McDonald's January sales down 1.9%

McDonald's January comparable sales fell 1.9 percent, due to weakness in the Europe and Asia, the company said Friday. 

The Oak Brook-based burger giant warned during its fourth-quarter earnings release that sales at restaurants open more than one year would be down. But analysts polled by Consensus Metrix had expected a decline of 1.1 percent.

Shares rose nearly 1 percent in morning trading, to $95.38.

Of greatest concern to Wall Street, same store sales in Europe declined to 2.1 percent. The company cited particular weakness in Germany and France despite solid growth in the U.K and Russia. Europe is the chain's largest market.

Comparable sales fell 9.5 percent in McDonald's Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa division, for which the chain cited weakness in Japan, and declines in China, attributable to a calendar shift in the Chinese New Year, and the ongoing fallout from a poultry crisis.

In the U.S., comparable sales rose 0.9 percent. McDonald's cited popularity of its core menu and moving the grilled onion and cheddar burger onto the Dollar Menu.

Total sales rose in January 0.3 percent, or 0.7 percent adjusted for the impact of currency.

While McDonald's expects sales to improve later this year, the worst isn't over. The company said it expects a 3 percent hit to February sales as a result of a shorter month in 2013.

"While January's results reflect today's challenging environment and difficult prior year comparisons, I am confident that our unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional restaurant experience will enhance our brand's relevance and drive long-term results," McDonald's CEO Don Thompson said in a statement.

In a Friday research note, Janney analyst David Tarantino wrote that McDonald’s performance in the U.S. was ahead of expectations and the broader quick-service restaurant industry.

Though he expects comparable sales to be down through March, "we remain optimistic that planned initiatives can support better operating momentum after the first quarter," he said.

eyork@tribune.com | Twitter: @emilyyork

Reuters contributed to this report.

MCD data by YCharts

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Carmakers preview new models for 2013 Chicago Auto Show

The 2013 Chicago Auto Show opens Saturday, and automakers today are giving the news media a preview of models making their public debuts at the McCormick Place show.

Hundreds of cars and trucks will be on display through Feb. 18, along with concept cars that hint at future models, indoor and outdoor test tracks, and more midwinter amusements for car buffs and casual fans.

Today's new-model unveilings will join many Chicago Auto Show offerings either just arriving in showrooms or coming soon, and they provide evidence of where the automakers are heading in terms of styling, size, performance, options and mileage in the next few years.

Here's a list of "Don't Miss" cars to see at the 105th Chicago Auto Show:

2014 Chevy Cruze diesel

There's a way to get more miles per gallon as well as many more miles per tank of fuel — and that's to drive a vehicle with a tank that holds high mileage and therefore high range diesel fuel. Not many cars in the U.S. run on diesel because diesel has been notoriously dirty and, as a result, doesn't easily meet federal emissions regulations.

With the arrival of "clean" diesel fuel, and emission controls to handle exhaust fumes, more diesel powered cars are coming and Chevy is unveiling its new creation in Chicago, the compact Cruze diesel sedan that will be added to General Motors Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant by midyear to prepare for its U.S. launch later in the year as a 2014 model.

The compact Cruze sedan will offer a 2 liter diesel engine. No word yet on mileage, but well more than 40 m.p.g. highway is expected since the current Cruze Eco model with 1.4 liter, turbo 4-cylinder gas engine is rated at 42 m.p.g. highway.

The important number will be range, which could be from 650 to 750 miles before need to fill the tank, a mileage total that would get most families not only to, but back again, from any vacation retreat.

A diesel Cruze is now sold in Europe. but stricter U.S. emissions standards kept it out of this market. By using what's called a urea system to clean emissions, the Cruze diesel will meet current and future federal standards. Reportedly the only hang-up is that the urea system needs regular refilling at oil change intervals.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

When you think Corvette you think high speed, not high mileage, but if asked which you'd rather have in your driveway, any Corvette or any economy car, even tree huggers would be hard pressed to stand in the economy car line.

The new 'Vette goes on sale in the third quarter of this year as the first all new Corvette since 2005 and the first to use the legendary Stingray name last carried by the second generation model that bowed in the 1963 model year and was offered through 1967.

It's mission is simple, get younger sports car enthusiasts behind the wheel because the 'Vette has gotten to be referred to as an old man's car, even though old means an average age of only about 55. Still, Corvette needs to attract those younger sports car enthusiasts who migrated to European nameplates like Porsche and Audi as 'Vette went 9 years without a major redesign as GM focused on survival rather than sizzling style upgrades.

The 7th generation of the American sports car icon boasts a 6.2 liter, 450 h.p. V-8 capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 m.p.h. in less than 4 seconds and achieving more than 1G of force in high performance cornering. Yet thanks to an active fuel management system it will throttle down to four cylinder mode when coasting or cruising when it doesn't need maximum power. The new 'Vette as a result will exceed the 26 m.p.g. highway rating of the current model — making it the most fuel efficient 'Vette to date.

Stingray will offer a choice of 7-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with steering wheel paddle shifters.

Both high performance and high mileage benefit from a series of weight-saving measures, including a lightweight carbon fiber hood and removable roof panel; composite fenders, doors and rear quarter panels; and composite carbon underbody panels plus a new aluminum frame.

Inside there's two 8-inch configurable "infotainment" screens and a choice of two seats: one for optimum comfort, the other a "Competition Sport" option with special side bolstering to hold the driver in place during hard cornering. The cockpit also features five ride settings for varying driving conditions — Weather, Eco, Tour, Sport and Track.

A Z51 performance package will be offered with such goodies as electronic limited-slip differential, 19 inch run flat radials up front, 20 inch run flats in the rear, and an aerodynamics package designed to improve high-speed stability.

GM hasn't set pricing yet, but said it will be in the range of the current car, which starts at about $50,000, and won't have a dramatic increase.

The new 'Vette is being counted on to generate traffic and bring folks back into Chevy showrooms, where motorists are hoped to leave with a new car, whether 'Vette or Aveo as long as it carries a Chevy bow tie.

2014 Honda Urban SUV concept

Consumers are moving down from large cars and SUVs to smaller cars and SUVs in order to obtain better mileage, the reason Honda is showcasing the Urban SUV at the auto show, a peek at a new small SUV to be offered first in Japan at the end of this year and then in the U.S. in 2014.

The Urban SUV is a derivative of the subcompact Fit car sold in the U.S. Like the little Fit, the Urban SUV is aimed at youth and those on a limited budget and focuses on fuel efficiency and fun.

It will have hidden rear door handles and Honda's reconfigurable Magic Seats that can be folded flat to hold maximum cargo when not carrying people.

Urban is 169.3 inches long, or about 8 inches longer than Fit, but 9 inches shorter than the CR-V, Honda's current smallest crossover SUV. It's designed to navigate congested city streets and take advantage of limited parking space and will be priced below the CR-V, which starts at about $15,000.

The small SUV will be manufactured along with the Fit at Honda's newest North American plant near Celaya, Mexico, expected to open in the spring of 2014. The growth and expansion of its small-vehicle lineup will help Honda double worldwide production of vehicles by the end of 2016, and remain a global small-car leader.

2014 Lincoln MKC concept

The MKC ("C" for crossover) is the smallest vehicle to ever carry the Lincoln badge, ironic since it's also serving as one of the building blocks to recreate the brand.

The compact crossover represents a new segment for Lincoln and teams with the newly designed 2014 Lincoln MKZ midsize sedan at dealers now to help revive a Lincoln brand whose sales of only a little more than 80,000 units last year left it ranked last among the 8 luxury nameplates sold in the U.S.

The Lincoln MKC concept crossover shares the same platform with the compact Ford Escape, but MKC is more designer label while Escape tends to be more off the rack.

MKC will go on sale in 2014, same year Ford also plans to start selling Lincolns in China as part of the brands revitalization and growth plans.

The new crossover will join the industry's small luxury segment that has grown by 200 percent in the past four years, and compete against such nameplates as the Acura RDX, Mercedes-Benz GLK and BMW X3.

MKC and the redesigned 2014 Lincoln MKZ sedan are the first two products in what Lincoln says will be four all-new vehicles over the next four years that will include a redesigned midsize MKX crossover and MKS sedan.

Features include push button gear shift selector, 20 inch wheels, panoramic sunroof the length of the vehicle, leather seats and interior trim, programmable ride control, clamshell hatchback lid, ambient cabin lighting along doors, seat pockets and even cupholders, a rear seat center console that can double as a mini frig (rear bench seat minus the frig if holding 5 passengers), plus a split wing grille that traces its DNA back to the '30s Lincoln Zephyr.

2014 Ford Transit Connect wagon

When the novel looking Transit Connect bowed for the 2010 model year it became a surprise hit among both the consumers who bought it and the media who voted it North American Truck of the Year. Both groups hinted out loud that what looked like a work truck for tradesmen to haul tools to the job site might make a wonderful people hauler getting people wherever they need to go as well.

Ford listened and for 2014 a new generation Transit Connect is going to be available starting later this year in two versions, a short and long van to serve tradesmen, and a short and long wagon to hold 5 to 7 passengers and substitute for a minivan — that might be too big and expensive and burn too much gas.

Ford says the new wagon rides and handles like a car, has the flexibility to haul people like a mini van, and has the cargo capacity of a truck in a vehicle capable of obtaining 30 m.p.g. from a choice of standard 2.5 liter four cylinder or optional 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engines, both teamed with 6-speed automatic. An alternate fuel 2.5 liter four cylinder that burns CNG gas rather than gasoline but will be premium priced and available in van or wagon.

The wagon with side glass windows, and the van with side metal panels instead of glass, will be offered in short and long version, short with a 104.8 inch wheelbase, 173.9 inch overall length, and 1 or 2 rows of seats to hold up to 5; long with a 120.6 inch wheelbase, 189.7 inch overall length, and 2 to 3 rows of seats to hold up to 7. Both second and third row seats can be folded flat to increase cargo capacity

There's also two trim levels, XL or up-level XLT, while the long version also adds a top of the line Titanium trim.

Goodies include back up camera, infotainment system with voice activation, navigation system, panoramic sunroof, rain sensing wipers, power heated outside mirrors, stability control, overhead roof storage, dual slide open side doors and a choice of hatchback liftgate or swing open rear cargo doors.

Ford also will replace its full size Econoline van with a vehicle simply called Transit early next year offering a 3.2 liter, 5 cylinder diesel.

While checking out the Transit Connect wagon, take a peek at the nearby Ford Atlas, a concept that gives an early look at the 2015 model Ford F-150 pickup with an all new look and such novel features as power running boards that motor out and retract to help getting in or out of the cabin, hidden ramps under the cargo bed that pull out to make loading/unloading the bed an easier chore, power grille and wheel vents that automatically close at speed to reduce air drag for better aerodynamics and mileage, and a power air dam up front that drops down at speed to reduce air drag and help boost fuel economy. With the new 2013 Ram and new 2014 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra at the show, Ford wanted consumers to see its 2015 F-150 in the hopes they'll wait to buy the industry's top selling full size pickup.

2014 Concept Toyota Furia

Weird name for what is an early look at the new styling on the next generation of the compact Toyota Corolla coming out later this year.

Corolla had become more than a bit conservative over the last several years and the new sheet metal is designed to give it some sizzle and make it stand out from the crowd rather than disappear into it.

As with most small cars, when redesigned they are usually made a little bigger for improved room and comfort, and that's the case here. Furia has a 4 inch longer wheelbase at 106.3 inches than the current Corolla, and is 1 inch longer at 181 inches. It's also 2 inches wider for more wiggle room in the cabin, though 1 inch lower at 56.1 inches.

The Furia is designed around a theme of "Iconic Dynamism," which "uses pure and simple surface elements to create a confident, decisive and recognizable appearance." That's designer speak for the sheet metal is supposed to appeal to more youthful consumers than retirees.

The Corolla Furia design includes a swept windshield, with a sloped roofline and pronounced fender flares, which help make it possible to add large and sporty 19 inch wheels that youth favor, though time will tell if those big wheels make it on the production version.

There's also sculpted LED headlamps up front, composite LED taillights in the rear. Wheel wells, rocker panels, and rear valance, which includes ornate metal exhaust outlets for a sporty touch, are made of lightweight carbon fiber.

While checking out the Furia concept, take a look at the redesigned Toyota Tundra pickup truck being unveiled at the show. Tundra, last redesigned in 2007, sold 1012,621 copies last year, up 25 percent from 2011. The redesigned 2014 version built at Toyota's plant in San Antonio, Tex., goes on sale later this year as a 2014 model to compete against the Big Three domestic pickups.

2014 Cadillac ELR

An early look at the next plug in battery powered extended range electric from General Motors that arrives in showrooms at midyear. The 2-door ELR coupe joins the 4-door Volt sedan in the GM plug in electric stable.

The Chevy Volt was GM's first plug in electric, a surprise to many observers who thought GM would bring out a luxury Cadillac plug in first, allowing the automaker to charge a higher price for a low volume novelty to help recover some of the development cost. Besides, luxury buyers are more prone to buy novelty items and boast about being the first on the block with the newest gadget than Chevy owners. GM opted instead to offer its first plug in at its volume value leader, which meant it offered at a lower than expected price, but even so, it was hard for many to accept a $40,000 plus Chevy not bearing an Corvette badge — even if it boasted new battery technology.

While Volt was a "low cost" $40,000 plug in, ELR will be a premium luxury model in the $50,000-$60,000 plus range, loaded with all the creature comfort amenities and goodies to justify the hefty price tag. It will share the same power plant as the Volt, a lithium ion battery pack that claims about 40 miles of travel in battery mode only. A small 1.4 liter four cylinder gas engine that powers a generator automatically takes over when the battery pack is exhausted to keep producing electricity to keep the vehicle going another 100 miles or until the battery pack can be plugged in for from 4 hours using 240 volt current to 10-16 hours using 120 volt current to fully recharge.

The 2014 ELR will be produced late this year at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant that also builds Volt. No production numbers as yet.

ELR is a production version of Cadillac's Converj concept vehicle that made the rounds on the 2009 auto show circuit.

FIAT 500L

Add 2 more doors to the mini Fiat 500 and you have the all new for 2014 500L, with the L denoting added length. The newest edition to the Italian automaker's lineup will arrive in showrooms at midyear as a 2014 model. The L could have been called the LWH, because it's not only 26 inches longer (167.1 inches versus 139.6 inches) than the current 2-door, it's also both 6 inches wider (69.8 inches versus 64.1 inches) and higher (65.7 inches versus 59.8) to provide more cabin wiggle room for 5-passengers.

And the 4-door wheelbase was stretched a little more than a foot to 102.8 inches versus 90.6 inches on the 2-door. The L is a rival to the 4-door Mini Paceman from BMW and is powered by a 1.4 liter, 160 turbocharged 4 cylinder teamed with a choice of 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The 2-door offers a 1.4 liter, non turbo 101 h.p. four with a choice of 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.

Since it competes with the BMW MINI, the 500L also offers a more aggressive, higher performance Trekking version with two-tone black/brown interior, unique black front and rear facias, flared wheel arches and larger 17 inch wheels to support a sportier, more adventurous personality.

There's also an all-new Uconnect 5.0 system that features a 5 inch touch screen interface, hands-free calling, and Bluetooth streaming video, as well as voice command control of the radio. An upgraded premium Uconnect system offers a larger 6.5 inch screen and dealer activated navigation system.

The 4-door L, newest nmember of the Italian automakers stable, offers 42 percent more interior space than the 2-door and is built in Serbia.

Fiat is adding a 500e battery powered electric but only for the California market so it's not at the show.

2014 KIA Cadenza sedan

Just as its South Korean partner Hyundai moved up into the premium sedan segment with Genesis models, now comes Kia with its premium Cadenza to move the brand up-market.

Kia, like Hyundai, felt an upscale flagship was needed for consumers who joined the family with an entry level offering and have moved up through the ranks, but now want more luxury than Optima offers as age and income levels have risen. Toyota owners, for example, move up to its Lexus luxury division and Kia wanted a similar option for its owners to stay in the family.

A host of premium standard and optional equipment includes Advanced Smart Cruise Control (ASCC) to avoid making contact with the vehicle ahead of you by braking should it slow down, Blind Spot Detection (BSD), to warn drivers that a vehicle lurks out of site along either side of the car, and Lane-Departure Warning System (LDWS), that alerts the driver if he or she wanders into the wrong lane to avoid a head on impact.

Cadenza is powered by a 3.3 liter V-6 engine teamed with a 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters.

There's also standard leather seat trim, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear seat ventilation, Smart Key keyless entry with push-button start, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, Bluetooth wireless technology, back up camera, full-length panoramic sunroof with power retractable sunshade, a ventilated power driver's seat with seat cushion extension, heated front and rear outboard seats, heated steering wheel with power tilt and telescoping steering column.

Cadenza is expected to arrive in Kia showrooms in the second quarter this year. No pricing yet.

2014 Kia Forte5

The new for 2014 Kia Forte5 hatchback version of the redesigned Kia Forte sedan is being unveiled at the auto show prior to going on sale in the second half of this year following the sedan's going on sale in the first quarter. The slightly longer (2 inches) hatchback compete with the Hyundai Elantra GT and Mazda 3 hatchbacks. The all-new 2014 Forte will be offered in LX and EX variants with a choice of 1.8-liter or more powerful 2-liter four cylinder engines. The hatchback will offer the same 1.8 liter base engine as the sedan, but also an optional 1.6 liter turbocharged four for added power.

Slotted between the subcompact Rio sedan and the mid-size Optima sedan, the all-new Forte hatchback includes a host of premium features, depending on model, such as a ventilated driver's seat, steering wheel mounted audio controls, satellite radio, Bluetooth wireless technology, power windows, air conditioning and power heated outside mirrors.

2014 Mazda6

The midsize sedan is noteworthy because it has been totally redesigned for 2014 and competes in the most popular segment in the industry, midsize sedans. But the primary reason it deserves a close look is that it offers a 2.2 liter turbo diesel engine to provide driving range that gas engines don't offer.

The Mazda6 becomes the first non commercial diesel offering in the U.S. from a Japanese brand. It goes on sale in the second half of this year for those who want the room and comfort of a midsize sedan, the fuel economy and driving range of a compact. It will be teamed with a choice of 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual. No mileage or range estimates as yet.

The sedan features Mazda's new capacitor-based brake energy regeneration system called i-ELOOP that provides power to all the electrical mechanisms in a vehicle by using an electric motor or alternator to capture energy during braking to generate electricity to power the car's electrical systems, including air conditioning and audio.

An all-new safety component is called Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) that's designed to assist a driver in avoiding front collisions when traveling at speeds of less than 20 miles per hour. An imbedded laser sensor detects an object ahead and reduces brake rotor travel to quicken braking if the system calculates there is a risk of a collision. If the driver fails to perform an avoidance maneuver, the SCBS system automatically activates the brakes.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Styling upgrade of the icon SUV with a new 3 liter ECO diesel V-6 rated at 30 m.p.g. highway and a driving range of 730 miles — in a sport utility vehicle. Also new is an 8-speed to maximize fuel economy. The Grand Cherokee is joined by a modest styling upgrade to the Jeep Compass for 2014. It also gets a new 6-speed automatic. Compass is built in Belvidere alongside the Jeep Patriot.

If you haven't exhausted all your time, amble over to Dodge to see the new Dart GT with its 2.4 liter, 184 h.p. 4 cylinder, a response to critics who said the high mileage car needed higher performance than it gets from the 2 liter, 160 h.p. four that was only offered at first. However, there's speculation that even higher horsepower R/T and SRT versions with 200 plus h.p. are in the works.

2014 Acura MDX

The prototype of the 7-passenger luxury SUV that goes on sale at midyear as a 2014 model is spotlighted at the show.

The MDX will be offered in front or all wheel drive versions, with the front drive version added in response to motorists in warm climates who said they didn't need all wheel drive.

A new 3.5-liter V-6 with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) is designed for more spirited movement away from the light or when passing, but shuts down 3 cylinders at cruising to conserve fuel.

The SUV also features a longer wheelbase to improve ride quality and provide a little more second row leg room. The 2014 MDX also will be equipped with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems, Blind Spot Information, and Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS). The new MDX will feature the next-generation AcuraLink system with automated crash notification, remote locking/unlocking, emergency "SOS" call feature, and live-operator concierge services.

With the introduction of the 2014 MDX, production will move from Alliston, Ontario, to Honda's vehicle and V-6 engine manufacturing facility in Lincoln, Ala.

transportation@tribune.com

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Frank Ocean, FUN. are front-runners heading into Sunday’s Grammys

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – R&B artist Frank Ocean and indie-pop group FUN. go into Sunday’s Grammy Awards ceremony as front-runners for the music industry’s top accolades in a year where new talent and male artists have attracted most of the attention.

After last year’s Grammy ceremony was dominated by British singer Adele, and her best-selling album “21,” this year’s awards show will be all about men.

FUN., Ocean, British folk band Mumford & Sons, rocker Dan Auerbach, Jay-Z and Kanye West each received six nominations, while Auerbach’s band, The Black Keys, got five.

“It will be a very exciting night because it’s so much the antithesis of last year, which was a once-in-a-lifetime show with Adele and her moment,” Jim Donio, president of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, told Reuters.

With the absence of new music from many major pop artists in the past year, emerging talent features prominently at the Grammys.

Pop chart staples Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Adele and Rihanna all picked up nominations for the 55th annual Grammy Awards, but only Clarkson and Taylor Swift received Record of the Year nods.

In the Album of the Year category, one style of music is making a comeback.

“This year seems very different … we’re seeing rock music and guitar music coming back to the Grammys and being appreciated this year,” said Patrick Doyle, assistant editor of Rolling Stone magazine.

New York-based FUN., made up of Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff, stormed the charts in 2012 and are back this year. They are the only artists going into Sunday’s awards with nominations in the top four categories – Album, Record and Song of the Year as well as Best New Artist.

But unlike last year, where Adele was a clear favorite and went home with six Grammys, this year’s big winners are less predictable. Experts said the chances are slim of one person or band winning the coveted trifecta of Song, Record and Album of the Year.

“I think voters went out of their way almost to assure that you’re not going to see the photo of one person clutching six Grammy awards. There won’t be one unified winner,” said James Montgomery, senior writer at MTV News.

OCEAN MAKING WAVES

FUN. had one of the biggest-selling singles of 2012 with their infectious hit “We Are Young” featuring Janelle Monae, which is up for three Grammy awards. Both Doyle and Montgomery think they may take both the Song and Record of the Year titles.

“They’re taking a classic sound and putting hip hop productions and fresh sounding beats on top of anthem-like melodies,” Doyle said.

The trio face strong competition from Ocean, who is nominated in six categories, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

Ocean, 25, has paved an unconventional path to the Grammys after emerging on the music scene a few years ago as part of the Odd Future hip hop collective.

His debut album “Channel Orange,” released in July, has been both a commercial and critical success.

The singer made waves after revealing that his first love was another man, an admission of same-sex attraction that was seen as groundbreaking in the hip hop community, which is often criticized for hostility towards homosexuals.

Ocean and FUN. will be competing with blues-rockers Alabama Shakes, folk-indie group The Lumineers and country singer Hunter Hayes for Best New Artist.

“Alabama Shakes, The Lumineers and Hunter Hayes may all draw from the some basic vote group, which leaves the race between FUN. and Frank Ocean. And due to his album success and story, I think it may be Frank Ocean,” Montgomery said.

Both Montgomery and Doyle said Ocean may be also win the night for Album of the Year.

“His album was so soulful and new, and it sounds really like nothing else. It’s a completely honest record that people can really relate to, something that hasn’t been seen or heard in a long time,” Doyle said.

“He’s going to be a huge presence at the Grammys because there’s no one like him.”

The Grammys Awards will be presented in Los Angeles and shown live on CBS television on Sunday.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Stacey Joyce)

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Well: Expressing the Inexpressible

When Kyle Potvin learned she had breast cancer at the age of 41, she tracked the details of her illness and treatment in a journal. But when it came to grappling with issues of mortality, fear and hope, she found that her best outlet was poetry.

How I feared chemo, afraid
It would change me.
It did.
Something dissolved inside me.
Tears began a slow drip;
I cried at the news story
Of a lost boy found in the woods …
At the surprising beauty
Of a bright leaf falling
Like the last strand of hair from my head

Ms. Potvin, now 47 and living in Derry, N.H., recently published “Sound Travels on Water” (Finishing Line Press), a collection of poems about her experience with cancer. And she has organized the Prickly Pear Poetry Project, a series of workshops for cancer patients.

“The creative process can be really healing,” Ms. Potvin said in an interview. “Loss, mortality and even hopefulness were on my mind, and I found that through writing poetry I was able to express some of those concepts in a way that helped me process what I was thinking.”

In April, the National Association for Poetry Therapy, whose members include both medical doctors and therapists, is to hold a conference in Chicago with sessions on using poetry to manage pain and to help adolescents cope with bullying. And this spring, Tasora Books will publish “The Cancer Poetry Project 2,” an anthology of poems written by patients and their loved ones.

Dr. Rafael Campo, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard, says he uses poetry in his practice, offering therapy groups and including poems with the medical forms and educational materials he gives his patients.

“It’s always striking to me how they want to talk about the poems the next time we meet and not the other stuff I give them,” he said. “It’s such a visceral mode of expression. When our bodies betray us in such a profound way, it can be all the more powerful for patients to really use the rhythms of poetry to make sense of what is happening in their bodies.”

On return visits, Dr. Campo’s patients often begin by discussing a poem he gave them — for example, “At the Cancer Clinic,” by Ted Kooser, from his collection “Delights & Shadows” (Copper Canyon Press, 2004), about a nurse holding the door for a slow-moving patient.

How patient she is in the crisp white sails
of her clothes. The sick woman
peers from under her funny knit cap
to watch each foot swing scuffing forward
and take its turn under her weight.
There is no restlessness or impatience
or anger anywhere in sight. Grace
fills the clean mold of this moment
and all the shuffling magazines grow still.

In Ms. Potvin’s case, poems related to her illness were often spurred by mundane moments, like seeing a neighbor out for a nightly walk. Here is “Tumor”:

My neighbor walks
For miles each night.
A mantra drives her, I imagine
As my boys’ chant did
The summer of my own illness:
“Push, Mommy, push.”
Urging me to wind my sore feet
Winch-like on a rented bike
To inch us home.
I couldn’t stop;
Couldn’t leave us
Miles from the end.

Karin Miller, 48, of Minneapolis, turned to poetry 15 years ago when her husband developed testicular cancer at the same time she was pregnant with their first child.

Her husband has since recovered, and Ms. Miller has reviewed thousands of poems by cancer patients and their loved ones to create the “Cancer Poetry Project” anthologies. One poem is “Hymn to a Lost Breast,” by Bonnie Maurer.

Oh let it fly
let it fling
let it flip like a pancake in the air
let it sing: what is the song
of one breast flapping?

Another is “Barn Wish” by Kim Knedler Hewett.

I sit where you can’t see me
Listening to the rustle of papers and pills in the other room,
Wondering if you can hear them.
Let’s go back to the barn, I whisper.
Let’s turn on the TV and watch the Bengals lose.
Let’s eat Bill’s Doughnuts and drink Pepsi.
Anything but this.

Ms. Miller has asked many of her poets to explain why they find poetry healing. “They say it’s the thing that lets them get to the core of how they are feeling,” she said. “It’s the simplicity of poetry, the bare bones of it, that helps them deal with their fears.”

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Have you written a poem about cancer? Please share them with us in the comments section below.

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EveryBlock.com shuts down

"Though EveryBlock has been able to build an engaged community over the years, we’re faced with the decision to wrap things up," a posting on the EveryBlock.com blog said.

The posting said Everyblock faced increasing challenges to build a profitable business. It had 10 employees.

The company was founded in 2007 by Naperville native Adrian Holovaty and acquired by MSNBC.com in 2009. NBC News acquired MSNBC.com last year.

EveryBlock collected data such as building permits, crime reports, news stories and even Yelp reviews for 19 cities and made the information is made searchable by address, zip code or neighborhood.

The sites also focused on community discussions and helping residents improve their neighborhoods.

MSNBC and founder Holovaty did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

"EveryBlock was among the more innovative and ambitious journalism projects at a time when journalism desperately needed innovation and ambition. RIP," Holovaty wrote Thursday in a blog post on his site Holovaty.com.

Holovaty wrote that he believes EveryBlock, founded with the help of a $1.1 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, was a successful attempt to push innovation in newspaper and journalism.

"It was a great site, beautifully designed and lovingly crafted. It made a difference for people, particularly in Chicago," he wrote.

Holovaty left the site in August to pursue other interests.

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License number leads cops to salon robbery suspect

The Evanston man charged with robbing nearly a dozen hair salons in Chicago, Skokie, Morton Grove, Broadview and Niles was apprehended seven hours after the last reported robbery, when a witness provided a partial license plate to authorities, police said today.

Jason Logsdon, 41, of the 900 block of Chicago Avenue in Evanston, is charged with 11 counts of felony armed robbery, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office.

“Everyone had a common goal, to get an offender off the street that was terrorizing small business owners,” said Tom Byrne, chief of detectives for the Chicago Police Department, during the news conference in Skokie.

Logsdon was taken into custody Monday in Skokie, hours after a robbery on the North Side, authorities said. He is suspected of robbing hair salons that include one in Broadview; five in Chicago; one in Morton Grove; two in Niles; and two in Skokie, authorities said.

Skokie police found that they had stopped Logsdon for two minor traffic violations within the past year, before the string of robberies occurred.

The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office is pursuing additional charges against Logsdon in connection for two robberies in Lombard, one in Glen Ellyn and one in Bensenville, officials said.

The Cook County charges were filed after witnesses viewed line-ups at the Skokie police station, authorities said. Officials declined to discuss the type of weapon used, but said that his motive at least initially was financial.

A pattern of robberies began emerging in late December, said Brian Baker, commander in charge of the investigative division in Skokie, said Brian Baker, Skokie’s commander in charge of the investigative division.

Logsdon was arrested after a salon in the Wicker Park neighborhood was hit. A man stole about $250 in cash from a Great Clips salon in the 1200 block of a well-trafficked North Ashland Avenue around 10:45 a.m. Monday, police said.

The man took out a handgun before presenting a dark bag to three salon workers, which one of them filled with money, Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Daniel O'Brien said. Wearing a red and gray jacket, blue jeans and a hat and scarf, the man walked north on Ashland and hopped in a gray colored sedan, which left driving southbound, police said.

No one was injured, police said.

A witness from that robbery provided a license plate number that was one digit off, Baker said. Chicago police ran variations on the number until they found a vehicle with a similar make and model as reported by the witness. The person who owned the car that Logsdon was driving had “no knowledge that these (robberies) were occurring,” Baker said.

Last Tuesday, a man robbed a Great Clips salon in the 1000 block of West Webster Avenue in the Sheffield Neighbors neighborhood, according to police. The man was given cash and fled the store, police said. Police think the same man may have held up salons in the 1200 block of North Clybourn Avenue on Jan. 21 and salons in the 1200 and 1300 blocks of West Fullerton Avenue in December.

Other police agencies have warned that the same man may be responsible for robberies in Niles, Skokie, Morton Grove, Bensenville, Lombard, and Glen Ellyn.

chicagobreaking@tribune.com

Twitter: @ChicagoBreaking

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Boy band The Wanted sign on for E! reality series

NEW YORK (AP) — The Wanted is trying to keep it real: The boy band has signed on to do a reality series on E!

The British fivesome announced Wednesday that their show will debut in June. A press release said the behind-the-scene series will be “unvarnished” and “nonglossy.”

The Wanted broke onto the U.S. music scene with the Top 5 hit “Glad You Came.” They dropped their self-titled U.S. debut EP last year, and have released two successful albums and multiple singles in the United Kingdom.

The group is planning a full-length album and international tour for the fall.

Their U.S. manager is Scooter Braun, who also manages Justin Bieber. The band members include Max George, Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker and Siva Kaneswaran.

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Online:

http://www.thewantedmusic.com/

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Well: Gluten-Free for the Gluten Sensitive

Eat no wheat.

That is the core, draconian commandment of a gluten-free diet, a prohibition that excises wide swaths of American cuisine — cupcakes, pizza, bread and macaroni and cheese, to name a few things.

For the approximately one-in-a-hundred Americans who have a serious condition called celiac disease, that is an indisputably wise medical directive.

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One woman’s story of going gluten-free.

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Now medical experts largely agree that there is a condition related to gluten other than celiac. In 2011 a panel of celiac experts convened in Oslo and settled on a medical term for this malady: non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

What they still do not know: how many people have gluten sensitivity, what its long-term effects are, or even how to reliably identify it. Indeed, they do not really know what the illness is.

The definition is less a diagnosis than a description — someone who does not have celiac, but whose health improves on a gluten-free diet and worsens again if gluten is eaten. It could even be more than one illness.

“We have absolutely no clue at this point,” said Dr. Stefano Guandalini, medical director of the University of Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center.

Kristen Golden Testa could be one of the gluten-sensitive. Although she does not have celiac, she adopted a gluten-free diet last year. She says she has lost weight and her allergies have gone away. “It’s just so marked,” said Ms. Golden Testa, who is health program director in California for the Children’s Partnership, a national nonprofit advocacy group.

She did not consult a doctor before making the change, and she also does not know whether avoiding gluten has helped at all. “This is my speculation,” she said. She also gave up sugar at the same time and made an effort to eat more vegetables and nuts.

Many advocates of gluten-free diets warn that non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a wide, unseen epidemic undermining the health of millions of people. They believe that avoiding gluten — a composite of starch and proteins found in certain grassy grains like wheat, barley and rye — gives them added energy and alleviates chronic ills. Oats, while gluten-free, are also avoided, because they are often contaminated with gluten-containing grains.

Others see the popularity of gluten-free foods as just the latest fad, destined to fade like the Atkins diet and avoidance of carbohydrates a decade ago.

Indeed, Americans are buying billions of dollars of food labeled gluten-free each year. And celebrities like Miley Cyrus, the actress and singer, have urged fans to give up gluten. “The change in your skin, physical and mental health is amazing!” she posted on Twitter in April.

For celiac experts, the anti-gluten zeal is a dramatic turnaround; not many years ago, they were struggling to raise awareness among doctors that bread and pasta can make some people very sick. Now they are voicing caution, tamping down the wilder claims about gluten-free diets.

“It is not a healthier diet for those who don’t need it,” Dr. Guandalini said. These people “are following a fad, essentially.” He added, “And that’s my biased opinion.”

Nonetheless, Dr. Guandalini agrees that some people who do not have celiac receive a genuine health boost from a gluten-free diet. He just cannot say how many.

As with most nutrition controversies, most everyone agrees on the underlying facts. Wheat entered the human diet only about 10,000 years ago, with the advent of agriculture.

“For the previous 250,000 years, man had evolved without having this very strange protein in his gut,” Dr. Guandalini said. “And as a result, this is a really strange, different protein which the human intestine cannot fully digest. Many people did not adapt to these great environmental changes, so some adverse effects related to gluten ingestion developed around that time.”

The primary proteins in wheat gluten are glutenin and gliadin, and gliadin contains repeating patterns of amino acids that the human digestive system cannot break down. (Gluten is the only substance that contains these proteins.) People with celiac have one or two genetic mutations that somehow, when pieces of gliadin course through the gut, cause the immune system to attack the walls of the intestine in a case of mistaken identity. That, in turn, causes fingerlike structures called villi that absorb nutrients on the inside of the intestines to atrophy, and the intestines can become leaky, wreaking havoc. Symptoms, which vary widely among people with the disease, can include vomiting, chronic diarrhea or constipation and diminished growth rates in children.

The vast majority of people who have celiac do not know it. And not everyone who has the genetic mutations develops celiac.

What worries doctors is that the problem seems to be growing. After testing blood samples from a century ago, researchers discovered that the rate of celiac appears to be increasing. Why is another mystery. Some blame the wheat, as some varieties now grown contain higher levels of gluten, because gluten helps provide the springy inside and crusty outside desirable in bread. (Blame the artisanal bakers.)

There are also people who are allergic to wheat (not necessarily gluten), but until recently, most experts had thought that celiac and wheat allergy were the only problems caused by eating the grain.

For 99 out of 100 people who don’t have celiac — and those who don’t have a wheat allergy — the undigested gliadin fragments usually pass harmlessly through the gut, and the possible benefits of a gluten-free diet are nebulous, perhaps nonexistent for most. But not all.

Anecdotally, people like Ms. Golden Testa say that gluten-free diets have improved their health. Some people with diseases like irritable bowel syndrome and arthritis also report alleviation of their symptoms, and others are grasping at gluten as a source of a host of other conditions, though there is no scientific evidence to back most of the claims. Experts have been skeptical. It does not make obvious sense, for example, that someone would lose weight on a gluten-free diet. In fact, the opposite often happens for celiac patients as their malfunctioning intestines recover.

They also worried that people could end up eating less healthfully. A gluten-free muffin generally contains less fiber than a wheat-based one and still offers the same nutritional dangers — fat and sugar. Gluten-free foods are also less likely to be fortified with vitamins.

But those views have changed. Crucial in the evolving understanding of gluten were the findings, published in 2011, in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, of an experiment in Australia. In the double-blind study, people who suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, did not have celiac and were on a gluten-free diet were given bread and muffins to eat for up to six weeks. Some of them were given gluten-free baked goods; the others got muffins and bread with gluten. Thirty-four patients completed the study. Those who ate gluten reported they felt significantly worse.

That influenced many experts to acknowledge that the disease was not just in the heads of patients. “It’s not just a placebo effect,” said Dr. Marios Hadjivassiliou, a neurologist and celiac expert at the University of Sheffield in England.

Even though there was now convincing evidence that gluten sensitivity exists, that has not helped to establish what causes gluten sensitivity. The researchers of the Australian experiment noted, “No clues to the mechanism were elucidated.”

What is known is that gluten sensitivity does not correlate with the genetic mutations of celiac, so it appears to be something distinct from celiac.

How widespread gluten sensitivity may be is another point of controversy.

Dr. Thomas O’Bryan, a chiropractor turned anti-gluten crusader, said that when he tested his patients, 30 percent of them had antibodies targeting gliadin fragments in their blood. “If a person has a choice between eating wheat or not eating wheat,” he said, “then for most people, avoiding wheat would be ideal.”

Dr. O’Bryan has given himself a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity. “I had these blood sugar abnormalities and didn’t have a handle where they were coming from,” he said. He said a blood test showed gliadin antibodies, and he started avoiding gluten. “It took me a number of years to get completely gluten-free,” he said. “I’d still have a piece of pie once in a while. And I’d notice afterwards that I didn’t feel as good the next day or for two days. Subtle, nothing major, but I’d notice that.”

But Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tides, Inc., a consulting firm, said fewer people these days were citing the benefits of gluten-free diets. She said a recent survey of people who bought gluten-free foods found that 35 percent said they thought gluten-free products were generally healthier, down from 46 percent in 2010. She predicted that the use of gluten-free products would decline.

Dr. Guandalini said finding out whether you are gluten sensitive is not as simple as Dr. O’Bryan’s antibody tests, because the tests only indicate the presence of the fragments in the blood, which can occur for a variety of reasons and do not necessarily indicate a chronic illness. For diagnosing gluten sensitivity, “There is no testing of the blood that can be helpful,” he said.

He also doubts that the occurrence of gluten sensitivity is nearly as high as Dr. O’Bryan asserts. “No more than 1 percent,” Dr. Guandalini said, although he agreed that at present all numbers were speculative.

He said his research group was working to identify biological tests that could determine gluten sensitivity. Some of the results are promising, he said, but they are too preliminary to discuss. Celiac experts urge people to not do what Ms. Golden Testa did — self-diagnose. Should they actually have celiac, tests to diagnose it become unreliable if one is not eating gluten. They also recommend visiting a doctor before starting on a gluten-free diet.

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This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: February 4, 2013

An earlier version of this article misspelled the surname of Thomas O'Bryan. It is O'Bryan, not O'Brien.

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Chicago sees surge in foreclosure auctions

More than 35,000 homes and small multifamily buildings in the Chicago area completed the foreclosure process last year, the highest number since the housing crisis began, and the vast majority of them became bank-owned.

An increase in foreclosure auctions was expected since lenders shelved many foreclosure cases while state and federal authorities investigated allegations of faulty foreclosure processes. Still, the heightened level of auctions — 35,244 in 2012, compared with 20,281 in 2011 — along with an increase in initial foreclosure filings, shows the local housing market has a long road to recovery, according to the Woodstock Institute.

"There's going to be pain in the housing market in the short term," said Katie Buitrago, senior policy and communications associate at Woodstock. "There's still high levels of filings. Five years into it, there is still work to be done to help people save their homes."

The Chicago-based public policy and research group is expected to release its report on 2012 foreclosure activity Wednesday.

The year-end numbers show that, with few exceptions, all Chicago neighborhoods and suburban communities saw high double-digit percentage gains in auctions last year. Across the six-county area, 91.3 percent of the foreclosed properties were repossessed by lenders. At the same time, notices of initial default sent to homeowners, the first step in the foreclosure process, increased by 2.9 percent last year, to 66,783.

Real estate agents have worried for more than two years about a glut of foreclosed properties — a shadow inventory — that banks would list for sale en masse and cause home values to plunge. That largely has not happened, but the vast number of distressed properties in the market has kept a lid on local home values.

On Tuesday, for instance, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's websites listed 2,415 Cook County homes for sale that the two agencies had repossessed.

Chicago-area home prices, including distressed sales, fell 2.3 percent in December from a year ago, housing analytics firm CoreLogic said Tuesday. Illinois was one of only four states to see home-price depreciation.

The increase in auctions "is a mixed blessing," Buitrago said. "We've been having a lot of trouble in the region with vacant properties that have been languishing for years. The longer they're vacant, the more likely they are to be a destabilizing force in their communities."

Woodstock found that within the city of Chicago, there were 20 communities where more than 1 in 10 owner-occupied one- to four-unit residential buildings and condos went through foreclosure from 2008 to 2012. Five of those neighborhoods are included in the city's 18-month-old Micro-Market Recovery Program, a coordinated effort to stabilize neighborhoods and property values hit hard by foreclosures and vacant buildings.

Also designed to benefit hard-hit areas are the recent establishment of a Cook County Land Bank and legislation waiting for Gov. Pat Quinn's signature that will fast-track the foreclosure process for vacant, abandoned homes while providing financial resources to foreclosure prevention efforts.

mepodmolik@tribune.com

Twitter @mepodmolik

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Father saw 'horrifying' accident injure son during opera rehearsal

Lyric actor injured in fire accident. (WGN - Chicago)

A fire-breathing stilt walker burned when flames flared up on his face during a dress rehearsal at the Lyric Opera of Chicago is expected to be released from the hospital Thursday, his father told the Chicago Tribune.

“It’s horrifying,” said Clifton Truman Daniel, 55, who was in the audience watching his son Wesley when the mishap occurred late Monday afternoon. “You don’t believe it. At first, everything’s fine. You’re proud of him. You’re amazed at what he’s learned to do, and suddenly he’s in trouble.”

The 24-year-old actor was taken in serious-to-critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital suffering burns to his throat and second-degree burns to his face, fire officials said. Initially, it was thought Daniel was not suffering breathing problems, but he apparently was and was transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in critical condition, officials said.

Doctors intubated Daniel as a precaution to help him breathe, his father said. But there was no damage to his lungs or airway and the tube was removed Monday night, according to his father.

"Doctors likened them to a severe sunburn and he will heal,” his father said of the burns. “He shouldn’t have any scarring.”

Clifton Daniel said he was happily sitting in the audience of the Lyric Opera, watching his son walk on stilts and spit fire out of his mouth.

He watched as Wesley Daniel picked up a torch and a little jar of fluid and blew two fire balls. Then suddenly his son’s mask was on fire and he started patting his neck and chest before walking across the stage toward stagehands who were carrying fire extinguishers.

Daniel said he ran to his son backstage, where he was being treated with compresses. Paramedics had already been called and his son was upbeat, even giving a thumbs-up, the father said.

Clifton Truman Daniel said he is the grandson of former President Harry S. Truman and Wesley Daniel is the president's great-grandson.

Wesley Daniel said his son graduated from Roosevelt University and has been acting for about three years. He was hired as a back-up for the opera “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg” in case someone called in sick or didn’t show up. Wesley Daniel stepped in when an actor was injured last week, his father said.

Tribune photographer Jason Wambsgans, who was at the rehearsal, said it appeared Daniel had spilled propellant "on his chin or his chest or something. It kind of consumed him, and he was staggering across the stage and then fell off his stilts on the opposite side of the stage.”

Wambsgans said he arrived at the rehearsal at the beginning of the third act to take pictures for an upcoming Tribune review of the opera “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg.”

The first scene of the third act took about an hour. It was in the second scene when Wambsgans pulled out a long-angle lens to take pictures of the busy stage full of extras, in this case, circus performers. Daniel was one of them.

When it appeared that Daniel, on stilts, was ready to put some sort of propellant in his mouth to shoot fireballs, Wambsgans said he started snapping and captured the flames flaring up on Daniel.

Wambsgans said he saw people in the wings of the stage spraying Daniel with fire extinguishers. “Half of the extras were transfixed by that,” Wambsgans said.

It took about 15 more seconds before the rest of the extras stopped singing and acting, realizing what had happened, he said.

After a 30-minute break, a visibly distressed crew was back rehearsing, Wambsgans said. But the rehearsal was cut short, ending about 6 p.m.

Daniel was wearing a flame-proof costume and mask, a spokeswoman for the Lyric said in an email.  The dress rehearsal was interrupted, but it later resumed and was in the last act of “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg” by about 5:30 p.m.

Daniel was performing a stunt that had been approved by the Fire Department, according to the Lyric.

jdelgado@tribune.com

lford@tribune.com

ehirst@tribune.com

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