chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--‘Capone’: Grotesque scenes soil Tom Hardy’s strong work as the mob boss in decline

The list of top-tier actors who have portrayed Al Capone or characters clearly based on Capone is deep and generational , from Paul Muni to Rod Steiger , from Jason Robards to Ben Gazzara , from F. Murray Abraham to Robert De Niro .
Now we can add the name of Tom Hardy , who in “ Capone ” portrays the notorious and despicable Chicago mobster in one of the least examined periods of his life : ensconced in his Florida mansion , rapidly deteriorating physically and mentally , drowning in a sea of paranoia .
It ’ s potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first scenes through the tone-deaf conclusion , “ Capone ” is a noxious film about a noxious man — a gruesome and grotesque viewing experience that tells us nothing new about Capone while rubbing our noses in one detestable scene after another .
By the time we get to a typically overblown scene in which a diaper-wearing Capone wields a gold-plated Tommy Gun while on a shooting spree , we surrender .
You think I ’ m overreacting ?
You tell me if you want to see a movie featuring not one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenes in which the increasingly feeble Capone loses control of his bladder and/or his bowels , as various loved ones and associates recoil in horror .
“ Capone ” kicks off with an explainer : “ The world ’ s most notorious gangster is sentenced to prison for income tax evasion .
While there , his mental and physical health crumbles from neurosyphilis .
A decade later , no longer deemed a threat , he is released to exile in Florida under government watch .
This is the final year of his life.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ handsomeness in the service of the character , virtually disappearing under the scar-faced makeup , thinning hair , jaundiced eyes , bent-over physique and raspy voice of Capone , who is 48 but looks about 107 .
Capone is holed up in his South Florida estate , an obscenely lavish property teeming with family , including his wife Mae ( Linda Cardellini ) , his son Junior ( Noel Fisher ) and a gaggle of nieces and nephews and grandchildren ; a few of his loyal lieutenants from back in his blood-spattered heyday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guards , and a staff of gardeners and handymen who tend to the property and eventually assist with the packing up of the statuary and most of the artwork and furniture , which have to be sold off in order for “ Fonzo , ” as everyone calls him , to remain living in the enormous , seemingly haunted house .
The feds have bugged the house and are keeping watch from across the waterfront .
Or is their presence just another of Fonzo ’ s paranoid delusions ?
After all , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chair , half-cigar dangling from mouth , all but passed out , he ’ s flying into unprompted tantrums at the family , literally falling over from rage , or wandering about the property in a haze of madness .
At one point , he enters a ballroom in the mansion and walks into a lavish New Year ’ s Eve party , with Louis Armstrong singing “ Blueberry Hill.
” A moment later , he ’ s climbing over a pile of slain bodies in that very same ballroom .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , time and again : scenes of the title character struggling to recognize his son or an old pal who comes to visit , suffering the aforementioned bouts of incontinence , trying to remember where he stashed some $ 10 million , suffering a stroke that further weakens him physically and mentally .
Every once in a while , Hardy gets the opportunity to flex his considerable acting muscles , e.g.
, a nonsensical but captivating scene in which Fonzo sings along with the Cowardly Lion as “ The Wizard of Oz ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capone ’ s condition worsens , Hardy looks like a walking corpse , with all the blood drained from his features and his eyes as lifeless as zombie ’ s .
In the meantime , a subplot about Capone ’ s supposed illegitimate son does little to add any heart or humanity to the last days in the life of a bloodless man .
Production values are impressive .
Supporting performances from Cardellini , Fisher , Kyle MacLachlan as Capone ’ s weirdo doctor and Matt Dillon as an old crime associate are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who dominates every moment he ’ s onscreen .
Too bad it ’ s an all-in performance in a movie that goes nowhere .

The list of top-tier actors who have portrayed Al Capone or characters clearly based on Capone is deep and generational, from Paul Muni to Rod Steiger, from Jason Robards to Ben Gazzara, from F. Murray Abraham to Robert De Niro.
Now we can add the name of Tom Hardy, who in “Capone” portrays the notorious and despicable Chicago mobster in one of the least examined periods of his life: ensconced in his Florida mansion, rapidly deteriorating physically and mentally, drowning in a sea of paranoia. It’s potentially fresh and unique material, but from the first scenes through the tone-deaf conclusion, “Capone” is a noxious film about a noxious man — a gruesome and grotesque viewing experience that tells us nothing new about Capone while rubbing our noses in one detestable scene after another. By the time we get to a typically overblown scene in which a diaper-wearing Capone wields a gold-plated Tommy Gun while on a shooting spree, we surrender.
‘Capone’
Untitled Vertical Entertainment presents a film written and directed by Josh Trank. Rated R (for strong/bloody violence, pervasive language and some sexuality). Running time: 103 minutes. Available Tuesday on demand.
You think I’m overreacting? You tell me if you want to see a movie featuring not one, not two, but three separate scenes in which the increasingly feeble Capone loses control of his bladder and/or his bowels, as various loved ones and associates recoil in horror.
“Capone” kicks off with an explainer: “The world’s most notorious gangster is sentenced to prison for income tax evasion. While there, his mental and physical health crumbles from neurosyphilis. A decade later, no longer deemed a threat, he is released to exile in Florida under government watch. This is the final year of his life.”
Hardy once again sublimates his movie-star handsomeness in the service of the character, virtually disappearing under the scar-faced makeup, thinning hair, jaundiced eyes, bent-over physique and raspy voice of Capone, who is 48 but looks about 107. Capone is holed up in his South Florida estate, an obscenely lavish property teeming with family, including his wife Mae (Linda Cardellini), his son Junior (Noel Fisher) and a gaggle of nieces and nephews and grandchildren; a few of his loyal lieutenants from back in his blood-spattered heyday; at least a half-dozen armed security guards, and a staff of gardeners and handymen who tend to the property and eventually assist with the packing up of the statuary and most of the artwork and furniture, which have to be sold off in order for “Fonzo,” as everyone calls him, to remain living in the enormous, seemingly haunted house.
The feds have bugged the house and are keeping watch from across the waterfront. Or is their presence just another of Fonzo’s paranoid delusions? After all, when Capone isn’t slumped over in a chair, half-cigar dangling from mouth, all but passed out, he’s flying into unprompted tantrums at the family, literally falling over from rage, or wandering about the property in a haze of madness. At one point, he enters a ballroom in the mansion and walks into a lavish New Year’s Eve party, with Louis Armstrong singing “Blueberry Hill.” A moment later, he’s climbing over a pile of slain bodies in that very same ballroom.
This is what “Capone” serves up, time and again: scenes of the title character struggling to recognize his son or an old pal who comes to visit, suffering the aforementioned bouts of incontinence, trying to remember where he stashed some $10 million, suffering a stroke that further weakens him physically and mentally. Every once in a while, Hardy gets the opportunity to flex his considerable acting muscles, e.g., a nonsensical but captivating scene in which Fonzo sings along with the Cowardly Lion as “The Wizard of Oz” plays in his home theater. As Capone’s condition worsens, Hardy looks like a walking corpse, with all the blood drained from his features and his eyes as lifeless as zombie’s. In the meantime, a subplot about Capone’s supposed illegitimate son does little to add any heart or humanity to the last days in the life of a bloodless man.
Production values are impressive. Supporting performances from Cardellini, Fisher, Kyle MacLachlan as Capone’s weirdo doctor and Matt Dillon as an old crime associate are first-rate. But it’s Hardy who dominates every moment he’s onscreen.
Too bad it’s an all-in performance in a movie that goes nowhere.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--4 dead, 19 hurt in Chicago weekend shootings

Four people were killed and 19 others were injured in gun violence across Chicago over the weekend .
The latest fatal attack happened Sunday afternoon in North Austin on the West Side .
A male was in an alley about 4:30 p.m. in the 5500 block of West Cortland Street when someone in a vehicle pulled up and opened fire , Chicago police said .
He was shot in the mouth and chest , and pronounced dead on the scene .
Early Sunday , a person was shot to death in Fifth City on the West Side .
The male @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone approached and shot him multiple times in the 3400 block of West Adams Street , according to police .
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
On Saturday afternoon , a man was killed and another was injured in West Pullman on the Far South Side .
They were in an eastbound vehicle about 2:55 p.m. on 121st Street when a light-colored vehicle pulled up next to them near Lafayette Avenue , police said .
Someone inside the light-colored vehicle opened fire and struck one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and abdomen , and the other , 26 , in the foot .
Their vehicle crashed into a home in the 12100 block of South State Street , police said .
The 25-year-old , identified by the Cook County medical examiner ’ s office as Bobby Berry , was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center , where he was pronounced dead .
The 26-year-old was taken to Roseland Community Hospital , where he was stabilized .
The weekend ’ s first shooting left a man dead Friday night in East Garfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 10:43 p.m. in the 600 block of North Spaulding Avenue and found the 21-year-old unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his neck , police said .
He was pronounced dead at the scene .
The medical examiner ’ s office identified him as Robert Sims .
In non-fatal incidents , a teenage girl was critically injured Saturday night in Englewood on the South Side .
The 17-year-old was shot in the face and neck about 10:30 p.m. , according to police .
Two males dropped her off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
The weekend ’ s most recent shooting happened Monday morning in West Garfield Park on the West Side .
A 21-year-old man was riding a bicycle at 4:55 a.m. in the 4400 block of West Jackson Boulevard when someone in a passing gray Nissan fired shots , hitting him in the hand and leg , police said .
He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition .
A gunshot victim was brought to a hospital Sunday morning in Ukrainian Village .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. at Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center , 2233 W. Division St. , according to police .
He was transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the abdomen .
Police said the person who dropped him off , who claimed to be a relative , was uncooperative with investigators and would not provide information about the location or circumstances of the shooting .
On Saturday night , a man was shot near a police station in Gresham on the South Side .
The 29-year-old was walking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Halsted Street when someone fired shots , striking him in the abdomen , police said .
He ran to the 6th District police station , 7808 S. Halsted St. , where officers called him an ambulance .
From there , the man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition .
A woman was shot Saturday evening while driving through Back of the Yards on the South Side .
The 54-year-old was in a vehicle with family members about 8:40 p.m. when someone in a brown sedan fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block of West Garfield Boulevard , police said .
The woman was shot in the abdomen and driven by a relative to St. Bernard Hospital , before being transferred to Stroger Hospital in serious condition .
A relative in the vehicle told officers the shooter was likely aiming at the woman ’ s 23-year-old nephew , who has been arguing with gang members in the area , police sources said .
Less than an hour earlier , a man was shot in Brighton Park on the Southwest Side .
The man , 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 4400 block of South Sacramento Avenue when someone fired shots , striking him in the thigh , police said .
The man took himself to Mount Sinai Hospital , where he was in good condition .
Saturday afternoon , two women were grazed in Little Village on the Southwest Side .
The women , both 21 , were outside about 3:25 p.m. in the 2300 block of South Drake Avenue when another female walked up and shot at them , police said .
One woman was grazed on the waist , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both declined medical attention .
Another man and a woman were shot shortly after midnight in Golden Gate on the Far South Side .
The 26-year-old man and 40-year-old woman were sitting in a parked vehicle at 12:11 a.m. when someone shot them in the 13200 block of South Riverdale Avenue , police said .
The woman was hit in the abdomen and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition .
The man was hit in the elbow and refused medical treatment .
Late Friday night , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manor on the South Side .
The 19-year-old was traveling about 10:47 p.m. in the first block of East 71st Street when someone in a passing silver-colored SUV opened fire , according to police .
He was struck in the leg and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition .
Seven other people were wounded by gunfire across Chicago between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday .
Last weekend , 46 people were shot across the city , four of them fatally .
Read more on crime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Four people were killed and 19 others were injured in gun violence across Chicago over the weekend.
The latest fatal attack happened Sunday afternoon in North Austin on the West Side.
A male was in an alley about 4:30 p.m. in the 5500 block of West Cortland Street when someone in a vehicle pulled up and opened fire, Chicago police said. He was shot in the mouth and chest, and pronounced dead on the scene.
Early Sunday, a person was shot to death in Fifth City on the West Side.
The male was on foot at 4:27 a.m. when someone approached and shot him multiple times in the 3400 block of West Adams Street, according to police. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
On Saturday afternoon, a man was killed and another was injured in West Pullman on the Far South Side.
They were in an eastbound vehicle about 2:55 p.m. on 121st Street when a light-colored vehicle pulled up next to them near Lafayette Avenue, police said. Someone inside the light-colored vehicle opened fire and struck one man, 25, in the thigh and abdomen, and the other, 26, in the foot.
Their vehicle crashed into a home in the 12100 block of South State Street, police said. The 25-year-old, identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Bobby Berry, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The 26-year-old was taken to Roseland Community Hospital, where he was stabilized.
The weekend’s first shooting left a man dead Friday night in East Garfield Park on the West Side.
Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 10:43 p.m. in the 600 block of North Spaulding Avenue and found the 21-year-old unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his neck, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner’s office identified him as Robert Sims.
In non-fatal incidents, a teenage girl was critically injured Saturday night in Englewood on the South Side.
The 17-year-old was shot in the face and neck about 10:30 p.m., according to police. Two males dropped her off at Holy Cross Hospital, and she was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
The weekend’s most recent shooting happened Monday morning in West Garfield Park on the West Side.
A 21-year-old man was riding a bicycle at 4:55 a.m. in the 4400 block of West Jackson Boulevard when someone in a passing gray Nissan fired shots, hitting him in the hand and leg, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
A gunshot victim was brought to a hospital Sunday morning in Ukrainian Village.
The 25-year-old man was dropped off at 5:07 a.m. at Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, 2233 W. Division St., according to police. He was transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Police said the person who dropped him off, who claimed to be a relative, was uncooperative with investigators and would not provide information about the location or circumstances of the shooting.
On Saturday night, a man was shot near a police station in Gresham on the South Side.
The 29-year-old was walking about 10:35 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Halsted Street when someone fired shots, striking him in the abdomen, police said. He ran to the 6th District police station, 7808 S. Halsted St., where officers called him an ambulance. From there, the man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.
A woman was shot Saturday evening while driving through Back of the Yards on the South Side.
The 54-year-old was in a vehicle with family members about 8:40 p.m. when someone in a brown sedan fired shots as they drove through the 800 block of West Garfield Boulevard, police said. The woman was shot in the abdomen and driven by a relative to St. Bernard Hospital, before being transferred to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.
A relative in the vehicle told officers the shooter was likely aiming at the woman’s 23-year-old nephew, who has been arguing with gang members in the area, police sources said.
Less than an hour earlier, a man was shot in Brighton Park on the Southwest Side.
The man, 23, was outside about 7:50 p.m. in the 4400 block of South Sacramento Avenue when someone fired shots, striking him in the thigh, police said. The man took himself to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was in good condition.
Saturday afternoon, two women were grazed in Little Village on the Southwest Side.
The women, both 21, were outside about 3:25 p.m. in the 2300 block of South Drake Avenue when another female walked up and shot at them, police said. One woman was grazed on the waist, while the other was grazed on the ear. Both declined medical attention.
Another man and a woman were shot shortly after midnight in Golden Gate on the Far South Side.
The 26-year-old man and 40-year-old woman were sitting in a parked vehicle at 12:11 a.m. when someone shot them in the 13200 block of South Riverdale Avenue, police said. The woman was hit in the abdomen and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition. The man was hit in the elbow and refused medical treatment.
Late Friday night, another man was shot while driving in Park Manor on the South Side.
The 19-year-old was traveling about 10:47 p.m. in the first block of East 71st Street when someone in a passing silver-colored SUV opened fire, according to police. He was struck in the leg and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.
Seven other people were wounded by gunfire across Chicago between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
Last weekend, 46 people were shot across the city, four of them fatally.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--Jerry Stiller, comedian and ‘Seinfeld’ actor, dies at 92

NEW YORK — Comedy veteran Jerry Stiller , who launched his career opposite wife Anne Meara in the 1950s and reemerged four decades later as the hysterically high-strung Frank Costanza on the smash television show “ Seinfeld , ” died at 92 , his son Ben Stiller announced Monday .
He died of natural causes , his son — a comedy star himself — said in a tweet .
Jerry Stiller was a multi-talented performer who appeared in an assortment of movies , playing Walter Matthau ’ s police sidekick in the thriller “ The Taking of Pelham One Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilbur Turnblad in John Waters ’ twisted comedy “ Hairspray.
” He also wrote an autobiography , “ Married to Laughter , ” about his 50-plus year marriage to soul mate and comedic cohort Meara , who died in 2015 .
And his myriad television spots included everything from “ Murder She Wrote ” to “ Law and Order ” — along with 36 appearances alongside Meara on “ The Ed Sullivan Show.
” Stiller , although a supporting player on “ Seinfeld , ” created some of the Emmy-winning show ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the “ bro , ” a brassiere for men ; a Korean War cook who inflicted food poisoning on his entire unit ; an ever-simmering salesman controlling his explosive temper with the shouted mantra , “ Serenity now !
” Stiller earned an 1997 Emmy nomination for his indelible “ Seinfeld ” performance .
In a 2005 Esquire interview , Stiller recalled that he was out of work and not the first choice for the role of Frank Costanza , father to Jason Alexander ’ s neurotic George .
“ My manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I was close to 70 years old , and had nowhere to go.
” He was initially told to play the role as a milquetoast husband with an overbearing wife , Estelle , played by Estelle Harris .
But the character wasn ’ t working — until Stiller suggested his reincarnation as an over-the-top crank who matched his wife scream for scream .
It jump-started the septuagenarian ’ s career , landing him a spot playing Vince Lombardi in a Nike commercial and the role of another over-the-top dad on the long-running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was known as a nut-job father on the small screen , Stiller and wife Meara raised two children in their longtime home on Manhattan ’ s Upper West Side : daughter Amy , who became an actress , and son Ben , who became a writer , director and actor in such films as “ Dodgeball , ” “ There ’ s Something About Mary ” and “ Meet the Parents.
” He and Ben performed together in “ Shoeshine , ” which was nominated for a 1988 Academy Award in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quieter and reflective in person than in character — although just as funny .
The son of a bus driver and a housewife , Stiller grew up in Depression-era Brooklyn .
His inspiration to enter show business came at age 8 , when his father took him to see the Marx Brothers in the comedy classic “ A Night at the Opera.
” Years later , Stiller met Groucho Marx and thanked him .
Stiller earned a drama degree at Syracuse University after serving in World War II , and then headed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was a brief involvement in Shakespearean theater , including a $ 55 a week job with Jack Klugman in “ Coriolanus.
” But his life and career took off after he met Meara in spring 1953 .
They were married that fall .
The seemingly mismatched pair — he a short , stocky Jewish guy from Brooklyn , she a tall , Irish Catholic from the Long Island suburbs — shared an immediate onstage chemistry , too .
They were soon appearing on “ The Ed Sullivan Show ” and working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and performed radio commercials , most memorably a series of bits for a little-known wine called Blue Nun .
The duo ’ s ads boosted sales by 500 % .
Ben Stiller recalled trips with his sister to California when his parents would head west to do television appearances .
The couple went on to appear as a team in dozens of film , stage and television productions .
One of them was “ After-Play , ” a 1995 off-Broadway show written by Meara .
Stiller joined “ Seinfeld ” in 1993 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Queens ” when the other Jerry & co. went off the air in 1998 .
The following year , he appeared in Ben Stiller ’ s spoof on modeling , “ Zoolander .
”

NEW YORK — Comedy veteran Jerry Stiller, who launched his career opposite wife Anne Meara in the 1950s and reemerged four decades later as the hysterically high-strung Frank Costanza on the smash television show “Seinfeld,” died at 92, his son Ben Stiller announced Monday.
He died of natural causes, his son — a comedy star himself — said in a tweet.
I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad. pic.twitter.com/KyoNsJIBz5 — Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) May 11, 2020
Jerry Stiller was a multi-talented performer who appeared in an assortment of movies, playing Walter Matthau’s police sidekick in the thriller “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” and Divine’s husband Wilbur Turnblad in John Waters’ twisted comedy “Hairspray.”
He also wrote an autobiography, “Married to Laughter,” about his 50-plus year marriage to soul mate and comedic cohort Meara, who died in 2015. And his myriad television spots included everything from “Murder She Wrote” to “Law and Order” — along with 36 appearances alongside Meara on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Stiller, although a supporting player on “Seinfeld,” created some of the Emmy-winning show’s most enduring moments: co-creator and model for the “bro,” a brassiere for men; a Korean War cook who inflicted food poisoning on his entire unit; an ever-simmering salesman controlling his explosive temper with the shouted mantra, “Serenity now!”
Jason Alexander, his former TV son on “Seinfeld,” said Stiller “was perhaps the kindest man I ever had the honor to work beside. He made me laugh when I was a child and every day I was with him.” Added Billy Eichner “Seeing Jerry Stiller on screen instantly made you happy.”
Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller, left) visits with his son, George (Jason Alexander), and his wife, Estelle (Estelle Harris), on an episode of “Seinfeld.” NBC
Stiller earned an 1997 Emmy nomination for his indelible “Seinfeld” performance. In a 2005 Esquire interview, Stiller recalled that he was out of work and not the first choice for the role of Frank Costanza, father to Jason Alexander’s neurotic George.
“My manager had retired,” he said. “I was close to 70 years old, and had nowhere to go.”
He was initially told to play the role as a milquetoast husband with an overbearing wife, Estelle, played by Estelle Harris. But the character wasn’t working — until Stiller suggested his reincarnation as an over-the-top crank who matched his wife scream for scream.
It jump-started the septuagenarian’s career, landing him a spot playing Vince Lombardi in a Nike commercial and the role of another over-the-top dad on the long-running sitcom “King of Queens.”
While he was known as a nut-job father on the small screen, Stiller and wife Meara raised two children in their longtime home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side: daughter Amy, who became an actress, and son Ben, who became a writer, director and actor in such films as “Dodgeball,” “There’s Something About Mary” and “Meet the Parents.”
He and Ben performed together in “Shoeshine,” which was nominated for a 1988 Academy Award in the short subject category.
Stiller was considerably quieter and reflective in person than in character — although just as funny. The son of a bus driver and a housewife, Stiller grew up in Depression-era Brooklyn. His inspiration to enter show business came at age 8, when his father took him to see the Marx Brothers in the comedy classic “A Night at the Opera.”
Years later, Stiller met Groucho Marx and thanked him.
Stiller earned a drama degree at Syracuse University after serving in World War II, and then headed to New York City to launch his career. There was a brief involvement in Shakespearean theater, including a $55 a week job with Jack Klugman in “Coriolanus.”
But his life and career took off after he met Meara in spring 1953. They were married that fall.
The seemingly mismatched pair — he a short, stocky Jewish guy from Brooklyn, she a tall, Irish Catholic from the Long Island suburbs — shared an immediate onstage chemistry, too. Among their early gigs was performing in Cleveland and St. Louis in 1959 with the Compass Players, the Chicago company that would evolve into The Second City.
They later appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and worked nightclubs nationwide, including Chicago’s famed Mister Kelly’s.
Jerry Stiller, right, and Anne Meara, center, appear with variety show host Ed Sullivan in 1970. AP
The pair also wrote and performed radio commercials, most memorably a series of bits for a little-known wine called Blue Nun. The duo’s ads boosted sales by 500%. Ben Stiller recalled trips with his sister to California when his parents would head west to do television appearances.
The couple went on to appear as a team in dozens of film, stage and television productions. One of them was “After-Play,” a 1995 off-Broadway show written by Meara.
Actor Michael McKean honored Stiller on Twitter as “a great comic actor and a splendid man. He and his wife, Anne, were royalty but they would’ve laughed in your face if you said so. And then hugged the hell out of you.”
Jerry Seinfeld also shared a tribute, posting a photo of himself holding “The Last Two People in the World,” a 1967 comedy album from Stiller and Meara. Seth Rogen tweeted: “He made me laugh till I cried on many occasions.”
Stiller joined “Seinfeld” in 1993, and moved on to “King of Queens” when the other Jerry & co. went off the air in 1998. The following year, he appeared in Ben Stiller’s spoof on modeling, “Zoolander.”


Lawndale homes burglarized

Police are investigating a pair of burglaries since last month in Lawndale on the West Side .
In each case @ @ @ @ @ through a window and took property , according to a community alert from Chicago police @ @ @ @ @ about midnight April 16 in the 1500 block of South Central Park Avenue , police @ @ @ @ @ about 4:30 a.m. May 6 in the 1400 block of South Ridgeway Avenue .
Anyone @ @ @ @ @ call Area Four detectives at 312-746-8253 .
Read more on crime , and track the @ @ @ @ @

Police are investigating a pair of burglaries since last month in Lawndale on the West Side.
In each case, someone entered a home through a window and took property, according to a community alert from Chicago police.
The first break-in happened about midnight April 16 in the 1500 block of South Central Park Avenue, police said. The other occurred about 4:30 a.m. May 6 in the 1400 block of South Ridgeway Avenue.
Anyone with information is asked to call Area Four detectives at 312-746-8253.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--North Side thief steals parked motorcycles

Police are warning residents about a series of motorcycle thefts reported since last month in Lake View , Lincoln Park , Lincoln Square and Uptown on the North Side .
In each case , a male in a yellow vest took motorcycles that were parked on the street or in large parking complexes , according to a community alert from Chicago police .
• About 1:30 p.m. May 9 in the 400 block of West Surf Street ; • About 1:30 p.m. May 9 in the 400 block of West Wrightwood Avenue ; • About 10 a.m. May 1 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; • About 7:30 p.m. April 30 in the 3400 block of North Hazel Street ; • Between 3 p.m. April 29 and noon May 2 in the 800 block of West Agatite Avenue ; • Between 10 a.m. April 26 and 1:15 p.m. April 27 in the 4700 block of North Ravenswood Avenue ; • About 9 a.m. April 8 in the 500 block of West Wrightwood Avenue ; and • About midnight April 1 in the 600 block of West Roscoe Street .
Anyone with information is asked to call Area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Police are warning residents about a series of motorcycle thefts reported since last month in Lake View, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square and Uptown on the North Side.
In each case, a male in a yellow vest took motorcycles that were parked on the street or in large parking complexes, according to a community alert from Chicago police.
The thefts occurred:
About 1:30 p.m. May 9 in the 400 block of West Surf Street;
About 1:30 p.m. May 9 in the 400 block of West Wrightwood Avenue;
About 10 a.m. May 1 in the 1200 block of West Waveland Avenue;
About 7:30 p.m. April 30 in the 3400 block of North Hazel Street;
Between 3 p.m. April 29 and noon May 2 in the 800 block of West Agatite Avenue;
Between 10 a.m. April 26 and 1:15 p.m. April 27 in the 4700 block of North Ravenswood Avenue;
About 9 a.m. April 8 in the 500 block of West Wrightwood Avenue; and
About midnight April 1 in the 600 block of West Roscoe Street.
Anyone with information is asked to call Area Three detectives at 312-744-8263.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--Man missing from Rogers Park located

Man missing from Rogers Park located

If you reopen for business early and somebody dies , don ’ t expect your insurance company to bail you @ @ @ @ @ refuse to enforce Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order , trial lawyers might @ @ @ @ @ might take a walk .

Pvt. Travis King entered the North while on a civilian tour of a Korean border village July 18, becoming the first American detained in the North in nearly five years.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-10--Podcast: Michael Jordan trades the court for a diamond as ‘The Last Dance’ covers his first retireme

Podcast: Michael Jordan trades the court for a diamond as ‘The Last Dance’ covers his first retirement

Chicago Six-Times Episode 4 : Michael Jordan trades the court for a diamond as ‘ The Last Dance ’ covers @ @ @ @ @ and Richard Roeper recap Sunday ’ s premiere of “ The Last Dance ” Episodes @ @ @ @

Episodes seven and eight of ESPN’s docuseries “The Last Dance” cover the shocking murder of James Jordan and Michael’s first retirement where he trades basketball for a run at baseball. Hosts Richard Roeper and Rick Telander also recap the production of “Space Jam” and the players who would head to the Warner Bros. backlot to keep Jordan in shape.
Subscribe:Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--Activists call on CHA to provide adequate COVID-19 testing, PPE for seniors  (LIVE UPDATES)

Activists call on CHA to provide adequate COVID-19 testing , PPE for seniors Community activists Monday called on the Chicago Housing Authority to provide adequate COVID-19 testing and more personal protective equipment for residents living in the agency ’ s senior buildings .
While CHA officials said some equipment has been passed out to curb the spread of the deadly virus , the activists said the agency needs to do more .
Nursing homes and health care facilities across the country have made headlines for coronavirus-related deaths , but not enough attention has been paid to seniors living in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference at the CHA ’ s Patrick Sullivan Senior Apartments , 1633 W. Madison St. “ A lot of our seniors are too old to get out , ” Rosemary Coleman , president of the CHA ’ s local advisory council said , calling for mobile testing units .
“ Some can hardly walk .
We don ’ t have cars , we can ’ t catch buses and we can ’ t stand in long lines to be tested .
So , we need a unit to come out and test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents ] are asking to be tested , but they have no other way of [ getting to test ] .
” Read the full report from Noah Johnson here .
7:31 p.m. 54 more die in Illinois of COVID-19 — and one new projection shows peak could hit 300 a day Another 54 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois , officials said Monday , as Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s administration planned to release new projections that show the state could remain in a peak period of 50 to 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or as one university suggests , up to 300 lives lost each day into July .
Pritzker on Monday afternoon planned to broadcast his briefing live for the first time in his Chicago home after a senior staffer tested positive for coronavirus .
The governor himself has tested negative for coronavirus .
In total , 3,459 people have died of coronavirus in Illinois .
The state also reported 1,266 new cases , bringing the total of positive cases to 79,007 .
The state received 12,441 tests results .
The positivity rate statewide as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Northeast region , which includes Cook County and Chicago , the positivity rate is about 22 % .
The number of COVID-19 patients entering ICU beds went up by 16 , from Saturday to Sunday night , according to Pritzker ’ s office .
The number of ventilators being used by coronavirus patients also increased by 21 , and the total number of COVID-19 patients increased by 26 patients .
6:30 p.m. Don ’ t worry about getting stuck with expired license plate sticker , officials say Just because the state facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emissions testing are closed , drivers are being told not worry if their license plate registration sticker is set to expire .
Once the Illinois Secretary of State ’ s Driver Services facilities do reopen , residents will have 90 days to renew their expired vehicle registrations .
Also put on hold is the requirement for drivers in the Chicago and Metro East regions to get their vehicles ’ emissions tested before they renew their registrations .
In March , Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced the closure of driver services facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ braced for the COVID-19 pandemic .
So far , it ’ s not known when driver services facilities will open again , a spokesman for the office said .
But any drivers who have already met the requirements can renew their registrations online .
Click here for more information .
Due to revenue losses caused by the pandemic , Northwestern University on Monday announced plans to furlough about 250 workers , reduce salaries for university leaders , suspend contributions to retirement plans and draw more heavily on its endowment fund .
The measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 90 million budget shortfall this year , university leadership said in a message to the Northwestern community .
“ Even if we resume on-campus activity in the fall , as we hope to do by phases , we are likely to see a significant shortfall in the 2021 fiscal year as well , perhaps as great as or greater than what we are experiencing this year , ” the note signed by President Morton Schapiro said .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she had a “ very pleasant ” conversation with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defied the statewide stay-at-home order and hopes to educate him into compliance , avoiding mass arrests .
“ We ’ re not gon na send in the police to arrest parishioners .
People are exercising their faith , and I understand that , ” the mayor said .
“ But it ’ s a mistake to gather in large congregate settings — particularly if you have an underlying medical condition [ or ] you are otherwise in a vulnerable population .
That ’ s hopefully the dialogue that we ’ ll be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not hesitated to play the heavy during the pandemic .
Chicago police announced Monday 12 more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the department to 502 .
Of the confirmed cases , 477 are officers and 25 are civilian employees , police said .
The department announced the death of a third officer from complications of the coronavirus on April 17 .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday forged a partnership with a humanitarian organization created by Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn to open six new testing sites pivotal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To graduate to phase three of the mayor ’ s five-step reopening plan , the city needs to test at least 5 percent of its residents every month .
That means a 50 percent increase by the end of the month — from roughly 3,000 tests a month currently to 5,000 , with a longer-term testing goal of 10,000 tests monthly .
The partnership between City Hall and Penn ’ s Community Organized Relief Effort will help make it happen .
It was brokered by the Rev .
Jesse Jackson Sr. , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working with Penn for years to bring humanitarian relief to disaster sites around the world , including New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake .
1:45 p.m. Aldermen protect workers from retaliation for COVID-related absences , ease up on businesses With 32 complaints already pending , Chicago aldermen moved Monday to protect employees from retaliation for absences tied to the coronavirus and threw a bone to struggling businesses .
The City Council unanimously approved a fair workweek ordinance last summer that requires large Chicago employers to give employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their schedules and compensate them for last-minute changes .
At a virtual meeting Monday , the City ’ s Council Committee on Workforce Development agreed to ease up a bit to recognize many businesses may not survive the stay-at-home shutdown of the Chicago economy .
The amendment approved Monday after a rare direct introduction by Mayor Lori Lightfoot would postpone until Jan. 1 the “ private cause of action ” section that allows aggrieved workers whose schedules are changed without adequate notice or compensation to file their own lawsuits .
11:55 a.m. Risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A W-shaped recovery WASHINGTON — When the coronavirus erupted in the United States , it triggered quarantines , travel curbs and business shutdowns .
Many economists predicted a V-shaped journey for the economy : A sharp drop , then a quick bounce-back as the virus faded and the economy regained health .
Now , as President Donald Trump and many Republicans press to reopen the economy , some experts see an ominous risk : That a too-hasty relaxation of social distancing could ignite a resurgence of COVID-19 cases by fall , sending the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : a W-shaped disaster in which a tentative recovery would sink back into a “ double-dip ” recession before rebounding eventually .
“ The push to reopen the economy is making a W-shaped recovery very much more likely , ” said Jeffrey Frankel , professor of capital formation and growth at the Harvard Kennedy School .
In Frankel ’ s view , any widespread reopening should wait for a sustained drop in death rates and the broad availability of tests .
No one is completely safe until an effective treatment or vaccine can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario that ’ s likely many months away .
10:24 a.m. Gov .
Pritzker and staff ordered to stay home after senior staffer tests positive for COVID-19 A member of Gov J.B. Pritzker ’ s senior staff has tested positive for COVID-19 and all staffers — including the governor — will now work from home for an “ appropriate isolation period , ” the governor ’ s office said Monday .
The staff member was asymptomatic and tested positive late last week .
That staffer was also in close contact with Pritzker and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office said .
All staffers were tested last week .
The Democratic governor and all other senior staffers have tested negative , and Pritzker was tested once again early Sunday and tested negative , his office said .
For more than eight weeks , 20 senior members have been regularly reporting in person to work downtown at the James R. Thompson Center .
The employees have used safety protocols like daily temperature checks , wearing face coverings and social distancing .
Just 0.7 % of Major League Baseball employees tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the new coronavirus .
Results were based from about 5,600 completed records from employees of 26 clubs .
Samples were obtained on April 14 and 15 .
“ It allows us to get a peek of the nation-wide prevalence , ” said Dr. Jay Bhattacharya at Stanford , one the study ’ s leaders , said Sunday .
The start of the baseball season has been delayed because of the virus outbreak .
There ’ s no timetable for when the season might begin .
7:16 a.m. ‘ No one will ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois families , health chief says in Mother ’ s Day message Illinois Department of Public Health head Dr. Ngozi Ezike on Sunday delivered an emotional Mother ’ s Day message for her church in west suburban LaGrange — detailing that more than 1,000 mothers have died from COVID-19 in Illinois .
The weekend marked the first time in eight weeks in which Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and Ezike didn ’ t stand before the cameras for daily COVID-19 briefings .
Instead , Ezike — a mother of four — spent her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church via their Facebook page .
“ This Mother ’ s Day is especially challenging .
That ’ s putting it ever so mildly , ” Ezike said .
“ No one will ever forget Mother ’ s Day 2020.
” The state has lost 3,406 people to COVID-19 , including 1,553 in the nursing homes .
The U.S. Navy ’ s Blue Angels will perform a flyover of Chicago on Tuesday , the Blue Angels announced on social media Sunday .
Known for participating in Chicago Air and Water shows , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will honor front-line workers during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We salute and thank all healthcare workers , first responders and other essential personnel serving on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 , ” a release said .
Exact routes and times will be announced Monday .
• Illinois officials on Sunday announced 1,656 new cases of COVID-19 , with 57 additional deaths reported .
The state ’ s death toll has now jumped to 3,406 as the number of cases reached 77,741 , according to the Illinois Department of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Judge of Cook County announced Friday an employee and a detainee at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center tested positive for COVID-19 .
• Seven more COVID-19 cases were reported in Chicago Police Department .
• Two people are dead among 85 workers at CPS schools who have tested positive for COVID-19 , officials say .
7:01 p.m. Pandemic or not , independent candidates deserve chance to get on Illinois ballot Illinois must get its election deadlines nailed down quickly if the state is to have a smooth voting process this fall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispute almost immediately .
On Friday , a lawyer representing the State Board of Elections asked a federal judge to set an earlier deadline for third party candidates to file petitions to get on the Nov. 3 ballot — and to increase the number of signatures those candidates must gather .
As an alternative , the lawyer for the state said , the court could leave it to the election board to decide the deadline and necessary number of signatures .
Just two weeks ago , Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it more difficult to collect signatures , pushed back the deadline for submitting nominating petitions to Aug. 7 from June 22 .
Pallmeyer also ruled that candidates need to submit only 10 % of the normal number of signatures and can include ones made electronically — with a finger or a computer mouse or stylus .
That has caught the attention of election officials across the state , who worry that the later deadline won ’ t allow enough time for the normal objection process to play out .
There might not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ballots , they warn , especially given that many more people are expected to request mail-in ballots .
2:25 p.m. ‘ Those who can pay rent must ’ : Chicagoland Apartment Association fears ‘ tremendous amount of foreclosures ’ Michael Mini , executive vice president of the Chicagoland Apartment Association , wrote this letter to the Sun-Times editors , published Sunday : As a large association of apartment owners and managers with properties ranging from two-flats to high-rises , the Chicagoland Apartment Association is proud to have signed Mayor Lightfoot ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented times , true to the Solidarity Pledge , countless property managers are practicing grace and patience when rent is due , including extended payment plans , waiving late fees and offering significant grace periods .
We expect these scenarios to repeat tens of thousands of times going forward .
It ’ s important to emphasize what the mayor has said repeatedly : Those who can pay rent must .
Not only is it vital to stabilizing the housing market , it also increases apartment owners ’ flexibility to extend a helping hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of the pandemic .
Apartment owners are under similar financial pressures .
Their monthly costs including payroll , property taxes , insurance , maintenance and capital expenditures .
A group of Illinois lawmakers is endorsing # CancelRent legislation , but we would note the idea of forgiving widespread rent could result in a tremendous amount of foreclosures , exacerbating the region ’ s shortage of quality affordable housing options .
Short of the federal government delivering direct rental assistance , the best strategy is for property managers and residents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from residents regarding their COVID-19-related needs is key to finding mutually agreeable resolutions .
Read this and more letters to the editor here .
7:04 a.m. Time for Illinois Legislature to get back to work — safely and remotely The Illinois Legislature must get back to work — safely and remotely .
Other state legislatures have begun to reconvene online and the Illinois Legislature should do so as well .
And we can ’ t agree with those who say there ’ s an insurmountable legal obstacle to doing so .
Yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet in the seat of government — Springfield .
But the statute also says the governor can convene a session of the Legislature elsewhere “ in times of pestilence or public danger.
” If this is not a time of pestilence and public danger , we don ’ t know what would be .
Illinois lawmakers have not met in the Capitol since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic , though the spring session was scheduled to run through May 31 .
As a result , important legislation , including a vote on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 2021 , which begins July 1 , is stalled .
Nobody wants to put state lawmakers in physical peril .
Many of them run a particular risk from the coronavirus because of their age or health .
But we have learned during this pandemic that online meeting technology can work reasonably well .
And if the usual Springfield windbagging is curbed , who ’ s to complain ?
Read the Sun-Times ’ editorial in its entirety here .

The latest
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Community activists Monday called on the Chicago Housing Authority to provide adequate COVID-19 testing and more personal protective equipment for residents living in the agency’s senior buildings.
While CHA officials said some equipment has been passed out to curb the spread of the deadly virus, the activists said the agency needs to do more.
Nursing homes and health care facilities across the country have made headlines for coronavirus-related deaths, but not enough attention has been paid to seniors living in public housing, the activists said at a news conference at the CHA’s Patrick Sullivan Senior Apartments, 1633 W. Madison St.
“A lot of our seniors are too old to get out,” Rosemary Coleman, president of the CHA’s local advisory council said, calling for mobile testing units.
“Some can hardly walk. We don’t have cars, we can’t catch buses and we can’t stand in long lines to be tested. So, we need a unit to come out and test us for this virus. Some [residents] are asking to be tested, but they have no other way of [getting to test].”
Read the full report from Noah Johnson here.
News
9:19 p.m. We won’t reopen teachers contract for Chicago Public Schools to start on time this fall, Lightfoot says
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she’s not about to reopen the teachers contract that ended an eleven-day strike last fall to pave the way for the on-time start of Chicago Public Schools this fall.
“That’s not gonna happen. … We’re not gonna reopen the bargaining agreement,” the mayor said.
Lightfoot reiterated her determination to reopen schools “in a way that keeps the entire school community safe” — perhaps using staggered schedules to limit the number of students in classrooms at any given time.
“There’ll be plenty of time for discussion but, first and foremost, we’ll be guided by what the public health data tells us. And hopefully, we’ll have a constructive conversation with CTU leadership,” the mayor said.
Read the full report from Fran Spielman here.
8:34 p.m. The Blue Angels to honor frontline workers with flyover Tuesday, and here’s what you should know
Teddy bears in windows, flickering lights, honking, cheering, singing.
Now get ready to add the Blue Angels to the list of ways the nation is honoring health care workers.
Here’s what you need to know about the precision-flying Navy airplanes that are set to pass over Chicago on Tuesday.
The flyover is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m., although times are subject to change.
Click here for more details about the planes’ flight paths.
8:02 p.m. City Colleges receives $12.7 million in federal stimulus funds to distribute to struggling students
City Colleges of Chicago has received $12.7 million in federal stimulus money that will be distributed to struggling students.
The money isn’t required to go toward tuition but can be spent on day-to-day living expenses.
“Our students are hard-working and resilient, but many of them needed housing, food and financial support before the COVID-19 crisis, and this pandemic has only exacerbated their need,” Juan Salgado, chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, said in a statement announcing the stimulus money Monday.
More than 22,000 students are potentially eligible to receive a portion of the money and more than 8,000 students have already applied.
Read the full report from Mitch Dudek here.
7:31 p.m. 54 more die in Illinois of COVID-19 — and one new projection shows peak could hit 300 a day
Another 54 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois, officials said Monday, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration planned to release new projections that show the state could remain in a peak period of 50 to 150 deaths a day into early June — or as one university suggests, up to 300 lives lost each day into July.
Pritzker on Monday afternoon planned to broadcast his briefing live for the first time in his Chicago home after a senior staffer tested positive for coronavirus. The governor himself has tested negative for coronavirus.
In total, 3,459 people have died of coronavirus in Illinois. The state also reported 1,266 new cases, bringing the total of positive cases to 79,007. The state received 12,441 tests results.
The positivity rate statewide as of Monday is 10.17%. In the Northeast region, which includes Cook County and Chicago, the positivity rate is about 22%.
The number of COVID-19 patients entering ICU beds went up by 16, from Saturday to Sunday night, according to Pritzker’s office. The number of ventilators being used by coronavirus patients also increased by 21, and the total number of COVID-19 patients increased by 26 patients.
Read the full story from reporter Tina Sfondeles.
6:30 p.m. Don’t worry about getting stuck with expired license plate sticker, officials say
Just because the state facilities that handle Illinois drivers’ licenses and emissions testing are closed, drivers are being told not worry if their license plate registration sticker is set to expire.
Once the Illinois Secretary of State’s Driver Services facilities do reopen, residents will have 90 days to renew their expired vehicle registrations. Also put on hold is the requirement for drivers in the Chicago and Metro East regions to get their vehicles’ emissions tested before they renew their registrations.
In March, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced the closure of driver services facilities across the state, as the country braced for the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, it’s not known when driver services facilities will open again, a spokesman for the office said.
But any drivers who have already met the requirements can renew their registrations online.
Click here for more information.
5:55 p.m. Northwestern announces 250 furloughs, $90M budget shortfall
Due to revenue losses caused by the pandemic, Northwestern University on Monday announced plans to furlough about 250 workers, reduce salaries for university leaders, suspend contributions to retirement plans and draw more heavily on its endowment fund.
The measures were enacted to help address a projected $90 million budget shortfall this year, university leadership said in a message to the Northwestern community.
“Even if we resume on-campus activity in the fall, as we hope to do by phases, we are likely to see a significant shortfall in the 2021 fiscal year as well, perhaps as great as or greater than what we are experiencing this year,” the note signed by President Morton Schapiro said.
Read the full story here.
4:55 p.m. Lightfoot hopes to educate defiant church into compliance, avoiding mass arrests
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she had a “very pleasant” conversation with the pastor of an Albany Park church that defied the statewide stay-at-home order and hopes to educate him into compliance, avoiding mass arrests.
“We’re not gonna send in the police to arrest parishioners. People are exercising their faith, and I understand that,” the mayor said.
“But it’s a mistake to gather in large congregate settings — particularly if you have an underlying medical condition [or] you are otherwise in a vulnerable population. That’s hopefully the dialogue that we’ll be able to have with the pastor.”
Lightfoot has not hesitated to play the heavy during the pandemic.
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman.
4:40 p.m. Chicago Police Department announces 12 more COVID-19 cases
Chicago police announced Monday 12 more cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of cases in the department to 502.
Of the confirmed cases, 477 are officers and 25 are civilian employees, police said.
The department announced the death of a third officer from complications of the coronavirus on April 17.
Read the full story here.
4:25 p.m. Chicago opening 6 new testing sites pivotal to reopening Chicago economy
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday forged a partnership with a humanitarian organization created by Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn to open six new testing sites pivotal to slowly reopening the Chicago economy.
To graduate to phase three of the mayor’s five-step reopening plan, the city needs to test at least 5 percent of its residents every month. That means a 50 percent increase by the end of the month — from roughly 3,000 tests a month currently to 5,000, with a longer-term testing goal of 10,000 tests monthly.
The partnership between City Hall and Penn’s Community Organized Relief Effort will help make it happen.
It was brokered by the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the founder of Rainbow PUSH who has been working with Penn for years to bring humanitarian relief to disaster sites around the world, including New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake.
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman.
1:45 p.m. Aldermen protect workers from retaliation for COVID-related absences, ease up on businesses
With 32 complaints already pending, Chicago aldermen moved Monday to protect employees from retaliation for absences tied to the coronavirus and threw a bone to struggling businesses.
The City Council unanimously approved a fair workweek ordinance last summer that requires large Chicago employers to give employees at least two weeks’ notice of their schedules and compensate them for last-minute changes.
At a virtual meeting Monday, the City’s Council Committee on Workforce Development agreed to ease up a bit to recognize many businesses may not survive the stay-at-home shutdown of the Chicago economy.
The amendment approved Monday after a rare direct introduction by Mayor Lori Lightfoot would postpone until Jan. 1 the “private cause of action” section that allows aggrieved workers whose schedules are changed without adequate notice or compensation to file their own lawsuits.
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman.
11:55 a.m. Risk of reopening US economy too fast: A W-shaped recovery
WASHINGTON — When the coronavirus erupted in the United States, it triggered quarantines, travel curbs and business shutdowns. Many economists predicted a V-shaped journey for the economy: A sharp drop, then a quick bounce-back as the virus faded and the economy regained health.
Others envisioned a slower, U-shaped course.
Now, as President Donald Trump and many Republicans press to reopen the economy, some experts see an ominous risk: That a too-hasty relaxation of social distancing could ignite a resurgence of COVID-19 cases by fall, sending the economy back into lockdown. The result: a W-shaped disaster in which a tentative recovery would sink back into a “double-dip” recession before rebounding eventually.
“The push to reopen the economy is making a W-shaped recovery very much more likely,” said Jeffrey Frankel, professor of capital formation and growth at the Harvard Kennedy School.
In Frankel’s view, any widespread reopening should wait for a sustained drop in death rates and the broad availability of tests. No one is completely safe until an effective treatment or vaccine can be produced and widely distributed — a scenario that’s likely many months away.
Read the full story here.
10:24 a.m. Gov. Pritzker and staff ordered to stay home after senior staffer tests positive for COVID-19
A member of Gov J.B. Pritzker’s senior staff has tested positive for COVID-19 and all staffers — including the governor — will now work from home for an “appropriate isolation period,” the governor’s office said Monday.
The staff member was asymptomatic and tested positive late last week. That staffer was also in close contact with Pritzker and other staff members, the governor’s office said.
All staffers were tested last week. The Democratic governor and all other senior staffers have tested negative, and Pritzker was tested once again early Sunday and tested negative, his office said.
For more than eight weeks, 20 senior members have been regularly reporting in person to work downtown at the James R. Thompson Center. The employees have used safety protocols like daily temperature checks, wearing face coverings and social distancing.
Read the full story here.
9:28 a.m. MLB’s coronavirus antibody test for employees yields 0.7% positive rate
Just 0.7% of Major League Baseball employees tested positive for antibodies to COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Results were based from about 5,600 completed records from employees of 26 clubs. Samples were obtained on April 14 and 15.
“It allows us to get a peek of the nation-wide prevalence,” said Dr. Jay Bhattacharya at Stanford, one the study’s leaders, said Sunday.
The start of the baseball season has been delayed because of the virus outbreak. There’s no timetable for when the season might begin.
Read the full story here.
7:16 a.m. ‘No one will ever forget’ pandemic’s toll on Illinois families, health chief says in Mother’s Day message
Illinois Department of Public Health head Dr. Ngozi Ezike on Sunday delivered an emotional Mother’s Day message for her church in west suburban LaGrange — detailing that more than 1,000 mothers have died from COVID-19 in Illinois.
The weekend marked the first time in eight weeks in which Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Ezike didn’t stand before the cameras for daily COVID-19 briefings. Instead, Ezike — a mother of four — spent her Sunday delivering a lengthy sermon for Hope Church via their Facebook page.
“This Mother’s Day is especially challenging. That’s putting it ever so mildly,” Ezike said. “No one will ever forget Mother’s Day 2020.”
The state has lost 3,406 people to COVID-19, including 1,553 in the nursing homes.
Tina Sfondeles reports.
6:39 a.m. Blue Angels announce Chicago flyover planned for Tuesday
The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels will perform a flyover of Chicago on Tuesday, the Blue Angels announced on social media Sunday.
Known for participating in Chicago Air and Water shows, the pilot squadron’s surprise Tuesday flyover will honor front-line workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We salute and thank all healthcare workers, first responders and other essential personnel serving on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19,” a release said.
Exact routes and times will be announced Monday.
Read the full story from reporter Ben Pope.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
7:01 p.m. Pandemic or not, independent candidates deserve chance to get on Illinois ballot
Illinois must get its election deadlines nailed down quickly if the state is to have a smooth voting process this fall, and that means resolving one particular court dispute almost immediately.
On Friday, a lawyer representing the State Board of Elections asked a federal judge to set an earlier deadline for third party candidates to file petitions to get on the Nov. 3 ballot — and to increase the number of signatures those candidates must gather. As an alternative, the lawyer for the state said, the court could leave it to the election board to decide the deadline and necessary number of signatures.
Just two weeks ago, Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, noting that the coronavirus pandemic would make it more difficult to collect signatures, pushed back the deadline for submitting nominating petitions to Aug. 7 from June 22. Pallmeyer also ruled that candidates need to submit only 10% of the normal number of signatures and can include ones made electronically — with a finger or a computer mouse or stylus.
That has caught the attention of election officials across the state, who worry that the later deadline won’t allow enough time for the normal objection process to play out.
There might not be enough time left to print up the ballots, they warn, especially given that many more people are expected to request mail-in ballots.
2:25 p.m. ‘Those who can pay rent must’: Chicagoland Apartment Association fears ‘tremendous amount of foreclosures’
Michael Mini, executive vice president of the Chicagoland Apartment Association, wrote this letter to the Sun-Times editors, published Sunday:
As a large association of apartment owners and managers with properties ranging from two-flats to high-rises, the Chicagoland Apartment Association is proud to have signed Mayor Lightfoot’s Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge. During these unprecedented times, true to the Solidarity Pledge, countless property managers are practicing grace and patience when rent is due, including extended payment plans, waiving late fees and offering significant grace periods. We expect these scenarios to repeat tens of thousands of times going forward.
It’s important to emphasize what the mayor has said repeatedly: Those who can pay rent must. Not only is it vital to stabilizing the housing market, it also increases apartment owners’ flexibility to extend a helping hand to the thousands of tenants facing hardship in the wake of the pandemic. Apartment owners are under similar financial pressures. Their monthly costs including payroll, property taxes, insurance, maintenance and capital expenditures.
A group of Illinois lawmakers is endorsing #CancelRent legislation, but we would note the idea of forgiving widespread rent could result in a tremendous amount of foreclosures, exacerbating the region’s shortage of quality affordable housing options. Short of the federal government delivering direct rental assistance, the best strategy is for property managers and residents to partner together.
Early, open communication from residents regarding their COVID-19-related needs is key to finding mutually agreeable resolutions.
Read this and more letters to the editor here.
7:04 a.m. Time for Illinois Legislature to get back to work — safely and remotely
The Illinois Legislature must get back to work — safely and remotely.
Other state legislatures have begun to reconvene online and the Illinois Legislature should do so as well. And we can’t agree with those who say there’s an insurmountable legal obstacle to doing so.
Yes, a state statute requires that the Legislature meet in the seat of government — Springfield. But the statute also says the governor can convene a session of the Legislature elsewhere “in times of pestilence or public danger.”
If this is not a time of pestilence and public danger, we don’t know what would be.
Illinois lawmakers have not met in the Capitol since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though the spring session was scheduled to run through May 31. As a result, important legislation, including a vote on the state’s budget for fiscal year 2021, which begins July 1, is stalled.
Nobody wants to put state lawmakers in physical peril. Many of them run a particular risk from the coronavirus because of their age or health. But we have learned during this pandemic that online meeting technology can work reasonably well. And if the usual Springfield windbagging is curbed, who’s to complain?
Read the Sun-Times’ editorial in its entirety here.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--CPS principal accused of concussing worker faces discipline, district says, as he refers to incident

CPS principal accused of concussing worker faces discipline, district says, as he refers to incident as ‘horseplay’ during ‘a game of dodgeball’

Chicago Public Schools officials have started the disciplinary process against a principal accused of giving a lunchroom worker a concussion , the district confirmed Monday , as a report he filed appeared to downplay the incident as “ horseplay ” and a “ game of dodgeball , ” according to records newly obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times .
It wasn ’ t clear what type of punishment could be handed down to Kurt Jones , the principal at Franklin Elementary Fine Arts Center , who was still on the job last week nearly two months after he allegedly threw a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head .
A report filed by Jones lays out a more playful version of events than the Chicago police report filed in the case and accounts previously reported by the Sun-Times from the injured worker and her colleague who was a witness .
Detectives are still investigating the case , a Chicago police spokesman said Monday .
Jones has not been charged with a crime , nor has he been publicly identified by CPD as the offender in the case .
Asked if it was appropriate for adults , including a school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottles in a school setting , Bolton said “ reports of the incident [ were ] the premise for the law department ’ s investigation.
” As a result , “ the district has initiated disciplinary proceedings , ” she said , but didn ’ t clarify when asked what discipline Jones faced .
The CPS incident report obtained by the Sun-Times through a public records request includes an event narrative that says those involved were “ laughing and playing ” the afternoon of March 20 , when a skeleton crew was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus school closures .
“ After the essential team gathered completed lunch and the food serving for students the team engaged in a game of dodgeball , a continuation of a game started Thursday , March 19 , ” Jones wrote in the report , going on to say a basketball and a roll of paper towels were thrown back and forth between Jones and employees , including Jenkins .
“ From there the individual ran into the hallway and were throwing different items , laughing and playing , ” the report says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones threw a plastic kid cup , that hit Ms. Faye in the glasses.
” Jenkins said Monday she “ never played dodgeball with Mr. Jones , there was never a dodgeball game , ” and called the report he filed a “ total lie.
” “ I have not thrown anything at this man , I have not engaged in any dodgeball with this man , ” Jenkins said .
“ If the roles were reversed , what would happen to me ?
This is an assault on me .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m an African American woman , I ’ m almost 50 years old , and nothing ’ s getting done .
...
I just want justice.
” Jones did not respond to requests for comment Monday .
The narrative in his report strays from the one in a Chicago police report , also obtained by the Sun-Times , and the story told by Jenkins and a colleague last month .
Notably , Jenkins , her fellow lunchroom worker and the police report all said the object that hit her in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ plastic kid cup.
” Jenkins and her coworker also said Jenkins told Jones she “ wasn ’ t playing ” before he allegedly threw the bottle .
Four people are listed on the CPS report as “ engaging in behavior , ” including Jones , while Jenkins is listed as a victim and another is a witness .
Of those six , five are marked as “ willing to testify.
” Jones is the only one unwilling .
Nearly an entire page of testimony from a witness was redacted because , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ preliminary ” information “ in which opinions are expressed , or policies or actions formulated.
” Another records request returned five letters detailing complaints against Jones since November , four of which the district previously confirmed existed .
The fifth is an unsigned letter to Franklin ’ s elected Local School Council decrying a “ lack of professionalism Mr. Jones displays on any given day , ” and that parents “ feel unwelcome in the building due to highly negative interactions with Mr. Jones , where they were talked down to , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones has been the subject of two other known investigations in recent months .
In one , he was issued a verbal reprimand this spring after video surfaced of a December 2018 incident in which a man identified by witnesses as Jones was seen tossing a chair from a second-floor balcony in the lunchroom at Franklin .

Chicago Public Schools officials have started the disciplinary process against a principal accused of giving a lunchroom worker a concussion, the district confirmed Monday, as a report he filed appeared to downplay the incident as “horseplay” and a “game of dodgeball,” according to records newly obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
It wasn’t clear what type of punishment could be handed down to Kurt Jones, the principal at Franklin Elementary Fine Arts Center, who was still on the job last week nearly two months after he allegedly threw a water bottle that hit an employee in the head.
A report filed by Jones lays out a more playful version of events than the Chicago police report filed in the case and accounts previously reported by the Sun-Times from the injured worker and her colleague who was a witness.
Detectives are still investigating the case, a Chicago police spokesman said Monday. Jones has not been charged with a crime, nor has he been publicly identified by CPD as the offender in the case.
Asked if it was appropriate for adults, including a school principal, to play dodgeball with water bottles in a school setting, CPS spokeswoman Emily Bolton said “reports of the incident [were] the premise for the law department’s investigation.” As a result, “the district has initiated disciplinary proceedings,” she said, which would determine the discipline Jones will face.
The CPS incident report obtained by the Sun-Times through a public records request includes an event narrative that says those involved were “laughing and playing” the afternoon of March 20, when a skeleton crew was at the school for meal distribution during the coronavirus school closures.
“After the essential team gathered completed lunch and the food serving for students the team engaged in a game of dodgeball, a continuation of a game started Thursday, March 19,” Jones wrote in the report, going on to say a basketball and a roll of paper towels were thrown back and forth between Jones and employees, including the lunchroom worker, Faye Jenkins.
“From there the individual ran into the hallway and were throwing different items, laughing and playing,” the report says. “From the kitchen door Mr. Jones threw a plastic kid cup, that hit Ms. Faye in the glasses.”
Jenkins said Monday she “never played dodgeball with Mr. Jones, there was never a dodgeball game,” and called the report he filed a “total lie.”
“I have not thrown anything at this man, I have not engaged in any dodgeball with this man,” Jenkins said. “If the roles were reversed, what would happen to me? This is an assault on me. And I’m angry because I feel like I’m an African American woman, I’m almost 50 years old, and nothing’s getting done. ... I just want justice.”
Jones did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
The plastic water bottle that allegedly hit Faye Jenkins in the face in March. Provided
The narrative in his report strays from the one in a Chicago police report, also obtained by the Sun-Times, and the story told by Jenkins and a colleague last month. Notably, Jenkins, her fellow lunchroom worker and the police report all said the object that hit her in the face was a water bottle, not a “plastic kid cup.” Jenkins and her coworker also said Jenkins told Jones she “wasn’t playing” before he allegedly threw the bottle.
Four people are listed on the CPS report as “engaging in behavior,” including Jones, while Jenkins is listed as a victim and another is a witness. Of those six, five are marked as “willing to testify.” Jones is the only one unwilling.
Nearly an entire page of testimony from a witness was redacted because, according to the district, it was “preliminary” information “in which opinions are expressed, or policies or actions formulated.”
Another records request returned five letters detailing complaints against Jones since November, four of which the district previously confirmed existed. The fifth is an unsigned letter to Franklin’s elected Local School Council decrying a “lack of professionalism Mr. Jones displays on any given day,” and that parents “feel unwelcome in the building due to highly negative interactions with Mr. Jones, where they were talked down to, yelled at, dismissed or ignored.”
Jones has been the subject of two other known investigations in recent months. In one, he was issued a verbal reprimand this spring after video surfaced of a December 2018 incident in which a man identified by witnesses as Jones was seen tossing a chair from a second-floor balcony in the lunchroom at Franklin.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--We won’t reopen teachers contract for Chicago Public Schools to start on time this fall, Lightfoot s

We won’t reopen teachers contract for Chicago Public Schools to start on time this fall, Lightfoot says

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she ’ s not about to reopen the teachers contract that ended an eleven-day strike last fall to pave the way for the on-time start of Chicago Public Schools this fall .
“ That ’ s not gon na happen .
… We ’ re not gon na reopen the bargaining agreement , ” the mayor said .
Lightfoot reiterated her determination to reopen schools “ in a way that keeps the entire school community safe ” — perhaps using staggered schedules to limit the number of students in classrooms at any given time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for discussion but , first and foremost , we ’ ll be guided by what the public health data tells us .
And hopefully , we ’ ll have a constructive conversation with CTU leadership , ” the mayor said .
In response , CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates said the union is not demanding that the hard-fought contract be reopened .
The CTU is simply emphasizing that the Illinois State Board of Education has said districts and unions must come up with new agreements on dealing with work-related issues triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to as “ impact bargaining .
“ COVID-19 has impacted our workspaces .
It has impacted how we do school .
… You can not social distance in a modular trailer .
You can not social distance in a classroom of 40 , ” she said .
“ We ’ re gon na have to talk about what staggering looks like , ” she said .
“ We ’ re gon na have to talk about what block scheduling might look like.
” And she said the district needs to require more of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools clean but which has come under fire in the past .
“ The contract the school district has with Aramark was insufficient before .
Now , it ’ s dangerous .
We ’ re gon na need increased cleaning before , during and after and during school .
They ’ re gon na have to staff up and get more cleaning supplies and cancel the contract with Aramark.
” Davis Gates pointed to the chaos that occurs in high school hallways during passing periods , in the cafeteria during lunch periods and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rings .
“ Everything about school is a congregate setting .
So we are gon na be forced into a situation with the school district to create a plan that prioritizes safety and learning for our school communities , ” Davis Gates said .
Last week , Lightfoot told the Sun-Times she is determined to reopen CPS on time this fall because “ students need their teachers.
” She said there were “ lots of different options on the table , ” including “ having alternate days , kind of a platoon circumstance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are in a classroom at any given time.
” CTU President Jesse Sharkey responded by saying he was “ flabbergasted ” that Lightfoot had not consulted teachers before making her comments .
On Monday , Davis Gates accused the mayor of not understanding “ what impact bargaining means.
” She blamed lingering bitterness from the strike for Lightfoot ’ s reaction to the union ’ s new demands .
“ She ’ s still sore about that contract , bless her heart .
But we ’ ve moved on .
This moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get over ourselves , ” she said .

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she’s not about to reopen the teachers contract that ended an eleven-day strike last fall to pave the way for the on-time start of Chicago Public Schools this fall.
“That’s not gonna happen. … We’re not gonna reopen the bargaining agreement,” the mayor said.
Lightfoot reiterated her determination to reopen schools “in a way that keeps the entire school community safe” — perhaps using staggered schedules to limit the number of students in classrooms at any given time.
“There’ll be plenty of time for discussion but, first and foremost, we’ll be guided by what the public health data tells us. And hopefully, we’ll have a constructive conversation with CTU leadership,” the mayor said.
In response, CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates said the union is not demanding that the hard-fought contract be reopened. The CTU is simply emphasizing that the Illinois State Board of Education has said districts and unions must come up with new agreements on dealing with work-related issues triggered by COVID-19 — which Davis Gates referred to as “impact bargaining.
“COVID-19 has impacted our workspaces. It has impacted how we do school. … You cannot social distance in a modular trailer. You cannot social distance in a classroom of 40,” she said.
“We’re gonna have to talk about what staggering looks like,” she said. “We’re gonna have to talk about what block scheduling might look like.”
And she said the district needs to require more of Aramark, which is responsible for keeping schools clean but which has come under fire in the past.
“The contract the school district has with Aramark was insufficient before. Now, it’s dangerous. We’re gonna need increased cleaning before, during and after and during school. They’re gonna have to staff up and get more cleaning supplies and cancel the contract with Aramark.”
Davis Gates pointed to the chaos that occurs in high school hallways during passing periods, in the cafeteria during lunch periods and outside school buildings when the final bell rings.
“Everything about school is a congregate setting. So we are gonna be forced into a situation with the school district to create a plan that prioritizes safety and learning for our school communities,” Davis Gates said.
Last week, Lightfoot told the Sun-Times she is determined to reopen CPS on time this fall because “students need their teachers.”
She said there were “lots of different options on the table,” including “having alternate days, kind of a platoon circumstance, really limiting the number of kids that are in a classroom at any given time.”
CTU President Jesse Sharkey responded by saying he was “flabbergasted” that Lightfoot had not consulted teachers before making her comments.
On Monday, Davis Gates accused the mayor of not understanding “what impact bargaining means.” She blamed lingering bitterness from the strike for Lightfoot’s reaction to the union’s new demands.
“She’s still sore about that contract, bless her heart. But we’ve moved on. This moment requires us all to be adults and get over ourselves,” she said.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--Pandemic or not, independent candidates deserve chance to get on Illinois ballot

Illinois must get its election deadlines nailed down quickly if the state is to have a smooth voting process this fall , and that means resolving one particular court dispute almost immediately .
On Friday , a lawyer representing the State Board of Elections asked a federal judge to set an earlier deadline for third party candidates to file petitions to get on the Nov. 3 ballot — and to increase the number of signatures those candidates must gather .
As an alternative , the lawyer for the state said , the court could leave it to the election board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of signatures .
Just two weeks ago , Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer , noting that the coronavirus pandemic would make it more difficult to collect signatures , pushed back the deadline for submitting nominating petitions to Aug. 7 from June 22 .
Pallmeyer also ruled that candidates need to submit only 10 % of the normal number of signatures and can include ones made electronically — with a finger or a computer mouse or stylus .
That has caught the attention of election officials across the state , who worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow enough time for the normal objection process to play out .
There might not be enough time left to print up the ballots , they warn , especially given that many more people are expected to request mail-in ballots .
That said , the Board of Elections ’ request for a July 6 petition deadline strikes us as too early .
Pandemic or not , third party and independent candidates deserve a fighting chance to get on the ballot .
The established parties collected their petitions signatures way back in the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delays .
Pulling off sound elections will be tough enough during , or in the wake of , a deadly pandemic .

Illinois must get its election deadlines nailed down quickly if the state is to have a smooth voting process this fall, and that means resolving one particular court dispute almost immediately.
On Friday, a lawyer representing the State Board of Elections asked a federal judge to set an earlier deadline for third party candidates to file petitions to get on the Nov. 3 ballot — and to increase the number of signatures those candidates must gather. As an alternative, the lawyer for the state said, the court could leave it to the election board to decide the deadline and necessary number of signatures.
Editorials bug Editorials
Just two weeks ago, Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, noting that the coronavirus pandemic would make it more difficult to collect signatures, pushed back the deadline for submitting nominating petitions to Aug. 7 from June 22. Pallmeyer also ruled that candidates need to submit only 10% of the normal number of signatures and can include ones made electronically — with a finger or a computer mouse or stylus.
That has caught the attention of election officials across the state, who worry that the later deadline won’t allow enough time for the normal objection process to play out.
There might not be enough time left to print up the ballots, they warn, especially given that many more people are expected to request mail-in ballots.
Related Let the hard work begin now for a full and fair election this fall
That said, the Board of Elections’ request for a July 6 petition deadline strikes us as too early.
Pandemic or not, third party and independent candidates deserve a fighting chance to get on the ballot. The established parties collected their petitions signatures way back in the fall.
There is little time left for delays. Pulling off sound elections will be tough enough during, or in the wake of, a deadly pandemic.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--City Colleges receives $12.7 million in federal stimulus funds to distribute to struggling students

City Colleges of Chicago has received $ 12.7 million in federal stimulus money that will be distributed to struggling students .
The money isn ’ t required to go toward tuition but can be spent on day-to-day living expenses .
“ Our students are hard-working and resilient , but many of them needed housing , food and financial support before the COVID-19 crisis , and this pandemic has only exacerbated their need , ” Juan Salgado , chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago , said in a statement announcing the stimulus money Monday .
More than 22,000 students are potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money and more than 8,000 students have already applied .
Eligible students have received texts , emails , phone calls and online notifications from City Colleges about the steps they need to take to secure financial assistance .
About 60 % of the money will be disbursed , up to $ 350 per student , to students who attest to their need and complete a federal student aid application or already have one on file .
After applying , funds will be disbursed through direct deposit in a matter of days or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Another 40 % of the money will be distributed to students experiencing homelessness and other immediate needs .
Students who receive the $ 350 are also eligible to apply for these additional funds .
Due to stipulations , the stimulus money can ’ t go to any students who are not eligible for federal financial aid — such as undocumented immigrants and international students .
Other restrictions apply , including one that excludes anyone who has defaulted on a student loan .
However , the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chicago — has allotted $ 2.6 million to help both students eligible for stimulus money and those who are not .

City Colleges of Chicago has received $12.7 million in federal stimulus money that will be distributed to struggling students.
The money isn’t required to go toward tuition but can be spent on day-to-day living expenses.
“Our students are hard-working and resilient, but many of them needed housing, food and financial support before the COVID-19 crisis, and this pandemic has only exacerbated their need,” Juan Salgado, chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, said in a statement announcing the stimulus money Monday.
More than 22,000 students are potentially eligible to receive a portion of the money and more than 8,000 students have already applied.
Eligible students have received texts, emails, phone calls and online notifications from City Colleges about the steps they need to take to secure financial assistance.
About 60% of the money will be disbursed, up to $350 per student, to students who attest to their need and complete a federal student aid application or already have one on file.
After applying, funds will be disbursed through direct deposit in a matter of days or in a check in a matter of weeks.
Another 40% of the money will be distributed to students experiencing homelessness and other immediate needs. Students who receive the $350 are also eligible to apply for these additional funds.
Due to stipulations, the stimulus money can’t go to any students who are not eligible for federal financial aid — such as undocumented immigrants and international students. Other restrictions apply, including one that excludes anyone who has defaulted on a student loan.
However, the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the City Colleges of Chicago — has allotted $2.6 million to help both students eligible for stimulus money and those who are not.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-11--Bears Twitter mailbag: What happens at RB if David Montgomery gets hurt?

While the Bears conducting their offseason business online , the Sun-Times ’ Patrick Finley — who can be found @ patrickfinley — answers your Bears questions from Twitter : They say they ’ re set , but they ’ re in an interesting spot .
The No .
2 running back on the Bears depth chart is really a receiver .
And the man I ’ d pick to start if Montgomery ever got hurt is a receiver who might really be a running back .
I don ’ t think Tarik Cohen could — or should — be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injury .
He ’ s too valuable as the team ’ s pass-catching “ Joker ” back .
Receiver Cordarrelle Patterson , though , is a player who could run between the tackles 10-12 times per game if Montgomery got hurt .
General manager Ryan Pace said earlier this offseason the Bears were talking about “ sprinkling ” Patterson in on some run plays .
Otherwise , Ryan Nall would get the nod , followed by two undrafted rookies .
Anyone who plays fantasy football knows that running back is a position that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the season , if need be .
The Bears will keep an eye on veterans who get cut during camps , and figure to work others out during the season .
Ginn , when you consider that he ’ ll take over the speed role that was vacated when the Bears cut Taylor Gabriel .
The Bears ’ three most common personnel groupings last year featured the same three receivers on the field together — Allen Robinson , Anthony Miller and Gabriel — alongside one tight end and one running back .
Using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the speedster from Tulane , should be in the conversation — he and Ginn play the same position .
Robertson-Harris is the exception , not the rule , as most undrafted free agents don ’ t make it to Sundays .
The Bears signed Robertson-Harris in 2016 as an outside linebacker and redshirted him because of a medical condition .
He put on weight to become a significant force at defensive end .
Picking the next long shot isn ’ t an easy exercise .
But I ’ d watch Duke defensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be in charge of him , defensive line coach Jay Rodgers , is one of the best in the NFL at getting the most out of his players .
It would probably take an unmitigated disaster — more embarrassing quarterback play , head-scratching play-calling and a season with , say , six or fewer wins — for the Bears to consider Nagy a problem .
Since 1945 , two Bears coaches have posted a better winning percentage than Nagy ’ s .625 — George Halas and Mike Ditka .
Nagy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leads the team .
It ’ s hard to argue with paying safety Tashaun Gipson the veteran minimum in 2020 , one year after the Texans signed him to a three-year , $ 22 million contract .
The worst value ?
The Bears are paying $ 5.75 million in dead cap money to tight end Trey Burton , who will play for the Colts in 2020 .
That number would have been even higher had the Bears not designated him a post-June 1 cut , which spreads the cap hit over two seasons @

While the Bears conducting their offseason business online, the Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley — who can be found @patrickfinley — answers your Bears questions from Twitter:
They say they’re set, but they’re in an interesting spot. The No. 2 running back on the Bears depth chart is really a receiver. And the man I’d pick to start if Montgomery ever got hurt is a receiver who might really be a running back.
Confused?
I don’t think Tarik Cohen could — or should — be the every-down back in case of a Montgomery injury. He’s too valuable as the team’s pass-catching “Joker” back. Receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, though, is a player who could run between the tackles 10-12 times per game if Montgomery got hurt. General manager Ryan Pace said earlier this offseason the Bears were talking about “sprinkling” Patterson in on some run plays.
Otherwise, Ryan Nall would get the nod, followed by two undrafted rookies.
Anyone who plays fantasy football knows that running back is a position that NFL teams fill on the fly during the season, if need be. The Bears will keep an eye on veterans who get cut during camps, and figure to work others out during the season.
Ginn, when you consider that he’ll take over the speed role that was vacated when the Bears cut Taylor Gabriel. The Bears’ three most common personnel groupings last year featured the same three receivers on the field together — Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller and Gabriel — alongside one tight end and one running back.
Using that logic, fifth-round pick Darnell Mooney, the speedster from Tulane, should be in the conversation — he and Ginn play the same position.
Which undrafted free agent do you think has the best shot to turn into a contributor? Maybe not year one but Roy Robertson-Harris style? — Tyler (@Tylernol93) May 11, 2020
Robertson-Harris is the exception, not the rule, as most undrafted free agents don’t make it to Sundays. The Bears signed Robertson-Harris in 2016 as an outside linebacker and redshirted him because of a medical condition. He put on weight to become a significant force at defensive end.
Picking the next long shot isn’t an easy exercise. But I’d watch Duke defensive lineman Trevon McSwain — the man who will be in charge of him, defensive line coach Jay Rodgers, is one of the best in the NFL at getting the most out of his players.
Will this be Matt nagy’s last season, if they fail to make the playoffs ? — jeff (@cubsfan) May 11, 2020
It would probably take an unmitigated disaster — more embarrassing quarterback play, head-scratching play-calling and a season with, say, six or fewer wins — for the Bears to consider Nagy a problem.
Since 1945, two Bears coaches have posted a better winning percentage than Nagy’s .625 — George Halas and Mike Ditka. Nagy’s bosses remain impressed with the way he leads the team.
which player do you think serves the best value for the team based on his contract? how about the worst value? — Clayton Conness (@ClaytonConness) May 11, 2020
It’s hard to argue with paying safety Tashaun Gipson the veteran minimum in 2020, one year after the Texans signed him to a three-year, $22 million contract.
The worst value? The Bears are paying $5.75 million in dead cap money to tight end Trey Burton, who will play for the Colts in 2020. That number would have been even higher had the Bears not designated him a post-June 1 cut, which spreads the cap hit over two seasons.