from a set-top box and on-screen program guide to a remote control with actual numbers — delivered entirely over the internet.
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The service, dubbed AT&T TV, could be the all-in-one platform that entices reluctant cord cutters to take the plunge into live TV streaming, uncluttering a jumbled world of media devices, smart TVs and program services with names like Fubo, Vidgo, Philo and Hulu.
“It’s going to simplify a very complex marketplace,” said Tom Monahan, the Chicago-based regional vice president for AT&T.
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The AT&T setup is simple, even for streaming novices. Plug in the box, connect to your TV and Wi-Fi and voila — instant cable over the internet.
Priced at about $50 per month as a standalone service, AT&T TV has a robust slate of broadcast and cable channels, including offerings such as the Marquee Sports Network, the new cable TV home of the Chicago Cubs. It also links to a variety of video-on-demand apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, with a voice remote to orchestrate the programming melange without reading glasses.
Combining the video with AT&T’s internet service brings the monthly price to $80 — an initial savings over most traditional cable plus internet offerings. But the price could end up as bloated as your cable package in time.
Kris Phillips, area retail sales manager for AT&T, demonstrates the company's new live streaming TV service at the flagship store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Feb. 28, 2020. The remote has a microphone and the user can issue verbal commands to change channels and functions. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The inaugural prices for both plans are for the first year of a two-year agreement, with “prices higher” in the second year, according to the fine print. At current rates, the standalone video plan would rise from $50 to $93 per month in the second year, according to Monahan.
The AT&T TV package includes one set-top box. Additional units are $10 per month. A smartphone app lets you take the full streaming product wherever you go, with a massive 500-hour cloud DVR to stockpile episodes of “The Bachelor” and other guilty pleasures.
AT&T is hoping the streaming service will boost its own broadband service while stemming losses from its two traditional pay-TV platforms — DirecTV and U-verse — which are hemorrhaging subscribers at an accelerating rate.
Traditional cable and satellite providers lost about 6 million subscribers last year, according to data from industry analysts MoffettNathanson. Losses in the pay-TV industry have been partially offset by gains in streaming services like Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV. The trend is likely to continue, with traditional cable expected to shed another 19 million subscribers by 2023, the firm said.
In 2019, AT&T lost 4 million subscribers, or 16.5% of its subscriber base, according to MoffettNathanson.
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“A significant part of the worsening cord-cutting outlook can be pinned on the woes of AT&T,” MoffetNathanson said in a report.
While Comcast has yet to offer a comparable internet video service, AT&T is not the only legacy pay-TV provider shifting customers to a streaming platform.
RCN Chicago, which is available to about 380,000 homes in Chicago, Evanston, Lincolnwood and Skokie, is converting its cable customers to a live streaming service delivered over its broadband network. Launched three months ago in Chicago and Washington, D.C., RCN’s streaming TV platform is set to roll out nationwide in March.
Customers who sign up for video packages now get the streaming setup, which will eventually replace traditional cable across the company’s Chicago footprint. About 3% of RCN Chicago’s video customers are on the streaming platform, according to Tom McKay, general manager of RCN Chicago.
“We’ll have a good portion of our customers on it within a year, because all new customers coming on will be picking that up,” McKay said.
Like the industry at large, RCN Chicago has been losing video customers for years. But McKay said the business model has been shifting as well, with broadband internet now the core product for RCN and other legacy cable companies. Only RCN internet customers will be able to access its streaming TV service, McKay said.
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Pricing for the RCN streaming service is comparable to its traditional cable video package. The most popular plan, which also includes the Marquee network, costs about $90 per month. Bundled with the required broadband service, the monthly price would be about $120, McKay said.
Beyond customer demand, McKay said there is another benefit to shifting its video onto a streaming platform. Delivering video over an internet connection requires less bandwidth than a traditional cable hookup, enabling RCN to serve more customers.
“You’re just freeing up lanes on the highway — taking them off of traditional cable and adding them into data, which is really where everything is growing at this point,” McKay said.
While RCN is ending sales of its traditional cable service, AT&T is phasing out its legacy products more slowly, at least with its DirecTV satellite service.
“We’Il begin to wind down sales of U-verse TV to new customers ... to shift focus to AT&T TV,” Monahan said. “This will not impact existing U-verse TV customers.”
AT&T acquired DirecTV for $49 billion in 2015, which made it the largest pay-TV provider in the country with 26 million subscribers. At the end of 2019, AT&T had 20.4 million pay-TV subscribers, including about 16 million through DirecTV, according to MoffettNathanson.
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Monahan said DirecTV will continue to be “an important piece of our plan for the foreseeable future.” But with the satellite service losing more than 3 million subscribers last year, according to MoffettNathanson, there may be a lot riding on the success of AT&T’s new streaming service.
For RCN Chicago, whether pay-TV shifts to streaming or not, the legacy cable company’s path ahead is clear.
“We’re a broadband company,” McKay said.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-01--$150K bond for driver in crash that sent flaming car off Interstate 57 onto Metra tracks

Washington got out of his car and walked away from the scene , authorities said .
He returned about 20 @ @ @ @ @ .
Prosecutors said a Breathalyzer showed a blood alcohol level of 0.143 % .
Authorities @ @ @ @ @ Hennessy cognac inside the car .

A Dekalb man out for drinks to celebrate his 25th birthday crashed his speeding car into another motorist, sending her flaming car over a concrete median on Interstate 57 and down onto Metra rail tracks, prosecutors said Sunday during the man’s bail hearing.
Tevin Washington is facing reckless homicide and aggravated DUI causing death or great bodily harm charges for the Friday morning crash near 138th Street in Posen that killed Stephanie Anselmo, 39.
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Authorities said Washington was driving about 85 mph in a 2016 white Dodge Challenger on southbound I-57 in the left lane just after 2 a.m. The posted speed limit was 55.
As Washington changed to the center lane behind Anselmo’s braking 1999 Silver Jeep SUV, his vehicle crashed into the rear of the Jeep, causing it to burst into flames and go over the concrete barrier, prosecutors said.
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Surveillance video captured the airborne vehicle plunging down onto railroad tracks and burning, authorities said. Anselmo was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy showed that Anselmo suffered a broken pelvic bone and femur, as well as burns, according to prosecutors.
Washington got out of his car and walked away from the scene, authorities said. He returned about 20 minutes later and was arrested. Prosecutors said a Breathalyzer showed a blood alcohol level of 0.143%. Authorities also found a bottle of Hennessy cognac inside the car.
Washington, who was driving on a suspended license, had spent the evening at Darrin’s Cocktail Lounge in the city’s Calumet Heights neighborhood celebrating his birthday, prosecutors said. Washington had five prior speeding offenses, prosecutors said.
Circuit Judge David R. Navarro set a $150,000 bond for Washington. Relatives for Anselmo couldn’t be reached for comment Sunday night, but a GoFundMe described her as a married mother of a son.
wlee@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-01--Man, 19, shot after firing at police, authorities say

The man continued to flee on foot but was found a short time later hiding near a home in the @ @ @ @ @ Avenue , Waller said .
Officers began using their medical training and their first aid @ @ @ @ @ before an ambulance arrived .

Police work the scene where a 19-year-old man was shot by police after firing at two officers near West 21st Street and South California Avenue on March 1, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police say they shot and wounded a man Sunday afternoon after a brief exchange of gunfire near a busy stretch of the Little Village neighborhood on the city’s West Side.
Shots fired at CPD officers during an encounter. Officers return fire, striking an offender. 2728 W 21ST STREET. PIO en route and additional information will follow. #CPDMediaCar pic.twitter.com/K2UaMjHENS — Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) March 1, 2020
At the scene, Chief of Patrol Fred Waller told reporters that police began following the suspect about 3 p.m. near West 21st Street and South Washtenaw Avenue. The man appeared to be carrying a gun, Waller said.
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“He was walking in a suspicious manner, holding his side. Officers thought he had a weapon, which he did. The weapon was recovered,” Waller said.
Police involved shooting on California Ave. https://t.co/zyYobQpn1I — Will Lee (@MidnoirCowboy) March 2, 2020
Police began chasing after the man, who Waller said fired “numerous rounds” at officers. Officers returned fire and struck the suspect twice, once in the shoulder and once in the leg, according to police.
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The man continued to flee on foot but was found a short time later hiding near a home in the 2100 block of South California Avenue, Waller said. Officers began using their medical training and their first aid kits to stabilize the man before an ambulance arrived.
No officers were injured in the gunfire, according to police.
The man was in critical but stable condition at an area hospital, Waller said.
The man has an extensive criminal background, Waller said.
Traffic along South California Avenue, between the Pink Line station and Cermak Road, was shut down for several hours as detectives and evidence technicians retraced the path of the shooting.
According to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford, a 19-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
The shooting comes two days after a man was shot by police at a Red Line station.
Two officers assigned to the mass transit unit tried to stop the man, whom they saw “jumping from train (car) to train (car),” which is a violation of a city ordinance, Deputy Superintendent Barbara West said at a Friday night news conference.
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Chief of Patrol Fred Waller talks with members of the press at the scene where a 19-year-old man was shot by police after firing at two officers near West 21st Street and South California Avenue on March 1, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Video of the struggle at the Grand Avenue Red Line station quickly went viral after it appeared to show the officers struggle to handcuff a man while one of them repeatedly yelled “stop resisting” and then “shoot him.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the video “extremely disturbing.” Cook County prosecutors on Sunday dropped criminal charges against the man, who remained hospitalized Sunday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Chicago Tribune’s Morgan Greene contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-03-01--‘He’s going to be the next Mike Trout’: Luis Robert draws high praise from White Sox teammate Eloy J

‘He’s going to be the next Mike Trout’: Luis Robert draws high praise from White Sox teammate Eloy Jimenez

“ ( Grandal will ) be catching probably three innings and getting some at-bats to see if we can get @ @ @ @ @ box , ” Renteria said .
“ We ’ ll be able to control that @ @ @ @ @ out of catching , we ’ ll probably lead him off every inning to see @ @ @ @ @ out of that .
”

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The power potential of the White Sox was on display Saturday at Surprise Stadium.
First, left fielder Eloy Jimenez hit a two-run home run to right-center in the second inning against the Rangers. Two innings later, center fielder Luis Robert connected for a solo homer to left-center.
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Jimenez suggested it’s a sign of things to come.
“You’re going to see that a lot this year,” Jimenez said Sunday at Camelback Ranch. “It’s going to be fun.”
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Jimenez, 23, led American League rookies with 31 home runs in 2019. Robert, 22, hit a combined 32 homers at three minor-league levels.
“Every time I hit a home run, it’s important,” Robert said through an interpreter, “and that was good because I was able to get a home run in the same game as Eloy. ... It was fun.”
Jimenez and Robert didn’t play Sunday against the Angels in Tempe. But Jimenez sees similarities between Robert and Angels superstar center fielder Mike Trout.
“He’s really good,” Jimenez said of Robert. “He’s been working really hard. Like I’ve said before, he’s going to be the next Mike Trout.
“He knows how to handle (high expectations). I don’t really help him with that; he just comes up with that. That’s why I say he’s a really good player and he can be the next Mike Trout, because he can handle everything.”
Jimenez doesn’t feel he’s adding too much pressure on Robert with that comparison.
“I’m just saying I know he’s going to do it because the work he does every single day,” Jimenez said. “I don’t think he has pressure on him because he’s got me, he’s got (Jose Abreu), he’s got (Yoan) Moncada, so he’s going to be fine.”
While Trout didn’t come up, Robert did address how he’s dealing with high expectations.
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“I know that everybody is looking at me,” he said. “They’ve been doing that before I even signed this last contract. It’s not anything different. I just have to put my focus on the game.”
Jimenez didn’t have a player comparison for himself. But he said he’s feeling “really good” about his approach at the plate.
“I’m getting more comfortable,” he said. “That’s what I want to feel when I get to the plate when I play those games. Don’t try to do too much, just try to feel myself again and (be) ready to go.”
Edwin Encarnacion and Yasmani Grandal nearing action
Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (back stiffness) is likely to return Tuesday against the Athletics, manager Rick Renteria said. Encarnacion was a late scratch Thursday against the Mariners and has not played since.
Catcher Yasmani Grandal (left calf strain) is in line to play in a B-game Wednesday against the Reds.
“(Grandal will) be catching probably three innings and getting some at-bats to see if we can get some breaks out of the box,” Renteria said. “We’ll be able to control that, so after he comes out of catching, we’ll probably lead him off every inning to see if we can get something out of that.”
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Andrew Vaughn and Nick Madrigal produce
Andrew Vaughn and Nick Madrigal, the Nos. 2 and 4 prospects in the organization, each went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday’s 8-7 victory against the Angels. Madrigal knocked in a run with a single in the eight-run fourth. Vaughn’s RBI came on a groundout in the fourth, and he singled in the sixth.
Most of the regulars did not play. Starting right fielder Nomar Mazara went 1-for-2 with a single, an RBI and a walk.


chicagotribune--2020-03-01--Watch live: Pete Buttigieg speaks in South Bend amid reports he is ending his presidential campaign

Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is ending his presidential campaign , sources with knowledge of the decision told The @ @ @ @ @ s campaign said he will speak Sunday night in South Bend .
Watch live below @

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chicagotribune--2020-03-01--4 takeaways from Cubs spring training, including Jon Lester slowing opponents’ running game and pros

4 takeaways from Cubs spring training, including Jon Lester slowing opponents’ running game and prospect Manuel Rodriguez leaving with an arm injury

“ When you ’ re not good at one thing , you have to be good at another , ” @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve really worked hard at that , to be efficient to the plate .
@ @ @ @ @ talent like Willie and the arm he has , it ’ s just a matter @ @ @ @ @ him with the ball in the air and I like our chances .
”

MESA, Ariz. — Here are four takeaways from Cubs spring training Sunday.
1. Jon Lester continues to stymie opponents’ running game.
Lester has come a long way since 2015, when opponents stole 44 bases against him in 55 attempts.
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That number has steadily declined, with only 10 stolen bases against Lester in 16 attempts in 2019, and catcher Willson Contreras nailed J.P. Crawford and speedy Mallex Smith of the Mariners on Sunday.
“When you’re not good at one thing, you have to be good at another,” Lester said. “We’ve really worked hard at that, to be efficient to the plate. And anytime you have a talent like Willie and the arm he has, it’s just a matter of getting the ball to him with the ball in the air and I like our chances.”
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Lester believes opposing scouts have taken note of Contreras’ throwing ability, which allows pitchers to focus more on the batter with runners at first or second.
Lester threw three innings of one-hit ball and struck out four. He remained indifferent to when he would pitch in the opening three-game series against the Brewers.
“It wouldn’t surprise me to see Yu (Darvish) or Kyle (Hendricks),” Lester said of the opening-day assignment. “Kyle has been sneaky. He’s probably one of our best pitchers, if not our best pitcher, since I’ve been here. He lies in the shadows and comes out and deals for us.
“It’s a huge honor to pitch opening day. But as long as I have a spot in there, I don’t really care.”
2. Hard-throwing reliever Manuel Rodriguez leaves with an arm injury.
With a fastball clocked at 99 mph and improved control, Manuel Rodriguez has a chance to advance through the Cubs minor-league system quickly.
But that could hinge on test results after Rodriguez left Sunday’s game with right biceps discomfort following a pitch to Kyle Lewis. He will be re-evaluated Monday.
Rodriguez, 23, was making his third spring training appearance. He threw a breaking pitch high and out of the strike zone with one out in the sixth inning and wiggled his right hand before play stopped. He walked off the mound with a trainer.
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Rodriguez was added to the 40-man roster Nov. 20 after striking out 65 in 47 innings at Class A Myrtle Beach. He posted a 1.96 ERA in 17 games in the second half, striking out 33 and walking only six while limiting opponents to a .212 batting average.
3. Competition for playing time in center field is tight.
Wade Miley of the Reds and Steven Brault of the Pirates are the only left-handed starting pitchers the Cubs face in the National League Central, which wouldn’t appear to bode well for Albert Almora Jr.’s playing time.
But Almora continues to make the most of opportunities with the help of a new swing. He ripped a home run in the fourth inning and is batting .583 (7-for-12) with two homers and six RBIs.
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Manager David Ross would like to keep Jason Heyward in right field, partly to give Almora and switch hitter Ian Happ plenty of chances to win the center-field job.
Happ is batting .364 (4-for-11) with one double.
4. Dillon Maples will make his spring debut soon.
David Ross said reliever Dillon Maples has a shot to make the opening-day roster despite not appearing in a spring training game.
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“He’s got really great stuff, one of best breaking balls in our organization,” Ross said after Maples threw his second live batting-practice session. “He’s looked pretty good so far, attacking the zone, and he’s got some really nasty stuff when he commands it well.”
Maples’ 98 mph fastball and knee-buckling curve have paralyzed hitters on occasion, but bouts of wildness have hampered him.
Maples, 27, has struck out 38 but has allowed 21 walks and 19 hits in 29 appearances over parts of three major-league seasons. He has one minor-league option left.
The Cubs also are taking a deliberate approach with left-hander Danny Hultzen, who has battled arm injuries throughout his career.


chicagotribune--2020-03-01--Ayo Dosunmu’s 3-pointer and Andres Feliz’s late steal preserve Illinois’ 67-66 victory over Indiana,

Ayo Dosunmu’s 3-pointer and Andres Feliz’s late steal preserve Illinois’ 67-66 victory over Indiana, the Illini’s 20th win and 4th in a row

It was a physical and close game from the opening tip .
Indiana ’ s largest lead was five points @ @ @ @ @ seven .
The score was tied at 36 at halftime , and the Illini needed @ @ @ @ @ in the second half to pull ahead .

CHAMPAIGN — Ayo Dosunmu is becoming legendary at Illinois for his hustle, talent and an intangible yet reliable ability to take over a game and win it in the final seconds.
The sophomore guard added another chapter Sunday, scoring a game-high 17 points, including a key 3-pointer down the stretch, to lead the Illini over Indiana 67-66.
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“He’s amazing,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood. “I’m blessed to have guys like Ayo and Kofi (Cockburn). Ayo did that in high school. He’s confident and a winner, period.”
Dosunmu’s 3-pointer with 1 minute, 28 seconds remaining put Illinois (20-9, 12-6 Big Ten) up 65-60. Rob Phinisee hit a 3 with 1:14 left to pull Indiana (18-11, 8-10) within two.
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After Da’Monte Williams missed the front end of a one-and-one for Illinois and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis missed a pair of free throws but got his own rebound, Illini guard Andres Feliz ripped the ball away from Phinisee and called a timeout with 13 seconds left.
Dosunmu was fouled and hit both free throws to make the score 67-63. Phinisee hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final score.
“I’m pretty confident and I put the work in,” Dosunmu said. “So when the time comes, I can take the right shot.”
Asked whether he used to envision himself winning games at the last second when he was younger, Dosunmu laughed.
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “I mean, I think probably most ballers do that. I know I did.”
Feliz scored 15 for Illinois, and Cockburn added 15 points and six blocked shots.
Aljami Durham led Indiana with 13 points. Jackson-Davis had 12 points and 12 rebounds, Devonte Green added 11 points and Phinisee scored 10.
It was a physical and close game from the opening tip. Indiana’s largest lead was five points, while Illinois’ was seven. The score was tied at 36 at halftime, and the Illini needed runs of 7-0 and 9-0 in the second half to pull ahead.
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“That was a good win for Illinois,” Indiana coach Archie Miller said. “I have to give our guys credit, too, for playing hard and giving us a chance to win it at the end.”
The Illini got a boost from sophomore forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili, the fan favorite who has struggled to score or contribute at all the last couple of months. He lost his starting role and now backs up Cockburn in the post.
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But the 6-foot-9 Bezhanishvili played a smart game Sunday, scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds, and his coach noticed.
“Giorgi was more confident today,” Underwood said. “I’m really proud of Giorgi. No one works harder than he does. I need to quit talking about him or I’m going to get emotional. He’s just a really good kid.”
The Illini pulled into a tie for second place with Michigan State in the conference with two games left. They visit Ohio State on Thursday and finish the regular season at home against Iowa next Sunday. The top four teams in the Big Ten will receive a double bye in the conference tournament.
Underwood saw a lot he liked going into the final week of the regular season.
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“That was a great Big Ten basketball game,” he said. “It’s March now. You get beat, you go home. This right here is why you work and sweat so much back in July. To get to this point makes it all worthwhile.”
Underwood understands his team is talented and stands a real chance of going deep into the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re in a really, really good place right now,” he said. “And it’s not even the plays on the floor or the talent. It’s those guys in the locker room. If the locker room isn’t right, you’re not going to win. It’s all about character first, and that helps build the culture of winning.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Kyle Hendricks pitches 3 perfect innings as the Cubs beat the Angels 9-4 in Joe Maddon’s return to M

Kyle Hendricks pitches 3 perfect innings as the Cubs beat the Angels 9-4 in Joe Maddon’s return to Mesa

“ It would be awesome one day to get it .
It ’ s just one of those things to @ @ @ @ @ start .
But that ’ s all it would really mean to me .
”

While Joe Maddon received a hero’s welcome Monday in his return to Sloan Park, Kyle Hendricks was all business as he pitched three scoreless innings and the Cubs pulled away for a 9-4 victory over the Angels before 10,386 fans.
Maddon, who managed the Cubs to the 2016 World Series title and three National League Championship Series appearances in five seasons, was greeted warmly by his former coaches and players before the game.
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Hendricks then took over, needing only 38 pitches to retire all nine batters he faced. He threw an additional 10 pitches in the bullpen afterward to increase his pitch count.
“It was a fun game overall, but it was good to get my work in and what I needed to get done,” said Hendricks, who was pleased with the effectiveness of his changeup.
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Hendricks was pleased to hear teammate Jon Lester considers him a candidate for the March 26 opening-day assignment against the Brewers.
“There are so many options for that start,” Hendricks said. “It’s definitely an honor. I hope Yu (Darvish) gets it. He pitched well at the end of last year.
“It would be awesome one day to get it. It’s just one of those things to say you had an opening-day start. But that’s all it would really mean to me.”
Ian Happ continued his mission to win the leadoff role by homering in the third. Happ is 5-for-13 (.385) with six RBIs.
Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run double to highlight a five-run sixth.
The Cubs travel to Scottsdale to face the Rockies on Tuesday. Jose Quintana will make his exhibition debut against Ashton Goudeau.


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Family of man shot by Chicago police at CTA station seeks help on GoFundMe as investigation continue

Family of man shot by Chicago police at CTA station seeks help on GoFundMe as investigation continues

“ My brother is not perfect , but then again , none of us are , ” the family of @ @ @ @ @ page .
“ He has had some ups and downs in his life , but @ @ @ @ @ heart you ’ ll ever find in this world .
Family is everything to him @ @ @ @ @ people laugh .
He dislikes injustice , and he is the kind of person who @ @ @ @ @ up a fight or defend someone else , even if they are a stranger .
@

Police officers put up crime scene tape at the corner of Grand Avenue and State Street above the CTA Red Line Grand station on Feb. 28, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Days after an unarmed man was shot and seriously wounded by Chicago police during a struggle at a busy CTA Red Line station, his family described him in a public posting as someone who “has had some ups and downs in his life” and “dislikes injustice”
“My brother is not perfect, but then again, none of us are,” the family of 33-year-old Ariel Roman wrote on a GoFundMe page they have set up. “He has had some ups and downs in his life, but he has the kindest selfless heart you’ll ever find in this world. Family is everything to him. He loves to make people laugh. He dislikes injustice, and he is the kind of person who will step in and break up a fight or defend someone else, even if they are a stranger.”
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The shooting happened just after 4 p.m. Friday as afternoon rush hour was underway at the Grand Red Line station, 521 N. State St., just north of the Loop. Two officers assigned to the mass transit unit tried to stop a man they saw “jumping from train (car) to train (car)," which violates a city ordinance.
Ariel Roman in an undated photo. Roman was shot and wounded by Chicago police during a struggle at a busy CTA Red Line station. (HANDOUT)
The officers chased the man onto the platform, leading to a struggle, police said. The two officers deployed their Tasers, according to CPD’s version of events, and then one of the officers opened fire, striking the man twice. Some of the confrontation was recorded on a video that has been widely circulated on social media.
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Roman was shot in the buttocks and in the abdomen, and was expected to undergo multiple surgeries, said Gloria Schmidt, an attorney representing the family.
On the GoFundMe page, the family said they don’t expect Roman will be able to return to his job as a cook soon and he doesn’t have health insurance.
“As a family, we are rich in our values and love but we are of meager financial resources,” the family wrote. “I am confident his spirit will fully recover from this incident, but I know it will be a struggle for his body to do the same.”
Roman doesn’t have children, but he is close to his 5-year-old nephew, the page said. One photo the family posted shows the man smiling as he lifts a small boy seated on a tricycle. Another photo shows him posing with a dog.
Members of the family, some of whom live near the Red Line Granville station in Edgewater Beach, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Chicago police have turned over the investigation to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, which is working with the FBI. The state’s attorney’s office declined to comment Monday afternoon.
The Chicago Police Department on Monday had not taken any action against the officers involved in the shooting, pending the outcome of the investigation from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, said Anthony Guglielmi, police spokesman.
“We are cooperating and fully supporting the investigation,” he said by phone.
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On Sunday, Cook County prosecutors dropped criminal charges against Roman stemming from the incident. In a statement, police said interim Superintendent Charlie Beck asked Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to drop the resisting arrest and narcotics charges against him.
Chicago police did not recover a weapon at the scene Friday, Guglielmi said.
The shooting took place the same day Chicago police unveiled a new plan to increase the number of officers patrolling the CTA’s rail system in response to a spike in crime. The department announced it will add 50 more patrol officers to the unit that patrols the “L,” bringing the total to 250.
In a first for the department, each transit unit officer will be equipped with tracking devices to better monitor and adjust how they’re deployed.
Guglielmi said the department doesn’t plan to adjust its plans in light of Friday’s shooting.
emalagon@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Dallas Keuchel goes 4 innings in his 1st spring training start with the White Sox: ‘I feel ahead of

Dallas Keuchel goes 4 innings in his 1st spring training start with the White Sox: ‘I feel ahead of schedule’

“ I was trying to get early contact , ” he said .
“ A few at-bats were a lot @ @ @ @ @ liked , but the first couple starts , it ’ s really working on stuff @ @ @ @ @ few hits to lefties , but I ’ m working on off-speed command , trying @ @ @ @ @ .
Last year I didn ’ t really have a breaking ball to lefties , @ @ @ @ @ attack inside with my two-seam and changeup .
So when the time comes , it @ @ @ @ @

GLENDALE, Ariz. — When Dallas Keuchel made his first spring training start for the White Sox on Monday, he was throwing to a familiar target. Keuchel and catcher James McCann were college teammates at Arkansas in 2009.
“We’ve officially got the band back together after an 11-year hiatus,” Keuchel said with a laugh.
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Keuchel allowed one run on six hits in four innings against the Padres at Camelback Ranch. He struck out one and recorded nine outs via grounders, including one double play.
“I thought it went pretty well,” Keuchel said. “It was nice to get up and down four times and really tax myself there for 50 pitches. It beats throwing a back-field game, that’s for sure.”
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Keuchel said he wanted to work on fastball command.
“It wasn’t the best, but for the first spring training start, it was pretty good,” he said. “So now we’ll go from there and hopefully clean up some things in the next four or five starts and see where we’re at.”
Manager Rick Renteria said before the game the target would be to get Keuchel “up and down at least a couple of times, maybe three.”
Keuchel got to go four innings but didn’t necessarily feel like he surpassed expectations in his first spring training game since 2018 with the Astros.
He was still a free agent at this time last year, eventually signing with the Braves in June. He did not have a traditional spring training.
“I’ve been saying all spring that I felt ahead of schedule physically and mentally,” Keuchel said. “That’s a huge sign for me, especially the last couple of years, not having spring training last year and getting my body healthy from the previous two seasons with missing time through various injuries. But all in all, I feel ahead of schedule.
“I wasn’t really aiming at a certain inning or certain pitch. It was kind of go out there and see how I feel.”
The Padres scored their run in the first. Abraham Almonte led off with a double to left and moved to third when Greg Garcia grounded out to shortstop Tim Anderson. Brian Dozier followed with a single to center.
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Keuchel struck out Dozier to end the third. All three outs in the fourth were on grounders.
“The infield defense was great,” Keuchel said. “It’s still spring training for some of the defensive alignments, coaching-wise and analytical people, so I’m sure we’ll have a sit-down talk with a couple of guys. But I was happy to see the ball on the ground.”
Keuchel said it was nice to work with McCann again.
“He’s always been such a quality defensive guy,” Keuchel said. “And it was nice to see him put the offensive numbers together last year with his All-Star campaign. It felt like old times. We’re going to have a good, hopefully, three, four, five years together.”
Dallas Keuchel on the mound. White Sox. Padres. Soon. pic.twitter.com/b4HSeTMdZP — LaMond Pope (@lamondpope) March 2, 2020
The Sox signed Keuchel to a three-year, $55.5 million deal in the offseason. The 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner will be slotted near the front of the rotation.
The Sox also anticipate Keuchel will make an impact in the clubhouse with the young rotation. Even a veteran pitcher such as Gio Gonzalez feels like he’s benefiting.
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“He’s the old-school mentality that I grew up on, that I loved and watched,” Gonzalez said. “A guy that hits his spot and didn’t miss. He’s a perfectionist. You admire that. I couldn’t be more fortunate to have a guy like him in my corner.”
Keuchel saw Monday as a positive step.
“I was trying to get early contact,” he said. “A few at-bats were a lot longer than I would have liked, but the first couple starts, it’s really working on stuff. I gave up a few hits to lefties, but I’m working on off-speed command, trying to get better at that. Last year I didn’t really have a breaking ball to lefties, but I know I can attack inside with my two-seam and changeup. So when the time comes, it’ll be there.
“But these stats don’t count. And that’s a nice feeling, but competition always brings out the best in you and you want to do as well as you possibly can. But you’ve still got to work on certain things, and breaking-ball command was one of them. I’ll take today.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Housewares association cancels annual March trade show at Chicago’s McCormick Place amid coronavirus

Housewares association cancels annual March trade show at Chicago’s McCormick Place amid coronavirus outbreak

“ For the last several weeks , we have been watching this situation very carefully , with our primary concern @ @ @ @ @ of the home + housewares industry , ” said Derek Miller , housewares association president @ @ @ @ @ “ The IHA Board of Directors made this decision after consulting with industry constituents including @ @ @ @ @ the end , the global nature of our event , combined with the worldwide concern @ @ @ @ @ ongoing travel restrictions make it impossible for us to hold The Inspired Home Show next @ @ @

People walk in between the booths at the International Housewares Show at McCormick Place in Chicago on March 9, 2015. The 2020 show has been canceled. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
A March trade show expected to bring 60,000 people to Chicago’s McCormick Place — as well as the city’s hotels and restaurants — has been canceled amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The International Housewares Association on Monday announced the decision to cancel the annual trade-only event, The Inspired Home Show, which was scheduled for March 14-17 and was expected to attract 2,200 exhibitors from 45 countries. The show was expected to bring $77 million in spending to Chicago, including on hotels, restaurants, transportation and entertainment, said association spokesman Leana Salamah.
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It is the first major trade show in Chicago to be canceled as reports of coronavirus cases spread around the U.S. Virus concerns also have canceled industry events in Denver and Houston, as large companies opt out of even domestic events.
It was estimated the Inspired Home Show was responsible for 47,155 hotel room nights that would have been used during the show, McCormick Place spokeswoman Cynthia McCafferty said.
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Several other groups are monitoring the outbreak, but none have announced cancellations for upcoming events scheduled at McCormick Place. Colorado Springs-based USA Volleyball said it plans to host the Adidas Windy City National Qualifier from April 10-12, which is expected to attract 63,000 people.
“In analyzing all of the data, USA Volleyball has determined that it would be premature to cancel our tournaments at this time as the risk is still very low in the United States,” USA Volleyball CEO Jamie Davis said in a statement.
The Sweets & Snacks Expo, expected to bring 16,750 attendees to Chicago in May, is following guidelines from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Last month, the expo announced Chinese companies would not attend the event.
McCormick Place is stepping up its cleaning and safety standards through public spaces, McCafferty said.
[ Canceled International Housewares Association show puts a dent in revenue for charities ]
Natural Products Expo West, a food show set to start this week in Anaheim, Calif., announced Tuesday that it would be postponed, with a new date announced by mid-April, after dozens of companies including Kraft Heinz, which is co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh, pulled out. The event was expecting to draw 86,000 people and 3,600 exhibitors.
“It is now clear, despite continued advice from local government and health authorities that the City of Anaheim remains open, that the majority of our Community want the show, but they do not want it now,” organizer New Hope Network said in a posting on its website.
Some 600 exhibitors had dropped out of The Inspired Home Show over health concerns, according to the housewares association. The show will not be rescheduled.
“For the last several weeks, we have been watching this situation very carefully, with our primary concern being the safety and well-being of the home + housewares industry,” said Derek Miller, housewares association president, in a statement. “The IHA Board of Directors made this decision after consulting with industry constituents including exhibitors and retailers. In the end, the global nature of our event, combined with the worldwide concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak and ongoing travel restrictions make it impossible for us to hold The Inspired Home Show next week.”
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 70 Men take part in a Friday prayer on May 15, 2020 at the Tahara mosque in Marseille southern France, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as France eases lockdown measures. (Clement Mahoudeau/Getty-AFP)
The Rosemont-based association spent the last month planning precautionary measures like offering pocket-sized bottles of hand sanitizer to attendees and warning those coming from China they may be denied entry into the U.S. The trade group said it will determine the financial impact on the industry and the association. The group will provide more information about refunds to exhibitors at a later time, spokeswoman Debbie Teschke said.
Last month, the Inspired Home show scrapped one of its five expos because of travel limitations tied to the viral outbreak, known as COVID-19. After consulting with Chinese organizers and exhibitors, the association decided not to include an International Sourcing Expo, where Chinese companies showcase various products like dishes, flatware and other household products.
PittCon, an annual convention for laboratory sciences, is being held at McCormick Place this week through Thursday. Attendance at the event is lower due to coronavirus travel restrictions from certain countries, said Rocco Pacella, head of marketing for PittCon. Nearly a fifth of participants travel from abroad, with the biggest international contingent from China.
Organizers had long conversations about whether to move forward with the conference for fear it would be disrespectful to those who couldn’t attend, but “we found they were completely fine with it,” Pacella said. Chinese lecturers who were scheduled to present at the conference have given permission to U.S. colleagues to deliver their presentations for them.
Still, program attendance has dipped and the absence of key lecturers is disappointing to those who rely on the event to exchange ideas, Pacella said.
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“To not have them here is certainly affecting us in more ways than just attendance numbers,” Pacella said. The convention usually draws 10,000 to 12,000 people, he said. Organizers are still determining turnout for this year.
Chicago was counting on a big convention year to boost tourism. There are 38 citywide conventions scheduled this year and expected to draw nearly 1.26 million attendees, a projected 10% increase over last year, according to David Whitaker, president and CEO of Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of questions about coronavirus,” Whitaker said Monday before the home show cancellation.
Nine major conventions are scheduled in the next 90 days, representing about 180,000 attendees, Whitaker said. The loss of the Inspired Home Show reduces that total by nearly a third. Choose Chicago estimated the economic impact of those shows at $460 million, including the cancelled home show.
Anywhere from 2% to 15% of those attending the next nine conventions are coming from outside the U.S., adding a degree of “uncertainty,” Whitaker said.
Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels said Monday it had withdrawn its 2020 financial outlook and earnings as temporary travel restrictions implemented by countries and companies affect the hotel chain.
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In recent years, several major conventions have been on a biennial cycle, making even years stronger than odd. Most notable is the International Manufacturing Technology Show, the city’s largest trade show, which in 2018 brought more than 129,000 attendees to Chicago. This year’s show is scheduled for September.
“Any group that is heavily dependent on international travel may be vulnerable,” Whitaker said. “We’re just going to have to continue to monitor it.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Column: Kris Bryant says the Cubs couldn’t have won the World Series without Joe Maddon. So why did

Column: Kris Bryant says the Cubs couldn’t have won the World Series without Joe Maddon. So why did Joe have to go?

“ Listen , I like change , but it ’ s got to be for all the right reasons .
@ @ @ @ @ the whole group understood it was time to do something different for both of us @ @ @ @ @ been a better candidate available than David .
”

MESA, Ariz. — Like almost every reunion these days in professional sports, Joe Maddon’s return to Sloan Park on Monday afternoon was filled with hugs, laughter and a little revisionist history.
The past always seems perfect when you’re looking back at good times with a bit of distance in between, especially when you’ve landed a new job in paradise.
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But if everything really was as great as Cubs players and Maddon insisted before Monday’s Cubs-Angels game in Mesa, then why did Maddon have to go?
After all, third baseman Kris Bryant said the Cubs never would’ve won their 2016 championship with anyone else at the helm.
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“He was the absolutely the perfect guy for that job for that time,” Bryant said. “And if he wasn’t here, I don’t think we would have been able to do it. Not at all.”
“Sweet,” Maddon replied when informed of Bryant’s assessment. “We would not have won without him being there either.”
Everyone laughed, and it seemed like old times for a minute.
It was a veritable lovefest at Sloan Park, as expected, when Maddon rolled in, followed by ESPN reporter Jesse Rogers and a camera crew recording his every step.
Cubs fans cheered as Maddon walked down the left-field line and again when he entered the Angels dugout. Players lined up to exchange hugs with Maddon and former Cubs coaches Brian Butterfield, John Mallee and Tim Buss.
Buss, who was the Cubs strength coach, is now a quality assurance coach with the Angels, whatever that means.
“Something is assured,” Buss said. “I don’t know if it’s quality.”
Maddon didn’t have to defend his methodology when he helped bring the Cubs off the mat in 2015, or when they won the World Series in 2016, or even after they lost to the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series in 2017.
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But Cubs President Theo Epstein deemed that same methodology insufficient after a late-season letdown and quick playoff exit in 2018, and the writing was on the wall after that, making the 2019 season a long countdown to Maddon’s inevitable exit on the final day.
Epstein said afterward simply that change sometimes is needed. Maddon went along with the narrative for a while, at least until an ESPN.com interview before spring training in which he referred to the front office as “controlling.”
Maddon said Monday he didn’t “take it personally” when the Cubs told him they needed a new voice, which turned out to be an old voice in a new role after they hired David Ross.
“I know the way it’s presented,” Maddon said. “I understand that. I understand where the boys are coming from.
“Listen, I like change, but it’s got to be for all the right reasons. The fact that Theo and the whole group understood it was time to do something different for both of us, there could not have been a better candidate available than David.”
The Cubs felt Ross would bring a new energy and a commitment to detail in fundamentals that was lacking in 2019. So far in camp, Ross has done just that.
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Whether Maddon was unfairly blamed for the sloppiness is debatable, but he was the manager and the buck traditionally stops there.
Maddon said he didn’t care to relitigate the reasons for what went wrong, and he compared his relationship with Epstein to an amicable divorce.
“Stuff happens along the way where you have internal discussions,” he said. “And then eventually it might be best to (part). But you can still be friends with your former partner.
“There is nothing adversarial. I just texted Theo and I called him a couple days ago. We’re going to try to get together, have a beer and talk more about it. It’s just the (way) of the world today where everybody is looking for (something) adversarial.
“It was a great moment. We did wonderfully together. It was a great marriage, a great union, and I’m grateful for it.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 170 Cubs manager Joe Maddon wears a smile on his face prior to a game against the Reds at Wrigley Field on Sept. 17, 2019. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
But you did call the front office “controlling” recently, I reminded Maddon.
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“OK, if I said that, that’s still not being adversarial,” he replied. “That’s just the methodology. What I mean by that, there is more information and more want from upstairs to downstairs. And I’m not saying that was wrong. It’s not my baby. It is in the dugout.
“But overall I’ve always learned to play well in the sandbox with the people I’m working with. I think that’s my minor-league training. But if you’ve asked me the question, that’s the answer. It’s true. But I’m not saying it was wrong (to be controlling).”
Whatever happened, Maddon soon took his act to Anaheim, where no one is telling him to learn the millennials’ way of doing things or making him set his lineups three days in advance.
The fun is back too. Maddon invited Charles Barkley to come talk to his players Monday. Asked what he likes about Maddon, Barkley said: “I like his leadership style. I like his personality more. And we both hate analytics.”
California is a state of mind that suits Maddon to a T, and he has turned camp into a daily show, just as he did with the Rays and Cubs. He gave Buss free rein to do his shtick, giving the Angels a chance to share some belly laughs before the long grind begins on opening day.
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Buss, like Maddon, also was let go for dubious reasons.
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“It broke his heart that he had to go,” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “He’s a pro. He gets it. He gets the grind of this game with the best of them. In this game you’re very, very lucky to call people your true friend, and Bussie is one of my true friends and I’m grateful for it.”
Rizzo may be close friends with Ross, but he and the others have a “forever bond” with the manager who taught them how to win together. Maddon was touched that Rizzo’s parents came to see him at an Angels-Giants game Saturday in Scottsdale, where Rizzo’s dad brought him some albums for his classic rock collection.
“That’s really considerate,” Maddon said. “That’s the kind of stuff that, if that happens, you know you might’ve done something right.”
Maddon wasn’t a perfect manager, but he did a lot of things right in Chicago and certainly deserved a better fate.
He said he won’t truly feel closure until he’s back managing a game at Wrigley Field, which could happen in 2020 only in a Cubs-Angels World Series. That seems unlikely, so we’ll probably have to treasure the memories of a time unlike any other in Cubs history.
“Nothing to lament,” Maddon said. “It was wonderful. It was life-altering for me and my family to be part of this organization, the way I was treated. … Hopefully I left something for the organization too.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--We taste the new Wendy’s Breakfast Baconator. How does it stack up against the Egg McMuffin?

The Breakfast Baconator borrows its bacon identity from the Baconator burger , but not much more .
The original includes @ @ @ @ @ , American cheese and six strips of fried cured pork .
Its morning cousin swaps @ @ @ @ @ grilled sausage patty and a fried egg plus a Swiss cheese sauce that I could @ @ @ @ @ more than mayo .
Overall the Breakfast Baconator sinks like a salty gut bomb with @ @ @ @ @ colors spanning a fatty sunrise , from fleshy pink to chewy coral to crispy brown @ @ @ @ @ s even bother to pit it against the Egg McMuffin ?
They ’ re completely @ @ @ @ @ opposite ends of the breakfast sandwich spectrum .

Wendy’s launched a new breakfast menu Monday morning, deploying a Breakfast Baconator against the iconic McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. Veterans of the fast food wars know the battle for breakfast has seen some of the most spectacular skirmishes, with McDonald’s concession to serve the meal all-day in 2015. But how do such new Wendy’s items as the bacon, fried chicken biscuit, and croissant sandwiches stack up? What about that Frosty-ccino? And where are the hash browns?
We tasted the nine new breakfast sandwiches starring on the Wendy’s menu, plus the chocolate iced coffee and the potato side. Here’s what we thought about the most talked about items.
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The Breakfast Baconator borrows its bacon identity from the Baconator burger, but not much more. The original includes two quarter pound beef patties, American cheese and six strips of fried cured pork. Its morning cousin swaps the beef for a spongy, grilled sausage patty and a fried egg plus a Swiss cheese sauce that I could’ve sworn was nothing more than mayo. Overall the Breakfast Baconator sinks like a salty gut bomb with bacon cooked inconsistently, its colors spanning a fatty sunrise, from fleshy pink to chewy coral to crispy brown. Why would Wendy’s even bother to pit it against the Egg McMuffin? They’re completely different categories that appeal to opposite ends of the breakfast sandwich spectrum.
Wendy’s claims to freshly crack eggs for their breakfast sandwiches, which I couldn’t see to verify at the location I visited in the Kilbourn Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. They were all surprisingly impressive in the new sandwiches I tasted, cooked thoroughly, but with a thin, luscious orange yolk layer. McDonald’s take note, with your chalky yellow Egg McMuffin yolks.
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Honey butter chicken biscuit sandwich at Wendy's in Chicago on March 2, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
When you unwrap the honey butter chicken biscuit you may wonder what’s missing. A fluffy buttermilk biscuit does indeed hold a fried chicken fillet. A whiff of maple reminds you the menu photo showed a fluffy cloud of honey butter that’s melted into the crispy crust. Yes, it’s sweet and savory as promised, but was a hit of black pepper or even the option of hot sauce ever discussed?
Maple bacon chicken croissant sandwich at Wendy's in Chicago on March 2, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
If the Baconator, maple butter chicken and a Burger King Croissan’wich engaged in a three-parent breakfast baby experiment, then the maple bacon chicken croissant sandwich might be its progeny. Although we’re living in a golden age of croissants in Chicago, this bready mitt hearkens back to the Dark Ages.
Frosty-ccino chocolate coffee at Wendy's in Chicago on March 2, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
When Wendy’s first teased the return of its breakfast menu last fall, it was widely reported that the Frosty-ccino would be a version of its frozen dessert with coffee in it. If you, like me, envisioned a coffee-spiked Frosty with anticipation and delight, then brace yourself, because this watery facsimile of both won’t do it.
Seasoned potatoes breakfast side at Wendy's in Chicago on March 2, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
Forget about a breakfast take on Frosty and fries, a combination so classic that it was transformed by chef Phillip Foss at his fun fine dining restaurant El Ideas in Chicago. Forget about hash browns too, though I’ll concede the seasoned potatoes breakfast side stays crisp with a starchy crust hit with a touch of spice that’s missing in just about everything else.
Nine new breakfast sandwiches and more started Feb. 24, but officially launched March 2 at Wendy’s nationwide from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dining rooms don’t open until 9 a.m., so early birds can order at the drive-thru.


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Look up how many people in your town had their FOID cards revoked — and how many haven’t accounted f

Look up how many people in your town had their FOID cards revoked — and how many haven’t accounted for their guns

And as many as 36,600 weapons are unaccounted for , the data indicates , despite laws that require people who @ @ @ @ @ turn their guns in to police or transfer them to a legal owner .
Common @ @ @ @ @ domestic violence-related infractions , mental health concerns and felony convictions .
Data below is as @ @ @ @ @ and numbers are subject to change over time .

A Tribune analysis of updated Illinois State Police data shows that as many as 30,600 Illinoisans have failed to surrender or otherwise account for their guns after police stripped them of their firearm owner’s identification cards over the last five years.
And as many as 36,600 weapons are unaccounted for, the data indicates, despite laws that require people who lose their FOID cards to turn their guns in to police or transfer them to a legal owner. Common reasons for FOID revocations include domestic violence-related infractions, mental health concerns and felony convictions. Data below is as of Dec. 31, 2019, and numbers are subject to change over time.
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Read more: A man with a revoked gun license killed his 18-month-old son in Joliet. Here’s how he and thousands of others slipped through the system.
Don’t see the map and chart? That’s probably because you are on a custom link made for search or social platforms. Try this link.


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Lawyers for R. Kelly challenge New York charges that stem from 1943 law on sexually transmitted dise

Lawyers for R. Kelly challenge New York charges that stem from 1943 law on sexually transmitted diseases

That law dates to 1943 , and was intended to prevent the spread of syphilis and gonorrhea to members of @ @ @ @ @ II , according to a 2017 memo from the New York State Department of Health @ @ @ @ @ statute does not apply to people who know they are infected and reveal that information @ @ @ @ @ the memo states .

A courtroom sketch shows defense attorneys Ashley Cohen, from left, and Jennifer Bonjean with singer R. Kelly at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Sept. 14, 2022. (Cheryl Cook / Chicago Tribune)
Some of the federal charges against R. Kelly are based on an aging law that makes it illegal for people to have sex if they know they have a sexually transmitted infection — a law that is blatantly unconstitutional, the singer’s attorneys argued in a new filing Monday.
The charges in New York federal court that stem from that statute should be thrown out altogether, the new paperwork filed there states.
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Kelly was indicted last year in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on broad racketeering charges alleging he and his associates recruited women and underage girls for illegal sexual contact, then isolated and threatened them to keep them under control and prevent them from going to authorities.
It is the parts of the indictment that accuse Kelly of violating the New York public health statute that bans anyone from having sexual intercourse if they know they have an “infectious venereal disease” that the defense lawyers targeted.
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That law dates to 1943, and was intended to prevent the spread of syphilis and gonorrhea to members of the military during World War II, according to a 2017 memo from the New York State Department of Health. The department believes the statute does not apply to people who know they are infected and reveal that information to their sex partners, the memo states.
According to that law, “one’s disclosure that he/she has an STD is not enough, consent by one’s partner is not enough, and well-recognized protective steps are not enough,” Kelly’s filing states. “The law, as written, requires that one who has an STD engage in complete abstinence. That is not and cannot be constitutional.”
Kelly’s lawyers argue the law violates years of case law establishing the right to privacy.
“It makes it illegal to have private, consensual, sexual intercourse,” the filing states.
The federal charges do not reveal the names of Kelly’s accusers. But at least one woman, Faith Rodgers, has reportedly sued Kelly for sexually assaulting her and not disclosing that he had herpes — a potential violation of the New York law.
Kelly, 53, is in federal custody awaiting trial on the New York charges as well as a separate indictment brought by federal prosecutors in Chicago alleging the singer conspired with two former employees, Milton Brown and Derrel McDavid, to rig his 2008 child pornography trial in Cook County by paying off witnesses and victims to change their stories.
In addition, Kelly was charged in Cook County criminal court in February 2019 with four separate indictments accusing him of sexual misconduct over more than a decade. Three of those alleged victims were underage at the time.
If convicted in all jurisdictions, the embattled singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, could spend the rest of his life in prison.
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U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber in Chicago has set a tentative trial date in April. The New York case had been set to go to trial May 18, but the judge there moved it to July 7 to avoid conflicts.
A trial in Cook County is currently set for September.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--South Loop Elementary issues alert to keep marijuana-laced edibles out of school, leaving parents co

South Loop Elementary issues alert to keep marijuana-laced edibles out of school, leaving parents confused about acceptable snacks

Shelton clarified in a second email , stating : “ Students can have goldfish , popcorn , fruit , veggies @ @ @ @ @ etc .
While these snacks are also sold prepackaged , you may still send ( @ @ @ @ @ to school in zip-lock baggies .
You may also continue to send most of the @ @ @ @ @ already bringing to school such as cut-up fruit , veggies , sandwiches , pasta , @ @ @ @ @ never stated that you could no longer pack your student ’ s lunch .
”

South Loop Elementary School in Chicago has a new snack policy to keep edibles out of the school. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
In the wake of Illinois legalizing marijuana this year, South Loop Elementary School Principal Tara Shelton wanted to ensure parents and students were aware of what was getting packed in lunch boxes.
The school has long included a list of suggested healthy snacks in the parent handbook, Shelton said. But sometimes, she explained, parents either don’t follow the list or aren’t aware of what the handbook says. So she sent an email to parents reinforcing the food policy.
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And with Illinois hospitals seeing an uptick in weed-related visits — including children who accidentally ingest the drug — she added a note regarding items that could look like weed-infused edibles.
In her email, Shelton added that food for “lunch and snack time must be store bought.”
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Some parents said they were appalled by that email and “quickly expressed outrage,” to the point of starting a petition, according to reports from CBS Chicago. The policy made some parents feel they would have to change their routine by buying individually packaged snacks instead of buying in bulk and packing in storage bags, one parent told the news station.
Shelton clarified in a second email, stating: “Students can have goldfish, popcorn, fruit, veggies, chips, pretzels, etc. While these snacks are also sold prepackaged, you may still send (these) types of snacks to school in zip-lock baggies. You may also continue to send most of the food items your child is already bringing to school such as cut-up fruit, veggies, sandwiches, pasta, etc. The policy change never stated that you could no longer pack your student’s lunch.”
In the second email, Shelton “was trying to clarify,” she said, “not concede.”
“I was just a little worried for kids bringing look-alike snacks accidentally,” said Shelton. “It had nothing to do with the food (families) cooked, and was about anything that was sweets-related.”
Some parents said they were glad the school was on top of tackling the issue.
“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, especially when the administration clarified it,” said Saadia Siddique, the parent of a fourth grader and a seventh grader at South Loop. “I understood the intent behind it, and at the end of the day, it’s for the safety for all our school-aged children.”
Siddique, who is also a member of the school’s Local School Council, did think the first email needed clarification, particularly on “what items specifically were and weren’t approved.”
“I was a little confused by it, but my first instinct was to get clarification from administration,” she said. “But I understood the intent was to make sure no marijuana-related items would end up in snack or lunch boxes.”
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In the second email, Shelton was very clear about what would and would not be permitted: “Bottom line: anything that can be mistaken for an edible cannot be sent in a ziplock bag,” like baked goods or gummy candy, the email said. These foods were to be “store bought and in single-serve packaging.”
Overall, Siddique thinks the policy is a good idea, especially for the older students since teens at another Chicago high school were sent to the hospital after eating THC-laced edibles in February.
“Maybe it’s not that much concern for younger kids,” she said, “but in middle school, you just don’t know what children may or may not have access to.”
chrjohnson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--Joe Maddon’s only regret during his 5 seasons with the Cubs wasn’t baseball related: ‘I would have p

Joe Maddon’s only regret during his 5 seasons with the Cubs wasn’t baseball related: ‘I would have put Maddon’s Post downtown’

“ I would have put Maddon ’ s Post downtown , ” Maddon said Monday , when he returned to @ @ @ @ @ , about his restaurant adjacent to Wrigley Field .
`` That ’ s my biggest @ @ @ @ @ to put it where we did .

MESA, Ariz. — Joe Maddon was criticized by some Cubs fans for his multiple lineups and got barbecued for some of his moves in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
But Maddon, the only Cubs manager to win a World Series title since 1908, had only one regret during his five seasons in Chicago. And it was unrelated to baseball.
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“I would have put Maddon’s Post downtown,” Maddon said Monday, when he returned to Sloan Park as Angels manager, about his restaurant adjacent to Wrigley Field. "That’s my biggest regret, that we chose to put it where we did.
“That restaurant, in the proper setting, would have killed it there. And we’d still be killing it.”
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Maddon’s Post opened in mid-May at the corner of Clark Street and Waveland Avenue. The Cubs severed ties with Maddon after the 2019 season, and Tony Montuano, Maddon’s business partner and former chef and founder of Spiaggia, decided in December to move to Italy.
Maddon’s Post, which featured Polish and Italian dishes, closed at the end of December.
Maddon said the location had much to do with the sudden closing.
“We were warned about (the location), but we screwed up,” Maddon said. “Everyone thinks they’re going to be different.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-02--At C2E2, you can come packing machine guns, battle axes and blasters, as long as they’re fake

In 2017 , a man who had made online comments about killing police officers was arrested at a comic con @ @ @ @ @ dressed as Marvel ’ s Punisher , and as that character might , he was @ @ @ @ @ spray , as well as three handguns and a shotgun ( all real , all @ @ @ @ @ weapons were immediately banned for the duration of the convention , and since then , @ @ @ @ @ any firearms , regardless of how fake , plastic or non-threatening they might appear .
@ @ @ @ @ man was sentenced to 25 years at an Arizona state hospital . )
The Denver @ @ @ @ @ a similar fake-firearms policy .
Meanwhile , at the San Diego Comic Con , the @ @ @ @ @ , arrows must have tips removed and be zip-tied together ; likewise , any sword @ @ @ @ @ a cosplayer ’ s costume so that it can ’ t be drawn .

Think of them as the TSA. Albeit the TSA for the fantastic and the feared, Deadpools and Jokers, Jedi and Siths, Batmen and Harley Quinns, Elsas and Ariels, Xbox militias, anime warriors and serial killers. A visitor arrives in costume at a comic book convention. Say, C2E2, which just ended in Chicago at McCormick Place. They bring the usual, enormous mallets and scythes, lightsabers and chainsaws, tridents, crossbows and enough firearms to comfortably level whole armies.
Before they are allowed on the convention floor, before so many sketchy fictional characters can cohabit the same block of the South Loop, they pass through security.
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They came carrying (toy) rifles with (fake) blood splattered across (plastic) knives attached at the barrels; (foam) crowbars covered with the gory strands of matted wigs; four-foot (cardboard) swords looming like crescent moons at the hilts of five-foot long pikes. Carol Carreon of Chicago, as the maniac Bat-foe Harley Quinn, shouldered a (cardboard) mallet larger than herself; Chris Martinez of Chicago, as the maniac Jason from “Friday the 13th,” wielded a (foam) machete. Tarah Christianson of Iowa, anticipating a security check, snipped off skewers protruding from her headdress; her sister Elise, tiny beneath the six-foot claw of a (styrofoam) hammer she was carrying, asked a guard at the metal detectors to point her in the direction of the weapons check.
You’re good, they said.
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Elise was surprised.
This was the weapons check. She passed through a metal detector, by a bag-inspection table and then a guard waving a long metal-detecting wand. And that was about it.
A man walked through a detector with six rifles strapped to him. A security guard dropped his jaw like a Looney Tunes wolf and exclaimed, “This guy is not playing!” Except, thankfully, the man was playing. Each of the (toy) guns had plastic orange tips.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 38 A person in cosplay reapplies makeup at C2E2. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
You probably assume it goes without saying:
Don’t bring a grenade into McCormick Place.
But here’s a loophole: Taylor Kwiatkowski carried a half-dozen grenades, attached to a belt. “See,” she said, pressing down on a not-quite lethal fabric toy, “they’re squishy.” She stood with Steven Nowakowski. They were both dressed as kind of cowboy types from the video game “Overwatch.” He carried a very large silver (Nerf) gun that had been modified to look very intimidating and real. “It’s like this convention changes every year how it decides what weapons can pass, but I get it — it’s the world we live in now.”
Indeed, this year’s C2E2 began less than 48 hours after a Molson Coors employee in Milwaukee, about 95 miles north of McCormick, shot to death five workers then himself.
It was on a few minds.
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Marc Nabke of Milwaukee, wearing the heavy green armor of Master Chief from the video game “Halo,” and carrying a gigantic fake space gun, said, “I’m not worried because (conventions) are pretty calm, but yeah, it’s hard not to notice the possibility of something happening at a convention. You have to appreciate these metal detectors.”
Here, at C2E2’s metal detectors — let’s call it Checkpoint Gnarly — the anxiety of the real world, a less-than magical realm marked by mass shootings and hate crimes, ran into the realistic-looking weaponry and baroque contraptions of endless imagined worlds. Here, a grotesque demon smasher used to vanquish invading hordes was, beneath the flat lighting of McCormick, revealed to be primarily foam, cardboard and bubble wrap. Here, a wooden baseball covered in jutting nails landed on the inspection table of a security guard with the hollow plink of what it actually is — a cleverly-painted Wiffle bat.
Brad Hartsock, dressed as a Stormtrooper from "Star Wars," attends the C2E2 event at McCormick Place in Chicago in 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
There are rules, of course, an extensive weapons policy, full of do’s and don’ts.
ReedPOP, the Connecticut-based event producer that puts on C2E2, does not allow any sharp metal blades — so, no axes, daggers, hatchets, switch blades or samurai swords, please. It doesn’t allow whips. It doesn’t allow any weapon that fire anything (toy projectiles or otherwise). It doesn’t allow mace or pepper spray. It doesn’t allow “hard prop weapons” (including made of PVC and wood) or “realistic replica firearms,” brass knuckles, drones, aerosol mustard, silly string, water pistols or BB rifles. And by noon on Friday, the first day of the three-day pop-culture con, Chicago’s largest, security at McCormick had already confiscated a (real) box cutter, several (actual) knives, a (very workable) crossbow, a handful of (actual) baseball bats, as well as one (realistic-looking) sawed-off shotgun and a half-dozen (also quite realistic-looking) assault rifles.
The line between an obvious toy and one too-realistic-for-comfort gets decidedly blurry at comic cons. It can be hard to tell what’s realistic-looking and what’s real.
In 2017, a man who had made online comments about killing police officers was arrested at a comic con in Phoenix; he arrived dressed as Marvel’s Punisher, and as that character might, he was carrying a knife, pepper spray, as well as three handguns and a shotgun (all real, all loaded). All fake weapons were immediately banned for the duration of the convention, and since then, the convention has flatly banned any firearms, regardless of how fake, plastic or non-threatening they might appear. (In January, the man was sentenced to 25 years at an Arizona state hospital.) The Denver Pop Culture Con has enacted a similar fake-firearms policy. Meanwhile, at the San Diego Comic Con, the largest of all comic cons, arrows must have tips removed and be zip-tied together; likewise, any sword needs to be fixed to a cosplayer’s costume so that it can’t be drawn.
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Problem is, cosplay, or the act of dressing and inhabiting a character, seeks realism.
What’s Wolverine without his claws?
Ashley Harris and husband Jake Harris, left and right, dress as twi'leks and Kyle Freise, center, is costumed as a Mudtrooper, all from "Star Wars," during the first day of C2E2 in Chicago. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
“The point of cosplay for is the fun of the costume itself,” said Ed Rake, a managing director of Armageddon Services, the Chicago security firm hired by C2E2. “So you don’t want to take that away from them. But that is a very careful thing. Obviously if something crosses the line, you take precautions and you closely decide on a case by case basis if you should confiscate (a fake weapon). But also, a lot of these characters are meant to be frightening, and so you don’t want to ruin those people’s fun, either.”
At past C2E2s, there has been a dedicated inspection table for fake weapons; if a weapon was allowed (and the majority are), it would be fixed with a brightly-colored zip tie. (Indeed, San Diego Comic Con, which attracts more than 130,000 attendees a year, has two table areas for weapon checks.) The past couple of C2E2s — which has steadily grown larger, pulling 90,000 last year — have relied mostly on metal detectors and bag checks. Mike Armstrong, a vice president at ReedPOP, said in an emailed statement that fans go through the checks to create “a completely clean environment.” A spokeswoman for McCormick said they would not share specifics, but all decisions about security at C2E2 are handled by the convention producers, working closely with Chicago police.
Still, regardless of the inspection method, like any TSA check, judgement is in play.
Jerry Milani, a spokesperson for the Wizard World Comic Con in Rosemont each summer, C2E2’s largest competitor, said they also rely on metal detectors now and describes their security as “the same as going to a Cubs game,” but he adds: “This is like an airlines thing. Because we haven’t had a plane crash, we feel it’s working.”
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Kat Connor of St. Louis, dressed as Mercy from "Overwatch," attends the annual C2E2 event at McCormick Place. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Many cosplayers interviewed at C2E2 for this story recalled long lines at the weapons-check tables during past C2E2s and they remember lots of complaining; they say a stricter weapons policy probably would defeat the purpose of certain cosplay costumes. But many also arrived expecting stricter rules and found security surprisingly lax compared with other comic cons. In fact, many came with their fake weapons still zip-tied from other cons; some even zip-tied the triggers of guns and sheaths of swords themselves, expecting the scrutiny.
Yet, an Indiana Jones passed through the metal detector with a real whip.
And an anime bat passed through carrying an aluminum bat.
Justin Campbell, from Hyde Park, came through wearing a teargas mask, a (faux) bullet-proof vest, real handcuffs and a plastic assault rifle with a plastic orange tip. He was followed by a Lando Calrissian carrying a bright orange space gun; then a woman with a bloody baseball bat who wanted to know “if I need to get this tagged somewhere.” (The guard said she had no idea.) Next came the Comedian from “Watchmen,” a.k.a. Adam Hallbeck of Minnesota, carrying two toy handguns, a toy shotgun and a large fake hunting knife. Behind him were three friends in old-timey combat gear. Just before they walked into McCormick they read through the weapons policy and so, they ended up ditching most of their weapons.
“What can you do, it’s the world today,” said Dave Schell, wearing an empty bandolier.
“I still wish I could have my guns,” said Brenda Lezon, wearing empty holsters.
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“Except this is Chicago,” said Jeff Jamusz, wearing an empty knife sheath.
Yes, they agreed, this is the real world.
cborrelli@chicagotribune.com