School Security Guard Had Sexual Relationship With Student: Prosecutors

(CBS) – He was hired to keep students at a Chicago high school safe. Instead, police say he was having a sexual relationship with a student.

Slowly, students at Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen are learning about the criminal charge against the man who, until Tuesday, worked as a Chicago Public Schools security guard at their school.

He is 21-year-old Ellis Davis, now charged with criminal sexual assault for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a Juarez student.

Prosecutors say the two became close in October, even smoking marijuana in Davis’ car, when she was 16. When she turned 17, they say the relationship became sexual.

Davis was arrested after the girl’s mom found text messages between the two.

A CPS spokesperson says school officials took immediate action after learning of the serious allegations and removed Davis from his security guard position.

He is out on $25,000 bond.

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Bomb Scare In Merrionette Park

(CBS) – Bomb squad members were at a Merrionette Park business Wednesday evening after a suspect threw a possible explosive device at the store.

The incident began around 5:30 p.m. at Tobacco City, 115^th and Kedzie. A man threw a small device that emitted a beeping sound at the business, police tell CBS Chicago.

Authorities evacuated the area and established a protective perimeter.

The Cook County Sheriff Bomb and Arson Unit were on the scene.

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Lottery Chairman Resigns After Tweet About East St. Louis

(WBBM Newsradio) — A tweet by the chairman of the Illinois Lottery Control Board has led to his resignation.

It was two weeks ago when Blair Garber tweeted about East Saint Louis, Illinois, calling it the “(expletive)-hole of the universe.”

The Evanston man confirmed the tweet and tells WBBM: “It was an unfortunate choice of words, and I’m sorry for any consternation it caused.”

Garber says he’s stepped down from the Lottery Control Board and has also resigned from the Illinois Republican State Central Committee.

Garber was tweeting to country music star Charlie Daniels, after Daniels had ridiculed U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Garber noted in the tweet that Durbin hails from East St. Louis, “the (expletive)-hole of the universe.”

Recently, President Trump came under criticism for reportedly using the profane expression to describe Haiti and African nations, while discussing immigration with federal lawmakers. Critics say the president’s remarks had racial overtones.

 

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Lovey Heads Home: Local Mom Helps Boy Reunite With Stuffed Animal

CHICAGO (CBS) — A Chicago-area boy will be reunited with his beloved elephant stuffed animal, thanks to the power of social media and a local mom.

Matthew, who lives on Chicago’s North Shore, has been snuggling his “Lovey” since he was born, four years ago.

Matthew snuggling with “Lovey.” (Photo provided to CBS)

While traveling home from a vacation in Grand Cayman, Matthew accidentally left the stuffed animal in a hotel room.

Matthew’s mother posted a plea for help in a mom’s group on Facebook. “I ran into one of our neighbors on our flight home and just knew in my heart that these ladies would be able to help,” Vicki told CBS 2.

Kathy, a local mom, was scrolling through her phone when the post caught her eye. She was in Grand Cayman and staying at the same hotel. Kathy quickly responded, saying that she would be happy to bring Lovey home to Matthew.

“I know how attached kids are to a sleepy comfort. My daughter Ava had her ‘ne-ne.’ She would have been sick if we lost it!” Kathy said.

Kathy snapped a photo of Lovey enjoying his extra time in paradise:

Lovey is now en route to Chicago with Kathy and her family.

(Photo provided to CBS)

“I’m just happy to help, it’s really not anything out of the ordinary. I’m sure any one of the moms would have done the same!” Kathy said.

Matthew and Lovey are expected to reunite later this week.

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Community Leaders Aim To Make Chatham A Shopping Destination

CHICAGO (CBS) — Chatham, a South Side community often in the headlines for the wrong reasons, is looking to change that perception.

Leaders want to put Chatham on the map for shopping. So, business owners and community leaders are launching a “Buy Chatham” initiative to get more people to spend money there.

“So the people who are our target markets, those millennials that love to look for things on their phones, they can now find us and therefore visit our community,” said Nedra Fears, Greater Chatham Initiative executive director.

The one-stop upscale shopping center will feature services, boutiques, stores and eateries — all of which will be available on the map as well as online.

“This map is so critical — every day, somebody comes to my website or comes by and says I didn’t even know you were here,” said Stephanie Hart owner of Brown Sugar Bakery.

The new Chatham Center Chicago is bordered by 71st and 87th Streets to the South and North, and Greenwood and Holland to the East and West.

“Chatham was an easy fix,” said Ald. Eugene Sawyer, who has lived in the community all his life. “During times of upsurge and tiff money, a lot of neighborhoods leapfrogged over Chatham.”

He added that now is the time for Chatham to upgrade, improve and catch up to the 21st Century.

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Suspect Shot By Harvey Police Officer

(CBS) – A suspect has been shot by police in south suburban Harvey.

The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday near 148^th and Dixie Highway, officials say.

Police responded to an accident involving multiple vehicles at the intersection and observed three people fleeing on foot.

One officer gave chase in a police car, according to Harvey spokesperson Sean Howard, while another stayed behind to help injured people at the accident scene.

At one point, a suspect got control of the pursuing officer’s vehicle and tried to hit him with the automobile, Howard says.

The officer shot into the police vehicle and wounded the suspect, who was taken to the hospital in good condition.

Two others are in police custody.

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Fast-Food Customer Finds Extra Item In Bag: Cocaine

(WBBM Newsradio) — Authorities in Northwest Indiana have released security camera footage that appears to show a woman attempt to sell cocaine from her downtown business late last year.

The nearly 47-minute video posted by the Northwest Indiana Times shows a woman pick up an order of food from Broad Street Gyros in Griffith in late November.

Griffith Police Cmdr. Keith Martin said before she could even get home and open the bag, the woman received frantic calls from the business.

“The people actually looked in their bag and found an extra container,” Martin tells WBBM Newsradio. “That contained a white, powdery substance which we later tested and tested positive for cocaine.”

The frantic calls to the customer came from 50-year-old Carrie Demoff, who is seen wandering through her gyro shop in the video.

“She comes directly from her office, comes up to the food preparation area in the kitchen and puts something in a container. She puts a lid on it and puts it into a bag. I think the average citizen is going to say ‘Yeah, something there’s not right.'”

Once she allegedly realizes the drugs went to the wrong customer, Demoff is seen yelling at a co-worker and frantically calling the customer.

She’s been charged with possession and attempted dealing of cocaine and is currently free on bond.

As for her business?

“It’s not expected to be re-opened,” Cmdr. Martin says.

A detailed account of the video can be found at the Times’ website.

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Challenger Questions Some Donations To Preckwinkle Fund

(WBBM Newsradio) — Democratic challenger Bob Fioretti is trying to attack Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on the issue of campaign ethics.

WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports from the Loop.

Fioretti, an attorney and former Chicago alderman, says he’s asking the county’s Board of Ethics to look into more than 50 campaign contributions to Preckwinkle.

He says the donations come from property tax lawyers, contractors, and others doing business with the county or having matters before county government.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Fioretti says  right now such contributions have legal limits of $750. Fioretti wants the Ethics Board to look into whether Preckwinkle’s campaign violated any rules by accepting donations that appeared to go far over those limits.

A spokesperson for the Preckwinkle campaign says they are in compliance with all campaign finance laws.

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Program Seeks To Find Jobs For Unemployed Youth

CHICAGO (CBS) — Many young people in the city’s disadvantaged areas want jobs, and one Chicago non-profit is trying to give them something more — skills and education that will last a lifetime.

39 percent of young African-Americans in Chicago are unemployed, and more than 20 percent of Hispanic or Latino people are also without work.

With the city’s high youth unemployment rate, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future is working to match businesses that have current, unmet hiring needs with unemployed and underemployed job seekers.

CBS 2’s Jim Williams saw the program in action. “How many of you have had a hard time finding a job?” he asked one group.

Everyone raised their hand.

“Let’s put together a two-year pathway program where the employer is going to invest in these youth in a long-term capacity,” CEO Marie Trzupek said.

Since Skills launched in September 2012, thousands of job seekers have been placed at a growing list of employer partners, the company says. According to their website, they’ve had more than 4,300 successful placements at more than 60 partners.

Skills partners with a variety of workforce and community agencies. Some include: Chase Bank, Yelp, DePaul University, United, Rush University Medical Center, University of Chicago Medicine, BMO Harris Bank and Walgreens.

“I need a career, something where I can take care of my family,” said Diamonte Woods, who’s brother was killed in a drive-by shooting. He says he, too, was on a dangerous path. “I didn’t want to end up like my brother.”

Woods is among 47 young people at Skills who interviewed with Walgreens. CBS 2 has learned the company hired 25 of those individuals, including Woods.

“I feel cared for. I feel like this is a chance for my city to be looking out for me,” Woods said.

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Bernstein: Patriots Make Super Bowl Feel Like Work

By Dan Bernstein–
670TheScore.com senior columnist

(670 The Score) Greatness is something to be appreciated from afar and celebrated by those invested in it, and in the case of the New England Patriots, it’s something less than fun.

Leave it to them to have mostly appropriated our largest secular national holiday into their routine of quirks and cliches, as they try to move mechanically toward another championship. It has become more like following as much a corporate retreat as preparation for the world’s most important football game, with players programmed to say nothing between their secret preparatory symposiums. It just grinds on, with any evidence of enjoyment seemingly held in abeyance only for the expected postgame party.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is the grim face of the operation, now such an avatar of hyper-seriousness that anything he says containing even the faintest bit of content is elevated into some attempt to make the case that he’s a normal human being. He isn’t, of course, and we know that, but it never prevents us from this apparent need to speculate that somewhere or somehow he must be. Belichick’s inherent oddness is now aped by other NFL coaches, who must think that there’s a causal relationship between that and his team’s success but unaware that it’s merely a correlation. The Patriots are good because he’s smart and ruthlessly advantageous, not because he’s strange, but that fact remains lost on those who have perpetuated his “personality” throughout the game.

The other end of the Patriots’ axis is the equally weird Tom Brady, who has to be some kind of replicant. He has always existed in a way just enough removed to add curiosity, his game elevated above almost all others for years now as he has cultivated a concurrent air of gauzy new-aginess, as if he’s football’s Gwyneth Paltrow. In no interview that he conducts does he come off as an actual person — particularly those with Jim Gray that seem composed by an alien algorithm designed to emulate typical interaction. And he’s now branching out as an exercise and diet expert, too.

Brady has been canoodling professionally with snake-oil huckster Alex Guerrero, creating a brand of overpriced products that sell the idea of eternal youth and physical perfection to gullible and unhappy fat people who have some all-too-readily disposable income. Magical recovery water, subscriptions to “brain exercise” programs and nutrition manuals are all available for purchase, as is a $150 “vibrating sphere” that’s listed under the heading of “pliability.” His diet book is bonkers, boasting baseless claims of alkalinity/acidity regulation and anti-inflammatory properties that have no actual science behind them. Though not quite to Howard Hughes levels of eccentricity, the entire late-stage Brady experience is now something less than comfortable.

Only the tight end position has given the Patriots some other sizzle in recent years, even as we account for one of them turning out to be a murderer. There have been the two stints of the delightfully different Martellus Bennett, currently on injured reserve and away from the festivities, and there’s always the redemptive goofiness of Gronk.

But Rob Gronkowski has been absent so far due to his recovery from a concussion, removing the needed leavening agent from all the heaviness. He’s incapable of embodying the essence of Patriot-ness, instead coming across as both perpetually amused and amusing. His presence has been missed sorely.

There’s another team in Minneapolis, of course, but the Super Bowl story is the Patriots. The story is always the Patriots, going about their jobs as we tick toward another kickoff.

Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score’s “Bernstein and Goff Show” in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.

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Blake Griffin Trade Highlights Issues With Max Contracts

By Matt Citak

When Blake Griffin signed his five-year, $171 million contract with the Clippers during the offseason, it wasn’t hard to predict that it wouldn’t take long for the Clippers to regret the deal. There is no doubt that Griffin is a good player- the 28-year-old is averaging 22.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game this season. However the power forward had missed at least 15 games in each of the previous three seasons, and was coming off his second consecutive year not being named an All-Star.  Yet despite all of the injury concerns that came with Griffin, the Clippers still decided to sign the former No. 1 overall pick to a five-year contract that would pay him around $35 million per season- and almost $39 million in the final year.

The thing is, Los Angeles didn’t really have much of a choice but to offer their superstar free agent the max contract last summer.

Griffin had just finished his eighth season in the league, meaning he was eligible to sign a max contract worth 30 percent of the salary cap. The forward had meetings planned with other teams, who surely would have offered him a four-year max deal, while the Clippers had just dealt Chris Paul to the Rockets. Los Angeles simply could not afford to lose their other superstar for nothing and risk its fans storming the Staples Center. So in theory, the deal made sense for both sides- the Clippers didn’t have to lose one of their superstars for nothing, while Griffin got the best possible deal.

But from a pure basketball perspective, this contract NEVER made sense for the Clippers.

As good as Griffin has been throughout his career, it would be very difficult to argue that the production he provides is worth 30 percent of a team’s salary cap. This is especially true when you consider the yearly 5-8 percent raises that kick in after each season, all while the 6-foot-10 forward gets older and his performance on the court declines. Even before receiving the max contract, it seemed as if his play was getting worse. Griffin’s last All-Star Game appearance came in 2015, which also served as the last time he earned All-NBA honors (Third Team). But if the Clippers had not offered him the max contract last summer, another team definitely would have.

Blake Griffin after signing his five-year max contract with the Clippers (Credit: Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)

And that is where the issue lies.

Despite numerous players receiving max deals each offseason, there are actually just a handful of players around the NBA that provide their team with enough production on the court to truly deserve to make that much money. This problem gets magnified even more once you add in the “supermax” deals, where players make 35 percent of the salary cap with the same yearly 5-8 percent raises. And while almost all of these players sign the max (or supermax) deals while still in their prime, by the time we get to the final year or two of these deals, most of these players are worth no where near the $35-40 million salary they are owed.

But that is what the current market dictates for the league’s stars, and as long as the NBA is making as much money as it is, that is not likely to change. NBA contracts are as inflated as ever. Add in the fact that there are at least five teams looking to make a huge splash in free agency every offseason, and it’s no wonder that the stars have leverage to demand more money than ever before.

The increasing salaries of players at every tier have made it difficult for teams to overcome the bad contracts they dish out. As we saw over the summer with the Lakers, Los Angeles had to trade away one of their best young talents (D’Angelo Russell) just to shed themselves of Timofey Mozgov’s atrocious contract. Now don’t get me wrong, Blake Griffin is light years better than Mozgov. But in return for a player that the Clippers front office believed would eventually have his number retired in the rafters of the Staples Center, the Clippers received only Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, and two draft picks.

Harris and the two picks were the main pieces that led to Los Angeles completing this trade with the Detroit Pistons (the Clippers are already looking to flip Bradley). That doesn’t sound like a lot in return for a five-time All-Star, and that’s because it isn’t.

But for a five-time All-Star with some health concerns on a whopping five-year, $173 million contract? You better believe that’s the best deal Los Angeles was getting.

There is no real solution to this issue. As long as the league continues to make a ton of money, player salaries will continue to rise. Teams will continue to overpay for free agents, both stars and rotation players, just to eventually regret handing out those contracts. The reality is, this is where the league is at right now. And unless teams can find ways to spend money more wisely, this is how the NBA is going to function for years to come.

Matt Citak is a producer for CBS Local Sports and a proud Vanderbilt alum. Follow him on Twitter or send comments to mcitak@cbs.com.

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Detained Vet’s Supporters Ask Gov. Rauner For Help

(WBBM Newsradio) — He is an Army veteran and a green card holder and has served time for a felony drug conviction.

Now, the family and friends of Miguel Perez are trying to save him from being deported to Mexico and are asking Gov. Bruce Rauner to pardon him.

They stood in front of the downtown offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, and prayed for 39-year-old Perez.

Miguel Perez (Photo supplied to CBS)

Perez — a green card holder who served two tours in Afghanistan — is being held in immigration detention in Kenosha.

He joined the demonstration by phone.

“The system has been killing me slowly, and now I’m facing death if I’m deported to Mexico, so I would rather die in the country I fought for than in a place that’s not my home.”

Perez and his supporters say he would be in danger if he’s deported to Mexico.  He hasn’t lived there since he was 8.

Last week, a federal court rejected his bid to stay. Now, his supporters are trying last-ditch efforts.

WBBM has asked Gov. Rauner’s office for comment.

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2018 Super Bowl Commercials: Best Commercials Set To Air On Super Bowl Sunday

CBS Local — The Eagles and Patriots will be battling for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, but that’s not the only competition going on that night. With 111.3 million people tuning in to see last year’s Super Bowl, advertisers will be pulling out all the spots to entertain and attract new customers with star-studded TV spots.

The year’s most expensive commercial breaks will reportedly cost businesses over $5 million to run a 30-second commercial during Sunday’s game. Luckily, you don’t have to wait until Super Bowl Sunday to see what companies will be airing during the big game as a number of the ads have already been leaked online. Here’s a preview of some of the ads you’ll see in between one of the biggest sporting events of 2018.

Budweiser – “Stand By You”

Budweiser is pulling at your heartstrings again with this ad about providing water to places across the United States that were impacted by natural disasters — specifically Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and California. Skylar Grey provides a cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” for the ad. According to Budweiser, their Cartersville, GA brewery has provided more than 79 million cans of water for relief efforts since 1988, including two million last year.

Stella Artois – “Taps”

Like Budweiser, Stella Artois will also bring a focus on water. Water.org co-founder Matt Damon stars in the ad, which promotes the partnership between the beer company and the nonprofit organization aimed at providing clean and safe drinking water to developing countries.

Amazon – “Did Alexa Lose Her Voice?” (Teaser)

The biggest star in Amazon’s teaser for it’s Super Bowl commercial is Jeff Bezos, the company’s founder and CEO. Considering the premise of the ad – which imagines the company’s efforts to replace Alexa after she loses her voice – it’s a pretty safe bet that one of the world’s richest companies will be bringing more star power to their full ad on Super Bowl Sunday.

PETA – “Redemption”

James Cromwell, the vegan actor who received an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1995 movie “Babe,” headlines a PETA ad that’s sure to generate some controversial buzz in the wake of the Super Bowl. It features a meat marketer attending confession at a church and revealing the dark secrets of his (unnamed) company’s shady packaging practices. PETA says the purpose of the ad is to convince meat-eaters to “seek redemption by choosing the only truly humane meals: vegan wings, vegan hamburgers — vegan everything.”

Pringles – “Wow”

Pringles is enlisting Bill Hader to say “wow” a bunch as he finds out that you can stack different Pringles chips on top of each other to create new flavors. Wow.

M&M’s – “Human”

This year’s M&M’s ad sees their signature red M&M character magically transform into Danny DeVito thanks to a “lucky penny.” Maybe even better than the commercial is DeVito’s explainer of how he got into the role. “Becoming Red was something really natural for me because I kind of look a little bit like him. Actually I’m in better shape than Red, but don’t tell him—he’s a little bit paunchy,” Devito told People. “But listen, we worked that out. I put on a couple, I ate a couple good dinners, got a little bit chunky. I was looking like a good Red.”

Tide – “Bradshaw’s Locked Out” (Teaser)

Terry Bradshaw is back to rep Tide during the Super Bowl again this year, though the teaser doesn’t offer much in terms of what to expect. It simply features the former Steelers quarterback being locked out of his trailer. You’ll have to tune in Sunday to see what happens to Terry.

Michelob Ultra – “The Perfect Fit”

Once upon a time, Chris Pratt was a heavyset, unkempt fellow playing Andy Dwyer on “Parks & Recreation.” Then he underwent a dramatic body transformation to become one of Hollywood’s leading action stars, and now he’s headlining Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl ad because he “defines what it means to live fit and live fun.” Andy Dwyer would have been the spokesman for something like Pabst Blue Ribbon or Busch Light. Or Tide Pods.

Universal Studios – “Peyton Manning: Vacation Quarterback”

Did you really expect Peyton Manning not to be featured in a Super Bowl commercial? This year, the legendary QB is “quarterbacking” a family’s trip to Universal Studios.

Amazon – Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan”

Amazon’s streaming service, Prime Video, will have its first-ever Super Bowl ad this year, and it will promote the new series “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.” The show will star John Krasinski (“The Office”) in the titular role, making him the fifth actor to take on Jack Ryan, following Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine.

Doritos & Mountain Dew – Blaze vs. Ice

I bet you didn’t expect to see Peter Dinklage channeling his inner Busta Rhymes or Morgan Freeman tackling Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On,” but you’re getting both this Sunday. The two will go head-to-head in a lip sync battle of sorts as they promote Doritos and Mountain Dew.

Lexus – “Black Panther”

Lexus is piggybacking on one of 2018’s most-hyped films, Marvel’s “Black Panther,” for their Super Bowl ad this year. The car company’s spot will feature the movie’s star, Chadwick Boseman, in an action-packed ad that should get the engines revving for comic book fans.

Febreze – “The Only Man Whose Bleep Don’t Stink”

This year’s Febreze ad goes hard in the “Bathroom Humor” department.

Groupon – “Who Wouldn’t?”

Following her amazing Groupon story told on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, “Girls Trip” actress Tiffany Haddish scored a gig as spokeswoman for the company. Now, she’ll be featured in their first Super Bowl ad since 2011.

Avocados From Mexico – (Teaser)

Avocados From Mexico love getting really weird people to do really weird things for their really weird commercials, so it makes sense that Chris Elliott has been enlisted by the company this year. Elliott will have big shoes to fill, as Jon Lovitz was the employed weirdo during last year’s big game.

[H/T CBS Sports]

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Rauner’s State Of The State Vow: A Balanced Budget

CHICAGO (CBS) — In his fourth State of the State address, Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday covered a wide variety of topics, but emphasized the need to ignite Illinois’ economy.

Rauner called the state’s property taxes a vicious form of oppression. “The system traps people in their homes, vaporizes their equity, drives mortgages under water, and in some cases, pushes people out of our state. It is time to put a stop to the corruption.”

 

School funding reforms were among the governor’s highlighted accomplishments. “We enacted historic reforms to end one of the most inequitable school funding formulas in the country. Rauner said. “For most districts it will be a welcome and long overdue infusion of new money for their programs. Now, need dictates resources, not zip codes.”

He also spoke of the need to regain public confidence. “80 percent of the state’s voters want term limits. The other 20 percent, it seems, are seated in this chamber and in elected Illinois courts. It is past time to make this good governance move. Put term limits on the ballot and let the people decide.”

LISTEN: Leaders of the Illinois House react to Rauner’s speech:

 

The governor earned his biggest applause of the day when he vowed to submit a balanced budget proposal next month. “It is time we do what the people of Illinois want. Halt the advance of taxes. Stop spending money we don’t have. Get our pensions under control. And give power back to the people of Illinois.”

Rauner’s address is six weeks away from the March primary, where he’ll face Rep. Jeanne Ives and six other Democratic challengers.

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Reports: Former Bull, 13-Year NBA Veteran Rasual Butler, Wife Die In Car Crash

(670 The Score) Rasual Butler, a 13-year NBA veteran who briefly played for the Bulls in 2011, died in a car crash with his wife, Leah LaBelle, early Wednesday morning, according to reports.

Butler was 38. TMZ first reported the news, saying that Butler lost control of his vehicle and hit a parking meter, with police believing speeding was involved.

Butler averaged 7.5 points per game in his career and was beloved across the NBA. He played for eight different teams.

 

 

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Transgender Inmates Lawsuit

CHICAGO (AP) — Six transgender inmates are suing the Illinois Department of Corrections in federal court, alleging inadequate medical care at state facilities.

The class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in southern Illinois claims the women’s constitutional rights are being violated.

It alleges cruel and unusual punishment for delays or denials of treatment and that the department “systematically fails to provide necessary medical treatment” such as hormone therapy for gender dysphoria. That’s a medical condition where a person feels trapped in the body of the wrong sex.

The inmates seek immediate medical treatment.

Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois are representing the women.

Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states.

The complaint names Gov. Bruce Rauner and several Department of Corrections officials. Messages seeking comment weren’t immediately returned.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

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Is Seattle The Next City In Line For An NHL Team?

By Steve Silverman

Bumbling Habs have no chance of regaining stride in second half

This season has been an abject disaster for the Montreal Canadiens.

Barring a miracle run in the second half of the season, the Habs will miss the playoffs this year and it won’t even be close. They started the second half of the season with a mind-numbing 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, and that game is typical of the way the team played in the first half of the season.

The Canadiens have plenty of faults, but the biggest is that they just can’t put the puck in the net. Their only goal against the Blues came with just over a minute remaining in the game, and legitimate scoring chances were at a premium for 60 minutes. Once the Blues took a two-goal lead, the Canadiens had as much chance of winning the game as a visitor has of climbing a rope to get out of the Grand Canyon.

General manager Marc Bergevin is likely several weeks away from getting thrown out of the Molson Center. Bergevin is charged with putting a representative team on the ice, and he has done a fairly brutal and somewhat indefensible job since taking on the role of building the Montreal roster following the 2011-12 season.

No matter how long he has left on the job, you can be sure that Bergevin knows that the current makeup of the team is not acceptable, and there’s a good chance he will move some of the team’s best assets in an attempt to build the team up for the 2018-19 or 2019-20 season.

That means that Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Shea Weber could be on the move. While it’s unlikely that all three will take off the bleu, blanc y rouge, it would be a shock if one or two of them are not traded.

Pacioretty could bring a combination of a legitimate NHL player along with a prospect or two and a draft pick, and that’s more than anyone else on the roster could bring.

Head coach Claude Julien jumped on the Canadiens’ offer to coach the team a year ago after he was fired by the Boston Bruins. While it was a feather in his cap that he was on the unemployment line for just a few days, he may be regretting that he took the job so quickly.

The pressure in Montreal is unlike any other city in the league, and nearly all of it is on Bergevin since the Canadiens are 20-24-6 and 10 points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Once the team decides to get rid of Bergevin, that pressure will shift to Julien, and the former Stanley Cup-winning coach knows it.

Bettman points video review in right direction

Commissioner Gary Bettman is known for handing out the Stanley Cup every year and getting booed vociferously for being … well … Gary Bettman.

He is an easy and deserving (for the most part) target, and most hockey fans have little use for him. However, Bettman is on the right track when it comes to video review.

At the recent All-Star festivities, Bettman advised referees not to “overthink” when it comes to making rulings on coaching challenges for goalie interference.

The last thing the sport needs is for goals to get wiped out because of officials’ rulings. It’s hard to score goals, and taking goals off the scoreboard is depressing for all concerned – except the goaltender that allowed the puck to enter the net.

If there’s obvious interference, the goal should not count. But incidental contact that does not prevent the goalie from making a legitimate attempt to stop the puck should not be overturned.

That’s a common-sense opinion by Bettman. He will still get booed when he hands out the Cup in June, but he has at least taken a positive stance on a key issue.

Count on it: Seattle will get NHL’s 32^nd franchise

The Vegas Golden Knights continue to do amazing things as an expansion team and they are within one point of being the No. 1 team in the NHL with two-plus months to go in the regular season.

Their 4-2 win at Calgary Tuesday night was shocking, as the Knights scored three goals in the final 1:46 to steal the victory from the crestfallen Flames.

Vegas is likely to have company on the expansion front from Seattle. Billionaire David Bonderman is going to submit a formal application, along with a $10 million fee for consideration.

Eventually, expect the Bonderman group to pay $650 million or more for the right to bring a franchise to the Pacific Northwest.

How fast can it happen? If everything moves quickly, the Seattle team could begin playing by the 2019-20 season. That may be a bit fast, and Seattle will almost certainly have its franchise on the ice by 2020-21 at the latest.

Big deadline prize: John Tavares

John Tavares is clearly one of the top 10 players in the NHL, and perhaps in the top five.

His contract with the New York Islander is up at the end of the season, and if he is not signed to a new contract by June 30, he will become a free agent July 1.

The Islanders are on the outside of the playoffs looking in, and it seems almost certain that Tavares will take advantage of his status and opt to become a highly pursued free agent. If he hasn’t signed to this point, what can the Islanders do to get him to put his name on new paper?

What will the Islanders do? If they do nothing, they can try to turn things around and make a run at a playoff spot. Or, should they trade him and try to get a solid return from a team that is willing to rent his services as they pursue a Stanley Cup?

There’s no easy answer, because the Islanders would need to create a multi-team bidding situation to get a boxcar return for Tavares.

But even if they do that, what will the fan base think of a team that trades its best player?

Either way, general manager Garth Snow has a crucial decision to make, and then he must sell it to the fan base.

It won’t be easy.

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Aspiring Rapper Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing Gun While Filming Video

CHICAGO (CBS) — An aspiring rapper has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a gun while filming a music video last year in Deerfield.

Ricardo Burgos, 31, performs under the name “Nation” and possessed a handgun while filming a music video in January 2016 inside a hotel room in north suburban Deerfield, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Burgos had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and was not legally allowed to possess a gun.

Burgos could be seen in the video “holding two firearms while rapping about selling drugs, committing acts of violence, and disrespecting law enforcement,” prosecutors said. He brought a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol to the West Side Austin neighborhood a short time later, where he was arrested by Chicago Police.

Investigators later learned that the gun had been reported stolen from a store in Indiana and was used in a shooting in Chicago two days before the music video was filmed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Burgos pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of distribution of a controlled substance, prosecutors said. The drug charge stemmed from Burgos selling 4 grams of crack cocaine and 1.4 grams of heroin to undercover police officers in 2015.

U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman sentenced Burgos to 188 months in prison.

He is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, according to Federal Bureau of Prison records.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)

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Emanuel Critical Of Trump’s Immigration Plan

CHICAGO (CBS/WBBM) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel is critical of the immigration reforms President Donald Trump outlined in his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Emanuel said it’s wrong for anyone to demonize any part of society, which he said he feels Trump did when talking about undocumented immigrants during his speech.

My message before President Trump’s #SOTU: pic.twitter.com/ngERa0GODp

— Mayor Rahm Emanuel (@ChicagosMayor) January 31, 2018

“I want everybody — regardless of what your original language, your original culture — be proud of it, as I am of my own,” the mayor said. “But we have one city, one future, and everybody has the chance to participate in that.”

When Trump outlined his Administration’s immigration plan Tuesday, he said officials have met “extensively” with both parties.

“Over the next few weeks, the House and Senate will be voting on an immigration reform package. In recent months, my Administration has met extensively with both Democrats and Republicans to craft a bipartisan approach to immigration reform. Based on these discussions, we presented the Congress with a detailed proposal that should be supported by both parties as a fair compromise — one where nobody gets everything they want, but where our country gets the critical reforms it needs.”

Pres. Trump outlines administration's immigration plan: "The first pillar of our framework generously offers a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age." https://t.co/q18EZzVe9p #SOTU pic.twitter.com/xCeOa0lFAj

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 31, 2018

The four pillars of the plan:

• Offers a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. by their parents illegally as children
• Calls for construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border
• Ends the visa lottery — “a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of our people,” Trump said. “It is time to begin moving towards a merit-based immigration system — one that admits people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society, and who will love and respect our country.”
• The last pillar, Trump said, “protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration…Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children.”

The White House has called Trump’s immigration plan a compromise both sides can support.

A CBS News poll conducted in the immediate aftermath of the speech indicated that it was a hit with viewers. Three in four Americans who watched the speech said they approved of it, with just a quarter saying they did not.

8 in 10 Americans who watched Pres. Trump's #SOTU address felt he was trying to unite the country, rather than divide it. Two-thirds said the speech made them feel proud, though just a third said it made them feel safer, CBS News poll finds https://t.co/SRoN9NzmKE pic.twitter.com/bvyG3myhgt

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 31, 2018

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Say Hello: Killer Whale Learns To Mimic Human Speech

CBS Local — Many people go to an aquarium to look at the whales but researchers say one killer whale in France would be happy to have a conversation with you too. A 14-year-old orca name Wikie has learned to imitate human speech through the use of her blowhole.

The orca, living at the Marineland aquarium in Antibes, France, has copied several phrases like “hello,” “bye-bye,” “one, two, three,” and even people’s names. “We wanted to see how flexible a killer whale can be in copying sounds,” the University of St. Andrews’ Josep Call said, via The Guardian.

According to the tests Wikie took, the amazing mammal successfully copied all of the sounds researchers asked her to mimic within the first 10 tries. Wikie reportedly mastered saying hello on the first attempt.

“The results reported here show that killer whales have evolved the ability to control sound  production and qualify as open-ended vocal learners,” the scientists wrote in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

The talkative Wikie is reportedly the first orca to be trained to repeat human sounds. The captive whale is still working her pronunciation however, as the study reports she accurately said “hello” about half of the time and “bye-bye” once every five tries.

Biologists are now working to see if Wikie and other mammals who have learned to mimic human speech actually understand the meaning of the words they’re “saying.” Another study, examining an elephant that learned to speak, concluded that animals use their new-found skill more as a way of bonding with humans rather than actually talking to humans.

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Field Museum Scientists Studying Meteorite Found After January Fireball

CHICAGO (WBBM Newsradio/CBS) — Scientists at the Field Museum have begun studying one of the meteorites that recently showered a 2-mile swath of Michigan outside Detroit, and already know where in the Solar System it came from.

The golf ball-sized meteorite was recovered on a frozen pond in Michigan after a fireball lit up the sky on Jan. 16, when a meteor fell to Earth.

Philip Heck, the Field Museum’s Pritzker Associate Curator for Meteorites and Polar studies, has determined where the meteor came from, based on its composition.

“It’s a rocky type of asteroid. Most of them, they orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter,” he said.

Heck said the meteorite is a chondrite, which come from primitive asteroids formed from various types of dust and grains present in the early Solar System.

“I often get the question ‘Why do you study this? Why are you interested in the early Solar System?’ but the early Solar System is particularly important, because the conditions there defined how the Solar System looks like today,” he said.

Field Museum resident and University of Chicago PhD student Jennika Greer at the optical microscope imaging the Michigan meteorite after it arrived at the Field Museum’s Robert A. Pritzker Center for Meteoritics and Polar Studies. (Credit: Robert A. Pritzker Center for Meteoritics and Polar Studies.)

While scientists have not yet dated the meteorite, it’s likely 4.6 billion years old.

Heck sliced off a section of the shiny black rock, revealing a much different interior made up of minerals now being studied.

Weather radar information helped meteor hunters find the rock and several others in Michigan.

Captions for initial photos regarding Michigan meteorite Provided by Philipp R. Heck, Robert A. Pritzker Center for Meteoritics and Polar Studies, The Field Museum of Natural History Professional meteorite hunter Robert Ward posing with the first meteorite that was found from the January 16, 2018 meteorite fall. The meteorite was found two days after the fall on the snow-covered surface of a frozen lake near Hamburg, Michigan. (Credit: Robert Ward)

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Emma: With Tone Set, Rick Hahn Ready To Watch White Sox Grow

By Chris Emma–

(670 The Score) The spotlight awaited and the runway beckoned as the White Sox of the future emerged one by one. There was a palpable buzz at SoxFest last Friday as fans reached their hands out toward their potential stars of tomorrow passing by.

As promising youngsters like Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Michael Kopech and Eloy Jimenez stepped up to the elevated platform, general manager Rick Hahn couldn’t hold back his smile.

Hahn certainly drew a rousing ovation as he, too, walked down the aisle. This SoxFest was different than any in recent years, as the excitement was placed in a clear vision with the goal of sustained championship contention. Unlike last year’s SoxFest when the rebuild was in its infancy, Hahn could yield the spotlight to these players on the rise.

The first year of the dramatic White Sox overhaul featured Hahn explaining his vision time and again while working the phone to strengthen the foundation. This season, the focus is on the prospects and their development after flashes of their potential.

They’re all invested in this together.

“The young guys have taken a great deal of pride in this,” Hahn said. “You hear them talk about themselves as a group. They say things like, ‘We’re building something special’ or ‘We’re going to be really good’ or ‘We want to win multiple championships.’ It’s not necessarily about their individual performance. It’s about how, together, we’re going to grow and win together in Chicago.”

This 2018 season will be crucial in evaluating which prospects fit where in the White Sox’s future, according to Hahn, who reminds often that many prospects don’t pan out. The White Sox will get a better feel for the development track of players like Jimenez, Luis Robert and Blake Rutherford and see whether Jake Burger is best suited at third base or first base. They’ll assess whether Gavin Sheets can be a lineup threat and watch as Kopech, Alec Hansen and Dane Dunning try to establish themselves as starters.

How Moncada, Giolito, Lopez and Carson Fulmer develop during their first full seasons in the big leagues will be critical as well. Hahn has taken the horse to the water. Now they must drink.

Of course, this season is also beneficial because a class of coveted free agents will be available next offseason, and Hahn expects to have the money to make a splash if needed. Could Manny Machado join that White Sox core?

Hahn was having no part in answering questions about Machado or other high-profile players set to become available after this season.

“You got to wait for there to be a need,” Hahn said of free-agent spending. “Look, it would be marvelous if every need was answered internally. That would be great. That would be a wonderful development and also probably an unprecedented one.

“You can look around the field and see incredible options at every position. A year from now, as these guys advance, we’re going to know a lot more — from a performance standpoint, from a health standpoint, from a makeup standpoint — which one of these guys is really going to be counted upon to potentially fill that void and where potentially in the organization do we have some holes that need to be addressed either through free agency or by trading something from a prospect-depth standpoint for an area of need. So, we’ll know a lot more in a year.”

Part of what makes Hahn so beloved by White Sox fans is he’s relatable as they come. He’s the smartest guy in most rooms but doesn’t make sure you know it. Hahn has also brought a refreshing transparency to the organization amid a major undertaking in progress. In turn, he has earned the trust of the White Sox fan base, one that has embraced him every move along the way.

Hahn still draws a crowd as he walks through the Hilton Chicago hallways during a SoxFest or as he moves through the concourse of Guaranteed Rate Field on a game day. There are plenty of T-shirts with his likeness owned by White Sox fans giving him a hero’s welcome. What Hahn wants is to see jerseys with Moncada, Kopech, Giolito and Robert on the back. Those could come soon enough.

Hahn has accomplished the first and most important goal of the rebuild, swapping off veteran assets for talented prospects to bring the White Sox one of baseball’s best farm systems. They’re now a healthy organization seemingly ready for something special ahead thanks to Hahn.

The spotlight is set for the White Sox of the future.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670 The Score 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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Cook County Jail Prepares For Blitz Of ‘Sick Calls’ During Super Bowl

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Many businesses that will be open Sunday face a seasonal staffing problem known as “Super Bowl Fever,” including the Cook County Jail.

Super Bowl Sunday is one of those days when huge numbers of Cook County Jail correctional officers historically have called in sick, leaving the Sheriff’s Office to force other officers to stick around for overtime.

“Last year, we had approximately 350 staff that called in sick,” Cook County Sheriff’s Chief Policy Officer Cara Smith said.

Smith says the Sheriff’s Office knows who may have abused those privileges in the past on Super Bowl Sunday, and that they’re going to be warned ahead of time this year.

She also says some correctional officers call in sick in fear of being kept for overtime when other officers don’t show up.

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Train Carrying Some House Republicans Hits Truck In Virginia; 2 Illinois Reps Unhurt

CHICAGO (CBS) — Illinois Congressmen Peter Roskam and Randy Hultgren and several other House Republicans on their way to a retreat in West Virginia were on board a train that hit a garbage truck Wednesday morning in Virginia.

The chartered Amtrak train left Union Station in Washington, D.C., around 8:30 a.m., and the train hit the back of a garbage truck around 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virginia.

Roskam’s office confirmed he and his wife were on the train, but were not hurt.

“To the best of my knowledge everyone that was on the train is fine. I’m trying to learn what the plan is for them now,” Roskam spokeswoman Veronica Vera said.

Hultgren’s office confirmed he also was on the train.

Fellow Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger announced on Twitter that he was not on the train, but it was unclear if any other House Republicans from Illinois were on the train.

I have taken alternative transportation to the GOP retreat today & was not on this train. Continuing to check in with colleagues & praying for those injured.

— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) January 31, 2018

Rep. Jeff Denham (R-California) tweeted a photo of damage to the front of the train.

.@maryaliceparks Front of the train heading to the Greenbrier pic.twitter.com/QGUxUbo8m7

— Jeff Denham (@RepJeffDenham) January 31, 2018

President Trump is meeting with his national security team but is aware of the accident, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Amtrak released a statement on the incident that said the train “came into contact with a vehicle that was on the tracks at 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Va. There are no reported injuries to passengers or crew members. Local law enforcement is investigating the incident and crews are inspecting equipment for damage.”

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‘Serial Stowaway’ To Undergo Psychiatric Exam

CHICAGO (CBS) — A Cook County judge ordered a behavioral clinic exam for Marilyn Hartman during her back-to-back court hearings Wednesday morning.

Hartman is accused of repeatedly slipping past security and boarding planes at O’Hare Intentional Airport.

The psychological evaluation will test her sanity at the time she allegedly committed the crimes, as well as if she is fit to stand trial with or without medication.

During the hearings, Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. asked Hartman’s defense attorney, Parle Roe-Taylor, if the 66-year-old Grayslake woman has family. Roe-Taylor responded “yes,” but Hartman objected and yelled, “No, I don’t!”

Judge Bourgeois then asked, “Is she under the care of a medical professional?” Roe-Taylor said “no,” but Hartman again interjected, blurting out “yes.”

 

Less than one week ago, Hartman was in court pleading to go home after being arrested earlier this month for flying to London from Chicago on a British Airlines flight without a ticket.

She promised the judge she would stay away from O’Hare and Midway airports. However, this past Sunday morning, she was arrested again at O’Hare. Employees in the area of the airport that caters to privately owned airplanes spotted Hartman. She was told to leave but refused, so employees called police.

In the past two years, she’s been arrested several times for slipping by TSA or gate agents. She has also been in and out of voluntary mental health treatment for years.

Roe-Taylor is asking for an alternative to jail time. “She is not violent, none of the offenses have anything to do with violence. She’s not pushing past anyone in any of these incidents, she’s not hurting personnel even when she’s at the airport. So I don’t think that at 66 that this is the place she should be.”

Hartman is being held without bond until her next court date Feb. 13.

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Former White Sox Outfielder, 17-Year MLB Veteran Oscar Gamble Passes Away At 68

(670 The Score) Oscar Gamble, a 17-year MLB veteran who played seasons for the White Sox and began his big league career with the Cubs, has passed away at 68, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

Gamble’s best season came with the White Sox in 1977, when he had a career-high 31 homers. The Cubs selected Gamble, an Alabama native, in the 16th round of the 1968 amateur draft. He then debuted for the Cubs in 1969, playing in 24 games.

Gamble would play for seven teams in his career, including seven seasons for the Yankees. In addition to spending 1977 with the White Sox, he finished his career for them in 1985. Gamble had 200 career homers.

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Sources: Feds Arrest 6 Chicago Cops For Stealing Cash, Drugs From Dealers

CHICAGO (CBS) — Six Chicago police officers were in federal custody, and charges were pending against them Wednesday morning, for allegedly stealing money and drugs from drug dealers, sources have confirmed to CBS Chicago.

Police sources said the FBI performed at least three sting operations, each time catching officers stealing drugs and money on surveillance video.

On one occasion, the team stole nearly $20,000 from one drug dealer.

As many as seven officers were involved, and six of them were in federal custody. All officers are assigned to the Ogden District on the West Side. The officers have been under investigation by the FBI for more than a year, sources said.

Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi declined to confirm or comment on the allegations.

“Integrity and accountability are paramount to the Chicago Police Department. To that end, we can not comment on any investigation – internal or otherwise – until or unless criminal charges are filed,” he stated in an email.

The FBI also declined comment on the case.

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Levine: Eloy Jimenez’s Play Figures To Pressure White Sox For Big League Promotion

By Bruce Levine–

(670 The Score) As the next wave of talented prospects moves through the White Sox farm system, the player who will be watched most closely is 21-year-old outfielder Eloy Jimenez, who has a legitimate chance to reach the big leagues in 2018.

The jewel return in the White Sox’s trade of left-hander Jose Quintana to the Cubs last June, Jimenez is a consensus top-five prospect in baseball. He hit .312 with 19 homers, 65 RBIs and a .947 OPS in in 369 plate appearances across two levels in 2017, when he finished the season at Double-A.

“I can’t wait to get to the bigs,” Jimenez said at SoxFest last Saturday. “When the call comes, I will be ready for it. I feel I am close to getting to the big leagues. I don’t make that decision. My job is to work hard and get there that way.”

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn has been impressed. And while he hasn’t set a rough timeline for when he believes Jimenez could arrive in Chicago, he knows it could be sooner than later.

“Eloy has pushed it a little bit,” Hahn said. “The one thing you don’t know for sure about a player when you trade for them is makeup. Our scouts do a really good job of that. We had really strong reports on Eloy in that area. He has surpassed those projections and then some. He has a great work ethic. Eloy has great leadership ability. He gets along so well with his teammates.

“Eloy has only 75 appearances above the Class-A level. If he spends the entire season at Double-A and performs like he did the three weeks he was there last season, that is really, really good. The good ones, however, have a way of changing your timeline on that (big league promotion). It is not going to shock me if over the summer Eloy forces our hand a bit.”

At the White Sox’s hitters’ camp in Arizona a couple weeks ago, Jimenez’s power and talent was on full display for the coaching staff.

“I can only go on BP so far,” White Sox hitting coach Todd Steverson said. “I have not seen him take live at-bats in games except on video. I can tell you about his advanced mental approach. The thought process is impressive. I have watched him stay even-keel after bad plate appearances. The young man is just as impressive as a person. He is said to be able to take the good and the bad and keep moving. That is one of the traits the coaches have observed about him.”

The raw power of the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Jimenez is what stands out to so many.

“He has got some real power,” Steverson rsaid. “You can’t teach that. He has very good hands. Yeah, he has really good hands and a good base and balance. I don’t think he is just a power guy, I think everyone is more excited that he is a hitter. I just like hitters. If you can hit a home run with your usual hitting style, great. He has both tools. That is the best attribute he has now.”

A Dominican Republic native, Jimenez has also been impactful with his teammates off of the field. With a lot of work, he’s closer to mastering the English language. That was a goal from the time he signed with the Cubs at age 16. Jimenez has been compared to David Ortiz at a similar point in his development with the Twins organization, and some have attached the gregarious “Big Papi” personality to Jimenez as well.

“I have been able to meet a lot of the players in the organization last week,” Jimenez said. “They mostly have been traded here like me. They feel the same as I do. The Sox have made us all family. That is something really good for all of us.”

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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Most Technologically Advanced Cars At The 2018 Chicago Auto Show

By Mark G. McLaughlin

Technological breakthroughs seem to happen every day, and the auto industry is on the cutting edge. Many new cars not only include advanced communication and information systems, but also use video game-like technology to make driving easier. The engines that power cars, of course, is where automakers are competing most heavily on the technology front, with hybrids, plug-ins and even hydrogen cars now available and affordable to the mass market. Here are just five of the most technologically advanced cars that will be on display this February at the Chicago Auto Show.

2018 Chicago Auto Show
McCormick Place
2301 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60616
(630) 495-2282

Date: February 10 – 19
Time: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. every day except the last (8 p.m. on Feb. 19)
www.chicagoautoshow.com 

Kia Optima Hybrid Plug-In

The Kia Optima Hybrid Plug-In boasts 103 mpg and delivers that in a sedan that starts as low as $35,000. Kia believes that for technology to be truly advanced, it also has to be available to as many consumers as possible. The plug-in can run purely on electric for 29 miles between charges, but for short hops around town to the store or school, that could be enough for many buyers. The Optima has a lot of other very advanced technologies on board, both for safety and infotainment, and provides it all at a far more reasonable price than many other hybrids.

Toyota Mirai

The hydrogen-fueled Toyota Mirai boasts a truly impressive and revolutionary technology suite. It can go 300 miles on a full tank and its twin hydrogen tanks take less than five minutes to fill, even if dry. The Mirai manages a very respectable 150 plus HP, and its regenerative braking system even replenishes the storage battery. The car handles well, is very comfortable and comes with a host of electronic options. Although so far only available in California, the Toyota Mirai is quite literally tomorrow’s technology today.

Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

The Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is a seven-seater, all-wheel-drive SUV with an interior that would make a luxury car envious. Its 3.0 liter V6 is paired with three electric motors (two 72 HP and one 47 HP) capable of putting out over 320 horses, which is a lot for a hybrid. The seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission makes for a very smooth ride, and throttle response, steering mode and suspension feel can all be adjusted quite literally with just the push of a button.

Chevrolet Sonic

The Chevrolet Sonic “is proof that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get the latest in tech features,” or so observes U.S. News and World Report. Standard hi-tech features include a seven-touch infotainment system, a rearview camera, Apple Car Play and Android Auto. It handles very well and, despite its low price (under $16K), adds U.S. News, “it doesn’t skimp on features.” Despite being a subcompact it has been engineered by Chevy to provide more leg room and more cargo space than other cars in its class – and that alone is something of a tech breakthrough.

Audi A4

The Audi A4 is a “technological powerhouse” says U.S. News and World Report. Its unique-to-Audi “Virtual Cockpit” incorporates video game technology to replace the typical instrument panel. The standard Audi Multimedia Interface infotainment package is impressive as it is, but can be boosted with an upgrade that will blow away even the most tech-savvy drivers. Best of all, Audi has managed to make all of this unique advanced technology available at around $35,000.

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