chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Jussie Smollett expected back in court in Chicago to face new charges

Not only did prosecutors drop charges without requiring Smollett to admit guilt , but he also left the courtroom that @ @ @ @ @ for two days of community service he had already performed , and he paid no @ @ @ @ @ in bond money — less than 10 % of the approximately $ 130,000 the police @ @ @ @ @ case , Webb noted .

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail on March 16, 2022, after he was ordered to be released pending appeal of his conviction and 150-day sentence. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
A distinct atmosphere of deja vu hung over the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday as a black SUV pulled up to the curb and Jussie Smollett stepped out.
The charges the former “Empire” actor was there to face were the same. The allegations that he’d staged a sensational hate crime attack on himself were the same. The breathless media throng awaiting him was the same.
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And once inside, standing next to the lawyer who appeared with him when he was first charged last year, the plea Smollett entered was also the same:
Not guilty.
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And so what easily ranks as the most infamous disorderly conduct case in recent Chicago history began all over again, the differences this time being a new judge and a special prosecutor, Dan K. Webb.
Webb’s special grand jury earlier this month indicted Smollett on six counts of disorderly conduct alleging he lied to police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack on a frigid night in Chicago in January 2019. The veteran attorney was appointed last summer to investigate the Smollett matter after the first charges were abruptly dropped by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office, bringing controversy and national scrutiny.
But while Webb’s investigation did lead to a renewed criminal case against Smollett, all indications were the legal battle may be just beginning.
After Monday’s brief arraignment, Smollett’s attorneys said they had no intention of negotiating any plea deal with Webb, and that they would take the case all the way to trial if need be.
And as Smollett was on his way to court, his lawyers filed an emergency petition with the Illinois Supreme Court asking that the indictment and Webb’s appointment as prosecutor be thrown out altogether.
In the courtroom of Associate Judge James Linn, where Smollett entered his plea, his attorneys also filed paperwork Monday requesting that the case be tossed out, contending it violates Smollett’s double-jeopardy protections.
Smollett arrived Monday with an entourage that included members of his family and apparent bodyguards. As they walked silently up the courthouse steps, several cameramen tripped as they backed up, creating a small pileup. Smollett did not respond to questions shouted by reporters as he made his way into court.
As he waited to hear which judge would take his case, Smollett sat ramrod-straight in the gallery next to supporters including his sister, actor Jurnee Smollett-Bell.
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Across the packed courtroom gallery sat brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, key prosecution witnesses who told police Smollett paid them to stage the attack. The defense has, in turn, accused them of actually beating Smollett and then lying to police about what happened.
After two false starts, Judge LeRoy Martin Jr. announced that Smollett’s case was assigned to Judge Linn, a Chicago native and veteran jurist who presides in an airy seventh-floor courtroom.
The first two judges selected via a random generator, William Gamboney and Diane Gordon Cannon, both happened to be out sick Monday.
“I want a judge that’s here,” Martin said.
In Linn’s crowded courtroom, Smollett stood silently before the bench as his attorneys asked the judge to postpone his arraignment in light of their request to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Linn turned them down, but released Smollett on a recognizance bond, meaning that unlike last year, the actor did not have to post any cash to stay out of custody as his case is pending.
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Webb had asked Linn to set the same $100,000 bond that was instated in the first case. Smollett had paid 10% of that figure — $10,000 — to get out of jail, funds that were forfeited to the city as part of an agreement with Cook County prosecutors when charges were dropped in March of last year.
Linn said he expects the actor to appear for court dates during which substantive arguments will be made; it is not yet clear whether that will be the case for the next hearing March 18.
If Smollett’s attorneys are successful before the state’s high court, however, the case will be tossed out altogether. They argued in their filing Monday that Cook County Judge Michael Toomin overstepped his authority when he ordered the appointment of a special prosecutor.
After the charges were abruptly dropped, Sheila O’Brien, a retired Illinois appellate judge, petitioned Toomin to appoint a special prosecutor to look into the handling of the investigation. After extensive legal arguments last summer, Toomin ruled that Foxx had the right to withdraw herself from overseeing the prosecution but held no legal authority to then delegate that responsibility to her top deputy.
After Toomin found that Smollett’s first prosecution was invalid, Webb was appointed to determine whether the actor should again face charges.
Smollett’s attorneys are challenging Toomin’s logic in their motion to the Illinois Supreme Court, arguing that Foxx had every right under the law to withdraw from the case the way she did and to assign her top deputy to handle the case.
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Toomin “lacked authority to essentially horizontally reverse the circuit court’s dismissal of the case and to appoint a special prosecutor to ‘further prosecute’ Mr. Smollett," their motion argues.
The hearing before Linn was over in less than 10 minutes. Afterward, Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, the attorney for the Osundairo brothers, told the dozens of reporters waiting in the courthouse lobby that the brothers had come to court to “support the process” and indicated that they would also be observing future court dates — a highly unusual move for such important witnesses in a criminal case.
The brothers have been truthful throughout the process, including in recent interviews with the special prosecutor’s office, she said, and have gotten little in return.
“To anyone out there who thinks that they got some kind of immunity or some kind of plea deal out of this, that’s incorrect,” she said. “Their lives have been put on hold for this moment and for this process.”
Speaking at the same microphones minutes later, Smollett’s lead attorney, Tina Glandian, told reporters it was surprising to see the brothers there.
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“I’ll leave it to you to wonder why they bothered to appear here,” she said.
Glandian said Smollett continues to staunchly maintain his innocence and finds the ordeal frustrating.
“He’s strong, he’s resilient, he’ll get through this, but it’s frustrating,” she said.
Smollett left the courthouse shortly after 11:30 a.m. without addressing reporters. As news helicopters hovered overhead, his entourage pushed past a crush of camera crews, climbed back into an SUV and headed south on California Avenue.
[ A timeline of the Jussie Smollett case ]
Smollett, who is black and openly gay, told police last year he was attacked by two men as he was walking home after getting a sandwich at a Subway restaurant. The men shouted slurs, poured bleach or a similar substance on him and hung a noose around his neck, he told officers.
But the actor, best known for his now-ended role on the Fox TV show “Empire,” eventually turned from victim to suspect, and in a twist, police said that the entire incident was a hoax and that Smollett actually staged the assault from start to finish to bolster his career.
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[ Who is Dan Webb? Meet the special prosecutor appointed to the Jussie Smollett case. ]
[ Mystery remains over why Kim Foxx's office dismissed hoax charges against Jussie Smollett ]
In bringing the new charges earlier this month, Webb said he considered “the extensive nature” of Smollett’s falsehoods, the massive amount of time and money Chicago police put into the investigation, and the strength of the evidence cited by Foxx’s own prosecutors in bringing the original charges.
[ Kim Foxx’s handling of Jussie Smollett case hovers over Cook County state’s attorney candidates meeting with Tribune Editorial Board ]
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mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @crepeau
Twitter @jmetr22b


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Tired of waiting to get on the bus? The CTA is testing a plan to allow riders to board at the back d

Tired of waiting to get on the bus? The CTA is testing a plan to allow riders to board at the back door.

Steele said he did not expect fare evasion to be a problem since it has not been an issue with @ @ @ @ @ launched all-door boarding .
Bus drivers can use rear view mirrors to spot problems , @ @ @ @ @ come to the front to ensure they ’ ve paid their fares .

Public transportations riders wait to board a bus near the CTA Blue Line station on Chicago Avenue near Milwaukee Avenue on Oct. 31, 2017. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)
It can be a long wait to get on the bus, as people ahead of you fumble for change and try to remember where they put their Ventra cards.
That wait is one of the chief causes of bus delays, along with bad traffic.
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In order to speed things up, the CTA this summer will introduce an “all-door” bus boarding pilot on two South Side routes — the busy No. J14 Jeffery Jump and the No. 192 University of Chicago Hospitals Express. All-door bus boarding allows riders to enter a bus through both the front and rear doors.
The six-month test is part of a larger CTA plan to improve bus service, which includes creating priority lanes on busy routes so buses can get through traffic faster. Bus ridership has dropped almost 25% since 2012, a decline the agency blames in part on the rise in ride-share.
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[ After years of falling ridership, CTA plans major study to improve bus system ]
“This is a big change,” CTA spokesman Brian Steele said. “Never in our modern history have we offered all-door boarding. We think it’s something customers will respond to positively.”
The routes connect with Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center west of the Loop. The pilot will start in June on the Jeffery Jump, which runs seven days a week between 103rd Street/Stony Island Avenue and Washington Boulevard/Jefferson Street, and on the No. 192 route, which runs between Clinton/Madison streets and Cottage Grove Avenue/57th Street during weekday rush hours.
The Jeffery Jump, which runs express for long portions of the route, carries nearly 10,000 passengers every weekday and is one of the busiest routes on the CTA system, Steele said. The No. 192 carries 600 riders on an average weekday.
Riders will be able to use a fare reader for Ventra or contactless credit, debit or bank cards for “tap-on” boarding at either door, Steele explained. Customers who want to pay cash still will have to go to the front.
The agency will spend $450,000 to install card readers on 30, 60-foot accordion-style buses.
Steele said he did not expect fare evasion to be a problem since it has not been an issue with other transit agencies that have launched all-door boarding. Bus drivers can use rear view mirrors to spot problems, and can ask people to come to the front to ensure they’ve paid their fares.
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Steven Higashide, a national transit expert who wrote the book “Better Buses, Better Cities” about improving bus service, said the CTA is “late to the game” in all-door boarding. Several other U.S. cities use it for busy routes, and San Francisco has it citywide, Higashide said. San Francisco and some other cities use fare inspectors.
“I think it’s almost certain you’ll see some benefits in terms of bus speeds,” Higashide said of the CTA pilot. “Hopefully, they don’t spend an inordinate amount of time studying a small pilot and determine quickly whether they can scale up to all-doors boarding on all routes.”
In its 2018 report card on CTA bus service, the Active Transportation Alliance gave many busy routes poor marks due to congestion and slow speeds. The advocacy group’s report recommended all-door boarding as one solution to the problem.
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“It’s really exciting," alliance spokesman Kyle Whitehead said of the pilot. “There’s been a decline in bus ridership and we’ve been making the case that a big reason why that’s happening is that we haven’t been doing enough to make the bus competitive with other options."
Any incremental drop in monies collected because of fare evasion will be made up for by an increase in riders because service is faster and more reliable, Whitehead said.
Transportation song quiz
No disrespect to the cowboy or the construction worker, but the best version of our transportation song last week was done by the Muppets, dressed as Vikings. The song was “In the Navy,” originally performed by the Village People. Christine Lamut, of Albany Park, was first with the right answer.
This song was written in response to a segregation-related drowning in downstate Cairo, and became an anthem of the civil rights movement. What’s the song, and who wrote it? The first reader with the right answer gets a Tribune tote bag, and glory.
mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-02-24--3 people of interest being questioned after 15-year-old stabbed multiple times on North Side, police

3 people of interest being questioned after 15-year-old stabbed multiple times on North Side, police say

The teenage boy was walking with a male friend at 12:57 a.m. on a sidewalk in the 1600 block of @ @ @ @ @ Ranch Triangle neighborhood when two men got out of a silver Dodge Charger and chased @ @ @ @ @ , police said .

A 15-year-old boy was stabbed and seriously wounded early Monday on the North Side and ran to a nearby Red Line stop for help, according to Chicago police.
Shortly afterward, police took three people in for questioning.
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The boy was walking with a friend on a sidewalk in the 1600 block of North Bissell Street in the Ranch Triangle neighborhood about 1 a.m.when two men got out of a silver Dodge Charger and chased them, police said.
The teen was stabbed in the chest, arm and leg, police said. He ran to the nearby North/Clybourn Red Line stop, where paramedics and police were notified. He was taken to Lurie Children’s Hospital in critical condition.
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No other injuries were reported.
Check back for updates.
pfry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-23--Ask Amy: Celibacy causes partner's esteem to plummet

Also , for some reason that he is unwilling to discuss , Jack does not want to be intimate .
@ @ @ @ @ early in our relationship solely because he wanted to please me .
Whenever I bring @ @ @ @ @ just says he 's more interested in companionship ( yet he loves movies or TV @ @ @ @ @ skin ) .

Dear Amy: I am a woman in my mid-50s. I had a brief, miserable marriage in my 30s (no children), and have been happily single ever since.
"Jack" is 60, was married for his entire adult life, and has two grown kids. He thought his marriage was happy, but his wife just left one day, moving halfway across the country. (I knew them both before this happened.) After their divorce, Jack and I started dating.
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Jack is loving and considerate. We have a wonderful life with fulfilling jobs, a great circle of friends, and shared hobbies. His children and their spouses have welcomed me with open arms. We talk through differences like rational people. We've purchased a house together. I could not imagine a better relationship!
Still, my self-esteem has taken some hits. Jack did not choose to end his marriage, and being aware that he would prefer to be with his ex makes me feel like I'm the consolation prize. Jack has never said anything about it, but it's something I'm aware of.
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Also, for some reason that he is unwilling to discuss, Jack does not want to be intimate. We had a few encounters early in our relationship solely because he wanted to please me. Whenever I bring up the subject, he just says he's more interested in companionship (yet he loves movies or TV shows that show a little skin).
Is a lack of sexual intimacy common in relationships between older people?
Or is it because he wants to be with his ex-wife?
I'm OK with never having sex, as long as it's not a sign that there is something bigger missing in our relationship.
— Confusedly Celibate
Dear Celibate: You say that you and "Jack" talk through your differences like rational human beings.
I don't relish poking holes in your happiness, but ... Jack lets you assume that he would prefer his ex. He frames his marriage as having ended out of the blue. He won't have sex with you, and won't discuss it with you.
Has it occurred to you that this behavior might have contributed to his wife's choice to leave?
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Libido does drop for some people as they age, but it hasn't dropped for you and no -- I do not think it is the norm for people in this age group to be celibate. There is nothing wrong with choosing celibacy or living a celibate life. But you didn't choose it. He did.
True intimacy entails being courageous enough to let yourself be loved through your weakest, weirdest, or more challenging moments. Intimacy starts with talking, disclosing, listening and responding honestly.
If your relationship was in the right place, your self-esteem would not take such hits. You have the right to ask questions and engage in honest conversations. If your guy can't (or won't) engage with you in this way, then you'll have a tough choice to make.
Dear Amy: I've been in a bridge club for over 10 years (12 members). We get together about once a month.
Prior to the last couple of years, the host provided dinner and drinks. It was great! You had a night off and enjoyed someone else's hospitality and cooking.
When it was your turn to host, you repaid the favor.
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In the last few years, this has become more of a "potluck" evening. The problem is -- the same few people seem to be bringing the pots! I often bring an enticing, creative dish, only to have someone else bring a bottle of sparkling water or nothing.
Is there a way to even the workload among us, without pointing fingers and hurting feelings?
— A Bridge Too Far
Dear Bridge: Yes. The way to work this out is to talk about it as a group. You can say, "Our bridge dinner was great while it lasted, but do we want to transition away from the dinner and into something else?" Bringing snacks, desserts, or just sharing beverages might be the collective choice.
Dear Amy: "Survivor" endured terrible childhood abuse, and wanted to confront a woman who had bullied her as a child.
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 >
This sentence is pure gold: "'Letting sleeping dogs lie' is not the answer for you, because, for you, the dogs never sleep. These memories still pace and stalk and threaten to pounce."
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Thank you for helping this survivor -- and millions of others -- with less than 100 words.
— Grateful
Dear Grateful: I've received an outpouring a support for this answer, and I genuinely appreciate it.
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-02-23--Hello, traffic jams: Northwest Highway resurfacing through Park Ridge set to begin; will overlap wit

Hello, traffic jams: Northwest Highway resurfacing through Park Ridge set to begin; will overlap with Touhy construction

Even though the roads are under the jurisdiction of IDOT and the resurfacing projects are paid by the state , @ @ @ @ @ said they will have a positive financial impact for the city , which does incur @ @ @ @ @ roads .

Park Ridge drivers may want to start getting ready for construction-related gridlock. Orange construction cones will likely be popping up in March on Northwest Highway and in June on Touhy Avenue.
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Sarah Mitchell, engineer for the city of Park Ridge, said the city was told the Northwest Highway resurfacing project will begin the week of March 2.
The project calls for a 3-mile stretch of Northwest Highway to be resurfaced from Miner/Dempster Street in Des Plaines to Merrill Street at the Park Ridge-Chicago border, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The project is expected to last through October.
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Work will include removal and replacement of the surface and curbs, as well as improvements to sidewalk ramps, Mitchell told the City Council on Feb. 18.
The project will overlap with resurfacing work that is scheduled to occur on Touhy Avenue through Park Ridge this year, Mitchell said. And that could affect the very congested six-corners intersection in the heart of Uptown, where Northwest Highway and Touhy cross.
“Is there any chance the Northwest Highway and Touhy intersection will be torn up at the same time?” Mayor Marty Maloney asked.
Mitchell said there is.
Plans call for Touhy to be resurfaced from Route 72 near O’Hare Airport to Caldwell Avenue at the Niles-Chicago border, she said.
The Touhy Avenue road work is scheduled to go out for bids in April, with a possible start date in June, Mitchell said.
IDOT has not indicated if complete road closures are planned during the construction phases, but typically periodic lane closures only occur during resurfacing projects, Mitchell said.
Even though the roads are under the jurisdiction of IDOT and the resurfacing projects are paid by the state, Public Works Director Wayne Zingsheim said they will have a positive financial impact for the city, which does incur some maintenance costs for the roads.
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“The amount of money that is spent repairing potholes on those two streets is going to drop significantly once they resurface them,” he said.
jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-02-23--Coby White makes NBA history by scoring 33 points off the bench for the 2nd straight game as the Bul

Coby White makes NBA history by scoring 33 points off the bench for the 2nd straight game as the Bulls beat the Wizards to snap an 8-game skid

Coach Jim Boylen likes White in his current role , in which he can serve as the leader of a @ @ @ @ @ .
And when he gets hot like he did Sunday night , he ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ the starters to close the game , which is just as important to him as @ @ @ @ @ .

It had been nearly a month since the Bulls came away with a victory, their last win before Sunday’s 126-117 win over the Wizards coming on Jan. 27.
It made for a refreshing change of pace after the last few weeks were mired in injuries and depleted rotations, watching from the sidelines while the All-Star Game took over the United Center and unconventional timeouts late in blowouts.
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Yet the Bulls have a few positives to hold on to after snapping a season-worst eight-game skid. Zach LaVine finally got some help carrying the load on offense with back-to-back strong games from rookie guard Coby White, who feels like he’s settling into a groove during the final stretch of his first season.
“I’ve been feeling like I’m more comfortable even before these two games,” White said. “The last month, even though I haven’t been shooting the ball like I wanted to in February, but other than that I felt like I was good defensively. I felt like I was good creating and getting my teammates involved and running the team when I was in there.”
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Here are three takeaways from the Bulls’ victory over the Wizards.
1. Coby White doesn’t need to start to leave his mark on the game.
It’s difficult to describe Coby White’s rookie season. He has shown flashes of excellence matched by frustrating inconsistency. He has had games when he carried the Bulls offensively and nights when his cold shooting stifled the offense.
But for a team starving for offense like the Bulls, White continues to prove himself a capable scorer.
No Bulls rookie had put up back-to-back 30-point games since Michael Jordan before White scored 33 on Saturday and Sunday, and White considered it an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as the player he called “the GOAT.” No rookie in NBA history had scored 30-plus off the bench in consecutive games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“He’s in a really good rhythm,” Zach LaVine said. “You can tell the confidence is coming when he touches the ball. He knows it’s not on the defense to stop me, it’s on me. It’s just on him making or missing a shot.”
White’s strong play has raised questions about whether he should be inserted into the starting lineup, but he has downplayed that as a goal every chance he gets, saying he wants to focus only on getting better. White is one of three Bulls, including LaVine and Tomas Satoransky, to play in all 58 games but has yet to make his first start.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 Bulls guard Coby White holds out three to celebrate hitting a 3-pointer against the Wizards. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
Bulls coach Jim Boylen has consistently stated he likes White coming off the bench to provide a spark for the second unit. White played 33 minutes Sunday night, third-most on the team, and closed the game with the starters.
Eventually the Bulls would like for White to develop into their starting point guard, but there’s no reason to rush as he continues to develop on both ends of the floor.
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For now, Boylen likes White in his current role and doesn’t plan on changing it.
“Coming off two 33-point games, I don’t know if it makes sense to do that,” Boylen said.
2. Zach LaVine set a franchise record for 3-pointers.
Zach LaVine etched his name into the team record books during a scoring flurry in the second quarter, knocking down 3s on back-to-back possessions to become the Bulls franchise leader in 3-pointers in a season. LaVine’s 174th 3-pointer surpassed Ben Gordon’s mark from 2008-09.
The frequency of 3-point shots has increased around the league since Gordon last played. Gordon played all 82 games that season and attempted 422 3-pointers, while LaVine has already shot 463 times from beyond the arc with 24 games to go.
Still, it’s a noteworthy record for LaVine during this breakout scoring season.
“It’s cool; I didn’t even realize it until they put it up during the game,” he said. “It’s dope. Two different eras obviously. BG was an incredible 3-point shooter, but it’s a credit to a lot of work I’ve put into it and I’m going to continue to go out there and do my things.”
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LaVine, who competed in the 3-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend, is attempting a career-high 7.98 3-pointers per game and is shooting 38.2%, right around his career best of 38.9%.
“You can’t go out there and hit all your shots,” he said. “One game you might be on, one game you might be off, but just being consistent and always keeping your same routine, I think I’ve done a good job with that.”
3. The Bulls are turning the ball over a lot, starting with Zach LaVine.
The Bulls can be forgiven, considering they are without seven rotation players, but they have set a season high for turnovers in each of the last two games. They coughed up the ball 29 times Sunday, led by LaVine’s nine giveaways.
The pressure on LaVine — from opposing teams and from additional ballhandling responsibilities — has only increased as the Bulls roster has become depleted, and his turnover rate is climbing at an alarming rate with 33 in the last five games.
“You look at some of those plays and you feel like there’s some arms, some hands,” Boylen said, treading carefully as not to criticize officials. “Just seems like there’s a lot of slap-strips.”
LaVine acknowledged increased contact but didn’t want to make excuses. Playmaking is an area he has focused on growing the most this season, and he has made strides. But a stretch like this shows the need for more consistent decision-making.
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“I get a hit a lot throughout the whole game, but a lot of people do,” he said. “It just depends on how the game is going. I’ve got to play through it. I’ve got to do better with it. Those are valuable possessions, can’t get those back.
“I’ve got to try to turn it over less, but if I feel like I’m making the right play and being aggressive, I’m going to continue to do that as well.”
Here’s more coverage from Sunday’s game:
Coby White has teased the Bulls with several tantalizing streaks of brilliance this season.
Sometimes the rookie guard’s hot streak lasts only a quarter, other times for a half or maybe a full game. The spurts have remained as unpredictable as they are exhilarating, and as sporadic as they are encouraging, for a player who just turned 20 last week.
White put together the best back-to-back games of his career this weekend, and his 33-point effort Sunday night helped guide the Bulls to a 126-117 victory over the Wizards that snapped a season-worst eight-game losing streak.
It was the second consecutive night White scored 33 points, which matched a career high and made him the first Bulls rookie since Michael Jordan with back-to-back 30-point games.
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The rookie @CobyWhite joins Trae Young and Allen Iverson as the only rookies to have consecutive games with 33+ points since 1992.
He joins Michael Jordan as the only rookies in Bulls history to score 30 points in back-to-back games. pic.twitter.com/0Wi5wkDBUn — Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 24, 2020
“It means a lot,” White said of joining Jordan. “It’s a blessing; he’s the GOAT. You’ve just got to continue to get better, build from it and hopefully just stay consistent.”
White’s performance provided the Bulls with an additional scoring threat they have been lacking all season alongside Zach LaVine, who finished with 32 points and made six 3-pointers to raise his season total to 177, breaking Ben Gordon’s franchise record.
Chicago Tribune Sports Weekdays A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
LaVine and White (five 3s) were joined by Thaddeus Young (five 3s, 25 points) to become the first trio of Bulls teammates with at least 25 points since LaVine, Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen did it in a four-overtime loss to the Hawks last March 1.
White also became the first rookie in NBA history with consecutive 30-point games off the bench.
“We need (White) to do things like that,” LaVine said. “I told him, let’s do it again next game. Keep it going, don’t put a cap on it.”
They needed it all to stave off the Wizards, who kept trimming an advantage that was once 25 points, cutting the lead to seven with about seven minutes remaining. Bradley Beal finished with a career-high 53 points.
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As the team goals shift toward development this season, it has raised questions about White’s role and whether he could find a spot in the starting lineup. White is one of only three Bulls to appear in all 58 games this season, with LaVine and Tomas Satoransky, but has yet to receive his first start.
Coach Jim Boylen likes White in his current role, in which he can serve as the leader of a second unit depleted by injuries. And when he gets hot like he did Sunday night, he’ll be on the floor with the starters to close the game, which is just as important to him as getting the chance to start.
“You want to be in at the end of the games to try and finish for your team,” White said. “Everyone on this team does, just because of our competitive nature, but it means a lot to me to be able to finish the game.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-23--3 takeaways from White Sox spring training, including Dylan Cease’s sharp outing in a 7-2 victory ag

3 takeaways from White Sox spring training, including Dylan Cease’s sharp outing in a 7-2 victory against the Reds

“ You got a guy on , Moncada facing a right-hander with a hole open , you shoot one through @ @ @ @ @ and third .
Things you want to take advantage of early , if possible , @ @ @ @ @ on the board .
”

White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease tries to field a ball hit by Reds first baseman Matt Davidson in the second inning. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The White Sox opened Cactus League play Sunday with a 7-2 victory against the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.
Seby Zavala homered and had two RBIs, and Tim Anderson, Leury Garcia, Danny Mendick and Nick Madrigal each drove in a run.
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Here are three takeaways from Sunday.
1. Dylan Cease looked sharp.
The Reds had runners on first and second with one out in the first, and Dylan Cease rose to the challenge.
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First he struck out Curt Casali on a 97 mph pitch, according to the reading on the scoreboard. Then he got Kyle Farmer to fly out to center to end the inning.
Cease allowed three hits and struck out three in two scoreless innings. He also hit a batter.
“I was very happy,” Cease said. “Lot of fastballs for strikes, for the most part off-speed (pitches) for strikes, good shape on pitches, good changeups. It was good.”
Cease said he focused on fastball command and his off-speed pitches.
“I threw at least one or two good, solid off-speed pitches of each category,” Cease said. “I threw at least two good changeups, curveballs, sliders. I feel like for the two innings, I was able to get good work in.”
Cease felt the progression from bullpen sessions to live batting practice to an exhibition game went smoothly.
“I had better feel (Sunday) than I did at any point last season,” Cease said. “As long as I can keep carrying that on, I’ll be happy.”
2. Tim Anderson provides a spark in the leadoff spot.
The Sox displayed the Tim Anderson-Yoan Moncada combo at the top of the lineup.
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Anderson began the game by beating out a high grounder to third for an infield hit. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI, driving in Nicky Delmonico on a groundout to short in the fifth.
Moncada went 0-for-3.
Sox manager Rick Renteria discussed the one-two punch before the game.
“(Anderson) hits his way on,” Renteria said, “but he’s able to, in many instances, see a lot of pitches as well, allowing the guys behind him to see what the guy’s got.
“You got a guy on, Moncada facing a right-hander with a hole open, you shoot one through the hole and get first and third. Things you want to take advantage of early, if possible, and possibly put a point on the board.”
Top prospect Luis Robert was slated to bat first Saturday against the Angels, but rain washed out the game. He batted seventh Sunday and lined out to left field and grounded out to short.
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“We’ll have plenty of time this spring for Luis in the top spot,” Renteria said. “He’s a guy that projects, as he ultimately becomes who he’s supposed to be, anywhere from one through five.
“But right now, we're able to get these guys out there together for the first time and see how it looks.”
3. Gio Gonzalez is ‘progressing well’ after left shoulder soreness.
Rick Renteria provided an update on starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez, who has been slowed this spring after experiencing left shoulder soreness about two weeks before camp.
“He’s coming along fine,” Renteria said. “He’s doing his throwing program. He’s progressing well. He’s actually doing everything I want him to do in terms of feeling free and easy and pain-free. We’re going to continue to bring him along guardedly.
“We’re still scheduled to have him gradually get into the rotation.”
Gonzalez, 34, signed a one-year, $5 million deal in December and is expected to add depth to the rotation.
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chicagotribune--2020-02-23--Column: David Ross was ready for spring training to begin. After missing the Cubs’ 1st 2 games, he’s

Column: David Ross was ready for spring training to begin. After missing the Cubs’ 1st 2 games, he’s ready to catch some grief.

While everyone feels for Ross as he gets over the flu , no one feels so badly they won ’ @ @ @ @ @ fun of him when he gets back .
When your friend becomes your boss , @ @ @ @ @ a free pass just because he can tell you what to do .

GLENDALE, Ariz. — When it comes to dishing out politically incorrect abuse with no apologies, a baseball clubhouse has no limits.
So you can imagine what David Ross has in store for him when he returns to Cubs camp after missing his first two spring training games as manager with flu-like symptoms.
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During spring training in 2016, his final season as a Cubs player, Ross’ teammates gave him a motorized scooter with the personalized license plate “GDPA,” an abbreviation of “Grandpa.” Now that he’s their boss, could a wheelchair be delivered to his office at Sloan Park?
How much grief can one man take?
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We’re about to find out.
“You know, we haven’t given him any yet, but when he shows up …” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said before Sunday’s game at Camelback Ranch against the Dodgers.
One of Ross’ friends asked me to check on how many times in his playing career he didn’t show up at the ballpark for a game.
“I’m guessing the answer is zero,” he said with a laugh.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 38 Javier Baez plays catch during batting practice. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
While everyone feels for Ross as he gets over the flu, no one feels so badly they won’t be able to make fun of him when he gets back. When your friend becomes your boss, he doesn’t get a free pass just because he can tell you what to do.
Ross gave such an inspirational speech last week that Kris Bryant said he wanted to “run through a wall” for him. Who could’ve guessed a few days later Ross would hit the wall and be sent home by Cubs physician Stephen Adams before he could infect the rest of the team.
So Ross missed his debut Saturday as well as the debut of Marquee Sports Network, for which he was supposed to be mic’d up. The six-hour pregame coverage included features of Ross touring Sloan Park with Ryan Dempster and highlights of Ross hitting a home run in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
But when the bell rang, he was out.
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We don’t know if he had Marquee available in his spring training residence, but if he did, he could’ve heard general manger Jed Hoyer crack wise about the illness on the first telecast.
“Lou Gehrig he is not,” Hoyer said he texted Ross.
The irony is Ross made such a point of telling the players to be ready, then was missing in action on Day One — through no fault of his own.
“He’s so good about accountability for the players and saying how we’re really going to support each other, so guys have been giving him crap,” Hottovy said. “But (the flu) has been going around. It’s something you’ve got to take care of.
“You don’t want more people getting sick. He’ll be in the limelight plenty. Being a couple days behind is fine.”
Ross still was recovering at home Sunday as the Cubs traveled across the valley to Camelback Ranch to face the Dodgers, leaving bench coach Andy Green to fill in once again. That means Ross hasn’t been in the Cubs dugout during a game since the 2016 World Series.
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Green has fared well so far as Ross’ replacement, though you had to wonder if Ross was managing from his bed.
“He was texting about the game,” Hottovy said of Saturday’s opening win over the A’s. “He’s locked in.”
Cactus League games don’t mean anything expect to players on the roster bubble, but Ross surely is eager to get his first game under his belt. After replacing Joe Maddon, the pressure is on him to get the Cubs back where they need to be.
New managers always are a little anxious, especially when the media focus on them as much the team.
“I’m not the focal point around here,” Dusty Baker argued in 2003 after winning his Cactus League debut with the Cubs. “I never wanted to be. When I started managing, I did not want to be a star manager. What ends up happening sometimes is it’s out of your control.”
Baker welcomed the scrutiny, as did Lou Piniella, who went on the warpath after losing his first four Cactus League games as Cubs manager in 2007.
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Before the fifth game, Piniella called a team meeting.
“We’ve got some work to do,” he said afterward. “This is no push-button operation, I can tell you that.”
Sometimes the new Cubs manager has to smooth things over right off the bat, as Mike Quade had to do in 2011 when Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Silva scuffled in the dugout during the first Cactus League game.
“Look, nothing goes away in the blink of an eye just because ’Q’ says it goes away,” Quade said, referring to himself in the third person.
Ross’ illness probably will be forgotten by the end of his first spring training in the manager’s seat. The Cactus League season goes by in the blink of an eye, and soon enough it will be opening day in Milwaukee.
There’s no question Ross will be able to answer the bell March 26.
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His players will be sure to remind him when it’s time to go.


chicagotribune--2020-02-23--A timeout down 10 points with 30 seconds to go? It’s Jim Boylen’s thing, and he won’t back down from

A timeout down 10 points with 30 seconds to go? It’s Jim Boylen’s thing, and he won’t back down from it even if it frustrated Zach LaVine.

He pointed to their furious comeback win against the Hornets in November , after being down eight with 40 seconds @ @ @ @ @ his methods .
It ’ s why Boylen has remained unapologetic about calling timeouts late @ @ @ @ @ be decided , even if the list of people taking issue with it continues to @ @

Bulls coach Jim Boylen understands why some might view his timeouts late in blowout losses as unnecessary.
Boylen has started to become known for that tactic in his first full season as an NBA head coach, the latest instance coming at the end of the Bulls’ 112-104 loss to the Suns on Saturday night. Boylen called a timeout with the Bulls down 10 and 30.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
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The stoppage visibly bothered guard Zach LaVine, who shook his head and mouthed, “Why we calling a timeout down 10?” with an added expletive. That prompted a meeting in Boylen’s office during which they aired their frustrations after the Bulls lost their season-high eighth consecutive game.
Before the Bulls hosted the Wizards on Sunday, Boylen maintained that he and LaVine have a healthy relationship and defended his timeout usage.
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“We’re trying to establish that we’re going to play till the end and we’re going to compete,” Boylen said. “We’ve had some tremendous comeback wins this year where we’ve kept playing, so I think the guys get that.
“What we can’t do is not expect people to be frustrated with a losing streak or a home loss. That’s a healthy thing that there’s frustration.”
The Bulls are one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams in the league, and Boylen has preached almost ad nauseam about trying to establish a culture and focus on development.
He pointed to their furious comeback win against the Hornets in November, after being down eight with 40 seconds remaining, as validation of his methods. It’s why Boylen has remained unapologetic about calling timeouts late in games that appear to be decided, even if the list of people taking issue with it continues to grow.
“I coach to the end of games,” he said. “You guys know that. Could some people look at that timeout as unnecessary? Of course they can. You can judge it any way you want.”
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Boylen has annoyed opposing coaches and been bemoaned by opposing broadcasters. He was booed in Philadelphia earlier this month for calling a timeout down eight with 28.4 seconds remaining.
He called a timeout down 25 with 1:04 remaining in Toronto, saying he needed to run a play for two-way player Adam Mokoka, which caused Raptors television announcers to complain he delayed their plans to watch the Super Bowl.
That was also the first game LaVine appeared clearly agitated by one of Boylen’s late timeouts in blowout losses.
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“That’s what he do,” LaVine said Saturday night. “I don’t know what else to tell you. I’m not the coach. He told me he likes working on things that we do in practice and things like that. He’s the head coach; he can call a timeout if he wants to.”
The relationship between Boylen and LaVine has been rocky at times this season, including when Boylen benched LaVine in November. LaVine has been the Bulls’ most valuable player by far, healthy enough to start all 58 games and carry a heavy share of the burden on and off the court for this struggling rebuild.
Both LaVine and Boylen downplayed any hostility. LaVine chalked up his reaction to frustration about the game and losing streak, while Boylen reiterated that the two meet often, not just when something goes wrong.
“I think he was frustrated in that moment,” Boylen said. “He did not say to me he’s questioning (the timeouts). He was frustrated in that moment.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-23--Indiana man charged in West Side barbershop shooting that wounded 5

Responding officers encountered as many as 10 children who ranged in age from about 2 to 16 .
Among the @ @ @ @ @ 12 , who was hit in the knee , and his brother Lorenzo Matthews , @ @ @ @ @ in the abdomen , back and elbow .
Three others , a 40-year-old barber , @ @ @ @ @ , also survived their wounds .

Chicago police process a crime scene after five people were shot near Pulaski Road and Maypole Avenue in Chicago on Jan. 16, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The two men who entered the Gotcha Faded barbershop that chilly January evening walked around the shop crowded with children with their hands concealed in their jacket pockets. After spotting their intended target, the men walked outside, smiled to each other, then raised their guns to the shop’s front door, firing numerous gunshots inside, prosecutors said Monday during a bail hearing for one of the men.
According to authorities, the shop’s surveillance video allegedly captured Walter Jackson and another man firing into the shop at 234 N. Pulaski Road on Jan. 16, then escaping in a car registered to Jackson’s girlfriend. Instead of hitting the target, the gunfire struck five people between ages 11 and 40, leaving some with debilitating injuries.
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Jackson, 29, a felon with prior convictions for gun possession and aggravated fleeing and eluding, faces five counts of attempted first-degree murder for the shooting that threw the shop into chaos as young children and barbers ducked for cover. The second gunman had been identified from the surveillance but remained at large at the time of the hearing.
Walter Jackson, 29, is charged with multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection to the Jan. 16 shooting at the Gotcha Faded barbershop that injured five people. (HANDOUT)
Jackson, dressed in a navy blue windbreaker and faded jeans, was silent before Judge Mary C. Marubio as prosecutors recounted the frantic chain of events captured on video.
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Chicago police detectives traced the getaway vehicle after getting its license plate from the video, according to prosecutors. Jackson was positively identified by a witness and officers familiar with both men from previous incidents, prosecutors said.
After his arrest last Friday, Jackson admitted going into the shop and firing four gunshots into the business after spotting an unnamed person inside, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Katherine Hegarty. Authorities didn’t mention a motive for the shooting beyond repeating Jackson’s alleged words that both men appeared at the shop that day to “take care of business.”
Among the shooting victims was a 16-year-old boy who was wounded in the back and leg and requires a colostomy bag, authorities said. A 30-year-old man underwent surgery to repair his arm, where a bullet shattered the bone, Hegarty said. A 40-year-old barber suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.
Also wounded were Michael Smith, 12, who still has a bullet lodged behind his knee, and his brother Lorenzo Matthews, 11, who suffered multiple wounds to his arm and torso, requiring surgery. Their mother, Cierra Mobley, closed her eyes and shook her head as the judge recounted the injuries.
Noting the “terror and chaos” that erupted during the shooting and the video evidence, Marubio approved the prosecution’s request for a denial of bail, calling Jackson a danger to the public.
After the hearing, Mobley left the courthouse without making a comment, but community activist Dawn Valenti later released a statement on her behalf saying Mobley was focusing on her sons’ recovery but was glad Jackson was off the street so that he could not hurt anyone else.
At the time of the shooting, police described the scene as “horrific” in the moments after gunfire sprayed into the crowded barbershop, which is popular with local kids because of the unique hair designs done by the barbers.
The first officers to arrive at the barbershop picked their way through shell casings and broken glass littering the sidewalk from large bullet holes in the door and window. Responding officers encountered as many as 10 children who ranged in age from about 2 to 16.
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Jackson, who has addresses in East Chicago, Indiana, and Chicago’s East Chatham neighborhood, is expected to return to court on Friday at the Skokie Courthouse.
wlee@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @MidNoirCowboy


chicagotribune--2020-02-23--Early morning soccer fans elated about change to Sunday liquor law: ‘Coffee is just not the same’

“ I don ’ t think it ’ ll be that big of a change .
It might be for @ @ @ @ @ night , which we still have to be responsible for , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ time , the 10 a.m. start time is not an issue .
Only people from @ @ @ @ @ it .
”

Alex Mars and Conner Dick, in front, join other fans of Manchester United in cheering for their team's goal while watching a match on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, at Fado Irish Pub in River North, with coffee cups and water on the bar before the 10 a.m. start of alcohol sales. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Fifteen minutes before the clock struck 10 a.m. on Sunday, bartender Mick Kenna put down the coffee pot and started to take orders from his regulars.
For the previous two hours, a tightknit group of Manchester United fans of Chicago had crowded along the bar clutching clear mugs of hot coffee at Fado Irish Pub in River North, yelling chants and maintaining an energy high on caffeine only.
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One member of the group, Gonzalo Del Rio, excitedly trotted around the pub, giving nearby patrons high-fives.
“The real fans come before 10 because you can’t drink,” Del Rio said.
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But other European soccer fans took a different tack, successfully campaigning to change the city drinking laws so they can watch the Sunday morning matches with a beer or a mimosa.
As 10 a.m. hits, bartenders pour rounds of drinks for patrons watching a rugby match at Fado Irish Pub. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
In two weeks, an ordinance allowing alcohol to be sold starting at 9 a.m. on Sundays instead of 10 a.m. will go into effect for establishments that also sell food.
North Side Ald. Michele Smith, 43rd, citing a growing community of European soccer fans, said more Chicago bars are catering to people who like to watch the early morning matches.
“Because of the growing popularity of watching games from Europe, many of our establishments would like to open up a little bit earlier to be able to play the games, and of course serve brunch," Smith said last week.
By 7 a.m. Sunday, Kelly Sandos started her serving shift at Fado, which was filled with more than a dozen loyal patrons in red Manchester United jerseys and scarves.
“I’m so sorry, we can’t serve alcohol yet," Sandos repeated to guests as they found an open seat. “Trust me, at 10 o’clock, I got you.”
The server, who has worked at the pub for seven years, is excited for the ordinance to take effect.
“I always feel bad because you never want to say no,” she said. “This will change people’s lives in the morning. The drinks make everyone a little more energetic with football matches, there’s just something satisfying about having a beer in your hand. Coffee is just not the same.”
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Fans of Manchester United watch their team with cups of coffee Sunday morning at Fado Irish Pub. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Kenna, the bartender, said he didn’t think the extra hour would make that much difference for patrons or in sales.
“I don’t think it’ll be that big of a change. It might be for people topping off from Saturday night, which we still have to be responsible for,” he said. “Ninety percent of the time, the 10 a.m. start time is not an issue. Only people from out of town really question it.”
The match between England’s Manchester United and Watford started at 8 a.m. Chicago time, and despite the occasional eruption of cheers and cries of agony, Del Rio said the gathering was a bit mellow.
But bigger matches can attract up to 150 fans, and that number could grow after the ordinance takes effect, he said.
“We’re able to provide a place for people to come and cheer on our team," Del Rio said of his group being able to watch matches at Fado. "The camaraderie and alcohol play a part in that. I’m grateful for the ordinance because it will be nice to share a good victory pint with the lads.”
Like waiting for the ball to drop at Times Square, rugby fans watching England versus Ireland later Sunday morning filled the second-floor space to standing room only. Beer started to pour out of the nozzle at 10 a.m. on the dot. Bartenders lined up pints of Guinness, and servers shimmied around patrons, balancing the dark beers on small black serving trays. Guinness, Irish coffees and the occasional mimosa are the most popular drinks, Sandos said.
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Horacio Sanchez from Lakeview ordered a pint of Carlsberg beer right at the strike of the clock.
Bartender Mick Kenna serves coffee at the bar before 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, while patrons watch soccer at Fado Irish Pub. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“The hour doesn’t make much of a difference,” said Sanchez, a fan of London’s Arsenal soccer team, which was playing later Sunday. “Maybe if it was a big game, but I don’t have too much riding on it. It’s just a beer.”
Conner Dick from Lakeview said his family is from England, and he has been an avid Manchester United fan all of his life. He said he watches his team with or without beer.
“We’re just kind of hanging out together right now,” Dick said, holding a coffee before 10 a.m. “If I could, I’d order one, though.”
jvillagomez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-23--A look at the lighter side of spring training for the Cubs and White Sox

Food is the best lens through which we can get acquainted with a region ’ s history and culture , and in the United States , the cuisine of each state can tell you a lot about its people and customs .
Each of the 50 states , as well as the nation ’ s capital , has its own unique food scene , a tableau of flavors of various cultures and ethnicities as well as endemic ingredients and produce .
And while each of these states has plenty of amazing eateries to explore , there ’ s always that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture .
In order to determine which restaurant was the quintessential dining experience of each state , the staff at The Daily Meal started by combing through previous rankings of top restaurants both casual and upscale as well as iconic restaurant dishes .
They then took a deep dive into existing rankings and review sites , both national and local , to get an idea of which restaurants are the most renowned and well-loved according to locals as well as tourists .
Above all , they looked for restaurants that are emblematic of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditions and preferred cuisine .

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chicagotribune--2020-02-23--Leyden girls basketball team ends season with confidence after 3-11 start; ‘We finally realized the

Leyden girls basketball team ends season with confidence after 3-11 start; ‘We finally realized the potential we actually had’

“ I think it was just the energy we were coming with , ” senior Evelyn Abundes said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ we actually had .
We , as a team , are very energetic off the @ @ @ @ @ had to learn how to translate that on the court .
We just learned how @ @ @ @ @ talk even more on the court , and it was just all the little things @ @ @ @ @ .
Once we saw how well we worked once we were doing all the little @ @ @ @ @ everything click .
”

The Leyden girls basketball team came into this season with just two returning players who had played substantial varsity minutes the year before.
With many newcomers stepping into big roles, plus the return of seniors Anixa Cisneros and Leah Ferrici from ACL tears, the learning curve for this group was steep. The Eagles stumbled out to a 3-11 start, entering January on a seven-game losing streak.
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But Leyden ended up going 9-6 in the season’s second half.
“It took a while for them to adjust to the varsity pace, but they were willing to learn,” coach Stephanie Kuzmanic said after a 52-37 season-ending loss to Loyola in the 4A regional semifinals.
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“At the end of the day that’s what you want. If you don’t have coachable kids, you can’t be successful. And we really had coachable kids that asked questions and worked hard every day.”
Both coach and players credited the team’s closeness for persevering and ultimately finding their stride as the season went along.
“We’ve had more talented teams in the past, but this team really plays for each other and their chemistry is phenomenal,” Kuzmanic said. “Their chemistry off the floor is phenomenal and that translates to the court.
"In a way, I think them being young helped, because nobody thought they were better than anyone, so they really listened to the seniors. Everybody kind of figured out their role and didn’t try to do more than that or less than that. They played together and for each other.”
The players said they established their on-court identity from their off-court personas.
“I think it was just the energy we were coming with,” senior Evelyn Abundes said. “We finally realized the potential we actually had. We, as a team, are very energetic off the court, so we just had to learn how to translate that on the court. We just learned how to move the ball, talk even more on the court, and it was just all the little things that made it come together. Once we saw how well we worked once we were doing all the little things, it just made everything click.”
Though the Eagles will graduate four seniors, including all-conference honoree Abundes, the youth of the program will become an asset going forward.
Four juniors, three sophomores and a freshman saw playing time against Loyola. It was a game that saw Leyden’s full-court press give the more experienced Ramblers fits early on, and it was an effort that made Kuzmanic proud.
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“It’s a big pair of shoes to fill,” junior Becky Colmenares, the Eagles’ second all-conference player, said of their graduating seniors. “But since we’re all young and created our chemistry this year, it’s going to be a lot easier next year to just click. We have a very strong work ethic as a team in general. So if we keep that up next year, we can do a lot in our conference.”
“They’re in good hands,” Abundes said. “The seniors coming up next year, they’re gonna be fine. [The team] has good leadership. As long as they show what they did this year, they can have an even better season next year.”
Jakub Rudnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press
Twitter @Pioneer_Press


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Blackhawks load up on prospects and draft picks in trading goalie Robin Lehner to the Golden Knights

Blackhawks load up on prospects and draft picks in trading goalie Robin Lehner to the Golden Knights and defenseman Erik Gustafsson to the Flames

As for the players the Hawks acquired , Subban has played in 65 games with 60 starts over the last @ @ @ @ @ and Golden Knights .
He looks to be a work in progress with a 3.18 @ @ @ @ @ this season .
Subban ranks 58th with a minus-10.44 goals saved above average ( comparing @ @ @ @ @ league-average goalie would allow ) , according to hockey-reference.com .

ST. LOUIS — With a couple of major moves in the final hours before Monday’s trade deadline, the Blackhawks set a new course for not only the remainder of the season, but also their long-term future.
Here are the realities.
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Forget the playoffs, no matter what the Hawks say; they’re eight points out with 20 games remaining.
Goaltender Robin Lehner and defenseman Erik Gustafsson — traded to the Golden Knights and Flames, respectively — were going to be free agents this summer, and neither was going to re-sign for cheap, especially Lehner.
And as general manager Stan Bowman acknowledged, the market for goaltenders — or at least the goaltenders he was shopping — didn’t offer the big haul of high draft picks and elite prospects many fans expected it to.
Bowman couldn’t turn the Hawks into an instant contender, even for next season, so he had to take the long view.
Asked whether the Hawks are better off after the trades than before, Bowman said: “Well, it depends if you’re looking at the short term or the long term.
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“Long term, we’re in a better position. We have some additional assets now. We’ve got a young defenseman coming our way who we’ve had a chance to watch quite a bit from (the University of) Denver, Slava Demin. When people get to know him, they’re going to realize why we’re excited to add him to our group.”
Demin, 19, came in the swap with the Golden Knights for Lehner along with goaltender Malcolm Subban — the 26-year-old younger brother of former Norris Trophy-winning Devils defenseman P.K. Subban — and a second-round draft pick.
The Hawks also will get the earlier of the Flames’ two third-round picks for Gustafsson.
The Hawks traded away their 2020 second-rounder for Andrew Shaw, but after Monday’s deals, they have four picks in the first three rounds.
“It was important for us in particular to get in the second round, and we were able to get another third-round pick,” Bowman said. “Having four picks in the top three rounds is very important. That’s where you’re going to get the majority of your NHL players.”
Lehner, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Hawks in July, thanked Chicago on Twitter.
“What a great city,” he tweeted. “Fans were unbelievable and I’m not going to forget the short time there. I believe in this team and still do.”
Thank you Chicago. What a great city. Fans were unbelievable and I’m not going to forget the short time there. I believe in this team and still do. Great teammates! gonna miss all of you. The city and guys deserve the best. 🐼was born in Chicago. — Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) February 24, 2020
Bowman declined to comment on how close the Hawks came to an extension with Lehner, 28. The cap-challenged Hawks would have needed to shed several million in salary to be able to re-sign Lehner, who could command up to $8 million per year as an unrestricted free agent, according to some projections.
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As far as finding a market for Lehner, Bowman intimated that most teams were looking for long-term options at goalie, while many of the top playoff contenders “have comfort with their goaltending.”
“When you start to dive a little deeper into team needs and how they want to spend their assets, you realize it’s a different situation than a forward or a defenseman,” Bowman said.
So he opted to get what he could for Lehner, who had a 3.01 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 33 games (31 starts) while splitting starting duties with Corey Crawford.
While re-signing Lehner would have been a challenge, the fact the Hawks negotiated with him on a long-term deal showed it could have gone either way. Gustafsson was a different situation.
It seemed a foregone conclusion for weeks that the Hawks would trade away the 27-year-old, whose age and reasonable salary — plus the hot market that emerged for defensemen — made him an attractive target. He was scratched the last two games to avoid exposing him to injury.
The offensive-minded Gustafsson’s numbers have dipped this season — six goals and 20 assists in 59 games after totaling 17 goals and 43 assists last season — and the Hawks are grooming other young defensemen such as Adam Boqvist.
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Bowman said because of Lehner’s and Gustafsson’s impending free-agent status, “the goal was to get asset value return from them.” After the trade deadline, he said, “their value drops dramatically.”
Subban has played in 65 games with 60 starts over the last five seasons for the Bruins and Golden Knights. He looks to be a work in progress with a 3.18 GAA and .890 save percentage this season and ranks 58th with a minus-10.44 goals saved above average (comparing his performance with what a league-average goalie would allow), according to hockey-reference.com.
Subban has an $850,000 cap hit this season and can become a restricted free agent this summer.
“He’s still a young goalie and he’s trying to establish himself, not only as a backup but probably pushing to be a starter,” said Bowman, who said the goalie situation will have to settle itself over the summer.
Lehner’s departure means Crawford inherits the lion’s share of starts for the remaining 20 games. Crawford, 35, has a cap hit of $6 million and might have to accept a less lucrative deal in free agency this summer, whether he stays in Chicago or plays for another team.
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The Hawks also have goalies Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins in the system.
“In terms of Lankinen and Delia, they’ve both had tremendous seasons,” Bowman said. “Kevin was an All-Star in the American (Hockey) League. Collin started slower, but he’s been outstanding the last couple of months, back to his level certainly from last year. They’re two really confident goalies who are pushing to be NHL-caliber.”
Demin, from Cypress, Calif., was a fourth-round pick by the Golden Knights in 2018. Currently a sophomore at Denver, he came up through the Ducks junior hockey system and also played for the Wenatchee Wild and USA Hockey national team development program.
He was ranked 40th among North American skaters in the 2018 draft prospect rankings, and Bob Lowes, the Golden Knights assistant director of player personnel, told the Los Angeles Times in 2018 that Demin is “a high-end skater” who can “get some separation.”
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“We like his all-around game,” Bowman said. “We’ve had the ability to watch him quite a bit at Denver. We’ve been in there to work with Ian Mitchell the past couple of years, and Slava’s caught our eye ... also going back to his draft year.”
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The Hawks also traded forward prospect Nathan Noel, 22, to the Flyers for defenseman T.J. Brennan, who will report to Rockford. Brennan, 30, had a goal and seven assists in 28 games for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Brennan previously played for the IceHogs in 2014-15, when he had nine goals and 27 assists in 54 games. He was a 2007 second-round pick by the Sabres.
Noel, a Hawks fourth-round pick in 2016, had six goals and 11 assists with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel and made eight appearances with Rockford this season.
In the end, the Hawks had a decision to make: try to work some salary-cap magic in hopes of cobbling together a Stanley Cup contender or plan for the future. Bowman chose the latter, which didn’t require a complete teardown of the roster.
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He didn’t get the compensation some observers felt he could’ve, but he was satisfied the Hawks are on the right track.
“There’s no question we’re positioned better down the road,” he said. “When you trade players away, it hurts you in the present. That’s the hard part of this business, but that’s the way this business works.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Villa Park woman who sexually abused two teen boys she met at party is sentenced to 90 days of work

Villa Park woman who sexually abused two teen boys she met at party is sentenced to 90 days of work release and must register as a sex offender

Authorities say that the two boys attended an underage drinking party she held at her home in 2017 .
At @ @ @ @ @ the youths was 14 and the other was 16 .
Prosecutors alleged she abused the @ @ @ @ @ July 2018 .
After the allegations came to light via an anonymous tip to police @ @ @ @ @ December 2018 .

A Villa Park woman accused of sexually abusing two teenage boys she met at a drinking party was sentenced Monday to work release and probation, according to DuPage County prosecutors and court records.
Stefanie Litton, 37, was ordered to surrender to the DuPage County jail beginning March 17. She will be released during the daytime hours, but must spend nights at the jail for 90 days under the sentence handed down by Judge Jeffrey MacKay, according to court records.
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The judge also ordered Litton to register as a sex offender and spend three years on specialized probation for people convicted of sex crimes.
Litton pleaded guilty in October to a count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, in a negotiated plea with prosecutors who agreed to drop other counts she faced in exchange for her admission of guilt.
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Authorities say that the two boys attended an underage drinking party she held at her home in 2017. At the time, one of the youths was 14 and the other was 16. Prosecutors alleged she abused the teens between December 2017 and July 2018. After the allegations came to light via an anonymous tip to police, Litton was charged in December 2018.
“Stefanie Litton took advantage of a young boy less than half her age just to satisfy her sexual desires,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “Thanks to the efforts of the Villa Park Police Department however, her disgusting behavior was uncovered and she will now spend the rest of her life as a registered sex offender.”
She has been out on bond since the day after her arrest.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--New law will provide cancer patients funds to attend clinical trials

“ While most medical costs and the actual clinical trial drug are provided free of charge , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ still incumbent upon the patient to still get where they need to be , when @ @ @ @ @ .
For patients who have been fighting cancer for a while , they are spent @ @ @ @ @ , physically , spiritually , and in fact , financially .
”

U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush, seen in a 2016 photograph, announced the Clinical Trial Participation Act at University of Chicago Medicine Center for Care and Discovery on Feb. 24, 2020. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Congressman Bobby Rush was kind of emotional, he said. The voice of Illinois’ District 1 since 1993, Rush, a cancer survivor, was brought back to the University of Chicago Medicine Center for Care and Discovery on Wednesday, but this time for something he was excited about.
“I’m in familiar territory right now, for a lot of reasons,” Rush said, “but today I’m here for such a wonderful (thing.)”
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The Clinical Trial Participation Act was formally announced Wednesday. The legislation, which was signed Dec. 20, aims to increase participation in clinical trials by removing primary barriers for patients, a big one being finances.
The law, designed to specifically aid cancer patients who come from underserved communities, will allow patients to be reimbursed for clinical trials within 30 days. There is a sliding scale of income that determines which patients can receive the help.
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“Millions of Americans are not as fortunate as I was,” said Rush. “Millions of Americans are not able to access quality medicine care, and more Americans are unable to participate in groundbreaking clinical trials that offer advanced treatments.”
Rush called “this lack of access” a “double-edged sword.”
"On one hand, African Americans are unable to access clinical trials for medicine that could ultimately save their lives, and on the other hand, pharmaceutical companies are missing out on clinical data for an entire subset of the population. Which means we, and they, have no way of knowing how these drugs will interact with African American bodies. This is totally out of order, totally unacceptable, totally irresponsible, and frankly, it’s downright dangerous. ... This is medical injustice.”
Rush was approached by Lazarex Cancer Foundation to get the law passed in Illinois.
“Since 2006, we’ve been helping advanced-stage cancer patients — for whom standard of care has failed — to navigate through their clinical trial options,” said Dana Dornsife, founder of Lazarex. “We provide financial assistance to them as needed to cover the ancillary out-of-pocket expenses for them and a travel companion.”
Despite common misconception, all costs for a clinical medical trial are not covered, explained Dornsife.
“While most medical costs and the actual clinical trial drug are provided free of charge,” she said, “it’s still incumbent upon the patient to still get where they need to be, when they need to be there. For patients who have been fighting cancer for a while, they are spent in every way: emotionally, physically, spiritually, and in fact, financially.”
Financial toxicity, “problems a cancer patient has related to the cost of treatment,” according to the National Cancer Institute, affects a patient’s “ability to access medical breakthroughs in cancer clinical trials,” said Dornsife.
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One of the next steps to move the law forward includes securing funding, said Dornsife.
“We hope to hear shortly that impact is a reality,” she said.
chrjohnson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Jussie Smollett once again pleads not guilty in alleged fake attack as his lawyers take fight to sta

Jussie Smollett once again pleads not guilty in alleged fake attack as his lawyers take fight to state’s high court

The hearing before Linn was over in less than 10 minutes .
Afterward , Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez , the attorney @ @ @ @ @ told the dozens of reporters waiting in the courthouse lobby that the brothers had come @ @ @ @ @ the process ” and indicated that they would also be observing future court dates — @ @ @ @ @ such important witnesses in a criminal case .


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Yu Darvish says starting opening day for the Cubs would be ‘an honor,’ but he isn’t counting days to

Yu Darvish says starting opening day for the Cubs would be ‘an honor,’ but he isn’t counting days to see if he’s lined up: ‘I’m not good at math’

“ I didn ’ t see a guy out there struggling to try to find one or two pitches .
@ @ @ @ @ on the hitter to try to figure out what he was throwing .
That was @ @ @ @ @ everything he was throwing , and he was throwing it where he wanted to .
@

MESA, Ariz. — Yu Darvish coyly avoided the topic of potentially starting the Cubs’ March 26 opener against the Brewers.
“I can’t talk about it,” Darvish said with a smile Monday, though he did mention he made one opening-day start with the Rangers in 2017.
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“I like that opportunity. It’s an honor, but I’m not sure I’m pitching Game 1. But If I have the ball, I look forward to pitching.”
To prepare Darvish for the season, the Cubs lined up left-handed hitters Jason Heyward, Kyle Schwarber and Jared Young for Darvish’s first live batting-practice session Monday.
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Darvish’s performance against left-handed hitters was one of his few deficiencies during an otherwise remarkable bounce-back season in 2019.
“It’s good for me,” Darvish said. “I’m working on my fastball away and backdoor slider (against left-handed hitters). So it was good practice for me.”
Darvish won’t make his make his exhibition debut until Saturday against the Brewers, so he welcomed the live BP session.
“I like this progression,” he said.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 84 Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish watches the flight of a solo home run by the Marlins' Garrett Cooper in the seventh inning of Game 2 of a wild-card series Oct. 2, 2020, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
The Cubs need Darvish to continue the success he achieved during the second half of 2019, when he curbed his wildness and posted a 2.76 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 81⅔ innings.
“It means a lot for the team,” Darvish said. “If I can keep pitching like that — no walks and I’m able to go deep in innings — that helps the team, for sure. I still want to do the same job at the same kind of level.”
Closer Craig Kimbrel joined the Cubs in June, shortly before Darvish embarked on his transformation.
“We’ve seen it over the course of his career,” said Kimbrel, who marveled over Darvish’s array of pitches. “Very dominant spurts and very dominant seasons in his career. When he put it all together, his direction (to home plate) and the way he commanded the strike zone is what I saw.
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“I didn’t see a guy out there struggling to try to find one or two pitches. He was making it hard on the hitter to try to figure out what he was throwing. That was because he was confident in everything he was throwing, and he was throwing it where he wanted to.”
Darvish has no explanation for why he reduced his walks from 49 in 97 innings in the first half to only seven in the second half.
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“But now I feel I have a lot of confidence,” he said. “Last year I had good command but struggled with my fastball away to lefties. This spring I can throw it right there.”
Darvish wasn’t exactly terrible last season against left-handed hitters, who batted .243 with 19 home runs in 342 at-bats against him, compared with right-handers’ .181 average with 14 homers in 315 at-bats.
But he and the Cubs are focused on becoming even less predictable and more durable.
“He’s got such nasty off-speed pitches,” Kimbrel said. “When they’re sitting on those (pitches), his fastball plays much better. We saw that toward the end of last year.
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“A guy throwing 200 successful innings will be great for any team. I know that’s what he expects to do, and we expect to win a lot of games because of that.”
Asked if he had figured out he’s lined up to start the opener, Darvish playfully dodged the question.
“I’m not good at math,” he said.


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Spring break is coming and the coronavirus is spreading. Here’s what to know before you go.

Any time a lot of people are living in close proximity , it can be easier for illnesses to spread @ @ @ @ @ t mean people should avoid cruises , Landon said .
She hopes the industry learns @ @ @ @ @ Japan , where a two-week quarantine failed to keep COVID-19 from spreading to hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ and the MS Westerdam in Cambodia , which let passengers disembark only to have one @ @ @ @ @ virus .

Women wearing protective face masks walk near the closed Duomo cathedral in Milan, on Feb. 24, 2020. It closed following security measures taken in northern Italy against the novel coronavirus. (Andreas Solaro/Getty-AFP)
As the spring break travel season approaches, the continuing spread of coronavirus has some travelers questioning whether it’s safer to avoid destinations that previously raised few concerns.
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The vast majority of the nearly 97,000 cases of COVID-19 confirmed worldwide have been in China, where the virus was first reported. But the World Health Organization says there are now about 17 times as many new infections outside China as in it, and the outbreak’s reach is spreading, with cases reported in more than 75 countries.
Health officials are hopeful the virus can be contained. Regions that have taken less aggressive measures than the extraordinary lockdowns implemented by China have still managed to keep the virus in check, said Dr. Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization’s chief of emergencies.
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Data from travel app Hopper suggests concerns about the virus aren’t keeping travelers home. As of late February, searches for flights from the U.S. to international destinations were only down about 3% compared with the first week of January, and most of the decline was driven by reduced demand for trips to China, said Hayley Berg, economist at Hopper.
Few travelers seemed nervous about destinations outside Asia until cases were reported in Italy, said Randy Lynch, CEO of Chicago-based private luxury travel firm Kipling & Clark.
“I think most people are in that semi-pause situation,” he said. “They want to go, they’re just waiting to see what happens."
Here’s what to consider when planning a trip:
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How should travelers decide which destinations to avoid?
The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been providing regular updates on the status of cases, and both the CDC and U.S. State Department offer advice on travel to particular destinations.
The CDC currently recommends avoiding nonessential travel to mainland China, South Korea, Italy and Iran, and advises older adults and those with chronic medical conditions to consider postponing nonessential travel to Japan.
While there’s reason to be cautious, travelers shouldn’t feel the need to call off a trip today, said Emily Landon, medical director for infection control at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Concerns rise for destinations closer to the center of the outbreak. She advised travelers keep a close eye on updates from health and government officials and decide what level of risk they’re comfortable with, taking into account personal factors like whether the traveler or a family member has health issues or works in an environment such as health care.
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“Plan what you want, build in flexibility, and understand what your line is so if something crosses the line of what’s acceptable, you can change,” Landon said.
Is there a reason to worry about cruises?
Any time a lot of people are living in close proximity, it can be easier for illnesses to spread, but that doesn’t mean people should avoid cruises, Landon said. She hopes the industry learns from the Diamond Princess in Japan, where a two-week quarantine failed to keep COVID-19 from spreading to hundreds of passengers, and the MS Westerdam in Cambodia, which let passengers disembark only to have one later test positive for the virus.
Travelers who are concerned about the virus but want to take a cruise should ask how the ship will handle a sick passenger, “and if the plan doesn’t make sense, don’t get on,” she said.
About 13% of travel agencies surveyed by Travel Leaders Network earlier this month reported large numbers of cruise cancellations, mostly in China and Asia.
“While we are getting inquiries, we are not seeing many cancellations outside of China and Asia,” said John Lovell, president of leisure travel, supplier relations and networks at Travel Leaders Group.
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“Cruise bookings in the Caribbean, Europe and Alaska are solid," he said. "People are not going to give up their vacations or stop traveling.”
Should travelers wear masks?
Surgical masks are good at keeping someone who’s sick from spreading an illness to others, but they aren’t as good at protecting the wearer, Landon said.
An N95 respirator, which filters out smaller particles, is more effective, if it’s used properly. Landon doesn’t recommend them unless the traveler has been properly fit for the mask and knows how to keep it clean and avoid contamination.
Washing hands regularly, carrying hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes and avoiding people who are coughing can reduce the risks of picking up an illness, whether COVID-19 or the common flu.
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Will insurance cover canceled trips?
Trip cancellation policies cover losses associated with trips canceled for specific reasons, and fear of being exposed to an illness is rarely one of them.
Only a couple of policies at travel insurance website Squaremouth cover cancellations to areas where the CDC has issued a travel alert, said Chief Marketing Officer Megan Moncrief.
Travelers can upgrade to policies that let them cancel a trip for any reason, but premiums can be 40% greater than those on a standard travel insurance package, and they often only cover about 75% of the traveler’s losses. In most cases, the policy has to be purchased at the time of booking or shortly thereafter.
“Usually it’s not a good investment … but there are some situations where it’s the only thing they can buy for what they’re concerned about,” said John Cook, president and CEO of QuoteWright Insurance.
Travel insurance packages often will reimburse people for quarantines, but only if the traveler is quarantined, Moncrief said. It doesn’t apply if the person intended to travel to a destination where a quarantine has been imposed, though some travel delay policies may cover expenses, like alternate accommodations and meals, if travel restrictions interrupt a trip, she said.
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Is there any other way to recover costs?
Contact the travel provider to ask about options for postponing a trip or to seek refunds. Local travel agents said some travel companies they work with in Asia are letting travelers postpone trips with no penalty.
Downers Grove-based Abercrombie & Kent is allowing customers who’ve scheduled luxury small group trips to China through April postpone or switch to an alternate trip at no fee, said spokeswoman Jean Fawcett.
Jon Davis, of Lincoln Park, said he was able to get a credit for a United Airlines flight to Japan, though he’s hoping the airline will agree to a refund. Davis had planned to run the Tokyo Marathon on March 1 but canceled his trip after the race was called off for all but a select group of elite athletes due to concerns about COVID-19.
Felicia Edens’ family was able to get a refund on a hotel room on Boracay, an island in the Philippines, after she and her husband canceled a trip they’d planned to take earlier this month. But Edens, who lives on Chicago’s North Side, said her family wasn’t able to recover the cost of their flight, since the insurance they purchased expired.
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Edens and her husband initially planned to travel as scheduled. They didn’t appreciate “the full gravity of the situation” and didn’t didn’t want her mother, who paid for the trip, to lose money, she wrote in an email. But her mother, who departed early, advised them not to go.
“It seemed that there were so many precautionary measures being taken that she didn’t want to put us at risk at all or have to deal with anxiety during the trip,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed.
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Real Urban Barbecue makes sudden exit from Oak Brook

“ I had no idea they closed ; it bums me out , ” he said .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ times .
I probably came here every other week and have done that for a @ @ @ @ @ good was really good .
”

Customers and Oak Brook village staff were caught off-guard with the recent closing of Real Urban Barbecue at 2119 Clearwater Drive, near the intersection of York Road and 22nd Street.
“We were very surprised. We had no idea they had closed until someone from our staff went over to get food and found out,” Village Manager Rick Ginex said.
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Nobody seemed to have any warning that the restaurant would be closing. A sign on the door reads, “This location now closed. Please join us @our Vernon Hills Location.”
A look inside through the windows reveals little, as the lights are off and chairs have been turned upside down and placed on the tables.
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According to the company’s website, Vernon Hills is the only location that remains open, as a Highland Park restaurant, which opened in 2010 also recently closed. A short-lived location in Skokie opened in 2017.
David Alvarez, a manager at the Vernon Hills restaurant who previously worked in Oak Brook, said Monday that the Vernon Hills location was purchased by the company that owns Famous Dave’s barbecue restaurants, and the name and food from Real Urban Barbecue will be maintained.
Alvarez said he was surprised by the sudden closing of the Oak Brook and Highland Park restaurants and didn’t have additional information. He said previous owner Jeff Shapiro no longer was involved. Shapiro could not immediately be reached for comment.
Don Riley, who works in Oak Brook, said he had a taste for barbecue when he stopped by Real Urban Barbecue Friday for lunch. Instead of having a pulled pork sandwich, Riley was met with a surprise.
“I had no idea they closed; it bums me out,” he said. “I’ve been here lots of times. I probably came here every other week and have done that for a couple of years. The good was really good.”
Riley opted to walk next door to Roti Grill, which along with Chipotle, were neighbors of Real Urban Barbecue.
Shelly Robinson and Tami Johnson, who work in Elmhurst, also were disappointed Friday to find out they would have to go elsewhere for lunch.
“We haven’t been here in a while, but we really liked it,” Robinson said. “It’s strange to come here and just see a sign on the door. It doesn’t look like anyone knew this was happening.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-24--Stocks fall sharply — Dow drops 1,031 points — as virus cases spread past Asia

“ The yields have been moving lower all year , so that 's providing a tail wind for utilities , @ @ @ @ @ said Willie Delwiche , investment strategist at Baird .
“ Ïn the face of this @ @ @ @ @ it 's centered overseas , tech is going to bear some of the brunt of @ @ @ @ @ so popular , because it 's done so well , and because it has so @ @ @ @ @ ”

Trader Gregory Rowe works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 24, 2020. Stocks fell sharply on Wall Street — the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 3.6% — as virus cases spread beyond China, threatening to disrupt the global economy. (Richard Drew/AP)
New York — The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped more than 1,000 points Monday amid a broad global markets sell-off as a surge in virus cases and a worrisome spread of the disease outside China sent investors running for safety.
The drop was the worst for the index in two years and wiped out its gains so far in 2020. Nervous investors loaded up on gold, U.S. government bonds and other safe-harbor assets. The price of oil fell sharply on expectations that demand for energy would tumble.
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The Dow lost 1,031 points, or 3.6%, to close at 27,960. The S&P 500 fell 111, or 3.4%, to 3,225. The Nasdaq fell 355, or 3.7%, to 9,221.
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More than 79,000 people worldwide have been infected by the new coronavirus. China, where the virus originated, still has the majority of cases and deaths. The rapid spread to other countries is raising anxiety about the threat the outbreak poses to the global economy.
South Korea is now on its highest alert for infectious diseases after cases there spiked. Italy reported a sharp rise in cases and a dozen towns in the northern, more industrial part of that country are under quarantine. The nation now has the biggest outbreak in Europe, prompting officials to cancel Venice’s famed Carnival, along with soccer matches and other public gatherings.
There are also more cases of the virus being reported in the Middle East as it spreads to Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait, among others.
Germany’s DAX slid 4% and Italy's benchmark index dropped 5.4%. South Korea’s Kospi shed 3.9% and markets in Asia fell broadly.
Investors looking for safe harbors bid up prices for U.S. government bonds and gold. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell sharply, to 1.38% from 1.47% late Friday. Gold prices jumped 1.7%.
“Stock markets around the world are beginning to price in what bond markets have been telling us for weeks — that global growth is likely to be impacted in a meaningful way due to fears of the coronavirus,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Independent Advisor Alliance.
The viral outbreak threatens to crimp global economic growth and hurt profits and revenue for a wide range of businesses. Companies from technology giant Apple to athletic gear maker Nike have already warned about a hit to their bottom lines. Airlines and other companies that depend on travelers are facing pain from canceled plans and shuttered locations.
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Crude oil prices slid 3.7%. Aside from air travel, the virus poses an economic threat to global shipping.
Technology companies were among the worst hit by the sell-off. Apple, which depends on China for a lot of business, slid 3.4%. Microsoft dropped 2.6%. Banks were also big losers. JPMorgan Chase fell 2.1% and Bank of America slid 4.4%.
Airlines and cruise ship operators also slumped. American Airlines lost 8.2%, Delta Air Lines dropped 5.8%, Carnival skidded 7.9% and Royal Caribbean Cruises gave up 7.7%.
Gilead Sciences rose 3.9% and was among the few bright spots. The biotechnology company is testing a potential drug to treat the new coronavirus. Bleach-maker Clorox was also a standout, rising 1.7%.
Utilities and real estate companies held up better than most sectors. Investors tend to favor those industries, which carry high dividends and hold up relatively well during periods of turmoil, when they're feeling fearful.
The rotation into defensive sectors has made utilities and real estate the biggest gainers this year, while technology stocks have lost ground.
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“The yields have been moving lower all year, so that's providing a tail wind for utilities, for real estate,” said Willie Delwiche, investment strategist at Baird. “Ïn the face of this heightened uncertainty, especially if it's centered overseas, tech is going to bear some of the brunt of that because it's been so popular, because it's done so well, and because it has so much exposure to Asia.”
The sell-off is hitting the market as companies near the finish of what has been a surprisingly good round of earnings. About 87% of companies in the S&P 500 have reported financial results and profits are expected to grow by more than a half-percentage point when all the reports are in, according to FactSet.
In the eyes of some analysts, Monday’s tank job for stocks means they’re just catching up to the bond market, where fear has been dominant for months.
U.S. government bonds are seen as some of the safest possible investments, and investors have been piling into them throughout 2020, even as stocks overcame stumbles to set more record highs. A bond’s yield falls when its price rises, and the 10-year Treasury has been in such demand that its yield has plunged to 1.38% from roughly 1.90% at the start of the year.
The 10-year yield on Monday touched its lowest point in three years, falling from 1.47% late Friday, and it was near its intraday record low of 1.325% set in July 2016, according to Tradeweb. The 30-year Treasury yield fell further after setting its own record low, down to 1.84% from 1.92% late Friday.
Traders are increasingly certain that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at least once in 2020 to help prop up the economy. They’re pricing in a nearly 95% probability of a cut this year, according to CME Group. A month ago, they saw only a 68% probability.
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Of course, some analysts say stocks have been rising in recent weeks precisely because of the drop in yields. Bonds are offering less in interest after the Federal Reserve lowered rates three times last year — the first such cuts in more than a decade — and amid low inflation. When bonds are paying such meager amounts, many investors say there’s little real competition other than stocks for their money.
The view has become so hardened that “There Is No Alternative,” or TINA, has become a popular acronym on Wall Street. Even with Monday’s sharp drops, the S&P 500 is still within 4.2% of its record set earlier this month.
The AP’s Stan Choe contributed.
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chicagotribune--2020-02-24--2 hurt when Metra train hits vehicle in Arlington Heights

One person had to be pulled from the car following the crash and was taken to Northwest Community Hospital with @ @ @ @ @ believed to be life-threatening , according to a news release from Arlington Heights police .

At least one person was injured when a Metra Union Pacific Northwest train heading to Chicago hit a vehicle Monday morning in Arlington Heights, authorities said.
The inbound train headed for downtown Chicago was about two-tenths of a mile south of the Arlington Heights station, at Arlington Heights Road, when it hit the vehicle about 11:30 a.m., said Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile.
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One person had to be pulled from the car following the crash and was taken to Northwest Community Hospital with injuries that weren’t believed to be life-threatening, according to a news release from Arlington Heights police.
The driver, Kelly O’Brien, 60 of Arlington Heights, who was also taken to the hospital for non serious injuries, was issued a citation for disobeying an activated rail crossing, Reile said.
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Metra Alert UP-NW - Inbound and outbound train movement halted, train #642 struck a vehicle. Extensive delays are being incurred, updates will be provided. — Metra UP-NW (@metraUPNW) February 24, 2020
Trains were stopped in the area following the crash. Crossings at Arlington Heights Road and Northwest Highway were closed because of the car-versus-train crash, according to the village of Arlington Heights, which did not immediately release other information.
Check Metra’s website for updated travel information. Check back for updates.