chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--Homeless census count threatened by barriers tied to COVID-19

For more than a year , organizers within Chicago ’ s homeless community have worked to raise awareness of the 2020 census , but that effort is now threatened by the rapid spread of COVID-19 .
U.S. Census field operations dedicated to counting people dealing with homelessness and those living in shelters have been delayed without a clear date of when they will resume .
By now , every household should have received some type of mailer from the U.S. Census Bureau reminding residents to complete their 2020 census form by phone , mail or online .
But reaching out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a roadblock for those experiencing homelessness .
“ Because of this we ’ ve been shortchanged for years , ” said Gloria Davis , Census 2020 project manager for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless .
The census counts everyone living in the United States no matter their housing situation .
Those experiencing homelessness or living “ doubled-up ” — temporarily staying in the homes of family and friends — are particularly difficult to count .
“ People moving from place-to-place might be left off census forms because the person they are staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Erin Sindewald , development manager at Chicago Coalition for the Homeless , about fear that census information is shared with property managers .
However , it ’ s illegal for the bureau to share any survey information that identifies an individual .
Davis said there is a lot on the line for the homeless community with this census that will determine how federal dollars are distributed over the next 10 years .
An undercount of could worsen an already difficult living situation .
The census informs how the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also helps determine how much money programs that assist with housing and nutrition receive .
More than 10,000 people in Illinois experienced homelessness in 2019 , according to a Department of Housing and Urban Development assessment .
Now , the COVID-19 pandemic is creating more challenges in counting the homeless , Davis said .
“ The timing of this pandemic couldn ’ t have been worse , ” Davis said .
Before the pandemic , Davis had met face-to-face with people to dispel myths around the census and to explain its importance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ library or other areas that had access to free computers where they could fill out the census online .
But Illinois ’ stay-at-home order has shut libraries and other nonessential businesses .
Since census takers are not visiting the homeless yet , they are urging people to self-respond to the census , Sindewald said .
“ We are encouraging any person experiencing homelessness who have phones to use it fill out the forms , ” Sindewald said .
As of April 27 , over 79 million households have responded to the census — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a corps member in Report for America , a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago ’ s South and West sides .

For more than a year, organizers within Chicago’s homeless community have worked to raise awareness of the 2020 census, but that effort is now threatened by the rapid spread of COVID-19.
U.S. Census field operations dedicated to counting people dealing with homelessness and those living in shelters were supposed to start March 30, but that has been delayed without a clear date of when they will resume.
By now, every household should have received some type of mailer from the U.S. Census Bureau reminding residents to complete their 2020 census form by phone, mail or online. But reaching out by mail, of course, poses a roadblock for those experiencing homelessness.
“Because of this we’ve been shortchanged for years,” said Gloria Davis, Census 2020 project manager for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
The census counts everyone living in the United States no matter their housing situation. Those experiencing homelessness or living “doubled-up” — temporarily staying in the homes of family and friends — are particularly difficult to count.
“People moving from place-to-place might be left off census forms because the person they are staying with might fear retribution from their landlord,” said Erin Sindewald, development manager at Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, about fear that census information is shared with property managers. However, it’s illegal for the bureau to share any survey information that identifies an individual.
Davis said there is a lot on the line for the homeless community with this census that will determine how federal dollars are distributed over the next 10 years. An undercount of could worsen an already difficult living situation.
The census informs how the federal government funds shelters and soup kitchens. It also helps determine how much money programs that assist with housing and nutrition receive.
More than 10,000 people in Illinois experienced homelessness in 2019, according to a Department of Housing and Urban Development assessment. Over 5,000 people in Chicago were homeless in 2019, according to a survey from the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.
Now, the COVID-19 pandemic is creating more challenges in counting the homeless, Davis said.
“The timing of this pandemic couldn’t have been worse,” Davis said.
Before the pandemic, Davis had met face-to-face with people to dispel myths around the census and to explain its importance. She would recommend they go to the library or other areas that had access to free computers where they could fill out the census online.
But Illinois’ stay-at-home order has shut libraries and other nonessential businesses.
Since census takers are not visiting the homeless yet, they are urging people to respond on their own, Sindewald said.
“We are encouraging any person experiencing homelessness who have phones to use it fill out the forms,” Sindewald said.
As of April 27, over 79 million households have responded to the census — 3.3 million in Illinois. The state has the ninth-best response rate in the country.
Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago’s South and West sides.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--COVID-19 lawsuits a symptom of a pre-existing condition in Illinois — and the nation

Somehow , I ’ ve found myself on the email distribution list for a conservative , pro-Trump news service , which , it turns out , offers handy insight into how the other half of the country thinks without my having to endure the pain of watching FOX News .
For the past 24 hours , the top story on their website has been one with which we are very familiar in Illinois even if we might not recognize the particular spin : “ Judge Stands Up Against Dem Gov , Excoriates Stay At Home Order.
” The facts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could find in the Chicago Sun-Times or any other mainstream news organization ’ s coverage of the downstate judge ’ s ruling that Gov .
J .
B. Pritzker exceeded his authority by extending his emergency stay-at-home orders beyond 30 days .
The difference is those facts are related from the point of view that Pritzker ’ s orders were “ obviously ” illegal and that state Rep. Darren Bailey and Clay County Circuit Judge Michael McHaney are heroic figures for standing up to him in defense of the Constitution and personal freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t see it that way , me included , although it should not be overlooked that even some of those living right here in the shadow of death are cheering the judge ’ s decision — and the filing of a second , more sweeping , lawsuit by another Republican lawmaker on Wednesday .
It would be easy to plug this particular disagreement into our age-old Chicago versus downstate animosities , and obviously , that ’ s one aspect of what is happening , but it ’ s broader and deeper than that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirms .
The debate over the legality of Pritzker ’ s directives plays into a national election narrative that the Republicans are testing out right now for President Donald Trump ’ s looming re-election battle .
They contend Democrats are using the COVID-19 pandemic to take away people ’ s freedoms and as a result , wrecking the economy — as if a highly contagious , unpreventable , incurable disease sweeping the country needed any help .
So perhaps it ’ s not surprising that the second lawsuit was filed by state Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s presidential campaign in Illinois in 2016 .
As George Packer recently wrote in The Atlantic , when the coronavirus came here , it found a whole country with serious underlying conditions — and he wasn ’ t referring to our health .
We ’ re a nation that no longer harbors just philosophical differences , but now doesn ’ t even perceive the same set of facts or common goals .
When somebody in Judge McHaney ’ s courtroom snickered after the state ’ s lawyer talked about “ millions dying ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a reaction to an unintended misstatement or exaggeration .
The worldwide death toll has only recently exceeded 200,000 with three million confirmed cases .
Just as likely , the laughter was an expression of a sincerely held , if misguided , belief within a segment of the population that the coronavirus isn ’ t as dangerous as it has been portrayed .
Judge McHaney even advanced a particularly ignorant notion of how he thinks COVID-19 death statistics are being juiced in Illinois .
“ With respect to these statistics you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , isn ’ t it true that if I die in a car wreck , and I happen to test positive for COVID-19 , my cause of death for purposes of what this governor is doing is COVID-19 ?
” McHaney asked .
Let me answer that one , seeing as how the state ’ s lawyer said he didn ’ t know .
The answer is : “ No !
” I ’ ve been studying the Cook County Medical Examiner ’ s daily report of COVID-19 related deaths for weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — I can tell you there ’ s not a single car wreck victim among the 1,603 persons who had died through Thursday .
And remember that Cook County accounts for more than 72 percent of the state ’ s COVID-19 death toll .
I ’ m not entirely sure how the court fight will play out .
I would think the governor has the legal authority to try to protect the public in an emergency , especially one that makes it difficult for the Legislature to meet .
But if he loses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that only means legislators will need to return to Springfield to give him the necessary power .
That should be possible .
Even as Bailey and the other Trumpian elements of the Illinois Republican Party were moving forward last week with their lawsuit , more mainstream GOP members of the Illinois House were advancing their own set of recommendations on how Pritzker might modify his executive order — most of which struck me as pretty reasonable .
One House Republican was even suggesting a mandatory face mask rule as a tradeoff to fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisanship — seem to understand that for now public health must be the priority .
Playing games with the pandemic may help Republicans in some states this fall , but it will be suicide for most Illinois politicians .
And we promise not to count them as COVID-19 deaths either .

Somehow, I’ve found myself on the email distribution list for a conservative, pro-Trump news service, which, it turns out, offers handy insight into how the other half of the country thinks without my having to endure the pain of watching FOX News.
For the past 24 hours, the top story on their website has been one with which we are very familiar in Illinois even if we might not recognize the particular spin: “Judge Stands Up Against Dem Gov, Excoriates Stay At Home Order.”
The facts of the story are pretty much what you could find in the Chicago Sun-Times or any other mainstream news organization’s coverage of the downstate judge’s ruling that Gov. J. B. Pritzker exceeded his authority by extending his emergency stay-at-home orders beyond 30 days.
Opinion bug Opinion
The difference is those facts are related from the point of view that Pritzker’s orders were “obviously” illegal and that state Rep. Darren Bailey and Clay County Circuit Judge Michael McHaney are heroic figures for standing up to him in defense of the Constitution and personal freedom.
Most people in Chicago don’t see it that way, me included, although it should not be overlooked that even some of those living right here in the shadow of death are cheering the judge’s decision — and the filing of a second, more sweeping, lawsuit by another Republican lawmaker on Wednesday.
It would be easy to plug this particular disagreement into our age-old Chicago versus downstate animosities, and obviously, that’s one aspect of what is happening, but it’s broader and deeper than that as the national interest in this story confirms.
The debate over the legality of Pritzker’s directives plays into a national election narrative that the Republicans are testing out right now for President Donald Trump’s looming re-election battle. They contend Democrats are using the COVID-19 pandemic to take away people’s freedoms and as a result, wrecking the economy — as if a highly contagious, unpreventable, incurable disease sweeping the country needed any help.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that the second lawsuit was filed by state Rep. John Cabello, who co-chaired Trump’s presidential campaign in Illinois in 2016.
State Rep. John Cabello, addresses an Illinois Republican Party breakfast at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Tina Sfondeles / Sun-Times
As George Packer recently wrote in The Atlantic, when the coronavirus came here, it found a whole country with serious underlying conditions — and he wasn’t referring to our health.
We’re a nation that no longer harbors just philosophical differences, but now doesn’t even perceive the same set of facts or common goals.
When somebody in Judge McHaney’s courtroom snickered after the state’s lawyer talked about “millions dying” from COVID-19, it may have just been a reaction to an unintended misstatement or exaggeration. The worldwide death toll has only recently exceeded 200,000 with three million confirmed cases.
Just as likely, the laughter was an expression of a sincerely held, if misguided, belief within a segment of the population that the coronavirus isn’t as dangerous as it has been portrayed.
Judge McHaney even advanced a particularly ignorant notion of how he thinks COVID-19 death statistics are being juiced in Illinois.
“With respect to these statistics you’re throwing out here and all of that, isn’t it true that if I die in a car wreck, and I happen to test positive for COVID-19, my cause of death for purposes of what this governor is doing is COVID-19?” McHaney asked.
Let me answer that one, seeing as how the state’s lawyer said he didn’t know. The answer is: “No!”
I’ve been studying the Cook County Medical Examiner’s daily report of COVID-19 related deaths for weeks, and — as other reporters have noted — I can tell you there’s not a single car wreck victim among the 1,603 persons who had died through Thursday. And remember that Cook County accounts for more than 72% of the state’s COVID-19 death toll.
I’m not entirely sure how the court fight will play out. I would think the governor has the legal authority to try to protect the public in an emergency, especially one that makes it difficult for the Legislature to meet.
But if he loses on appeal, which I doubt, that only means legislators will need to return to Springfield to give him the necessary power. That should be possible.
State Rep. Darren Bailey Facebook
Even as Bailey and the other Trumpian elements of the Illinois Republican Party were moving forward last week with their lawsuit, more mainstream GOP members of the Illinois House were advancing their own set of recommendations on how Pritzker might modify his executive order — most of which struck me as pretty reasonable.
One House Republican was even suggesting a mandatory face mask rule as a tradeoff to fewer restrictions.
Most people — regardless of partisanship — seem to understand that for now public health must be the priority.
Playing games with the pandemic may help Republicans in some states this fall, but it will be suicide for most Illinois politicians.
And we promise not to count them as COVID-19 deaths either.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--Chicago man who’s been granted asylum sues ICE for release from detention center

A 26-year-old Mexican immigrant who ’ s been granted asylum but remains in a detention center is asking a federal court to release him amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Francisco Morales Torres has spent the past year and a half locked up at the Dodge County jail in Juneau , Wisconsin , under the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
An immigration judge in Chicago granted Morales Torres asylum in 2019 and again in February , but government prosecutors have appealed both rulings .
As those appeals make their way through the courts , Morales Torres — who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — is unlikely to be released from ICE custody .
His lawyers have turned to the District Court of Eastern Wisconsin to win his release , arguing his prolonged detention violates the due process clause of the Constitution and puts him at risk of contracting COVID-19 .
“ A lot of us in here already didn ’ t know when we were going to see our families again , but now with the coronavirus , there ’ s an added fear of dying , ” Morales Torres said in a phone call from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know what ’ s going on .
It ’ s only a matter of time before something happens.
” ICE declined to comment for this story citing pending litigation .
Court records show Morales Torres came to the United States in 2007 at age 13 .
He entered the country without proper authorization and was later taken into ICE custody and placed in deportation proceedings in September 2018 after several run-ins with the law , including a conviction for possession of a stolen vehicle .
While in detention , Morales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kathryn De Angelis in April 2019 based on fears of being persecuted in Mexico for his sexual orientation and because he has acute psychiatric illnesses .
Government prosecutors appealed the ruling , and the case was returned to De Angelis in October 2019 .
Five months later , De Angelis again granted Morales Torres protection from deportation as “ he will face a substantial risk of torture if he is removed to Mexico because of his severe mental health illnesses , his lack of familial support , and his sexual orientation , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three attorneys at the National Immigrant Justice Center working on Morales Torres ’ case , said it could take more than a year before the courts get through both appeals .
Zwick worries that by then the coronavirus will have reached Dodge County .
“ These facilities routinely take in people from other county jails or detention centers where outbreaks of the virus have been confirmed , ” she said .
“ Congregate settings like these are ill-equipped to handle the virus.
” As of last week , there were 30,000 immigrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency has tested 995 of them for the coronavirus and 449 tested positive , including 12 at a county jail in downstate Illinois .
Carlos Ballesteros is a corps member of Report for America , a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of Chicago ’ s South Side and West Side .

A 26-year-old Mexican immigrant who’s been granted asylum but remains in a detention center is asking a federal court to release him amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Francisco Morales Torres has spent the past year and a half locked up at the Dodge County jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, under the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
An immigration judge in Chicago granted Morales Torres asylum in 2019 and again in February, but government prosecutors have appealed both rulings. As those appeals make their way through the courts, Morales Torres — who has anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses — is unlikely to be released from ICE custody.
His lawyers have turned to the District Court of Eastern Wisconsin to win his release, arguing his prolonged detention violates the due process clause of the Constitution and puts him at risk of contracting COVID-19.
“A lot of us in here already didn’t know when we were going to see our families again, but now with the coronavirus, there’s an added fear of dying,” Morales Torres said in a phone call from Dodge County jail Wednesday. “We don’t know what’s going on. It’s only a matter of time before something happens.”
ICE declined to comment for this story citing pending litigation.
Advocates from Organized Communities Against Deportation, the National Immigrant Justice Center and Nikkei Uprising (top right) held a virtual news conference Wednesday calling for the release of Francisco Morales Torres (pictured). Screengrab
Court records show Morales Torres came to the United States in 2007 at age 13. He entered the country without proper authorization and was later taken into ICE custody and placed in deportation proceedings in September 2018 after several run-ins with the law, including a conviction for possession of a stolen vehicle.
While in detention, Morales Torres was granted asylum by Immigration Judge Kathryn De Angelis in April 2019 based on fears of being persecuted in Mexico for his sexual orientation and because he has acute psychiatric illnesses.
Government prosecutors appealed the ruling, and the case was returned to De Angelis in October 2019.
Five months later, De Angelis again granted Morales Torres protection from deportation as “he will face a substantial risk of torture if he is removed to Mexico because of his severe mental health illnesses, his lack of familial support, and his sexual orientation,” she wrote.
Prosecutors appealed De Angelis’ second ruling, which remains pending.
Keren Zwick, one of three attorneys at the National Immigrant Justice Center working on Morales Torres’ case, said it could take more than a year before the courts get through both appeals. Zwick worries that by then the coronavirus will have reached Dodge County.
“These facilities routinely take in people from other county jails or detention centers where outbreaks of the virus have been confirmed,” she said. “Congregate settings like these are ill-equipped to handle the virus.”
As of last week, there were 30,000 immigrants in ICE custody. So far, the agency has tested 995 of them for the coronavirus and 449 tested positive, including 12 at a county jail in downstate Illinois.
Carlos Ballesteros is a corps member of Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of Chicago’s South Side and West Side.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--Inmate fighting life sentence for double murder also battling COVID-19, lawyer says   (LIVE UPDATES)

Inmate fighting life sentence for double murder also battling COVID-19 , lawyer says For nearly 30 years , Alfredo “ Freddy ” Gonzalez has been fighting a life sentence for a 1990 double murder he has long claimed he didn ’ t commit .
Now , fighting the symptoms of COVID-19 at Stateville Correctional Center , the 62-year-old is worried he may not live to see the day his name is cleared .
Gonzalez was set to appear for a post-trial hearing on his latest bid to overturn his conviction for the murders of brothers Torrence and Kevin Wiley , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his prospects for being released were good .
Gonzalez has long maintained that he was framed by now-retired Chicago Police Det .
Reynaldo Guevara , and several of the witnesses who testified at his trial have since recanted .
Based on similar claims of physical abuse by Guevara , 20 men have been released from prison .
That number includes Gonzalez ’ s co-defendant , Jose Maysonet , who went free in 2017 after Guevara and four other officers involved in the investigation asserted their Fifth Amendment rights rather than answer questions under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical abuse .
Gonzalez began to feel symptoms of coronavirus in late March , and landed in a medical unit at the Crest Hill prison , according to his daughter , Maria Gonzalez , an Elgin resident who said she talks to her father everyday .
Gonzalez was still feeling ill last week , but was moved into general population at the prison , said his lawyer , Sean Starr .
7:04 p.m. Remdesivir proves effective against coronavirus in major study : ‘ We ’ ve got a drug that works , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major study into an experimental drug used to treat the new coronavirus should give people a sense of relief that “ we ’ ve got a drug that works , ” a physician at University of Illinois at Chicago Health who participated in the study says .
“ They ’ re really good results , ” Dr. Richard Novak , chief of infectious disease at UIC , told the Sun-Times Wednesday of the drug made by Gilead Sciences , called remdesivir .
He added : “ That ’ s great and should give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are concerned about getting sick.
” Remdesivir is the first drug to show such promising results against the virus , which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year in China .
Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic , especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away .
Get the full story from reporters Matthew Hendrickson and Rachel Hinton .
5:35 p.m. Lightfoot ties CPD ’ s surge strategy to need for a new kind of policing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that requires Chicago Police officers from low-crime districts to temporarily flood high-crime neighborhoods on the South and West Sides was devised to accommodate the need for a new kind of policing during the pandemic , Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday .
Newly-appointed CPD Supt .
Brown has apologized to North and Northwest Side aldermen for “ blindsiding ” them about the plan that deprives their districts of officers for roughly two hours at a time .
The apology came during Brown ’ s first full day on the job after being unanimously confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made no apologies for the surge strategy itself .
“ We are fighting , not only the pandemic of COVID-19 , but … the continuing epidemic of gun violence .
We have no time to waste on either , ” she said .
4:34 p.m. Chicago medical personnel , police officers and firefighters : Here ’ s how to get your laundry done for free in 3 easy steps Chicago ’ s front-line responders have enough on their COVID-19 plates without needing to worry about clean underwear .
So Tide is stepping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least do one .
Starting Wednesday , Tide Cleaners locations in the Chicago area will do the laundry and dry cleaning of front-line responders and their families for free .
The deal lasts through May 9 , unless otherwise extended , and is available to paramedics , doctors , nurses , hospital and medical staff , medical researchers , police officers and firefighters .
“ The front-line responders of Chicago are working tirelessly to keep our communities safe , ” said Jenny Maxwell , Associate Director for Tide .
“ Our hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as seamless as possible and lighten the load for those at the front lines during this time.
” If you ’ re a front-line responder who is low on clean socks , here ’ s how you can get your laundry done for free by Tide : • Head to Hope.TideCleaners.com to find a Tide Cleaners location and read more on the offer .
• Choose how you want to drop off and pick up your laundry ( limit is four 13-gallon bags per household ) .
Front-line responders can use location 24/7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and car-side valet , lobby access or even delivery to the home at some participating locations .
All that is needed is an ID badge with a photo for identification .
Family members will need to show the responder ’ s ID badge if they ’ re dropping off laundry on the loved one ’ s behalf .
• Get your laundry cleaned and pick it back up in your preferred method .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday named Rep. Bill Foster , D-Ill. , to a new bipartisan House Select Committee on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the billions of dollars Congress is shoveling out the door is not “ exploited by profiteers and price-gougers.
” Foster is among seven Democrats Pelosi selected for the panel .
It is not clear yet if Republicans will appoint anyone to the panel , created as part of the CARES Act .
It is supposed to have seven Democrats and five Republicans as members .
“ As House Speaker , I am proud to appoint these distinguished and accomplished leaders of the Congress and Country to the Select Committee on the Coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They bring outstanding mastery of Congressional oversight and decades of experience fighting for working families to our critical mission to ensure that our coronavirus response puts working Families First .
We must make sure that the historic investment of taxpayer dollars made in the CARES Act is being used wisely and efficiently to help those in need , not be exploited by profiteers and price-gougers.
” 3:58 p.m. Uptown hospital successfully treats coronavirus patient with blood plasma from someone who recovered from the sickness An Uptown hospital is among the first Chicago-area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using an investigational therapy involving plasma taken from someone who has recovered from the virus .
The patient was a Chicago man in his 40s who arrived at Weiss Memorial Hospital in “ moderate to severe ” condition and had not responded to other treatments , said Dr. Suzanne Pham , the hospital ’ s associate medical director .
The patient , who had few other health issues , was close to having to be ventilated , Pham said .
“ Within 24 hours of plasma infusion , [ he ] was able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs and was able to be discharged from the hospital within three days of a that plasma infusion , ” Pham said Wednesday .
“ So he recovered very quickly and nicely.
” The patient was discharged in mid-April , she said .
Officials on Wednesday said another 92 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois , as the case count in the state has reached more than 50,000 .
In total , 2,215 people have died of the coronavirus in the state , according to health officials .
With the newly reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen 50,355 people test positive for the virus .
According to Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s office , the state received 14,478 test results on Tuesday .
Nearly 257,000 people have been tested overall .
Between midnight on Monday and midnight on Tuesday , an additional 45 COVID-19 patients entered ICU rooms in the state ’ s hospitals .
During that same period , an additional 298 people entered hospitals with suspected COVID-19 symptoms or confirmed cases , the governor ’ s office said .
2:10 p.m.
Here ’ s what will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order With Illinois still battling the coronavirus pandemic , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker issued a modified version of the state ’ s stay-at-home order last week that will run through the end of May .
It ’ s similar to the orders that have been in effect since the virus first began to spread in March , but with some important changes that start Friday .
One of the biggest modifications to the stay-at-home order is a requirement for all individuals over age 2 to wear a face covering or mask when in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separation can not be maintained .
Starting Friday , expect to see everyone covering their face in a grocery store , for example .
1:05 p.m. South Side seniors keep up weekly bingo date with video chat Seniors represent an especially high-risk group for coronavirus infection , so the weekly bingo game at Altgeld Gardens Homes on the Far South Side was swiftly shut down last month as non-essential businesses were shuttered and social gatherings canceled .
But as video conferencing platforms like FaceTime and Zoom quickly became commonplace for stay-at-home workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Family Services , which serves the public housing complex , had an idea .
She took a quick survey of 21 past bingo players and found nine of them had smart phones that could support video conferencing .
She sent each player instructions to access Zoom , and dropped off individual playing boards at their door , according to a release from the Chicago Housing Authority .
Now , every Wednesday , the senior bingo game is back .
“ One [ senior ] was so proud of herself .
She said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she did it by herself , ” Pullie said in a release from the CHA .
“ Another senior told the group , ‘ I am so happy to see you guys.
’ It was so cute.
” Altgeld Garden resident and bingo player Billie Spencer said she ’ s grown to love the video chat bingo dates , which she had worried would feel too long , at two hours per week , from 1-3 p.m. “ You get to see your friends without their masks on and get to listen and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the release from CHA .
11:23 a.m. COVID-19 drug that showed promise in UChicago tests proves effective in national study A biotech company said Wednesday its experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major U.S. government study that put it to a strict test .
Gilead Sciences ’ s remdesivir would be the first treatment to pass such a test against the virus .
The study , run by the National Institutes of Health , tested remdesivir versus usual care in about 800 hospitalized coronavirus patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is how long it takes patients to recover .
University of Chicago Medicine has been conducting its own clinical trials with remdesivir , which was developed by Gilead Sciences as a treatment for the Ebola and Marburg viruses .
In its early findings , 125 COVID-19 patients were treated with remdesivir , 113 of whom had severe symptoms .
Most patients in the clinical trial were being discharged from the hospital in less than a week .
That ’ s notable because the study is investigating both five- and 10-day courses of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois at Chicago have also launched trials of remdesivir .
A statement from the Food and Drug Administration says only that the agency has been talking with Gilead “ regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible , as appropriate.
” Read more about the latest news from Gilead Sciences here , and click here for the earlier report about University of Chicago Medicine ’ s studies .
9:30 a.m .
Roomier trains , wider bike lanes and more proposed solutions for safer public transit during coronavirus In cities around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key to getting workers back on the job and restarting devastated economies , yet everything from trains and buses to ferries and bicycles will have to be re-imagined in the coronavirus era .
In Europe in particular , public transportation is shaping up as a new front line in the battle to tame the outbreak that has killed over 120,000 of its citizens .
Solutions include putting red stickers on the floor to tell bus passengers in Milan how far apart to stand .
The Dutch are putting on longer , roomier trains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are opening up more lanes to cyclists .
In Britain , bus passengers are entering through the middle or rear doors to reduce the risk to the driver .
Announcing a gradual easing of France ’ s strict lockdown , Prime Minister Édouard Philippe called public transit a “ key measure for the economic recovery ” yet acknowledged concerns among passengers .
Read more predictions and early plans for making public transit safer here .
8:06 a.m. Mike Pence under fire for not wearing mask during Mayo Clinic visit Vice President Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask Tuesday during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minnesota , an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center ’ s policy requiring them .
Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with a Mayo employee who has recovered from COVID-19 and is now donating plasma , even though everyone else in the room appeared to be wearing one .
He was also maskless when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests .
And Pence was the only participant not to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayo ’ s coronavirus testing and research programs .
All the other participants did , including Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn , top Mayo officials , Gov .
Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn .
Mayo tweeted that it had informed the vice president of its mask policy prior to his arrival .
The tweet was later removed .
Mayo officials did not directly respond to a request for comment on why it was removed , or at whose request .
“ Mayo shared the masking policy with the VP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care system said in its response .
7:02 a.m. Married 70 years , husband and wife with COVID-19 held hands in hospital before their deaths Irvin Kaage Jr. and his wife Muriel were known as the couple behind the Kaage ’ s Corner newsstand on Northwest Highway that ’ s been a mainstay in Edison Park for 77 years .
To family members , though , they will always be remembered for the enduring love story that spanned seven decades before the coronavirus brought it to an end this week .
Irv Jr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Hospital in Park Ridge , and Muriel , 90 , followed barely 36 hours later .
Both had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Just before Irv ’ s death , the hospital moved their beds together so they could hold hands , said their son , Irv III .
Losing both parents at once would seem a double dose of heartbreak , but Irv III said it was better that way .
“ They couldn ’ t be apart , ” he said .
6:46 a.m. NBC Sports Chicago to host star-studded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers In partnership with United Way of Metro Chicago and Chicago Community Trust , NBC Sports Chicago is hosting the “ Be Chicago : Together We Can ” telethon Wednesday , which will benefit the community COVID-19 Response Fund and honor front-line workers .
The four-hour TV event , which begins at 7 p.m. , will feature several celebrated Chicago athletes — like Horace Grant , A.J .
Pierzynski and Brian Urlacher — and exclusive music performances by Chicago , Brett Eldredge and the Plain White T ’ s .
There will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White Sox and 2010 Blackhawks , with some players from each team discussing their favorite memories .
Tim Anderson , Coby White and Tarik Cohen will also team up for a segment where the three young stars will discuss how their professional and personal lives have been affected by the pandemic and how this experience has changed their lives .
The telethon will also include “ Hero segments , ” where nominated front-line workers will meet their favorite Chicago athletes via Zoom video conferencing .
Get more details from Madeline Kenney here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fourth employee from COVID-19 .
The employee worked in the CTA ’ s technology department for over 20 years .
• Chicago police announced Tuesday seven more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the department to 421 .
• Eighteen employees at a Tootsie Roll manufacturing plant in Chicago have tested positive for COVID-19 since the end of March .
• Health officials on Tuesday said another 144 people in Illinois have died from COVID-19 , marking the highest number of deaths in a day as the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Officials also reported 2,219 newly confirmed cases , raising the state ’ s total to 48,102 .
Those were the latest numbers as the state received 14,561 test results Monday .
• Chicago police announced Monday 21 more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of confirmed cases in the department to 414 .
Even during a pandemic , constitutional rights must be respected , which is why we should all be troubled by an Illinois Supreme Court decision earlier this month to suspend a rule requiring a “ speedy trial.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a speedy trial , and the Illinois Legislature has decided that means a case must be brought to trial within 120 days for someone in custody and 160 days for others .
An exception can be made when defense lawyers agree to extend the deadline .
Under the usual rules , if the state fails to settle a case or bring it to trial within this time frame , a defendant will be freed .
The purpose of the speedy trial rule is to prevent prosecutors from leaving suspects , who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can ’ t disagree with the state Supreme Court ’ s thinking in deciding to suspend the rule of a speedy trial .
Although lower courts are holding bond hearings by video during Illinois ’ stay-at-home lockdown , full trials by video would not be practical nor fair .
That makes it impossible to meet the speedy trial rule except through negotiated plea Read the full editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board .
10:16 a.m. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is pressuring the FDA to police COVID-19 antibody tests Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigating whether COVID-19 antibody tests work , accused the FDA on Tuesday of stonewalling in developing information about antibody test kits that went on the market before the FDA validated their claims .
There is an enormous interest in developing antibody tests to see if people had COVID-19 , even if they did not show symptoms .
These antibody , or serology tests , are not used to diagnose if a person has the infection .
Antibody blood tests could determine if a person had and recovered from COVID-19 .
Scientists have suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the disease .
In a letter to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn sent Tuesday , Krishnamoorthi said officials in Hahn ’ s agency failed “ to respond to our outstanding requests for information in furtherance of our investigation ” into FDA “ policies governing serological testing for coronavirus.
” Read the full story from Lynn Sweet here .
6:39 a.m. A foolish lawsuit threatens your hard work to fight COVID-19 A Downstate judge has ruled that Gov .
J.B. Pritzker no longer has the authority to order folks to stay indoors during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law and the Illinois Constitution , that ’ s debatable .
We ’ ll just have to wait for reviews by higher courts as to whether Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney got his legal thinking right .
But as a matter of good public policy to keep people safe , there ’ s no debate at all .
Pritzker ’ s initial stay-at-home order on March 20 and his recent 30-day extension have been crucial to slowing the spread of the virus and undoubtedly have saved thousands of lives .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue to follow the governor ’ s executive order , even in highly conservative Clay County , where as of Tuesday morning there were only two reported cases of COVID-19 and no deaths .
Read the full editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board .

Officials on Wednesday said another 92 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois, as the case count in the state has reached more than 50,000.
In total, 2,215 people have died of the coronavirus in the state, according to health officials. With the newly reported 2,253 cases, the state has now seen 50,355 people test positive for the virus.
Here’s what else happened in Chicago and around the state as officials and residents continued to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
News
8:55 p.m. Inmate fighting life sentence for double murder also battling COVID-19, lawyer says
Alfredo “Freddy” Gonzalez poses against a backdrop at the Stateville Correctional Center, with his daughter, Maria and two of her sons. Provided
For nearly 30 years, Alfredo “Freddy” Gonzalez has been fighting a life sentence for a 1990 double murder he has long claimed he didn’t commit. Now, fighting the symptoms of COVID-19 at Stateville Correctional Center, the 62-year-old is worried he may not live to see the day his name is cleared.
Gonzalez was set to appear for a post-trial hearing on his latest bid to overturn his conviction for the murders of brothers Torrence and Kevin Wiley, and he had reason to believe that his prospects for being released were good.
Gonzalez has long maintained that he was framed by now-retired Chicago Police Det. Reynaldo Guevara, and several of the witnesses who testified at his trial have since recanted. Based on similar claims of physical abuse by Guevara, 20 men have been released from prison. That number includes Gonzalez’s co-defendant, Jose Maysonet, who went free in 2017 after Guevara and four other officers involved in the investigation asserted their Fifth Amendment rights rather than answer questions under oath about allegations of witness coercion and physical abuse.
Gonzalez began to feel symptoms of coronavirus in late March, and landed in a medical unit at the Crest Hill prison, according to his daughter, Maria Gonzalez, an Elgin resident who said she talks to her father everyday. Gonzalez was still feeling ill last week, but was moved into general population at the prison, said his lawyer, Sean Starr.
Read the full story by Andy Grimm.
8:18 p.m. Rolling out contact tracing in Illinois a daunting task, but essential, expert says
Roughly a quarter of the coronavirus tests conducted at the Howard Brown Health clinic in Hyde Park have been coming back positive, amounting to about 20 new confirmed cases a day.
The initial diagnosis is just the start of the staff’s work, though. What comes next is the arduous task of tracking down every person that patient may have encountered, a time-tested public health practice known commonly as contact tracing.
Though local and state officials have said that process is key to slowing the pandemic and reopening the state, a large-scale initiative hasn’t been announced to address the daunting task of tracking down every person who has come into contact with the growing number of COVID-19 patients. On Wednesday, 2,253 new cases were reported across Illinois as the total number of cases eclipsed 50,000.
Reporter Tom Schuba has the full story.
7:04 p.m. Remdesivir proves effective against coronavirus in major study: ‘We’ve got a drug that works,’ UIC researcher says
Promising results from a major study into an experimental drug used to treat the new coronavirus should give people a sense of relief that “we’ve got a drug that works,” a physician at University of Illinois at Chicago Health who participated in the study says.
“They’re really good results,” Dr. Richard Novak, chief of infectious disease at UIC, told the Sun-Times Wednesday of the drug made by Gilead Sciences, called remdesivir.
He added: “That’s great and should give some people a sense of relief who are concerned about getting sick.”
Remdesivir is the first drug to show such promising results against the virus, which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year in China. Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic, especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away.
Get the full story from reporters Matthew Hendrickson and Rachel Hinton.
5:35 p.m. Lightfoot ties CPD’s surge strategy to need for a new kind of policing during pandemic
A “surge strategy” that requires Chicago Police officers from low-crime districts to temporarily flood high-crime neighborhoods on the South and West Sides was devised to accommodate the need for a new kind of policing during the pandemic, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday.
Newly-appointed CPD Supt. Brown has apologized to North and Northwest Side aldermen for “blindsiding” them about the plan that deprives their districts of officers for roughly two hours at a time.
The apology came during Brown’s first full day on the job after being unanimously confirmed by the City Council.
But Lightfoot made no apologies for the surge strategy itself.
“We are fighting, not only the pandemic of COVID-19, but … the continuing epidemic of gun violence. We have no time to waste on either,” she said.
Read the full story from Fran Spielman.
4:34 p.m. Chicago medical personnel, police officers and firefighters: Here’s how to get your laundry done for free in 3 easy steps
Chicago’s front-line responders have enough on their COVID-19 plates without needing to worry about clean underwear. So Tide is stepping in to help carry the load — or at least do one.
Starting Wednesday, Tide Cleaners locations in the Chicago area will do the laundry and dry cleaning of front-line responders and their families for free. The deal lasts through May 9, unless otherwise extended, and is available to paramedics, doctors, nurses, hospital and medical staff, medical researchers, police officers and firefighters.
“The front-line responders of Chicago are working tirelessly to keep our communities safe,” said Jenny Maxwell, Associate Director for Tide. “ Our hope is to make everyday chores like laundry as seamless as possible and lighten the load for those at the front lines during this time.”
If you’re a front-line responder who is low on clean socks, here’s how you can get your laundry done for free by Tide:
Head to Hope.TideCleaners.com to find a Tide Cleaners location and read more on the offer. Choose how you want to drop off and pick up your laundry (limit is four 13-gallon bags per household). Front-line responders can use location 24/7 drop boxes and pick-up kiosks, drive-thru and car-side valet, lobby access or even delivery to the home at some participating locations. All that is needed is an ID badge with a photo for identification. Family members will need to show the responder’s ID badge if they’re dropping off laundry on the loved one’s behalf. Get your laundry cleaned and pick it back up in your preferred method.
— Alison Martin
4:15 p.m. Nancy Pelosi taps Bill Foster to new House COVID-19 watchdog panel
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday named Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., to a new bipartisan House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis tasked with making sure the billions of dollars Congress is shoveling out the door is not “exploited by profiteers and price-gougers.”
Foster is among seven Democrats Pelosi selected for the panel. It is not clear yet if Republicans will appoint anyone to the panel, created as part of the CARES Act. It is supposed to have seven Democrats and five Republicans as members.
“As House Speaker, I am proud to appoint these distinguished and accomplished leaders of the Congress and Country to the Select Committee on the Coronavirus,” Pelosi said in a statement. “They bring outstanding mastery of Congressional oversight and decades of experience fighting for working families to our critical mission to ensure that our coronavirus response puts working Families First. We must make sure that the historic investment of taxpayer dollars made in the CARES Act is being used wisely and efficiently to help those in need, not be exploited by profiteers and price-gougers.”
Read the full story by Lynn Sweet.
3:58 p.m. Uptown hospital successfully treats coronavirus patient with blood plasma from someone who recovered from the sickness
An Uptown hospital is among the first Chicago-area facilities to successfully treat a coronavirus patient using an investigational therapy involving plasma taken from someone who has recovered from the virus.
The patient was a Chicago man in his 40s who arrived at Weiss Memorial Hospital in “moderate to severe” condition and had not responded to other treatments, said Dr. Suzanne Pham, the hospital’s associate medical director. The patient, who had few other health issues, was close to having to be ventilated, Pham said.
“Within 24 hours of plasma infusion, [he] was able to be weaned down on his oxygen needs and was able to be discharged from the hospital within three days of a that plasma infusion,” Pham said Wednesday. “So he recovered very quickly and nicely.”
The patient was discharged in mid-April, she said.
Read the full story by Stefano Esposito.
3:01 p.m. 92 more coronavirus deaths as Illinois tops 50K cases
Officials on Wednesday said another 92 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois, as the case count in the state has reached more than 50,000.
In total, 2,215 people have died of the coronavirus in the state, according to health officials. With the newly reported 2,253 cases, the state has now seen 50,355 people test positive for the virus.
According to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office, the state received 14,478 test results on Tuesday. Nearly 257,000 people have been tested overall.
Between midnight on Monday and midnight on Tuesday, an additional 45 COVID-19 patients entered ICU rooms in the state’s hospitals. During that same period, an additional 298 people entered hospitals with suspected COVID-19 symptoms or confirmed cases, the governor’s office said.
Read the full story by Tina Sfondeles.
2:10 p.m. Here’s what will reopen in Illinois Friday under new stay-at-home order
With Illinois still battling the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a modified version of the state’s stay-at-home order last week that will run through the end of May. It’s similar to the orders that have been in effect since the virus first began to spread in March, but with some important changes that start Friday.
One of the biggest modifications to the stay-at-home order is a requirement for all individuals over age 2 to wear a face covering or mask when in a public place where six feet of separation cannot be maintained. Starting Friday, expect to see everyone covering their face in a grocery store, for example.
Read the full story by Satchel Price.
1:05 p.m. South Side seniors keep up weekly bingo date with video chat
Seniors represent an especially high-risk group for coronavirus infection, so the weekly bingo game at Altgeld Gardens Homes on the Far South Side was swiftly shut down last month as non-essential businesses were shuttered and social gatherings canceled.
But as video conferencing platforms like FaceTime and Zoom quickly became commonplace for stay-at-home workers, Carrie Pullie, program director at Metropolitan Family Services, which serves the public housing complex, had an idea. She took a quick survey of 21 past bingo players and found nine of them had smart phones that could support video conferencing.
She sent each player instructions to access Zoom, and dropped off individual playing boards at their door, according to a release from the Chicago Housing Authority. Now, every Wednesday, the senior bingo game is back.
“One [senior] was so proud of herself. She said she could not wait to tell her daughter she did it by herself,” Pullie said in a release from the CHA. “Another senior told the group, ‘I am so happy to see you guys.’ It was so cute.”
Altgeld Garden resident and bingo player Billie Spencer said she’s grown to love the video chat bingo dates, which she had worried would feel too long, at two hours per week, from 1-3 p.m.
“You get to see your friends without their masks on and get to listen and laugh and talk,” she said, according to the release from CHA.
11:23 a.m. COVID-19 drug that showed promise in UChicago tests proves effective in national study
A biotech company said Wednesday its experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major U.S. government study that put it to a strict test.
Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir would be the first treatment to pass such a test against the virus. The study, run by the National Institutes of Health, tested remdesivir versus usual care in about 800 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world. The main result is how long it takes patients to recover.
University of Chicago Medicine has been conducting its own clinical trials with remdesivir, which was developed by Gilead Sciences as a treatment for the Ebola and Marburg viruses. In its early findings, 125 COVID-19 patients were treated with remdesivir, 113 of whom had severe symptoms. Most patients in the clinical trial were being discharged from the hospital in less than a week. That’s notable because the study is investigating both five- and 10-day courses of the drug.
Both Northwestern University and University of Illinois at Chicago have also launched trials of remdesivir.
A statement from the Food and Drug Administration says only that the agency has been talking with Gilead “regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible, as appropriate.”
Read more about the latest news from Gilead Sciences here, and click here for the earlier report about University of Chicago Medicine’s studies.
9:30 a.m. Roomier trains, wider bike lanes and more proposed solutions for safer public transit during coronavirus
In cities around the world, public transit systems are key to getting workers back on the job and restarting devastated economies, yet everything from trains and buses to ferries and bicycles will have to be re-imagined in the coronavirus era.
In Europe in particular, public transportation is shaping up as a new front line in the battle to tame the outbreak that has killed over 120,000 of its citizens.
Solutions include putting red stickers on the floor to tell bus passengers in Milan how far apart to stand. The Dutch are putting on longer, roomier trains, and many cities, including Berlin, are opening up more lanes to cyclists. In Britain, bus passengers are entering through the middle or rear doors to reduce the risk to the driver.
Announcing a gradual easing of France’s strict lockdown, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe called public transit a “key measure for the economic recovery” yet acknowledged concerns among passengers.
Read more predictions and early plans for making public transit safer here.
8:06 a.m. Mike Pence under fire for not wearing mask during Mayo Clinic visit
Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask Tuesday during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center’s policy requiring them.
Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with a Mayo employee who has recovered from COVID-19 and is now donating plasma, even though everyone else in the room appeared to be wearing one. He was also maskless when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests.
And Pence was the only participant not to wear a mask during a roundtable discussion on Mayo’s coronavirus testing and research programs. All the other participants did, including Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn, top Mayo officials, Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn.
Mayo tweeted that it had informed the vice president of its mask policy prior to his arrival. The tweet was later removed. Mayo officials did not directly respond to a request for comment on why it was removed, or at whose request.
“Mayo shared the masking policy with the VP’s office,” the health care system said in its response.
Read the full report here.
7:02 a.m. Married 70 years, husband and wife with COVID-19 held hands in hospital before their deaths
Irvin Kaage Jr. and his wife Muriel were known as the couple behind the Kaage’s Corner newsstand on Northwest Highway that’s been a mainstay in Edison Park for 77 years.
To family members, though, they will always be remembered for the enduring love story that spanned seven decades before the coronavirus brought it to an end this week.
Irv Jr., 92, died Sunday at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, and Muriel, 90, followed barely 36 hours later. Both had tested positive for COVID-19.
Just before Irv’s death, the hospital moved their beds together so they could hold hands, said their son, Irv III.
Losing both parents at once would seem a double dose of heartbreak, but Irv III said it was better that way.
“They couldn’t be apart,” he said.
Read Mark Brown’s full story here.
6:46 a.m. NBC Sports Chicago to host star-studded COVID-19 fundraiser, pay tribute to front-line workers
In partnership with United Way of Metro Chicago and Chicago Community Trust, NBC Sports Chicago is hosting the “Be Chicago: Together We Can” telethon Wednesday, which will benefit the community COVID-19 Response Fund and honor front-line workers.
The four-hour TV event, which begins at 7 p.m., will feature several celebrated Chicago athletes — like Horace Grant, A.J. Pierzynski and Brian Urlacher — and exclusive music performances by Chicago, Brett Eldredge and the Plain White T’s.
There will be segments on the 1990s Bulls, 2005 White Sox and 2010 Blackhawks, with some players from each team discussing their favorite memories. Tim Anderson, Coby White and Tarik Cohen will also team up for a segment where the three young stars will discuss how their professional and personal lives have been affected by the pandemic and how this experience has changed their lives.
The telethon will also include “Hero segments,” where nominated front-line workers will meet their favorite Chicago athletes via Zoom video conferencing.
Get more details from Madeline Kenney here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
7:37 p.m. COVID-19 lawsuits a symptom of a pre-existing condition in Illinois — and the nation
Somehow, I’ve found myself on the email distribution list for a conservative, pro-Trump news service, which, it turns out, offers handy insight into how the other half of the country thinks without my having to endure the pain of watching FOX News.
For the past 24 hours, the top story on their website has been one with which we are very familiar in Illinois even if we might not recognize the particular spin: “Judge Stands Up Against Dem Gov, Excoriates Stay At Home Order.”
The facts of the story are pretty much what you could find in the Chicago Sun-Times or any other mainstream news organization’s coverage of the downstate judge’s ruling that Gov. J. B. Pritzker exceeded his authority by extending his emergency stay-at-home orders beyond 30 days.
The difference is those facts are related from the point of view that Pritzker’s orders were “obviously” illegal and that state Rep. Darren Bailey and Clay County Circuit Judge Michael McHaney are heroic figures for standing up to him in defense of the Constitution and personal freedom.
Read the rest of Mark Brown’s column here.
4:42 p.m. Pandemic’s disorder in the court
Even during a pandemic, constitutional rights must be respected, which is why we should all be troubled by an Illinois Supreme Court decision earlier this month to suspend a rule requiring a “speedy trial.”
The U.S. Constitution guarantees defendants the right to a speedy trial, and the Illinois Legislature has decided that means a case must be brought to trial within 120 days for someone in custody and 160 days for others. An exception can be made when defense lawyers agree to extend the deadline.
Under the usual rules, if the state fails to settle a case or bring it to trial within this time frame, a defendant will be freed.
The purpose of the speedy trial rule is to prevent prosecutors from leaving suspects, who are presumed innocent, behind bars indefinitely.
We can’t disagree with the state Supreme Court’s thinking in deciding to suspend the rule of a speedy trial. Although lower courts are holding bond hearings by video during Illinois’ stay-at-home lockdown, full trials by video would not be practical nor fair. That makes it impossible to meet the speedy trial rule except through negotiated plea
Read the full editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board.
10:16 a.m. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is pressuring the FDA to police COVID-19 antibody tests
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., chairman of a House panel investigating whether COVID-19 antibody tests work, accused the FDA on Tuesday of stonewalling in developing information about antibody test kits that went on the market before the FDA validated their claims.
There is an enormous interest in developing antibody tests to see if people had COVID-19, even if they did not show symptoms.
These antibody, or serology tests, are not used to diagnose if a person has the infection. Antibody blood tests could determine if a person had and recovered from COVID-19. Scientists have suggested that people with COVID-19 antibodies are immune from the disease.
In a letter to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn sent Tuesday, Krishnamoorthi said officials in Hahn’s agency failed “to respond to our outstanding requests for information in furtherance of our investigation” into FDA “policies governing serological testing for coronavirus.”
Read the full story from Lynn Sweet here.
6:39 a.m. A foolish lawsuit threatens your hard work to fight COVID-19
A Downstate judge has ruled that Gov. J.B. Pritzker no longer has the authority to order folks to stay indoors during the coronavirus pandemic.
As a matter of law and the Illinois Constitution, that’s debatable. We’ll just have to wait for reviews by higher courts as to whether Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney got his legal thinking right.
But as a matter of good public policy to keep people safe, there’s no debate at all. Pritzker’s initial stay-at-home order on March 20 and his recent 30-day extension have been crucial to slowing the spread of the virus and undoubtedly have saved thousands of lives.
We can only urge our fellow Illinois residents to continue to follow the governor’s executive order, even in highly conservative Clay County, where as of Tuesday morning there were only two reported cases of COVID-19 and no deaths.
Read the full editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--9 more Chicago Police Department employees test positive for COVID-19

Chicago police announced Wednesday nine more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the department to 430 @ @ @ @ @ , 410 are officers and 20 are civilian employees , police said .
A total @ @ @ @ @ positive cases but the department ’ s medical section has yet to confirm four of @ @ @ @ @ .
The department announced the death of a third officer from complications of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , Illinois health officials announced 2,253 new cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number @ @ @ @ @ to 50,355 .
So far , 2,215 people in Illinois have died from the outbreak @

Chicago police announced Wednesday nine more cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of cases in the department to 430.
Of the confirmed cases, 410 are officers and 20 are civilian employees, police said.
A total of 434 employees have reported positive cases but the department’s medical section has yet to confirm four of those cases, police said.
The department announced the death of a third officer from complications of the coronavirus on April 17.
On Wednesday, Illinois health officials announced 2,253 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of cases in the state to 50,355. So far, 2,215 people in Illinois have died from the outbreak.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--Remdesivir proves effective against coronavirus in major study: ‘We’ve got a drug that works,’ UIC r

Remdesivir proves effective against coronavirus in major study: ‘We’ve got a drug that works,’ UIC researcher says

Promising results from a major study into an experimental drug used to treat the new coronavirus should give people a sense of relief that “ we ’ ve got a drug that works , ” a physician at University of Illinois at Chicago Health who participated in the study says .
“ They ’ re really good results , ” Dr. Richard Novak , chief of infectious disease at UIC , told the Sun-Times Wednesday of the drug made by Gilead Sciences , called remdesivir .
He added : “ That ’ s great and should give some people a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting sick.
” Remdesivir is the first drug to show such promising results against the virus , which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year in China .
Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic , especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away .
Get the latest news about the coronavirus and its ripple effects in Chicago and Illinois in our live blog .
The study , run by the National Institutes of Health , tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,063 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world .
At the White House , NIH ’ s Dr. Anthony Fauci said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31 % — 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care .
He also said there was a trend toward fewer deaths among those on remdesivir , and that full results would soon be published in a medical journal .
“ What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus , ” Fauci said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of care.
” A statement from the Food and Drug Administration says that the agency has been talking with California-based Gilead “ regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible , as appropriate.
” The drug is given through an IV and is designed to interfere with the virus ’ s ability to copy its genetic material .
In animal tests against SARS and MERS , diseases caused by similar coronaviruses , the drug helped prevent infection and reduced the severity of symptoms when given early enough in the course of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved anywhere in the world for any use .
Only hospitalized patients can use Because the drug is given through an IV , only patients who are hospitalized will be able to receive it for the time being , Novak said .
“ It ’ s going to be challenging to give in an outpatient setting , ” Novak said .
The drug will also continue to be tested with other drugs to see if a combination of treatments will produce more positive outcomes , he said .
“ We ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find more and better treatments , ” Novak said .
A less encouraging picture came from partial results from a separate study testing remdesivir in severely ill patients in China , published Wednesday in the British medical journal Lancet .
Treatment did not speed recovery in that study , which was stopped after only 237 of a planned 453 patients were enrolled .
Separately on Wednesday , Gilead announced partial results from its own ongoing study of the drug in severely ill , hospitalized COVID-19 patients .
The company said of patients who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an onset of symptoms , 65 % achieved clinical recovery and 60 % were discharged .
However , the results are difficult to interpret because there is no comparison group of people getting usual care , so it ’ s impossible to know how much patients would have improved on their own .
Stroger Hospital , which is taking part in the trial , has seen results that are “ similar and consistent ” with the overall results released by Gilead so far , said Dr. Gregory Huhn , an infectious disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site investigator for the trial here .
Huhn , however , said it will take more than a single drug to beat back this novel coronavirus .
“ We need multiple strategies to defeat COVID-19 , ” Huhn said .
“ I think this drug ... in combination with a future vaccine , [ could ] provide a multi-pronged attack on COVID-19 .
So , I really think that an effective therapeutic along with effective prevention is going to get us to the other side of this pandemic.
” Stroger is also taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 cases .
No results have yet been announced from that second study , which does have a comparison group getting usual care .
The company said no new safety problems emerged in that study , and that it would publish results in a medical journal soon .
In other treatment-related news this week , two studies gave updates on anti-inflammatory drugs that aim to tamp down the severe inflammation that often develops in later stages of severe COVID-19 and often proves fatal .
A French hospital consortium reported success with using Acetemra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arthritis and some other conditions , in a study of 129 coronavirus patients where 65 got the drug and the rest , usual care .
No details were released ; doctors said they were preparing to publish results .
A similar drug , Kevzara , did not work as well at low doses in a study of severely ill coronavirus patients , its makers Sanofi and Regeneron said .
They ’ re continuing to test it at higher doses in critically ill patients , though .
Novak said that the success of treating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that its use will necessarily have a significant impact on the need to continue social distancing .
“ People are still dying from COVID-19 , even with treatment from remdesivir , ” Novak said .
“ The biggest concern has been [ sick patients ] overwhelming our hospitals with the number of cases .
This won ’ t change that .
We still need to be reducing the number of new cases .
”

Promising results from a major study into an experimental drug used to treat the new coronavirus should give people a sense of relief that “we’ve got a drug that works,” a physician at University of Illinois at Chicago Health who participated in the study says.
“They’re really good results,” Dr. Richard Novak, chief of infectious disease at UIC, told the Sun-Times Wednesday of the drug made by Gilead Sciences, called remdesivir.
He added: “That’s great and should give some people a sense of relief who are concerned about getting sick.”
Remdesivir is the first drug to show such promising results against the virus, which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year in China. Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic, especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away.
Get the latest news about the coronavirus and its ripple effects in Chicago and Illinois in our live blog.
The study, run by the National Institutes of Health, tested remdesivir versus the usual care given in 1,063 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world. At the White House, NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31% — 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care.
Can block virus
He also said there was a trend toward fewer deaths among those on remdesivir, and that full results would soon be published in a medical journal.
“What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus,” Fauci said. “This will be the standard of care.”
A statement from the Food and Drug Administration says that the agency has been talking with California-based Gilead “regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible, as appropriate.”
The drug is given through an IV and is designed to interfere with the virus’s ability to copy its genetic material. In animal tests against SARS and MERS, diseases caused by similar coronaviruses, the drug helped prevent infection and reduced the severity of symptoms when given early enough in the course of illness. But it is not yet approved anywhere in the world for any use.
Only hospitalized patients can use
Because the drug is given through an IV, only patients who are hospitalized will be able to receive it for the time being, Novak said.
“It’s going to be challenging to give in an outpatient setting,” Novak said.
The drug will also continue to be tested with other drugs to see if a combination of treatments will produce more positive outcomes, he said.
“We’re not done yet. We still need to find more and better treatments,” Novak said.
A less encouraging picture came from partial results from a separate study testing remdesivir in severely ill patients in China, published Wednesday in the British medical journal Lancet. Treatment did not speed recovery in that study, which was stopped after only 237 of a planned 453 patients were enrolled.
2nd study shows improvements
Separately on Wednesday, Gilead announced partial results from its own ongoing study of the drug in severely ill, hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The company said of patients who were treated with remdesivir within five days of an onset of symptoms, 65% achieved clinical recovery and 60% were discharged.
However, the results are difficult to interpret because there is no comparison group of people getting usual care, so it’s impossible to know how much patients would have improved on their own.
Stroger Hospital, which is taking part in the trial, has seen results that are “similar and consistent” with the overall results released by Gilead so far, said Dr. Gregory Huhn, an infectious disease physician for Cook County Health and principal site investigator for the trial here.
Huhn, however, said it will take more than a single drug to beat back this novel coronavirus.
“We need multiple strategies to defeat COVID-19,” Huhn said. “I think this drug ... in combination with a future vaccine, [could] provide a multi-pronged attack on COVID-19. So, I really think that an effective therapeutic along with effective prevention is going to get us to the other side of this pandemic.”
Stroger is also taking part in a trial examining more moderate COVID-19 cases. No results have yet been announced from that second study, which does have a comparison group getting usual care. The company said no new safety problems emerged in that study, and that it would publish results in a medical journal soon.
Other drugs researched
In other treatment-related news this week, two studies gave updates on anti-inflammatory drugs that aim to tamp down the severe inflammation that often develops in later stages of severe COVID-19 and often proves fatal.
A French hospital consortium reported success with using Acetemra, a Roche drug sold for rheumatoid arthritis and some other conditions, in a study of 129 coronavirus patients where 65 got the drug and the rest, usual care. No details were released; doctors said they were preparing to publish results.
A similar drug, Kevzara, did not work as well at low doses in a study of severely ill coronavirus patients, its makers Sanofi and Regeneron said. They’re continuing to test it at higher doses in critically ill patients, though.
Social distancing still needed
Novak said that the success of treating patients with remdesivir doesn’t mean that its use will necessarily have a significant impact on the need to continue social distancing.
“People are still dying from COVID-19, even with treatment from remdesivir,” Novak said. “The biggest concern has been [sick patients] overwhelming our hospitals with the number of cases. This won’t change that. We still need to be reducing the number of new cases.”
Contributing: AP


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--4th CTA employee dies of COVID-19

4th CTA employee dies of COVID-19

The Chicago Transit Authority announced Wednesday the death of a fourth employee from COVID-19 .
The employee worked in the @ @ @ @ @ for over 20 years , the transit agency said in a statement .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ employees in extending our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this beloved employee @ @ @ @ @ the fabric of this organization for more than two decades , ” CTA President Dorval @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ This employee enjoyed a stellar career , working diligently , @ @ @ @ @ our agency ’ s operations , mission and goals , ” Carter said .
A @ @ @ @ @ s Skokie Shops maintenance facility was the first employee to die of the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ officials Wednesday said another 92 people died from COVID-19 in Illinois , raising the state @ @ @ @ @ .

The Chicago Transit Authority announced Wednesday the death of a fourth employee from COVID-19.
The employee worked in the CTA’s technology department for over 20 years, the transit agency said in a statement.
“I join our entire family of employees in extending our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this beloved employee, who was part of the fabric of this organization for more than two decades,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said in a statement.
“This employee enjoyed a stellar career, working diligently, every day, to support our agency’s operations, mission and goals,” Carter said.
A machinist at the CTA’s Skokie Shops maintenance facility was the first employee to die of the coronavirus.
The announcement comes as health officials Wednesday said another 92 people died from COVID-19 in Illinois, raising the state’s toll to 2,215.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--Cubs, White Sox disclose ticket refund plans

The Cubs and White Sox are refunding ticket holders for games that were scheduled from Opening Day March 26 through @ @ @ @ @ holders for both teams also have the option of receiving a 5 percent bonus on @ @ @ @ @ it toward purchasing 2020 tickets , potential 2020 postseason tickets or the 2021 season .
@ @ @ @ @ the option of receiving credit for paid tickets , parking and Huntington Bank Stadium Club @ @ @ @ @ 5 % bonus credit for games through May 31 .
Fans who purchased individual tickets @ @ @ @ @ the end of May received notification from Ticketmaster Wednesday providing the opportunity to request refunds @ @ @ @ @ their policy to ticket holders .
Major League Baseball cleared teams to offer refunds for @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .

The Cubs and White Sox are refunding ticket holders for games that were scheduled from Opening Day March 26 through May 31.
Season-ticket holders for both teams also have the option of receiving a 5% bonus on money being held and putting it toward purchasing 2020 tickets, potential 2020 postseason tickets or the 2021 season.
Sox season-ticket holders have the option of receiving credit for paid tickets, parking and Huntington Bank Stadium Club passes as well as the 5% bonus credit for games through May 31. Fans who purchased individual tickets for Sox home games through the end of May received notification from Ticketmaster on Wednesday providing the opportunity to request refunds. The Cubs also emailed their policy to ticket holders.
Major League Baseball cleared teams to offer refunds for games postponed by the coronavirus Wednesday.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--Inmate fighting life sentence for double murder also battling COVID-19, lawyer says

For nearly 30 years , Alfredo “ Freddy ” Gonzalez has been fighting a life sentence for a 1990 double murder he has long claimed he didn ’ t commit .
Now , fighting the symptoms of COVID-19 at Stateville Correctional Center , the 62-year-old is worried he may not live to see the day his name is cleared .
Gonzalez was set to appear for a post-trial hearing on his latest bid to overturn his conviction for the murders of brothers Torrence and Kevin Wiley , and he had reason to believe that his prospects for being released were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was framed by now-retired Chicago Police Det .
Reynaldo Guevara , and several of the witnesses who testified at his trial have since recanted .
Based on similar claims of physical abuse by Guevara , 20 men have been released from prison .
That number includes Gonzalez ’ s co-defendant , Jose Maysonet , who went free in 2017 after Guevara and four other officers involved in the investigation asserted their Fifth Amendment rights rather than answer questions under oath about allegations of witness coercion and physical abuse .
Gonzalez began to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and landed in a medical unit at the Crest Hill prison , according to his daughter , Maria Gonzalez , an Elgin resident who said she talks to her father every day .
Gonzalez was still feeling ill last week but was moved into general population at the prison , said his lawyer , Sean Starr .
Starr recently sent a letter to J.B. Pritzker , spelling out the evidence of Gonzalez ’ s case and asking the governor to release him .
“ He ’ s 62 years old , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if he doesn ’ t still have it , ” Starr said .
“ He ’ s still alive , but he has high blood pressure , he has asthma .
He ’ s worried he could have very serious complications.
” Pritzker ’ s office did not respond to requests for comment from the Chicago Sun-Times this week , and Starr said he also has not heard from the governor .
As COVID-19 spread in state prisons , Pritzker , last month , commuted the sentences of 17 elderly inmates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mid-April , five Stateville inmates died from complications related to coronavirus , according to news reports .
Gonzalez signed a confession in 1990 , but said he only did after Guevara beat and threatened him .
His trial lawyer , whose law license was suspended in 2016 for misconduct , encouraged him to repeat his false statement — in which Gonzalez claimed another man was the shooter — on the witness stand .
Maysonet identified Gonzalez as the shooter , but said that he lied because he had been beaten by Guevara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Maysonet , seemed poised to fight Gonzalez ’ s case , but , Starr said it ’ s unlikely that Guevara or the other detectives would be willing to testify under oath against Gonzalez either , leaving the state with little evidence .
The last time Guevara took the stand was at a 2017 hearing in the case of Gabriel Solache and Arturo DeLeon-Reyes , who were convicted in a 1998 double murder based on confessions they said were coerced by Guevara .
Even though he ’ d been granted immunity for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to questions with claims that he “ did not remember.
” Based on those responses , Cook County Judge James Obbish threw out Solache and DeLeon-Reyes ’ convictions , and Guevara had “ eliminated the possibility of being considered a credible witness in any proceeding , ” If Gonzalez were released , his daughter said she has a separate apartment in the basement of her home where he could be quarantined .
“ I am terrified .
I do not want to lose my dad , ” said Maria Gonzalez , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested .
“ Especially now , when we are so close ...
I don ’ t need my dad dying in jail because of the coronavirus .
”

For nearly 30 years, Alfredo “Freddy” Gonzalez has been fighting a life sentence for a 1990 double murder he has long claimed he didn’t commit. Now, fighting the symptoms of COVID-19 at Stateville Correctional Center, the 62-year-old is worried he may not live to see the day his name is cleared.
Gonzalez was set to appear for a post-trial hearing on his latest bid to overturn his conviction for the murders of brothers Torrence and Kevin Wiley, and he had reason to believe that his prospects for being released were good.
Gonzalez has long maintained that he was framed by now-retired Chicago Police Det. Reynaldo Guevara, and several of the witnesses who testified at his trial have since recanted. Based on similar claims of physical abuse by Guevara, 20 men have been released from prison. That number includes Gonzalez’s co-defendant, Jose Maysonet, who went free in 2017 after Guevara and four other officers involved in the investigation asserted their Fifth Amendment rights rather than answer questions under oath about allegations of witness coercion and physical abuse.
Gonzalez began to feel symptoms of coronavirus in late March, and landed in a medical unit at the Crest Hill prison, according to his daughter, Maria Gonzalez, an Elgin resident who said she talks to her father every day. Gonzalez was still feeling ill last week but was moved into general population at the prison, said his lawyer, Sean Starr.
Starr recently sent a letter to J.B. Pritzker, spelling out the evidence of Gonzalez’s case and asking the governor to release him.
“He’s 62 years old, he’s had [COVID-19] once, if he doesn’t still have it,” Starr said. “He’s still alive, but he has high blood pressure, he has asthma. He’s worried he could have very serious complications.”
Pritzker’s office did not respond to requests for comment from the Chicago Sun-Times this week, and Starr said he also has not heard from the governor. As COVID-19 spread in state prisons, Pritzker, last month, commuted the sentences of 17 elderly inmates, including seven convicted of murder.
As of mid-April, five Stateville inmates died from complications related to coronavirus, according to news reports.
Gonzalez signed a confession in 1990, but said he only did after Guevara beat and threatened him. His trial lawyer, whose law license was suspended in 2016 for misconduct, encouraged him to repeat his false statement — in which Gonzalez claimed another man was the shooter — on the witness stand. Maysonet identified Gonzalez as the shooter, but said that he lied because he had been beaten by Guevara.
Prosecutors, who grudgingly dropped charges against Maysonet, seemed poised to fight Gonzalez’s case, but, Starr said it’s unlikely that Guevara or the other detectives would be willing to testify under oath against Gonzalez either, leaving the state with little evidence.
The last time Guevara took the stand was at a 2017 hearing in the case of Gabriel Solache and Arturo DeLeon-Reyes, who were convicted in a 1998 double murder based on confessions they said were coerced by Guevara. Even though he’d been granted immunity for his testimony, the detective still responded to questions with claims that he “did not remember.” Based on those responses, Cook County Judge James Obbish threw out Solache and DeLeon-Reyes’ convictions, and Guevara had “eliminated the possibility of being considered a credible witness in any proceeding,”
If Gonzalez were released, his daughter said she has a separate apartment in the basement of her home where he could be quarantined.
“I am terrified. I do not want to lose my dad,” said Maria Gonzalez, who was 4 years old when her father was arrested. “Especially now, when we are so close...I don’t need my dad dying in jail because of the coronavirus.”


chicagosun-times--2020-04-29--Amazon series ‘Upload’ presents a funny but profound vision of the future

Watching the wickedly funny , brain-bending and immersive satirical comedy/drama Amazon Prime Video series “ Upload , ” one can ’ t help but draw parallels to the recently concluded NBC sitcom “ The Good Place , ” what with the afterlife setting and the avatars that look and sound just like real people and the philosophical/spiritual questions .
This show will blow your mind .
In a good way .
( In addition to “ The Good Place , ” there are echoes of the “ San Junipero ” episode of “ Black Mirror , ” the supernatural romance/mystery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Albert Brooks film “ Defending Your Life.
” ) Created by Greg Daniels ( “ The Office , ” “ Parks and Recreation ” ) , “ Upload ” takes place in a near future ( the year 2033 ) where self-driving cars dominate the highways ; computer programs store all your experiences , as seen from your point of view , and most astonishing of all , you can upload your consciousness into an incredibly realistic afterlife where you have the same personality , the same memories , the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the real world .
It ’ s just that you ’ re an avatar , while your actual body is back on Earth , preserved in ice in case scientists develop the technology that would allow you to return to the real world .
Here ’ s the other cool albeit problematic thing : While you ’ re in the afterlife , you can interact with your living loved ones .
They can see you ; you can see them .
And if your romantic partner dons a bulky “ Sex Suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even hook up and it feels just like the real thing .
Episode 1 of “ Upload ” opens with a faux streaming ad for “ Lake View by Horizon , ” one of the premium upscale options for the afterlife .
As the camera lingers on an idyllic lakefront resort nestled in lush surroundings , a soothing voice-over guide says , “ What is the reward for a life well-lived ?
The most perfect natural beauty that man can design .
The best days of your life could be after it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You deserve Lake View by Horizon.
” Meet Nathan ( Robbie Amell ) .
He ’ s a strikingly handsome , total bro of a dude , who works as a coder and loves to mention he did a little modeling while in college .
Nathan is sailing through life with with his equally gorgeous and self-absorbed girlfriend Ingrid ( Allegra Edwards ) when BAM !
He ’ s in a horrific car crash , and he faces a choice : Either let nature take its course and die the old-fashioned way or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new ( after ) life .
Egged on by Ingrid , Nathan chooses to be transported to Lake View .
The following morning , he awakens and feels healthy and alert and alive ; it ’ s just that like everyone else at the resort , he ’ s dead .
Andy Allo gives a heart-melting performance as Nora , who works as an “ angel ” for the Horizon corporation , meaning she dons a headset and monitors the afterlife activities of dozens of clients , including Nathan .
If they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice or guidance , all they have to do is say “ Angel !
” and just like that , Nora ( actually Nora ’ s avatar ) will appear in front of them , ready to help .
From the moment Nora sets virtual eyes on Nathan , there ’ s a connection , which grows deeper and more complicated as the story develops .
If you ’ re going to be in a Greg Daniels show , you have to be able to handle rapid-fire , crackling-good dialogue .
Amell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are more than up to the task .
A sequence in which Nathan watches his own funeral , which Ingrid has turned into a posh event complete with swag bags for the attendees to take home , is an exercise in perfectly executed dark comedy .
Other subplots have an almost existential , melancholy bent , as when an 11-year-old Lake View resident who has remained 11 for the last half-dozen years is unable to reach his best friend Breck , who ’ s now 18 and doesn ’ t have anything in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also the matter of how money matters as much if not more in the afterlife .
While the wealthy at Lake View enjoy posh rooms , gourmet feasts , relaxing spa days , yoga classes and days on the golf course , the poorest residents , known as “ Two Gigs ” because they have just two gigabytes every month and will literally freeze up when the supply is gone , are living in prison-like conditions .
And in one of the most thought-provoking storylines , Nora wants her gravely ill father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Lake View , but her mother has passed away in the “ traditional ” manner and her father believes she ’ s in heaven and the only way he ’ ll see her again is if he dies and takes his chances on what ’ s next .
There ’ s a lot of heavy stuff at play here , but it ’ s all handled with a deft touch .
Even when “ Upload ” gets serious , it ’ s never more than a scene away from being funny as @ @

Watching the wickedly funny, brain-bending and immersive satirical comedy/drama Amazon Prime Video series “Upload,” one can’t help but draw parallels to the recently concluded NBC sitcom “The Good Place,” what with the afterlife setting and the avatars that look and sound just like real people and the philosophical/spiritual questions.
This show will blow your mind. In a good way. (In addition to “The Good Place,” there are echoes of the “San Junipero” episode of “Black Mirror,” the supernatural romance/mystery “Ghost” and even a hint of the Albert Brooks film “Defending Your Life.”)
‘Upload’
Untitled A 10-episode series streaming Friday on Amazon Prime Video.
Created by Greg Daniels (“The Office,” “Parks and Recreation”), “Upload” takes place in a near future (the year 2033) where self-driving cars dominate the highways; computer programs store all your experiences, as seen from your point of view, and most astonishing of all, you can upload your consciousness into an incredibly realistic afterlife where you have the same personality, the same memories, the same wishes and hopes and dreams you had in the real world. It’s just that you’re an avatar, while your actual body is back on Earth, preserved in ice in case scientists develop the technology that would allow you to return to the real world.
Here’s the other cool albeit problematic thing: While you’re in the afterlife, you can interact with your living loved ones. They can see you; you can see them. And if your romantic partner dons a bulky “Sex Suit,” the two of you can even hook up and it feels just like the real thing.
Episode 1 of “Upload” opens with a faux streaming ad for “Lake View by Horizon,” one of the premium upscale options for the afterlife. As the camera lingers on an idyllic lakefront resort nestled in lush surroundings, a soothing voice-over guide says, “What is the reward for a life well-lived? The most perfect natural beauty that man can design. The best days of your life could be after it’s over. You did well. You deserve Lake View by Horizon.”
Meet Nathan (Robbie Amell). He’s a strikingly handsome, total bro of a dude, who works as a coder and loves to mention he did a little modeling while in college. Nathan is sailing through life with with his equally gorgeous and self-absorbed girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) when BAM! He’s in a horrific car crash, and he faces a choice: Either let nature take its course and die the old-fashioned way or select the upload option and begin his new (after) life. Egged on by Ingrid, Nathan chooses to be transported to Lake View. The following morning, he awakens and feels healthy and alert and alive; it’s just that like everyone else at the resort, he’s dead.
Self-absorbed Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) pushes her boyfriend, Nathan, to choose an upload to the virtual afterlife over dying the old-fashioned way. Amazon Studios
Andy Allo gives a heart-melting performance as Nora, who works as an “angel” for the Horizon corporation, meaning she dons a headset and monitors the afterlife activities of dozens of clients, including Nathan. If they’re in need of any kind of advice or guidance, all they have to do is say “Angel!” and just like that, Nora (actually Nora’s avatar) will appear in front of them, ready to help. From the moment Nora sets virtual eyes on Nathan, there’s a connection, which grows deeper and more complicated as the story develops.
If you’re going to be in a Greg Daniels show, you have to be able to handle rapid-fire, crackling-good dialogue. Amell, Edwards, Allo and the ensemble cast are more than up to the task. A sequence in which Nathan watches his own funeral, which Ingrid has turned into a posh event complete with swag bags for the attendees to take home, is an exercise in perfectly executed dark comedy.
Other subplots have an almost existential, melancholy bent, as when an 11-year-old Lake View resident who has remained 11 for the last half-dozen years is unable to reach his best friend Breck, who’s now 18 and doesn’t have anything in common with a kid. There’s also the matter of how money matters as much if not more in the afterlife. While the wealthy at Lake View enjoy posh rooms, gourmet feasts, relaxing spa days, yoga classes and days on the golf course, the poorest residents, known as “Two Gigs” because they have just two gigabytes every month and will literally freeze up when the supply is gone, are living in prison-like conditions. And in one of the most thought-provoking storylines, Nora wants her gravely ill father (Chris Williams) to consider afterlife at Lake View, but her mother has passed away in the “traditional” manner and her father believes she’s in heaven and the only way he’ll see her again is if he dies and takes his chances on what’s next.
There’s a lot of heavy stuff at play here, but it’s all handled with a deft touch. Even when “Upload” gets serious, it’s never more than a scene away from being funny as hell.