Walmart protests draw crowds, shoppers largely unfazed









Dozens of local workers, and hundreds nationally, took advantage of Black Friday crowds and camera crews at major retailers like Walmart to call for wage increases.

But there was little evidence that the chanting disrupted holiday shoppers.

Steven Restivo, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Stores, said the chain had done its "best Black Friday event ever" despite protests organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union in Chicago and other cities.

At a Walmart in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood on the south side, only one of the store's 500 employees took part in the demonstration, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer said. "Almost all the folks you'll see protesting today are not Walmart associates," Restivo said. "I guess you can't believe everything you read in a union press release."

According to the union, protests took place in Miami and Washington, D.C., with additional events planned at Midwestern and Southern stores.

Walmart has so far avoided a union presence, which has become cumbersome for competitors like Jewel-Osco and Dominick's Finer Foods. Those chains have been closing stores as Walmart has expanded locally.

Separately Friday, dozens of members of the Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago and its supporters marched from the Loop to the Magnificent Mile to demand a $15 minimum wage and union contracts for downtown workers. Organized on November 15, the union has about 150 members and has received financial support from Service Employees International Union, Action Now and Stand Up Chicago.

Deborah Sims, marching Friday, said she worked at Macy's for 12 years, eventually making $13 an hour, before losing her job during the recession. She was rehired last holiday season, but at $8.50 an hour, with no benefits.

Sims said she expects retailers to turn to younger, less-experienced workers because "$8.25 an hour is going to look good to them."

Macy's did not respond to a request for comment.

Peter Gill, a spokesman for the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, called the demand for a $15 minimum wage dangerous "because people are out looking for jobs and it's tough in this economy."

He explained that if retailers were forced to nearly double the starting hourly wage, "you're going to have to cut the number of employees."

Reuters contributed to this story.



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For early Black Friday shoppers, mission accomplished

Ambitious holiday shoppers skipped dessert on Thanksgiving to get a good spot in line for this Black Friday. (Posted Nov. 23rd, 2012)








Black Friday frenzy is not created equal for all retailers.

Even if they don't have specials or promotions, small and independent businesses can be subject to a shopping center's early opening hours.

At the Woodfield Mall, Candy World owner Parul Patel manned her shop alone starting at midnight Friday without any specials.

The store's customer base is made up of children and teenagers, and the merchandise is at a low price point. This means business was normal, if not slow during some parts of the night, Patel said.

To fill some of the time, she read a newspaper, topped off candy containers and people-watched. The mall was busier than usual, but Patel said: "Nobody is here, you can see."

This year was the first mandatory 12 a.m. opening for the metro area's largest shopping center. Of Woodfield Mall's nearly 300 businesses across 2.2 million square feet, only about 20 stores didn't open at that time, according to the  mall's general manager, Marc Strich.

Retailers and customers had asked for the early hours, Strich said. Last year, the mall held a "volunteer" midnight opening, and about 20 stores participated.

As is typical, stores other than big-box retailer are required to be open when the mall is, Strich said, though he declined to talk about whether there were any fined or punishments for those that aren't.

Sears opened Thursday at 8 p.m., while Nordstrom's didn't open until 9 a.m. Friday, Strich said.

Amanda Lewkowicz, the store manager at PJ's Avon Beauty Center, said it didn't initially want to open at midnight after disappointing sales last year.

"We didn't want to be open at midnight because it didn't pick up until 5 a.m. last year," Lewkowicz said. "We felt it didn't benefit us."

The store is a rare brick-and-mortar outlet for Avon beauty products, which is typically sold through catalogs and sales representatives. That "destination" business model for PJ's Avon means customers typically seek them out, Lewkowicz said.

Being independently owned also requires its own promotional efforts, which included emailing its customer list and cold-calling others.

"(Other stores) do commercial advertising. We can only do so much," Lewkowicz said.

Jessica Foch had only sold one pack of cigarettes by noon at the smoke shop on Division Street in Wicker Park, in spite of her boss's insistence that a Black Friday special on hookahs would bring in throngs of shoppers.

The 24-year-old store manabger admitted that 25 percent off a $300 hookah is a pretty big discount but said she didn't expect to see them fly off the shelf.

"People don't go to little shops like this on Black Friday. They go to Target and Kmart," she said.

With pink hair, sparkly black nail polish and fingerless gloves, Foch said she once worked for Wal-Mart and hates the way people treat each other on Black Friday

She plans to spend at least $100 on her boyfriend and give generously to friends. But she won't be shopping today.

"I know somebody who got punched in the face for a toaster," she said, "a toaster."

The line may seem impressive outside St. Alfred's -- a streetwear clothier in Wicker Park -- but that's because the tiny shop is only letting in one person at a time, apparently to avoid a run on the Michael Jordan sneakers out Friday.

"But we don't even want them," said Armin Hajdarovic, 17, bundled up outside the store with a half a dozen friends as it began to snow.

The crew of Northsiders was waiting to get inside to buy shirts at 20 percent off.

Asked who they were shopping for, the group said: themselves, of course.

By 9:30 a.m. on Black Friday, still a half hour before Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard would open on any other weekday, Santa was in his green armchair and lines had queued at Caribou Coffee for those refueling, some after an entire night of shopping.

At the food court, three sisters sipped from cartons of orange juice, their daughters having awakened them hours before dawn for a 4 a.m. excursion. One, Patricia Baker, 54, of Maywood, had made an 8 p.m. jaunt to Target Thursday and a midnight run to Anna's Linens.

Now, she and her sisters, Donna Holliday, 48, of Bellwood, and Carolyn Baker, 56, of Lombard, and their daughters had spread their J.C. Penney, Forever 21, Victoria's Secret and Bath and  Body Works bags across several tables, taking a break before heading to Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora.

The sisters hadn't been able to get together for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, so shopping signified bonding time.

"I'm just hanging with my sisters and nieces," said Holliday. "Just hangin'."

Baker added that she lets her daughter, Jahanna Baker, 19, and nieces, Azia and Amber Welch, both 17, do most of the shopping while she and her sisters chat at the follow. 


"My income has become more secure," said Carolyn, a nurse. "The fear has died down. My work hours are more steady." She plans to spend a couple thousand dollars more this year, including a new stove she bought for herself.

Holliday, too, says she has been working more hours this year and plans to spend a couple  hundred dollars more .

"I buy what I like," she said, "as long as I'm not broke."

At the courtyard in front of Von Maur at Yorktown, three generations of shoppers sat on a bench with bags from the Gap, Justice, Claire's and Aeropostale around their feet.

Kathy Zuehlke, 69, had driven in from Rantoul, in central Illinois, to go shopping with her daughter, Lisa Salgado, 43, and granddaughter Alicia Salgado, 14, both of Rockford.

It was the first time Alicia had joined the decade-long tradition, which Kathy views as "a chance to get together because we're all spread out across Illinois."

They followed a system, scouring the circulars from three newspapers before plotting a course that took them to Target on Thanksgiving evening, back at a relative's house to nap for a few hours and on to Kohl's, Best Buy, Toys "R" Us and Yorktown.

They had budgeted about as much for gifts this year as the last, about $300 to $500 for Lisa and $800 to $900 for Kathy, who says she has several grandchildren to spoil.

They pay in cash, however, so as not to overspend.  The deals they snagged on Black Friday, including 60 percent off most apparel, helped them stay within budget, too.

In Chicago's rapidly gentrifying Logan square neighborhood, most shops and restaurants were closed Black Friday, but not Torres-Omar Jewelry.

The tiny shop, near the Blue Line stop, was offering double discounts on watches.

Bob Garza -- dressed as Santa Claus and handing out fliers for the jewelry store and candy canes as CTA riders exited the train station -- said he usually delivers groceries for Mariano's but the shop is closed through the weekend so he got out his Santa outfit to make a little extra cash.

Tomorrow, Santa will be handing out Chamber of Commerce fliers on Belmont.

"The economy is bad right now," he said. "There's work out there. You just have to create it."

Across the street at the jewelry store, Jose Torres, the store's owner, said they've been in the same location since 1980 and stay open Black Friday because their regular customers expect it.

"We're always open," he said. The store was quiet, but Torres said traffic to the store looked better than last year.

Just before 7 a.m. the door busters and the crowds had dwindled at the Target in Schaumburg. Store leader Aaron Stephenson said that while the store was still busy, the crowd had died down a bit. "This is what I consider normal busy for a weekend," said Stephenson.

This is the Minneapolis-based Target's first year offering staggered door busters, the first at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, when the store opened and the second, at 4 a.m. Friday. Beyond consumer electronics, housewares had been popular according to Stephenson and by early morning some had also disappeared, including a Dyson Vacuum, a Farberware 18-piece cook set and a Pyrex 20-piece set.

The stack of PlayStation 3 and XBox 360's also were gone and toys, including Legos, he said, flew off the shelves. There are plenty of still good deals, Stephenson added. "We still have quite a few big TVs," he said.

In a form of subtle protest, several people who roamed Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard as early as 4 a.m. started buying when they usually did -- on Friday morning -- and refused to give into retailers that opened their doors on Thursday evening.

"I boycotted anything midnight or earlier," said Chrissy Wojdyla, 29, of Downers Grove. "I will not shop there. I think it's ruining Thanksgiving tradition and infringing on my family." Moving Black Friday hours up to Thanksgiving, she added, "takes people away from their families." 

Instead, Wojdyla, her sister, Mary Steele, 26, and their mother, Patti Wojdyla, 54, dedicated their Thanksgiving Day to family and food, withholding themselves from any kind of shopping until they met at Yorktown at 4 a.m. Friday.

"Four a.m. is early enough!," said Patti, of Glen Ellyn. "Why would anyone want to do it on Thanksgiving evening? You're full. You're tired."

Steele, also of Glen Ellyn, said that caring for her young kids all day had made Thanksgiving too tiring to shop. 

Plus, she said, "when you start on Thanksgiving Day, it's not even Black Friday. We enjoy our 4 a.m. Friday tradition."

So they all got sleep on Thursday, ranging from 1 to 6 hours , and woke up to glam themselves out with glitter, tiaras and garland necklaces for their early morning of shopping. Steele wore a paper crown that read "Happy Holidays." |

For their efforts to keep with Yorktown's "bling" theme, Lynette Steinhauser, the assistant marketing director at the mall, rewarded them with $10 gift cards to Von Maur, which prompted a profusion of delighted thank-yous. 

Outside of J.C. Penney, Ramiro Carrizales, 44, waited with his wife, Lorena Carrizales, 40, in a seven-people-deep crowd for the store to open at 6 a.m.

They were looking for good clothing deals for their kids, specifically Mickey Mouse-themed items, but the couple, who lives in Forest Park, adamantly stuck to early Friday morning shopping hours instead of venturing out on Thursday evening. 

On Thanksgiving, said Ramiro, "I wanted to spend time with family. I didn't want to go out."

Post-Thanksgiving shopping also is a ritual for Elk Grove's Krys Slattery, Chris Duncker and Gina Wirth -- a decade-long tradition among friends.

Each year, they finish Thanksgiving dinner with their families and embark upon a 12-hour pilgrimage to knock-out the bulk of the Christmas shopping by visiting several stores in and around Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. They power-up with coffee and breakfast at Panera and then wind-down the spree at Olive Garden for lunch. 

"We're constantly laughing," said Duncker.  "It's not just about the deals for us really, It's all about the experience, we love it," added Wirth. 

On Thanksgiving night they were in the Target on Higgins Road in Schaumburg.  Each with carts, a list and Target's "door buster" circular holding folded in their hands. All three giggled and called out to each other, squealing with delight when they spied a good deal.

After picking-up some blue sequined slippers for her teenage daughter, Slattery held them up for Wirth and Duncker to inspect.  "Do you think she'll like these?" she said.

This year Slattery was lucky. Target was opening earlier than ever -- at 9 p.m. so her mother cooked Thanksgiving dinner.

The trio weren't alone, the Target on Higgins Road in Schaumburg was swarmed, many pushing carts piled high with merchandise, from 50-inch televisions, to game consoles, tablet computers, MP3 players, apparel and cameras, which manager Brett Thiele said sold out in an hour.

The scene was similar at Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard. 

Laura Maxey and six of her closest friends shrieked when they saw the black bags. They had carved out a spot in front of the information booth at Yorktown, standing for 5 1/2 hours at the head of a 250-person line, until the mall officially opened at 5 a.m. Friday and the staff began handing out goodie bags filled with multicolored totes and $10 gift cards to stores throughout the mall.

"We pretty much just slept over at the mall," said Laura, 14, of Lombard. "We wanted to be first."

Their parents had dropped the friends, plus two older brothers, off at the mall shortly before midnight, and they rushed to the booth to claim their spots -- only the first 200 people in line would receive gift bags, with another 50 turned away -- before taking turns to embark on a shopping rotation that included Victoria's Secret, American Eagle and PacSun. At Charlotte Russe, they picked up $15 jeans.

The friends said they were at the mall for the joy, the deals and the once-a-year feel of Black Friday, and they were hardly the only ones caught up in the retail frenzy.

"I got a suitcase thrown at my head!" said Melanie Malczewski, 14, of Lombard, recalling her experience at Victoria's Secret, though she was smiling broadly at the memory later that morning.

Lynette Steinhauser, assistant marketing director at Yorktown, said that this, her 14th Black Friday at the mall, "is the busiest it's ever been." About half of the stores had been open since midnight, she said, with nearly all the rest the turning on their lights when the mall officially opened at 5 a.m. Steinhauser compared the foot traffic at 5: 30 a.m. on Black Friday to what it feels like on a Saturday afternoon.

"Everyone is in a really happy mood," she said. "And festive!"

Black Friday, which for years kicked-off the holiday shopping season for retailers and consumers, has bled into Thanksgiving, with retailers including Target, Sears and Toys R US opening on Thursday night aiming to boost their bottom lines by enticing consumers to shop early and often.  



Holiday shopping is crucial for retailers -- it accounts for up to 40 percent of their yearly sales. That's why it's called "Black Friday" as for years they've used the day to go from red to black -- or turn a profit.  

This year, retail watchers are expecting holiday shoppers to oblige.  Consumers are expected to spend, on average, $586.1 billion this year on gifts for friends and family, just over a 4 percent increase from last year. Experts are saying this pick-up in spending is conservative, but a glimpse at popular hotspots for early Black Friday shopping, it wasn't apparent.  

This year a handful opened earlier than ever, Walmart set an 8 p.m. opening and Sears followed suit.  Target opted for an opening scheduled an hour later at 9 pm.

Despite some criticism around the increasingly early open times, shoppers in Schaumburg were out in full-force last night.  A Deloitte survey found that 60 percent of consumers plan to shop over Thanksgiving weekend, aiming to take part in sales that offer merchandise at prices the dip below 50 percent off. 

Experts said that this year, as in most years, low-priced flat screen televisions would move fast.  So would deeply discounted Android-powered tablet computers. 

The line to get into the Sears at Woodfield Mall stretched along the building by 7 p.m., an hour before opening time.  

Manager April Buehler said the line outside the store looked larger than last year, and about a mile away at Target, Thiele said this year the store was filled with more families, instead of the hardcore, deal-hunter that typically shows up when the store opens early on Friday morning.  "It's a lot more casual shopper, which I'm excited about," said Thiele. "It's not necessarily people that had to get up super early and be dedicated, just people going out with families. Grandparents and grandkids," he said. 

Carol and Russel Freitas fall into the deal-hunter category.  It's date night for the Palatine couple of 26 years when they head out to shop each year after dinner, leaving their two teenaged sons behind to tackle the stores.  They said they love it.

They waited patiently in line for more than an hour, hoping to snag one of Sears' hot door busters, a 32-inch flat screen for less than $100. 

As it turns out, they waited in vain.  By the time the store opened, they were in the first third of the line, but the Sears employee had run out of TV vouchers when she got to the Freitas' in line.  "It's okay," said Carol Freitas, "There's other stuff on our list, we're going to head to the boys' department to get shirts for my son."

Shortly before Sears opened, about 12 feet away from the Freitas, there was a small, but growing crowd of suspected "line jumpers,"  who stood about 12 feet away staring at the line.

At close to 9:30 at Target, some shoppers could be seen pushing carts stockpiled with 32 inch flat screen for $147.  Alex Gackle  from Fargo, N.D., left his grandmother's dinner with his dad and brother-in-law to buy  another of the Minneapolis-based retailer's most sought-after deals: They bought  four televisions. One for himself, another for his grandmother, one for her caretaker and the fourth for his father.  They waited in line for more than an hour and things were calm, said Gackle.  That changed when Target's doors opened, said Gackle. "That's when people started getting crazy and rushing toward things."

By 10:30 a long line of shoppers were still waiting to get inside the Toys R Us in Schaumburg.  Customers said they were told that shoppers would be allowed in the store every 10 minutes in increments of 50.

After 10 p.m. the temperature had dropped and Laura Saul stood in a sweater with her two daughters and their cousin to get into Toys R Us.  The item of the evening -- "Monster High" dolls for her 10-year-old daughter, Emily.  She pointed to Emily and said, giggling, "She conned us to do this."  Saul's old daughter, Lauren, who stood nearby, was not in such good spirits, "I could be sleeping," she said.

The trio from Elk Grove shopping at Target said over the years they've seen it all -- fights and shoving matches.  As the 10 p.m. hour approached at Target, they thought things were pretty calm.  At Target People get angry, but this is fun for us," said Wirth.  "Even if we don't get what we want, we don't care."

Julie Wernau and Erin Chan Ding contributed to this story.

crshropshire@tribune.com | Twitter: @corilyns






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Black Friday Fiscal Cliff Twitter Guide












With the dirty dishes cleared and leftovers safely in the fridge, Americans across the country start looking ahead to the winter holidays the day after Thanksgiving.


But for Congress, there’s a pretty big hurdle to handle before the House and Senate can abscond to presents and plum pudding. It’s called the fiscal cliff, and according to a recent Pew Research Poll , more Americans are paying attention to it than the scandal surrounding Gen. David Petraeus‘ resignation.












While talks and deals on budget cuts and tax increases are currently on hold, once the holiday weekend ends, it’s time to take to Twitter and follow these folks to learn what’s at stake, where each party stands and whether to expect a bipartisan deal for the new year.


Subscribe to the list on @OtusNews here.


Follow Tweeters in the House


These partisan tweeters should give a good idea of where things stand on the House side of Capitol Hill.


@SpeakerBoehner - The official Twitter account for the speaker of the House commends Republican representatives for their work on the fiscal cliff negotiations and retweets relevant articles with a GOP slant. Last Friday, a tweet from the account said, “Survey shows Americans favor GOP approach to averting #fiscalcliff http://j.mp/SsmYJT ” To see more of Boehner’s opinions on the issue and read about his meetings with key players, follow his personal account: @ JohnBoehner .


@NancyPelosi – While the House minority leader has kept her thoughts on the fiscal cliff away from Twitter for now, Pelosi expressed strong sentiments on the need for higher taxation of wealthy Americans in her interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz Sunday. Pelosi will be a tweeter to watch as options come on and off the table – she’s a good gauge for how the rest of the party will vote.


@RepPaulRyan – The budget hawk has stayed out of the spotlight since losing the vice presidency earlier this month, but as chairman of the House Budget Committee, it’s unlikely Ryan will resist for long when spending cuts are in sight. The former VP nominee’s other Twitter account, @PaulRyanVP , spent a lot of time tweeting about the need for pro-growth policies and the reduction of government debt. Keep an eye on Ryan’s congressional account to see if those positions will factor into the negotiations this time around.


@ChrisVanHollen – As a ranking member on the House Budget Committee, Rep. Van Hollen, D-Md., has tweeted a photo of him discussing the fiscal cliff, a video of his interview on it and vitriolic attacks with the hashtag #DoNothingGOP.


Tweeters in the Senate


Ranking senators on the fiscal cliff aren’t as inclined to tweet as their House counterparts, but here is a couple to keep in your newsfeed.


@ChuckGrassley - The Republican senator from Iowa doesn’t tweet many links or videos, but he is outspoken in his digital opinions. “PresObama meets w Congressional leaders tomorrow. I hope it is a serious attempt by PresO to reach bipartisan agreement not a photo op 4tax,” Grassley tweeted Nov. 15. In addition to 140-character diatribes on the fiscal cliff, use Grassley’s feed to learn about deer hunting, the History Channel and University of Northern Iowa football.


@SenJohnMcCain – The outspoken former presidential candidate will be one to watch throughout these negotiations. In addition to offering news on foreign affairs and the state of the nation’s finances, McCain adds humor, tweeting a little pre-emptively last weekend , “Twinkies maker Hostess closes – what will we do without deep fried Twinkies at the #Iowa State Fair?”


Organizations and Think Tanks


@BudgetHawks – The handle for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget gives you an idea of what they’re all about. They tweet ideas, articles and commentary on how to balance the federal budget.


@CenterOnBudget – The somewhat-left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities focuses on analyzing national data to predict how possible solutions could affect Americans.


@Heritage – The Heritage Foundation brings a conservative perspective on the financial issues at stake. On Monday it tweeted a chart showing how its plan for lowering the debt stacked up against those of four other think tanks.


@AARP – A number of Democratic senators have pledged to oppose a deal that would hurt seniors, but nevertheless, Medicare and Social Security cuts could be on the table. Follow AARP to see how congressional compromises could affect older Americans.


@CSPAN­_Classroom – This account offers civics lessons for educators, but the guide to the fiscal cliff they tweeted this week has background information and interviews with lawmakers that could be helpful for anyone trying to understand the complex talks on Capitol Hill.


Observers at ABC


ABC’s @JakeTapper, @DevinDwyer and @MaryKBruce will bring the view from the White House. @RickKlein, @AmyEWalter and @ JonKarl will have analysis of the issues (most likely with sports metaphors to boot). Turn to @GStephanopoulos for the big picture. @JParkABC report on the ground from the House of Representatives and @SunlenMiller will cover the Senate.


The Instigators, 2016ers and Others


@JimDemint – U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, R-S.C., draws a hard line and likes to stir up the conversation, though the Romney backer has been unusually quiet since President Obama‘s win. We’re hoping this budget battle will be enough to rile him up again.


@TedCruz - The senator-elect from Texas will undoubtedly raise some eyebrows with his fired-up rhetoric during this showdown. As an example of his spunk, the Republican rising star essentially issued a challenge to President Obama about working together on the fiscal cliff.


@MarcoRubio – With his attendance at the Iowa governor’s birthday bash last week, it seems Sen. Rubio, R-Fla., is already preparing to court a 2016 electorate. He’ll want to command a memorable presence in this historic fiscal fight.


@GovernorOMalley – The Maryland governor is rumored to be a Democratic favorite for 2016. He’s garnered praise for reining in costs to the state.


@djheakin - Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former CBO director and current president of the American Action Forum, offers educational tweets, including an e-book with the need-to-know on the fiscal cliff.


@econjared – Jared Bernstein is a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities fellow and the former chief economist and economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden who made some of the original predictions about the stimulus package.


For a Laugh


If talk of impending economic doom becomes a little too heavy to take, turn to @PourMeCoffee , @MrFiscalCliff and @TheOnion for tweets from the lighter side of the fiscal cliff.


And of course@BarackObama – If the fiscal cliff fight is anything like the battle to raise the debt ceiling, President Obama will likely take to Twitter to encourage Americans to get involved and contact their representatives. You’ll know tweets that come directly from the president (and not his communications team) if they have “-BO” at the end.


Did we miss someone? Tweet your suggestions to @WordsOfSarah!


Also Read
Social Media News Headlines – Yahoo! News


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Pussy Riot protester alone in cell after inmate tension












MOSCOW (Reuters) – Jailed Pussy Riot punk protester Maria Alyokhina has been moved to a single-person cell for her own protection because of tension with other prisoners, her lawyer and Russia‘s federal penitentiary service said on Friday.


Alyokhina, 24, is serving a two-year sentence for a raucous protest against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow‘s main Russian Orthodox cathedral. Activists said her trial, and that of two band mates, was part of a crackdown on dissent.












“There was a conflict” between Alyokhina and other inmates and “she was transferred to a individual cell,” her lawyer Irina Khrunova said by telephone. She said it was not yet clear what caused the conflict.


Prison authorities said Alyokhina was moved at her own request.


“Some tensions arose in relationships and, apparently to prevent this situation from escalating, she decided to submit a request to the prison leadership and they moved her to a one-person cell,” a federal prison service spokeswoman said.


The spokeswoman dismissed Russian media reports Alyokhina argued with inmates over religion at the Ural Mountains prison about 1,150 km (715 miles) northeast of Moscow. Pussy Riot’s protest offended many members of Russia’s Orthodox Church.


The spokeswoman also said she had no information regarding a report on the tabloid-style Life News website that Alyokhina had received violent threats from cell mates.


Alyokhina’s main meal is taken to her cell and she is accompanied by a guard when she leaves it, the spokeswoman said.


Alyokhina and two band mates were convicted in August of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for their “punk prayer”, which the dominant Russian Orthodox Church has cast as part of a concerted attack on the church and the faithful.


The women said the protest, in which they burst into Christ the Saviour Cathedral and called on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin, was not motivated by hatred and was meant to mock the church leadership’s support for the longtime leader.


Putin, a former KGB officer who has cultivated close ties with the church over 13 years in power, has rejected criticism from the United States and European leaders who called the two-year sentences disproportionate.


Alyokhina, who has a young son, argued with the judge and cross-examined witnesses during her trial.


Her band mate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23, is serving her sentence in a different prison. Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, was freed last month when a court suspended her sentence on appeal.


(Additional reporting by Ludmila Danilova and Steve Gutterman; Writing by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya; editing by Jason Webb)


Music News Headlines – Yahoo! News


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Chicago shopping frenzy gets early start

Ambitious holiday shoppers skipped dessert on Thanksgiving to get a good spot in line for this Black Friday. (Posted Nov. 23rd, 2012)








Jessica Foch had only sold one pack of cigarettes by noon at the smoke shop on Division Street in Wicker Park, in spite of her boss's insistence that a Black Friday special on hookahs would bring in throngs of shoppers.

The 24-year-old store manabger admitted that 25 percent off a $300 hookah is a pretty big discount but said she didn't expect to see them fly off the shelf.

"People don't go to little shops like this on Black Friday. They go to Target and Kmart," she said.

With pink hair, sparkly black nail polish and fingerless gloves, Foch said she once worked for Wal-Mart and hates the way people treat each other on Black Friday

She plans to spend at least $100 on her boyfriend and give generously to friends. But she won't be shopping today.

"I know somebody who got punched in the face for a toaster," she said, "a toaster."

The line may seem impressive outside St. Alfred's -- a streetwear clothier in Wicker Park -- but that's because the tiny shop is only letting in one person at a time, apparently to avoid a run on the Michael Jordan sneakers out Friday.

"But we don't even want them," said Armin Hajdarovic, 17, bundled up outside the store with a half a dozen friends as it began to snow.

The crew of Northsiders was waiting to get inside to buy shirts at 20 percent off.

Asked who they were shopping for, the group said: themselves, of course.

By 9:30 a.m. on Black Friday, still a half hour before Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard would open on any other weekday, Santa was in his green armchair and lines had queued at Caribou Coffee for those refueling, some after an entire night of shopping.

At the food court, three sisters sipped from cartons of orange juice, their daughters having awakened them hours before dawn for a 4 a.m. excursion. One, Patricia Baker, 54, of Maywood, had made an 8 p.m. jaunt to Target Thursday and a midnight run to Anna's Linens.

Now, she and her sisters, Donna Holliday, 48, of Bellwood, and Carolyn Baker, 56, of Lombard, and their daughters had spread their J.C. Penney, Forever 21, Victoria's Secret and Bath and  Body Works bags across several tables, taking a break before heading to Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora.

The sisters hadn't been able to get together for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, so shopping signified bonding time.

"I'm just hanging with my sisters and nieces," said Holliday. "Just hangin'."

Baker added that she lets her daughter, Jahanna Baker, 19, and nieces, Azia and Amber Welch, both 17, do most of the shopping while she and her sisters chat at the follow. 


"My income has become more secure," said Carolyn, a nurse. "The fear has died down. My work hours are more steady." She plans to spend a couple thousand dollars more this year, including a new stove she bought for herself.

Holliday, too, says she has been working more hours this year and plans to spend a couple  hundred dollars more .

"I buy what I like," she said, "as long as I'm not broke."

At the courtyard in front of Von Maur at Yorktown, three generations of shoppers sat on a bench with bags from the Gap, Justice, Claire's and Aeropostale around their feet.

athy Zuehlke, 69, had driven in from Rantoul, in central Illinois, to go shopping with her daughter, Lisa Salgado, 43, and granddaughter Alicia Salgado, 14, both of Rockford.

It was the first time Alicia had joined the decade-long tradition, which Kathy views as "a chance to get together because we're all spread out across Illinois."

They followed a system, scouring the circulars from three newspapers before plotting a course that took them to Target on Thanksgiving evening, back at a relative's house to nap for a few hours and on to Kohl's, Best Buy, Toys "R" Us and Yorktown.

They had budgeted about as much for gifts this year as the last, about $300 to $500 for Lisa and $800 to $900 for Kathy, who says she has several grandchildren to spoil.

They pay in cash, however, so as not to overspend.  The deals they snagged on Black Friday, including 60 percent off most apparel, helped them stay within budget, too.

In Chicago's rapidly gentrifying Logan square neighborhood, most shops and restaurants were closed Black Friday, but not Torres-Omar Jewelry.

The tiny shop, near the Blue Line stop, was offering double discounts on watches.

Bob Garza -- dressed as Santa Claus and handing out fliers for the jewelry store and candy canes as CTA riders exited the train station -- said he usually delivers groceries for Mariano's but the shop is closed through the weekend so he got out his Santa outfit to make a little extra cash.

Tomorrow, Santa will be handing out Chamber of Commerce fliers on Belmont.

"The economy is bad right now," he said. "There's work out there. You just have to create it."

Across the street at the jewelry store, Jose Torres, the store's owner, said they've been in the same location since 1980 and stay open Black Friday because their regular customers expect it.

"We're always open," he said. The store was quiet, but Torres said traffic to the store looked better than last year.

Just before 7 a.m. the door busters and the crowds had dwindled at the Target in Schaumburg. Store leader Aaron Stephenson said that while the store was still busy, the crowd had died down a bit. "This is what I consider normal busy for a weekend," said Stephenson.

This is the Minneapolis-based Target's first year offering staggered door busters, the first at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, when the store opened and the second, at 4 a.m. Friday. Beyond consumer electronics, housewares had been popular according to Stephenson and by early morning some had also disappeared, including a Dyson Vacuum, a Farberware 18-piece cook set and a Pyrex 20-piece set.

The stack of PlayStation 3 and XBox 360's also were gone and toys, including Legos, he said, flew off the shelves. There are plenty of still good deals, Stephenson added. "We still have quite a few big TVs," he said.

In a form of subtle protest, several people who roamed Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard as early as 4 a.m. started buying when they usually did -- on Friday morning -- and refused to give into retailers that opened their doors on Thursday evening.

"I boycotted anything midnight or earlier," said Chrissy Wojdyla, 29, of Downers Grove. "I will not shop there. I think it's ruining Thanksgiving tradition and infringing on my family." Moving Black Friday hours up to Thanksgiving, she added, "takes people away from their families." 

Instead, Wojdyla, her sister, Mary Steele, 26, and their mother, Patti Wojdyla, 54, dedicated their Thanksgiving Day to family and food, withholding themselves from any kind of shopping until they met at Yorktown at 4 a.m. Friday.

"Four a.m. is early enough!," said Patti, of Glen Ellyn. "Why would anyone want to do it on Thanksgiving evening? You're full. You're tired."

Steele, also of Glen Ellyn, said that caring for her young kids all day had made Thanksgiving too tiring to shop. 

Plus, she said, "when you start on Thanksgiving Day, it's not even Black Friday. We enjoy our 4 a.m. Friday tradition."

So they all got sleep on Thursday, ranging from 1 to 6 hours , and woke up to glam themselves out with glitter, tiaras and garland necklaces for their early morning of shopping. Steele wore a paper crown that read "Happy Holidays." |

For their efforts to keep with Yorktown's "bling" theme, Lynette Steinhauser, the assistant marketing director at the mall, rewarded them with $10 gift cards to Von Maur, which prompted a profusion of delighted thank-yous. 

Outside of J.C. Penney, Ramiro Carrizales, 44, waited with his wife, Lorena Carrizales, 40, in a seven-people-deep crowd for the store to open at 6 a.m.

They were looking for good clothing deals for their kids, specifically Mickey Mouse-themed items, but the couple, who lives in Forest Park, adamantly stuck to early Friday morning shopping hours instead of venturing out on Thursday evening. 

On Thanksgiving, said Ramiro, "I wanted to spend time with family. I didn't want to go out."

Post-Thanksgiving shopping also is a ritual for Elk Grove's Krys Slattery, Chris Duncker and Gina Wirth -- a decade-long tradition among friends.

Each year, they finish Thanksgiving dinner with their families and embark upon a 12-hour pilgrimage to knock-out the bulk of the Christmas shopping by visiting several stores in and around Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. They power-up with coffee and breakfast at Panera and then wind-down the spree at Olive Garden for lunch. 

"We're constantly laughing," said Duncker.  "It's not just about the deals for us really, It's all about the experience, we love it," added Wirth. 

On Thanksgiving night they were in the Target on Higgins Road in Schaumburg.  Each with carts, a list and Target's "door buster" circular holding folded in their hands. All three giggled and called out to each other, squealing with delight when they spied a good deal.

After picking-up some blue sequined slippers for her teenage daughter, Slattery held them up for Wirth and Duncker to inspect.  "Do you think she'll like these?" she said.

This year Slattery was lucky. Target was opening earlier than ever -- at 9 p.m. so her mother cooked Thanksgiving dinner.

The trio weren't alone, the Target on Higgins Road in Schaumburg was swarmed, many pushing carts piled high with merchandise, from 50-inch televisions, to game consoles, tablet computers, MP3 players, apparel and cameras, which manager Brett Thiele said sold out in an hour.

The scene was similar at Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard. 

Laura Maxey and six of her closest friends shrieked when they saw the black bags. They had carved out a spot in front of the information booth at Yorktown, standing for 5 1/2 hours at the head of a 250-person line, until the mall officially opened at 5 a.m. Friday and the staff began handing out goodie bags filled with multicolored totes and $10 gift cards to stores throughout the mall.

"We pretty much just slept over at the mall," said Laura, 14, of Lombard. "We wanted to be first."

Their parents had dropped the friends, plus two older brothers, off at the mall shortly before midnight, and they rushed to the booth to claim their spots -- only the first 200 people in line would receive gift bags, with another 50 turned away -- before taking turns to embark on a shopping rotation that included Victoria's Secret, American Eagle and PacSun. At Charlotte Russe, they picked up $15 jeans.

The friends said they were at the mall for the joy, the deals and the once-a-year feel of Black Friday, and they were hardly the only ones caught up in the retail frenzy.

"I got a suitcase thrown at my head!" said Melanie Malczewski, 14, of Lombard, recalling her experience at Victoria's Secret, though she was smiling broadly at the memory later that morning.

Lynette Steinhauser, assistant marketing director at Yorktown, said that this, her 14th Black Friday at the mall, "is the busiest it's ever been." About half of the stores had been open since midnight, she said, with nearly all the rest the turning on their lights when the mall officially opened at 5 a.m. Steinhauser compared the foot traffic at 5: 30 a.m. on Black Friday to what it feels like on a Saturday afternoon.

"Everyone is in a really happy mood," she said. "And festive!"

Black Friday, which for years kicked-off the holiday shopping season for retailers and consumers, has bled into Thanksgiving, with retailers including Target, Sears and Toys R US opening on Thursday night aiming to boost their bottom lines by enticing consumers to shop early and often.  



Holiday shopping is crucial for retailers -- it accounts for up to 40 percent of their yearly sales. That's why it's called "Black Friday" as for years they've used the day to go from red to black -- or turn a profit.  

This year, retail watchers are expecting holiday shoppers to oblige.  Consumers are expected to spend, on average, $586.1 billion this year on gifts for friends and family, just over a 4 percent increase from last year. Experts are saying this pick-up in spending is conservative, but a glimpse at popular hotspots for early Black Friday shopping, it wasn't apparent.  

This year a handful opened earlier than ever, Walmart set an 8 p.m. opening and Sears followed suit.  Target opted for an opening scheduled an hour later at 9 pm.

Despite some criticism around the increasingly early open times, shoppers in Schaumburg were out in full-force last night.  A Deloitte survey found that 60 percent of consumers plan to shop over Thanksgiving weekend, aiming to take part in sales that offer merchandise at prices the dip below 50 percent off. 

Experts said that this year, as in most years, low-priced flat screen televisions would move fast.  So would deeply discounted Android-powered tablet computers. 

The line to get into the Sears at Woodfield Mall stretched along the building by 7 p.m., an hour before opening time.  

Manager April Buehler said the line outside the store looked larger than last year, and about a mile away at Target, Thiele said this year the store was filled with more families, instead of the hardcore, deal-hunter that typically shows up when the store opens early on Friday morning.  "It's a lot more casual shopper, which I'm excited about," said Thiele. "It's not necessarily people that had to get up super early and be dedicated, just people going out with families. Grandparents and grandkids," he said. 

Carol and Russel Freitas fall into the deal-hunter category.  It's date night for the Palatine couple of 26 years when they head out to shop each year after dinner, leaving their two teenaged sons behind to tackle the stores.  They said they love it.

They waited patiently in line for more than an hour, hoping to snag one of Sears' hot door busters, a 32-inch flat screen for less than $100. 

As it turns out, they waited in vain.  By the time the store opened, they were in the first third of the line, but the Sears employee had run out of TV vouchers when she got to the Freitas' in line.  "It's okay," said Carol Freitas, "There's other stuff on our list, we're going to head to the boys' department to get shirts for my son."

Shortly before Sears opened, about 12 feet away from the Freitas, there was a small, but growing crowd of suspected "line jumpers,"  who stood about 12 feet away staring at the line.

At close to 9:30 at Target, some shoppers could be seen pushing carts stockpiled with 32 inch flat screen for $147.  Alex Gackle  from Fargo, N.D., left his grandmother's dinner with his dad and brother-in-law to buy  another of the Minneapolis-based retailer's most sought-after deals: They bought  four televisions. One for himself, another for his grandmother, one for her caretaker and the fourth for his father.  They waited in line for more than an hour and things were calm, said Gackle.  That changed when Target's doors opened, said Gackle. "That's when people started getting crazy and rushing toward things."

By 10:30 a long line of shoppers were still waiting to get inside the Toys R Us in Schaumburg.  Customers said they were told that shoppers would be allowed in the store every 10 minutes in increments of 50.

After 10 p.m. the temperature had dropped and Laura Saul stood in a sweater with her two daughters and their cousin to get into Toys R Us.  The item of the evening -- "Monster High" dolls for her 10-year-old daughter, Emily.  She pointed to Emily and said, giggling, "She conned us to do this."  Saul's old daughter, Lauren, who stood nearby, was not in such good spirits, "I could be sleeping," she said.

The trio from Elk Grove shopping at Target said over the years they've seen it all -- fights and shoving matches.  As the 10 p.m. hour approached at Target, they thought things were pretty calm.  At Target People get angry, but this is fun for us," said Wirth.  "Even if we don't get what we want, we don't care."

Erin Chan Ding contributed to this story.

crshropshire@tribune.com | Twitter: @corilyns






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Mild weather will give way to colder temperatures













Parade weather


Mild weather greeted the annual Thanksgiving Parade.
(Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune / November 22, 2012)





















































Thanksgiving in Chicago is nice this year, with mild temperatures flirting with the 60s -- but a change is on the way.

Clouds and some showers are headed into the area and the thermometer will begin to drop. By the time leftover turkey omelets are served tomorrow morning, temperatures will struggle to get above freezing.

Highs on Friday are expected to remain in the 30s, perhaps touching 40, and for the next few days showers could drift by at any time. High temperatures are not expected to get much above the low 40s with overnight lows dropping below freezing -- and even into the low 20s by the middle of next week.

For the latest radar, conditions and forecasts, go to The Chicago Weather Center.

chicagobreaking@tribune.com
Twitter: @ChicagoBreaking




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Judge to let Hostess liquidation proceed









Hostess Brands Inc. on Wednesday won permission from a U.S. bankruptcy judge to begin shutting down, and expressed optimism it will find new homes for many of its iconic brands, which include Twinkies, Drake's cakes and Wonder Bread.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, New York authorized management, led by restructuring specialist Gregory Rayburn, to immediately begin efforts to wind down the 82-year-old company, a process expected to take one year.






"It appears clear to me that the debtors have taken the right course in seeking to implement the wind-down plan as promptly as possible," Drain said near the end of a four-hour hearing.

The judge authorized Hostess to begin the liquidation process one day after his last-ditch mediation effort between the Irving, Texas-based company and its striking bakers' union broke down.

Roughly 15,000 workers were expected to lose their jobs immediately, and most of the remaining 3,200 would be let go within four months.

"This is a tragedy, and we're well aware of it," Heather Lennox, a lawyer for Hostess, told the judge. "We are trying to be as sensitive as we can possibly be under the circumstances to the human cost of this."

Lennox said Hostess has received a "flood of inquiries" from potential buyers for several brands that could be sold at auction, and expects initial bidders within a few weeks.

Joshua Scherer, a partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, which is advising Hostess, said the company was in "active dialogue" over its Drake's brand with one "very interested" party that had toured a New Jersey plant on Tuesday.

He said that regional bakeries, national rivals, private equity firms and others have also expressed interest in various brands and that more than 50 nondisclosure agreements have been signed.

"These are iconic brands that people love," Scherer said.

While prospective buyers were not identified at the hearing, bankers have said rivals including Flowers Foods Inc. and Mexico's Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV were likely to be interested in some of the brands.

Representatives of neither company responded on Wednesday to requests for comment.

Scherer said Hostess could be worth $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion in a normal bankruptcy, an amount equal to its annual revenue. It also has about $900 million of secured debt and faces up to about $150 million of administrative claims.

Scherer expects a discount in this case because plants have already been closed and Hostess' value could fall further if the liquidation were dragged out.

"I've had buyers tell me, 'Josh, the longer it takes, the less value I'm going to be able to pay you,' " he said.

Hostess decided to liquidate on Nov. 16, saying it was losing about $1 million per day after the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union, representing close to one-third of its workers, went on strike a week earlier.

The bakers union walked out after Drain authorized Hostess to impose pay and benefit cuts, which the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Hostess' largest union, had accepted.

Hostess has about 33 plants, plus three it decided to close after the strike began, as well as 565 distribution centers and 570 bakery outlet stores.

Many of the 3,200 workers expected to stay on will help shut these properties and prepare them for sale. Hostess expects to need only about 200 employees by late March.

Rayburn, a former chief restructuring officer for the bankrupt phone company WorldCom Inc., said that letting 15,000 workers go now helps preserve their ability to obtain unemployment benefits.

"I need to maximize the value of the estate, but I need to do the best I can for my employees," he said.

Hostess filed for Chapter 11 protection on Jan. 11, its second bankruptcy filing in less than three years.

The case is In re: Hostess Brands Inc. et al, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-22052.

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Brother: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to announce resignation








Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. will announce his resignation from Congress today in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, Jackson's brother Jonathan Jackson said.

He spoke to the Chicago Tribune by telephone.


The congressman could not be reached for confirmation. Boehner's office also could not be immediately reached.

Jackson, 47, a South Side Democrat, has been treated for bipolar depression and has been on a medical leave from Congress since June. He has been under investigation by federal authorities for alleged misuse of campaign dollars and also has faced a congressional ethics probe.

Although he did not wage a campaign, Jackson won re-election on Nov. 6 to another two-year term in the House by defeating a Republican and independent challenger. Under Illinois law, Gov. Pat Quinn, a fellow Democrat, would call a special election to fill Jackson’s 2nd District congressional seat, which extends from Chicago’s South Side to Kankakee.

He is the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader, and the husband of Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson, 7th.

Rep. Jackson has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged improprieties related to his bid to win appointment in 2008 to the Senate seat that had been held by President Barack Obama. A Jackson emissary is alleged to have offered to raise up to $6 million in campaign funds for disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich in exchange for the governor appointing Jackson to the Senate seat.

Blagojevich is serving a prison term for corruption convictions including trying to sell or trade the Senate seat.


After the March primary election, the congressman’s aides belatedly announced his medical leave, which at first was blamed on “exhaustion.”






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Elmo left behind on ‘Sesame Street’ as actor exits
















NEW YORK (AP) — Even on “Sesame Street,” where everything is famously A-OK, problems can arise for its residents.


And that includes the Muppets. Cookie Monster grapples with an eating disorder. Oscar the Grouch gets cranky. Mr. Snuffleupagus gets the blues.













But Elmo seemed immune to any of that. Since enjoying his breakout success more than two decades ago, the 3 1/2-year-old red monster has radiated good cheer, love and trilling giggles. No wonder everyone — adults as well as children — adores him.


The key to Elmo is “his innocence, his positiveness and his sweetness,” according to Kevin Clash, the man who created him and once told The Associated Press, “I would love to be totally like Elmo.”


Now Clash has been scandalously separated from Elmo and from “Sesame Street,” the TV series where he reigned behind the scenes for 28 years.


Clash spoke of “personal matters” as the cause of his resignation Tuesday after an unthinkable nine-day stretch that began with an unnamed man in his 20s claiming he had sex with Clash at age 16. That allegation was quickly recanted. But then came another accusation of sexual abuse, and a lawsuit.


That second accuser, a 24-year-old college student named Cecil Singleton, said the actor had engaged in sexual behavior with him when he was 15. He is suing Clash for $ 5 million.


“I am deeply sorry to be leaving,” said Clash in his parting statement, “and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately.”


But privacy may no longer be possible for Clash, the 52-year-old divorced father of a grown daughter who acknowledged last week that he is gay. Singleton’s lawyer, Jeff Herman, said he has been contacted by two other potential victims of Clash and expects additional legal action.


At a news conference Tuesday, Singleton said he and Clash met on a gay chat line and then, for a two-week period, they engaged in sexual contact, though not intercourse. Sex with a person under 17 is a felony in New York if the perpetrator is 21 or older.


Singleton said he didn’t know Clash’s profession until years later, when he Googled the man’s name.


“I was shocked when I found out what he did for a living,” said Singleton.


Now that career has ended for Clash, who, in his dream job as a puppeteer for “Sesame Street,” was assigned a little-used puppet now known as Elmo, then turned him into a star. In the process, Clash won 23 daytime Emmy awards and one prime-time Emmy. He published his 2006 autobiography, “My Life as a Furry Red Monster,” and was the subject of the 2011 documentary “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey.”


Elmo overshadowed Big Bird and other “Sesame” Muppets in popularity and screen time, while marginalizing the cast of live actors. Since 1998, he has had his own show-within-a-show on “Sesame Street” in addition to appearances elsewhere in the hour.


He is also a major moneymaker for Sesame Workshop, the New York-based company that produces the show, and for licensees. At his merchandising height in 1996, he inspired the Tickle Me Elmo doll, which became a cultural phenomenon and that Christmas season’s hottest toy.


This year’s Elmo dolls, “LOL Elmo,” which giggles, and “Let’s Rock! Elmo,” which sings and comes with a microphone and drum set, haven’t made any of this year’s hot toy lists. Even so, Elmo toys probably account for one-half to two-thirds of the $ 75 million in annual sales the “Sesame Street” toy line generates for toy maker Hasbro, estimates BMO Capital Markets analyst Gerrick Johnson.


Johnson said he wasn’t sure how this week’s news might affect sales of Elmo toys this holiday.


“How many people are going to want to explain to their kid why they’re not getting an Elmo?” he asked.


On Tuesday, Hasbro issued a statement saying “We are confident that Elmo will remain an integral part of Sesame Street and that Sesame Street toys will continue to delight children for years to come.”


Despite his resignation, Clash will remain an integral part of “Sesame Street” for the foreseeable future. Taping of season No. 44 will wrap by mid-December and will begin airing next September, according to someone close to the show who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of its production. That means new episodes with Clash performing as Elmo will presumably continue well into 2014.


As for who might take over as Elmo, other “Sesame Street” puppeteers were already being trained to serve as Clash’s stand-in, Sesame Workshop said. It’s part of an understudy policy being adopted for all the major Muppet characters.


But no one knows how Elmo will fare going forward. Will the jokes spurred by Clash’s downfall leave a lasting mark on Elmo’s image? Will there be parents who see him tainted by association with the man who brought him to life?


In the wake of a personal tragedy that may still be unfolding, Elmo’s innocence, positiveness and sweetness will be put to the test.


___


AP Television Writer David Bauder and AP Retail Writer Mae Anderson contributed to this report.


Entertainment News Headlines – Yahoo! News



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Judge rejects 9/11 suit against United













United outage


United Airline employees help passengers at the check-in counter in Terminal 1 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
(Stacey Wescott, Chicago Tribune / November 15, 2012)





















































United Airlines bears no responsibility for suspected security lapses at a Maine airport that allowed hijackers onto the American Airlines plane that crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, a federal judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein on Wednesday granted a request by United and its parent United Continental Holdings Inc. to dismiss negligence claims brought by Larry Silverstein, the leaseholder of the World Trade Center property.

The decision concerned the destruction of 7 World Trade Center, the North Tower that collapsed hours after being pierced by debris stemming from the crash of AMR Corp.'s American Airlines Flight 11 into 1 World Trade Center.


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