S A+E OLD DUMBO, NEW EDGE Tim Burton brings the beloved flying elephant back to life with a familiar cast. Questions? Call 1-800-Tribune Tuesday, March 26, 2019 Breaking news at chicagotribune.com Officer slain after party bus dispute Jackson opened fire into Johnson says suspect clashed with group, a parked car about 3:25 got gun, shot ‘first Hispanic man’ he saw a.m. a block from the initial confrontation, fa- By Jeremy Gorner, Megan Crepeau said the “nightmare” be- tally shooting off-duty and Hannah Leone gan about 2:25 a.m. Sat- Chicago police Officer Chicago Tribune urday in the River North John P. Rivera, 23, and neighborhood when critically wounding the The suspected gunman in the weekend Menelik Jackson got into officer’s friend, 23. killing of an off-duty Chicago police officer a confrontation in the Jackson Battle Jackson, 24, of South opened fire on “the first Hispanic man” he 600 block of North Clark Holland, and co-defend- saw after a petty dispute with a group of Street with some Hispanic men on a party ant Jovan Battle, 32, of Chicago, were each Latinos about an hour earlier, said Superin- bus. charged with one count of murder and tendent Eddie Johnson, who called the Jackson returned later with a gun, but three counts of attempted murder. ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE shooting a hate crime. the men were no longer there, Johnson said. Firefighters salute as John P. Rivera’s body At a news conference Monday, Johnson The superintendent told reporters that Turn to Shooting, Page 5 is brought to the medical examiner’s office. State to begin tracking rape kits online Police say survivors plan will be ready by end of year By Alison Bowen Chicago Tribune Sexual assault victims in Illinois will soon be able to follow the progress of their rape kits. By the end of the year, Illinois will join other states in implementing an online tracking system to monitor the DNA evidence, according to Illinois State Police’s acting director Brendan Kelly. “Survivors of sexual assault or violent crime shouldn’t be left in the dark while their kit makes its way through a system that can seem cold and indifferent,” Kelly said in a statement Sunday an- nouncing the online tracking plan. In the past, rape kit processing has been plagued by missteps, lost evidence and, too frequently, a void of information for the women who have the most at stake. Sexual assault survivors will be able to monitor where evidence is throughout CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE the evidence process, including at a Part-time photographer David Larry, right, and subject Fatimah Ibidunni laugh during a portrait session in Chicago last week. hospital, with law enforcement, at a forensic lab and at the state’s attorney’s office. Sarah Beuning, general counsel for the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said the group supports the REJECTED BY YOUR transparency that would be part of a tracking system but wants to ensure funding is not diverted from anything that could speed long processing times. DREAM COLLEGE? “Our priority would be to have those kits turned around much more quickly, so that survivors are not waiting and Spoiler: There are other paths to fulfillment, finding life’s work don’t have to check the tracking system,” By John Keilman But that’s not how things worked out. too: The University of Illinois at Urbana- Turn to Kits, Page 5 Chicago Tribune The school didn’t just reject her — it didn’t Champaign, for example, rejects about 2 even allow her to audition. out of 5 applicants. Kelley Kitley grew up in Chicago “I was devastated,” Kitley recently The college admissions cheating scan- yearning for a life on the stage and spent recalled. “It changed my whole trajectory dal that erupted this month with allega- years honing her talent through voice in life.” tions of six-figure bribes, SAT chicanery New safety efforts after lessons, private coaching, and loads of College admittance season, the time of and photo-edited athletic profiles offers an school and community productions. year when high school seniors learn if extreme example of how desperately some 1 trooper dead, 14 cars hit So when the time came for her to apply they’ve gotten into the schools on which parents try to spare their children the to college, one school topped the list: New they’ve pinned their hopes, is winding indignity of rejection. Illinois State Police will divert budget York University, a few subway stops from down. For many, the news has been bad. But interviews with Kitley and other money to add more than 2,000 hours the grand theaters of Broadway. There, she The country’s most selective colleges Chicago-area adults who had to regroup of enforcement for Scott’s Law, the figured, she would study with some of the have acceptance rates around 5 percent, after their college snubs suggest the pain measure that requires drivers to slow country’s great teachers before starting and many state universities, once viewed down upon approaching a stopped emer- her career on the boards. by some as fallbacks, are getting pickier Turn to College, Page 7 gency vehicle. Chicagoland, Page 4 Avenatti charged with trying to extort millions U.S. prosecutors charged Michael Ave- Dems grapple with report natti, the attorney best known for repre- senting porn actress Stormy Daniels and Trump claims vindication partment to release the entire document for being a critic of President Donald and not just Sunday’s four-page summary Trump, with extortion of Nike plus bank despite no conclusion on from Attorney General William Barr. and wire fraud. Nation & World, Page 8 presidential obstruction Barr’s letter said Mueller did not find that Trump’s campaign “conspired or By Mary Clare Jalonick coordinated” with the Russian govern- Associated Press ment to influence the 2016 presidential Tom Skilling’s forecast election — knocking down arguments from WASHINGTON — Democrats grappled Democrats who have long claimed there High 45 Low 31 Monday with special counsel Robert was evidence of such collusion. J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/AP Mueller’s findings, holding strategy ses- But Mueller reached no conclusion on Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of Chicago Weather Center: Complete sions as Republicans gleefully called for whether Trump obstructed the federal the House Judiciary Committee, speaks to forecast on back page of A+E section them to “move on.” President Donald investigation, according to Barr’s summa- House Democrats on Monday. Trump accused those responsible for ry, instead setting out “evidence on both launching Mueller’s Russia probe of “trea- sides” of the question and stating that dence to establish that the president $2.50 city sonous things against our country” and “while this report does not conclude the obstructed justice. and suburbs, said they “certainly will be looked into.” president committed a crime, it also does Rep. David Cicilline, a Democratic $3.00 elsewhere Trump said the release of Mueller’s full not exonerate him.” Absent a recom- member of the House Judiciary Commit- 171st year No. 85 report “wouldn’t bother me at all” as the mendation from Mueller, Barr stepped in © Chicago Democrats clamored for the Justice De- and decided there wasn’t sufficient evi- Turn to Mueller, Page 9 Tribune 2 Chicago Tribune | Section 1 | Tuesday, March 26, 2019 CAROLYN KASTER/AP President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Air Force One on Sunday. 6 things Trump will do with ‘Total EXONERATION’ In case you haven’t heard, special counsel Robert Mueller submit- Trump, now duly ted his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, and it exonerated and eager completely and totally exonerated President Donald Trump. 5 to knock down all How do I know that? Well, on Sunday, Attorney General William Democratic criticisms of Barr sent Congress a four-page memo that quoted sparingly from his connections to Russia, ‘CHICAGO BULLS: A Mueller’s presumably lengthy report. One of those quotes was that will finally release his tax Rex W. the investigation “did not establish that members of the Trump cam- returns, as all past presi- DECADE-BY-DECADE HISTORY’ paign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its dents have done. Presum- Huppke election interference activities.” ably the release of the full Whether you’re a casual admirer of the magnificence of That’s certainly good news. Nobody wants a president in league Mueller report will further Michael, or a true Bull-iever thirsting for tales of “Red,” with the Russians, right? clear away suspicions of his “Stormin’ Norman,” “Butterbean,” “Chet the Jet” and While Barr’s memo overlooks all the pesky “findings” and “evidence” contained in business or financial ties to many more, here’s a keepsake for you. Featuring more Mueller’s report, it was enough to prompt a chorus of amens from supporters of President the country that interfered than 300 pages of pictures and words depicting Chi- Donald Trump and, of course, from the president himself, who tweeted: “Complete and in our 2016 election with cago’s NBA franchise from its humble beginnings to the Total EXONERATION.” the intention of helping dynastic miracle on Madison and beyond, the Tribune’s If that’s the case, then here are six things we can definitely look forward to in the com- Trump get elected. By book of the Bulls places readers in a courtside seat for a ing days: delivering his tax returns, fast break through team history. Relive the thrill of “The Trump can truly stick it to Shot” in Cleveland, the sweet revenge against the bad- Trump and all his Trump and all his dential campaign and any and all political oppo- boy Pistons and the twin threepeats that followed.