chicagotribune--2020-01-15--30 don’t-miss spots to try during Chicago Restaurant Week

Here ’ s how it works : From Jan. 24 through Feb. 9 — yes , that ’ s 17 @ @ @ @ @ — restaurants in the city and suburbs will offer two- and three-course lunches ( $ @ @ @ @ @ ( $ 24 ) and three- and four-course dinners ( $ 36 or $ 48 @ @ @ @ @ lunch only , or dinner only ; some offer both ( or all three , @ @ @ @ @ separate brunch menu ) .
In nearly every case , the restaurants ’ regular menus @ @ @ @

At Tzuco, the dry-aged rib-eye, chef Carlos Gaytan’s favorite, is part of the Chicago Restaurant Week dinner menu, for an additional charge. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
The first Chicago Restaurant Week took place in 2008, and 35 eager restaurants participated. Ten years later, there were 370. This year, the 13th annual Chicago Restaurant Week will have more than 400 participating restaurants.
I’d call that a success story.
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Here’s how it works: From Jan. 24 through Feb. 9 — yes, that’s 17 days, not a week — restaurants in the city and suburbs will offer two- and three-course lunches ($24), weekend brunches ($24) and three- and four-course dinners ($36 or $48). Some restaurants feature lunch only, or dinner only; some offer both (or all three, if there’s a separate brunch menu). In nearly every case, the restaurants’ regular menus also are available.
How to choose among so many options? For starters, you can check out Choose Chicago’s dedicated website, eatitupchicago.com, where you’ll find a complete list of participants, their menus and a link to make online reservations via OpenTable.
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Or, you could check out the First Bites Bash, the kickoff event taking place 6-9 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Field Museum. Hosts Thai Dang and Danielle Dang (of HaiSous and Ca Phe Da) will share the spotlight with more than 70 chefs, offering samples of their Restaurant Week dishes (there will be plenty of beverages as well). Tickets, $125, are still available at firstbitesbash.com.
Or you could just take my advice. I’ve compiled a short list of recommended restaurants; it includes restaurants that have impressed me during past Restaurant Weeks, and promising newcomers (based on their published menus, or earlier visits).
Please note that not all restaurants are open every day.
Lunch
Chorizo-stuffed dates at Avec. (Simon Brubaker)
Avec. The restaurant’s three-course lunch begins with chickpea soup with feta cheese, and ends with caramel cashew squares. In between, choose among chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with piquillo pepper sauce (one of Avec’s signature dishes), grilled chicken shawarma with pita or hummus with pita, grapes and pine nuts. Also serving $48 dinner. 615 W. Randolph St.
Bellemore. Lunch menu includes chilled wagyu tri-tip and American burger, along with carrot toast, a fire-bird chicken sandwich and Icelandic cod with salt-cod dumplings. Desserts are triple-chocolate mousse cake and banana pudding. 564 W. Randolph St.
Coco Pazzo. The three-course menu includes such options as caprese salad with buffalo mozzarella, ribollita soup, risotto, squid-ink tagliolini with shrimp, pizza alla diavola and panna cotta. Also serving $48 dinner. 300 W. Hubbard St.
Marisol. The restaurant inside Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art offers a three-course menu whose options include parsnip-almond bisque, dry-aged burger with taleggio cheese and “secret house” aioli, and risotto with cauliflower. Add a two-course wine pairing for $17. Also serving $48 dinner (three-wine pairing, $30 additional). 205 E. Pearson St.
NoMI Kitchen. The restaurant in the Park Hyatt features a two-course lunch menu with starters such as crunchy tuna maki and salmon-avocado maki, and main courses of Skuna Bay salmon, croque monsieur (or madame) sandwich or quiche Lyonnaise. 800 N. Michigan Ave.
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The arancini at Roberts Pizza and Dough Co. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Robert’s Pizza and Dough Co. Start with marinated olives, veal and beef meatballs or arancini, then take your pick of three pizzas, including three cheese and The Jay (fennel sausage, Calabrian peppers). Gluten-free pizzas available. Also serving $36 and $48 dinner. 465 N. McClurg Court.
Sepia. One of the most civilized lunch destinations in Chicago, Sepia offers a Restaurant Week menu that begins with apple and celery-root soup or smoked rabbit country pate, continues with milk-braised pork collar, falafel or pan-seared whitefish and finishes with lemon-poppyseed cake or assorted cookies. Also serving $36 or $48 dinner. 123 N. Jefferson St.
WoodWind. The lunch menu includes the restaurant’s popular house ricotta (sort of a cheese-based hummus) and butternut-squash soup, along with chicken and waffle sandwich, a vegetarian Mediterranean sandwich and harvest salad (add salmon or chicken for $7 or $6 more). Also serving $36 dinner. 259 E. Erie St. (18th floor).
Dinner
The rabbit-sage sausage at Aboyer. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Aboyer. Michael Lachowicz’ brasserie features a $48 menu that includes complimentary cheese puffs and bread service, followed by options such as rabbit and sage sausage, salmon, coq au vin, roasted-pear crumble, olive oil cake and dark-chocolate gateau. 64 Green Bay Road, Winnetka.
Bar Biscay. The $48 dinner menu begins with a choice of pintxos board or cheese board, followed by oxtail croquettes or arugula salad, grilled prawns or braised short ribs, and pot au creme dessert. 1450 W. Chicago Ave.
Bar Sotano. Chicago’s most exciting basement bar is featuring a $36 menu with such dishes as kanpachi aguachile, tlayuditas (rustic tostadas), lamb taco, mussels with chorizo and donas (fritters) with hot chocolate. 443 N. Clark St.
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Brindille. The restaurant’s $48 menu includes choice of three appetizers, five entrees (one, the duck breast, with an upcharge) and three desserts. Want my picks? Chilled oyster with sorbet, roasted poussin with potato, bacon and carrots, and cherry clafoutis. You’re welcome. 534 N. Clark St.
El Che Steakhouse & Bar. Plenty of protein on this $48, Argentine-inspired dinner menu, including French onion soup to start, grilled shrimp or pork locro (stew), a 10-ounce rib-eye or seared salmon main course and a tres leches cake dessert. Suggested pairings and add-ons available. 845 W. Washington Blvd.
Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse. Harry’s Restaurant Week dinner menu ($48) is loaded with fan favorites, including truffled arancini with beef and pork ragu, filet mignon (larger steaks available at additional charge), chicken Vesuvio and such sides as sweet corn brulee and charred broccoli. For dessert, pick flourless chocolate cake or key lime pie. Also serving lunch. 33 W. Kinzie St.
Joe’s Imports. The dinner menu ($36) includes an opening bite of tomato bread, whipped ricotta with honey or the addictive Parmesan puffs. Then choose starters such as bone marrow or mussels marinieres, mains of corzetti with brown butter or braised short rib, and desserts including cacio e pepe cheesecake or bittersweet dark-chocolate mousse. The $48 dinner menu is the same, but includes three 3-ounce wine pairings. Also serving lunch. 813 W. Fulton Market.
Lawry’s the Prime Rib. What better time to revisit, or first visit, this venerable River North classic. The $48 dinner includes (of course) the spinning-bowl salad, entree (prime rib with lobster tail, pan-seared salmon, portobello “steak” with risotto) with vegetables and dessert (sticky toffee pudding or hot-fudge sundae). Vegan and gluten-free options on request; larger cuts available for an additional charge. 100 E. Ontario St.
Dirty Burg at The Loyalist. (Kristen Norman/for the Chicago Tribune)
The Loyalist. The restaurant’s famed Dirty Burg burger is on the $36 dinner menu, along with first-course options of mussels with escargot butter or Caesar salad, other mains such as scallops with seaweed butter and pommes puree, and the butterscotch pot de creme dessert. 177 N. Ada St.
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Macello Cucina di Puglia. The $48 dinner menu offers a choice of three antipasti (including fried artichoke and cauliflower), three primi (risotto with calamari, baked cavatelli) three secondi (lamb chop, pollo tartufata) and any dessert. Also serving lunch. 1235 W. Lake St.
Momotaro Italia at Dutch and Doc’s. This behind-the-scenes pop-up at the as-yet-unopened Italian-Japanese concept by Gene Kato joins Restaurant Week with a $36 dinner menu. Among the options are soft-boiled egg with koji fonduta, tomato with burrata and shiso pesto, spaghetti mentaiko with rock shrimp, pork tonkatsu with Asian pear, and soy-milk panna cotta. 3600 N. Clark St.
Pizzeria Portofino. Another first-time participant, Portofino offers a $36 dinner menu that includes carciofi (artichoke) pizza, meatball and ricotta pizza, lasagna bolognese, arugula-Parmesan salad and vanilla panna cotta. Also serving lunch. 317 N. Clark St.
Tzuco. Perhaps the hottest new restaurant of 2019 makes its Restaurant Week debut with a $48 dinner menu. Highlights include chef/owner Carlos Gaytan’s guacamole, pescado zarandeado, flank steak (upgrade to the dry-aged rib-eye, the chef’s favorite, for $20 more) and the guanabana or pinguino dessert. 720 N. State St.
Brunch
Bar Siena and Siena Tavern. Both restaurants will feature a Saturday brunch, offering dishes such as egg white frittata, truffle scrambled eggs and smoked-salmon flatbread, including coffee, juice or soft drink. Also serving lunch and $48 dinner. Bar Siena, 832 W. Randolph St.; Siena Tavern, 51 W. Kinzie St.
Beacon Tavern. Brunch begins with a hazelnut bellini, tomatillo bloody mary or nonalcoholic choice. Then choose among banana bread, fruit-yogurt parfait or scone with sausage and cheese. Third course options are ham and swiss-chard strata, vegetable quiche and duck egg with biscuits and sausage gravy. Also serving lunch and $36 dinner. 405 N. Wabash Ave.
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Bistronomic. The three-course brunch offers such treats as house-made country terrine with apple salad, brioche French toast, four-cheese ravioli with truffles and chocolate hazelnut bars (chef/owner Martial Noguier’s famed take on the Kit Kat). For an additional $12, you can add a cheese plate (a passion of Noguier’s); for an additional $17.95, add bottomless mimosas. Also serving lunch and $36 or $48 dinner. 840 N. Wabash Ave.
Ceviche and empanadas at Cabra. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Cabra. Stephanie Izard’s terrific Peruvian-influenced restaurant joins Restaurant Week for the first time, offering two menus of five tastes each. The first includes smoked-salmon queso fresco, breakfast chorizo anticucho and quinoa sourdough Peruvian toast; the second includes bass ceviche with leche de tigre, vegetable empanada and “octonomiyaki,” which I presume is a savory pancake with octopus, egg and furikake. Also serving lunch and $48 dinner. 200 N. Green St.
Cafe Cancale. Brunch menu includes goodies such as oysters (a specialty), dressed lobster, smoked-fish rillettes, kouign amann and “American breakfast.” Also serving $48 dinner. 1576 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Funkenhausen. You’ll have Teutons of fun at Funkenhausen’s Saturday and Sunday brunch, which begins with a complimentary mimosa and moves on to haus buttermilk biscuits, spaetzle carbonara and pretzel French toast. Also serving $36 dinner. 1709 W. Chicago Ave.
Prime & Provisions. Known as a steakhouse, P&P offers an indulgent buffet Sunday brunch with breakfast dishes, raw bar, omelets, waffles, carved meats and “decadent” macaroni and cheese with various add-ins. Finish with the Ferris Wheel dessert display. Also serving lunch and $48 dinner. 222 N. LaSalle St.
Royal Grocer. Royal Grocer will have extended hours (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) for its weekend brunch during Restaurant Week. There are eight main courses to choose among, including biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, and fried chicken with sourdough waffle. Opening dishes include cinnamon toast, cheese grits with bacon and chilaquiles. Endless mimosas and bloody marys offered. Also serving $36 and $48 dinner. 2118 N. Damen Ave.
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Sunda. Filipino-inspired brunch menu (Saturday and Sunday) includes lumpia, breakfast plate (choice of several) and sweet. Also serving lunch. 110 W. Illinois St.


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--‘I didn’t really recognize her at first.’ At start of Hinsdale murder trial, son recalls discovering

‘I didn’t really recognize her at first.’ At start of Hinsdale murder trial, son recalls discovering badly beaten body of mom in family home

Sanders was charged three weeks later after police identified him as the man they had seen on security footage in @ @ @ @ @ of the slaying .
Later they found that Sanders had sold wedding rings at a @ @ @ @ @ as the murder ; Urban ’ s relatives identified them as family heirlooms .

The son of homicide victim Andrea Urban testified that he didn’t recognize the body he found in their Hinsdale home as that of his mother because she was so badly beaten, as the murder trial of the man charged in Urban’s slaying began.
Sasha Kuznetsov was the first witness Wednesday in the DuPage County trial of Dominic Sanders, 32, of University Park. Sanders is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Urban, who died May 4, 2017.
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Kuznetsov, then a Hinsdale Central High School student, described coming home after school and seeing what he described as something that looked like spilled red paint on the kitchen floor. He then walked down the hall into the kitchen where he found his mother’s body in a pool of blood.
“I didn’t really recognize her at first,” Kuznetsov, 20, said.
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He described running upstairs in fear that his younger sister was in danger. Finding the house empty, Kuznetsov said he re-entered the kitchen and recognized his mother’s reading glasses on the chest of the body.
In their opening statement, DuPage prosecutors told the jury that Sanders killed the divorced mother of two during a home invasion, slashing her throat with a kitchen knife and then stabbing her repeatedly in the head.
Dominic Sanders, of University Park, is charged with the May 4, 2017, murder of Andrea Urban, of Hinsdale. (DuPage County sheriff's office)
Sanders was charged three weeks later after police identified him as the man they had seen on security footage in the area around the time of the slaying. Later they found that Sanders had sold wedding rings at a pawn shop that same day as the murder; Urban’s relatives identified them as family heirlooms.
Kuznetsov said his mother had shown him the rings in the past and told him they would be given to him to make a future marriage proposal.
In his opening statement, First Assistant State’s Attorney Bernie Murray told jurors that Sanders told “fabulous tales” and “whoppers” in an effort to distance himself from Urban’s slaying. Murray also said blood spots found on Sanders’ shoes were a match for Urban.
Sanders’ attorney, Assistant Public Defender Teresa Rioux, flatly denied that Sanders killed Urban. She told jurors that Sanders admitted knocking on the door to the Urban home in the 700 block of Town Place and found the door ajar. Then, he said he saw the rings on top of an entry ledge and took them.
Sanders took the rings, but there is no proof he killed Urban, Rioux said. Testimony in the courtroom of Judge Brian Telander was scheduled to resume Thursday.
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Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Museum of Science and Industry head David Mosena to retire after 23 years, renaming of museum

The CEO and president was not doing interviews Wednesday about his planned departure , according to a spokeswoman , but @ @ @ @ @ that he was proud of what he and his staff had achieved and called leading @ @ @ @ @ of a lifetime .
”

Museum of Science and Industry CEO David Mosena Wednesday announced plans to retire in the fall, following 23 years at the helm of the popular South Side attraction, the museum said.
The news comes on the heels of Mosena’s blockbuster deal last fall, landing the museum’s largest-ever gift, $125 million from Chicago billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin in exchange for adding Griffin to the MSI’s official name.
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"We are absolutely thrilled and proud to become the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry,” Mosena, 74, told the Tribune at the time of the October announcement.
The CEO and president was not doing interviews Wednesday about his planned departure, according to a spokeswoman, but said in a museum statement that he was proud of what he and his staff had achieved and called leading the MSI “the honor of a lifetime.”
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With 14 acres of floor space, the sprawling MSI, at 57th Street and the lakefront in Hyde Park, was Chicago’s second most popular museum in 2018, with 1.56 million visitors, just behind the Art Institute of Chicago.
Mosena’s tenure has seen a reworking of many of those acres, including the development of the expansive hall for the U-505 WWII German submarine and the enduring permanent exhibits “Science Storms,” “You! The Experience” and, most recently, “Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze.”
Additionally, MSI has stayed fresh by bringing in and developing a steady supply of popular temporary exhibits ranging from looks at American icons such as Charles Schulz, Walt Disney and Pixar to different iterations of the blockbuster “Body Worlds” exhibits of plastinated human and animal corpses.
In recent times the museum has added special science-themed nighttime events that have boosted revenue and drawn young adults. At the same time, MSI has retained a strong focus on working with students and science educators through numerous programs.
When he took the museum’s reins in the fall of 1997, Mosena was not a museum professional but rather “one of the most well regarded trouble-shooters on Mayor Richard Daley’s team,” the Tribune wrote at the time.
To take the MSI job, Mosena left a role as president of the CTA. He had previously served as city aviation commissioner, the mayor’s chief of staff and planning commissioner.
“I’m proud of all that we have accomplished together,” Mosena said in the statement Wednesday.
MSI’s transition to its new name will happen over the coming months as the necessary paperwork is completed.
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sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Nexstar to launch national prime-time newscast on cable network WGN America out of Chicago as altern

Nexstar to launch national prime-time newscast on cable network WGN America out of Chicago as alternative to Fox and CNN

Competing with established cable news networks such as CNN and Fox , “ News Nation ” will be broadcast to @ @ @ @ @ from new studios being built at WGN ’ s facilities on West Bradley Place in @ @ @ @ @ air nightly from 7 to 10 p.m. Central time beginning this summer , employing reporters @ @ @ @ @ across the country to provide content .

Nexstar Media Group, which bought Tribune Media in September, is launching a nightly three-hour national newscast on cable channel WGN America based in Chicago.
Competing with established cable news networks such as CNN and Fox, “News Nation” will be broadcast to more than 75 million homes from new studios being built at WGN’s facilities on West Bradley Place in Chicago. The program will air nightly from 7 to 10 p.m. Central time beginning this summer, employing reporters from local Nexstar TV newsrooms across the country to provide content.
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Dallas-based Nexstar is positioning the network as an "unbiased national news” alternative to the current offerings on cable.
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“The opportunity is great,” Sean Compton, executive vice president of WGN America, said Wednesday. “No one else is doing straight news in prime time. They’re all doing talking heads.”
The new network will make Chicago a national news center, Compton said, bringing jobs, providing a platform for local experts to weigh in on stories and highlighting news events from across the country that may “get lost in the shuffle” on other cable news outlets.
Anchors for the national newscast have yet to be named. Nexstar plans to hire 120 new employees in Chicago dedicated exclusively to producing the newscast, Compton said.
[ ‘WGN will always be Chicago’s very own,’ says CEO of its new owner, Dallas-based Nexstar ]
In addition to the nightly newscast, “News Nation” will update stories 24/7 online. Jennifer Lyons, news director at WGN-TV in Chicago, has been promoted to vice president of news for WGN America, and will oversee the new cable news broadcast.
Dominick Stasi, executive producer of WGN-TV’s local newscasts, was named Wednesday to replace Lyons as news director at the station.
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Nexstar has been shaking up the Chicago properties it acquired as part of its $4.1 billion purchase of Tribune Media, which created the nation’s largest TV chain, with 197 local stations. The deal moved "Chicago’s very own” WGN-Ch. 9, national cable channel WGN America, WGN-AM 720 and CLTV under the Dallas company’s ownership.
In December, Nexstar pulled the plug on CLTV after nearly 27 years as a local Chicago cable news network, citing increased competition from digital news sites and national cable news networks as factors in the decision.
The “News Nation” studio will be built on the soundstage that previously housed the CLTV set, Compton said.
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“We’ll build out a very robust set with huge monitors, so we can jump from city to city,” Compton said.
[ WGN Radio replaces morning host Steve Cochran with veteran Chicago air personality Bob Sirott ]
Nexstar also replaced WGN Radio morning man Steve Cochran with another well-known Chicago air personality, Bob Sirott, who started on air earlier this month. WGN promoted Mary Sandberg Boyle to general manager, replacing Todd Manley, who was cut loose by the station as part of the September sale of Tribune Media to Nexstar.
The debut of “News Nation” will mark the end of nightly syndicated entertainment programming on WGN America, another transformation of the cable channel that was once best known for airing Cubs games and “Andy Griffith” reruns.
WGN America, which started as a superstation in the 1970s by uploading WGN’s broadcast schedule to satellite, dropped Cubs baseball and Chicago news several years ago, converting to a full-fledged cable channel with original and syndicated programming.
[ WGN’s 72-year run with the Cubs is ending ]
The shift to a prime-time news network puts WGN America in a crowded but potentially lucrative field. In a news release Wednesday, Perry Sook, the chairman and CEO of Nexstar, said “News Nation” is positioned to compete against established news networks “without incurring incremental operating expenses” by leveraging the 5,400 journalists already employed at local Nexstar TV stations.
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“We get to the scene of important breaking news first and provide live coverage delivered by local reporters who know the local community and can provide the proper context for what’s happening,” Sook said.
The new broadcast will air seven nights a week, filling a void on cable, when news networks often turn to specialty programming. It may also serve as a launching pad for WGN America to eventually expand into a full-time news network, Compton said.
“If we’re successful, we’d certainly want to expand it,” Compton said.
The Nexstar-Tribune Media merger created the largest TV station group in the U.S., unseating Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group, which was forced to abandon its own takeover attempt for Tribune Media in 2018 after the proposed $3.9 billion transaction drew the ire of regulators.
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The proposed deal sparked speculation that Sinclair might convert WGN America into a conservative news network to rival Fox News Channel.
Nexstar is promising its national cable news offering will be different — by running straight down the middle.
“This will be a newscast that serves as a refuge for viewers across the country who are disenchanted with current news offerings and looking for fact-based news that’s delivered without bias or opinion,” Lyons said in the news release.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Court rules the infamous Lincoln Towing can stay in business

Lincoln was granted a temporary restraining order that allowed it to still tow vehicles while appealing the ICC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Court .
The firm was required to put up a $ 100,000 bond and file @ @ @ @ @ Illinois attorney general ’ s office , which represented the ICC in the case .

A tow truck outside of Lincoln Towing on July 26, 2016. On Jan. 15, 2020, a Cook County judge reversed a state decision to revoke the towing service's license. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Lincoln Towing Service may be off the hook for years of alleged towing violations after a Cook County judge Wednesday reversed the state’s decision revoking its license.
In his ruling, Cook County Circuit Judge Neil Cohen said the Illinois Commerce Commission “violated fundamental fairness and ... due process rights” by failing to advise Lincoln Towing that it could lose its license as a result of the hearing process.
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“We prevailed and we’re happy that the judge made the correct ruling,” Allen Perl, an attorney representing Lincoln, said Wednesday. “All we want to do is continue to relocate vehicles within the laws of the Illinois Commerce Commission.”
The ICC voted unanimously in September 2018 to revoke Lincoln Towing’s license in the wake of a 2016 investigation that found 831 alleged violations over an eight-month period. It ordered Lincoln to immediately cease towing operations and park its fleet of trucks.
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Lincoln was granted a temporary restraining order that allowed it to still tow vehicles while appealing the ICC’s ruling in Cook County Circuit Court. The firm was required to put up a $100,000 bond and file daily towing logs with the Illinois attorney general’s office, which represented the ICC in the case.
At the time, Cohen put Lincoln Towing on a short leash, threatening to pull the towing firm’s license if there were any transgressions during the interim.
“There weren’t any transgressions,” Perl said Wednesday. “The case is over now.”
The judge’s order is final, but the ICC has the right to appeal.
“We are disappointed in the ruling and are exploring all of our options with our legal counsel," ICC spokeswoman Victoria Crawford said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
Dubbed the “Lincoln Park Pirates” in a popular 1972 song by Chicago folk singer Steve Goodman, Lincoln is the largest relocation towing service in the state.
The infamous towing service has prowled Chicago’s parking lots for nearly 60 years, finding itself at the center of lawsuits, consumer horror stories and political pressure throughout its history. Last spring, it splashed its once-obscure corporate name, Protective Parking Service, on the sign at its Chicago headquarters, fueling rumors that Lincoln Towing was rebranding.
Perl said Wednesday the towing firm’s name remains the same, as does its mission.
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“If you park your vehicle illegally on private property, we tow it,” Perl said. “That’s what we’re supposed to do.”
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Yes, they have monologues, but now vaginas also have their own candle — thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow

The candle costs $ 75 on both retail sites and is described on Goop ’ s site as “ a @ @ @ @ @ , and beautifully unexpected scent.
” It is made with geranium , citrusy bergamot and @ @ @ @ @ rose and ambrette seed .
On Heretic ’ s site , the product is described @ @ @ @ @ that “ evokes sensuality , warmth , and intrigue , ” or to put it @ @ @ @ @ a bundle of roses wrapped in suede.
” The candle was released on Nov. 6 @ @ @ @ @ according to a Heretic spokesperson , and at the moment , both retailers are sold @ @ @ @ @ are on order and expected around Jan. 20 , per the spokesperson .

The candle reportedly got its name “as a joke” between Gwyneth Paltrow, founder of the luxury lifestyle brand Goop, and Heretic Parfum’s Douglas Little when they were working on scents together. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
It’s not often that surprises are audibly expressed in the newsroom. (Blame it on the profession and the daily goings-on of a journalist/editor’s job.) Regardless, over the course of several days, a candle has been getting so much play on social media that it sparked an actual gasp of surprise from newsroom colleagues.
The reason?
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Well, if a picture is worth a thousand words ...
(Heretic)
Hmm. Where to start? After you stop clutching your pearls, here’s a little info.
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It’s a candle from Heretic Parfum (a natural fragrance brand with smells of nature at its core) sold on its website as well as on Gwenyth Paltrow’s lifestyle platform Goop. Paltrow and Little (also the founder behind D.L. & Co.) collaborated on signature scents for Goop; according to Heretic creator and perfumer Douglas Little’s website, he and “GP” working together “was a revelation.”
“Nature is terrifying and mysterious and wildly sexual and seductive and spiritual,” Little says on his site. “It’s feral and raw and wild. That rawness is what’s beautiful to me.”
According to People.com, the product got its name “as a joke” between Little and Paltrow when they were working on scents together. The pair were testing smells when she blurted out, “Uhhh ... this smells like a vagina.” And a candle was born.
The candle costs $75 on both retail sites and is described on Goop’s site as “a funny, gorgeous, sexy, and beautifully unexpected scent.” It is made with geranium, citrusy bergamot and cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed. On Heretic’s site, the product is described as a limited edition work that “evokes sensuality, warmth, and intrigue,” or to put it another way: “imagine a bundle of roses wrapped in suede.” The candle was released on Nov. 6 at the Goop Summit, according to a Heretic spokesperson, and at the moment, both retailers are sold out. But more candles are on order and expected around Jan. 20, per the spokesperson.
Between the cost and the name, of course, the pricey votive sparked all sorts of theories and conversations. But don’t take our word for it. If social media had hills, the hills were alive, not with the sound of music, but the sounds of commenters.
Gwyneth Paltrow is selling a $75 scented candle on GOOP that ‘smells like my vagina.’
🗣Would you buy a vagina scented candle? pic.twitter.com/bB88PFi4tE — The Talk (@TheTalkCBS) January 13, 2020
And some people have tried it.
“This smells like a vagina that is douching Summer’s Eve too frequently and will probably end up with a yeast infection. And it needs some muskier base notes, to be honest” https://t.co/XdHKwcL729 — The Cut (@TheCut) January 14, 2020
And you can count on Stephen Colbert to weigh in.
As you can imagine, there are many more comments that can’t be repeated about the 10.5 ounce candle. However, many questions still remain.
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Why is Gwyneth Paltrow selling a candle that smells like her vagina? https://t.co/sq8wmwc3BP — The Guardian (@guardian) January 13, 2020
We hoped to get some of them answered by Little this week (a phone interview was scheduled for Thursday, but we were ghosted). The feedback, however, is not all bad. Accolades for the candle are there too. Some are calling the marketing ingenious.
What say you?
drockett@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--‘Dolittle’ review: Robert Downey Jr. talks to the animals, without ever seeming to give a deuce abou

‘Dolittle’ review: Robert Downey Jr. talks to the animals, without ever seeming to give a deuce about them

Then “ Dolittle ” turns into a “ Jumanji ” sequel , or a “ Pirates of the Caribbean ” @ @ @ @ @ as a Jack Sparrow-influenced adversary .
I won ’ t go into details regarding the @ @ @ @ @ to note that Gaghan doesn ’ t know if he should treat this development seriously @ @ @ @ @ for a little bit of neither .
As for Downey Jr. ’ s dialect : @ @ @ @ @ The synchronization is never quite right , so it never seems to be human speech @ @ @ @ @ human ’ s mouth .
All those digital and A-list millions don ’ t come @ @ @ @ @ , ” though I did appreciate Kumail Nanjiani ’ s vocal flourishes as the ostrich @ @ @ @ @ say I prefer the clunky 1967 musical to the frenetic mechanical bull of this version @

The new film “Dolittle” proves there’s more than one way to spell “Dolittle,” its preferred spelling being “J-u-m-a-n-j-i.”
In what feels like a corporate panic, co-writer and director Stephen Gaghan’s franchise hopeful trades charm for noise, and wit for a climactic dragon colonoscopy (don’t ask, don’t tell). Meantime, Robert Downey Jr. offers a determined Scottish burr as a replacement for the bored silken tones of Rex Harrison, star of the 1967 musical “Doctor Dolittle,” and Eddie Murphy, headliner of the disposable non-musical 1998 remake and its 2001 sequel.
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The latest “Dolittle,” like the others, owes its inspiration to Hugh Lofting, whose fanciful letters home during World War I formed the genesis of the first Dolittle book published in 1920 with the subtitle “Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts.” So many Oscar winners have lent their voices to the menagerie here, from Emma Thompson (a macaw) to Rami Malek (a gorilla). So where’s the … oh, what’s the word … fun?
Even in a realm of corporate moviemaking dependent on digital effects and green screenery, you’d hope that a project co-written and directed by the same person, in this case “Syriana” filmmaker Stephen Gaghan, might retain some semblance of personality. Along with everything worth tossing — the quaint colonialist racism, for starters — Lofting’s adventures of the animal doctor conversant in myriad mammal, aquatic, insect and aviary languages offer plenty for reinvestigation. And Downey Jr., if you haven’t noticed or couldn’t recall, is a fine actor as well as huge star.
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The once and future Iron Man, however, favors a blasé, throw-it-away delivery and demeanor that can easily lapse into a form of subtle heckling. The set-up in “Dolittle,” set in the mid-19th century: After his wife and fellow explorer dies in a shipwreck, Dr. D hides away, Howard Hughes-like, in his private, zoo-like house and grounds donated by Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley). Two young people coincidentally pay the doctor a visit at the same time, forcing him out of his hermit zone: a teen royal (Carmel Laniado), sent to fetch Dolittle to save the mysteriously ailing queen; and a tender local lad (Harry Collett) who has accidentally shot a squirrel and seeks emergency treatment.
The palace intrigue features Michael Sheen and Jim Broadbent, mugging and skulking (they’re like a Victorian law firm, Mugging and Skulking) as the queen’s enemies. Soon enough, a newly engaged Dolittle shakes off his grief and what appears to be agoraphobia and takes off across the seas in search of a magical potion to save Her Majesty.
The problems begin and end with the script, credited to three writers. “Dolittle” turns its title character into an eccentric and wearying blur of tics, tacked onto a character who comports himself like a bullying, egocentric A-lister rather than someone who, you know, actually enjoys the company of animals. The banter enjoys the benefit of genuine comic pros doing the voices, but the zingers remain low on zing, bordering on total zinglessness. “I’ve got a front row seat to Crazy Town!” goes one bit, reminiscent of an “Ice Age” movie.
Then “Dolittle” turns into a “Jumanji” sequel, or a “Pirates of the Caribbean” knockoff, with Antonio Banderas as a Jack Sparrow-influenced adversary. I won’t go into details regarding the dragon rectal exam, except to note that Gaghan doesn’t know if he should treat this development seriously or comically. He settles for a little bit of neither. As for Downey Jr.’s dialect: It’s thick. The synchronization is never quite right, so it never seems to be human speech coming out of a specific human’s mouth. All those digital and A-list millions don’t come to much in “Dolittle,” though I did appreciate Kumail Nanjiani’s vocal flourishes as the ostrich. I wouldn’t say I prefer the clunky 1967 musical to the frenetic mechanical bull of this version.
But I wouldn’t say I don’t.
“Dolittle” — 1.5 stars
MPAA rating: PG (for some action, rude humor and brief language)
Running time: 1:46
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Opens: Thursday evening
Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
mjphillips@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @phillipstribune


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Man who injured a person carjacking a Porsche downtown also slammed a child to the ground in another

Man who injured a person carjacking a Porsche downtown also slammed a child to the ground in another hijacking, police say

Shortly before 3 p.m. Jan. 5 , Morales entered a Porsche SUV in the 300 block of West Illinois Street @ @ @ @ @ occupant of the vehicle out by implying he had a weapon .
When the victim @ @ @ @ @ drove off , throwing the victim from the vehicle and causing several injuries , police @ @

A man who forced a victim out of a 2019 Porsche Cayenne and drove off before the victim was fully out carjacked another vehicle days later and slammed a child to the ground, Chicago police said.
Caleb Morales, 20, of the 8700 block of South Beverly Avenue, was charged Wednesday with two counts of felony vehicular hijacking, police said.
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Shortly before 3 p.m. Jan. 5, Morales entered a Porsche SUV in the 300 block of West Illinois Street and tried to force an occupant of the vehicle out by implying he had a weapon. When the victim was partially out, Morales drove off, throwing the victim from the vehicle and causing several injuries, police said.
Caleb Morales, 20, was charged with two counts of felony vehicular hijacking. (Chicago Police Department)
Police said Morales struck again shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday when he entered a 2014 Ford Escape in the 1400 block of West Fulton Street and forced the occupants out at gunpoint, including two children. He removed one of the children and slammed the child to the ground before fleeing, police said.
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Morales was identified as the person behind the carjackings, and was scheduled to appear Wednesday at a bail hearing.


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Woman killed while sitting in car in Gresham. ‘It’s too dangerous to be doing anything in this neigh

Woman killed while sitting in car in Gresham. ‘It’s too dangerous to be doing anything in this neighborhood.’

Another woman was parked on Loomis for at least two hours , watching officers with her window rolled down .
@ @ @ @ @ to be identified , said she found out about the shooting while checking Twitter and @ @ @ @ @ she said was both curiosity and concern .

A gunman walked up to a woman sitting in a car and opened fire, killing her early Wednesday in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side.
The 20-year-old woman was in the driver’s seat of a black sedan parked in the 1400 block of West 83rd Street when she was shot in the head and right side of her body just after 12:30 a.m., according to Chicago police.
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She was discovered by officers responding to an alert from a ShotSpotter sensor that picked up the gunfire. An ambulance brought her to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
No one was in custody.
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The car faced west on 83rd Street near Loomis Boulevard, its driver’s seat window rolled down. Red police tape was strewn around it on the ground. The car remained running, exhaust billowing from the tailpipe, as officers worked the scene. Two detectives shined flashlights from all angles at the car as an officer pointed out shell casings on the street.
A man who appeared agitated sat in the back of one of the squad cars inside the crime scene. At times he bickered with the officers, and one of them tried to mollify him, saying, “I understand you’re upset."
Just east of the sedan, neighbors in a four-story apartment complex occasionally peered out windows. One woman shot video of the police activity with her phone after calling out, “Did somebody die?”
Another woman was parked on Loomis for at least two hours, watching officers with her window rolled down. The 28-year-old, who declined to be identified, said she found out about the shooting while checking Twitter and stopped by out of what she said was both curiosity and concern.
While she didn’t hear that the victim was someone she knew, she said she still felt compelled to stay at the scene. “This my neighborhood.”
The gun violence in Gresham has tired her, she said, and she wished she didn’t fear for her safety so much.
“I just think it’s sad, that you can’t even ride wherever you need to go,” she said. “It’s too dangerous to be doing anything in this neighborhood.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Advocate to close 7 Walgreens clinics in suburban Chicago, prompting allegations of unfair labor pra

Advocate to close 7 Walgreens clinics in suburban Chicago, prompting allegations of unfair labor practices

The nurses association said it filed a complaint against Advocate with the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday .
The @ @ @ @ @ failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union as the collective bargaining @ @ @ @ @ making unilateral changes in terms and conditions of employment , '' according to the filing @

Shoppers descend on the escalator at the Walgreens at State and Randolph streets on July 20, 2015. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
Advocate Medical Group plans to close seven of its clinics located in Chicago-area Walgreens stores next month, prompting a nurses union to allege unfair labor practices.
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Advocate plans to close clinics in Walgreens stores in Carol Stream, Joliet, Naperville, Oak Park, River Forest, Sycamore and Yorkville, according to a letter from Advocate to the Illinois Nurses Association, which was obtained by the Tribune.
“The company found overlap in available healthcare services in the communities where Advocate Clinic at Walgreens are located, which has resulted in volumes that are unsustainable,” Bonnie Kriescher, vice president of human resources for Advocate Medical Group, wrote in the letter. “Specifically, the company found that the communities’ health care needs are well served by other providers.”
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The closures will affect 13 advanced practice nurses, said Chris Martin, a spokesman for the Illinois Nurses Association. Advanced practice nurses have more training and education than registered nurses.
The nurses association said it filed a complaint against Advocate with the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday. The union alleges that Advocate “failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union as the collective bargaining representative of its employees by making unilateral changes in terms and conditions of employment," according to the filing.
It’s also alleging Advocate failed to give it certain information related to the closures.
The union wants Advocate to hold off on any clinic closures until bargaining can take place over the matter. It would like to see the clinics remain open and the nurses keep their jobs, Martin said.
Advocate said in a statement Wednesday that it remains “committed to making health care more affordable, which includes reducing duplication of services in our communities.”
The system also denied the unfair labor practice allegations and said it is working to meet with the union.
“We’re disappointed the union continues to share misinformation and untruths in an attempt to take advantage of this situation for the union’s personal gain at the expense of those whose interest they claim to represent,” Advocate said in the statement.
Illinois Nurses Association executive director Alice Johnson said in a statement that despite being at the bargaining table with Advocate for months, Advocate didn’t mention the closures until now.
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“Advocate continues its greedy grasp at profits at the expense of the nurse practitioners and the patients they serve,” Johnson said.
Advocate Aurora Health leaders said at a health care conference in San Francisco on Monday that the system is aiming to cut costs by $1.1 billion and more than double its revenue to $27 billion by 2025. Advocate Aurora also plans to continue a strategy of mergers and acquisitions.
Last year, Advocate Aurora Health, which is based in Downers Grove and Milwaukee, gave early retirement buyouts to about 200 employees and didn’t offer an annual bonus to workers. The system had revenue of $9.4 billion for the first three quarters of 2019, up from just below $9 billion during the same time period in 2018.
When the seven Advocate clinics close Feb. 15, Advocate still will have 48 other Walgreens in-store clinics in Illinois, mostly in the Chicago area, said Walgreens spokesman Scott Goldberg. SSM Health runs four Walgreens clinics in Illinois in the St. Louis area, he said.
There are no plans for another health system to take over the seven Advocate clinics that are closing, he said.
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At the end of last year, Walgreens closed all of its 157 in-store clinics run by Walgreens across the nation. Local health systems operate more than 200 clinics in Walgreens stores.
Walgreens is also in the midst of a large cost-cutting program, and is aiming to slash at least $1.8 billion a year in costs by 2022. It announced plans last year to close 200 stores, laid off more than 100 employees at its corporate headquarters in Deerfield and eliminated bonuses for store managers and others.


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Column: At midseason, the Bulls are stuck where they were in the first year of their rebuilding proj

Column: At midseason, the Bulls are stuck where they were in the first year of their rebuilding project

A guy with Markkanen ’ s talent needs to sit less and demand the ball more , the way NBA @ @ @ @ @ still can become the star he looked capable of becoming his first two years in @ @ @ @ @ s only 22 .
His stunted development ultimately falls on Markkanen but also at the @ @ @ @ @ installed an offense that turned a threat into a tentative big man .
Good NBA @ @ @ @ @ their best players ’ strengths , but Boylen has offered scant proof he is a @ @ @ @

Midway through a Bulls season that began with so much hope, Chicago’s supply of patience trickles out one predictable loss at a time.
After 41 games, it’s more half empty than half full.
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Only people on the payroll see progress, something impossible for the rest of us to find in a 14-27 record. That’s exactly where the Bulls were at midseason two years ago when this once-promising rebuilding project began. The standstill has raised valid questions about the blueprints and architects at the Advocate Center.
Back then, Lauri Markkanen was a rookie introducing himself to the NBA as an assertive, athletic post presence with a developing outside game. Remember Markkanen’s 33-point, 10-rebound performance at Madison Square Garden in a double-overtime victory over the Knicks? After that emphatic effort, I gushed in the Tribune: “Good luck finding anybody from the draft class of 2017 who means any more to his franchise.’’
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Well, good luck finding that same impactful player for the Bulls this season. Anybody seen an affable 7-footer with killer moves in the paint? While Zach LaVine has grown into a player worthy of All-Star consideration, Markkanen mysteriously has regressed.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 141 Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen makes a 3-pointer over Nets forward Jeff Green during the first quarter May 11, 2021, at the United Center. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Too frequently, Markkanen drifts in an offensive system that has made him overly passive. Markkanen averages only 15.1 points — almost identical to his rookie average of 15.2 — and 30 minutes per game. Too often coach Jim Boylen has kept Markkanen on the bench for interminably long stretches. As much as any other factor, Markkanen’s inconsistency and inability to take a major step forward have contributed to the Bulls running in place.
When team officials publicly called the playoffs a realistic goal before the season, they based their optimism on the expectation Markkanen would affect more outcomes than he has. One decent month of December only underscored how much the Bulls missed Markkanen forcing the issue.
A guy with Markkanen’s talent needs to sit less and demand the ball more, the way NBA stars do. And Markkanen still can become the star he looked capable of becoming his first two years in the league. He’s only 22. His stunted development ultimately falls on Markkanen but also at the feet of Boylen, who installed an offense that turned a threat into a tentative big man. Good NBA coaches find ways to accentuate their best players’ strengths, but Boylen has offered scant proof he is a good NBA coach.
The attacking defensive scheme Boylen employs helps the Bulls force more turnovers than any team in the league but regularly creates penetration lanes and open looks for opponents. The new offense, statistically one of the worst in the league, looks like it confuses the Bulls more than the competition.
The tough-guy culture Boylen enjoys espousing only goes so far in a bottom-line world full of millionaire players who, more than once, have openly questioned aspects of Boylen’s coaching. Those of us who entered the season with an open mind about Boylen have seen enough evidence to start wondering.
The Bulls don’t need the stronger spirit or soul Boylen often references. They need better talent and intelligence. They need a universally respected leader capable of making players buy in instead of tune out. They need answers to outnumber questions after games.
Bulls coach Jim Boylen disputes a call during a game against the Jazz on Jan. 2, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Boylen insists the Bulls have established a clear mentality at both ends of the floor, but they have only one victory over a winning team to show for it. Management stubbornly stands behind Boylen, an earnest competitor who simply appears overmatched when it comes to the details of game strategy. Boylen’s rotations raise eyebrows. His use of timeouts invites scrutiny. Injuries to Otto Porter Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr. provide excuses the Bulls likely will use to rationalize Boylen’s coaching shortcomings enough to ride out the final 41 games without making a change.
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But if the downward trend continues throughout the second half, it seems reasonable to expect the Bulls to seek a new voice on the bench and perhaps a fresh set of eyes in the front office.
Nobody expects vice president John Paxson, a Bulls lifer, to go anywhere but adding an executive from outside the organization to offer a different perspective makes sense for a franchise stuck on the status quo. Team President Michael Reinsdorf must see what everybody else sees and realize how quickly fan anger can turn to apathy.
If this continues, the positives simply will be too few to accept any other response to another disappointing season but change.
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And yes, there have been positives. They start with LaVine, who’s averaging 24.5 points per game and shooting 39% from 3-point range. LaVine’s offensive exploits for a losing team might remind Bulls fans of a certain age of Reggie Theus, a two-time All-Star on some lousy Bulls teams from 1978-84 who averaged 23.8 points when he was 25. LaVine can explode for 40 on any given night, but it’s easier to believe his rare athleticism makes him an All-Star than the No. 1 option on a championship team.
If the Bulls keep LaVine instead of trading him at the deadline as contenders will tempt them, then their offseason mission will be exhausting options through the draft, free agency and the trade route to find that elusive star to pair alongside an ideal NBA No. 2 guy.
Coby White plays like a star in spurts, but consistency eludes the streaky scorer who won’t turn 20 till next month. Still, White has flashed enough to be considered a bright spot. So has fellow rookie Daniel Gafford, the energetic big man who resembles a young Taj Gibson and can count on a long career if he continues that approach.
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Veteran free agent Thaddeus Young, a likely trade candidate, has done everything the Bulls have asked, even if it hasn’t exactly jibed with their summer sales pitch. And Kris Dunn has provided a template for the ideal teammate in elevating his defense as a starter or sub.
Alas, the list of what’s gone right is shorter than what’s gone wrong.
Something’s missing for a team going nowhere fast.
David Haugh is a special contributor to the Chicago Tribune and co-host of the “Mully and Haugh Show” weekdays from 5-9 a.m. on WSCR-AM-670.


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Maria Bartiromo to anchor her Fox Business show from Chicago on Thursday

This will be the first time Bartiromo will anchor “ Mornings with Maria ” from Chicago .
Bartiromo said setting @ @ @ @ @ Channel bureau on Wacker Drive is a “ big production ” since her team will @ @ @ @ @ ll also have to get up an hour earlier — she typically starts her weekdays @ @ @ @ @ live in New York at 6 a.m .
Her three-hour show airs in Chicago at @ @ @

Maria Bartiromo’s Fox Business Network show “Mornings with Maria” is set to broadcast live from Chicago on Thursday because Bartiromo’s in town for a private event.
“I’ve been to Chicago many times. I love the city. It’s one of my favorite cities. Obviously, I’m a New Yorker, so I love New York, but I feel like Chicago is a mini New York,” Bartiromo told the Tribune by phone. “There’s everything to see. There’s the bustling urbanism, but there’s also great shows and restaurants, so I’m really excited about getting there.”
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This will be the first time Bartiromo will anchor “Mornings with Maria” from Chicago. Bartiromo said setting up at the Fox News Channel bureau on Wacker Drive is a “big production” since her team will accompany her. She’ll also have to get up an hour earlier — she typically starts her weekdays at 3:30 a.m. to go live in New York at 6 a.m. Her three-hour show airs in Chicago at 5 a.m.
Bartiromo said Tuesday her team was still working out the line-up for Thursday’s episode, but she was expecting to interview Austan Goolsbee, professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers; Phil Flynn, oil analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago; Marty Mosby, analyst at stock broker-dealer Vining Sparks; U.S. Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican; Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross; retired Navy SEAL and author Jocko Willink; and Forbes Media Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes.
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She said Thursday’s episode will have a Chicago feel. “We want to show the city off, and we want to make sure that we’re showing the best parts of the city, so I’ll have a camera crew and maybe shoot some beauty shots,” she said.
She also hopes to sit down with real estate investor Sam Zell, who previously owned the Chicago Tribune’s parent company and who Bartiromo called “a great friend and regular guest of mine.” She doesn’t expect President Donald Trump to call in to Thursday’s show, as he has done in the past.
“I’m basically on a two-week spate of travel,” Bartiromo said. “Next week I’m headed to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, and I know that the president is planning on going there.”
Bartiromo inked a multiyear contract extension in September. She worked for CNBC for 20 years before joining the Fox Business Network as an anchor and global markets editor in 2014.
tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Aaron Hernandez Netflix documentary: 10 questions still unanswered in ‘Killer Inside’

“ Aaron and I had an on and off relationship with each other from the seventh grade to the junior year of high school .
Aaron participated with many people .
I was a small piece of Aaron ’ s sexual activity , ” Sansoucie said .
“ In school , there weren ’ t a lot of kids who were out of the closet .
The few that were , I used to feel like ‘ Golly , what a homo.
’ Here I am the football player .
I was in such denial because I was an athlete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarterback and the tight end ( were ) gay ?
He sleeps with other men ?
’ No .
It didn ’ t sit right with people .
It doesn ’ t sit right within our own stomach at that point .
... After doing it , it was like did someone catch us ?
Did someone know ?
‘ Dude if we get caught , it ’ s ruined .
Our parents are going to disown us.
’ ...
He knew he had to be on a different behavior around his father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were .
”

There’s a line in the trailer for “Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez” that encapsulates so much of why Hernandez’s story remains darkly captivating:
“The why is the story here,” said Kevin Armstrong, an executive producer on the documentary, who previously covered Hernandez’s rise and fall for the New York Daily News.
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While plenty of people have tried to explain or understand what made Hernandez, who seemed to be living the dream of some many, chose a violent, criminal life, nobody knows why. The former Patriots tight end from Bristol, Connecticut who was convicted of one murder and accused of two more before killing himself in prison, is subject of Netflix’s three-part documentary series which is available for streaming Wednesday.
“Killer Inside” gives as complete and compelling a public look at Hernandez as exists, but it’s impossible to watch and not have more questions.
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1. Did Aaron Hernandez want to get caught or believe he was untouchable? - At one point Dan Wetzel, who covered the story for Yahoo and is an executive producer of the documentary pointed out “If Aaron Hernandez had erased his own security camera footage, he might be a free man.”
The video from the surveillance system in his house was just one of the details surrounding the murder of Odin Lloyd, who was to be his future brother in law, that was blatantly sloppy and helped lead to his conviction for first-degree murder. Was the carelessness a result of marijuana use or something more psychological?
2. If Aaron Hernadez’s father hadn’t died suddenly, would Hernandez, who was 16 at the time, have turned out differently? - Dennis Hernandez was both a steadying force and a disturbing role model in Hernandez’s life. On one hand, he provided structure and motivation that led to his success as an athlete and also kept him focused and out of trouble. When he died unexpectedly during hernia surgery, Aaron Hernandez turned his pain into anger and his anger into a propensity to get into trouble. The death sparked other events involving Aaron’s mother (see below) that further fueled that anger.
At the same time, Dennis Hernandez was prone to violent streaks and once repeatedly slammed Aaron’s mother’s head into the sink until she was unconscious. He was also homophobic forcing Hernandez to repress his own sexuality.
3. Did Aaron Hernandez’s repressed sexuality add to his growing anger? - Dennis Sansoucie, Hernandez’s high school quarterback, described a sexual relationship the two had from middle school to high school, and the fears they had about being found out.
“Aaron and I had an on and off relationship with each other from the seventh grade to the junior year of high school. Aaron participated with many people. I was a small piece of Aaron’s sexual activity,” Sansoucie said. “In school, there weren’t a lot of kids who were out of the closet. The few that were, I used to feel like ‘Golly, what a homo.’ Here I am the football player. I was in such denial because I was an athlete. You mean to tell me the quarterback and the tight end (were) gay? He sleeps with other men?’ No. It didn’t sit right with people. It doesn’t sit right within our own stomach at that point. ... After doing it, it was like did someone catch us? Did someone know? ‘Dude if we get caught, it’s ruined. Our parents are going to disown us.’ ... He knew he had to be on a different behavior around his father. … We had to hide who we were.”
Even in prison, in recordings of phone calls with his mother, Hernandez mocked gay and transgender inmates. Rumors of his sexuality surfaced shortly before the suicide.
4. Did the brain disease CTE contribute to Hernandez’s violent mental state? - After his suicide, Hernandez’s brain was sent to Boston University to be studied for CTE. Dr. Ann McKee, who has been a pioneer in CTE research said:
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“This is the first case we’ve ever seen f that kind of damage in such a young individual.”
Patrick Haggan, the prosecutor on Hernandez’s second trial didn’t rule out CTE’s influence on Hernandez’s crimes"
“At first I thought it was a publicity stunt,” he said of the CTE test. “I couldn’t have been more wrong when I saw the results of his CTE. I started to look at the signs and symptoms of CTE - impulsiveness, rash decisions, sometimes the propensity to be violent. It was Aaron Hernandez. If you look at everything this young man had going, emotionally and physically to what had happened to him as a child and on top of it you add the CTE that undoubtedly the seeds of what went on began many years earlier.”
5. Might Aaron Hernandez have walked free if Jose Baez represented him in his first trial? - Baez, the high-profile lawyer, defended Casey Anthony when she was charged with murdering her daughter. He took Hernandez’s case for the second trial. Like he did with Anthony, Baez earned an acquittal despite evidence against his client. He was set to handle Hernandez’s appeal.
6. Did Aaron Hernandez’s strained relationship with his mother impact his anger? - It seems unlikely that Terri Hernandez will enjoy watching this documentary. Her relationship with Aaron is laid out raw throughout. From her beginning a romantic relationship with Aaron’s cousin’s husband shortly after her husband died, to her complaining to him over a prison phone call that he never gave her a million dollars, the two appeared often contentious.
Late in episode 1, in a different phone call, Aaron Hernandez blamed her for who he’d become.
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“I was the happiest fucking little kid in the world and you fucked me up," he said. "What the fuck did you think I was going to do be a perfect angel? If I was with you right now probably would have punched the shit out of you.”
7. Would he have been better off drafted by another team? - On one hand, he seemed to benefit from the Patriots’ structure and his relationship with owner Bob Kraft, but some of his friends suggested he might have been better if he was away from his family and his friends in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut.
8. If not for the since repealed abatement law, would Hernandez still be alive? When Hernandez took his own life, a law was on the books in Massachusetts that said if someone died while appealing their conviction, that conviction would be vacated and the deceased would be officially considered not guilty.
After being acquitted at his second murder trial, Hernandez was appealing the first. According to Baez, Hernandez hadn’t appeared to be in a mental state that suggested he might be a suicide risk.
During a phone call with a friend, Hernandez said he didn’t mind prison, he only missed his daughter.
Under abatement, the money he’d made playing football would go to his daughter and fiancee if he died during the appeal. His conviction was briefly vacated under that law, but the attention Hernandez’s case brought to the statue caused Massachusetts to overturn the law and reinstate Hernandez’s conviction.
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9. Was Aaron Hernandez involved in a shooting in Florida that he couldn’t be tied to?- Probably not. Gainesville police no longer believe Hernandez was involved in a shooting case from 2007 that he was once considered a suspect in.
10. Why? - Why didn’t Hernandez simply lean into the life of luxury the NFL and his $40 million contract could have given him. Why become a criminal and a killer when that lifestyle could have been avoided?
There’ll never truly be an answer.


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Wheeling middle school teacher faces child pornography charges

“ Child pornography exploits the victims each time one of these reprehensible images is viewed or shared , ” Ill. @ @ @ @ @ in the release .
“ My office is committed to stopping the creation and spread @ @ @ @ @ will continue to partner with local law enforcement to help protect our children .
”

A Wheeling school district teacher was charged Friday with possession and dissemination of child pornography, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.
Scott Pollack, 45, of the 5900 block of Lucerne, Lake in the Hills, was charged with possession of child pornography, dissemination of child pornagraphy and unlawful video recording — all felonies, the release stated.
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llinois attorney general’s office investigators, along with the Lake in the Hills Police Department, the Wheeling Police Department and the McHenry County State Attorney’s office, searched Pollack’s residence Friday and arrested him after discovering evidence of alleged child pornography, according to the release.
“Child pornography exploits the victims each time one of these reprehensible images is viewed or shared,” Ill. Attorney Genera Kwame Raoul said in the release. “My office is committed to stopping the creation and spread of these horrendous images and will continue to partner with local law enforcement to help protect our children.”
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If convicted, Pollack faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 54 years in state prison, according to the release.
Pollack appeared in court Saturday, where his bond was set at $50,000. As of Tuesday, Pollack was being held at McHenry County jail.
He is scheduled to appear in court again Thursday.
In a school district statement following the arrest, SD21 officials acknowledged that Pollack is a teacher at Holmes Middle School. Officials stated that he has been suspended from his duties there “indefinitely.” He was also a former wrestling coach.
Wheeling School District 21 includes a dozen schools, with five of them in Arlington Heights and Buffalo Grove.
The attorney general’s office “has informed us that current criminal charges are not as a result of any activity or involvement with CCSD21 students,” according to the statement.
The school district offered counseling and support services, officials said.
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“The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority and we will continue to work with law enforcement and our community partners to ensure a safe learning environment for all,” school officials said in the statement.
The case will be prosecuted by Raoul’s and McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick D. Kenneally’s offices, according to the attorney general’s news release.
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The arrest comes as part of Raoul’s work with the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Using a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, the task force investigates crimes regarding child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement, according to the release.
The release states that since 2006, the task force has been involved in more than 1,700 arrests of sexual predators and has provided internet safety training and education to more than 960,000 parents, teachers, students and law enforcement professionals.
“Cooperative efforts such as this are key in ensuring that we continue to do everything we can to protect our children,” Lake in the Hills police Chief David Brey said in the statement.


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Jimbo Covert and Ed Sprinkle selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Bears now have 30 members —

Jimbo Covert and Ed Sprinkle selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Bears now have 30 members — the most of any team.

`` But when you ’ re playing next to a guy and you ’ ve got five of us together @ @ @ @ @ ) didn ’ t even play in that game .
Jerry Fontenot started that game @ @ @ @ @ a great game and Neal ( Anderson ) was playing so well then and we @ @ @ @ @ I just felt like , ‘ If this is a team game , why put @ @ @ @ @ offensive lineman ?
’ I just didn ’ t feel right about doing it so @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ ll take it if they name us all , ’ and they @ @ @ @ @ What I didn ’ t know is I didn ’ t know the NFL was @ @ @ @ @ lineman player of the week .
”

Jimbo Covert, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class, speaks during the induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 7, 2021, in Canton, Ohio. (David Richard/AP)
It stands to reason that when George Halas calls someone the “greatest pass rusher I’ve ever seen,” that man should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It also stands to reason that the left tackle of an offense that led the NFL in rushing four straight seasons should also be honored. And on Wednesday morning, Ed Sprinkle and Jimbo Covert finally received their due.
Sprinkle, the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end and a member of the Bears’ 1946 championship team, and Covert, an anchor on the offensive line for the Super Bowl XX champions, were named two of 10 seniors who will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame’s centennial class during a Sept. 16-19 celebration in Canton, Ohio.
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Long overlooked because defensive statistics aren’t available from his era, Sprinkle, who died at age 90 in 2014, and Covert, 59, will become the 29th and 30th Bears player, coach or administrator to reach the Hall of Fame — the most in the league.
“It’s hard to put words in his mouth,” Sue Withers, Sprinkle’s daughter, said. “He always played hard. He was always a professional when he played and had a good rapport with Mr. Halas. He lived football. He loved football. For him to make it (while he was alive), I think that would have been the ultimate.”
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After getting little support as a modern-era candidate, Covert was encouraged when he reached the 20 finalists named by the Hall of Fame’s blue ribbon committee.
“We thought maybe there was an opportunity there, but your enthusiasm was tempered somewhat because it’s been so long and I never really got to the next level, never even really made it to 25 for all of those years,” he said. “I just think my short career was working against me.”
Covert played only eight seasons because of a back injury, but the Bears won the NFC Central six times and he was a stalwart on the offensive line for a bruising rushing attack that led the league in rushing from 1983 to 1986. He is the final member of the 1980s All-Decade team to be honored by the Hall of Fame.
Exclusive Look: HOF President David Baker calls Jim Covert to inform him that he has been elected to the Hall of Fame moments ago. #PFHOF20 | @ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/scCHZzaffz — Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) January 15, 2020
Why did Covert fall through the cracks over the years? There are a couple of theories. Maybe Walter Payton’s linemen didn’t get their due because many considered him to be the greatest running back of all time. The Bears were 18th in the NFL in rushing the year before Covert arrived as the sixth pick in 1983.
Covert believes his recognition is a nod to the entire offensive line from his era, and it was a selfless act in 1990 that perhaps cost him a Pro Bowl shot that season. Who knows? With one more Pro Bowl (he had two), maybe he would have gotten more consideration before now.
After the Bears defeated the Phoenix Cardinals 31-21 in Week 8, the NFL wanted to name Covert the NFC offensive player of the week. The Bears had rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, improving to 6-1.
“(Public relations director) Bryan Harlan said, ‘Hey, they want to make you offensive player of the week,’” Covert recalled. “I thought, ‘Wow, what a great honor.’ It’s such an exceptional honor, but playing offensive line is such a team game and I just felt like it’s hard to say (it’s one guy). You could say it’s the quarterback one week, but it’s still a team game with the quarterback.
"But when you’re playing next to a guy and you’ve got five of us together, Hilgy (Jay Hilgenberg) didn’t even play in that game. Jerry Fontenot started that game. We just had such a great game and Neal (Anderson) was playing so well then and we were on a roll and I just felt like, ‘If this is a team game, why put yourself above that as an offensive lineman?’ I just didn’t feel right about doing it so I said, ‘Well, I’ll take it if they name us all,’ and they named all of us. What I didn’t know is I didn’t know the NFL was motivated to name an offensive lineman player of the week.”
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[ Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 21, Jimbo Covert ]
Five weeks later, Redskins left tackle Jim Lachey was named NFC offensive player of the week. Lachey wound up being voted into the Pro Bowl and Covert wasn’t.
“That’s the NFL,” Covert said.
The Bears offensive linemen regularly went out on Thursday nights during the season and they had a little extra celebration after the group got the award following the Cardinals game.
“It was the right thing to do and I don’t regret it all,” Covert said. “Maybe one more Pro Bowl or one more honor like that and I’m in already, but I don’t have any regrets.”
Defensive end Richard Dent, enshrined in Canton in 2011, called Covert worthy.
“To not have one guy, one offensive lineman as a Hall of Famer is — you know (wrong),” Dent said. “People assumed Walter would gain yards with no blocking. That’s something that you would see for a while. But, yet, when that ’83 class came in, those guys were blocking up there and making a lot of things happen. I just think it’s worthy, without a doubt, for a guy like Jimbo Covert. I knew I was not going to face anybody better than him. I’m glad he was on my team.”
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The Hall of Fame Wednesday announced 11 other inductees for the Class of 2020, eight more senior players and three contributors: Harold Carmichael, wide receiver, Eagles (1971-83), Cowboys (1984); Bobby Dillon, safety, Packers (1952-59); Cliff Harris, safety, Cowboys (1970-79); Winston Hill, offensive tackle, Jets (1963-76), Rams (1977); Alex Karras, defensive tackle, Lions (1958-62, 1964-70); Steve Sabol, president, NFL Films (1964-2012); Donnie Shell, safety, Steelers (1974-87); Duke Slater, offensive tackle, Milwaukee Badgers (1922), Rock Island Independents (1922-25). Chicago Cardinals (1926-31); Mac Speedie, wide receiver, Browns (1946-52); Paul Tagliabue, NFL commissioner (1989-2006); George Young, general manager, Colts (1968-1974), Dolphins (1975-78), Giants (1979-97).
Sprinkle, who lived in the south suburbs in retirement and worked for Inland Steel in the offseason during his playing days, becomes the last member of the 1940s All-Decade team to reach the Hall of Fame. He was such a dominant force on defense that Halas made the decision early in his career to stop playing him both ways in an era when two-way players were common.
Sprinkle played for the Bears for 12 seasons from 1944 through 1955, originally making the team after a tryout. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times in his final six seasons and likely would have had more, but the Pro Bowl did not start until 1951 at the conclusion of the 1950 season.
One of the final names discussed as a senior nominee last year, the momentum he gained in discussions then carried through for Sprinkle. He played some of his best games against the rival Packers, returning a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown against them in 1946. In 1948, Sprinkle caught two touchdown passes in a 45-7 rout and another in a 7-6 win. In 1950, his blocked punt led to the winning touchdown in a 28-14 victory. In 1952, he blocked a tying field-goal attempt in a 24-14 win.
Known as "The Meanest Man in Football," the four-time Pro Bowler who played 12 seasons with the Bears. Ed Sprinkle's ferocious forearm tackles earned him the nickname "The Claw." (Chicago Tribune)
Sprinkle is best remembered these days as being the “Meanest Man in Pro Football,” a description given to him in a 1950 Collier’s magazine article for his violent play in a different era of the sport.
“He wasn’t real happy with that,” Withers said. “He just said, ‘You play hard. That’s what you do in football. If you don’t want to play hard, then buy a ticket and sit in the stands and watch the game.’ He always had a good sense of humor.”
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“I think that the article was a bum rap,” Sprinkle once told Bob Carroll of the Professional Football Researchers Association. “I was about as aggressive as any football player that walked on the field. If I had an opportunity to hit someone, I hit them. I had a reputation with my teammates and Halas as being the roughest player the Bears ever had. That doesn’t make me mean or dirty.”
[ Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 33, Ed Sprinkle ]
His tough play was well documented back in the day. In the 1946 championship game victory over the Giants, Sprinkle knocked three players out of the game. Running back George Franck left with a separated shoulder. Running back Frank Reagan left with a broken nose and quarterback Frank Filchock suffered a broken nose on a clothesline hit Sprinkle called “The Claw.”
“He always told us he had six sacks once in one game,” Withers said. “Back when he was playing they didn’t keep track of things like they do now. He was proud of his accomplishments in the game.”
Sprinkle remained a Bears fan and Withers told a story how someone called his home once while he was watching a game.
“He didn’t even answer with a, ‘Hello,’” recalled Withers. “He said, ‘Don’t you know the Bears are playing?’ That’s how much it meant to him.
“He never made any money playing football, not like they do today. It was the love of the game. He enjoyed it. Some of the stories he told us were great. I told him he should have written a book.”
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Now Sprinkle and Covert’s stories will be forever told within the walls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Winnetka-Northfield library director out after exodus of dozens of employees and allegations of ‘tox

Winnetka-Northfield library director out after exodus of dozens of employees and allegations of ‘toxic’ work environment

Ruiz-Funes declined to comment on whether Wolf resigned or was terminated from her position at the library , and would @ @ @ @ @ her departure .
He also declined to comment on whether Wolf is being paid during @ @ @ @ @ as being “ out of the office for an indefinite period of time .
”

Rebecca Wolf is pictured during a Sept. 16, 2019, meeting of the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District’s board of trustees. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press)
Following a tumultuous chapter for the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District, which was punctuated by the departure of dozens of employees, officials said Tuesday that the library’s executive director will be replaced.
In a written statement, officials said that Rebecca Wolf, the library’s director, “is out of the office for an indefinite period of time,” adding that effective immediately, Emily Compton-Dzak, assistant director and head of Adult Services, will assume interim direction for the library.
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“During this transition Compton-Dzak will have a direct line of communication with and will report to Jean-Paul Ruiz-Funes, board president,” officials said.
Ruiz-Funes declined to comment on the move, but said in a text message that, “all personnel matters are private and confidential. Acting in taxpayers best interest is a fundamental guiding principle of the library’s approach.”
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Ruiz-Funes declined to comment on whether Wolf resigned or was terminated from her position at the library, and would not explain the reason for her departure. He also declined to comment on whether Wolf is being paid during her time that officials described as being “out of the office for an indefinite period of time.”
According to the statement, the board of trustees will be launching a search for a new director.
“They have full confidence in the staff’s ability to manage a seamless transition and to continue to provide outstanding service to library patrons,” officials said.
Wolf could not be immediately reached for comment.
Former library employee Susan Kelly, one of roughly 88 employees who left in recent years due to what some allege was an increasingly difficult workplace, said she was shocked to learn of Wolf’s departure.
“I was quite surprised, and I think it’s a good thing for the library,” said Kelly, who on Tuesday said she was heading to an afternoon hearing at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Chicago office, where she said she has filed a claim against the library alleging age discrimination.
“With better leadership, we can take the library in a great new direction, still being innovative, but much better for employees,” Kelly said.
Kelly was among the former employees alleging that Wolf, who was hired in April 2013, made dramatic changes at the library in recent years that they say has led to a “toxic” work environment, prompting an exodus of employees.
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According to library documents obtained under a public records request, as of September 2019, 88 employees, including both full-time and part-time workers, have left the library district since Wolf’s hiring in 2013.
Wolf said last year that despite the concerns expressed by some former employees, the library district received high marks from its patrons on a recent community survey.
During her tenure as library director Wolf was credited with creating The Studio, a popular maker-space at the Winnetka library that features the latest technology and equipment, including 3D printers and a laser engraver.
But longtime Northfield resident and former library employee Amy Richmond, who was among the group of patrons and former employees asking for Wolf’s ouster, said despite the announcement that the library board plans to hire a new director, she remains concerned.
“I’m glad this happened, but this is not over at all, as I don’t feel the library board is necessarily being receptive to the public," said Richmond, who worked as a circulation associate at the library for more than eight years.
“I do think there is relief for people who still work at the library, and who have been worried they were going to be fired, so hopefully some of their terror has decreased,” she added.
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Kelly said while she feels compassion for Wolf, she is relieved to learn the library will soon be under new leadership.
“I feel badly for her, but she could have done things differently,” Kelly said.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--SEC freezes assets of suburban owner of The Income Store, allegedly a $75 million Ponzi-like website

SEC freezes assets of suburban owner of The Income Store, allegedly a $75 million Ponzi-like website investment scheme

In May 2019 , The Income Store apparently added a second source of funding to pay investors , taking out @ @ @ @ @ , including some from distressed lenders , according to the complaint .
During that same @ @ @ @ @ also raised more than $ 12 million from new investors , depositing the funds into @ @ @ @ @ as the loan proceeds , according to the complaint .

As owner and chief pitchman for The Income Store, Kenneth Courtright promised investors annual returns of up to 20% a year — forever — in return for a six-figure “upfront fee” used to build and operate websites.
Forever ended in December, according to federal investigators, when Courtright, 49, who operates the business out of his home in southwest suburban Minooka, informed investors of a “temporary moratorium” on payouts due to cash flow problems, as the website revenue failed to keep up with promised returns.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Tuesday that Courtright’s assets have been frozen amid allegations that Today’s Growth Consultants, better known as The Income Store, was a Ponzi-like scheme that raised at least $75 million from more than 500 investors since 2017.
[ Accountant pleads guilty to $65 million fraud to finance homes, jets, yachts, Lamborghini dealership ]
“Courtright’s alleged fraud promised a guaranteed return when the company’s business model and financial condition could not possibly support it,” Antonia Chion, associate director in the SEC’s enforcement division, said in a news release Tuesday. “To avoid further harm to investors and preserve the misused assets that have not already been dissipated, we have sought and obtained emergency relief.”
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In a complaint filed Dec. 27 in Chicago federal court and unsealed Tuesday, SEC investigators allege The Income Store promised to use the investors’ funds exclusively to develop and operate websites, but instead diverted millions in upfront fees to pay investor returns and Courtright’s personal expenses, including his mortgage and private school tuition for his family.
On Dec. 30, the court issued a temporary restraining order freezing Courtright’s assets and appointed a receiver for The Income Store, which he ran with his wife.
An attorney representing Courtright did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday, and efforts to reach Courtright were unsuccessful.
[ Chicago pastor charged with bilking federal program to feed needy kids, spending $142,000 on a Bentley for himself ]
The alleged scheme began in January 2017, with The Income Store marketing its website investment offering through satellite radio ads, online ads and through its own website, among other platforms, according to the complaint. Investors generally paid $100,000 or more in upfront fees for purchasing or building, hosting, maintaining and marketing websites, with guaranteed annual returns of 13% to 20% in a revenue-sharing agreement.
As website revenues ramped up, Courtright would split the proceeds with the investors. Website revenues, however, were “insufficient to make guaranteed investor payouts," according to the complaint.
While the websites generated about $9 million in advertising and product sales revenue through October 2019, The Income Store paid out more than $31 million in guaranteed returns to investors, according to the complaint. To make up the more than $20 million shortfall, Courtright “turned to other funding sources,” diverting a material portion of new investor fees to pay existing investors — essentially running a Ponzi-like scheme, investigators allege.
[ Feds file criminal charges against four former Outcome Health executives, alleging massive $1 billion fraud ]
In May 2019, The Income Store apparently added a second source of funding to pay investors, taking out $11 million in loans, including some from distressed lenders, according to the complaint. During that same period, The Income Store also raised more than $12 million from new investors, depositing the funds into the same commercial bank account as the loan proceeds, according to the complaint.
From May to October, The Income Store used the co-mingled funds to make about $8 million in investor payouts and $3 million in payments to lenders, according to the complaint.
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Courtright also continued to pitch new investors through advertising and online videos. In July, The Income Store posted several YouTube videos featuring Courtright touting his success, tracking The Income Store’s path from website builder in 2009 to investment vehicle in 2017.
In one video, Courtright tells an enthusiastic audience of ostensible entrepreneurs how to accelerate their businesses.
“I believe when you make the decision … providence will move the right people, ideas, inspiration, money and everything will come in front of you, and you will ride that sucker so freaking fast and break through to hypergrowth,” Courtright said in the video, which remained online as of Tuesday.
The SEC complaint charges Courtright and The Income Store with violations of antifraud and registration provisions of the federal Securities Act. It is seeking a permanent injunction preventing the solicitation or acceptance of new investor funds, the return of “ill-gotten gains” and civil penalties.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-15--Female lion at Brookfield Zoo dies from mysterious fall into moat not long after death of longtime m

Female lion at Brookfield Zoo dies from mysterious fall into moat not long after death of longtime mate

“ At a tabloid ( newspaper ) , it would be an anthropomorphic question '' about whether the female had @ @ @ @ @ to live or worse , Zeigler allowed .
But nothing in the animal ’ s @ @ @ @ @ despondency or other emotions humans might wish to project onto it ; “ the only @ @ @ @ @ she would spend more time with animal care staff , ” he said , a @ @ @ @ @ a case .

In the span of two weeks, Brookfield Zoo has lost both of its African lions, the longtime male-female pair Zenda and Isis.
The second death, of the comparatively healthy female after she failed to recover from a fall into her moat Monday morning, was unexpected, mysterious and especially difficult, zoo staff said.
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All that workers really know is that Isis seemed fine in her enclosure when staff checked at 9 a.m. Monday, an hour ahead of opening, and then was next seen half an hour later unresponsive at the bottom of her more-than-15-foot-deep moat, said William Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs.
The design allows a lion to climb back out on the habitat side after a fall, but Isis essentially did not move again during roughly 24 hours of treatment and observation, he said, and the zoo’s veterinary staff concluded the humane option was to put her to sleep Tuesday morning.
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[ Brookfield Zoo male lion Zenda dies at 14 of age-related issues ]
“Right now it’s just a tragic accident and we’re trying to make heads or tails of it,” said Zeigler. “It’s been very traumatic having to deal with Zenda and now having to deal with this loss, which was totally unexpected. The animal-care staff is so bonded with their cats, it’s like you with a housecat. It’s been hard for them.”
Zenda, 15, and Isis, 14, had been at the west suburban zoo more than a decade and were often seen grooming each other.
Isis and Zenda, African lions at Brookfield Zoo, in better times. (Jim Schulz)
Staffers who care for the big cats watched Isis closely after her partner was put down Jan. 2, the result of profound age-related deterioration that an autopsy revealed to include inoperable, ruptured discs in his spine, the zoo said.
Unlike her mate, who had lost his mane and much mobility in recent months, Isis was in very good physical condition for an elderly lion, Zeigler said. She did call out more frequently immediately following her mate’s death, but she got past that after a few days, according to the zoo executive.
“At a tabloid (newspaper), it would be an anthropomorphic question" about whether the female had somehow given up the will to live or worse, Zeigler allowed. But nothing in the animal’s behavior gave any indication of despondency or other emotions humans might wish to project onto it; “the only behavior change we saw is she would spend more time with animal care staff,” he said, a behavior considered normal in such a case.
[ Thousands of coyotes live in the Chicago area. But attacks on people, like the one that left a young boy injured, are extremely rare. ]
No witness saw or cameras recorded Isis’ fall into the barrier moat, the kind of thing that has happened previously with big cats at the zoo without lasting injury, according to Zeigler. Staffers examined the habitat for signs of the lion possibly chasing a squirrel or raccoon and tumbling in, but all they could find were some claw marks along a side wall.
“We did see some scrapings along the edge. Whether that’s a cause or a reaction to starting to fall in you don’t know,” he said.
A CT scan showed no broken bones in Isis but she did have seizures indicating possible swelling of the brain. Treatment while under sedation Monday and overnight into Tuesday included attempts to reduce swelling, but when she showed no signs of recovery by about 9:15 Tuesday morning doctors made the decision to, as with her mate almost two weeks prior, euthanize the lion, said Zeigler.
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Preliminary autopsy results Wednesday did find brain swelling, suggesting the animal may have failed to right itself as it fell -- as would be expected -- and taken a blow to the head or upper back “like a concussion,” he said. But the reason for this fall will likely remain a mystery.
“That’s just it,” Zeigler said. “We don’t really know what happened.”
Zoogoers can expect to see new lions at Brookfield this spring. Because of Zenda’s failing health, Brookfield was already working to land new lions through the North American zoos’ cooperative management of the species and is expecting two males to arrive in the coming months, Zeigler said.
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter StevenKJohnson