chicagotribune--2020-02-18--‘Hunters’ review: Al Pacino and Logan Lerman open a killin’-Nazi business. And cousin, business is a

‘Hunters’ review: Al Pacino and Logan Lerman open a killin’-Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-booming.

The hunters do not go undetected .
In Cape Canaveral , Florida , FBI agent Millie Malone ( Jerrika Hinton @ @ @ @ @ on the grotesque murder of a NASA scientist .
Subsequent episodes bring Malone closer to @ @ @ @ @ Reich , masterminded by The Colonel , a vision of hell on heels , portrayed @ @ @ @ @ is the sort of adversary unthinkable outside the influence of Quentin Tarantino , or any @ @ @ @ @ , for better or worse .
Or both : better , since Olin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ sorts of evil ; and worse , because the slick , brutal flamboyance of the @ @ @ @ @ a way of taking our minds off the violence and nationalist rage in the culture @ @ @ @ @ to it directly .

They have it coming, over and over and forever, and there’s always money to be made in the “killin’-Nazi business,” as Brad Pitt’s avenging hillbilly angel put it in “Inglourious Basterds.”
In the crazily mixed bag of a new Amazon series called “Hunters,” business is a-booming. Premiering Feb. 21, the show has it all, in every direction: some fine, crafty performances in and among dubious comic relief; sadistic payback, preceded by quotations from Elie Wiesel; references to “Encyclopedia Brownstein.” In one scene, mashing up the series’ tonal clashes but good, a Coney Island dance number set to the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive” is interrupted by the ghost of a concentration camp survivor, silently imploring her grandson to wake up and do something about a creeping Nazi menace in 1977-era America.
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Under the wing of executive producer Jordan Peele, “Hunters” creator David Weil imagines an unlikely team of vigilantes based in New York City. Logan Lerman, working hard and valiantly to activate the lead role, stars as 19-year-old Brooklyn boy Jonah Heidelbaum. Jonah works in a comics shop while dealing marijuana on the side. In the first of five episodes, Jonah’s sole surviving relative, grandmother Ruth (Jeannie Berlin), is killed in an apparent, random burglary. He can’t shake her last words, spoken in defiance to her assailant: “You can’t hide.”
Al Pacino and Logan Lerman star in Amazon's "Hunters," a series about a band of vigilantes who pursue Nazis in 1977 New York, premiering Feb. 21. (Christopher Saunders / HANDOUT)
Jonah falls in with an eccentric underground band of Nazi hunters, spearheaded by the mysterious financier Meyer Offerman,played by marquee headliner Al Pacino, in aggressive mutter mode. Like Ruth, Meyer survived the death camps, and his mission of revenge becomes as consuming as the series’ devotion to "Star Wars,” Batman and Robin and (bonus points here) the short-lived sitcom “Me and the Chimp.”
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Somber in the margins, glib at its core, “Hunters” establishes a “Jewperhero” origin story (the script’s phrase, not mine) as Jonah is skeptically taken in by Meyer’s gang. There’s a former MI-6 agent turned nun (Kate Mulvany); a “Foxy Brown”-inspired Black Power activist (Tiffany Boone); a Vietnam veteran (Louis Ozawa Changchien) coping with PTSD; a would-be Lothario and B-minus-level movie star (Josh Radnor) with tales of Studio 54 excess at the ready; and the resident Jewish Bickersons, Murray and Mindy — played in terrific performances by Saul Rubinek and Carol Kane — who are Holocaust survivors and code-breaking experts.
The hunters do not go undetected. In Cape Canaveral, Florida, FBI agent Millie Malone (Jerrika Hinton) works with local authorities on the grotesque murder of a NASA scientist. Subsequent episodes bring Malone closer to Jonah and an incipient Fourth Reich, masterminded by The Colonel, a vision of hell on heels, portrayed by Lena Olin. This is the sort of adversary unthinkable outside the influence of Quentin Tarantino, or any number of medium-grade graphic novels, for better or worse. Or both: better, since Olin’s great at smiling through all sorts of evil; and worse, because the slick, brutal flamboyance of the character’s conception has a way of taking our minds off the violence and nationalist rage in the culture today, rather than speaking to it directly.
But that would take work, in terms of the writing. It’s easier to focus on an implacable Aryan psycho killer, played by Greg Austin, whose torture scenes are genuinely repellent. Well, of course, you say. He’s a Nazi assassin. But this is where creator Weil, and the first few episodes of “Hunters,” run into trouble.
Half the time “Hunters” is out for adolescent thrills and laughs; the other half is spent with Auschwitz flashbacks and Pacino’s legato murmuring about the exterminated Jewish millions serving as “the judge and jury." The intermingling of real-world horror and fantasy revenge is nothing new, and when it works, it can rattle audiences in the best possible way. (Executive producer Peele’s own “Get Out” and “Us” are prime recent examples.) “Hunters” is far from sloppy, and it’s rarely dull. The various directors and cinematographers involved lend it a unifying sheen. Now and then you’ll find a terrific opening or closing shot to a sequence, such as the uneasily tilted overview of sunbathers on a Brooklyn rooftop.
I’ll readily admit it: If I was ever in the mood to have this sort of fun with this subject matter, that time has passed. My teenaged moviegoing brought me plenty of Nazi-hunting, in pulp ranging from “Marathon Man”1976) and “The Boys From Brazil” (1978), with Laurence Olivier lending class and a lesson in ham dialect to both sides of the Nazi/Jew character roster. It’s easy to see why executive producer Peele saw the potential in “Hunters." Part of what made his own social thrillers “Get Out” and “Us” work so well, and find such a huge audience, ties directly into a crafty, sick, fundamentally serious sense of humor.
Here, though, it’s more a case of misjudged satire and mood-swing whiplash, as when the action (in episode four) cross-cuts between a concentration camp escape flashback and a Swiss bank heist straight out of an “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel. It takes a long time for our hero to wake up and smell the Nazis. “Let your anger feed you,” Pacino’s Meyer instructs him, like Yoda. “Hunters” doesn’t deal with homegrown fascism, the way the more ruminative Amazon series “The Man in the High Castle” did. It’s closer in spirit, tone and bloodthirstiness to the “Kingsman” pictures. As much time as Jonah spends wrestling with his conscience in “Hunters,” “Hunters” itself doesn’t wrestle with much beyond thinking it’d be cool to juxtapose Robert Goulet singing “The Impossible Dream” with disco-era Nazi depravity.
Weil’s fantasy offers easy, righteous catharsis amid unthinkable atrocity. And that is how you make money in the killin’-Nazi business.
“Hunters” — 2 stars (episodes 1-5)
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“Hunters” premieres Feb. 21 on Amazon Prime Video.
Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
mjphillips@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @phillipstribune


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Park District explains need for new Harrer Pool, asks for ‘yes’ vote March 17

Meanwhile , Wait added the Park District has applied for a $ 2.5 million grant from the State of Illinois @ @ @ @ @ ’ s cost .
There are no certainties about whether the Park District would receive @ @ @ @ @ , whether it could cover the full $ 2.5 million , Wait added .
Moreover @ @ @ @ @ defeated , the Park District would have to pull the grant request .

Jeff Wait, executive director of the Morton Grove Park District, answers questions about Harrer Pool while board members (seated, left to right) Paul Minx, Keith White and Steven Schmidt listen. (Daniel Dorfman / Pioneer Press)
As the clock ticks toward Election Day, Morton Grove Park District officials are addressing the referendum on the ballot regarding the future of Harrer Pool.
On March 17, voters will be asked to vote on an $11 million referendum with a goal of replacing and upgrading Harrer Pool, a 55-year-old facility at 6520 Dempster Street. Park District officials contend Harrer is dilapidated and the funds from the referendum would go towards replacing it with a 50-meter, six-lane heated pool featuring a series of new amenities highlighted by a separate spray pad, improved concessions, a new slide and diving areas plus a party room.
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If a majority of voters support the referendum, the Park District projects a $91.71 annual increase in property taxes for a $300,000 market value home.
The referendum is another step in a process that started in 2017, when the Park District received an assessment of Harrer from an architectural firm which determined the pool was beyond its lifespan and it would not be advisable to make any additional repairs.
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Wait said the boilers in the mechanical room no longer function, the chemical and pump controllers are in poor condition and in some cases, no longer meet state codes, and the pool liner is torn and detached from the wall in some area. There are also some water leaks.
Repairing the existing facility is estimated to cost $11 million, Wait said, so park district officials believed it was more appropriate to spend $11 million building a new facility.
Following a series of community engagement sessions and a 2018 community-wide survey, the board decided to put the measure in front of the voters asking for the $11 million.
On Feb. 17, Morton Grove Park District Executive Director Jeff Wait engaged in the first of two scheduled question and answer sessions on the topic.
Wait said the Park District operates with a roughly $7 million annual budget and receives only 4.4 percent of Morton Grove property taxes.
“We can’t do it in house. We just don’t have the resources to do it,” Wait said.
Furthermore, he said the Park District faces a backlog of about $4 million in other projects apart from Harrer.
“We are a community with old amenities and we have to take care of the amenities,” Wait said.
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In 2013, the park board issued bonds for a replacement of Oriole Pool, which do not expire until 2032. That means the Park District could not take a similar approach with Harrer Pool because of existing debt limit regulation.
Most of the roughly 30 people in Monday’s audience appeared to support the referendum.
“It’s our responsibility as a community on how we want this community to be not just for today, but tomorrow,” noted former village board trustee Shel Marcus.
Added resident Paul Berg, “As much as I hate spending money I think you have to offer something to the young people.”
Resident Bill Morgan said he would vote for the pool, but expressed some caution.
“My concern is making sure that everything ends up in the pocket that it should and all avenues have been exhausted to possibly offset the cost,” Morgan said.
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Wait emphasized the funds raised from the referendum would go to the Harrer pool.
Meanwhile, Wait added the Park District has applied for a $2.5 million grant from the State of Illinois to potentially offset the project’s cost. There are no certainties about whether the Park District would receive the grant and if so, whether it could cover the full $2.5 million, Wait added. Moreover, if the referendum is defeated, the Park District would have to pull the grant request.
Rachel Torbert, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said the grant recipients should be announced by late 2020.
Harrer Pool will be closed this summer regardless of the results of the referendum. If it passes, the Park District aims to have the new facility open in the summer of 2021.
As for this summer, all of the Park District swim programming will shift to Oriole Pool.
The second of the public sessions is set for March 11 at the Prairie View Community Center, 6834 Dempster Street, Morton Grove.


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--‘Price Is Right’ shuts down after death of Drew Carey’s ex-fiancee, Amie Harwick

Carey , who succeeded Bob Barker as emcee of `` The Price Is Right '' in 2007 , dated Harwick @ @ @ @ @ pair split in 2018 , months after announcing their engagement .
Upon news of Harwick @ @ @ @ @ comedian described himself in a statement as `` overcome with grief . ''

CBS has canceled tapings of “The Price Is Right” this week following the death of Amie Harwick, who was previously engaged to host Drew Carey.
Harwick, a well-known family therapist and author, was killed at age 38, allegedly by her former boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, on Saturday.
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Episodes of "The Price Is Right" that were scheduled to tape on Tuesday and Wednesday have been postponed until the week of Feb. 24 or March 2, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Police found Harwick unconscious with multiple blunt force injuries on Saturday morning while responding to a report of a woman screaming near the therapist's Hollywood Hills home. She later died at a hospital. Authorities have since arrested 41-year-old freelance photographer Pursehouse on suspicion of murder.
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Dr. Amie Harwick attends the "Rock To Recovery" bvenefit at The Fonda Theatre on October 2, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Per court records, Harwick twice applied for restraining orders against Pursehouse before she died.
Carey, who succeeded Bob Barker as emcee of "The Price Is Right" in 2007, dated Harwick for two years before the pair split in 2018, months after announcing their engagement. Upon news of Harwick's death, the veteran comedian described himself in a statement as "overcome with grief."
"Amie and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime," he said. "She was a positive force in the world, a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist."
Because “The Price Is Right” records its episodes several months in advance, the postponement likely won’t delay the shows’ air times.


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Gucci awards Chicago nonprofits among first recipients of Changemakers Impact Fund

“ In terms of what the grant will allow us to do , we ’ re really excited to be @ @ @ @ @ students that are going to go through our leadership and career accelerators , or what @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Jonathan Chaparro , Braven ’ s founding site director for Chicago .
@ @ @ @ @ the innovative work that we ’ re doing and how Gucci , in many ways @ @ @ @ @ that is constantly pushing the limits ... we see a lot of connections there .
@ @ @ @ @ for students to get a job that is worthy of the college degree that they @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to allow them to build a life of health and wealth .
@

NBA All-Star Weekend is officially over, but while it was here, the people watching and retail decadence were something to behold. The Gucci pop-up (called “Pin," inspired by the pins seen on interactive digital maps) opened over the weekend in the West Loop with a colorful, exclusive collection of “streetwear” imprinted with a double G logo.
Gucci hosted an event during NBA All-Star Weekend at Gucci Pin with nonprofits After School Matters and Braven, Gucci North America Changemakers Impact Fund winners. (Pablo Enriquez for Gucci)
Celebrities like Spike Lee, Kiki Layne(of Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk”), Derrick Rose, rapper Fat Joe and “Insecure” actor Sarunas Jackson socialized amid the bucket hats, purses, backpacks and sneakers that sat prominently against a backdrop of purple.
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Among those in attendance Saturday afternoon at the “fantastical nightclub” were members of After School Matters and Braven, local nonprofits that were awarded grants of up to $50,000 by Gucci Changemakers North America, a social impact initiative focused on increasing inclusion and diversity within the fashion industry.
Susan Chokachi poses with Braven alumni at Gucci Pin. (Virisa Yong & Sansho Scott/BFA)
According to Gucci, the initiative (which began in October) is an annual $1 million grant awarded to community organizations creating social impact across diverse communities in North American cities focused on arts and culture; social justice and equity; and education. Hundreds of organizations submitted applications, but After School Matters and Braven were among the first 16 recipients of the grant. Youth participants from the nonprofits were on hand to celebrate.
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Kiki Layne. (Virisa Yong & Sansho Scott/BFA)
“It’s always awesome for us to get a grant like this because Gucci has so many resources that we would not be able to access had we not met up with the Gucci people,” said Mary Ellen Caron, CEO of After School Matters. “Eighty-four percent of our young people come from under-resourced neighborhoods, so there’s all kinds of talent there that unless we connect them to groups like Gucci, their talents can go unrecognized. The biggest thing about this grant is a brand like Gucci is telling our teens that they and their fashion programs matter ... to hear that Gucci cares is inspiring."
Caron said the money will go toward providing fashion-focused programming for 250 teens in locations around the city, including a new South Side building in Gately Park. The building will house an indoor track, as well as space for After School Matters programs, she said. After School Matters members Laila Bahena, Stephone Mitchell, Allys Canceo, Ranisha Mathews and Lisha Chavez were all smiles at being invited to the Gucci event.
“With fashion, it’s a way to express certain emotions and raise awareness to other things, and you can do that through fashion by creating your own pieces,” Chavez said. “Fashion has given me the opportunity to create something for myself. Just to be able to express myself with things that I make, I think that’s really cool."
Derrick Rose with After School Matters member Laila Bahena at Gucci Pin. (Virisa Yong & Sansho Scott/BFA)
Braven, the nonprofit that aids first-generation college students of color at National Louis University secure significant first jobs after graduation, was also excited about being chosen.
“In terms of what the grant will allow us to do, we’re really excited to be able to support about 70 students that are going to go through our leadership and career accelerators, or what we call our boot camp,” said Jonathan Chaparro, Braven’s founding site director for Chicago. “When I think about the innovative work that we’re doing and how Gucci, in many ways, is an innovative brand that is constantly pushing the limits ... we see a lot of connections there. Ultimately what we want is for students to get a job that is worthy of the college degree that they’re getting and that’s going to allow them to build a life of health and wealth."
For Braven alum Aleks Calderon, 22, being invited to the Gucci event was something memorable.
“I have never seen myself being able to be a part of something this big,” Calderon said. “Braven has opened so many doors for me and helping me network and learn how to be a professional. So being here at Gucci shows me that I can do anything and be a part of anything, I just have to work really hard for it.”
“Changemakers is something that we believe in,” said Antoine Phillips, Gucci’s vice president of brand culture and engagement, to a group gathered at the West Loop location. “We’re one of the first luxury brands to have a fund set up like this. I’ve had the privilege of working at many, and I know in terms of access and opportunity, one can go really, really far. For Braven and After School Matters, you guys are doing some amazing work and we look forward to working with you guys.”
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The Gucci Pin is at 160 N. Morgan St. and runs through March 2.
drockett@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Sorting truth from myth in former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s conviction: 5 things to know

Blagojevich ’ s defense lawyers spent much of their time making this argument .
Their efforts to convince Judge Zagel to let them “ play all the ( secretly recorded ) tapes ” of the governor was on this point : They wanted jurors to hear as many instances as possible where Blagojevich made it sound like he wanted to appoint then-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the Senate seat , hoping that Democratic Party leaders would then go through her powerful father , Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan , to push Blagojevich ’ s platform through Springfield .
Blagojevich ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to collect $ 1.5 million in campaign contributions from supporters of Jesse Jackson Jr. , whom Blagojevich was also considering for the seat .
As the argument went , Democrats in Washington did not want Jackson , then an Illinois representative in the House , joining the Senate .
Blagojevich argued his discussion of Jackson on the tapes was him floating that threat , in his mind boosting the chances for what came to be known as “ the Madigan deal.
” Prosecutors , however , pointed out that as Blagojevich was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his arrest , he directed his brother and chief fundraiser , Robert Blagojevich , to meet with the Jackson representatives and talk out the campaign contribution .
It was at this time that investigators captured Blagojevich on tape urging his brother to be careful with his messaging on the matter and assume “ the whole world is listening , ” which prosecutors said showed his real intent .

After hinting at the possibility for years, President Donald Trump finally commuted the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday, ending his time in a federal prison in Colorado. The move shortens Blagojevich’s term behind bars by more than four years, as he was not scheduled to be released until the spring of 2024.
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Here is a rundown of five frequent questions raised about whether Blagojevich should have his sentence commuted and be released from prison:
Rod Blagojevich's booking photo. (U.S. Marshals Service)
[ Trump frees Rod Blagojevich from prison years early, commuting the ex-Illinois governor’s 14-year sentence ]
Was Rod Blagojevich’s 14-year sentence unusually long?
Yes and no. It was longer than most recent public corruption sentences here, but the sentence is within federal guidelines for Blagojevich’s crimes and is actually less than what prosecutors told U.S. District Judge James Zagel they wanted as his punishment, which was 15 to 20 years behind bars. Part of a judge’s job in sentencing is to factor in deterrence to keep others from committing the same offense. The governor immediately preceding Blagojevich was George Ryan, who fell to his own corruption case in the licenses-for-bribes scandal. He was sentenced to six and a half years. The judge noted that apparently was not enough of a deterrent for Blagojevich and other Illinois and Chicago politicians who have followed in Ryan’s footsteps. Some critics, however, pointed out that two years before handing down Blagojevich’s sentence, Zagel sentenced cooperating Chicago Outfit hitman Nicholas Calabrese to 12 years in prison — after he admitted on the witness stand to having a hand in the killings of 14 people.
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President Donald Trump talks to reporters aboard Air Force One after visiting Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Evan Vucci / AP)
Did federal prosecutors build a case around ‘only talk’?
This is mostly true. When many politicians get a whiff of federal crime investigators’ interest in their activities, one of the first things their lawyers tell them is to be careful what they say on the phone. You never know who could be listening. Blagojevich seemed to take the opposite track in 2008, when news reports of a federal probe of his administration were swirling around him. Federal investigators captured scores of phone calls he made allegedly plotting to have people shaken down for campaign contributions and attempting to get something for himself in exchange for an appointment to Barack Obama’s Senate seat, which he gave up after being elected president in 2008. The case was in fact built on all of that talking, but prosecutors said in Blagojevich’s case, the talking was the crime. They famously argued that if a police officer pulls you over and then asks you for money to tear up a ticket, it’s a crime for them to ask, even if you say no. It’s an attempt to use government power for personal benefit, which is what Blagojevich was convicted of.
Is it true he never personally pocketed any money?
The Federal Correctional Institution-Englewood near Littleton, Colo., where former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is incarcerated is shown on Aug. 9, 2019. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
This is also true. Prosecutors presented no evidence that Blagojevich ever stuffed a mattress with cash from his schemes. His defense lawyers were quick to point out to jurors that no one ever saw Blagojevich scooting around town in a Mercedes Benz bought with giant bribes. But prosecutors did suggest that was partially because the governor’s plans were cut short. One key witness against him was his longtime friend and former chief of staff, Lon Monk. Monk testified that after Blagojevich was elected, the two of them, along with close Blagojevich confidants Antoin “Tony” Rezko and Chris Kelly, agreed that they would use the levers of government inside the Blagojevich administration to make money. The plan, Monk said, was that the money would be kept secret by the group until after Blagojevich left office, and then split among them. It was Rezko (who was convicted in 2008) who at one point dipped into the pot early, and was told to put it back. Other elements of Blagojevich’s alleged self-dealing included trying to get Obama to give him a government post or ambassadorship in exchange for appointing someone Obama wanted to his old Senate seat. That also would have been a thing of value for Blagojevich, the government said, but Obama rebuffed him.
Was Blagojevich really just ‘playing politics,’ as he has claimed?
Blagojevich’s defense lawyers spent much of their time making this argument. Their efforts to convince Judge Zagel to let them “play all the (secretly recorded) tapes” of the governor was on this point: They wanted jurors to hear as many instances as possible where Blagojevich made it sound like he wanted to appoint then-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the Senate seat, hoping that Democratic Party leaders would then go through her powerful father, Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan, to push Blagojevich’s platform through Springfield. Blagojevich’s team argued that he was not trying to collect $1.5 million in campaign contributions from supporters of Jesse Jackson Jr., whom Blagojevich was also considering for the seat. As the argument went, Democrats in Washington did not want Jackson, then an Illinois representative in the House, joining the Senate. Blagojevich argued his discussion of Jackson on the tapes was him floating that threat, in his mind boosting the chances for what came to be known as “the Madigan deal.” Prosecutors, however, pointed out that as Blagojevich was running out of string, just before his arrest, he directed his brother and chief fundraiser, Robert Blagojevich, to meet with the Jackson representatives and talk out the campaign contribution. It was at this time that investigators captured Blagojevich on tape urging his brother to be careful with his messaging on the matter and assume “the whole world is listening,” which prosecutors said showed his real intent.
Patti Blagojevich and her daughter, Annie, leave their home on Chicago's Northwest Side in 2018. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Should he be let out to spend time with his family?
Blagojevich at this point has missed dozens of holidays and birthdays as he sits in prison. His two daughters, Amy and Annie, were in grade school when he was convicted, and Amy, the oldest, has now graduated from Northwestern University. His wife Patti has consistently pointed out this part of the former governor’s pain, and many courtroom observers felt sympathy for the couple’s children whenever they would appear in court. Zagel also considered the impact on Blagojevich’s family when he was sentenced but pointed out that Blagojevich had his family when he committed his crimes, and if anything should have stopped him, it should have been the thought of being separated from his children. But that was not to be the case. "Why did devotion as a father not deter him from engaging in such reckless conduct? ... Now it is too late,” Zagel said at the hearing. “If it’s any consolation to his children, he does not stand convicted of being a bad father.”
Javonte Anderson contributed to this report.
jcoen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--HSBC to cut 35,000 jobs worldwide; spokesman declines to disclose Chicago-area impact: ‘We want to t

HSBC to cut 35,000 jobs worldwide; spokesman declines to disclose Chicago-area impact: ‘We want to talk to our people first’

Pedestrians wait to cross a road May 2 , 2019 , as they stand under HSBC signage outside one of @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong .
London-based HSBC , whose profit is mainly from Asia , said it @ @ @ @ @ and European business and shed $ 100 billion in assets to improve its profitability .
@ @ @ @ @ said the number of people employed by the bank would fall from 235,000 to 200,000 @ @ @ @ @ .
( ANTHONY WALLACE/Getty )

Pedestrians wait to cross a road May 2, 2019, as they stand under HSBC signage outside one of the bank's branches in Hong Kong. London-based HSBC, whose profit is mainly from Asia, said it plans to revamp its U.S. and European business and shed $100 billion in assets to improve its profitability. The bank's interim CEO said the number of people employed by the bank would fall from 235,000 to 200,000 in the next three years. (ANTHONY WALLACE/Getty)
LONDON — HSBC will shed some 35,000 jobs as part of a deep overhaul to focus on faster-growing markets in Asia and as it tries to cope with a slew of global uncertainties, from Brexit to the trade wars to the new coronavirus.
The interim chief executive, Noel Quinn, said Tuesday the number of people employed by the bank would fall from 235,000 to 200,000 in the next three years. Some of the reductions would come from attrition as opposed to outright cuts.
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HSBC, which is based in London but does most of its business in Asia, is caught among myriad uncertainties, from Brexit to the Hong Kong protests and trade disputes between the United States and China. Now the new coronavirus is adding further concern as it disrupts business in HSBC’s main market.
The bank's net profit fell 53% to $6 billion in 2019 and, for this year, it warned of “significant disruption'' to its business due to the outbreak of the virus in China.
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HSBC’s business in Europe is also under pressure. It must now also grapple with Britain’s departure from the European Union and the uncertainty that will accompany negotiations future trade relations.
“No trade negotiation is ever straightforward,'' HSBC said in a statement. “It is essential that the eventual agreement protects and fosters the many benefits that financial services provide to both the U.K. and the EU.”
The whopping headcount drop comes amid a downsizing in Europe. The restructure involves "consolidating" of some parts of the business and "reorganising the global functions and head office,’’ Quinn said.
The bank has been carrying out a corporate overhaul designed to boost profitability by focusing on high-growth markets in Asia while shedding businesses and workers in other countries. It plans to revamp its U.S. and European business and shed $100 billion in assets to improve profitability.
“Our immediate aims are to increase returns, create the capacity to invest in the future, and build a platform for sustainable growth," Quinn said in the statement.
The sharp drop in 2019 profit reflected slower economic activity but also a $7.3 billion write-down for HSBC's Global Banking and Markets and Commercial Banking divisions in Europe. Revenue rose 5.9% in 2019 to $55.4 billion.
The bank said it would shrink its sales and trading and equity research in Europe and shift resources to Asia. In the U.S., HSBC plans to grow its international-client corporate banking business.
HSBC had 10,000 employees in the U.S. as of Dec. 31, according its 2019 annual report.
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The bank, which once based its North American headquarters in north suburban Mettawa, had more than 6,000 employees in the Chicago area in 2007. It has since consolidated its Chicago footprint and relocated its headquarters to New York.
Rob Sherman, a spokesman for HSBC, declined to say Tuesday how many employees are currently based in the Chicago area, much less how many would be affected by the downsizing.
“We're not sharing specific information on impacted roles by business lines, country or region just yet, as we want to talk to our people first,” Sherman said in an emailed statement.
In 2015, HSBC moved a reported 1,500 employees from Mettawa and Elmhurst to a new regional administrative office in Arlington Heights. That office remains opens along with a commercial banking center at 227 W. Monroe St., in Chicago, as well as data centers in Vernon Hills and Northlake, Sherman said.
Sherman said the company will rely, in part, on annual “natural attrition” of about 25,000 people globally to reduce its ranks.
“We will look to manage the achievement of our cost reduction plans in a sensitive and an appropriate manner, balancing hiring with natural attrition,” Sherman said.
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The restructuring is expected to cost $6 billion, with another $1.2 billion for asset sales, mainly in 2020 and 2021, the bank said.
HSBC's troubles reflect those of the wider banking industry, which is under pressure from low interest rates around the world. Banks tend to make less money when rates are low as its squeezes their lending business.
In Europe, many banks are still dealing with problems left over from the financial crisis. Deutsche Bank posted a loss for 2019 and is also restructuring and cutting thousands of jobs. Banks in Italy are still chipping away at a mountain of bad loans. Banco Santander, based in Spain, relied on profits from Latin American to make up for losses in Europe.
Richard Hunter, head of markets at financial services firm interactive investor, said in a note to clients that there are “few if any signs on the horizon of an uplift'' to the profit-squeezing period of low interest rates.
“There remain more questions than answers as HSBC looks to overhaul its business in radical fashion.''
Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok.
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Chicago Tribune’s Robert Channick contributed.
Follow @ChiTribBusiness on Facebook and @ChiTribBiz on Twitter.


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--As lakefront storm damage in Evanston tallied at $6 million, city officials explore their next steps

Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers visited the shoreline last summer , Biggs said , and recommended adding @ @ @ @ @ lakefront vegetation growing on the boulders .
But it wasn ’ t enough for the @ @ @ @ @ plan .

Flooding from recent storms and high waves is shown in Evanston's Elliott Park on Feb. 5, 2020. (City of Evanston / Pioneer Press)
In the last year, storms and high waves have caused about $6 million in damage to Evanston’s lakefront, city officials said.
Due to the extent of the damage, Evanston officials are talking to other North Shore communities and Chicago officials about applying for a Cook County state of emergency declaration.
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“The rate of damage has accelerated a lot,” said Lara Biggs, engineering and capital planning bureau chief for the city of Evanston, at the Feb. 10 city council meeting.
Compounding the situation, Biggs said, is a Lake Michigan water level that is breaking records, and up 6.5 feet from its record low in 2013.
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“We set the record in January, we are in the process for setting the record for February,” Biggs said.
Waves are crashing over shoreline revetments — essentially large piles of boulders stacked to protect the lakefront — and washing out the ground underneath them, creating sink holes and causing the rocks to tumble, Biggs said.
The lakefront Elliott Park has become perennially flooded, Biggs said. Rock walls are falling into the lake, beaches have narrowed and a “huge amount of debris” is sitting in the parks.
While the city could reach out to a coastal engineering firm to help make repairs, Biggs also suggested hosting community volunteer days to help clean up the debris.
“It’s at a point where that is going to be a challenge for staff to do by themselves," Biggs said.
The damage isn’t restricted to Evanston.
A recent tally put Chicago’s lakefront damage at $25 million, and five North Shore communities combined have a total of about $12 million, $6 million of that in Evanston, said Kimberly Kull, Evanston Fire Department division chief of emergency management and logistics.
Cook County officials are considering an emergency declaration to help many of the communities along Lake Michigan, Kull said, including Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, Glencoe and Kenilworth. City officials have also reached out to Northwestern University as a potential candidate.
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A Cook County declaration would enable Evanston and other communities to qualify for public assistance for repairs, Kull said.
Evanston officials already have applied for two Hazard Mitigation Grant Program awards: one for $34 million to rebuild revetment, and another for $8.5 million to install additional groin walls, Kull said.
Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers visited the shoreline last summer, Biggs said, and recommended adding more revetment rock and removing lakefront vegetation growing on the boulders. But it wasn’t enough for the city to create a concrete plan.
“Their suggestions were vague,” Biggs said.
Aldermen asked if the city invests in public property protection, what private property landowners might also do to help or harm the situation.
“How does the whole length of Evanston, public and private property, work together?” asked Ald. Judy Fiske. “If we fix our public part, what effect are we going to see if someone who chooses not to stabilize their property?”
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That, Biggs said, is up to private landowners. There is nothing the city can do to compel private property owners to fortify their lakefront.
“The city has not done any investment on the lakefront along private property,” Biggs said. “Private property owners work to shore up their own lakefront.”
“It is a shockingly local problem,” Biggs said.


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--The Northman, Chicago’s first cider bar, closing in North Center, but cider still pouring

Created in 2016 by the group behind The Fountainhead , The Northman went all in on cider , offering numerous @ @ @ @ @ the bottle .
And the owners still feel strong about the project : “ While @ @ @ @ @ be embraced within our local community , we never could have anticipated the response it @ @ @ @ @ across the country and the larger cider community worldwide .
”

Created in 2016 by the group behind The Fountainhead, The Northman went all in on cider, offering numerous types on tap and by the bottle. (Joseph Hernandez / Chicago Tribune)
The Northman, which distinguished itself as Chicago’s first dedicated cider bar, is closing. According to an email from the restaurant, the owners have already sold the building. The last day is Sunday, Feb. 23, so you better hurry if you want to have a final pint.
But while The Northman is leaving the space, the owners said that the restaurant will likely remain a cider-focused concept.
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Created in 2016 by the group behind The Fountainhead, The Northman went all in on cider, offering numerous types on tap and by the bottle. And the owners still feel strong about the project: “While we certainly hoped it would be embraced within our local community, we never could have anticipated the response it would get from cider lovers across the country and the larger cider community worldwide.”
Which is another way of saying it’s not the complete end for The Northman concept. The Northman Beer & Cider Garden on the Chicago Riverwalk is still in business, and the owners even have some “exciting expansion projects” this year. They’ll also be launching a commercial line of ciders this spring called Northman Cider Co.
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We’ll update this post with more details when they become available.
The Northman, 4337 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-935-2255, thenorthman.com
nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--‘The Call of the Wild’ review: Harrison Ford leads a cast of humans to save classic tale from CGI do

‘The Call of the Wild’ review: Harrison Ford leads a cast of humans to save classic tale from CGI dog

Much like our furry friends , movies about man 's best friend come in all shapes and sizes : lost @ @ @ @ @ movies , military dog movies , reincarnated dog movies .
“ The Call of the @ @ @ @ @ Chris Sanders and based on the classic novella by Jack London , is what one @ @ @ @ @ movie , even if there is technically no actual dog in it .
The star @ @ @ @ @ the Wild , ” Buck , is a CGI creation .
And it 's only @ @ @ @ @ dangerous and harrowing adventures in the Alaskan wilderness during the Gold Rush , as outlined @ @ @ @ @ realistically brought to the big screen , for better or for worse .

Much like our furry friends, movies about man's best friend come in all shapes and sizes: lost dog movies, talking dog movies, military dog movies, reincarnated dog movies. “The Call of the Wild,” directed by Chris Sanders and based on the classic novella by Jack London, is what one might call a literary dog movie, even if there is technically no actual dog in it. The star of “The Call of the Wild,” Buck, is a CGI creation. And it's only through the technology that his dangerous and harrowing adventures in the Alaskan wilderness during the Gold Rush, as outlined by London, could be realistically brought to the big screen, for better or for worse.
Known for his work on the most recent “Planet of the Apes” films (and who thrilled and terrified in an ape-inspired performance art piece in “The Square”), accomplished motion capture performer Terry Notary brings Buck's movements to life, and it's a truly skilled performance. But Buck's digital nature is noticeable right away. It's initially off-putting, and something you can never quite shake throughout the film. The computer-generated creation doesn't have the weight, the heat, the feel of a real dog (or any creature for that matter), though the movements, gestures and expressions are accurate.
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Omar Sy brings warmth and joy to the role of Perrault in "The Call of the Wild." (Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Fortunately Buck plays opposite several solid human actors who can hold up their end of the tale. After the rambunctious Buck is kidnapped from his comfortable family home and sold as a sled dog in Alaska, he luckily finds himself in the employ of Perrault (Omar Sy), who teaches Buck the way of the sled while delivering mail across the Yukon. Sy brings a warmth and joy to the role that’s infectious and a necessary element in the otherwise terrifying story.
Writer Michael Green has streamlined “The Call of the Wild” into something simpler and more manageable for the film, flattening characters into hero/villain caricatures and relying on cliché, both cutesy and otherwise. A “spirit wolf” guides Buck's way on the journey, and although he encounters saviors in the form of Perrault and the gruff and craggy John Thornton (Harrison Ford), who serves as the narrator, he also meets some truly nefarious and greedy humans. Dan Stevens, bedecked in a red plaid three-piece suit and Snidely Whiplash mustache, is especially over the top as the gold-hungry Hal, who drives Buck near death searching for the shiny stuff.
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What you're left with is a story that essentially asserts “dogs rule, humans drool,” which is hard to argue with. Buck is the hero of the story, saving even the cranky Thornton, played by Ford with his signature gravelly gravitas. The two lost souls, far from home, find each other for an epic Alaskan adventure. They're not looking for gold, and what they ultimately find is more precious than that: a little bit of grace, and a closer connection to the wilderness and their roots. You know, the old call of the wild.
There isn't much nuance or complexity to be found in “The Call of the Wild,” but it's an old-fashioned animal-friendly adventure flick for kids, a modern-day and high-tech “Benji” based on a classic piece of literature. Although it's hard to buy the animated Buck, the human performances save it, proving that even the most realistic technology will never replace the real thing on screen.
Harrison Ford stars as John Thornton, the adventurer from Jack London’s 1903 book “The Call of the Wild” who forms a life-changing bond with Buck the dog after saving him from an abusive owner. (Courtesy of Twentieth Century Studios)
“The Call of the Wild” — 2.5 stars
MPAA rating: PG (violence, peril and mild language)
Running time: 1:40
Opens: Friday


chicagotribune--2020-02-19--Man, 35, wounded in drive-by shooting on Dan Ryan near 47th Street

About 2:10 a.m. , the 35-year-old was driving southbound on the I-90/94 Expressway when someone in a passing silver SUV @ @ @ @ @ , according to Chicago police .

A man was shot and wounded Wednesday morning while driving on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 47th Street on the South Side.
About 2:10 a.m., the 35-year-old was driving southbound on the I-90/94 Expressway when someone in a passing silver SUV shot him in the buttocks, according to Chicago police.
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The 35-year-old was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center and released later that morning, police said.
No one is in custody.
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ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-19--Rod Blagojevich’s rise and fall and presidential commutation, a Chicago story

Patti Blagojevich , who has done her best to keep her husband ’ s case in the spotlight during the @ @ @ @ @ from her and the couple ’ s two daughters , sent Trump her own message @ @ @ @ @ on his favorite channel , Fox News , to say that the same people who @ @ @ @ @ now targeting Trump .

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, with his wife Patti at his side, speaks to supporters and the media in front of their Ravenswood Manor home on Feb. 19, 2020. (Jose Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was on the witness stand testifying in his own defense in federal court, chattering on in typical form and telling jurors about a 2002 fundraiser that was held for him at Yankee Stadium.
“First time I met Donald Trump,” Blagojevich proudly recalled of the occasion in New York City, “he walked in with Regis Philbin and made a contribution at that event.”
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He would see the real estate tycoon again years later, of course, when the indicted and impeached Blagojevich was a hapless contestant on “The Celebrity Apprentice” reality TV show and Trump “fired” him in his role as its bombastic host.
Maybe they should stop meeting like this. But now the former governor has Trump to thank for an unlikely new twist in The Blago Show.
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The Chicago political jester who rose from life as a scrappy city kid to the state’s highest office — then secretly taped by the FBI in a corruption probe, arrested at home before dawn, tried (twice), convicted and sentenced — was sprung from federal prison Tuesday more than four years early when Trump commuted his sentence.
[ A newly freed Rod Blagojevich addresses the media, repeatedly thanking Trump ]
Never drama-free
The 40th governor of Illinois, who often ran the state from his home library on the North Side of Chicago, was a speechifier with a trademark shelf of dark hair who often prompted eyerolls as he randomly worked historical and sports references like potter’s clay.
Set up two news cameras anywhere, and Blagojevich would find them.
The booking mug shot of Rod Blagojevich following his 2008 arrest. (U.S. Marshals Service)
Most of America was barely paying attention, however, until the FBI appeared at his door in December 2008 as he was about to take his habitual morning run. The first memory of Blagojevich for many is him staring blankly out from a mug shot while wearing a tracksuit after his arrest.
Blagojevich has long portrayed himself as all talk and no crime, telling jurors at his second trial he was just trying to set up a political deal and not really selling the U.S. Senate seat Barack Obama vacated when he became president in 2008.
He never lined his own pockets while being captured on tape saying he would take certain official actions as governor if those with a stake in his decisions made campaign contributions, Blagojevich’s defense lawyers liked to point out. Everyone knew he was more style than substance and constantly ran at the mouth, they said.
[ Rod Blagojevich saga timeline: From arrest to Trump's commutation ]
But federal prosecutors called his conduct blatant corruption and self-dealing, their case punctuated by weeks of recorded phone calls where Blagojevich can be heard scheming to bring in campaign money and get himself a new job or government post. He had many ideas on how to trade the Senate seat, which he infamously described as a thing he had that was “(expletive) golden.”
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As for his ultimate failure to bring in money for himself, prosecutors argued, if a police officer asks you for a bribe to get out of a speeding ticket and you refuse, it’s still a crime for that officer to even ask.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 81 Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich waves to the crowd as he leaves his home in Chicago for Englewood federal prison near Littleton, Colorado, on March 15, 2012. (William DeShazer/Chicago Tribune)
Jurors in the second trial reached a sweeping guilty verdict, saying Blagojevich’s testimony had not moved them. One told the Tribune at the time that while Blagojevich was on the stand, “People were writing ‘blah, blah, blah’ in their notebooks and I drew pictures of my cats.”
The fourth former Illinois governor to be convicted in a criminal case since 1973, Blagojevich was sentenced in December 2011 by U.S. District Judge James Zagel, who had made it clear at several points during the proceedings that he had grown tired of the shenanigans of Blagojevich the governor and defendant.
It was a few years after former Illinois Gov. George Ryan’s 6 ½-year sentence had been given partly as a deterrent to corrupt Illinois politicians. With Blagojevich and perhaps others seemingly not getting the message, Zagel handed down a stiff 14-year prison term that was to have kept him behind bars until March 2024.
An ask for Trump
After the Supreme Court in April 2018 decided not to hear what appeared to be Blagojevich’s final appeal, the former governor and his wife, Patti, played the only card they had left: a direct plea for clemency from Trump, a politician of Blagojevich’s own ilk.
The effort included Blagojevich penning an essay in The Wall Street Journal a month later in which he once again told anyone who would listen that he was being punished for the kind of fundraising and deal-making that is routine in American politics.
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[ How Patti Blagojevich helped earn her husband’s release ]
“I learned the hard way what happens when an investigation comes up empty after the government has invested time, resources and manpower,” he wrote. “When they can’t prove a crime, they create one. Did you know that an elected official asking for a campaign contribution is the same as a dirty cop asking a motorist for a cash bribe to tear up a speeding ticket? I never did.”
And then, perhaps directly to a president who was facing his own high-stakes investigation:
“Politically motivated prosecutors can now interfere with and undo free and fair elections,” he wrote.
Patti Blagojevich crosses her fingers after being asked if she has "hope" while leaving her home May 31, 2018, on Chicago's Northwest Side. She had previously appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency for her husband, Rod Blagojevich. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Patti Blagojevich, who has done her best to keep her husband’s case in the spotlight during the years he has been away from her and the couple’s two daughters, sent Trump her own message. She made TV appearances on his favorite channel, Fox News, to say that the same people who took down her husband were now targeting Trump.
The president apparently listened. Trump stopped short of a full pardon for Blagojevich but made the controversial move to commute his sentence this week after telling reporters he thought Blagojevich had been “treated unbelievably unfairly.”
“He served eight years in jail. That’s a long time and I watched his wife on television. I don’t know him very well,” Trump said as he explained his decision Tuesday while standing on a tarmac in Maryland. “I met him a couple of times. He was for a short while on ‘The (Celebrity) Apprentice’ years ago. Seemed like a very nice person. Don’t know him.”
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The president continued, saying many people disagreed with the length of Blagojevich’s sentence and adding that he thought of the Blagojevich daughters, now 23 and 16, as he decided to free their father.
“They rarely get to see their father outside of an orange uniform,” Trump said. “I saw that and I did commute his sentence. So he’ll be able to go back home with his family after serving eight years in jail. That was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence in my opinion and in the opinion of many others.”
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Neighborhood kid makes good
Blagojevich grew up in the Cragin neighborhood on the Northwest Side, the second son of Serbian immigrants.
He has always been proud of his Chicago DNA, highlighting his working-class upbringing often during his various campaigns. His mother was a Chicago Transit Authority ticket taker, he liked to recall, and his father was a worker at the old A. Finkl steel factory and an owner of laundromats.
Blagojevich was an average gangly Chicago kid who often hung out in the local park playing basketball, ever in the shadow of his older brother, Robert, a better student and athlete who would go on to a military career. The future Illinois governor was shaky with the books and on the sports field as well, including running up a completely average record as a Golden Gloves boxer.
Coach Jerry Marzillo works with Rod Blagojevich in Golden Gloves tournament at a Chicago gym Feb.-March 1975. (Richard Younker)
As a young man, his idols included Elvis and a number of politicians, Richard Nixon among them, and he decided early on that law school and politics would be his future.
After time at Northwestern University, where he never really fit in, he made his way to California and Pepperdine University in Malibu, where he remained a distracted student but eventually earned a law degree. Blagojevich always knew he would return to Chicago, where legendary Chicago Ald. Ed Vrdolyak was among his early political patrons.
Blagojevich worked for Vrdolyak right out of law school, clerking on personal injury and workers’ compensation cases. And by 1986, after a few more stops, he landed at the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, then run by future Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
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Again, Blagojevich failed to distinguish himself.
[ Who is Rod Blagojevich? What to know about the former Illinois governor who Donald Trump is freeing from prison ]
But away from his paid job, he had been recruited by Vrdolyak to do political legwork, helping out in aldermanic races. One place he was sent was the office of then-Ald. Dick Mell, where he did Mell’s bidding and later met the alderman’s daughter and Blagojevich’s future wife, Patti, at a fundraiser.
Blagojevich eventually became Mell’s top staffer and was unveiled as a candidate himself in 1992, running for and winning a seat in the General Assembly with Mell’s backing. The Tribune covered Blagojevich’s political debut that January in a short story that misspelled his name “Blagojewevick.”
Four years later, it was up the ladder to Congress, as Blagojevich recovered the 5th Congressional District for the Democrats after longtime Rep. Dan Rostenkowski had lost it to a Republican during Rostenkowski’s corruption scandal. A Tribune reporter caught up to Blagojevich the morning after that election as he thanked voters at the Jefferson Park CTA station on the Northwest Side.
“Our next campaign begins as soon as we’re done with this 'L' stop,” he said.
Rod Blagojevich, then an Illinois congressman, shakes hands with supporters after announcing his candidacy for governor at A. Finkl and Sons in Chicago, where his father worked when he was growing up. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune)
That constant war footing would become a hallmark of Blagojevich’s political career, as he often took criticism for being a perpetual candidate instead of focusing on the work at hand once he won office. And in both Springfield and Washington, Blagojevich was often viewed as voting along the lines of what was good for him politically, and not taking many stands beyond vaguely fighting for the working man.
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One congressional highlight came in 1999 when Blagojevich traveled to Yugoslavia with the Rev. Jesse Jackson to help bring about the release of three U.S. soldiers who had been captured during the conflict there. Blagojevich’s language skills were seen as key in meetings with Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic.
But as usual, Blagojevich was soon looking ahead. In 2000, Gov. George Ryan became bogged down by what would become known as the licenses-for-bribes scandal, and Blagojevich sensed the weakness.
Ryan would not seek reelection, and Blagojevich would overcome a collection of opponents to first be elected governor in 2002. He saw it as a chance to separate himself from Mell politically, after tiring of being teased as “Representative Son-in-law” by those who thought he had just ridden Mell’s coattails.
A prolific fundraiser
One way Blagojevich could assert his own political strength was through piling up campaign contributions, and by many accounts, it became his main priority before and after he was made the state’s chief executive.
But what many politicians may do with whispers behind closed doors, Blagojevich did noisily. That was reward political donors with jobs and other spoils of government.
As the first Democrat elected to the state’s highest office in some 30 years, there was significant pent-up demand for jobs and positions for loyalists on that side of the aisle. What amounted to Blagojevich’s patronage office was run through close confidants Chris Kelly and Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who simply moved their focus over from pure fundraising once Blagojevich took office.
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Rod Blagojevich sinks into the seat of a private plane during a 2002 campaign tour while running for Illinois governor. (John Lee/Chicago Tribune)
Rumors and tips quickly flowed to federal authorities, even before a public flap with Mell seemed to out Blagojevich’s questionable fundraising tactics. During a falling-out between the two, the governor shut down a Will County landfill with family links to Mell’s wife, Marge, and Mell retaliated in the press by complaining about Blagojevich’s relationship with Kelly and alleging appointments to boards and commissions were being made for those who gave campaign money.
An early federal probe coalesced into an investigation known as “Operation Board Games,” where federal authorities looked into whether state panels had been corrupted to give insiders the ability to get kickbacks and siphon money from state contracts. At the center of the probe was Rezko, who was indicted on a charge of influence peddling in October 2006, just a month before Blagojevich was elected to a second term.
Antoin "Tony" Rekzo arrives at the federal courthouse in Chicago to hear the verdict in his corruption trial in 2008. Rezko was a longtime fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)
Blagojevich’s name repeatedly was dragged into Rezko’s trial in 2008, but he was hanging on politically going into that fall. His challenges were many, as he fought an uphill battle to fundraise amid all the bad press and watched as another Illinois politician — Barack Obama — lived Blagojevich’s dream of riding a wave of political momentum toward the White House.
Those willing to get on the phone to raise money for Blagojevich or go into the field to press their contacts had shrunk to a small band of loyalists and lobbyists, including his brother, Robert, who had come up temporarily from Tennessee to help, and Lon Monk, a longtime friend Blagojevich had met at Pepperdine and his former chief of staff.
[ Blagojevich’s crimes: 20 charges, 3 schemes and a lie ]
Another was John Wyma, a close adviser who had been Blagojevich’s chief of staff in Congress. That fall, Wyma also was a lobbyist for Children’s Memorial Hospital, which Blagojevich targeted for fundraising tied to the governor’s plan to boost state aid to the facility.
Wyma became alarmed by such aggressive Blagojevich fundraising plans that fall, attending two meetings at the governor’s campaign headquarters that he later said unnerved him.
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And it was poor timing for the governor, as Wyma himself was under investigation for lobbying activities for a hospital plan that had moved through a state board Rezko had stacked with loyalists. Wyma told the FBI what he had heard at the meetings, allowing federal investigators to win permission from a judge to bug the campaign office.
The rest, as they say, is history, as that taping led to full-fledged wiretaps on phones of players in the Blagojevich camp, and on the line to his home office.
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his wife, Patti, leave the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago following his guilty verdict on 17 of 20 counts on June 27, 2011. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Just days before his arrest, Blagojevich was recorded talking to his brother, Robert, about a possible deal to name then-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to the Senate seat in exchange for $1.5 million in campaign cash.
Allies of Jackson in Chicago’s Indian community had made the pledge to Robert previously, with one of them holding up one finger on one hand and five on the other to communicate the amount. That person apparently really meant $6 million, but that was neither here nor there at the time of the recorded phone call.
Blagojevich wanted his brother to tell the Jackson representative that fundraising would have to start immediately if he made Jackson the senator.
"Now you gotta be careful how you express that," Blagojevich told his brother. "And assume everybody's listening, the whole world is listening."
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A fresh start
Blagojevich’s trial testimony was, not surprisingly, filled with historical references, and while they may have only inspired one juror’s cat drawings, they did shed light on how the former governor’s mind works.
“I’ve used these examples — sometimes the press goes out and says I compare myself to Winston Churchill or Gandhi or somebody like that, I’m not doing that,” Blagojevich testified.
“But those are historical figures who I have great admiration for and you can, I believe, draw life lessons from their lives, their struggles, how they dealt with adversities, the things, the principles, the purposes that they committed their lives to.”
The gray-haired former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is seen in a courtroom sketch in August 2016, as he appeared on a video link from prison in Colorado at his resentencing in Chicago. (Cheryl A. Cook/for the Chicago Tribune)
His biggest adversity was most likely his years as federal inmate 40892-424.
Blagojevich tried to make the best of it. He taught history to inmates and was lead singer in a band known as the Jailhouse Rockers.
But it was undoubtedly brutal. He spent years away from his two daughters, missing holidays and birthdays and graduations. Prison for him was in Colorado, and family trips to see him were not routine.
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At his sentencing hearing before Zagel, it was clear Blagojevich could see it coming. Much of the bravado was gone. His tearful family was nearby in the courtroom gallery, and the former governor was visibly wrestling with his emotions.
“My life is ruined,” he said. “I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions and words and what I thought I could do. I’m not blaming anybody.”
He may still not be blaming anybody, but he is thanking somebody. And that person is Donald Trump, president of the United States, who showed him a long-awaited kindness.
Now Rod Blagojevich’s life begins again.
jcoen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--An unapologetic Rod Blagojevich journeys home to Chicago, signing autographs and shaking hands at O’

An unapologetic Rod Blagojevich journeys home to Chicago, signing autographs and shaking hands at O’Hare Airport

“ That if I were to give in to the pressure and give in to the shakedown that was done @ @ @ @ @ would be violating my oath of office to fight for the Constitution and fight for @ @ @ @ @ keep my promises to ( the public ) , ” he said .
“ ’ @ @ @ @ @ do the things they said I did .
And they lied on me .
”

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, with his wife Patti at his side, speaks to supporters and the media in front of their Ravenswood Manor home on Feb. 19, 2020. (Jose Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
With 20 minutes to spare, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich landed in Chicago the same day his 14-year prison sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump, signing autographs at O’Hare International Airport as he continued to insist on his innocence.
Repeating, “There’s no place like home,” Blagojevich stepped off the jetway bridge and immediately thanked Trump.
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“I’m profoundly grateful to President Trump, and I will be for as long as I live,” Blagojevich told reporters. “He didn’t have to do this. He’s a Republican president. I was a Democratic governor. But he’s a man who’s not only tough and outspoken, strong, but he has a kind heart. And I’ll be forever grateful.”
[ Newly freed Rod Blagojevich addresses the media, repeatedly thanking Trump ]
The abrupt journey home began when Trump announced Tuesday that the disgraced Chicago Democrat would be freed from federal prison following years of imploring from Blagojevich and his wife. Now 63, Blagojevich was scheduled to be released in March 2024 after being convicted of trying to sell former President Barack Obama’s Senate seat as well as shaking down the executives of a children’s hospital and the horse racing industry for campaign contributions.
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Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich speaks to reporters after arriving at Denver International Airport on Feb. 18, 2020, in Colorado. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)
He touched down in Chicago about 11:40 p.m. Tuesday. As he strolled through Terminal 1, he shook hands with people who recognized him even with his dark hair now silver. He tried to squeeze past a mass of reporters near the baggage claim and climb into a white van, only to be met by more people stopping him for autographs, which he obliged.
[ Rod Blagojevich released from prison after Trump commutes ex-Illinois governor’s 14-year sentence ]
Blagojevich’s attitude toward his charges reflected his new benefactor, Trump, who denied any wrongdoing during his own impeachment trial. Echoing the president’s accusations of “witch hunt,” Blagojevich said it was in fact he who was the victim of a shakedown and false accusations.
“I had a unique opportunity to represent Congress and be (Illinois’) governor for six years and fight for things I truly believe is good for people,” he said, adding “the fight” now was against the “people that did this to me” and to regain the public’s trust.
“That if I were to give in to the pressure and give in to the shakedown that was done to me, that I would be violating my oath of office to fight for the Constitution and fight for the rule of law and keep my promises to (the public),” he said. “ ’Cause I didn’t do the things they said I did. And they lied on me.”
Moments later, he greeted people passing through the airport and cheerfully told admirers, “God bless you, God bless you, thank you so much.”
Because Blagojevich’s sentence was commuted and not pardoned, he remains a felon. He said he intends to fight for criminal justice reform after his time in prison, though he did not elaborate on how, beyond a desire to share his experience and provide insights on what he learned.
After christening himself as a “Trump-ocrat,” Blagojevich also credited his wife’s devotion to his sudden freedom.
“I love her,” Blagojevich said. “I made a lot of mistakes in my life. But the best thing I ever did was falling in love and being in love with Patti, and I can’t wait to see her and our daughters Amy and Annie. It’s been a long time.”
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[ How Patti Blagojevich helped earn her husband’s release ]
Before Trump stunned the Illinois political world and beyond by commuting the impeached ex-governor’s 14-year sentence, he dangled the possibility about two years ago and ignited his family’s hopes of an early release. He publicly mused over freeing Blagojevich and criticized the length of his sentence, most recently in August while aboard Air Force One.
Patti Blagojevich wasted no time in appealing to the president, appearing on Fox News multiple times to praise Trump and deride his opponents. She did not speak to reporters Tuesday, but tweeted the family would hold a news conference Wednesday morning outside their Ravenswood house.
Rod Blagojevich said he spoke with his wife and two daughters multiple times Tuesday and that they were thrilled.
Their enthusiasm was not returned by other politicians in Chicago and Illinois, who across the spectrum criticized Trump’s decision.
“Illinoisans have endured far too much corruption, and we must send a message to politicians that corrupt practices will no longer be tolerated,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “President Trump has abused his pardon power in inexplicable ways to reward his friends and condone corruption, and I deeply believe this pardon sends the wrong message at the wrong time.”
[ Illinois politicians from both parties weigh in on Trump’s commutation of Blagojevich’s prison sentence ]
The Illinois GOP echoed Pritzker’s outrage, stating that they were “disappointed” by the commutation and castigated Blagojevich as “the face of public corruption in Illinois.”
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On Tuesday, Blagojevich also applauded Trump for pardoning former New York police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was convicted of tax frauds and sentenced in 2010. The ex-governor called him “an American hero” for his handling of the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Along with Kerik, Trump on Tuesday also granted clemency to a slew of other men sentenced for corruption.
Just 20 minutes after midnight Wednesday, Blagojevich pulled up to his house on the corner of Sunnyside Avenue and Richmond Street. Dozens of reporters, supporters, neighbors and protesters swarmed him the second he came out of a white SUV.
Television cameras were quick to surround him. He took a few steps backward, then pivoted forward to address the cameras. Supporters screamed “Welcome home!” and “Back away legacy media!” as reporters asked questions. A man in a suit and red tie grabbed his arm and led him quickly toward his home.
Blagojevich paused for a moment halfway up the steps to his front door. He leaned over the green metal railing — where a sign reading “Thanks Mr. President” hung next to a red heart balloon — and shook the hand of a supporter.
He pointed at someone and said, “I appreciate you,” as another man yelled to him, “I was here the last time!”
Blagojevich gave a final wave and said “God bless you” as those with him separated a supporter who followed him. His dog started barking inside as the door closed shut.
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Some of the people said they had been waiting outside before noon to catch a glimpse of him. One man brought tacos. Another brought a sleeping bag. Blagojevich’s walk out of the car door to his front door lasted just under 2 minutes.
“That was it?” some murmured at the end as the former governor peeked out of a side window.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Ask Amy: Abuse survivor is afraid to tell parents

I tried to talk to my dad about it , but I hinted around it to see how he would @ @ @ @ @ agitated and talked about how whatever I did now with someone would take away from @ @ @ @ @ with me .
My takeaway was : `` You are ruined by what has happened @ @ @ @ @ one else will want you . ''

Dear Amy: I am a woman in my mid-20s. In junior high school, I was sexually abused by a classmate. When I went to a teacher for help, my concerns were dismissed as "boys being boys." I was told that this abuse just meant that the boy in question liked me.
After my teacher failed to help me, I tried to reach out to my parents. I was terrified to tell them, because they are devout Christians and had always taught that premarital sex was not acceptable. I was afraid that they would blame me, and my abuser used this fear against me by threatening to tell others that I was "easy."
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I tried to talk to my dad about it, but I hinted around it to see how he would take it. He was agitated and talked about how whatever I did now with someone would take away from my future spouse's relationship with me. My takeaway was: "You are ruined by what has happened to you, and no one else will want you."
This began a long path of self-hatred and blaming myself. I began to withdraw, I began to self-harm, I developed disordered eating, and my parents often fought with me about my "moodiness" or "being difficult."
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I never told them about the abuse.
I have been going to therapy, and one thing that I keep coming back to is telling my parents about what happened.
I have been afraid that they will react poorly, or blame me, or view me differently. I want them to understand that I wasn't a bad kid, but that I was a kid who was hurting and didn't know how to ask for help.
I worry that if I tell my dad about my past, I will break his heart and he will blame himself. I think enough self-blame and self-hatred have infected my life, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
Best-case scenario, this would help me find closure. Worst-case scenario, it could damage my relationship with my parents.
I am at a loss. Should I keep this as a secret from my parents?
— Old Wounds
Dear Old Wounds: No, I don't think you should keep this a secret. You should work this through with your therapist's help. You might ask your parents to meet with you in your therapist's office so you will have guided coaching to handle your disclosure.
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As a parent, I can tell you that a child's pain cuts a parent very, very deep. Your parents might not immediately react in any expected or anticipated way.
Yes, they might feel heartbroken, confused, and guilty. They may lash out -- or try to deny this episode or diminish its impact on you.
They might need time to figure out how to be appropriately supportive. But you should give them the opportunity to love you through this. This will be a challenging process for all of you, but it is one you should initiate -- when you are ready.
Dear Amy: My husband and I have been divorced for over 15 years and see each frequently at our family gatherings. Neither of us has a significant other.
Our youngest daughter eloped in November and wants to have a reception this summer. My ex-husband is very financially stable and owns his home, vehicles, and a boat.
I (on the other hand) live paycheck to paycheck. I just started collecting Social Security and still struggle.
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He told me he would pay $5,000 for the reception if I paid $1,000.
I cannot afford to pay anything toward this wedding and told him so. What do you suggest?
— Broke Bride's Mom
Dear Mom: I suggest that your daughter enjoy her $5,000 (or $4,000, or whatever her father decides to donate) reception.
You can be helpful by finding ways to help your daughter stretch this money the furthest.
Dear Amy: I'm responding to the touching note from "My Son's Mom." Her son had been in trouble, and she wondered about contacting various counselors to let them know that he was graduating from high school.
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As a legal services attorney serving justice-involved youth, I want to encourage this mom to share the good news.
I feel such joy when I receive notes about the progress and milestones of the youth I have worked with.
Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Thank you to the parents and youth who let us know their achievements.
We love making a difference.
— Patti
Dear Patti: Thank you for doing good work.
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Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Watch live: Rod Blagojevich arrives at O’Hare after prison sentence commuted

President Trump commuted the 14-year sentence of former Illinois Gov .
Rod Blagojevich , springing the Chicago Democrat from prison @ @ @ @ @ writing a stunning final chapter to one of the state ’ s most notorious corruption @ @ @ @ @ .

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chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Joe Maddon defends his ‘less is more’ methods, while Jed Hoyer calls the 2019 Cubs’ defense and base

Joe Maddon defends his ‘less is more’ methods, while Jed Hoyer calls the 2019 Cubs’ defense and base running ‘a massive failure’

“ I know the guys ( in the front office ) wanted us to be on the field a little @ @ @ @ @ said at Major League Baseball ’ s media day involving Cactus League general managers and @ @ @ @ @ day games , I just never could agree with that .
For me , you @ @ @ @ @ the first four years , and the number of wins was productive .

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Joe Maddon defended his methods that helped the Cubs rise to a National League force for four seasons but ultimately led to the end of his tenure after the 2019 season.
Specifically, Maddon addressed his mantra of “less is more” that team officials challenged during the course of an 84-win season filled with fielding and base-running mistakes that contributed to the Cubs failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
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“I know the guys (in the front office) wanted us to be on the field a little bit more,” Maddon said at Major League Baseball’s media day involving Cactus League general managers and managers. “For the day games, I just never could agree with that. For me, you look at the work of the first four years, and the number of wins was productive.
“I just can’t agree with that, that you have to be on the field more to be productive before a major-league game for 162 games. I think that’s not true. That was something I couldn’t agree with.”
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Maddon, now with the Angels, acknowledged that the “less is more” debate was a philosophical difference, citing that the Dodgers’ success stems from that policy. Maddon also was aware when a reporter told him that Angels superstar Mike Trout took on-field pregame batting practice only seven times in 2019.
“To each their own,” Maddon said. “I’m just telling you what I know works, and I’ve done it for years.”
Cubs GM Jed Hoyer described Maddon as a “wonderful person” and said he cherished their time together but acknowledged the manager’s reluctance to change.
“A lot of the things we did in 2015-16 were done to make a group of players comfortable playing in front of a massive spotlight, big crowds,” Hoyer said. “A lot of things that worked then we didn’t feel were still working because they might have gone too far. Maybe we needed to tighten some stuff up.
“Were we pleased with our defense and base running over the two years? No. I thought it was a massive failure the way we played defense and ran the bases. So I do feel the attention to detail was not there.”
Hoyer believed bad habits developed due to the lack of work.
“It wasn’t malicious on anyone’s part,” Hoyer said. “I don’t think it was laziness on anyone’s part. I just think some of the things evolved into habits that we needed to break, in my opinion.”
The Cubs committed 118 errors last season, second most in the National League, and were ranked 13th in the National League with minus-13 defensive runs saved according to Fangraphs.
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Maddon believes the Cubs’ downfall in 2019 stemmed primarily from injuries — specifically a wrist injury to shortstop Javier Baez that sidelined him for most of the final four weeks.
Maddon was aware of the general complaints about juggling lineups, but he felt the need to continue the development of Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora Jr. and Ian Happ by getting them enough plate appearances.
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“It had nothing to do with the (lack) of work on the field,” Maddon said. “It had to do with injuries, more than anything.”
Maddon said he never sensed Javier Baez didn’t prepare himself enough before each game, contrary to what the Cubs’ shortstop said Monday.
“He’s one of the best players in all of baseball,” Maddon said. “I think 30 teams would take Javy. I don’t really know what that’s all about, quite frankly.”
Hoyer believes Cubs players can react positively to new manager David Ross’ message in the same manner they did when Maddon took over in 2015.
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“A lot of things that worked phenomenally early on with Joe, that was because of a regime change,” Hoyer said. “He came in with a new message, new attitude, and it was pretty quickly that vibe was picked up on, and things changed.
“I think the same thing with David. He’s going to have a different set of expectations and a different way of doing things. And players adapt to that.
I don’t think it’s going to be necessarily player-led. When you’re getting a new message from the boss every day, it changes — just like it did with Joe in 2015.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Ayo Dosunmu returns in a big way, and 2 other takeaways from Illinois’ big 62-56 road win against No

Ayo Dosunmu returns in a big way, and 2 other takeaways from Illinois’ big 62-56 road win against No. 9 Penn State

A week ago , Illinois fans fretted about whether their star player would be lost to injury after Ayo Dosunmu @ @ @ @ @ fall that legitimized their fear in the final seconds of a one-point loss to Michigan @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night at Penn State , Dosunmu returned to the starting lineup after a one-game @ @ @ @ @ .

A week ago, Illinois fans fretted about whether their star player would be lost to injury after Ayo Dosunmu took an awkward, nasty fall that legitimized their fear in the final seconds of a one-point loss to Michigan State in Champaign. On Tuesday night at Penn State, Dosunmu returned to the starting lineup after a one-game absence and cemented his legacy.
Dosunmu scored a game-high 24 points, including a victory-clinching runner with 16 seconds left for a marquee 62-56 victory for Illinois against No. 9 Penn State.
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The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Illini while ending the surging Nittany Lions’ eight-game victory run. It also marked the first time since 2014 that the Illini (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) won a road game against a Top 25 team, breaking a streak of 18 such losses.
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Here are three takeaways from Illinois’ victory.
1. Ayo Dosunmu’s legend continues.
Already beloved since committing to Illinois out of Morgan Park in 2017, Dosunmu cemented his legacy in Champaign with his performance.
He showed no signs of wear or fatigue from his left leg injury. He looked as aggressive and determined as ever in Happy Valley.
Dosunmu already had wowed college basketball fans with his clutch shooting to beat Michigan, Wisconsin and Rutgers. Coming back from an injury to beat a top-10 opponent on the road might top them all.
AYO DOSUNMU! 🔥
One week after being helped off the court with an injury at the end of a loss, he carries @IlliniMBB to a road win at No. 9 Penn State: pic.twitter.com/rCjiPlj2zy — Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 19, 2020
Dosunmu, who made 9 of 15 shots, paced Illinois throughout the game and was the most important difference-maker on the court. He scored 16 of his points in the second half.
“When you lose your alpha, it throws things off,” coach Brad Underwood said on the FS1 broadcast. “And how good was he today?”
The answer: Great.
2. A few other stars showed up, too.
Andres Feliz also had a clutch play against Penn State (20-6, 10-5). The guard grabbed an offensive rebound with less than 30 seconds to play that forced the Nittany Lions to foul.
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He scored only five points but grabbed seven rebounds.
Center Kofi Cockburn looked destined for a frustrating game after picking up two early fouls and playing only five minutes before halftime. But he looked strong in the post when he returned, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds.
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Alan Griffin helped keep Illinois afloat in the first half, when he scored all nine of his points off the bench. Da’Monte Williams’ defense helped frustrate Penn State’s Lamar Stevens, who worked hard for his 13 points while shooting 3-for-11 from the field.
3. The Illini look bound for the NCAA Tournament.
The victory seems as if it could be the one to solidify Illinois’ tournament resume, barring a bizarre late-season collapse.
The Illini are sure to rise from No. 38 in the NET ratings. The victory marked their fourth road win in the Big Ten, one of the nation’s toughest leagues. Illinois owns six “Quad 1” wins.
The Illini completed a brutal stretch of eight games, five on the road, at 4-4. Ken Pomeroy’s analytics predict four victories in the Illini’s final five regular-season games.
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“That’s a big win,” Underwood told players Tuesday in the locker room.
They certainly have an impressive resume. A NCAA Tournament appearance would be the first for Illinois since 2013.
The Illini are also playing for Big Ten Tournament seeding. They moved into a five-way tie for third place in the conference standings, a game behind second-place Penn State.


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Sunset Ridge teacher, who says she was victim of bathroom recording, files lawsuit against vendors w

Sunset Ridge teacher, who says she was victim of bathroom recording, files lawsuit against vendors who hired maintenance worker despite criminal background

In an email statement , a spokesman for OrganicLife , which employed Garcia-Espinal as a food services worker , said @ @ @ @ @ at Sunset Ridge School is very troubling and our thoughts are with everyone impacted .
@ @ @ @ @ the complaint yet and because this is now a matter of civil litigation , we @ @ @ @ @ ”

A teacher at Sunset Ridge School who says she was one of the individuals secretly recorded in a school bathroom by a man working in maintenance and food service filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the two companies who employed him despite his criminal record.
The suit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court by a Sunset Ridge teacher under the name “Jane Doe” alleges that two District 29 vendors, OrganicLife and Smith Maintenance, “failed to perform an adequate criminal background check,” which would have revealed that David Garcia-Espinal had a criminal history.
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A felony warrant was issued last month for the arrest of Garcia-Espinal, 40, of Highwood, who police say fled from the Northfield school at 525 Sunset Ridge Road Jan. 14, after discovering authorities had located a hidden cellphone he allegedly planted in a garbage can in a second floor women’s bathroom used by staff and students.
Kevin Golden, an attorney for the Sunset Ridge teacher who filed the complaint, said in addition to suing the two companies, his client has also named Garcia-Espinal as a defendant in the lawsuit, which seeks damages in excess of $50,000.
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Officials at Smith Maintenance Company, which employed Garcia-Espinal as a contract custodian worker, were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
In an email statement, a spokesman for OrganicLife, which employed Garcia-Espinal as a food services worker, said, “The alleged incident at Sunset Ridge School is very troubling and our thoughts are with everyone impacted. Since we have not seen the complaint yet and because this is now a matter of civil litigation, we cannot comment further.”
According to the lawsuit, the Sunset Ridge teacher, "has suffered, and will continue to suffer, great physical and emotional pain and distress, emotional trauma, shock, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, mental and emotional harm, and loss of enjoyment of life.”
In addition, the lawsuit alleges that the teacher, “was prevented and will continue to be prevented from obtaining the full enjoyment of life, and has incurred and will continue (to) incur expenses of medical and psychological treatment, therapy, and counseling.”
“There are numerous teachers at Sunset Ridge who were involved as victims, and they are bonding right now, and trying to get through this situation together,” Golden said.
While Sunset Ridge District 29 is not a defendant in the lawsuit, Golden said the district was named as a “respondent in discovery,” which will require school district officials to provide information directly to the court, instead of through subpoenas.
According to court records, Garcia-Espinal was was charged in 2012 with felony possession of fraudulent ID cards and disorderly conduct in connection with alleged lewd conduct in a women’s restroom at a Glenview movie theater.
Sunset Ridge School District 29 Superintendent Ed Stange was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
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But Stange has said district officials are attempting to determine why Garcia-Espinal’s previous criminal record went undetected in two independent background checks conducted by the two Chicago-based vendors, both of which employed Garcia-Espinal.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-02-18--Former federal prosecutors and ex-FBI boss say Trump sent wrong message with Blagojevich decision

Grant said he dislikes presidential pardons , regardless of which party controls the office , because they largely benefit those @ @ @ @ @ ’ t afford everyone the same shot at freedom .
There are thousands of prisoners @ @ @ @ @ missed by their families , but unlike Rod Blagojevich , they never appeared on reality @ @ @ @ @ pleading their case on the president ’ s preferred news channel , Grant said .

Then-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, center, talks in 2008 at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse with Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar, a prosecutor in the trial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)
Amid the clatter over the news Rod Blagojevich would be released from prison years early, the former feds who first put him behind bars were quick to remind the public: The ex-governor is, and will remain, a felon.
He tried to shake down the CEO of a children’s hospital, he attempted to sell a U.S. Senate seat, he put the squeeze on a racetrack, and he lied to the FBI. And while President Donald Trump on Tuesday commuted Blagojevich’s sentence, those convictions remain intact, four former federal prosecutors wrote in a statement they made public in the wake of Trump’s move.
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“That has to be the case in America: a justice system must hold public officials accountable for corruption,” reads the statement from Reid Schar, Chris Niewoehner, Carrie Hamilton and ex-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office in 2009, then convicted in 2011 on myriad corruption charges, including shopping Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat and attempting to extort officials from the racing industry and even a children’s hospital.
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He was sentenced to 14 years in prison — a term that remained intact even as his family argued for leniency at a resentencing hearing in 2016.
Like the prosecutors who ensured Blagojevich’s conviction, Robert Grant, who headed the FBI’s Chicago office during the investigation, does not dispute the president’s authority or argue that it hasn’t been a difficult eight years for the Blagojevich family. He worries, however, about the message the commutation sends to both Illinois politicians and the public in general.
[ Read the statement from former federal prosecutors on Blagojevich commutation ]
In giving Blagojevich 14 years in prison — more than double the sentence given to his predecessor, the also-convicted former Gov. George Ryan — U.S. Judge James Zagel suggested the state’s relentless history of corruption needed a stronger deterrent. Blagojevich was the fourth Illinois governor since the 1970s to be sent to prison and, Zagel reasoned, a tarnished reputation and a few years behind bars were simply not enough to deter politicians from abusing their power.
Grant, who woke Blagojevich on a cold December morning in 2008 with a telephone call informing the governor of his arrest, said it was message that needed to be heard.
“If you want to address systemic corruption in Illinois, until you put people away for a long time and hold them accountable … it will be the same old, same old,” Grant said.
Grant said he dislikes presidential pardons, regardless of which party controls the office, because they largely benefit those with political connections and don’t afford everyone the same shot at freedom. There are thousands of prisoners with stiff sentences who are missed by their families, but unlike Rod Blagojevich, they never appeared on reality television or had Patti Blagojevich pleading their case on the president’s preferred news channel, Grant said.
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“Just because you’re a friend of the president or on Fox, it doesn’t mean you deserve a commutation,” he said.
Other former federal prosecutors agreed, expressing dismay that Trump, with the stroke of a pen, undercut the complex, high-profile prosecution of a public official.
“At this time in Illinois history, while we’re facing continued and constant corruption scandals, the intervention by the president in this case to commute the sentence of someone who has made no amends is inappropriate,” said Steven Block, who handled other corruption cases as an assistant U.S. attorney before entering private practice.
While Blagojevich’s 14-year sentence is lengthy by any measure, Judge Zagel plainly stated his reasoning for the term, former federal prosecutor Juliet Sorensen said.
“Either President Trump doesn’t think that a 14-year sentence is necessary to send a deterring message, or he doesn’t think that a deterrent message should be sent at all,” Sorensen said. “It does appear somewhat inconsistent for someone whose campaign slogan was ‘drain the swamp’ to then commute the sentence of someone who was convicted for crimes of corruption.”
In deciding eight years was enough time for Blagojevich to be in prison, Trump told reporters, “that was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence in my opinion.”
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Trump’s decision comes even as current federal prosecutors in Chicago are in the midst of a wide-ranging public corruption probe. The investigation has already seen powerful Ald. Edward Burke charged and ex-state Sen. Martin Sandoval plead guilty to bribery.
Sorensen, now a professor at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, said potential targets of that probe probably shouldn’t rest easy after Tuesday’s events.
“I would expect that the same meticulous, persistent agents and assistant U.S. attorneys that have been looking into corruption throughout the state would continue to do so undeterred by today’s action by the president,” she said.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
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sstclair@chicagotribune.com