chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Northwest Indiana couple quarantine themselves over fears of coronavirus after trip to China. ‘What

Northwest Indiana couple quarantine themselves over fears of coronavirus after trip to China. ‘What I just experienced? I never want to experience it here’

“ What I just experienced ?
I never want to experience it here , ” said Zurek , 63 , @ @ @ @ @ traveled last month to China with his wife , Annie , 60 , to visit @ @ @ @ @ new baby granddaughter .
After learning of the virus and cutting their visit short to @ @ @ @ @ , the Zureks decided to quarantine themselves in their Highland , Indiana , home for @ @ @ @ @ they haven ’ t shown any signs of the virus , like fever and cough @

Ken Zurek, 63, is self-quarantined at his home in Highland, Indiana, on Feb. 11, 2020. He and wife, Annie, arrived in China days before news of the coronavirus broke. They cut their trip short and decided to quarantine themselves as a precaution. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
In China, Ken Zurek of Northwest Indiana saw the disruption of the novel coronavirus — bustling cities turned to ghost towns, businesses shuttered, citizens confined to their homes, a world on pause in fear of a quickly-spreading virus.
“What I just experienced? I never want to experience it here,” said Zurek, 63, a concrete business owner who traveled last month to China with his wife, Annie, 60, to visit her family and meet their new baby granddaughter. After learning of the virus and cutting their visit short to return home after 10 days, the Zureks decided to quarantine themselves in their Highland, Indiana, home for about two weeks even though they haven’t shown any signs of the virus, like fever and cough.
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The self-quarantine — not ordered by health professionals — is winding down and the Zureks, as well as their family back in China, all have remained healthy, he said.
Ken Zurek said he took the precaution to be extra careful after he saw the devastation of the virus in China. He said he didn’t want to be the cause of any illness in the United States. “I didn’t want to be the start of that domino effect.”
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The couple planned to spend about four weeks in China, mostly in Chongqing, where Annie Zurek’s family lives and is about 500 miles from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. News of the coronavirus had just begun to break in the United States when the couple arrived in China on Jan. 19, Ken Zurek said, so they didn’t know a virus similar to SARS and MERS had started to spread.
Soon after they arrived, they learned of the virus and noticed its effect, he said. At first they saw fewer people on the streets than normal, some wearing face masks. Within a couple days, nearly everyone donned masks and streets that would normally be packed with people shoulder to shoulder, were empty, Zurek said.
Ken and Annie Zurek in the airport in Chongqing, China, before they returned to the United States, via Taiwan. (Annie Zurek)
“Usually it’s like New York City … people are everywhere,” he said. “When you take bus ... you never have a seat on the bus. It’s always packed. But we got to see a ghost town, no doubt about it.”
Soon the only open businesses in the city were grocery stores and pharmacies, and everyone stayed indoors, Zurek said. Masks were hard to find, but their family had a supply.
While inside, Zurek said he and his wife felt safe, and were happy to spend time with family and their new granddaughter. But they also constantly sought out news sources to read the tally of those infected, as well as those dead from the virus.
“My biggest fear was leaving my safe zone,” he said, especially being in the Chongqing airport, which he said could be a route for those headed to or leaving Wuhan, where the virus started.
The couple decided they should leave China while they could, anticipating the United States would eventually restrict or halt flights coming from the country. But the only flight Zurek could find was for early February, which he thought might be too late. And when he’d try to call the airlines, he couldn’t get through and the websites would crash, jammed with traffic.
“Every day my wife would tell me, ‘We’ve got to leave early. This is going to get bad,’” he said. Because Annie Zurek is not an American citizen and instead has a green card, she wasn’t able to get a flight arranged by the State Department to return to the U.S., Ken Zurek said, and he didn’t want to go home without her.
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When they woke up the morning of Jan. 29, Zurek said his wife told him to leave while he could, and she would stay behind. “I said, ‘No. We came here together; we’ll leave together.’”
“This was the only time I was really scared,” Zurek added. “At that point I really realized I could die here.”
Zurek called his sister, who was staying at the couple’s home, watching their cat, and she was able to get through to the airlines and then called him back with the airline representative also on the phone.
The airline representative told him “‘if you can get to the airport in two hours, you have the last two seats,’” Zurek said. “We packed so fast.”
At the airport, everyone wore masks, he said. Inside the plane, flight attendants and the pilot also donned masks.
Zurek said he didn’t see any screening for fever or symptoms once they arrived at O’Hare. “We walked right out the airport exit.”
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At that point, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had already begun screening passengers at several airports, including O’Hare, but only for travelers from areas closer to the epicenter of the outbreak in China.
Zurek said he and his wife continued to wear masks, including during their Uber ride, until they arrived home, and haven’t left their home since their return.
He said he contacted state and local health departments in Indiana, and reported where they were in China, and that they have shown no symptoms. Officials told him they didn’t need to remain home, but the couple decided to be “overly cautious,” Zurek said.
While the CDC has quarantined Americans returning from the epicenter of the outbreak, travelers who have returned from other parts of mainland China and do not show symptoms are advised only to self-monitor and try to limit their contact for 14 days, the virus’ incubation period.
Zurek said he and his wife remain healthy but are vigilant about monitoring each other, including their temperature. “Any time one of us do cough, we run up to each other.” Thursday will mark the 14th day home, but the Zureks will stay home until Friday, just to be “proactive and cautious,” he said.
“I read a lot about this virus. I know how it’s transmitted. This is just the proper way of doing things, of being safe,” Zurek said. “Not only for ourselves, but for the Chicagoland area.”
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So far there are 15 confirmed cases of the virus in the United States, according to public health officials. That includes a Chicago woman who had traveled to Wuhan, and her husband. The couple was hospitalized and isolated. Health officials have said they are doing well,and the risk locally and to most Americans remains low.
Worldwide, the illness has sickened more than 46,000 people, and killed at least 1,300, mostly in China, according to the World Health Organization, which has dubbed it a global health emergency.
Zurek said the perspective of being in China during the outbreak has inspired him and his wife to be more proactive about their health, and now they’re even more grateful for their overall good health.
“The one good thing I got out of this is that I feel fortunate,” he said. “Our new goal is just to make sure we check ourselves out periodically.”
And while the self-quarantine has made him stir-crazy, Zurek said he was also forced to make some more short-term goals: Completing his 2019 taxes and cleaning out his e-mail inbox.
While the taxes are done, Zurek said his inbox remains a work in progress.
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kthayer@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--James McCann will adjust to a backup role with the White Sox after his breakout All-Star season in 2

James McCann will adjust to a backup role with the White Sox after his breakout All-Star season in 2019

“ It is what it is , ” McCann said , repeating the cliche used by modern athletes .
“ @ @ @ @ @ the business that you can ’ t control .
All you can control is how @ @ @ @ @ and how you handle your own preparations , and that was my main focus throughout @ @ @ @ @ continue to be my main focus : how to make myself better and how to @ @ @ @ @ ”

GLENDALE, Ariz. — James McCann’s value to the White Sox last year was impossible to quantify by numbers alone.
In a breakthrough season that saw him make the American League All-Star team only months after McCann was let go by the Tigers, the catcher also played a huge role in Lucas Giolito’s evolution from struggling starter to White Sox ace.
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So it probably wasn’t easy for McCann to hear the news in November that the Sox had signed free agent Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million deal, the most expensive in team history, to become the new starting catcher.
That was apparent Wednesday on the first day of Sox camp when McCann was asked for his reaction to the Grandal signing.
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“It is what it is,” McCann said, repeating the cliche used by modern athletes. “There’s things about the business that you can’t control. All you can control is how you handle your own self and how you handle your own preparations, and that was my main focus throughout the offseason and that will continue to be my main focus: how to make myself better and how to help the team win.”
Does he expect to move around more to get some at-bats?
“I’m just here doing my job,” he replied. “Whatever they ask me to do, I’ll be willing to do.”
Kudos to McCann for refusing to pretend he’s OK with being demoted to backup catcher following the best year of his career. He did everything asked of him in 2019 and this was his reward?
That’s about as cutthroat as it gets.
White Sox catcher James McCann before a game on Aug. 29, 2019 at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Still, the Sox don’t have to apologize for trying to make the team better, even in an area that didn’t really need an upgrade. Grandal is one of the best in the game, and the signing helped them lure Dallas Keuchel a month later.
Sure, they probably should’ve tried to deal McCann in the offseason for his own sake. But since they didn’t, it’s now up to McCann to suck it up and play the cards he’s been dealt.
General manager Rick Hahn said his discussions with McCann have been positive and that McCann wants to be part of “something special” on the South Side. The Sox pitchers are ecstatic they have two All-Star catchers.
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“Anyone in the league would probably be jealous with what we have to offer as far as the guys behind the dish,” starter Michael Kopech said. “Whether that’s Mac or Yas, they’re both going to be great additions for us.”
How much playing time the 30-year-old McCann will get in 2020 is yet to be determined.
Manager Rick Renteria said McCann “brought us through a rough patch last year” when starter Welington Castillo was injured, and McCann eventually ended up in the All-Star Game. He predicted McCann would play a “pivotal” role for the Sox in what’s expected to be their turnaround year.
“Part of my job is to manage all the different scenarios that occur now, having the talents that we have on the club,” Renteria said. “If that’s the hardest thing I have to do, I’m OK with it.”
Most speculated after the Grandal signing that McCann would get some more at-bats at designated hitter. But then Hahn signed free agent Edwin Encarnacion to a one-year, $12 million deal to fill that role. McCann started 11 games at DH last year.
“For me, James wasn’t a prototypical DH,” Renteria said. “He was just someone we knew could give us some at-bats. I wouldn’t want to force him to do that. I think James will, I’m sure, inevitably catch his share of games and contribute in that regard.
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"As the season progresses things happen, and we’ll figure out how to use them to keep them both able to ready to perform to the best of their ability.”
In other words, Encarnacion is the DH, and McCann is the backup catcher.
At the very least McCann should get a lot of starts when Giolito on the mound.
“For me, I’ve never really thought about that, having a personal catcher,” Giolito said. “Obviously me and James work very well together. I’m sure we’re going to continue to work together a lot. But we have Yas here now and he brings a wealth of experience now and a lot of knowledge about the game, and he’s also really good behind the dish.
"So I also look forward to working with him as well, and we’ll see how it all works out.”
Grandal also is looking forward to working with McCann and wants to “see how I can get in his head” and learn more about the Sox pitchers.
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“The guy likes to work, and I’m all for it,” Grandal said. “If you’re willing to put the work in, that’s probably the best quality you can possibly have.”
McCann is a professional. He isn’t going to whine or complain about his reduced role, even though it will likely cost him next year when he’s eligible for free agency.
“I guess you can say in this business there’s nothing that should surprise you,” McCann said. “There’s things you can control and things you can’t control, and the business side of things you can’t control. All you do is prepare to take care of yourself as far as offseason preparations go, being ready for spring training, then spring training and getting ready for the season. And everything else is what it is.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Art Institute acquires huge Tiffany stained glass window

“ It ’ s going to be breathtaking , ” said Elizabeth McGoey , associate curator of American decorative arts @ @ @ @ @ on a scaffolding next to the window , one of those first weeks I was @ @ @ @ @ in Providence .
“ I was so in awe of being able to have that @ @ @ @ @ to understand the scale .
And I am so excited that with the installation we @ @ @ @ @ re actually going to be bringing that same experience to the public .
”

The Hartwell Memorial Window from Tiffany Studios, newly acquired by the Art Institute, photographed while still at Community Church of Providence, R.I. - Original Credit: (Art Institute Of Chicago)
The Art Institute has acquired a huge Tiffany stained glass church window that it will display prominently and is predicting will become a “museum icon,” the Chicago museum announced Wednesday.
The 23-foot-high by 16-foot-wide composition, purchased in June 2018 from a church in Providence, R.I., depicts a nature scene in New Hampshire’s White Mountains in 48 layered-glass panels that represent a pinnacle of American work in the medium, according to museum experts.
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When restoration is complete later this year, the encyclopedic museum plans to install the 1917 tableau atop its Grand Staircase by the Michigan Avenue entrance, backlit and framed, central amid significant Chicago architectural artifacts there.
“It’s going to be breathtaking,” said Elizabeth McGoey, associate curator of American decorative arts. “I remember standing on a scaffolding next to the window, one of those first weeks I was there” to see it in Providence. “I was so in awe of being able to have that proximity to the glass and to understand the scale. And I am so excited that with the installation we have planned, we’re actually going to be bringing that same experience to the public.”
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Restoration has been going on since it arrived in Chicago in the summer of 2018. The process has involved cleaning the whole window and then removal and repairs of the glass on about one-third of the panels, along with less-intrusive fixes on another third of them, said Rachel Sabino, the objects conservator shepherding the restoration project.
“It’s really staggering, from a technical point of view, seeing a craftsperson push the absolute boundaries of a material and a technique,” Sabino said. “So that side of it appeals to me very much. But, I mean, the window itself is a thing of absolute beauty.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 Rachel Sabino, an objects conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago, cleans a panel from a Tiffany window on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 in Chicago. The window was designed by Agnes F. Northrop and acquired from a church in Providence, Rhode Island. The 23 by 16 foot window is currently being restored and is scheduled to be installed in the fall of 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Said to be in remarkably good shape for its age and its public placement, the window was designed by Agnes Northrop, the leading landscape designer for Tiffany Studios. Although commissioned for Providence’s Central Baptist Church, now the Christian, multi denominational Community Church of Providence, its spirituality is implied rather than overt: Known as the “Hartwell Memorial Window (Light in Heaven and Earth),” the window depicts a waterfall and pool surrounded by trees in the foreground with Mt. Chocorua, an oft-painted peak in the New Hampshire range, in the background.
Standing in the basement room where the restoration work was taking place, Sabino, McGoey and Sarah Kelly Oehler, the chair and curator of American art at the museum, agreed that bringing this work to the museum’s public is a “once-in-a-career” experience.
Museum officials did not reveal the purchase price but said that price alone was not what determined who would buy the work. Leaders of the Community Church, in deciding to sell it, wanted it to go to a museum and they wanted to know the museum’s plan for care and display of the window, said Oehler.
“I really credit the church with this foresight and thinking about their role as stewards for the window,” she said. “They have a very community focused mission, and they’re not a museum, and they’re not in the business of protecting works of art.”
In the news release announcing the acquisition, Pastor Evan Howard of the church said, “We are extremely pleased that this exceptional work of art has entered such a renowned collection.”
In picking AIC as “the ideal institution to care for and display the window,” Howard said the church hopes that it will be “experienced by a broad public audience that includes scholars, artists and visitors from around the world.”
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The museum hopes to have the window in place and ready to show the public by the end of September, said Oehler.
Museum Director James Rondeau, in the statement, praised the Hartwell window as one demonstrating “the highest level of achievement in American glass production.” In its new home atop the staircase, he added, the window “undoubtedly has the power to become one of the museum’s icons.”
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Shortlist emerges for next Chicago police superintendent

The board opened the application process Nov. 21 after then-Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced plans to retire by the @ @ @ @ @ Lightfoot announced his temporary successor would be former Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck .
@ @ @ @ @ the temporary job as Chicago ’ s top cop when Lightfoot fired Johnson in early @ @ @ @ @ intentionally misled her about his conduct after a late weeknight out in October when he @ @ @ @ @ running vehicle near his South Side home .

Then-Los Angeles police Cmdr. Sean Malinowski, at Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in 2016. Now a consultant for the Chicago Police Department, he's among a list of candidates to be the next Chicago police superintendent. (Patrick T. Fallon/The Washington Post)
A shortlist of candidates vying to be Chicago’s next top cop includes a woman who leads a suburban department and a former police chief from Texas, both of whom had officers injured or killed in mass shootings in the last few years, the Tribune has learned.
The Chicago Police Board, tasked with reviewing applications from a pool of 25 candidates to be the next police superintendent, has yet to narrow down its search to three finalists to present to Mayor Lori Lightfoot for her consideration.
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But sources familiar with the applicants said the board’s roster of candidates has been whittled down to a handful of names, among them Sean Malinowski, a former Los Angeles police official who has worked as a top consultant for the Chicago Police Department for the past few years; Kristen Ziman, chief of police in west suburban Aurora; Ernest Cato, a CPD deputy chief; and David Brown, a former Dallas police chief.
[ 25 people apply to be Chicago’s next top cop — most of them from outside CPD ]
Malinowski’s name has been floated as a possible front-runner to be Lightfoot’s eventual pick.
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A champion of technological approaches to crime-fighting during his 25-year career with the Los Angeles Police Department, Malinowski, 55, was a chief of staff to Charlie Beck, Chicago’s interim police superintendent, when Beck headed the LAPD. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
Aurora police Chief Kristen Ziman at a Feb. 15, 2019, news conference in the wake of the mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora in which five people were killed and five police officers were wounded. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Ziman led Aurora’s police force last February when the west suburb was thrust into the national spotlight following a mass shooting that claimed the lives of five employees of the Henry Pratt Co. warehouse, and left injured another employee and five Aurora police officers. The gunman was also killed in an exchange of gunfire with police.
Ziman, 46, grew up in the Aurora Police Department, joining the force as a cadet at 17 and working her way though the ranks to become its first female commander in her mid-30s.
Ziman would be the department’s first female superintendent, if chosen. She was a guest of Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Feb. 4, an event Lightfoot also attended.
[ Chicago police announce major restructuring, moving detectives and specialized cops to patrol districts to take on violence ]
She was asked about the CPD selection situation Tuesday by the Aurora Beacon-News.
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“I’ve learned so much about myself from rumors,” Ziman said. “I don’t know who the finalists are. I can’t comment on another police department’s process.”
Paris Lewbel, spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department, responded to a Tribune inquiry Wednesday.
“The Aurora Police Department doesn’t comment on another agency’s hiring process and we aren’t aware of the finalists for the Chicago Police Superintendent‘s job,” Lewbel said in an email.
Then-Chicago police Cmdr. Ernest Cato, center, talks with people outside the Lively Stone Missionary Baptist Church in the South Austin neighborhood in 2018. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Cato, 54, is a Chicago police deputy chief in charge of nine patrol districts that cover the North Side, Northwest Side and West Side. He has been viewed as a rising star in the department, in part due to his willingness to work side by side with community organizations that offer mediation on gang conflicts and help with social services and jobs.
Cato was among more than 30 of Beck’s top police officials to get new posts in CPD’s reorganization, set to begin in April. Cato was assigned as deputy chief of the new Area 4, overseeing patrol officers, as well as some detective and specialized gang and drug units, in the Austin, Harrison and Ogden districts on the West Side.
Cato could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Dallas police Chief David Brown talks to reporters in 2016, after an attack where five police officers were killed and several others were injured. (Eric Gay / AP)
A veteran of the Dallas Police Department for more than 30 years, Brown, 59, retired from the department as its chief in 2016. That year, five police officers were killed, and several others wounded, in an ambush-style rifle attack in downtown Dallas. Under Brown’s direction, officers killed the suspect by deploying near him a remote-controlled robot carrying an explosive and detonating it.
This wasn’t the first time Brown experienced tragedy firsthand. His former partner was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1988, and his younger brother was slain by a drug dealer in 1991.
But in June 2010, weeks into his tenure as police chief, his son fatally shot a cop in a Dallas suburb and killed another man, before himself getting shot and killed by police. Brown’s son suffered from bipolar disorder, and an autopsy showed he had PCP in his system when he died.
Brown on Wednesday said he’s “not able to comment.”
[ Chicago violence rises in January, raising Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s concern ]
The selection of a new superintendent is a particularly high-stakes matter for Lightfoot, who has made curbing the city’s violence a top priority while promising to reform the long-troubled police force.
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Lightfoot’s office released a statement Wednesday saying it would be premature for the mayor to comment.
“At this stage, the Mayor’s office is not a part of the selection process. As the municipal code stipulates, we are awaiting three names from the Police Board for consideration as candidates for the Superintendent position," the statement read.
Choosing a top cop comes with many potential landmines: The wrong choice could demoralize rank-and-file cops and anger members of the City Council. Then there’s making sure the person is up for the position, which Lightfoot has said is “one of the toughest jobs in law enforcement.”
Lightfoot has told the Tribune that the right candidate for the full-time gig would be someone who understands that federal oversight, which is aimed at improving how officers treat citizens in their interactions, can transform the department for the better. She’s also emphasized professionalism and her desire to have a more proactive police force as key factors she's considering.
One item on her checklist: experience as a senior manager of a large organization, which would make Ziman’s ascension a curious one.
[ Chicago’s interim top cop calls Laquan McDonald scandal a ‘tipping point’ for reform ]
Lightfoot wouldn’t say whether there’s anyone within the department who is ready to take its helm, but has touted New York City’s transformation from the days when it hired an outsider to now promoting from within. There’s a sense among city officials that the Police Department’s bench is thin, though Cato is well-regarded.
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The nine-member Chicago Police Board compiled a five-page job application that listed more than a dozen requirements for the job, including ensuring the 13,000-strong Police Department is compliant with its federally mandated consent decree in a timely manner and overseeing policies that address the mental health of officers.
Eleven of the 25 candidates work for the Chicago Police Department or “spent a significant amount of their career” there, the Police Board has said. The other 14 applicants were from outside Chicago. Twenty-one of the applicants were men and four were women, according to the board. Thirteen of them were white, 11 were African American and one was Latino.
The board opened the application process Nov. 21 after then-Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced plans to retire by the end of the year. Lightfoot announced his temporary successor would be former Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck. But Beck ended up starting the temporary job as Chicago’s top cop when Lightfoot fired Johnson in early December, saying he had intentionally misled her about his conduct after a late weeknight out in October when he was found asleep in his running vehicle near his South Side home.
Aurora Beacon News’ Megan Jones contributed.
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
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gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber are humble and hungry after the Cubs’ disappointing finish to 2019

“ Chip on our shoulder ?
I don ’ t see why we even deserve a chip on our shoulder @ @ @ @ @ said Wednesday prior to the Cubs ’ first workout for pitchers and catchers .
“ @ @ @ @ @ the playoffs this year .
We got to go out and earn it .
I @ @ @ @ @ us to be the best team this year .
We got the talent , but @ @ @ @ @ will take us to new levels .
”

MESA, Ariz. — The fact that the Cubs didn’t shake up their roster this winter could be interpreted as President Theo Epstein retaining strong faith in his core players.
Another interpretation is that other teams don’t think that highly of those players, especially after the Cubs failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and have regressed gradually since winning the 2016 World Series.
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“Chip on our shoulder? I don’t see why we even deserve a chip on our shoulder,” slugger Anthony Rizzo said Wednesday prior to the Cubs’ first workout for pitchers and catchers. “We didn’t make the playoffs this year. We got to go out and earn it. I think it’s on us to be the best team this year. We got the talent, but to be the best team will take us to new levels.”
Without any significant moves, it is getting closer to the last hurrah for a group that has fallen short of expectations the last two seasons and could lose four impact players — Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber and Rizzo — to free agency after the 2021 season.
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Rizzo mentioned the word “team” six times during the first half of an 11-minute interview with reporters, an indication that he absorbed the theme Epstein stressed repeatedly this winter about the need to bond in an effort to return to the postseason.
Rizzo expressed optimism that a new voice in manager David Ross will help the Cubs return to their playoff level, especially after talking with friends who experienced managerial changes.
“It’s a new opportunity,” Rizzo said. “It’s going to be something that grows more and more, confidence-wise. I think we’re a confident group, but we’re also a humble group right now.”
Rizzo was unsure about the future after hearing that roster changes could be imminent. But the return of many core players — at least for now — fuels some motivation for the group that played a big role in their recent playoff runs.
“It’s very addicting to win,” Rizzo said. “Not making the playoffs last year, being out of it that last week, it sucked. Sitting out a little bit to watch (the playoffs), it sucked. In the offseason you’re doing those extra reps, and it’s what you do it for. You do it for the boys, and if we come together as a team, we’ll be all right.”
Schwarber admitted the Cubs have a chip on their shoulder, but not to prove their skeptics wrong.
“We all expect a lot more of ourselves than just what’s happened the last couple years,” Schwarber said. “That’s where you take it in from a learning experience and put that forward going into this upcoming season, knowing we got to do things better.
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“I don’t think it’s a secret we got to do things better. We just got to be able to go out there, be us, have fun and be great teammates, play the game with passion. If we do all those little things right, good things are going to happen.”
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Schwarber shook his head when asked whether he was worried about being dealt this winter.
“I’ve learned my lessons from previous years about looking into things like that,” Schwarber said.
“We all get to play the game we love, and that’s all we can ask for. I think everyone knows we all love to still be here and keep going to battle. But the reality of it is it might not happen.”
Coincidentally, the Cubs could start with the same pitching rotation as two seasons ago — with Tyler Chatwood probably returning as the fifth starter after rebounding in a swing role in 2019 following a disastrous season as a starter in 2018.
“Nobody liked how last year ended, the last two years honestly,” Chatwood said. “So I think everyone is hungry and ready to get going and prove everyone wrong.
“If you look around, our team is really talented. Down the stretch, we probably didn’t play as well as we wanted to, but those teams got hot at the right time. You got to give them a little credit. But at the same time, we’re excited and ready to go and prove everyone wrong.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--What’s the plan if Ayo Dosunmu can’t play the next game? 4 takeaways from Illinois’ 70-69 loss to Mi

What’s the plan if Ayo Dosunmu can’t play the next game? 4 takeaways from Illinois’ 70-69 loss to Michigan State.

“ We try to find that perfect balance , ” Underwood said .
“ We ’ ve seen G at @ @ @ @ @ now , things are a little tougher for him .
You can try too hard @ @ @ @ @ much pressure on yourself .
We need him .
We ’ ve got to get @ @ @ @ @ to help our ball team down the stretch .
”

Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu grabs his knee after losing his footing on the final play against Michigan State. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
CHAMPAIGN — The sellout crowd’s roar as it attempted to direct Illinois to a furious comeback turned silent in an instant.
It was as if someone had pressed a mute button Tuesday night at the State Farm Center.
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Suddenly, the result — a 70-69 loss to Michigan State — didn’t matter. Star guard Ayo Dosunmu was crumpled on the court in pain as the clock expired.
Fans watched as his left knee buckled awkwardly when he slipped while racing upcourt for a potential last-second game-winner. The band didn’t play. The PA announcer didn’t speak.
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The handshake line paused as a few Michigan State players congratulated each other. Illinois coach Brad Underwood checked on the sophomore, and his teammates hovered. Dosunmu was helped off the court without putting weight on his left leg.
“The game becomes secondary,” Underwood told reporters.
The news was a little better Wednesday as Illinois announced an MRI showed no structural damage to Dosunmu’s leg. The school did not disclose specifics about the injury, but Underwood said in a statement that the team’s medical staff “will work with him around the clock on treatment and recovery.”
Dosunumu, meanwhile, tweeted Wednesday: “Today it’s back to work. Be back soon ...”
Dosunmu scored all but two of his 17 points after halftime as No. 22 Illinois (16-8, 8-5 Big Ten) sought to avenge a 20-point road loss to the Spartans earlier this season. The Illini now have lost three straight after winning seven in a row.
Michigan State (17-8, 9-5) snapped a three-game skid.
The Illini fell behind by 20 early in the second half but found a spark as they honed in on defense. It helped that Spartans star guard Cassius Winston was on the bench for long stretches because of foul trouble.
Illinois took a 61-60 lead with 5 minutes, 28 seconds remaining — its first of the game — on a Dosunmu layup as part of a 10-0 run.
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Freshman center Kofi Cockburn — a 68.2% free-throw shooter — went to the line with 19.1 seconds and sank both for a 69-68 edge. On the next possession, Xavier Tillman rebounded a missed layup by Winston and dunked for the decisive points.
Dosunmu, on the game-ending play on which he was injured, turned the ball over with three seconds left.
Here are four takeaways from Illinois’ loss.
1. What’s next if Ayo Dosunmu can’t play Saturday?
Despite the positive news Wednesday on Dosunmu, there’s no guarantee he’ll be available for Illinois’ next game Saturday at Rutgers. If not, the Illini need to find a way without their leading scorer.
More pressure would fall on guards Andres Feliz and Trent Frazier, but they’ve shown they can handle it. Feliz scored 15 points — all but three after halftime — against Michigan State. He’s averaging 11.3 points and has been a spark off the bench.
“We’ll figure all that out,” Underwood said Tuesday night. “Everyone’s got to do a little bit more when you replace a guy of Ayo’s stature. But at this point, I don’t know if we have to replace him or not.
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“I can only coach who I have. You make adjustments and you get into practice and it’s the next-man-up mentality. I like our group and we’ll figure that out.”
2. Brad Underwood wasn’t pleased with a late call.
Dosunmu was called for a foul going for a loose ball with three minutes left and Illinois trailing 64-63.
Underwood looked like he might pass out from disbelief, putting both hands on his head and yelling, “Oh, my God!” His assistant coaches intervened before Underwood convinced them to let him speak to official Courtney Green.
He was nose-to-nose making his case, but Green didn’t tag him with a technical foul. Underwood turned to the scorer’s table as play was about to resume and said, “That was the worst call I’ve ever seen.”
Illini coach Brad Underwood in the first at State Farm Center against Michigan State. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Asked to elaborate after the game, Underwood was more cautious.
“We practice loose-ball drills,” he said. “I’ve never seen that call. I’ve never seen that. When a young guy dives on the floor for a loose ball, to not get rewarded because the other kid does it and tries to reach down and pick it up … I’ll leave it at that. With three minutes left in the game?”
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Underwood shrugged.
3. Giorgi Bezhanishvili needs to get back on track.
Underwood started Alan Griffin in the second half ahead of Bezhanishivili, who played one of his more confounding games.
The sophomore forward tied a career low with two points in a career-low 13 minutes. Bezhanishvili finished with a minus-19 rating after shooting 1 of 7, including missing all three of his 3-point attempts.
He showed frustration on the court, chirping at an official before Underwood put him on the bench. Before he checked into the game in the second half, he hollered to Underwood, “Watch! I’ve got you, Coach!” and then slapped his coach on the rear.
A few minutes later he picked up his third foul on an illegal screen and came to the bench despondently, asking Underwood, “Was that a foul?”
Underwood acknowledged that Bezhanishvili’s boundless energy needs to be better channeled and his production needs to improve.
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“We try to find that perfect balance,” Underwood said. “We’ve seen G at his very best. Right now, things are a little tougher for him. You can try too hard. You can put too much pressure on yourself. We need him. We’ve got to get him back in a position to help our ball team down the stretch.”
4. Illinois can’t afford slow starts.
The Big Ten schedule is brutal. And that means Illinois needs to hustle from the start.
That wasn’t the case against the Spartans.
Michigan State took a 20-point lead early in the second half, but really, the Spartans were in control from tipoff. They claimed a double-digit lead in the first nine minutes as Illinois appeared disjointed and hapless.
By halftime, Michigan State led 37-20, bringing back memories of its 20-point victory in East Lansing, Mich., earlier this season.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Underwood said. “I have yet to figure out why we can’t play hard. We do that at times. I literally asked the (assistant) coaches (before the game), ‘Are we ready?’ It was almost like a somber funeral.”
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He said the team was too amped before Friday’s loss to Maryland. So Underwood has to figure out how to manage the team’s mood swings.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Amid employee turmoil, Winnetka-Northfield library officials spent more than $50,000 on outside publ

Amid employee turmoil, Winnetka-Northfield library officials spent more than $50,000 on outside public relations and personnel consultants

The library district , which employs a full-time marketing and communications director , paid more than $ 13,000 to Chicago-based @ @ @ @ @ a tumultuous eight week period last fall , according to documents obtained through a public @ @ @ @ @ occurred during a time when dozens of residents and former library employees circulated a petition @ @ @ @ @ force at board meetings to demanded Wolf ’ s ouster .

Board president J.P. Ruiz-Funes speaks during a meeting of the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District’s board of trustees on Sept. 16, 2019. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press / Chicago Tribune)
Officials at the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District paid private consultants more than $50,000 for personnel and public relations advice during a recent period of turmoil at the organization.
The spending came as the library district was fielding complaints from former employees and residents in recent months, upset over the departure of nearly 90 employees during the tenure of former library director Rebecca Wolf, who resigned earlier this month.
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The library district, which employs a full-time marketing and communications director, paid more than $13,000 to Chicago-based Sphere Public Relations Group during a tumultuous eight week period last fall, according to documents obtained through a public records request. The spending occurred during a time when dozens of residents and former library employees circulated a petition and were showing up in force at board meetings to demand Wolf’s ouster.
The library also paid roughly $38,000 in the past year for assistance from two private human resources consulting firms, according to public records.
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In addition, public records show that Wolf was recently given more than $7,000 in pay after library officials announced in mid-January that she would be "out of the office for an indefinite period of time.”
Library officials this week declined a request for public records detailing any severance pay or other compensation Wolf received as a result of her resignation. In their denial, library officials stated that, “certain documents remain in preliminary draft format,” and “have not been publicly cited by the head of the library.”
When asked to further explain the status of any severance agreement with Wolf, Library Board President J.P. Ruiz-Funes said Wednesday, “that’s exactly what it means.”
“These are personnel matters, and I cannot comment further," Ruiz-Funes said.
With regard to the library’s recent spending of taxpayer dollars on outside human resources and public relations consultants, Ruiz-Funes said, “these are operational issues, and I can’t comment on them.”
Wolf, the library’s former director, could not immediately be reached for comment.
But longtime resident Carol Ritchell said the library’s recent spending on private consultants was “extremely disturbing.”
“I’m appalled that our tax dollars are basically going toward cleaning up the messes the executive director had created,” said Ritchell, who was among the dozens of local residents and former library employees who joined forces in recent months demanding Wolf’s ouster and more transparency.
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“If a responsible person had been in the position of executive director, they would not need to have spent all of this extra money on consultants,” Ritchell added.
According to library documents, roughly 88 employees, including both full-time and part-time workers, left the library district following Wolf’s hiring in 2013, some of whom have stepped up at library board meetings in recent months, saying their departures were due to a “toxic” work environment.
In a statement earlier this month, library officials shared a positive snapshot of their departing director, saying, "the library district has seen significant improvements during Rebecca Wolf’s tenure, including the full renovation of the Winnetka branch; new youth, creative and study spaces; and innovations such as The Studio and the introduction of RFID technology and self-checkout.”
In addition, library officials stated that, “annual community surveys have given the library high marks for patron satisfaction and excellent customer service.”
The library board recently launched a search for a new director and appointed Emily Compton-Dzak, assistant director and head of adult services, as interim director.
Ruiz-Funes said officials will likely deliver an update on the director search at the library board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, in the Lloyd Room at the Winnetka Library.
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kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Rep. Camille Lilly on proposed bill: It was 'never the intent’ to make pumping own gas illegal

“ You can continue to do that with this concept , ” Lilly said .
“ As mentioned , the @ @ @ @ @ , it was just a vehicle to be utilized to talk about what the intent @ @ @ @ @ discussed was how can you have both these options at a gas station .
This @ @ @ @ @ would move forward to make pumping your own gas illegal .
That was never the @ @ @

State Rep. Camille Lilly speaks during a Feb. 11 town hall at the Oak Park Public Library regarding the proposed graduated-rate state income tax, which will appear on the November 2020 ballot. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
During a town hall Tuesday night in Oak Park, state Rep. Camille Y. Lilly appeared to backtrack on parts of her proposed bill that would make pumping your own gas illegal in Illinois.
Lilly appeared with State Sen. Don Harmon at the Oak Park Public Library to discuss the state’s proposed graduated income tax, which will appear on the November ballot. Following that discussion, Lilly addressed the crowd about the gas pumping issue that had been in the news throughout the day.
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“The bill I chose looked at bringing what I would title safety and convenience at the gas pump,” Lilly said. “It had some verbiage that was not my intent at all.”
The bill, which had its first reading Feb. 5, has been referred to the rules committee for review.
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As currently written, HB 4571 would create the “Gas Station Attendant Act,” which provides that no gas may be pumped at a gas station in the state unless it is pumped by a gas station attendant employed at the gas station.
Lilly said the bill was designed to address convenience and safety issues at the gas pump, adding it is her plan to let people continue to pump their own gas should they want.
“You can continue to do that with this concept,” Lilly said. “As mentioned, the bill that is out there, it was just a vehicle to be utilized to talk about what the intent is. The thought we discussed was how can you have both these options at a gas station. This is not a bill I would move forward to make pumping your own gas illegal. That was never the intent.”
When one attendant pointed out full-service is available at some Illinois gas stations already, Lilly said she merely wanted to provide that option to all drivers who may need help when pumping gas.
“Not every station has these options,” Lilly said. “[Drivers] have to go around and find where they’re going to get that convenience. We’re having an increase in fires at gas stations around the country. We have a number of people who may be in a hurry and don’t know how to use the new technology. There are options to allow [full-service] and continue what we are doing.”
Some in attendance felt such a law could drive up gas prices even higher as stations would likely pass along new employee expenses to consumers.
“I really believe, as we move forward in our economy and society, things often change,” Lilly said. “That’s how we got self-service. We thought that would be a discount for everyone pumping their own gas. Gas has been going up ever since.”
Lilly reiterated her intent to use the bill as the beginning of a discussion on how to shape such a law and not ban self-service at Illinois gas pumps.
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“What I’m saying is let’s talk to people and see where they are,” Lilly said. “The talks [so far] got really muddled because everyone has an opinion and we want to respect that. We’re not going to create legislation that’s not the desire of Illinois.”
New Jersey is the only state that requires full service at gas stations. Oregon, which previously had such a law, loosened those restrictions in 2018.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Illinois says Ayo Dosunmu did not suffer structural damage to his leg in final-play fall

“ What happened with Ayo last night is as difficult a situation as you ’ ll see a young man @ @ @ @ @ feeling where the outcome of the game goes from primary to secondary in a split @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ We received positive news today from the MRI scan .
@ @ @ @ @ with him around the clock on treatment and recovery .

Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu has no structural damage to his left leg, the school announced Wednesday, after falling on the final play of Tuesday night’s 70-69 loss to Michigan State at the State Farm Center.
Dosunmu underwent an MRI on Wednesday, a day after he slipped and fell awkwardly while attempting to drive for a potential winning basket. He was helped off the court without putting pressure on his left leg.
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Illinois fans fell silent, and coach Brad Underwood said after the game he was unsure of the severity of the injury.
Illinois did not release the specifics of Dosunmu’s injury Wednesday, but Underwood’s statement indicated hopefulness about his prognosis.
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“What happened with Ayo last night is as difficult a situation as you’ll see a young man go through, and a feeling where the outcome of the game goes from primary to secondary in a split second,” Underwood said in a statement. “We received positive news today from the MRI scan. Our medical staff will work with him around the clock on treatment and recovery.
“Ayo and his family have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from Illini Nation and college basketball fans everywhere.”
In a post on his Twitter account Wednesday, Dosunmu thanked Illinois fans for their prayers and wrote: “The dub slipped away last night. Today it’s back to work. Be back soon ...”
Thanks for all your prayers #IlliniNation. The dub slipped away last night. Today, it’s back to work! Be back soon ... 🤙🏾#UnfinishedBusiness pic.twitter.com/Ybr7uonbUU — Mr WhyNotMe (@AyoDos_11) February 12, 2020
Dosunmu, a sophomore from Morgan Park, leads Illinois with 15.8 points per game. The Illini, seeking their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013, lost their third consecutive game Tuesday to fall to 16-8 overall and 8-5 in the Big Ten.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--CTA tries to honor Black History Month with Abraham Lincoln impersonator photos: Tweet causes a fren

CTA tries to honor Black History Month with Abraham Lincoln impersonator photos: Tweet causes a frenzy, then deleted

The CTA tweet and the one it was retweeting were posted on Lincoln ’ s birthday .
Lincoln did sign @ @ @ @ @ that granted freedom to slaves in the Confederate states .
But it ’ s unclear @ @ @ @ @ tweet was .

The CTA retweeted photos of a man dressed as Abraham Lincoln at a Red Line subway stop, saying, "In honor of Black History Month, Abraham Lincoln was seen making a guest appearance on the CTA." The retweet, sent on Lincoln's birthday, Feb. 12, was later deleted and the CTA apologized. (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Chicago Transit Authority’s Twitter account caused a brief social media frenzy Wednesday afternoon when it retweeted photos of a man dressed as Abraham Lincoln to honor Black History Month.
“In honor of Black History Month, Abraham Lincoln was seen making a guest appearance on the CTA,” the agency’s official Twitter account said, retweeting pictures of the Lincoln impersonator at a Red Line subway stop.
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The CTA tweet and the one it was retweeting were posted on Lincoln’s birthday. Lincoln did sign the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 that granted freedom to slaves in the Confederate states. But it’s unclear what the motivation for the tweet was.
“How are you honoring a white man on black history month?” asked one Twitter user.
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CTA deleted the tweet less than an hour after posting, although the original poster’s tweet, which celebrated both Lincoln and public transit, remained online. CTA then apologized.
“Apologies, unfortunately our last retweet went in a direction that was not at all intended. Nonetheless, we WILL continue to honor the African Americans who have played a large role in CTA history," CTA said in a tweet.
Apologies, unfortunately our last retweet went in a direction that was not at all intended. Nonetheless, we WILL continue to honor the African Americans who have played a large role in CTA history. — cta (@cta) February 12, 2020
After the quick apology, CTA received a further wave of backlash.
“Yeah clearly someone lost their damn mind posting that tweet as a true dedication to Black History Month,” one Twitter user said.
“Though @cta is primarily used to share real-time service information and answer questions, we also like to share others’ content we think our followers would enjoy, including posts that highlight moments that delight our riders and what makes transit special to life in a city,” a CTA spokesman said in a statement responding to a Tribune reporter questions.
“Unfortunately, the wording we used while sharing one of those moments didn’t capture the lighthearted spirit of our customer’s original tweet. Based on feedback from our followers, we felt it was best to remove the post, acknowledge those concerns and apologize.”
Earlier this month, CTA posted historical photos of former African American CTA employees on its Twitter feed.
“All this month we have been celebrating Black History Month through tweets honoring the achievements of African American members of the CTA family and will continue to so,” CTA said.
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Check back for updates


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Column: Carlos Rodon joined the White Sox as a highly touted rookie. Now he’s looking to stay health

Column: Carlos Rodon joined the White Sox as a highly touted rookie. Now he’s looking to stay healthy — and realize his potential — when he rejoins the rotation.

Averaging only 13 starts in each of the last three seasons , Rodon ’ s durability issues will force the @ @ @ @ @ this time .
He spent much of the offseason at the Pro X Athlete training @ @ @ @ @ he has thrown three bullpen sessions this month in Glendale , using only his fastball @ @ @ @ @ to 20 pitches .

GLENDALE, Ariz. — As the most tenured pitcher of the White Sox rotation, Carlos Rodon has been around long enough to remember what it was like to enter a season with big expectations.
Rodon was a highly touted rookie on the 2015 Sox team that included starters Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Jeff Samardzija. The left-hander lived up to the hype with a 9-6 record and 3.75 ERA in 26 games.
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Arm injuries have prevented Rodon from fulfilling that promise, and five years later he enters 2020 as a question mark while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
“It sucks,” Rodon, 27, said Wednesday as Sox camp officially began at Camelback Ranch. “This is Season 6 with the White Sox, and this will be the third opening day I’ve missed.
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“It gets frustrating, especially when we’ve put together a team as good as this is … on paper, of course. I’ll be cheering them from here watching on TV, waiting to show up.”
White Sox starter Carlos Rodon delivers to the Orioles in the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field on Wednesday, May 1, 2019. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
When he’ll be able to show up, and where he’ll fit in, are questions no one can answer yet.
The Sox couldn’t count on Rodon making more than a half-season of starts this year and added veterans Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez to a rotation that already included Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Reynaldo Lopez.
Michael Kopech, who missed all of 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery, also is on tap to re-enter the rotation, either at the end of camp or in April or May, depending on his arm strength.
The good news is the Sox could have seven viable starters for five spots if they’re in contention in the second half.
Of course that’s a big “if,” especially with Lopez’s struggles, Kopech’s and Cease’s inexperience and Rodon’s injury history.
Rodon underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery at the end of the 2017 season and missed the first two months of 2018. Last year he was ready at the outset of the season and posted a 2.89 ERA over his first five starts, looking like the pitcher everyone expected.
But he broke down in his next two starts and was forced to undergo reconstructive elbow surgery May 15, ending his season after seven starts.
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Averaging only 13 starts in each of the last three seasons, Rodon’s durability issues will force the Sox to be extra cautious this time. He spent much of the offseason at the Pro X Athlete training facility in Indianapolis and said he has thrown three bullpen sessions this month in Glendale, using only his fastball and being limited to 15 to 20 pitches.
Rodon won’t pitch in any Cactus League games this spring and is unlikely to return before the All-Star break.
“Honestly, I don’t even know a timeline,” he said. “I’m just going about it the way they want me to, doing it every day. I’m hitting every day’s marks, so I can’t say I’m going slower. I don’t really know what the pace is.”
Either way, Rodon won’t have to face the pressure of carrying the load now that Keuchel and Giolito are at the top of the rotation. He can make sure he’s completely healthy before returning this summer as a No. 3 or 4 starter instead of the designated ace.
“Which is nice,” he said. “We’ve got great arms here. We’ve got guys that can eat innings. There’s no rush, right? I’ve been hurt enough where I just want to come back and stay healthy instead of coming back and getting hurt again. It’s a vicious cycle.”
The waiting game has been difficult for Rodon and Kopech, two competitors with strong arms and outgoing personalities. When Kopech came up to the Sox in August 2018, the team was on its way to losing 100 games.
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Now both pitchers hope to become integral parts of a contending team in the American League Central.
“It’s a different team,” Kopech said. “We’d be silly to say that it’s not. I’m really looking forward to just being a part of it, if nothing else.”
Barring a change in philosophy, the Sox won’t be going to a six-man rotation anytime soon. That means Cease will have to build off his strong finish in 2019 and Lopez will have to rebound from his season-long struggles. Either one could be replaced in the rotation as the Sox no longer can afford to place development over winning.
Lopez insisted he doesn’t have to battle to keep his spot.
“I’m going to keep doing my job and keep doing my best,” he said through a team interpreter. “There isn’t anything to fight for. When you’re in this level, everyone knows you can’t be comfortable because there’s a lot of people behind you that want the spot. That’s my mindset.”
The Sox already know what Rodon can do when he’s healthy. He was the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft with the world in the palm of his hands. Now he has to prove himself all over again.
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“I just need to show that I’m durable,” he said. “What I’m hoping is that the elbow (issue) was the root of all evil. Just show up and be the guy I know I can be and the guy they know I can be and become durable.
“Availability and durability, those are pretty big things.”
Rodon becomes a free agent after 2021, so he won’t have many more opportunities to show he’s the same pitcher who dominated at times in 2015 and ’16. More important, he said, is having a chance to be part of a contender.
Like everyone else on the South Side, he has grown accustomed to waiting.
“I’d like to be on a team that wins,” he said. “I’m kind of invested in that now. I’m like a Sox fan now — I’m invested.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Going to NBA All-Star Weekend at the United Center and Wintrust Arena? Here’s how to get tickets, ho

Going to NBA All-Star Weekend at the United Center and Wintrust Arena? Here’s how to get tickets, how to get there — and how to find the Michael Jordan statue.

Just know that with some of the low-level seats on the risers , your view might be partially obstructed by @ @ @ @ @ a server or security employee walking by .
But , hey , you also might @ @ @ @ @ your way and , voila , a free souvenir ( no , really , you @ @ @ @ @ ) .

Phil Thompson, Deantae Prince, Tim Bannon

You get an NBA All-Star Game in your city for the first time in 32 years, you pull out all the stops.
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The league-sanctioned events Friday through Sunday are packed enough, but you could make a separate guide just for all of the parties, panel discussions, TV and radio shows and other special events happening around the host city.
If there’s a current or former Bulls or NBA player with a pulse, chances are he’s making a guest appearance sometime, somewhere in Chicago this week.
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But this guide is about the average fan who needs help navigating everything there is to see, do and eat at the United Center and elsewhere during All-Star Weekend.
How can I get tickets?
Go to NBAEvents.com to buy tickets for the Rising Stars and Celebrity games, the All-Star practice and media day and the NBA Crossover pop-culture showcase.
To get into All-Star Saturday Night (the Slam Dunk and 3-Point contests and Skills Challenge) or Sunday’s All-Star Game, you’ll likely need to buy a package through NBAPremium.com.
Tickets for the Rising Stars game (8 p.m. Friday at the United Center) range from $150 to $400 on the NBA’s official carrier, Ticketmaster, not including fees.
You can get tickets from the secondary market, too, but the resale price varies wildly, even for seats in the same section.
All-Star Saturday Night tickets at the United Center ranged from $579 to $6,510 for a pair on StubHub.com. One pair of lower-level tickets on VividSeats.com was listed at $11,447.
Gold Coast Tickets owner Max Waisvisz said that as late as last week, he was cautioning customers against buying tickets.
“It’s way too early. I tell my customers don’t even call me now because they pick (the tickets) up at the Westin Hotel on Thursday,” Waisvisz said. “So once you get the tickets in hand, then the whole market comes down. It’s the usual game. Supply and demand.”
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An NBA official couldn’t confirm when and where tickets would arrive in Chicago but did say more tickets would be released this week for the Rising Stars and Celebrity games and other events at NBAEvents.com.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 19 Chicago Bull Michael Jordan dunks during the 1988 NBA All-Star slam Dunk competition in Chicago Stadium, February 6, 1988. Jordan won the contest and Atlanta Hawks Dominique Wilkins was the runner up. (Bob Langer / Chicago Tribune)
Where are the best and worst seats?
At the United Center, you get what you pay for.
Seats in the 300 level are great for hockey and watching plays develop but not quite as good for basketball. Not surprisingly, the closer you get to the court, the better. The best lower-level seats are those closest to midcourt.
Just know that with some of the low-level seats on the risers, your view might be partially obstructed by the basket stanchions and occasionally a server or security employee walking by. But, hey, you also might see a stray basketball bounce your way and, voila, a free souvenir (no, really, you can’t keep it).
The Bulls have an interactive site that gives a virtual view from each seating section, although it’s a bit cumbersome and wonky. RateYourSeats.com breaks down the seating by All-Star event and lists a few high-priced seats that have yet to be claimed.
Who will perform at halftime?
Chance the Rapper performs at the United Center on Sept. 28, 2019. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Chance the Rapper will perform during halftime of the All-Star Game, the three-time Grammy winner announced in December at the Museum of Science and Industry.
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Another Chicago rapper, Common, is set to welcome fans and lead player introductions on Sunday at the United Center.
Chance’s brother, Taylor Bennett, will perform at halftime of the Rising Stars game Friday.
What’s noteworthy about Sunday night’s All-Star Game?
Well, if social media’s judgment is on point, Lakers star LeBron James outclassed the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo in the player draft. Other than himself, James’ starting five includes Anthony Davis (Lakers), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Luka Doncic (Mavericks) and James Harden (Rockets).
Antetokounmpo’s fellow starters include Joel Embiid (76ers), Pascal Siakam (Raptors), Kemba Walker (Celtics) and Trae Young (Hawks).
Did Giannis draft with a blindfold on? — BGN (@BullsGotNext) February 7, 2020
The game will feature a scoring format change that will benefit area charities. Team LeBron and Team Giannis will play for Chicago Scholars and After School Matters, respectively.
In each of the first three quarters, either team can win $100,000 for its organization by winning the quarter. Whichever team is leading after three quarters, that score, plus 24 points, becomes the “final target score” in an untimed fourth quarter. Twenty-four was chosen to honor of the late Kobe Bryant’s No. 24 jersey.
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So, let’s say the leading team has 100 points entering the fourth. The clock is turned off, and whichever team reaches 124 points wins the game — and another $200,000 for its charity.
However, if a team wins the first three quarters and hits the target score as well, its charity gets $500,000 (and $100,000 is donated to the losing team’s charity).
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 22 It's all happening at the United Center as the 2020 NBA All-Star Game nears. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
What should I know about the Rising Stars and Celebrity games and the Skills Challenge?
The sold-out Celebrity Game kicks off the night Friday (6 p.m. at Wintrust Arena) with Chicago stars Hannibal Buress, Taylor Bennett, LaRoyce Hawkins (“Chicago P.D.”), Anthony “Spice” Adams, Lil Rel Howery and Quentin Richardson playing for captains Common and Chance the Rapper. Journalists Michael Wilbon and Stephen A. Smith will serve as coaches.
If not for a right ankle sprain, Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. would have played for Team USA against Team World in the Rising Stars game, but at least a Bull made one of the rosters for the third straight year. And Chicago native Kendrick Nunn will represent the Heat as a member of the U.S. team.
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The Skills Challenge — an obstacle course of passing, dribbling and shooting — kicks off All-Star Saturday Night at the United Center. Chicago native and former Bull Derrick Rose, now with the Pistons, dropped out for “injury-related” reasons.
Fans won’t get the Slam Dunk rematch between Bulls star Zach LaVine and the Magic’s Aaron Gordon that everyone was anticipating. Instead, LaVine will try his hand at the 3-Point Contest.
BetOnline.ag gave LaVine the worst odds (10-1) of the eight participants and listed the Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard and the Nets’ Joe Harris as co-favorites at 7-2. Lillard, however, said Wednesday night he won’t compete in the 3-Point Contest or All-Star Game because of a groin injury.
In addition, fans can buy tickets to media day to watch reporters interview more than 20 of the All-Star Weekend players and coaches at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Wintrust Arena. They can also watch a live show from Wintrust featuring interviews with NBA legends and celebrities.
Fans also will have opportunities for autographs and photos with former NBA players, mascots and dance-team members. After the NBA players practice for Sunday’s showcase event, fans can stay to watch the U.S. women’s team practice.
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What is the NBA Crossover at Navy Pier?
Navy Pier's Centennial Wheel is illuminated with purple and gold lights, the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers, on Jan. 29, 2020. Three days earlier, retired Lakers star Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in California along with one of his daughters and seven other people. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
It’s a mash-up of music, fashion, technology and art, all through the prism of NBA culture. Several brands will show off exclusive products, but the main draw will be the guest appearances, including Chicago rapper Melo Makes Music.
Here’s the schedule of player appearances:
Friday: Robert Horry, 2-4 p.m.; Lauri Markkanen, 2:30-3:30 p.m.; P.J. Tucker, 3-4:30 p.m.; Jayson Tatum, 4-5 p.m.; Ron Harper, 4-5:30 p.m.; Pat Connaughton, 4-5 p.m.; Brandon Ingram, 7:30-8:30 p.m.; and Gary Payton, 6-7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Brandon Clarke, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Spencer Dinwiddie, noon; Devonte’ Graham, noon; Langston Galloway, noon-1:30 p.m.; Derrick Jones Jr., 1 p.m.; Coby White, 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Trae Young, 1:45-3:30 p.m.; Muggsy Bogues, 3:30-5 p.m.; Dwyane Wade, 4:30 p.m.; Donovan Mitchell, 5-6 p.m.; and George Gervin, 5-6:30 p.m.
Sunday: Tacko Fall, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Kendrick Nunn, 1 p.m.; Glen Rice, 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Jaren Jackson Jr., 2-3 p.m.; Devonte’ Graham, 2-3 p.m.; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2-3 p.m.; Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 2-4 p.m.; Patrick Beverley, 3 p.m.; and Wendell Carter Jr., 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Here’s the schedule of music performances and panels:
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Friday: Melo Makes Music, 5:30-6 p.m.; Chill Moody, 6-6:30 p.m.; “Is It the Shoes” panel with Gary Payton, ESPN’s Nick DePaula and The Shoe Surgeon, 6-7 p.m.
Saturday: NBA 2K panel with guests Ronnie 2K, Dwyane Wade, Offset, Nick Tershay and Alexis 2KTV, 4:30-5:30 p.m.; The Future Kingz, 5:30-6:10 p.m.; Puku, 6:15-6:45 p.m.
Sunday: K’Valentine, 1-1:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20, not including taxes, but many of the time slots have sold out.
How do I keep up with this stuff? Is there an app for that?
Why, yes, there is. The NBA Events app provides updated schedules, maps, restaurants, a rewards program and other features and is free on Google Play and at the Apple Store.
If you’re on a laptop, NBAEvents.com also lists the main events.
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What else is going on during All-Star week?
A lot. Even if you can’t get into the United Center or Wintrust Arena, plenty of businesses around town are trying to draw fans to their activities, from pop-up bars to yacht parties.
Chicago Theatre Week offers discounted tickets to comedy shows, musicals and more and launched Thursday. Choose Chicago, the city’s nonprofit tourism bureau, put together a “bucket list” that gives a good cross-section of attractions and activities, particularly during the day.
Choose Chicago’s website also gives recommendations for Valentine’s Day — just because the Rising Stars game and other events fall on Feb. 14 doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for the holiday.
Can I drive to the United Center?
Sure, if you don’t mind sitting in traffic. Sometimes you can avoid highway congestion and backups near the stadium by altering your route. Coming from O’Hare International Airport, consider taking Interstate 294 (a toll road), which tends to be a little less stressful and a little faster than I-90, to get to I-290.
Off I-290, try to avoid the backups that tend to happen around Western, Damen or Ashland avenues by taking an earlier exit and making your way down a less-traveled road, such as Warren Boulevard from the west or Washington Boulevard from the east.
Also, Ogden Avenue cuts diagonally through town from the northeast.
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Where can I park?
The United Center is surrounded by official lots, with prices generally ranging from $24 to $40. All lots will be open, United Center officials said. For a map, click here. And sorry, college fans: no tailgating.
There also are private lots in the area, which you can find on your own or by using SpotHero or other parking apps.
Be careful about parking on the street in the surrounding neighborhood. If you haven’t been there in a while, be aware that the city greatly expanded the restricted parking zone near the United Center two years ago.
Is public transportation an option?
It sure is, and one that not enough fans take advantage of.
Via the “L,” the Blue Line is the easiest way to get to the United Center, and it’s an easy route to access if you’re anywhere near the Loop. Exit at the Illinois Medical District (Damen) stop via the west side and take Damen north to the arena.
The Green Line is another option. Get off at Ashland, walk south on Ashland and go west to the United Center.
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Or you can take a bus. The Nos. 19 and 20 buses run east-west on Madison from downtown to the arena.
Is there an Uber/Lyft lot?
Yes. It’s the east one-third of Lot A, which is a block north of the United Center between Wolcott and Wood.
Where did the Michael Jordan statue go?
The Michael Jordan statue in the United Center atrium on Dec. 16, 2018.
The Jordan statue came in out of the cold — or into the atrium, to be exact — when a 190,000-square-foot addition was built to the east of the stadium. The sculpture was moved inside in March 2017, close to its original spot. Now it’s neighbors with a box office, Gate 4 access to Queenie’s, a small walk-up bar and a Bulls and Blackhawks merchandise store.
The atrium has secure entrances on its north and south doors and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on non-event days and from 10 a.m. to one hour after events, including Bulls and Hawks games and concerts.
Aren’t there other statues?
Sure are. Statues of Blackhawks greats Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, made at the same studio as the Jordan one, are just outside the arena’s northeast corner. There’s a bronze bust of Bulls Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen inside the United Center at Gate 7. And there’s a Johnny “Red” Kerr statue near Sections 101-102. The former NBA star was the Bulls’ first coach and a longtime Bulls broadcaster before his death in 2009.
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Where are the best places to eat before or after the games?
We asked Phil Vettel, who is not only the Tribune’s restaurant critic but also an astute sports fan. Here are his recommendations.
Eden Chicago, 1748 W. Lake St. (this is the only one within walking distance.)
A Tavola, 2148 W. Chicago Ave.
Monteverde, 1020 W. Madison St.
Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap, 1073 W. Vernon Park Place (warning: cash only)
El Che Steakhouse & Bar, 845 W. Washington Blvd.
Lena Brava, 900 W. Randolph St.
The Loyalist, 177 N. Ada St.
Mad Social, 1140 W. Madison St.
What are the food and beverage options at the United Center?
Fried chicken sandwich from Honey Butter Fried Chicken at the United Center on Oct. 3, 2019. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Levy Restaurants has added several dishes to the United Center’s menu for All-Star Weekend, some of which will give visitors a taste of Chicago cuisine. Here are the new menu options along with their locations.
• Chicken-chorizo-loaded waffle fries (near Section 223).
• Footlong Chicago dog — Chicago-style with mustard, sport peppers, neon relish, tomatoes, onions, celery salt and pickle (Sections 104, 222, 305 and 322).
• Gibson’s Steakhouse lobster roll (Gibson’s kiosk near Section 103).
• Honey Butter Fried Chicken’s chocolate-strawberry dump cake (Section 115).
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• Hand-carved prime-rib sandwich with BBQ kettle chips (Goose Island Pub).
• Lillie’s Q BBQ sampler platter, including smoked brisket, pulled pork, hot link, potato bread and baked beans (Lillie’s Q stands on the 100, 300 and Lexus Club levels).
• Loaded chicken nachos, including pickled jalapenos and crushed hot Cheetos (Sections 101, 111, 112 and 122).
• Queenie’s Legacy Triple Q Burger, a three-patty beef burger with gruyere and caramelized shallots and fresh-cut fries. (Legacy Burger stands on the 100 and 300 levels).
• This Little Goat Went to the Taqueria G.O.A.T. tacos (100 level).
• 3-foot submarine sandwiches, including Italian and turkey pastrami (Section 120).
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Chicago Pours will offer signature batched cocktails in the suites, including Ketel One cranberry smash and Don Julio margaritas. Draft beer served in souvenir All-Star cups will be available at concession stands throughout the arena.
Premium-seating areas will feature All-Star menu packages, such as the “Windy City” (including Chicago-style hot dogs, Maxwell Street-style polishes, Garrett popcorn and more) and the “Local Restaurant” (including Gibson’s sliders, Honey Butter Fried Chicken OG Sandwich, Mindy’s Hot Chocolate cookies, Stan’s Donuts and more).
A variety of desserts from Mindy's Hot Chocolate at the United Center on Oct. 3, 2019. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
If you’re coming from out of town and want to sample some of the local fare, a lot of the brands with Chicago roots are on the 100 level: Gibson’s Steakhouse, Sweet Baby Ray’s, Vienna Beef hot dogs, Giordano’s (Chicago-style deep-dish pizza), Mindy’s Hot Chocolate and Honey Butter Fried Chicken. The latter three are new to the United Center.
Other notables are Big Star, Leghorn Chicken, Lillie’s Q, Sportsman’s Club, Moneygun and Longman & Eagle.
Last year the United Center opened counter service at Mad West, a coffee and sandwich shop, as well as sit-down restaurant Queenie’s Supper Club. Queenie’s is a public restaurant, accessible via the atrium, but United Center officials recommend making reservations.
Can I bring in my own food?
You’re not supposed to, but as long as it’s not wrapped in aluminum foil (metal detectors) and if you’re discreet, it’s not a bad idea. Speaking of what you can’t bring in: no backpacks, hard-sided bags, air horns, banners or flags. There are water fountains on every level next to the washrooms.
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How big is the United Center?
The United Center, with a seating capacity of 20,917, opened Aug. 18, 1994. It is home to the Bulls and Blackhawks and has hosted the 1996 Democratic National Convention, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, early rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and concerts including the Rolling Stones, Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and many more.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Jeremy Roenick ‘very disappointed and angry’ after being let go by NBC Sports for making sexual comm

Jeremy Roenick ‘very disappointed and angry’ after being let go by NBC Sports for making sexual comments about his coworkers

“ I play it off like we ’ re going to bed together every night , the three of us @ @ @ @ @ discussing a vacation to Portugal with his wife and Tappen , whom he also called @ @ @ @ @ professional sports personalities I know .
”

Jeremy Roenick is out as a hockey analyst for NBC Sports.
The former Blackhawks star on Wednesday tweeted a video captioned “What a Joke!!” in which he said he is “very disappointed and angry today.”
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“Though disappointed,” Roenick said in the video, “I’m also grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to share my love, my passion, my knowledge of the game with millions of people, millions of fans. For that, I thank you.”
Roenick, 50, was suspended indefinitely without pay in December for making inappropriate comments about some of his NBC coworkers on Barstool Sports’ “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast.
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Roenick discussed the physical appearance of fellow hockey broadcasters Kathryn Tappen, Patrick Sharp and Anson Carter on the podcast and joked about the possibility of having a threesome with his wife and Tappen.
“I play it off like we’re going to bed together every night, the three of us,” Roenick said while discussing a vacation to Portugal with his wife and Tappen, whom he also called “one of the most professional sports personalities I know.”
During the same interview, Roenick called Sharp “so beautiful” and said he “wouldn’t say no right away” to sex with the former Hawks forward.
Roenick, who played the first eight years of his career with the Hawks before stints with the Coyotes, Flyers, Kings and Sharks, indicated he will “not be gone for long.”
“I’ll be back better and more motivated to bring you the best entertainment and the best that I have for the game of hockey,” he said in the video.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Peapod, based in Chicago, is shutting down grocery delivery in the Midwest and cutting 500 jobs

Peapod ’ s Midwest operation faced challenges because it was online only , so it didn ’ t have a @ @ @ @ @ to the supply chain and it was more difficult to gain new customers who want @ @ @ @ @ where their fresh food is coming from , said Selma Postma , president of Peapod @

Peapod, the grocery delivery pioneer, is ceasing operations in the Midwest, a move that will mean the loss of 500 jobs.
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Customers in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana won’t be able to place online grocery delivery orders through Peapod starting Feb. 18, its parent, grocery store giant Ahold Delhaize, announced Tuesday. About 50,000 people in the Midwest use Peapod, placing 10,500 orders weekly.
Chicago-based Peapod will close a distribution center and food preparation facility in Lake Zurich, a pickup point in Palatine and distribution facilities in Chicago, Milwaukee and Indianapolis — affecting 400 employees. Another 30 employees will be cut at corporate headquarters in the West Loop, and about 100 drivers will lose their jobs.
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Chicago will remain the headquarters for Peapod Digital Labs, which runs the e-commerce technology for Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. grocery brands. Peapod Digital Labs employs about 450 people, half of them in Chicago, and plans to hire 100 more people this year.
Peapod is exiting its home turf as grocery delivery heats up. The value of the online grocery market more than doubled from $12 billion in 2016 to $26 billion in 2018, and some projections have it reaching $100 billion by 2025.
Peapod’s green trucks will continue to serve customers on the East Coast, where Ahold Delhaize, the Dutch parent of Food Lion, Stop and Shop and Giant, is the region’s largest grocery retailer. The decision to cut service in the Midwest will allow the company to focus on a strategy that offers in-store, delivery and pickup options.
“Customers really want groceries to be available for them whichever way they choose to shop,” said JJ Fleeman, chief e-commerce officer and president of Peapod Digital Labs. The company has not changed e-commerce growth projections for the year of 30% as it invests in same-day delivery, loyalty programs and click and collect.
Peapod’s Midwest operation faced challenges because it was online only, so it didn’t have a network of stores to connect to the supply chain and it was more difficult to gain new customers who want to know the grocery brand where their fresh food is coming from, said Selma Postma, president of Peapod.
“This was a very difficult decision given our rich history in Chicago,” Postma said. “We have a lot of loyal customers, we have a lot of loyal employees.”
Peapod’s Midwest operations accounted for about $97 million of Ahold Delhaize’s $1.1 billion in online revenue in the U.S.
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Peapod, founded in Evanston in 1989, was purchased by Ahold in 2000. Headquartered in Skokie for most of its history, it moved to Chicago in 2018.
The company in recent years has struggled to compete with Instacart and Amazon grocery delivery services, whose on-demand delivery propositions have changed customer expectations, as well as retailers with their own e-commerce platforms. Peapod, whose business was built around a next-day delivery model that relied on dedicated fulfillment centers, couldn’t react so fast.
“It’s really a speed issue," said retail consultant Neil Stern with Chicago-based McMillanDoolittle. "Everything else about Peapod’s operation in terms of quality was superior, it just required a longer lead time to make it happen.”
Peapod, which employed its drivers and owned its trucks, also has a more expensive business model than some its e-commerce competitors that rely on independent contractors who haul groceries in their own cars, Stern said.
Stern said the news of Peapod’s closure in its hometown was “a bit shocking,” though its sales suggest struggles in the Midwest. When he consulted for Peapod a decade ago, Midwest sales were closer to $150 million, he said.
“Once the expectation is set that you can get deliveries to your house in an hour, why would you settle for anything other than that?” Stern said.
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Scott DeGraeve, a former senior vice president at Peapod, said it is “surprising and disappointing” that Peapod’s Midwest division wasn’t bought by another grocery chain with stores in the area.
DeGraeve, who left Peapod in 2015 as Ahold integrated more of the business into its East Coast stores, said a local retailer could have used Peapod’s technology and service to enhance delivery and pickup from its physical stores.
“Things have moved to now it’s becoming clear that the success in the online grocery space is a true omni-channel approach,” said DeGraeve, co-founder and chief operating officer of Locai Solutions, an e-commerce consulting firm for grocery stores. “What’s successful is the brick-and-mortar retail that also offers the online offerings rather than pure-play online only.”
Affected employees will be offered severance and transition support services, the company said.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--New watchdog report faults both the FAA and Southwest for flying used planes with unconfirmed record

New watchdog report faults both the FAA and Southwest for flying used planes with unconfirmed records

The FAA gave the airline until this summer to bring the planes in compliance with federal rules because it accepted @ @ @ @ @ issues were low safety risks , the inspector general said .
The watchdog office added @ @ @ @ @ its inspectors enough guidance on reviewing risk assessments and evaluating an airline 's safety culture @

A number of Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Mx aircraft are seen March 27, 2019, parked at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California. The Transportation Department's inspector general said in a report Feb. 11, 2020 that Southwest continues to fly airplanes with safety concerns, putting 17 million passengers at risk, while federal officials do a poor job overseeing the airline. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)
Dallas — Southwest Airlines continues to fly airplanes with safety concerns while federal officials do a poor job overseeing the airline, a government watchdog said Tuesday.
The airline has flown more than 150,000 flights on 88 jets it bought on the used-plane market and which had unconfirmed maintenance histories, the Transportation Department’s inspector general said in a report. That put more than 17 million passengers at risk, according to the report.
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In 2017, FAA inspectors began finding “potentially serious gaps” in Southwest’s process for verifying the condition of the Boeing 737s, including major repairs that weren’t documented and maintenance records that didn’t meet FAA standards.
Meeting U.S. standards normally takes up to four weeks per plane, but people hired by Southwest approved 71 of the planes on the same day, the inspector general said.
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Southwest said 80 of the planes have been inspected and returned to flying, and the last eight are undergoing maintenance.
The FAA gave the airline until this summer to bring the planes in compliance with federal rules because it accepted Southwest's argument that the issues were low safety risks, the inspector general said. The watchdog office added that FAA has not given its inspectors enough guidance on reviewing risk assessments and evaluating an airline's safety culture.
“As a result, FAA cannot provide assurance that the carrier operates at the highest degree of safety in the public’s interest, as required by law,” the inspector general said. That is so even though “FAA representatives — ranging from senior executives to local inspectors — expressed concerns about the safety culture at Southwest Airlines.”
Southwest said it has taken steps to address the report's key findings, and it “adamantly” disagreed with the critique of its safety culture.
“Southwest maintains a culture of compliance, recognizing the safety of our operation as the most important thing we do," airline spokeswoman Brandy King said in a statement. The airline works "to improve each and every day, any implication that we would tolerate a relaxing of standards is absolutely unfounded."
The report is another setback for the FAA, which is being investigated by Congress for its approval of the Boeing 737 Max, the plane that was grounded after two crashes killed 346 people. Critics have said the agency is too cozy with airlines and aircraft manufacturers.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said the report highlighted “very concerning lapses in FAA’s safety oversight." He said his committee is investigating many of the same issues.
The inspector general said the FAA accepted Southwest’s justification that any lapses at the carrier “were low safety risks." It said the agency has failed to strike a balance between collaborating with industry and managing safety safety risks.
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“FAA cannot provide assurance that the carrier operates at the highest degree of safety in the public’s interest, as required by law,” the report said.
The FAA agreed with all 11 of the inspector general's recommendations to improve oversight of Southwest, including new training for inspectors who monitor the nation's fourth-biggest airline.
The inspector general began investigating FAA’s oversight of how Southwest handles risk after an engine explosion caused a passenger’s death in April 2018.
The review found a number of problems. In addition to insufficient maintenance records on used planes, for nearly two years Southwest frequently failed to give pilots correct information about the weight and balance of loads on their planes, which the inspector general called an important safety lapse.
Last month, the FAA proposed a $3.9 million fine for improper weight calculations on more than 21,500 flights. Southwest can fight the penalty.
Southwest has said it has improved its system for calculating weight and balance of cargo.
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The report also said FAA did not evaluate Southwest's risk assessment after a hard landing last year during dangerous gusty winds — higher than Southwest pilots are trained for — at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. Both wings of the Boeing 737 were damaged when they hit the runway during the first of three attempted landings before pilots flew to another airport, where they landed safely.
The incident was first reported last month by The Wall Street Journal.
Follow @ChiTribBusiness on Facebook and @ChiTribBiz on Twitter.


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--TV show host hopes to turn up leads on fugitive accused of killing wife a day after Chicago wedding

Authorities say Arnoldo Jimenez stabbed 26-year-old Estrella Carrera to death the day after their May 2012 wedding at Chicago ’ @ @ @ @ @ was found in her Burbank apartment wearing the silver cocktail dress she wore to her @ @ @ @ @ charged with first-degree murder .
The FBI suspects he may have fled to Durango , @ @ @ @ @ added to the “ Ten Most Wanted Fugitives ” list in May 2019 .

Arnoldo Jimenez (left) is accused of killing his wife, Estrella Carrera (right), the day after their Chicago wedding in May 2012. (POLICÍA/FBI)
The 2012 murder of a suburban Chicago newlywed is the subject of Wednesday’s episode of “In Pursuit with John Walsh,” a TV show devoted to locating fugitives.
Authorities say Arnoldo Jimenez stabbed 26-year-old Estrella Carrera to death the day after their May 2012 wedding at Chicago’s City Hall. Carrera was found in her Burbank apartment wearing the silver cocktail dress she wore to her wedding reception. Jimenez was charged with first-degree murder. The FBI suspects he may have fled to Durango, Mexico, and he was added to the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list in May 2019.
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“We need the public’s assistance. I think that’s going to be our breakthrough, is getting a good tip,” FBI special agent Steve Bernard says on the episode, which is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. on the Investigation Discovery network.
Show host John Walsh — a victims rights advocate who helmed “America’s Most Wanted” for years — asks anyone with information about Jimenez to text or call 1-833-3-PURSUE or visit InPursuitTips.com. Walsh’s son, Callahan Walsh, meets with Burbank police and Carrera’s siblings on the episode.
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“It’s so sad. It changed everything. She was such a big part of everything we did,” said Carrera’s sister, Jazmin. “Arnoldo’s capture would mean that we could have a little bit of peace.”
tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--‘We’re just so happy to have her out’: Crystal Lake high school student who is in ICE custody to be

‘We’re just so happy to have her out’: Crystal Lake high school student who is in ICE custody to be released

Guzman Rivas and her father , Fabio Guzman Reyes , entered the U.S. in June 2018 and were taken into @ @ @ @ @ Fabio Guzman Reyes was charged with entering the country illegally , according to a criminal @ @ @ @ @ States District Court for the Southern District of Texas .
According to the complaint , @ @ @ @ @ , he “ entered or attempted to enter illegally into the United States '' by @ @ @ @ @ Laredo , Texas .

Meydi Guzman Rivas, a former Crystal Lake High School student, will be released from immigration detention to live with her school counselor while her case is pending, a judge ruled Wednesday. (Meydi Guzman Rivas)
A Crystal Lake High School student whose community rallied around her will be released from immigration detention to live with her school counselor while her case is pending, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Meydi Guzman Rivas, 18, fled to the United States in 2018 with her father from Honduras after gang members made death threats against their family, according to attorneys.
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Guzman Rivas was on track to graduate in the spring until a missed immigration hearing landed her in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in October, her attorney said.
After she was first detained, members of the Crystal Lake community set up a GoFundMe page on her behalf that had raised more than $10,000 as of Wednesday morning. Part of the money will go toward her $2,000 bail, according to her lawyer, Nate Reyes.
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“The judge was surprised there were people so willing to take her in. I think that’s a huge part of why she was granted bond and why it is relatively low,” Reyes said after the hearing.
Guzman Rivas is expected to be released in the next 24 hours. Reyes said the fight for the girl’s asylum case will continue. A follow-up court date has not been announced.
John Huser talks to reporters after a court hearing on Feb. 12, 2020. He and his family will house Meydi Guzman Rivas upon her release from immigration detention. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Sara Huser, her school counselor, will take Guzman Rivas in upon her release, her husband, John Huser, said Wednesday. The family plans to host a small party at their Crystal Lake home and invite her friends and teachers for pizza. Huser said his wife also plans to take her to a hair or spa appointment when she arrives.
“She’s been detained for so long,” John Huser said. “We’re just so happy to have her out. This is the right thing to do.”
Guzman Rivas and her father, Fabio Guzman Reyes, entered the U.S. in June 2018 and were taken into custody by Border Patrol. Fabio Guzman Reyes was charged with entering the country illegally, according to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. According to the complaint, dated June 20, 2018, he “entered or attempted to enter illegally into the United States" by wading the Rio Grande near Laredo, Texas.
Meydi Guzman Rivas was taken into custody at the border and charged similarly, according to her attorneys.
But Guzman Rivas and her father apparently missed a court date last February, and an order of removal was filed for their deportation, according to her attorneys. They went to court days later and learned the hearing was rescheduled for October. At that hearing, they were separated and taken into ICE custody.
Her father has different legal representation and is being held at an ICE facility in Kankakee. Meydi Guzman Rivas has been detained at an ICE facility in Pulaski County in southern Illinois. The girl’s mom and siblings are believed to still be in Honduras. It is unclear why they did not come to the U.S., attorneys said in December.
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Freelance reporter Amanda Marrazzo contributed.
jvillagomez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JessicaVillag


chicagotribune--2020-02-12--Core strength? Check. Cardio? Yes. Sex appeal? Absolutely: ‘Pole is a little of everything’

Drama and exaggeration are the name of the game in pole dancing .
A dancer starts with small , sexy @ @ @ @ @ by short spins and the occasional body roll or hip swing .
Beginners then complete @ @ @ @ @ walking around the pole while holding it with their inside arm .
Leaning outward and @ @ @ @ @ hook an ankle around the pole , completing a series of spins downward .

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