chicagotribune--2020-01-10--50,000 Cook County residents will lose food stamps if they don’t find work soon, and the clock is ti

50,000 Cook County residents will lose food stamps if they don’t find work soon, and the clock is ticking

The clock started ticking Jan. 1 for about 50,000 food stamp recipients in Cook County who are now limited to @ @ @ @ @ three years , unless they work , volunteer or participate in job training for at @ @ @ @ @ .
Part of federal law since the 1990s , the work rules have been waived @ @ @ @ @ than a decade but as of this year must be imposed because of the county @ @ @ @ @ .

Sherita Cresswell, right, and other trainees at Inspiration Kitchens food service job training program, select potatoes to use in a knife skills class on the West Side of Chicago, Jan. 6, 2020. Inspiration Kitchens is adding slots to the program for food stamp recipients as the state scrambles to find opportunities for people to comply with new federal work requirements. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Richard Butler’s life hasn’t unfolded as he once imagined it would. As a child he dreamed of being a cartoonist, or maybe a singer or entrepreneur. Instead, he spent time in prison for burglarizing a car, experienced bouts of homelessness, and has struggled with mental health issues he says make it difficult to hold down a job.
The government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — formerly known as food stamps — provides Butler with $194 per month to put toward groceries. It helps him get by.
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So Butler, 25, was shocked when he learned work requirements now in effect in Cook County could threaten those benefits.
“I’m in a situation where I don’t have anything,” said Butler, who is jobless and sleeps on an air mattress at a friend’s home in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. “The least the government can do is help me eat.”
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Richard Butler is unemployed and stays at a friend's apartment on South Halsted Street in Chicago. Butler could be affected by new work requirements imposed on food stamp recipients. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The clock started ticking Jan. 1 for about 50,000 food stamp recipients in Cook County who are now limited to three months of benefits over three years, unless they work, volunteer or participate in job training for at least 20 hours a week. Part of federal law since the 1990s, the work rules have been waived in Cook County for more than a decade but as of this year must be imposed because of the county’s low unemployment rate.
The work requirements apply only to adults aged 18 to 49 who are considered able-bodied and don’t have dependents; the majority of the county’s 826,000 food stamp recipients won’t be affected.
But there are grave concerns that the state’s workforce development system isn’t equipped to help such a large number of people find jobs, and that many individuals might not learn the rules exist until their benefits are cut off.
The state Department of Human Services mailed notices in December alerting people to the change, but many are homeless or change addresses frequently, and won’t know that they need to meet the requirements or seek exemptions for qualifying disabilities, said Mary Frances Charlton, youth health attorney at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
Social service organizations that work with the poor have been training front-line staff on the rules so they can spread the word and navigate the paperwork, but the fear is the system is unprepared and people will fall through the cracks.
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There are not enough slots in the state’s workforce training system to help people who struggle to find jobs on their own, said Mari Castaldi, director of policy and advocacy at the Chicago Jobs Council. SNAP recipients who aren’t working tend to have reasons for it — limited education, criminal records or lack of access to transportation that make it difficult to land or keep jobs — and supportive services are lacking, she said.
“We’re talking about a system that is notorious for being bad at serving people who face barriers to employment,” Castaldi said. “To deal with this sudden policy change, we don’t have the resources, period, and specifically don’t have the resources to provide the types of wraparound services these people need.”
Basic processes to help with the administrative burden have yet to be put in place, state caseworkers say. For example, there is no efficient way to report volunteer or training hours completed outside of state-sanctioned programs, so people will have to do so monthly in person at benefits offices, where waits can stretch longer than two hours, said John Mitchell, an officer with AFSCME Local 2858, which represents caseworkers in northeast Cook County.
Understaffed benefits offices also haven’t prioritized connecting people with employment services as they’ve dealt with a backlog for processing SNAP applications that was so bad that the federal government threatened to suspend funding, Mitchell said.
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He is nervous a rush of confused SNAP recipients who unwittingly hit their three-month time limit April 1 will take frustrations out on front-line staff. “I’m concerned about the safety of our workers,” said Mitchell, an employment and training coordinator at a benefits office in Skokie.
The state, which under Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker opposes the work requirements, said it is acting with urgency to minimize the number of people who might lose food assistance.
The Department of Human Services has hired 500 caseworkers in 2019 and is opening statewide centers to process SNAP and medical benefits. The agency also has established an email address — dhs.fcs.abawds@illinois.gov — dedicated to fielding communication regarding work requirements.
It is expanding the number of job training slots available to SNAP recipients by partnering with more nonprofits and seeking private funding that, through a match program, will give it access to more federal dollars, said Dan Lyonsmith, the department’s associate director of workforce development. It also is setting up a fund that people who lose benefits can use for emergencies such as paying utility bills.
“I do believe we have capacity in the system,” Lyonsmith said.
Still, he said there is widespread concern within the department that many SNAP recipients won’t have the education or relevant skills for the jobs that are available.
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“The fear is that there is a disconnect between the (low employment rate) and the ability of these individuals to step into these roles,” Lyonsmith said.
Work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents have been part of federal law for more than 20 years, but states can request annual waivers for areas where jobs are scarce.
Illinois received statewide waivers for years as it struggled to recover after the Great Recession. That changed in 2018, when DuPage County’s unemployment rate fell too low to qualify for a waiver.
Now Cook County is in the same situation. The state in October requested a 2020 waiver for every county except Cook and DuPage, where unemployment rates averaged 3.9% over a 24-month period. The national average was 4% during that time.
About 2,000 people lost food stamp benefits in DuPage County in 2018 as a result of the work requirements, which is about half of those who were subject to the rules. If Cook County follows a similar path, 25,000 people will lose food assistance this year.
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Supporters of the work rules say they will prompt unemployed people to get off the sidelines and into the thousands of job openings posted by Illinois employers.
“Work isn’t a punishment,” said Jonathan Ingram, an Illinois native and Springfield resident who is vice president of policy and research at the Foundation for Government Accountability. “We are trying to get folks into the red-hot economy.”
Ingram has tracked five states that imposed work requirements and found that 75% to 90% of affected individuals lost SNAP within a year, but their incomes also grew as they found jobs.
DuPage County’s work requirement ended up helping David Freedom, 28, of Downers Grove. He applied for SNAP in June after losing his $33,000-a-year job in pest control, and was instructed to attend a mandatory employment information session.
There he learned about a three-month information technology course run by the National Able Network, a job training nonprofit, that provided him with a laptop and gas money and certified him to do help desk and networking support. After successfully completing the course in December, he landed a $50,000-a-year job at Litera Microsystems in Chicago.
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“For me it turned out to be a great thing because it introduced me to an opportunity,” said Freedom, an Army reservist who had done IT in the military.
But he worries that many SNAP recipients don’t know those programs exist. "They’re not really informing people about them until the last minute when they are about to lose benefits,” Freedom said.
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While the change in Cook County happened under existing federal guidelines, the Trump administration recently finalized a new rule that makes it more difficult for states to obtain waivers from the work requirements, a move it says restores the intent of the law at a time of record-low unemployment.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the SNAP program, expects 688,000 of the 1.1 million affected SNAP recipients across the country to lose food stamps as a result of the change, saving the federal government $5.5 billion over five years.
Most, if not all, of Illinois soon will be subject to work requirements under the new federal rule. About 140,000 of the state’s 1.8 million food stamp recipients are able-bodied adults without children.
Food stamps have helped sustain Butler since his release from prison in 2016, and though he wants to work and has tried factory and restaurant jobs, nothing has stuck.
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Charlton, the attorney for homeless youth, said she believes Butler qualifies for a mental health exemption from the work requirements, and is helping him file that paperwork. But social service providers worry many SNAP recipients with qualifying disabilities will be cut off from benefits before they realize they need to seek a waiver.
“The people I have informed are completely surprised,” said Laura Craig, a psychiatrist who works at Howard Brown Health clinics.
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Sherita Cresswell, center, and other trainees at the Inspiration Kitchens job training program take a test on kitchen tools on Jan. 6, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Inspiration Kitchens, which trains about 100 people annually in its free culinary program in East Garfield Park, is one of the nonprofits partnering with the state to offer additional training slots — 45, up from 35 — for SNAP recipients. The 12-week program gives participants on-the-job experience as prep or line cooks, said Shannon Stewart, executive director and CEO of Inspiration Corp.
Getting people into work is positive, Stewart said, but she is concerned the threat of losing benefits might cause some to rush into programs that don’t interest them. People need space to figure out what is personally gratifying or they are likely to drop out, she said.
“Job training isn’t the only answer, it’s also about helping people find out what they want to do,” she said.
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Sherita Cresswell, 34, who lives in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, was nervous when she learned she could lose benefits if she didn’t find work. Creswell, who has a 3-year-old daughter, receives SNAP as well as cash assistance available to families with children, a separate program that also has work requirements.
But Cresswell, who worked at a home daycare before her daughter was born, got excited when a caseworker learned of her interest in cooking and referred her to Inspiration’s culinary program, which she started this month.
“My biggest dream is to become a chef,” said Cresswell, who commutes to the program with a bus card provided by Inspiration.
Cresswell prides herself on her seafood gumbo and aspires to open a soul food restaurant. The training program has made her dream feel possible.
“I’m definitely going to get myself a job after this,” she said.
Darneice Cooper, a state caseworker and president of AFSCME Local 2806, which represents southern Cook County benefits offices, said that she, as a taxpayer, would prefer people work than depend on the government. But she thinks the system fails to offer holistic support to help them succeed, and worries losing benefits could make people desperate.
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“That is going to affect every community across the state of Illinois,” Cooper said. “Because these people are going to find a way to eat. If they’ve got to resort to stealing, hurting people, taking from others — they are going to find a way.”
State officials say the experience in DuPage provided valuable lessons. Social services providers there were proactive about getting the word out.
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Food pantries expected to see a rise in demand. But that didn’t happen, perhaps because SNAP recipients already were frequenting food pantries to supplement their benefits, said Teresa Schryver, advocacy and awareness specialist at the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
Still, pantries can’t be relied upon to fill SNAP’s void, as their limited hours and locations may be inconvenient for some people, and there is still a stigma, she said.
Schryver warns against using DuPage to predict the potential fallout of work requirements in much-larger Cook County. About 6.7% of DuPage County’s population is food insecure, which is when a lack of money or other resources disrupts food intake, compared to 12% in Cook County, where some neighborhoods have double-digit unemployment rates.
“It’s not even trying to compare apples to oranges,” Schryver said. “It’s comparing asparagus to oranges.”
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aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @alexiaer


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--More dogs falling prey to THC poisoning. Vets say legal marijuana is a key factor.

If you suspect your dog ’ s dietary indiscretions have included munching on cannabis products , watch for the most @ @ @ @ @ and dilated pupils .
Kratt says a call to a pet poison-control line is one @ @ @ @ @ the other is a call to your own vet , who will advise you on @ @ @ @ @ in to be checked .
“ Caring for your pet should be a partnership between @ @ @ @ @ ” he says , “ but if you ’ re seeing any clinical symptoms , @ @ @ @ @ ’ s time to go in and see your vet , because you can ’ @ @ @ @ @ blood pressure is low or something like that .
”

When was the last time your dog swiped a little food that didn’t belong to him?
Remember the sandwich your sister set down on the coffee table? The batch of cookies that was cooling on the counter … until they were gone? Or the dog-walking hazard all city dwellers have faced: the taco/chicken wing/puddle of something gross on the sidewalk?
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Now, imagine that stolen canine delight was laced with a whole lot of THC.
In the era of legalization, it’s not hard to imagine at all. In fact, dog poisoning from ingesting cannabis is sharply on the rise. The Schaumburg-based American Veterinary Medical Association reports that cannabis-related calls to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ pet poison-control hotline rose 765% during the same period from 2018 to 2019. And the Pet Poison Helpline has reported an increase of more than 400% in cannabis poisoning calls over the past six years.
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If you’re a dog owner, you won’t be surprised to hear that dogs accounted for a lot of those calls. “Dogs are more at risk,” says incoming AVMA president and Wisconsin veterinarian Doug Kratt, “simply because dogs are less selective in what they choose to eat. Cats, for instance, are more finicky.”
It comes down to basics: “If your dog will eat a chocolate chip cookie,” says Kratt, “he’ll eat one laced with THC.”
Kratt and the AVMA point to legalization as the force behind the increase in poison-control calls, but say several factors are likely at play. Not only is there likely more cannabis in more forms in more households with pets, but the relaxing of rules and stigma around cannabis use might mean that people are more likely to call in and report a pet poisoning related to cannabis. They also might be more casual about leaving their cannabis products lying around. “If it’s legal,” Kratt says, “people don’t have the same tendency to keep it under wraps or hidden away.”
And, with more open consumption, more of what gets dropped on the street for pets to find has THC in it too.
Bottom line? “As humans get more access to cannabis, animals have a lot more access too,” says Kratt.
For dogs, with their Wild West food philosophy (eat first, ask questions later), that’s an opportunity for disaster.
The effects of THC are three times more powerful in dogs than in humans, resulting in poisoning that causes vomiting, uncoordinated movements, dribbling urine, low blood pressure and, in extreme cases, seizures. The poisoning can be complicated by other ingredients in edible cannabis products, since ingredients such as chocolate and some artificial sweeteners are poisonous for dogs as well.
Often, dogs who wind up at the vet with THC poisoning need to be treated for two kinds of poisoning at once, depending on what was in the edible they ingested. For the most part, the treatment involves management of symptoms and monitoring to make sure your dog isn’t experiencing a dangerous drop in blood pressure, and that his respiration and body temperature are normal. Vets can also test your dog’s urine to confirm that THC is the culprit.
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If you suspect your dog’s dietary indiscretions have included munching on cannabis products, watch for the most common symptoms: dribbling urine and dilated pupils. Kratt says a call to a pet poison-control line is one place to start, but the other is a call to your own vet, who will advise you on whether to bring your dog in to be checked. “Caring for your pet should be a partnership between you and your vet,” he says, “but if you’re seeing any clinical symptoms, I’d say that’s time to go in and see your vet, because you can’t pick up if their blood pressure is low or something like that.”
Before things go that far, you might want to consider some preventive steps. Natalie Ridge, co-owner and dog trainer at Canine Sports, which trains dogs throughout Chicago and the suburbs, says that when dogs grab food (laced with cannabis or not), “the problem is the owner never taught the dog impulse control.”
Dog trainers break the “counter surfing” troubles down into two categories: owner present and owner absent problems. “Owner present is actually easier,” says Ridge, “because if they are willing to do it in front of you, you are right there, and you can correct it.” She suggests using a “no” word that the dog is familiar with or a squirt from a squirt bottle as a correction.
Owner absent situations require different approaches — young dogs, for instance, should probably be in a crate while you are out of the house.
And consistency is key, especially when it comes to making it clear that countertops and tables are not associated with food for your pet. “If you catch your dog up on the table eating the Thanksgiving turkey,” Ridge says, “that’s actually a huge reward event for your dog. If you act like it’s funny even one time, dogs start to think like lawyers a little bit: ‘That was OK last time, so what else can I try?’”
On the street, Ridge says that you should work on teaching your dog to pass up those tempting morsels. “That’s where a good ‘leave it’ comes in handy. It’s really imperative to teach a dog to leave it, because there’s so much junk on the street.” And, she points out, even if that junk doesn’t contain cannabis, it can cause your dog some serious stomach upset “and no one wants to deal with that.”
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Training is great insurance for all sorts of undesirable dog behavior, Ridge notes. But she and Kratt both offer one piece of watertight advice for lowering your dog’s risk of getting THC poisoning. “Obviously,” Ridge says, “the safest thing is to put your edibles away, out of the dog’s reach.”
And if you’re wondering whether a tiny bit of cannabis might chill your dog out in the same way it can be used to relieve human anxiety, think twice. “We don’t have enough research on it to recommend anything,” says Kratt. “More research is needed, and I’d want to see the science behind it first.”
For now, the AVMA recommends that you avoid even exposing your pet to secondhand cannabis smoke. For dogs, legalization comes with a caveat. “Just because it’s OK for humans,” Kratt says, “does not mean it’s OK for dogs.”
cdampier@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--Review: West suburban Avanzare boasts 1st-rate Italian cooking and deep Chicago roots

You ’ d think , after more than 30 years on the job , I ’ d never be wowed @ @ @ @ @ , but Avanzare ’ s version is terrific , highlighted by a long-simmered tomato sauce @ @ @ @ @ .
Veal limone is another expertly executed classic , with a nicely balanced lemon-caper-butter sauce @ @ @ @ @ , roasted in a sea-salt crust .
( The branzino , $ 32.95 , is @ @ @ @ @ priced higher than $ 25 , but it ’ s worth the splurge . )

Three first-time restaurateurs with deep Chicago dining roots are making a stir in the western suburbs at Avanzare, which opened Oct. 7 in Lombard.
The partners’ resumes are encouraging. Riccardo Brizuela, the de facto general manager and wine director, started as a high-schooler at the legendary Como Inn, followed by years at Topo Gigio, Rosebud on Rush and Piccolo Sogno. Gabriel Hernandez, the chef, worked for Tony Priolo at Coco Pazzo and other restaurants. And Jose Estrada worked at the Italian Village, Bice, Vong’s Thai Kitchen and Shaw’s Crab House.
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The three met as their careers overlapped, and their shared dream of becoming owners became a reality when Brizuela found a 200-seater along Roosevelt Road. “I was looking for a place with parking and 150 to 200 seats,” he said. “This was perfect.”
The space, formerly Santino’s Steak and Pasta House (and Jonathan’s Italian Steakhouse for many years before that) needed back-of-the-house updating (ventilation, plumbing, all the hidden money-eaters), but the dining area, done in dark wood with arched windows and nonstructural ceiling beams, is relatively unchanged since its days as Jonathan’s. The space is large with an attractive Mediterranean look, and thanks to carpeting and acoustic ceiling tiles, blissfully quiet.
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The menu is comfortingly familiar; nothing jumps out at you in a this-is-novel sort of way. The proof is in the eating, where it ought to be, and Hernandez’s kitchen routinely churns out one soul-satisfying dish after another. Standard menu; high-standard execution.
The partners, from left, chef Gabriel Hernandez, Jose Estrada and Riccardo Brizuela, the de facto general manager and wine director, met as their careers crossed paths over the years. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
You’d think, after more than 30 years on the job, I’d never be wowed again by a chicken Parmesan, but Avanzare’s version is terrific, highlighted by a long-simmered tomato sauce that bursts with concentrated flavor. Veal limone is another expertly executed classic, with a nicely balanced lemon-caper-butter sauce that also graces the branzino, roasted in a sea-salt crust. (The branzino, $32.95, is one of the few dishes priced higher than $25, but it’s worth the splurge.)
I loved the risotto, which is well textured and fleshed out with lobster and crab; pastas are house-made and excellent, particularly a paglia e fieno (straw and hay) of egg and spinach noodles graced with sea scallops and braised leeks. My quibble was with the osso buco; the meat was tender and the vegetable reduction sauce aromatic, but no marrow or gremolata? I missed them.
One thing the partners added to the kitchen was a wood-burning oven, which produces the house breads (a good sourdough roll and yummy focaccia, served gratis) and very good pizzas; the Avanzare pizza, with olives, mushrooms, artichokes and prosciutto, is essentially a quattro stagioni, the toppings commingled rather than discrete.
Appetizers include a timballo of eggplant rolled around a ricotta-spinach filling; Estrada likens it to a vegetarian and gluten-free manicotti. Frito misto offers a carefully, lightly fried melange of seafood and zucchini with a light marinara sauce; clams with linguini is appropriately garlicky, supported by a weighty seafood broth.
Desserts include torta di mele, a tart of chopped apples and crumble topping in a fluted shell, served with vanilla gelato. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Like the savory selections, the dessert menu abounds with familiar names. Among the options are an oozy chocolate tortino with hazelnut gelato, a classic cannoli with house-made shells, and a straightforward, two-layer tiramisu striped with chocolate sauce. I’d direct you to the torta di mele, a tart of chopped apples and crumble topping in a fluted shell, alongside vanilla gelato.
The beverage program includes classic cocktails and a usual-suspects beer selection; the wine list, however, is impressive — heavily Italian and very attractively priced (plenty of bottles at $50 or less).
Service is solid, but it seems that a small core of workers — the principals included — are doing all the heavy lifting. Anybody looking for work in the western burbs?
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Some readers might remember the old Avanzare restaurant downtown, a Lettuce Entertain You spot in Streeterville where Rick Tramanto (among others) did his first Chicago cooking. One of the partners’ uncles actually worked there, but that’s not the inspiration for this restaurant. Avanzare, in Italian, means “push forward,” and in advancing from lifelong employees to restaurateurs, that’s exactly what these partners are doing.
Avanzare
667 W. Roosevelt Road, Lombard
630-317-7076
avanzarerestaurant.com
Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Tribune rating: ★ ★
Open: Lunch and dinner daily
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Prices: Entrees $15.95-$35.95
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Other: Free self-parking
Ratings key: ★ ★ ★ ★ outstanding; ★ ★ ★ excellent; ★ ★ very good; ★ good; no stars: unsatisfactory. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--Edd Byrnes, who played ‘Kookie’ in ‘77 Sunset Strip,’ dies

Actor Edd Byrnes , who became one of the first TV teen idols with his role as `` Kookie '' @ @ @ @ @ `` 77 Sunset Strip , '' died `` unexpectedly '' at his home on Jan. @ @ @ @ @ Santa Monica , Calif. , according to an announcement from his son , Logan Byrnes @ @ @ @ @ ( AP )

Actor Edd Byrnes, who became one of the first TV teen idols with his role as "Kookie" on the 1960s TV series "77 Sunset Strip," died "unexpectedly" at his home on Jan. 8, 2019, in Santa Monica, Calif., according to an announcement from his son, Logan Byrnes. He was 87. (AP)
Los Angeles — Edd Byrnes, star of the 1950s and '60s TV hit "77 Sunset Strip" who went on to co-star in the 1978 smash "Grease," has died, the actor's son, Logan Byrnes, confirmed Thursday via Facebook. He was 87.
Byrnes died at his home in Santa Monica, according to Logan Byrnes, who is a news anchor for KUSI-TV San Diego.
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Byrnes became a comedic sensation as the co-star of the ABC detective drama "77 Sunset Strip," starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as a hip L.A. private detective. Byrnes played Kookie, the parking lot attendant with a habit of running his comb through his slick hair. His character, Gerald Kookson III, introduced a host of early '60s slang into mainstream primetime culture.
The series was among a slew of slick action-dramas that the fledgling Warner Bros. Television division produced for the Big Three networks in the late 1950s and early '60s.
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The Kookie character took on more fame when Byrnes teamed with pop star Connie Stevens on a novelty record -- "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)" -- for the then-newly formed Warner Bros. Records, that climbed the charts in 1959. Byrnes also appeared as Kookie in crossover episodes with fellow Warner Bros. / ABC dramas "Hawaiian Eye" and "Surfside 6."
Byrnes was dropped from "Sunset Strip" along with other cast members when Warner Bros. brought in "Dragnet" star-producer Jack Webb to shake the series in its sixth season, which proved to be its last.
In the mid-1960s through the late 1990s, Byrnes enjoyed a long run in TV guest shot roles and supporting movie roles. He played radio announcer Vince Fontaine in the 1978 movie rendition of "Grease," alongside John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
A native of New York City, Byrnes came to Hollywood in his early 20s with "a few hundred dollars and a dream of making it big in the entertainment business," Logan Byrnes wrote.
Before "Sunset Strip," Byrnes logged roles on 1950s TV dramas "Wire Service," "Navy Log" and "Crossroads." He was featured in three episodes of "Maverick," the stylish TV western starring James Garner that was also produced by Warner Bros. TV.
After his run as Kookie, Byrnes had guest shots on such series as "Burke's Law," "Honey West," "Mannix," "Love, American Style," "Adam-12," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Police Woman," "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries," "Charlie's Angels," "The Love Boat," "Fantasy Island," "Married With Children" and "Murder, She Wrote," among many others.
Byrnes published an autobiography, "Kookie No More," in 1996 that detailed his long struggle with alcoholism.
In addition to his son, Byrnes’ survivors include his ex-wife Asa Maynor and longtime companion Cathrine Gross.


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--No injuries when Metra Union Pacific-West trains hits vehicle, trains moving but delayed after being

No injuries when Metra Union Pacific-West trains hits vehicle, trains moving but delayed after being stopped for more than an hour

The vehicle was on the tracks or close enough to be hit by inbound train No .
16 , but @ @ @ @ @ the time of the crash , said Tom Miller , a Metra spokesman .
The @ @ @ @ @ arrive downtown a little after 7 a.m. , but didn ’ t start moving after @ @ @ @ @ a.m. , according to the agency .

Metra trains on the Union Pacific-West line were stopped for more than an hour during Friday morning rush hour near west suburban Lombard after a train hit an unoccupied vehicle, but no one was injured, officials said.
The stoppage was alerted about 6:30 a.m., when Metra tweeted that both inbound and outbound trains were halted because of the crash on the tracks by Lombard.
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The train crashed into a vehicle about 6:15 a.m. at Finley Road and Crescent Boulevard, according to Lombard police. No one was injured.
The vehicle was on the tracks or close enough to be hit by inbound train No. 16, but the vehicle was unoccupied at the time of the crash, said Tom Miller, a Metra spokesman. The train had been scheduled to arrive downtown a little after 7 a.m., but didn’t start moving after the crash until about 7:45 a.m., according to the agency.
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Commuters were advised to visit metrarail.com for the latest updates.


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--Yes, Megyn Kelly has seen ‘Bombshell.’ Now she’s revealing what she thought

Kelly also talked to the women about doing `` the infamous spin '' in Ailes ' office .
Bakhtiar said @ @ @ @ @ did n't do it .
Huddy — who accused former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly @ @ @ @ @ with him — said she was told only to stand up and turn around , @ @ @ @ @ her backside and told her she was too skinny .

Megyn Kelly is finally speaking out about the movie “Bombshell,” which explores sexual harassment at her former employer, Fox News. And she’s assembled others who were victims of that harassment to tell their stories with her.
"I wasn't sure if I wanted to say anything re Bombshell, a film re sex harass. at Fox," Kelly tweeted Thursday morning ahead of posting the full "Megyn Kelly" episode on YouTube later in the day. "But in the end I wanted the women who lived it to have the last word. A group of us got together & watched, cried, & set the record straight."
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Kelly is portrayed in "Bombshell" by Charlize Theron, who said she didn't talk with the anchor before doing the film because she thought it would put too much pressure on both of them.
The group that viewed "Bombshell" before sitting down to talk included Kelly, Juliet Huddy, Rudi Bakhtiar and Julie Zann, plus Kelly's husband, Doug Blunt.
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The women agreed that the moviemakers got a lot right but did take liberties. Kelly, in particular, called out a few moments that were out-and-out falsehoods, including the notion that she'd run a debate question for now-President Trump past Rupert Murdoch.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to say anything re Bombshell, a film re sex harass. at Fox. But in the end I wanted the women who lived it to have the last word. A group of us got together & watched, cried, & set the record straight. Will tweet full piece @4p.https://t.co/AhciG9DddE — Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 9, 2020
The group also had a strong negative reaction to a scene in the film where Margot Robbie's character essentially blames Kelly's silence for the continuing harassment, and Theron's Kelly responds, "Look around, snowflake. How do you think I succeeded? How do you think a woman gets a prime-time Fox show?"
"When I watched that scene, I immediately thought, 'This is shameful,' because it's unfactual," Zann said, tearing up. "And it is victim shaming, and if this is a movie about sexual harassment, this is sending the wrong message."
Kelly, Zann said, had been a support system. "That is what they don't have right in this film or in the miniseries ['The Loudest Voice.']"
While Kelly said she was "too close" to it to critique Theron's performance, she shared personal journal entries that lined up with scenes from the movie. They detailed awkward episodes of harassment by the late Roger Ailes, then chairman of Fox News.
Kelly also talked to the women about doing "the infamous spin" in Ailes' office. Bakhtiar said she was asked to but didn't do it. Huddy — who accused former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly of harassment and eventually settled with him — said she was told only to stand up and turn around, at which point Ailes criticized her backside and told her she was too skinny.
The movie “Bombshell” is a Hollywood film about the sexual harassment scandal at Fox News. I have no connection to the film, and hold no stake at all in it. I do, however, have a connection to many of the women who actually lived it. Here is their account. https://t.co/LCkdYvF6qr — Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 9, 2020
Zann said she had been asked to spin, and spin she did. She then asked if Kelly had.
"So I was asked to do 'the spin,'" admitted the former prime-time anchor, who left Fox News in 2017 for an abbreviated stint at NBC News. "And God help me, I did it."
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Then Kelly explained why it was a such a big, humiliating deal.
"I know people think it's like, 'oh, you had to spin around,' but I remember feeling like — I put myself through school. I was offered a partnership at Jones Day, one of the best law firms in the world. I argued before federal courts of appeal all over the nation. I came here, I'm covering the United States Supreme Court. I graduated with honors from all my programs — and now he wants me to twirl?
"And I did it," Kelly said. "If you don't get how demeaning that is, I can't help you."
“Bombshell” was released in December.


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--New Taco Bell manager salary: $100K a year. The fast-food chain says it’s ‘testing’ that pay level a

New Taco Bell manager salary: $100K a year. The fast-food chain says it’s ‘testing’ that pay level at some restaurants.

The boosted salary is not typical of the restaurant industry .
Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2018 show general @ @ @ @ @ business had a median salary of $ 54,240 .
The data did not discern between @ @ @ @ @ sit-down eateries .
Meanwhile , fast food workers behind the grills and fryers had a @ @ @ @ @ 21,750 .

Kiersten Willis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cubs fans walk past the Taco Bell near Wrigley Field on Oct. 17, 2017. The restaurant has since been demolished. On Jan. 7, 2020, the fast-food chain said it would test a $100,000 annual salary for the general managers of select locations of its company-owned restaurants. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell on Tuesday announced plans for some employee perks that it says will help it “continue to invest in its people, building leaders at all levels.”
One is a test of a $100,000 annual salary offered to managers of select locations of company-owned establishments. The other is paid sick leave offered to employees.
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While the yearly pay is reserved for restaurant general managers, there are also options for employees who don’t desire to become bosses. A program called Makers is being introduced for restaurant team members looking to increase their passion for Taco Bell and seeking to obtain leadership experience.
And some benefits have already been extended to restaurant workers. Beginning on Jan. 1, company employees nationwide became eligible to receive at least 24 hours of paid sick time per calendar year.
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“Through these initiatives, Taco Bell aims to enhance restaurant performance, employee satisfaction and support recruitment and retention,” the press release stated.
[ Grubhub making sure your Cheesy Gordita Crunch gets to you faster as Taco Bell delivery goes nationwide ]
Taco Bell’s senior director of global training and international HR Ferril Onyett told MarketWatch it’s not yet known how many managers at the 450 company-owned stores will get the $100,000 salaries. Also unknown is the duration of the test run for higher salaries. A spokeswoman told the website managers currently make from $50,000 to $80,000 annually.
The boosted salary is not typical of the restaurant industry. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2018 show general and operations managers in the business had a median salary of $54,240. The data did not discern between managers of fast food and sit-down eateries. Meanwhile, fast food workers behind the grills and fryers had a median yearly income of $21,750.
©2020 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.)
Visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.) at www.ajc.com
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chicagotribune--2020-01-10--The third quarter has been a nightmare for the Bulls. These numbers explain why.

-8.6 : Coby White ’ s plus-minus during the third quarter of this losing streak .
At his best , @ @ @ @ @ the bench provides a boost for the second unit after halftime , but the rookie @ @ @ @ @ mirrored the bench ’ s struggles as a whole .
During Wednesday ’ s loss @ @ @ @ @ Bulls ' bench was outscored 34-23 for the entire game , including a stretch where @ @ @ @ @ Chandler Hutchison , Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Gafford ) played a combined 14 minutes without @ @ @ @ @ production off the bench , especially considering Wendell Carter Jr. is reportedly expected to miss @ @ @ @ @ ankle sprain , which will likely move Thad Young from the second unit to the @ @ @

The third quarter has been a nightmare all season for the Bulls, a period during which they have often been overwhelmed by superior talent, blitzed by star players and outmatched by opposing teams making key adjustments. Chicago’s lackluster showings immediately after halftime serve as one of the largest reasons the Bulls find themselves mired in a five-game losing streak that quickly soured any positive feelings from some encouraging play in December.
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There’s enough blame to go around for the Bulls' struggles out the gate in the second half. Here’s a look at the numbers behind those third-quarter meltdowns:
51: During this five-game losing skid, the Bulls have been outscored by 51 points in the third quarter, the largest margin in the NBA during that span. That ugly point differential includes Monday’s game against the Mavs, where the Bulls actually tied Dallas in points during the third quarter. Without that outlier, the number could be much worse.
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Bulls guard Zach LaVine walks off the floor after a loss to the Celtics at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, January 4, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
2.5: The Bulls' net rating during the first half of games this season, a perfectly respectable 13th in the NBA. For a half, Chicago usually remains competitive, only to see their chances at victory routinely torpedoed after halftime.
-10.2: That’s the Bulls’ net rating during the third quarter this season, the worst in the Eastern Conference and 28th in the NBA. It’s been by far Chicago’s worst quarter of the season (they’re only at -1.7 in the fourth, which is still negative but not nearly as crippling) and those struggles have only been exacerbated during this losing streak, where they own a -39.2 net rating in the third quarter.
34.0: How many points opponents are averaging per game against the Bulls in the five most recent third quarters. That’s also the worst mark in the NBA during that span, and that’s up from the 28.3 points they normally allow in the period.
49.0: Opponents field goal percentage during the third quarter in the past five games. Yes, it is bad to let other teams make about half their shots.
Bulls guard Coby White dribbles during a game against the Bucks at the United Center, Monday Oct. 7, 2019 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
36.0: Meanwhile, Chicago’s offense has come out of the gates cold after halftime lately. They’re shooting just 36% from the field during that dreadful frame and a league-worst 23.8% from three. Those numbers are only slightly better for the entire season (43.0% and 31.6% from three) in the third.
23.8: How many points the Bulls are scoring during the third quarter. It’s a perfect storm of offensive inefficiency and lackluster defense leading to such troubling trends.
-8.6: Coby White’s plus-minus during the third quarter of this losing streak. At his best, White’s scoring off the bench provides a boost for the second unit after halftime, but the rookie’s struggles recently have mirrored the bench’s struggles as a whole. During Wednesday’s loss to the Pelicans, the Bulls' bench was outscored 34-23 for the entire game, including a stretch where four backups (White, Chandler Hutchison, Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Gafford) played a combined 14 minutes without scoring. Chicago needs better production off the bench, especially considering Wendell Carter Jr. is reportedly expected to miss multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain, which will likely move Thad Young from the second unit to the starting lineup.


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--Ask Amy: Almost-ex-wife wants to warn the next woman

Only do this if you can do so safely .
Write down your statement , and take a lot of @ @ @ @ @ Keep the tone as neutral as possible .
Do not use any inflammatory language ( @ @ @ @ @ . )
, but do tell her in general terms about the financial issues and @ @ @ @ @ with him .
Be aware that anything you write could be shared with others , @ @ @ @ @ of context and used against you .

Dear Amy: My "very charming" psychopath/personality-disordered, almost ex-husband has found his next victim -- his first girlfriend from college.
It has been over 30 years since she dumped him in college, and she has likely forgotten the reasons behind their breakup.
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He is using his fake-charm to lure her into a long-distance relationship, and will trap her through marriage, etc. with financial attachments. This is how he got, trapped and messed me up with lies and a life of chaos.
Should I forewarn her of patterns to expect so that she's not fooled like I was?
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— Soon-to-be-Ex
Dear Soon-to-be: You might as well try to warn this woman about what she is in for, but you should expect to be ignored, disregarded, or criticized.
If delivering this warning would put your own legal separation/divorce proceedings or child custody at risk, do NOT do it.
Only do this if you can do so safely. Write down your statement, and take a lot of time to review it. Keep the tone as neutral as possible. Do not use any inflammatory language ("psychopath," etc.), but do tell her in general terms about the financial issues and overall chaos of your life with him. Be aware that anything you write could be shared with others, and might be taken out of context and used against you.
Do not post this on social media.
It sounds as if your own life will stabilize once you are divorced. I hope you will grasp and enjoy your own second chance.
Dear Amy: My parents married in 1968 and divorced almost 42 years later, in 2010.
They decided to remarry each other in 2013 and have been together ever since.
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Had they stayed together the entire time, they would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2018.
My husband and I recently threw my in-laws a 50th wedding anniversary party.
My dad is miffed that we didn't offer to throw them a 50th anniversary party last year. He feels the years should be "bridged."
I don't agree, but it seems he won't let it go.
What's your take on this?
— Wondering Daughter
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Dear Daughter: My take is that your father needs a party, stat!
I well understand your frustration concerning your folks. Because your dad is reacting to another couple's celebration, his behavior regarding his own anniversary seems petty, selfish and self-serving.
However, I believe that ANY couple that manages to stay together for such a long time -- through thick and thin (and thick again) -- should be celebrated on whatever timeline works well for the clan. One year here, one year there -- none of this is going to matter when you gather to recognize the full and rich reality of a very long (and sometimes imperfect) union.
The tricky math here will give all of you some talking points during your toasts to the couple. Keep it good-natured, and celebrate.
Dear Amy: "Grounded" described her life, working full time while her spouse (retired early) travels the world without her, spending down their nest egg in the process.
I think Grounded should consider using the phrase I have picked up from a local financial planning advertisement: "Retirement is just unemployment without the paycheck."
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Unfortunately, life is expensive.
I would also suggest she seek out some counseling, as I have finally done, to work through the resentment of having to work after watching the nest egg we had set aside dwindle to nothing. All of this has been happening while we still owe a substantial amount on our home.
In my case, my husband didn't travel, but due to poor health he just sat at home on the computer with a credit card to keep himself occupied.
And yes, I should have been more aware, but I had confidence that he was watching out for our financial health. How wrong I was!
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 am well into my senior years, so it gets even harder to go to work every day (both physically and mentally), but such is life.
— Exhausted
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Dear Exhausted: I can absolutely feel your exhaustion as you describe your life.
Now that you know what is going on, please do everything possible to mitigate your current situation. Meet with a financial counselor or social worker to see what you can do to safeguard your income in order to try to secure a more stable future. Given that the real estate market seems fairly robust right now, it might be wisest to sell your home, pay off your loan, and relocate to something smaller.
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--Zach LaVine’s 43 points go to waste in the Bulls’ 6th straight loss, 116-105 loss to the Pacers

“ It ’ s a lot of emotions going on .
But nine times out of 10 it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ there on the floor because my adrenaline ’ s probably going to be rushing .
@ @ @ @ @ of stuff going on in my head .
”

If Friday night was any indication, life without Wendell Carter Jr. is going to be a massive struggle for the Bulls.
That much was evident watching Chicago’s 116-105 loss to the Pacers. Despite Zach LaVine, who dropped 43, and Coby White, who scored 23 points in his best game offensively in more than a month, the Bulls could not overcome the Pacers’ onslaught in the paint.
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The Bulls were without their best rim protector in Carter, but his presence alone would not have solved things for the Bulls, who lost their sixth consecutive game, further sinking their postseason aspirations as they fell to a season-worst 12 games below .500.
“We’re close,” LaVine said. “We’re not there. We need to scratch it out. We’ll get one eventually. We’ll keep fighting. We got another one (Saturday).”
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Here are three takeaways from Friday night’s game:
1. Zach LaVine carries the scoring load with Lauri Markkanen limited.
Zach LaVine couldn’t explain his latest scoring roll — 20 consecutive Bulls points from the end of the second quarter until a Lauri Markkanen three at the 4:40 mark in the third — mainly because he didn’t realized it until a reporter mentioned it after the game.
“I thought I hit four threes, 12 …16 … how I get 20?” LaVine asked.
Zach LaVine put up 43 tonight against the Pacers, shooting 8 of 13 from three 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cH8ZjRbkaP — Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 11, 2020
He got to 20 in a row because he got hot from the field, but frankly also because the Bulls needed it to keep the game from getting out of hand. LaVine racked up 43 points on 14 of 23 shooting, including eight for 13 from beyond the arc, to go over the 40-point mark for the second time this year and to make an increasingly compelling case to be in the All-Star game. LaVine is used to scoring outbursts. On Friday, however, it was as if he was trying to will the Bulls to victory by himself.
“That’s my job man,” LaVine said. “I recognize when we’re down, we need a scoring outburst. I’m just trying to go out there and do my job, help us win and play the right way.”
One reason LaVine was asked to shoulder so much offensively is because of the sprained left ankle that continues to bother Markkanen.
“I’m not thinking about it during the game,” he said. “I’m sure some movements are not as explosive as normal, but it’s nothing I was really thinking about during the game.”
Markkanen never found a rhythm. He did not attempt a shot until late in the first quarter and finished with just nine attempts in nearly 34 minutes of action, with six of those nine shots coming from beyond the arc. He finished with 11 points and five rebounds and was -18 on the night.
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A strong December had helped Markkanen rebound from a slow start, but his ankle injury is beginning to derail that progress. And because he was so limited, the Bulls had to rely even more heavily on LaVine and Coby White to handle the scoring load.
Still, Boylen praised Markkanen for continuing to play.
“He’s doing the best he can, he’s fighting though,” Boylen said. “I think he’s matured. I’m proud of him. He’s not 100 percent. ... It’s part of what we’re building here to do anything you can to help the team and if you can help it, even if you’re hurting you still try. ... He hasn’t made one excuse, he hasn’t pouted, he hasn’t asked to come out, he hasn’t done anything he’s played through pretty tough sprain.”
2. The Bulls were punished in the paint.
To say the Pacers had their way in the paint on Friday night is an understatement.
Indiana bullied and dominated the Bulls around the rim, even without Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon. They drove to the lane at will. They dunked and dunked some more. They scored 70 of their 116 points in the paint.
Myles Turner scored 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting, but he wasn’t the only one to have his way near the basket. Even JaKarr Sampson, who had a brief four-game stint with the Bulls in 2019, had a stretch in the third quarter where he got free for a few dunks.
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Myles really just left him 😬😬😬 pic.twitter.com/EbPAHHovBF — Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 11, 2020
Yes, the Bulls miss Carter’s presence defensively. But not even that should yield such a drastic output.
“We give up points in the paint as a team in general,” LaVine said. “It’s going to hurt having Wendell out. But it’s been a problem of ours since the get-go. We got to continue to get better. We give up easy baskets. A lot of that is on us missing assignments. We got to do better.”
3. The Coby White show returns.
Coby White said his shot had been a bit off recently, especially while warming up prior to Wednesday’s game in New Orleans. So White wanted to use Thursday’s off-day to get some extra practice time. He summoned his older brother, Will, to head to the gym to help get his shot more in sync.
“Little things like finishing around the rim, the little finishes that I do and just tying to find rhythm with my shot,” White said. “I think just confidence helped a lot for me.”
It’s something the White brothers (Will played college basketball at Mars Hill), have been doing since they were growing up in North Carolina and the extra practice paid off on Friday night. White scored 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including five three pointers, providing some much needed scoring to give LaVine a breather.
It had been a while since White put up that kind of scoring performance.This was his fifth game of the season with at least 20 points, but first since he scored a season-high 28 points on Nov. 28th in Charlotte.
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According to NBC Chicago, White’s five 20-point games are the second most in team history for a player before his 20th birthday. (Luol Deng had six.)
Most 20+ point games before turning 20 in Bulls history
Luol Deng - 6
Coby White - 5
Wendell Carter - 3
Tyson Chandler - 1
(h/t: @ckamka) — Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) January 11, 2020
“Coby’s a confident scorer,” coach Jim Boylen said. “He’s a resilient young guy, he’ll miss two in a row and he’ll keep playing and I think that’s very important to us. I said earlier in the year, he’s a baller, he balls. He plays. And what we’re trying to help him do is continue to make good decisions when he is running the team as that lead guard to continue to grow in his decision making and his organization.”
Here’s coverage from Friday’s game:
Zach LaVine scored 43 points but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Bulls’ sixth consecutive loss, 116-105 against the Pacers on Friday night at the United Center.
The game was LaVine’s second with more than 40 points this season, and he made eight 3-pointers on 14 attempts.
“I felt Zach played like what All-Stars play like,” Bulls coach Jim Boylen said. “He was efficient, dynamic, did it in a lot of different ways.”
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Coby White added 23 points for the rookie’s first game with 20 or more since Nov. 23. Tomas Satoransky added 13 points and three assists, and Lauri Markkanen scored 11 with five rebounds and four assists for the Bulls.
Five Pacers scored in double figures, led by Myles Turner’s 27 points. He also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Former Bulls Doug McDermott (16 points) and Justin Holiday (nine points, six assists) contributed to the win.
“It was a game where we were fighting uphill all night and just couldn’t get a timely stop," Boylen said. "And they made big shots when they needed it.”
The Bulls gave up 70 points in the paint and scored 36.
Bulls rookie Daniel Gafford made his first career start, manning center with Wendell Carter Jr. expected to miss between four and six weeks because of a high ankle sprain. Thaddeus Young started in Carter’s place Wednesday against the Pelicans but came off the bench Friday.
Before the game, Gafford reflected on making his first start.
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“I’m going to be excited," he said. "I’m going to be a tad bit nervous.
“It’s a lot of emotions going on. But nine times out of 10 it’s going to hit me out there on the floor because my adrenaline’s probably going to be rushing. There’s a lot of stuff going on in my head.”
Boylen said during his pregame address that he wasn’t going to “reinvent the wheel” with Gafford in the first unit, and it appeared to be a bit of a learning curve following in Carter’s footsteps.
Gafford wasn’t heavily involved in the offense, scoring two points on free throws and missing two attempts. He added two rebounds and two steals.
The nadir for Gafford occurred when Turner crossed him up before driving to the basket for a dunk, and Gafford got up limping.
Gafford said before the game that his left ankle, which he hurt Monday in Dallas, was fine. “I threw some dirt on it. We good.”
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Gafford’s teammates praised his effort and said the fault for the Pacers’ success in the paint lies with all of them.
“It’s going to hurt not having Wendell, (but) DG did a really good job today,” LaVine said.
“We give up points in the paints as a team in general. … it’s been a problem of ours from the get-go. We give up easy baskets and a lot of that is on us missing assignments. We’ve got to do better.”
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Markkanen added that Carter is “a big part of what we’re doing so it’s obviously going to take time with different lineups. But I think we should be able to handle it even though he’s missing.”
The Bulls reversed their usual doldrums in the third quarter and rained 3-pointers — with LaVine making four in a row and White making three — to draw within 74-72 after trailing 54-46 at halftime.
“It was fun,” White said. “Me and him got hot; we went on a little streak. But it doesn’t matter because we didn’t get the win. None of it really matters.“
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After another loss, four teams stand between the Bulls (13-26) and the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m still trying to push for that,” LaVine said. “It’s tough. We’re really close. We’re still a (few) games out and if we can get hot we can still go out there and string some together. I’m optimistic.
“This is a tough stretch, this a tough month. We’ve played a lot of teams over .500, we have to get a couple of them before this All-Star break before it gets too late.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--2 dead, 1 wounded during fatal shootings on West, South sides

A couple of officers pulled them aside and continued to ask the men questions .
An officer apologized for not @ @ @ @ @ house keys until they were done going over the scene .
The men then walked @ @ @ @ @ rain began to pick up .

Chicago police process a crime scene at California Avenue and Lexington Street in Chicago where at least one person was shot and killed on Jan. 10, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
A man and a 17-year-old boy were fatally shot in separate attacks Friday night in the Lawndale and Englewood neighborhoods on the West and South sides.
Most recently, someone inside a dark-colored sport utility vehicle fired shots from its driver’s side window, hitting two men walking across the street in the 700 block of South California Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood about 6:05 p.m., police said.
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A 34-year-old was hit in the chest and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and his 39-year-old companion was shot in the buttocks and was also taken to Mount Sinai, where he was listed in good condition, police said.
The SUV, possibly a Jeep, fled west on Lexington, and no one has been arrested.
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Officers walked in and out of United Food Mart on the corner of South California and West Lexington on Friday night. Crime scene tape blocked off the intersection in front of it as officers put down at least six yellow evidence markers.
A white car with all four doors opened was inside the crime scene tape in front of the store. One white right-foot sneaker with a dark-colored Nike swoosh stood by itself to the right of the car with an evidence marker next to it.
People in apartments across the street and down the block looked out their windows to see what was happening.
Just after 8 p.m., a black Ford Explorer barreled toward the scene and broke a red evidence tape, almost running over some of the evidence markers. An officer in a cruiser laid down on the horn as another shined a flashlight toward the driver. Another walked up to the driver to ask them to move.
An officer pulled the tape back together and knotted it. They found a nearby garbage can and traffic cone, and dragged them to the middle of the road to prevent someone else from driving through.
Shortly after, three men walked up to the scene.
“Hey, who’s in charge of the crime scene?” one man asked officers.
“Can we get the keys? We can’t get into our house without the keys in the car,” one said as they looked toward the white car.
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“The car wasn’t even part of the crime scene,” a man said. “They were trying to take him to the hospital.”
A couple of officers pulled them aside and continued to ask the men questions. An officer apologized for not being able to retrieve the house keys until they were done going over the scene. The men then walked away before the drizzle of rain began to pick up.
An officer grabbed a black-and-white umbrella from a squad car to hold over another taking photographs of the scene. Six others huddled together under a small overhang on the building across the street from food mart.
About an hour earlier in a separate shooting, a 17-year-old boy, identified as Rasean Green, of the 7200 block of South Carpenter Street, was fatally shot about 5:05 p.m. in the 7200 block of South Aberdeen Street, in the Englewood neighborhood.
He was on the street when a gunman confronted him and fired a gun, hitting him several times on the left side of his body, police said.
The boy was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 5:37 p.m.
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Area South and Area North detectives were investigating.
Check back for details.
Tribune staff writer Rosemary Sobol contributed to this report.
pfry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--Lincoln Park High staff member removed amid probe of basketball team trip; coach Pat Gordon absent f

Lincoln Park High staff member removed amid probe of basketball team trip; coach Pat Gordon absent from Friday’s game

On Thursday , separate emails informed families of students at Lincoln Park High School and Jones College Prep that a @ @ @ @ @ from their schools .
Both emails began the same way : “ The safety of @ @ @ @ @ top priority , which is why I must inform you of a situation that has @ @ @ @ @ ”

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Two staff members at Chicago high schools have been removed from their respective campuses amid investigations into activities that had “recently come to light,” according to emails sent to parents Thursday.
On Thursday, separate emails informed families of students at Lincoln Park High School and Jones College Prep that a staff member had been removed from their schools. Both emails began the same way: “The safety of your children is always our top priority, which is why I must inform you of a situation that has recently come to light.”
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Addressing the Lincoln Park boys basketball team families, Principal John Thuet wrote he’d been “made aware” that members of the team "took an overnight trip over winter break that was not a school sponsored event.”
“The staff member who led the trip has been removed from the school, and the district is investigating this situation in accordance with CPS policy," Thuet wrote.
Chicago Public Schools officials have not identified either staff member.
At the Lincoln Park varsity basketball game Friday evening against Lane Tech, Lincoln Park coach Pat Gordon was absent from the sidelines. Following the game — which Lincoln Park won 72-65 — an assistant coach declined to comment, and several adults in the crowd said they knew little about what was happening. Those working the gate initially told a Tribune reporter he could not enter.
At Jones, an email from Principal P. Joseph Powers said there’d been “an allegation that one of our staff members engaged inappropriately with students" and that the employee was removed from the school.
The Office of the Inspector General is investigating, according to Powers’ email.
Both principals’ emails ended on the same note: “While I am unable to discuss details regarding the investigation, I am always available to discuss steps the district takes to keep students safe and matters related to your child."
Neither principal has responded to inquiries from the Tribune, and CPS officials did not provide additional information about either case.
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Jones is a selective enrollment school in Printers Row, while Lincoln Park is a neighborhood school with a performing arts magnet program as well as honors and International Baccalaureate programs.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--Coyote seen ‘running after a jogger’ near Shedd Aquarium, cops say

Police were notified about 6:53 p.m. that someone saw a possible coyote “ running after a jogger , ” on @ @ @ @ @ Aquarium , 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive , on the city ’ s Near South @ @ @ @ @ Jessica Alvarez , a spokeswoman for the police .

A Chicago police officer parks his bicycle behind the Shedd Aquarium where a coyote was spotted late Jan. 10, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police and officers from Animal Care and Control left the scene near the Shedd Aquarium Friday night after being unable to catch up with a coyote that was spotted near the lakeshore.
Police were notified about 6:53 p.m. that someone saw a possible coyote “running after a jogger,” on a path near the Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, on the city’s Near South Side, according to Officer Jessica Alvarez, a spokeswoman for the police.
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Animal Care and Control was notified, Alvarez said, and no one was injured.
Officers apparently "couldn’t catch up with it,'' so they left the scene as of about 7:30 p.m, Alvarez said.
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Another coyote was captured Thursday night on the North Side, but authorities were not sure if it was the same animal that bit a 6-year-old boy on the head a day earlier in Lincoln Park.
Check back for details.
[ Coyote caught on North Side, authorities checking if it’s the animal that attacked boy at Notebaert museum ]
[ Thousands of coyotes live in the Chicago area. But attacks on people are extremely rare. ]
[ Bystanders rush to help boy found bleeding from coyote attack in Lincoln Park: ‘We just ran over there instinctively’ ]
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-10--Column: The Kris Bryant case hovers over the Cubs like a black cloud in a winter of fans’ discontent

It wasn ’ t Epstein ’ s fault the Cubs traded Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio a couple of generations @ @ @ @ @ end of it .
But rest assured Epstein — and the Rickettses — never will @ @ @ @ @ if Bryant continues his Hall of Fame trajectory elsewhere and the return on the deal @ @ @ @ @ , if they let Bryant leave as a free agent for nothing , it would @ @ @ @ @ Epstein is between a rock and a hard place .

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Kris Bryant has spent the entire offseason wondering where he will be playing in 2020.
Everyone else has.
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It has been the most talked-about Cubs rumor since he left town after the team’s late-season collapse, and when Bryant returns to Chicago for the Cubs Convention next weekend, his uncertain fate no doubt will be the primary topic of conversation during the three-day fan fest.
When you have won an MVP award at age 24, established yourself as one of the game’s biggest stars, helped end a 107-year championship drought and filled Wrigley Field on a near-daily basis, the news of your imminent departure is going to cause a little controversy.
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But with spring training only one month away, team President Theo Epstein has yet to start swinging his reckoning ball, and Bryant remains Cubs property after agreeing Friday to a one-year, $18.6 million deal, avoiding arbitration.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 167 Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant stand at the plate during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on July 26, 2021. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
It might be only temporary relief. Bryant and the Cubs await an arbitrator’s decision on the players union grievance over alleged service-time manipulation in 2015, which will decide whether he’s a free agent after 2020, as Bryant hopes, or 2021, as the collective bargaining agreement dictates.
Assuming he will have two more years before free agency, the Cubs should be able to pry a boatload of talent from any interested team, so the asking price reportedly is exceedingly high — as it should be. The Cubs aren’t exactly known for trading homegrown players of Bryant’s talent, mostly because they’ve seldom drafted and developed players who have succeeded as much as Bryant has over his first five seasons.
It wasn’t Epstein’s fault the Cubs traded Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio a couple of generations ago and never heard the end of it. But rest assured Epstein — and the Rickettses — never will hear the end of it if Bryant continues his Hall of Fame trajectory elsewhere and the return on the deal is Broglio-ian. Of course, if they let Bryant leave as a free agent for nothing, it would be even worse, so Epstein is between a rock and a hard place.
You would have to believe new manager David Ross has been lobbying Epstein to keep Bryant, his friend and former teammate, but Ross said at the winter meetings that he has to “try to look at the big picture” and take out the friendship part.
If that’s the case and Epstein doesn’t think Bryant will sign a reasonable contract extension, it makes sense to find out what the Cubs can get for the slugger now instead of waiting until the July 2021 trade deadline, when his value would drop significantly because he would be only a two-month rental.
“Obviously you want more guys like Kris Bryant on your team,” Ross said, adding that Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have to look at every option to “make this the best team they possibly can this year and long term.”
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With no free-agent signings or trades, the Cubs have made less news this winter than the Lincoln Park coyote while remaining mostly out of sight. The only part of the so-called “reckoning” Epstein threatened has been the switch from Joe Maddon to Ross.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 94 Cubs manager David Ross yells at the home-plate umpire after a strike call against Jake Marisnick in the ninth inning against the Brewers on April 24, 2021, at Wrigley Field. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Perhaps that one move will be the difference between a good team that fell apart down the stretch the last two seasons and one that figures to contend in 2020 with the current core in place. No one on the Cubs will say that because it would be an indictment of Maddon’s laissez-faire managing style, which apparently grated on management in the aftermath of the 2016 championship.
But if the status quo on the field remains and the only big change is the manager, the only way to read it would be the Cubs believed addition by subtraction — discarding Maddon — was the only move needed.
There’s still time to make a deal, and the Bryant rumor won’t go away until, well, maybe it will be here as long as he remains a Cub without a long-term deal. It’s something he would have to deal with, and let’s face it — it’s a small price to pay for $18.6 million.
To Bryant’s credit, he’s not blowing off the Cubs Convention, at which he’ll have to answer endless questions about his uncertain future. He has been a stand-up player through thick and thin, which you can’t say about all of his teammates, much less the Rickettses, who once again won’t hold a question-and-answer session with fans, as they had done almost every year as owners until the 2019 convention.
Former general manager Jim Hendry used to make it a point to be accessible to the media and fans when the Cubs were awful and to be scarce when the team was winning. The Rickettses have taken the opposite approach, hiding from the difficult questions they know will be asked.
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Maybe they can learn a lesson from Bryant before they dump him.