Cops: State senator tried to board plane with unloaded gun, clip

State Sen. Donne Trotter, who is seeking the congressional seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr., was arrested this morning at O’Hare International Airport for attempting to board a plane with an unloaded handgun and a clip with six bullets, officials said.

Trotter, a Chicago Democrat who has served in the state legislature since 1988, was charged with a Class 4 felony, according to a spokeswoman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

A Chicago police officer responded to a call of a handgun that showed on an X-ray machine at Checkpoint No. 2 in Terminal 1 around 7 a.m., police said. When police and an agent from the Transportation Security Administration realized the bag belonged to Trotter, they escorted him to a nearby room to interview him, police said.

Authorities found a .25-caliber Beretta in his garment bag, and a clip containing six live rounds in a separate side pocket, according to police, who said the gun was not loaded.

Trotter told police he worked late Tuesday night at his job as a security guard for All Points Security and packed his bag early this morning, police said. They said he told authorities he didn’t realize the gun was in the bag.

The gun is the same one he uses for work, police said. He has a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and has a permit with the Illinois Department of Financial and Profession Regulation to work as a security guard, police said.

Trotter, 62, will spend the night in a Northwest Side police lockup before appearing for a bond hearing Thursday.

The TSA released a statement saying passengers who bring a firearm through an airport checkpoint face criminal prosecution and penalties up to $7,500. "Passengers may only transport firearms, ammunition and firearm parts in checked bags," it said. "Firearms must be unloaded, properly packed in a hard-sided container, and declared to the airline during the ticket counter check-in process."

Trotter is among more than a half-dozen announced and potential contenders for the Democratic nomination for the South Side and south suburban congressional seat that Jackson resigned from late last month. The lead state budget negotiator among state Senate Democrats, Trotter was not in Springfield during the Senate’s session today.

Trotter had been viewed as the most likely contender among the field to receive the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party in a slating session scheduled for Dec. 15. Trotter already received the backing of the Democratic chairmen in Thorton and Bremen townships in suburban Cook County.

In the 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from the South Side to include parts of Will and all of Kankakee counties, the bulk of the Democratic votes are cast in the Cook County suburbs.

The field of announced Democratic contenders also includes former one-term U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson of Crete, who lost to Jackson in the March primary, state Sen. Toi Hutchinson of Olympia Fields, former state Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson, state Sen.-elect Napoleon Harris of Flossmoor and disgraced former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds.

Tribune reporters Monique Garcia and Annie Sweeney contributed.

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Apple shares tumble 4 percent in heavy trade

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shares of Apple Inc tumbled nearly 4 percent on Wednesday, rounding off a bleak ten weeks for the most valuable U.S. company, with analysts citing factors such as increasing competition in the tablet market.

The stock was one of the biggest percentage losers on the S&P 500, dropping 5.2 percent to $545.56 at one point as more than 17 million shares changed hands, putting it on track to surpass the company's average daily volume over 50 days of 21 million shares.

The stock's massive size meant the retreat was responsible for two-thirds of the 1.1 percent decline in the Nasdaq 100 Index on Wednesday.

Analysts gave different reasons for the decline. Some cited a research report saying the company will lose share in the tablet computer space next year. Others cited reports of higher margin requirements at clearing firms, and several investors said uncertain tax rates on capital gains in 2013 prompted selling.

"Depending on what happens with the (U.S. fiscal negotiations), rates could rise next year or they could stay the same," Brian Battle, director of trading at Performance Trust Capital Partners in Chicago, said. "They will not be lower, so if you're an investor who has seen gains in Apple, it is better to take those gains this year rather than next."

Apple is still up 36 percent so far this year, but has been weak recently, dropping into bear market territory. The stock is now down nearly 22 percent from its all-time high of $705.07 a share of September 21.

Some were perplexed at the sudden falling out of favor of the stock, which so far has been a staple in almost all growth portfolios.

"Apple stock is significantly more volatile than its earnings and innovation stream," Daniel Ernst, analyst with Hudson Square Research said. "And yet the wind blows slightly from the south instead of the east one particular morning and the stock is down 6 percent."

"It makes no sense. There are lines around the block for their products all around the world," he added. "No other company has that."

On Wednesday, research firm International Data Corp said Apple would shed market share in the tablet computer space for all of 2012, with consumers favoring devices that run on Google's Android platform instead of Apple's popular iPad product line.

Apple's worldwide tablet market share would slip to 53.8 percent in 2012 from 56.3 percent in 2011, while Android products would increase their share to 42.7 percent from 39.8 percent, IDC said.

The main reason for the negative sentiment around the stock is likely concerns about new competition in the tablet market, Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Partners, adding that some investors who were hoping for a special dividend this year may be disappointed as time is running out.

"If you were expecting special dividend by year end, that's less likely to happen because its December 5," he said.

TAX SELLING

Separately, Nokia is to partner with China Mobile, the world's biggest mobile operator, in a sales deal that will give the Finnish company an opportunity to win back Chinese market share from Apple's iPhone.

"This is not going to be a short-term trend. This is a management test, of how well they can perform without (deceased former chief executive) Steve Jobs," said Battle.

Referring to one of Apple's most recent product launches, a version of the iPad that was smaller but not a new product category, Battle said Apple would need "another home run" for shares to return to levels around $700.

"They need another new product that hits it out of the park. Without that, they could get a gradual grind-down in confidence," he said.

The 7.9-inch iPad mini marks Apple's first foray into the smaller-tablet segment and is the company's first major new device since the death of co-founder Jobs last year.

While lines for the new iPads had appeared lighter than usual when it hit stores in November, the company said at that time that demand was so strong that it "practically sold out of iPad minis". It said it sold 3 million of its new iPads -- including the newer full-size version -- in the first three days on the market.

Apple is currently ramping up the introduction of its latest iPhone 5 smartphone and smaller iPad mini tablet in international markets. The company is launching the iPhone 5 in 50 countries in December, including China and South Korea.

Some analysts suggested that investors also sold shares of Apple amid uncertainty over ongoing fiscal negotiations in Washington. If no agreement is reached on the issue, higher taxes on dividends and capital gains are possible in 2013. That has prompted some investors to lock in profits now, particularly on a stock like Apple, which has posted gains of at least 25 percent for four consecutive years.

Tax selling "can take a life of its own," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York.

"Some taxable investors take the gains, that creates some negative momentum, institutional investors are heavily weighted the stock and reduce exposure."

(Additional reporting by Charles Mikolajczak in New York and Doris Frankel in Chicago; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Andrew Hay)

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Chiefs players head to Belcher memorial service

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Several players for the Kansas City Chiefs attended a memorial service for teammate Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend and then fatally shot himself in the head.

Belcher killed 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins on Saturday at the home they shared in Kansas City with their 3-month-old daughter. He then drove to the Chiefs practice facility at Arrowhead Stadium, where he killed himself in front of team officials, who pleaded with him to put down his gun.

Retired Chiefs Hall of Famer Bobby Bell said after the private hour-long service that general manager Scott Pioli, who witnessed Belcher's suicide, spoke during the service. Bell said an uncle of Belcher also spoke.

The service was held at a church that Belcher and Perkins attended.

Several other Chiefs players declined comment after the service.

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Kathie Lee Gifford’s “Scandalous” musical to close after three weeks

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – So much for Kathie Lee Gifford‘s career as a playwright. The former “Live!” co-host’s Broadway musical “Scandalous: The Life and Times of Aimee Semple McPherson,” is shuttering a little after three weeks after it opened.

The musical, which opened November 15, will have its final performance December 9 at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York.

Gifford wrote the book and lyrics for “Scandalous,” which chronicled the life of evangelist and proto-celebrity Aimee Semple McPherson, who rose to prominence in the 1920s, only to fall from public grace amid scandalous love affairs and other controversies.

In all, “Scandalous” will have played 29 regular performances before it goes dark and 31 previews. The musical stars Carolee Carmello (left) and George Hearn, among others, and is directed by David Armstrong (“A Christmas Story the Musical,” “Catch Me if You Can”).

Though Gifford had ample opportunity to plug the production via her “Today” co-hosting duties – and she certainly took advantage of the opportunity – critics were generally unkind in their appraisal of the show.

“‘Scandalous’ isn’t so much scandalously bad as it is generic and dull,” wrote the New York Times’ Charles Isherwood.

Newsday’s Linda Winer took specific aim at Gifford’s “bombardment of nursery-rhyme lyrics.”

Talkin’ Broadway’s Matthew Murray, meanwhile, scoffed that the play “is not distinctive in one positive way.”

Music News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Study could spur wider use of prenatal gene tests

A new study sets the stage for wider use of gene testing in early pregnancy. Scanning the genes of a fetus reveals far more about potential health risks than current prenatal testing does, say researchers who compared both methods in thousands of pregnancies nationwide.

A surprisingly high number — 6 percent — of certain fetuses declared normal by conventional testing were found to have genetic abnormalities by gene scans, the study found. The gene flaws can cause anything from minor defects such as a club foot to more serious ones such as mental retardation, heart problems and fatal diseases.

"This isn't done just so people can terminate pregnancies," because many choose to continue them even if a problem is found, said Dr. Ronald Wapner, reproductive genetics chief at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. "We're better able to give lots and lots of women more information about what's causing the problem and what the prognosis is and what special care their child might need."

He led the federally funded study, published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

A second study in the journal found that gene testing could reveal the cause of most stillbirths, many of which remain a mystery now. That gives key information to couples agonizing over whether to try again.

The prenatal study of 4,400 women has long been awaited in the field, and could make gene testing a standard of care in cases where initial screening with an ultrasound exam suggests a structural defect in how the baby is developing, said Dr. Susan Klugman, director of reproductive genetics at New York's Montefiore Medical Center, which enrolled 300 women into the study.

"We can never guarantee the perfect baby but if they want everything done, this is a test that can tell a lot more," she said.

Many pregnant women are offered screening with an ultrasound exam or a blood test that can flag some common abnormalities such as Down syndrome, but these are not conclusive.

The next step is diagnostic testing on cells from the fetus obtained through amniocentesis, which is like a needle biopsy through the belly, or chorionic villus sampling, which snips a bit of the placenta. Doctors look at the sample under a microscope for breaks or extra copies of chromosomes that cause a dozen or so abnormalities.

The new study compared this eyeball method to scanning with gene chips that can spot hundreds of abnormalities and far smaller defects than what can be seen with a microscope. This costs $1,200 to $1,800 versus $600 to $1,000 for the visual exam.

In the study, both methods were used on fetal samples from 4,400 women around the country. Half of the moms were at higher risk because they were over 35. One-fifth had screening tests suggesting Down syndrome. One-fourth had ultrasounds suggesting structural abnormalities. Others sought screening for other reasons.

"Some did it for anxiety — they just wanted more information about their child," Wapner said.

Of women whose ultrasounds showed a possible structural defect but whose fetuses were called normal by the visual chromosome exam, gene testing found problems in 6 percent — one out of 17.

"That's a lot. That's huge," Klugman said.

Gene tests also found abnormalities in nearly 2 percent of cases where the mom was older or ultrasounds suggested a problem other than a structural defect.

Dr. Lorraine Dugoff, a University of Pennsylvania high-risk pregnancy specialist, wrote in an editorial in the journal that gene testing should become the standard of care when a structural problem is suggested by ultrasound. But its value may be incremental in other cases and offset by the 1.5 percent of cases where a gene abnormality of unknown significance is found.

In those cases, "a lot of couples might not be happy that they ordered that test" because it can't give a clear answer, she said.

Ana Zeletz, a former pediatric nurse from Hoboken, N.J., had one of those results during the study. An ultrasound suggested possible Down syndrome; gene testing ruled that out but showed an abnormality that could indicate kidney problems — or nothing.

"They give you this list of all the things that could possibly be wrong," Zeletz said. Her daughter, Jillian, now 2, had some urinary and kidney abnormalities that seem to have resolved, and has low muscle tone that caused her to start walking later than usual.

"I am very glad about it," she said of the testing, because she knows to watch her daughter for possible complications like gout. Without the testing, "we wouldn't know anything, we wouldn't know to watch for things that might come up," she said.

The other study involved 532 stillbirths — deaths of a fetus in the womb before delivery. Gene testing revealed the cause in 87 percent of cases versus 70 percent of cases analyzed by the visual chromosome inspection method. It also gave more information on specific genetic abnormalities that couples could use to estimate the odds that future pregnancies would bring those risks.

The study was led by Dr. Uma Reddy of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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Online:

Medical journal: http://www.nejm.org

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Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP

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NBR Awards name 'Zero Dark Thirty' best film

NEW YORK (AP) — Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" continued to gather awards momentum as the National Board of Review named the Osama bin Laden hunt docudrama the best film of the year.

The board is the second notable group to name "Zero Dark Thirty" best film, following the New York Film Critics Circle. The two early awards suggest the film may be the Academy Awards frontrunner, four years after Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" triumphed at the Oscars.

The film took three awards Wednesday from the National Board of Review, which also named Bigelow best director and Jessica Chastain, who stars as a CIA agent, best actress.

The group also gave a boost to the "Silver Linings Playbook," David O. Russell's comedic drama about a mentally unstable former teacher (Bradley Cooper) attempting to reorder his life. Cooper was named best actor and Russell was given best adapted screenplay. (Best original screenplay went to Rian Johnson for his script to the thriller "Looper.")

Leonardo DiCaprio won best supporting actor for his performance as a wealthy slave owner in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained." Best supporting actress went to Ann Dowd for her performance as a fast-food manager terrorized by a prank caller in "Compliance."

The board also cited Ben Affleck, director and star of the Iran hostage crisis drama "Argo," for special achievement in filmmaking. Best ensemble went to the cast of Tom Hooper's musical adaptation of "Les Miserables." The group is also highlighting John Goodman with its "spotlight award," noting the actor's work this year in "Argo," ''Flight," ''Paranorman" and "Trouble With the Curve."

The National Board of Review, a group of film academics, students and professionals founded in 1909, is one of the first groups to announce its picks for the year's best movies. The Los Angeles Film Critics announce their choices on Sunday. The Golden Globe nominations come Dec. 13.

The National Board of Review has some pedigree in picking films that have gone on to win best picture at the Oscars, though not in recent years. Last year, it selected "Hugo," while the academy chose "The Artist." In 2010, it selected "The Social Network" while the academy chose "The King's Speech."

In addition to individual awards, the board also lists its top 10 films, in no particular order: "Zero Dark Thirty," ''Argo," ''Lincoln," ''Beasts of the Southern Wild," ''Django Unchained," ''Looper," ''Les Miserables," ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower," ''Silver Linings Playbook" and "Promised Land."

The awards will be handed out at a gala on Jan. 8 in New York at Cipriani's, to be hosted by Meredith Vieira.

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Online:

http://www.nbrmp.org/

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Follow Jake Coyle on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

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ICC lets ComEd delay smart meters until 2015

The Illinois Commerce Commission on Wednesday approved ComEd's request to delay the installation of smart meters until 2015 but said it will revisit the issue in April when the utility is scheduled to file a progress report on the program.

Under massive grid modernization legislation, ComEd was supposed to begin installing smart meters this year, but the ICC cut the funds ComEd was expecting to receive under the program and the utility said it could no longer afford to install the meters that quickly. The two sides are battling in court in a process that could take years.

An administrative law judge, as well as several consumer advocacy groups, had recommended the commission not accept the delay.

Jim Chilsen, spokesman for Citizens Utility Board, said a delay is not in the best interest of consumers. According to a ComEd commissioned analysis, the delay means consumers will miss out on approximately $187 million in savings that could come from the program over 20 years and will pay $5 million more for the smart meters. Chilsen said that CUB, which had urged the commission not to delay the program, will review the order once it becomes available and that it could seek to appeal the decision before the Illinois Appeals Court.

Other aspects of smart grid installation are under way, including "smart switches" used to automatically isolate outages and reroute power to customers. However, smart meters are the most consumer facing aspect smart grid and let the utility track on a computer what customers lack power and those who have had power restored.

Without the smart meters, customers must alert ComEd to an outage. Other parts of smart grid allow ComEd to see where the power is out in general.

The smart meters were a major component in ComEd's pitch to the state legislature for massive regulatory overhaul legislation that streamlines the rate-making processto give ComEd faster and more frequent rate hikes as it undertakes the multibillion-dollar grid modernization.

jwernau@tribune.com | Twitter @littlewern

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Judge: Mooseheart players from Sudan can suit up for now

A west suburban high school accepted four students from Sudan about one year ago. (WGN - Chicago)

By Ted Gregory




Tribune reporter

4:25 p.m. CST, December 4, 2012

A Kane County judge this afternoon kept alive the hoop dreams of three Sudanese basketball players at tiny Mooseheart in Batavia.

Judge David R. Akemann said that the full board of the state athletic association must hear arguments on both sides of the players’ eligibility issue before preventing them from continuing to compete for the Red Ramblers.

A hearing before the Illinois High School Association is scheduled for Monday in Bloomington.

The three Sudanese, meanwhile, will suit up tonight against Westminster Christian.

The Red Ramblers will also play Wednesday against rival Hinckley-Big Rock, which started the eligibility investigation by filing a complaint with the IHSA in March, 2012.

The IHSA contends the child residential school in Batavia recruited the boys for their athletic prowess, a violation of IHSA bylaws.

Mooseheart rejects that allegation, noting that the school specifically told the agency placing the teens that the Batavia institution would take Sudanese children regardless of whether they are athletes.

In arguments Tuesday morning, Mooseheart attorney Peter Rush said preventing the players -- gifted athletes who stand 6 feet 7 inches and above -- from participating in games before the IHSA has a full hearing on the issues is akin to executing a defendant before trial.

IHSA attorney David Bressler said the agency provided Mooseheart "rudimentary due process" by teleconferences and a meeting with IHSA director Marty Hickman before issuing the ineligibility decision.

He also noted that the agency through which Mooseheart brought the teens to campus specifically handles the placement of athletes.

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Intel sells debt, shares jump on stock buyback hopes

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp shares jumped more than 2 percent on Tuesday as the top chipmaker sold $6 billion in bonds to fund stock buybacks and other business activities.

Intel sold the bonds in a range of maturities from five years to 30 years, according to IFR, a Thomson Reuters unit.

The Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker said in a filing it plans to use proceeds of the debt sale for general corporate purposes and for stock buybacks under its existing share authorization.

"We believe the action should likely prove prudent given low debt borrowing costs," RBC analyst Doug Freedman said of the debt offer in a note to clients. "In our view the raise will likely support increased buybacks."

Intel's stock has dropped 18 percent over the past year as investors worried about slow PC sales and the company's failure to expand into mobile gadgets.

In the September quarter, Intel spent $1.165 billion on stock buybacks, bringing its repurchases so far in 2012 to $3.765 billion.

At the end of that quarter, Intel had another $6.3 billion available for share repurchases under its existing authorization.

Some investors have pointed to Intel's willingness to return cash to investors as a reason to own its stock. It paid $1.1 billion in dividends in the third quarter and its dividend yield stands at about 4.3 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Intel shares rose 2.19 percent on Tuesday to settle at $19.97.

"The cost of money is relatively inexpensive and we have an excellent credit rating. It's sound financial planning," said Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy.

(Reporting by Noel Randewich, editing by Gary Crosse)

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Auburn hires ex-assistant Malzahn as head coach

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn has turned to Gus Malzahn to restore a program that made an unprecedented fall two years after winning a national title with Cam Newton operating his high-powered offense to perfection.

The school announced that it will introduce the former Arkansas State coach in a news conference Tuesday night.

Malzahn was the Tigers' offensive coordinator during their 2010 national championship run before heading to Arkansas State for his first college head coaching position.

He led the Red Wolves to a 9-3 record, a Sun Belt Conference title and a berth in the GoDaddy.com Bowl then parlayed that into a job in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.

"It's an outstanding institution with a storied football program that I had the pleasure of experiencing firsthand for three years," Malzahn said in a statement. He thanked school representatives for their confidence "in my ability to turn this program around and to bring Auburn back to national prominence. This is a homecoming for me and I look forward to being reunited with the Auburn family."

Malzahn, 47, returns with his fast-paced, no-huddle offensive style. He replaces former boss Gene Chizik, who was fired one day after a 49-0 loss to No. 2 Alabama to complete a 3-9 season.

Before his arrival at Auburn in 2009, Malzahn had spent two seasons as Tulsa's offensive coordinator. He was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas for one year after a successful run in the Arkansas high school ranks.

Auburn had the nation's 115th-ranked offense last season, averaging 305 yards a game. The Red Wolves were ranked 19th in total yards under Malzahn.

It's the second straight time Auburn has turned to one of its coordinators from an unbeaten team. Chizik ran the defense for the 13-0 team in 2004 but was hired by the Tigers despite a 5-19 record in two seasons at Iowa State.

"We are tremendously excited that Gus Malzahn will be our next head football coach," athletic director Jay Jacobs said. "Coach Malzahn was the clear unanimous choice of our search committee, and I am pleased that Dr. Gogue has accepted our recommendation. This is a great day for Auburn football and Auburn University."

The search committee was comprised of Jacobs, Auburn Heisman Trophy winners Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson and former Tigers player Mac Crawford.

Auburn owes more than $11 million in buyouts to Chizik and his coaching staff. Malzahn's contract and salary information was not immediately available.

The Tigers are hoping he can return them to success after a winless SEC season.

"Gus Malzahn is a proven winner," Jacobs said. "He is without question one of the brightest minds in college football and he has won everywhere he has been. Coach Malzahn knows what it takes to build a championship program in the Southeastern Conference. He knows our state and region and he understands what it will take to turn our program around. Coach Malzahn will also be an outstanding ambassador for Auburn University, and that was important to the committee."

The NCAA has been investigating the recruitment of signee Jovon Robinson, who was ruled ineligible after a guidance counselor admitted to creating a fake transcript.

The Tigers badly struggled in a transition to Scot Loeffler's pro-style last season, starting three quarterbacks.

Auburn was ranked in the top seven in rushing, total and scoring offense in 2010 and Newton won the Heisman Trophy in his lone season out of the junior college ranks. It was the Tigers' first national title since 1957.

Without Newton, the Tigers slipped to 100th in total offense in 2011 and then dipped even further.

The hiring reunites Malzahn with the quarterback he recruited out of Arkansas. Kiehl Frazier was benched last season after struggling as the starter. He was USA Today's national offensive player of the year as a high school senior.

Malzahn had been earning $1.3 million a year for the Tigers after interviewing with Vanderbilt after the national championship season. He took a substantial pay cut to join the head coaching ranks with the Sun Belt Conference team. Malzahn replaced Hugh Freeze, who also left after one season at Arkansas State to take over at Mississippi.

Chizik's tenure was marred by off-the-field problems, including the arrest of four players from the championship team for armed robbery.

Malzahn also made a couple of decisions with players that didn't pan out. Tailback Mike Dyer transferred from Auburn — where he was suspended — to Arkansas State. He was then dismissed by Arkansas State in July after a state trooper found marijuana and a gun in a car the national title game MVP was driving.

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