chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--When accused murderers are released on electronic monitoring, something is dangerously wrong

Public safety relies on an array of police , prosecutors , judges , appellate courts and elected officials working smoothly together to ensure the criminal justice system is responsible and fair .
But the gears don ’ t appear to be meshing properly in Cook County — something is clearly wrong — when it comes to recent bond and electronic monitoring reforms , which are intended as alternatives to keeping suspects locked up in jail while awaiting trial .
Most troubling ?
Some people charged with murder have been going home on electronic monitoring .
We had better fix this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sun-Times reported that the number of suspects freed from jail this year to await trial included more than 1,000 people charged with murder , robbery or illegal possession of guns .
On Aug. 9 , the county ’ s electronic monitoring program included 43 people facing murder charges .
That ’ s 40 % more than on the same day last year .
We ’ re guessing that most people who have supported the greater use of electronic monitoring , as opposed to the holding of these suspects in jail , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant number of murder suspects .
In a flip-flop that can only be called startling , the most common charge suspects on electronic monitoring faced in 2016-2017 was drug possession .
Since 2018 , it has been gun possession .
Bail reform measures over the last several years have been justified — and we thought sincerely were intended — as a way to prevent low-level offenders from languishing in jail because they couldn ’ t come up with a small amount of money for bail .
Poverty should not be a factor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of electronic monitoring was pursued as a way to alleviate jail overcrowding .
But over time , people charged with more serious have been released from jail .
The quickest way to subvert the promise of de-incarceration — to turn supporters of reform into opponents — is to release on electronic monitoring people who , really and truly , should be held behind bars .
We ’ d feel more confident that this problem will be fixed if our local officials spoke with one voice , explaining how they ’ re working together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice system more fair .
But , instead , we ’ ve seen a lot of blame going around .
After the recent looting in Chicago , Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Supt .
David Brown made the argument , based on scant evidence , that the problem was fueled in part by too many people going right back onto the streets after being arrested for serious crimes .
They put the blame , that is to say , on prosecutors and the courts .
Brown also has said that many of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for the steep rise in killings this year in Chicago .
Cook County State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx , however , disputes this , pointing out that only 26 of the more than 1,800 people arrested for illegal gun possession in the first six months of 2020 were repeat offenders .
The divisions go beyond those among Lightfoot , Brown and Foxx .
There ’ s also a deep lack of trust between Lightfoot and some cops on the street .
And the U.S. attorney ’ s office has started taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without going through Foxx ’ s office .
As for Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart , who was the first sheriff in the nation to call for the end of cash bail , he was promptly sued when he suggested that judges reconsider some cases in which they had put suspects on electronic monitoring .
It ’ s easy to look for scapegoats , in Chicago and elsewhere , when crime rates soar .
But it gets us nowhere .
The idea behind electronic monitoring is that suspects can stay at home instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work or school .
The number of people on monitoring has increased this year partly to keep COVID-19 from spreading .
But electronic monitoring doesn ’ t necessarily prevent crimes .
Suspects can commit additional crimes in their homes or on their way to work or school or by disabling their ankle bracelets or by simply ignoring them .
A recent Chicago Tribune analysis found that Foxx dropped charges in a large percentage of cases in which suspects were accused of violating electronic monitoring rules .
In one alarming case , Dimitris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ankle bracelet , left his home and allegedly shot a man in the face in Englewood .
Further complicating the program is that Dart oversees many suspects on electronic monitoring while Chief Judge Timothy Evans does so for probation and pretrial cases .
It might be wise to bring those responsibilities together into a central electronic monitoring system that uses the most up-to-date technology .
Up to now , the expansion of electronic monitoring has not been accompanied by an increase in resources for the program .
More than 3,330 people are now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year , according to Dart ’ s office .
An electronic monitoring system that frees accused murderers from jail while they await trial is fundamentally absurd .
We have supported the larger aims of the de-incarceration movement , and we will continue to do so , but this had better get fixed .

Public safety relies on an array of police, prosecutors, judges, appellate courts and elected officials working smoothly together to ensure the criminal justice system is responsible and fair.
But the gears don’t appear to be meshing properly in Cook County — something is clearly wrong — when it comes to recent bond and electronic monitoring reforms, which are intended as alternatives to keeping suspects locked up in jail while awaiting trial.
Most troubling? Some people charged with murder have been going home on electronic monitoring.
We had better fix this.
Murder, robbery and guns
On Sunday, Frank Main of the Sun-Times reported that the number of suspects freed from jail this year to await trial included more than 1,000 people charged with murder, robbery or illegal possession of guns. On Aug. 9, the county’s electronic monitoring program included 43 people facing murder charges. That’s 40% more than on the same day last year.
We’re guessing that most people who have supported the greater use of electronic monitoring, as opposed to the holding of these suspects in jail, have assumed the beneficiaries would not include a significant number of murder suspects. In a flip-flop that can only be called startling, the most common charge suspects on electronic monitoring faced in 2016-2017 was drug possession. Since 2018, it has been gun possession.
Editorials bug Editorials
Bail reform measures over the last several years have been justified — and we thought sincerely were intended — as a way to prevent low-level offenders from languishing in jail because they couldn’t come up with a small amount of money for bail. Poverty should not be a factor in who is jailed. And the expansion of electronic monitoring was pursued as a way to alleviate jail overcrowding.
But over time, people charged with more serious offenses have been released from jail.
The quickest way to subvert the promise of de-incarceration — to turn supporters of reform into opponents — is to release on electronic monitoring people who, really and truly, should be held behind bars.
Blame game never helps
We’d feel more confident that this problem will be fixed if our local officials spoke with one voice, explaining how they’re working together to make us safer and the criminal justice system more fair. But, instead, we’ve seen a lot of blame going around.
After the recent looting in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Supt. David Brown made the argument, based on scant evidence, that the problem was fueled in part by too many people going right back onto the streets after being arrested for serious crimes. They put the blame, that is to say, on prosecutors and the courts.
Brown also has said that many of those being set free on electronic monitoring are responsible for the steep rise in killings this year in Chicago. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, however, disputes this, pointing out that only 26 of the more than 1,800 people arrested for illegal gun possession in the first six months of 2020 were repeat offenders.
The divisions go beyond those among Lightfoot, Brown and Foxx. There’s also a deep lack of trust between Lightfoot and some cops on the street. And the U.S. attorney’s office has started taking gun cases directly from Chicago police, without going through Foxx’s office.
As for Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who was the first sheriff in the nation to call for the end of cash bail, he was promptly sued when he suggested that judges reconsider some cases in which they had put suspects on electronic monitoring.
It’s easy to look for scapegoats, in Chicago and elsewhere, when crime rates soar. But it gets us nowhere.
A response to COVID-19
The idea behind electronic monitoring is that suspects can stay at home instead of in prison except when they go to work or school. The number of people on monitoring has increased this year partly to keep COVID-19 from spreading.
But electronic monitoring doesn’t necessarily prevent crimes. Suspects can commit additional crimes in their homes or on their way to work or school or by disabling their ankle bracelets or by simply ignoring them. A recent Chicago Tribune analysis found that Foxx dropped charges in a large percentage of cases in which suspects were accused of violating electronic monitoring rules.
In one alarming case, Dimitris Horns, 18, cut off his ankle bracelet, left his home and allegedly shot a man in the face in Englewood.
Further complicating the program is that Dart oversees many suspects on electronic monitoring while Chief Judge Timothy Evans does so for probation and pretrial cases. It might be wise to bring those responsibilities together into a central electronic monitoring system that uses the most up-to-date technology.
Up to now, the expansion of electronic monitoring has not been accompanied by an increase in resources for the program. More than 3,330 people are now electronically monitored, compared with about 2,200 last year, according to Dart’s office.
An electronic monitoring system that frees accused murderers from jail while they await trial is fundamentally absurd. We have supported the larger aims of the de-incarceration movement, and we will continue to do so, but this had better get fixed.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--In roll call, Illinois Republican Party Chair Tim Schneider casts 67 votes to renominate Trump for p

In roll call, Illinois Republican Party Chair Tim Schneider casts 67 votes to renominate Trump for president

On the first day of the Republican semi-virtual COVID-19 convention , President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were renominated for a second term , with delegates doing a traditional , in-person roll call on Monday morning in Charlotte , N.C. Illinois Republican Party Chair Tim Schneider cast the 67 Illinois votes for Trump , with considerable less rhetorical flourish than other state leaders , who used the occasion to give mini speeches about state history , politics , geography and the second amendment , or attack abortion rights and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Schneider , coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safer course , with brief praise for Illinois as the “ home of the first Republican President of the United States , Abraham Lincoln , and the birthplace of Ronald Reagan .
I proudly cast 67 votes for our president and the next president of the United States Donald J. Trump.
” Lincoln was born in Kentucky and moved to Illinois .
Schneider did not mention former President Barack Obama , who moved to Chicago as an adult and whose political career was rooted in Illinois .
Because of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charlotte .
Schneider and Richard Porter , a Republican National Committeeman from Illinois , were there representing Illinois Republicans .
Trump and Pence both flew to Charlotte to accept their nominations and speak .
Trump formally accepts the nomination on Thursday night from the White House .
It is likely that Porter and Schneider will attend Trump ’ s White House speech from the South Lawn on the fourth and final night of the convention , they told the Sun-Times .
Rep. Darin LaHood , R-Ill. , a Trump Illinois co-chair , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
Pence speaks Wednesday night at Baltimore ’ s historic Fort McHenry .
The fort , a National Park Service site , is where Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that became the basis of the “ Star-Spangled Banner ” after U.S. soldiers battled the British in 1814 .

On the first day of the Republican semi-virtual COVID-19 convention, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were renominated for a second term, with delegates doing a traditional, in-person roll call on Monday morning in Charlotte, N.C.
Illinois Republican Party Chair Tim Schneider cast the 67 Illinois votes for Trump, with considerable less rhetorical flourish than other state leaders, who used the occasion to give mini speeches about state history, politics, geography and the second amendment, or attack abortion rights and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Schneider, coming from a heavily Democratic state, charted a safer course, with brief praise for Illinois as the “home of the first Republican President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and the birthplace of Ronald Reagan. I proudly cast 67 votes for our president and the next president of the United States Donald J. Trump.”
Lincoln was born in Kentucky and moved to Illinois. Schneider did not mention former President Barack Obama, who moved to Chicago as an adult and whose political career was rooted in Illinois.
Because of the pandemic, only a few hundred delegates gathered in Charlotte. Schneider and Richard Porter, a Republican National Committeeman from Illinois, were there representing Illinois Republicans.
Trump and Pence both flew to Charlotte to accept their nominations and speak. Trump formally accepts the nomination on Thursday night from the White House.
It is likely that Porter and Schneider will attend Trump’s White House speech from the South Lawn on the fourth and final night of the convention, they told the Sun-Times. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., a Trump Illinois co-chair, will also attend, his spokesman said on Monday.
Pence speaks Wednesday night at Baltimore’s historic Fort McHenry. The fort, a National Park Service site, is where Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that became the basis of the “Star-Spangled Banner” after U.S. soldiers battled the British in 1814.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--Buckle up, Chicago: Trump expected to slam city at Republican National  Convention

President Donald Trump ’ s GOP semi-virtual COVID-19 pandemic convention kicks off Monday with the president expected to excoriate Democratic-run cities and states , especially Chicago , as he makes the case for a second term .
“ Chicago and Illinois will be front and center , whether it ’ s implicitly or explicitly in the course of our convention , ” Richard Porter , a Republican National Committeeman from Illinois , told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday .
Trump , the former reality show star who believes he is his own best spokesman , is expected to speak on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a nominee is not fully heard from until the acceptance speech .
Democrats delivered the presidential and vice presidential nominations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris last week at a virtual convention with no in-person audience .
The “ show ” was sprinkled with prepackaged videos and a mix of recorded and live speeches .
Democrats pulled the plug on Milwaukee in late June .
Trump yanked most of the convention from Charlotte , North Carolina , and relocated to Jacksonville , Florida , to avoid crowd restrictions only to scratch Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections surged .
A few hundred GOP party officials from across the nation have been meeting in person in Charlotte for pre-convention party business : from Illinois , that ’ s Porter ; Illinois Republican Party Chair Tim Schneider ; and Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts , who oversees fundraising for Trump ’ s reelection campaign .
Illinois National Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte stayed home because she was exposed to the coronavirus .
The roll call to nominate Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will be Monday in Charlotte , with proceedings starting at 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charlotte in the morning .
Last week , Porter and Schneider recorded a 15-second video casting Illinois ’ votes from the scenic rooftop restaurant at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago .
Starting Tuesday , much of the action jumps to Washington — at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium and at the White House , where Trump accepts the nomination Thursday with a crowd of about 1,000 on the South Lawn .
The 2020 Trump/Biden contest is over a few persuadable voters in a handful of swing states .
Biden has a lock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln preferring Democrats for president since 1992 .
Rep. Darin LaHood , R-Ill. , a Trump Illinois co-chair , told the Sun-Times on Sunday , at the convention , “ The spotlight is on the president and our Republican party to lay out an agenda , a narrative , a roadmap on what we ’ re going to do for those people that are undecided , ” those “ middle of the road voters , independents , suburban moms , blue collar Democrats .
They ’ re going to be watching this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really important that the President lays out an optimistic agenda for the next four years.
” LaHood is the son of former Rep. Ray LaHood , R-Ill. , who served as a Transportation Secretary in President Barack Obama ’ s Democratic administration .
The senior LaHood is backing Biden .
They talk every day .
Said Darin LaHood , “ We have differing opinions on who should be president.
” Trump delegate Aaron Del Mar , the Palatine Township Republican Committeeman , said “ We need to make a stark contrast in detail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do to move this economy forward in this pandemic ” at the convention .
Schneider said the convention needs to be “ uplifting , ” showcasing Trump ’ s economic polices “ that have changed people ’ s lives ” with a “ focus , really , on the positive things ” Trump has done .
Ricketts told the Sun-Times the Democratic convention presented a “ bleak view of the future .
I think the Republican convention is going to be more about a bright future with a growing economy and I guess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 White House battle plays out as the nation is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic triggering the worse health and economic crises in our lifetimes and with the George Floyd murder sparking a new movement to confront institutional racism and police brutality .
A part of Trump ’ s second term law and order agenda - released Sunday - deals with policing issues of central importance to Chicago : Trump will call for more police hiring ; prosecution of drive-by shootings as “ Acts of Domestic Terrorism ” and ending cashless bail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities and states with Democratic leaders — including Chicago and Illinois — poorly governed by “ radical socialists.
” Trump has been targeting Chicago since his 2016 run .
In his 2016 convention speech Trump highlighted killings in Chicago , earning Obama boos as Trump noted the shootings were in “ the president ’ s hometown.
” Chicago continues to struggle with gun violence and killings In a preview of sorts , Trump said last week , “ If you want a vision of your life under the Biden presidency , think of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent anarchy of Portland , the blood-stained sidewalks of Chicago.
” Happening right now , on Trump ’ s — not Biden ’ s — watch .

President Donald Trump’s GOP semi-virtual COVID-19 pandemic convention kicks off Monday with the president expected to excoriate Democratic-run cities and states, especially Chicago, as he makes the case for a second term.
“Chicago and Illinois will be front and center, whether it’s implicitly or explicitly in the course of our convention,” Richard Porter, a Republican National Committeeman from Illinois, told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday.
Trump, the former reality show star who believes he is his own best spokesman, is expected to speak on all four days, upending a tradition that a nominee is not fully heard from until the acceptance speech.
Democrats delivered the presidential and vice presidential nominations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris last week at a virtual convention with no in-person audience. The “show” was sprinkled with prepackaged videos and a mix of recorded and live speeches. Democrats pulled the plug on Milwaukee in late June.
Trump yanked most of the convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, and relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, to avoid crowd restrictions only to scratch Florida at the end of July as coronavirus infections surged.
A few hundred GOP party officials from across the nation have been meeting in person in Charlotte for pre-convention party business: from Illinois, that’s Porter; Illinois Republican Party Chair Tim Schneider; and Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts, who oversees fundraising for Trump’s reelection campaign. Illinois National Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte stayed home because she was exposed to the coronavirus.
The roll call to nominate Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will be Monday in Charlotte, with proceedings starting at 8 a.m. Chicago time. Trump lands in Charlotte in the morning.
Last week, Porter and Schneider recorded a 15-second video casting Illinois’ votes from the scenic rooftop restaurant at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago.
Starting Tuesday, much of the action jumps to Washington — at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium and at the White House, where Trump accepts the nomination Thursday with a crowd of about 1,000 on the South Lawn.
The 2020 Trump/Biden contest is over a few persuadable voters in a handful of swing states. Biden has a lock on Illinois, with the Land of Lincoln preferring Democrats for president since 1992.
Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., a Trump Illinois co-chair, told the Sun-Times on Sunday, at the convention, “The spotlight is on the president and our Republican party to lay out an agenda, a narrative, a roadmap on what we’re going to do for those people that are undecided,” those “middle of the road voters, independents, suburban moms, blue collar Democrats. They’re going to be watching this week” and “it is really, really important that the President lays out an optimistic agenda for the next four years.”
LaHood is the son of former Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., who served as a Transportation Secretary in President Barack Obama’s Democratic administration. The senior LaHood is backing Biden. They talk every day. Said Darin LaHood, “We have differing opinions on who should be president.”
Trump delegate Aaron Del Mar, the Palatine Township Republican Committeeman, said “We need to make a stark contrast in detail on what we’re going to do to move this economy forward in this pandemic” at the convention.
Schneider said the convention needs to be “uplifting,” showcasing Trump’s economic polices “that have changed people’s lives” with a “focus, really, on the positive things” Trump has done.
Ricketts told the Sun-Times the Democratic convention presented a “bleak view of the future. I think the Republican convention is going to be more about a bright future with a growing economy and I guess ending in a happier place.”
The 2020 White House battle plays out as the nation is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic triggering the worse health and economic crises in our lifetimes and with the George Floyd murder sparking a new movement to confront institutional racism and police brutality.
A part of Trump’s second term law and order agenda - released Sunday - deals with policing issues of central importance to Chicago: Trump will call for more police hiring; prosecution of drive-by shootings as “Acts of Domestic Terrorism” and ending cashless bail.
Trump already portrays Democrats as anti-police with cities and states with Democratic leaders — including Chicago and Illinois — poorly governed by “radical socialists.”
Trump has been targeting Chicago since his 2016 run. In his 2016 convention speech Trump highlighted killings in Chicago, earning Obama boos as Trump noted the shootings were in “the president’s hometown.” Chicago continues to struggle with gun violence and killings
In a preview of sorts, Trump said last week, “If you want a vision of your life under the Biden presidency, think of the smoldering ruins in Minneapolis, the violent anarchy of Portland, the blood-stained sidewalks of Chicago.”
Happening right now, on Trump’s — not Biden’s — watch.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--White Sox have power to spare

White Sox have power to spare

The White Sox and home runs have not always been the best of friends , but there ’ s no doubt they are now .
Through Sunday , the Sox ’ 55 homers led the American League and were tied with the Padres for second in the majors behind the Dodgers ’ 59 .
That power has helped the Sox to a 17-12 record one game shy of the halfway mark in this abbreviated season .
First baseman Jose Abreu , whose 11 homers include six against the Cubs last weekend , was one behind former Sox farmhand Fernando Tatis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead .
Outfielder Eloy Jimenez wasn ’ t far behind with nine .
Of the Sox ’ 145 runs , 81 have been driven in by homers .
That ’ s a 55.86 % Guillen number — a name coined by Baseball Prospectus ’ Joe Sheehan during the Sox ’ World Series run in 2005 .
The average Guillen number in the majors is 45.19 % .
That ’ s a big change from 2019 , when the Sox ranked 25th in the majors with 182 homers and scored 43.36 % of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead the majors in homers this season , it would be the fourth time in the 2000s .
They never led the majors until 2004 , when they tied the Yankees with 242 behind Paul Konerko ’ s 41 .
They topped the Braves 236-222 in 2006 and out-homered the Red Sox 235-214 in 2008 .
That was part of a run in 2000-08 in which the Sox hit 200 or more homers every season but 2007 , when their 190 were sixth in the majors .
A run such as that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park , where the Sox played from 1910 through 1990 .
Distances varied with bullpen placement and wire fences , but it maxed out at 445 feet to center field and 362 feet down the lines .
Big home-run seasons were rare .
The Sox didn ’ t top 100 homers until hitting 116 in 1955 and were below 100 as late as 1989 , when the major-league average was 119 and the Sox ’ 94 ranked 24th among 26 teams .
The 1959 AL champion Sox were last among the 16 major-league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leading Braves .
Catcher Sherm Lollar led the ’ 59 Sox with 22 homers , seven shy of the then-club-record 29 by Gus Zernial in 1950 and Eddie Robinson in 1951 .
Bill Melton ’ s 33 homers in 1970 made the Sox the last of the 16 pre-expansion teams to have a 30-homer man .
Since the park now known as Guaranteed Rate Field opened in 1991 , Sox players have hit 40 or more homers 12 times — five by Frank Thomas — with a club-record 49 by Albert Belle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be as high in 2020 because of the 60-game season , but the Sox of Abreu and Jimenez are averaging 1.90 homers per game .
The club record is 1.49 per game in 2004 .
It took time and a change of ballparks , but homers and the Sox of today are friends indeed .

The White Sox and home runs have not always been the best of friends, but there’s no doubt they are now.
Through Sunday, the Sox’ 55 homers led the American League and were tied with the Padres for second in the majors behind the Dodgers’ 59. That power has helped the Sox to a 17-12 record one game shy of the halfway mark in this abbreviated season.
First baseman Jose Abreu, whose 11 homers include six against the Cubs last weekend, was one behind former Sox farmhand Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres for the major-league lead. Outfielder Eloy Jimenez wasn’t far behind with nine.
Of the Sox’ 145 runs, 81 have been driven in by homers. That’s a 55.86% Guillen number — a name coined by Baseball Prospectus’ Joe Sheehan during the Sox’ World Series run in 2005. The average Guillen number in the majors is 45.19%.
That’s a big change from 2019, when the Sox ranked 25th in the majors with 182 homers and scored 43.36% of their runs on homers.
Should the Sox lead the majors in homers this season, it would be the fourth time in the 2000s. They never led the majors until 2004, when they tied the Yankees with 242 behind Paul Konerko’s 41. They topped the Braves 236-222 in 2006 and out-homered the Red Sox 235-214 in 2008.
That was part of a run in 2000-08 in which the Sox hit 200 or more homers every season but 2007, when their 190 were sixth in the majors.
A run such as that would have been unthinkable in the original Comiskey Park, where the Sox played from 1910 through 1990. Distances varied with bullpen placement and wire fences, but it maxed out at 445 feet to center field and 362 feet down the lines.
Big home-run seasons were rare. The Sox didn’t top 100 homers until hitting 116 in 1955 and were below 100 as late as 1989, when the major-league average was 119 and the Sox’ 94 ranked 24th among 26 teams.
The 1959 AL champion Sox were last among the 16 major-league teams with 97 homers, 80 behind the leading Braves.
Catcher Sherm Lollar led the ’59 Sox with 22 homers, seven shy of the then-club-record 29 by Gus Zernial in 1950 and Eddie Robinson in 1951. Bill Melton’s 33 homers in 1970 made the Sox the last of the 16 pre-expansion teams to have a 30-homer man.
Since the park now known as Guaranteed Rate Field opened in 1991, Sox players have hit 40 or more homers 12 times — five by Frank Thomas — with a club-record 49 by Albert Belle in 1998.
The raw numbers won’t be as high in 2020 because of the 60-game season, but the Sox of Abreu and Jimenez are averaging 1.90 homers per game. The club record is 1.49 per game in 2004.
It took time and a change of ballparks, but homers and the Sox of today are friends indeed.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--South suburbs could be hit with restrictions as COVID-19 cases rise (LIVE UPDATES)

Going south ?
South suburbs could be hit with business restrictions as Illinois notches 1,612 more coronavirus cases Illinois health officials on Monday announced 1,612 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide — and warned that businesses across Chicago ’ s south suburbs could soon be saddled with tighter restrictions due to a rise in positive coronavirus tests .
Illinois ’ latest cases were confirmed among 36,155 tests submitted to the state , keeping the state ’ s testing positivity rate over the last week at 4.2 % .
But the Will-Kankakee County region clocked in at 8.3 % , topping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straight day after weeks of steady increases .
That meets the criteria set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s health team to trigger a state intervention .
The state already clamped down last week on the downstate Metro East region , where the positivity rate is still at 9.4 % .
Those state-imposed “ mitigations ” include forcing bars , restaurants and casinos to close by 11 p.m. , shutting down party buses and limiting gatherings to 25 people or 25 % of room capacity , whichever is lower .
Neither Pritzker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Public Health immediately returned messages seeking comment on potential restrictions looming for the Will-Kankakee region Read the full story from Luke Wilusz here .
6:14 p.m. To-go drinks an elixir for public , a lifeline for business shaken by coronavirus DETROIT — The coronavirus is shaking up America ’ s liquor laws .
At least 33 states and the District of Columbia are temporarily allowing cocktails to-go during the pandemic .
Only two — Florida and Mississippi — allowed them on a limited basis before coronavirus struck , according to the Distilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Struggling restaurants say it ’ s a lifeline , letting them rehire bartenders , pay rent and reestablish relationships with customers .
But others want states to slow down , saying the decades-old laws help ensure public safety .
Julia Momose closed Kumiko , her Japanese-style cocktail bar in Chicago , on March 16 .
The next day , Illinois allowed bars and restaurants to start selling unopened bottles of beer , wine and liquor , but mixed drinks were excluded .
Momose spent the next three months collecting petition signatures and pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked .
On June 17 , she poured her first to-go drink : a Seaflower , made with gin , vermouth , Japanese citrus fruit and fermented chili paste .
A carryout bottle , which serves two , costs $ 32 .
Chicago hip-hop artist/activist Vic Mensa has dropped a seven-track mixtape which includes collaborations with BJ the Chicago Kid , Peter CottonTale , SAINt JHN , Eryn Allen Kane and Snoh Aalegra , among others .
On Monday , Mensa announced a COVID-friendly drive-in live performance scheduled to take place Sept. 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adler Planetarium ’ s parking lot , 1362 S. Linn White Dr. ) , marking his first live performance in nearly a year .
Show time is 7 p.m. A limited number of tickets , $ 25- $ 230 per car ( up to four persons ) , are available via Universe .
There is a maximum of 6 persons per car ; additional ticket purchase will be required .
No outside food or drink , pets permitted .
Attendees under age 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing guidelines by requiring concertgoers to park their vehicles one full space apart .
All attendees must wear a mask or facial covering when outside any vehicle .
Masks will also be available for purchase at the event .
Read the full story from Evan F. Moore here .
A half hour before his class began Monday morning at the University of Illinois at Chicago , Joe Engleman noticed problems when he tried connecting with his students on Zoom .
Engleman , a 28-year-old graduate teaching assistant , then suggested the class try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , that learning management system shut out Engleman too .
Because he was unable to hold class , Engleman had to delay formal instruction until Wednesday .
As UIC , other universities and suburban elementary and schools marked the first day of the school year Monday with mostly online classes , many students and teachers dealt with similar challenges due to technical glitches with Blackboard and Zoom ’ s partial outages across the country between about 8 a.m. and noon .
“ One of the most challenging things is that folks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Engleman , of Noble Square .
“ It ’ s like we ’ re building the plane midair , how we think about what college is looking like.
” Read the full story from Clare Proctor here .
The University of Illinois at Chicago will begin clinical trials Monday on a potential COVID-19 vaccine .
UIC researchers will enroll up to 1,000 people into the trial to test the effectiveness of the vaccine , which was developed by Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna , according to a statement from university officials .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Dr. Richard Novak , who is leading the study , said in the statement .
“ One , we want to see if people who get the vaccine have a lower chance of getting sick from the virus compared to others — this would be game-changing .
“ Two , for those people who still get sick from COVID-19 , we want to see if those who received the vaccine have better outcomes .
For example , if people with the vaccine have a lower chance of needing to be hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would also be a really positive step forward and dramatically impact public health.
” Read the full story from Luke Wilusz here .
First there were the many memes of Mayor Lori Lightfoot guarding Chicago attractions from virus-spreading crowds .
Now the city , hoping to stifle the latest outbreaks of COVID-19 , has turned to social media again with a new Snapchat filter designed to encourage mask wearing .
Released on Monday , the new Snapchat filter only unlocks when the camera detects a user wearing a mask .
Mayor Lightfoot also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an additional method to reach out to Millennials and Gen Xers , a demographic that ’ s seen a rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks .
“ Our youth are smart , civically-minded people , ” Lightfoot said in a statement .
“ They know their personal actions help keep them and their friends and families safe .
By using this fun , unique tool we reach them where they are – on their phones , on social media – and at the point when they have a choice to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first city to deploy the Snapchat filter in partnership with Snap Inc. and Ogilvy marketing agency .
The CDC recommends that all Americans wear masks after case studies showed the use of face coverings limits the spread of COVID-19 .
1:05 p.m. Coronavirus scare won ’ t be last in Bears ’ ‘ year of the contingency plan ’ Bears coach Matt Nagy ’ s wife nudged him awake at 2:51 a.m. Sunday .
She told him his phone was vibrating .
On the other line was Andre Tucker , the Bears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He gave Nagy news that would shake the franchise for the next six hours but ultimately would prove to be a false alarm .
Nine tests taken by players and staff , administered by the Bears and sent to the BioReference laboratory Saturday , came back positive for coronavirus overnight .
By 9 a.m. Sunday , however , the team conducted its own testing and found them to be false positives .
The Bears weren ’ t alone .
The NFL said multiple players from at least 10 teams were found to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New Jersey .
Other labs , the league said , had not produced similar anomalies .
Monday , BioReference said in a statement that the positive results have since been confirmed negative , and blamed an “ isolated contamination ” for the mistake .
Read more from Patrick Finley here .
12:04 p.m .
If the University of Illinois can ’ t prevail over COVID-19 , no other big university will be able to either The University of North Carolina abandoned in-person classes at the first sign of infections on campus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ State punted even before they got started .
There are dozens of large institutions planning to hold in-person education , while the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is using a hybrid model , mixing in-person and on-line classes .
Can the U. of I. succeed where so many others have and will fail ?
With their frequent testing plan in place , they have a good chance to succeed .
When students first show up on campus , even a modest positivity rate of 2 % will result in 500 to 900 initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preventing such infections from spreading unfettered across campus and into the local community , particularly to at-risk people .
11:31 a.m .
Lab used by NFL blames contaminated COVID-19 tests for 77 false positives The lab used by the NFL for COVID-19 tests said Monday that an isolated contamination caused 77 “ most likely false positive results.
” In a statement , BioReference Laboratories said the test results on Saturday were contaminated during preparation at its lab in New Jersey .
Eleven clubs were affected , and the tests were re-examined and found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A renewed warning about COVID-19 at summer ’ s end A gathering of several families swimming and playing volleyball at a private inland Lake County beach in late July led to 16 positive cases of COVID-19 .
It ’ s a startling reminder of what health officials have been warning about for months : The virus can be transmitted outside as well as indoors , and children are at risk of infection just like adults .
The people involved in the Lake County case admitted to health officials they weren ’ t always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outing .
Eleven of those infected were under age 18 .
“ Even outdoors , if you are in close proximity to people who don ’ t live in your household , you ’ re taking a risk , ” said Lake County Health Department spokeswoman Hannah Goering .
“ It is very important to wear a mask and maintain social distancing any time you gather with others.
” As summer winds down , public health officials are racing to curb the spread of COVID-19 .
The effort includes issuing warnings and taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoor gatherings .
It ’ s a message not resonating with everyone , as many enjoying the warm weather aren ’ t wearing masks or keeping distance from others .
WASHINGTON — After expressing frustration at the slow pace of approval for coronavirus treatments , President Donald Trump announced Sunday the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients .
The announcement came after days of White House officials suggesting there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eve of the Republican National Convention , Trump issued the emergency order — it would make it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment — in a news conference Sunday evening , according to White House officials .
The blood plasma , taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies , may provide benefits to those battling with the disease .
But the evidence has been inconclusive as to how it works or how best to administer it .
Many scientists and physicians believe that convalescent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is far from a breakthrough .
It is rich in antibodies that could be helpful in fighting the coronavirus , but the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works , when to administer it and what dose is needed .
• More than 37,000 people have been diagnosed with the virus over the first three weeks of August , compared to 22,925 in all of June .
9:11 a.m. Parents , we ’ re pulling for you as the new school year looms If you ’ re a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , know this : We ’ re with you as Sept. 8 draws near .
We ’ re rooting for you as you and your children begin another few months — at least — of remote learning amid a pandemic .
It ’ s going to be the trickiest of balancing acts for thousands of busy parents , like you , to once again juggle work , child care and overseeing a restless second-grader ’ s online lessons .
You ’ re no doubt hoping and praying that Chicago can rein in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that your children can soon get back to real school .
Maybe you ’ ve already circled Nov. 6 on the calendar , the day that CPS hopes to get a green light from public health experts to launch its hybrid learning model with in-person instruction two days a week for most students .
Getting students back to classes , even part-time , would be a huge step forward for kids .
Because last spring , all of us , especially parents , saw first-hand how seriously remote learning falls short .

After several weeks of steady increases, and two days after first crossing the 8% mark, the Will-Kankakee region clocked in at 8.3% Monday.
Will and Kankakee counties were saddled with the restrictions because the region’s testing positivity rate topped 8% for three consecutive days, the threshold set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s health team that triggers a state intervention. Experts say the positivity rate indicates how rapidly the virus is spreading through a region.
Here’s what we learned today in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago, the state and the nation.
News
9 p.m. Going south? South suburbs could be hit with business restrictions as Illinois notches 1,612 more coronavirus cases
Gov. J.B. Pritzker listens to Mayor Lori Lightfoot respond to questions during a press conference on Aug. 10. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Illinois health officials on Monday announced 1,612 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide — and warned that businesses across Chicago’s south suburbs could soon be saddled with tighter restrictions due to a rise in positive coronavirus tests.
Illinois’ latest cases were confirmed among 36,155 tests submitted to the state, keeping the state’s testing positivity rate over the last week at 4.2%.
But the Will-Kankakee County region clocked in at 8.3%, topping the 8% threshold for a third straight day after weeks of steady increases.
That meets the criteria set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s health team to trigger a state intervention. The state already clamped down last week on the downstate Metro East region, where the positivity rate is still at 9.4%.
Those state-imposed “mitigations” include forcing bars, restaurants and casinos to close by 11 p.m., shutting down party buses and limiting gatherings to 25 people or 25% of room capacity, whichever is lower.
Neither Pritzker’s office nor the Illinois Department of Public Health immediately returned messages seeking comment on potential restrictions looming for the Will-Kankakee region
Read the full story from Luke Wilusz here.
8 p.m. WWII surrender ceremony in Hawaii limited to local veterans because of coronavirus concerns
A Pearl Harbor ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II — possibly the last opportunity for many aging U.S. veterans to commemorate the day — will be limited to survivors of the war living in Hawaii because of coronavirus concerns.
The plan before Friday had been to allow about 200 people, mostly WWII veterans, their families and government officials, to gather on the battleship USS Missouri, which hosted the Japanese surrender on Sept. 2, 1945 in Tokyo Bay.
But an announcement made Friday night said that those planning to fly into the state are no longer invited in an effort to protect the aging veterans — mostly in their 90s — from COVID-19.
Tony Vericella, the executive director of the 75th WWII Commemoration Committee, said in a phone interview Monday that the decision to limit attendance was a difficult one, but organizers are working on new ways to honor those left out in a virtual setting.
Read the full story here.
6:14 p.m. To-go drinks an elixir for public, a lifeline for business shaken by coronavirus
The coronavirus is shaking up America’s liquor laws.
At least 33 states and the District of Columbia are temporarily allowing cocktails to-go during the pandemic. Only two — Florida and Mississippi — allowed them on a limited basis before coronavirus struck, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
Struggling restaurants say it’s a lifeline, letting them rehire bartenders, pay rent and reestablish relationships with customers. But others want states to slow down, saying the decades-old laws help ensure public safety.
Julia Momose closed Kumiko, her Japanese-style cocktail bar in Chicago, on March 16. The next day, Illinois allowed bars and restaurants to start selling unopened bottles of beer, wine and liquor, but mixed drinks were excluded.
Momose spent the next three months collecting petition signatures and pressing lawmakers to allow carryout cocktails. It worked. On June 17, she poured her first to-go drink: a Seaflower, made with gin, vermouth, Japanese citrus fruit and fermented chili paste. A carryout bottle, which serves two, costs $32.
Read the full story here.
5:14 p.m. Vic Mensa set for Lakeshore Drive-In live show
Chicago hip-hop artist/activist Vic Mensa has dropped a seven-track mixtape which includes collaborations with BJ the Chicago Kid, Peter CottonTale, SAINt JHN, Eryn Allen Kane and Snoh Aalegra, among others.
On Monday, Mensa announced a COVID-friendly drive-in live performance scheduled to take place Sept. 5 at the Lakeshore Drive-In, (the Adler Planetarium’s parking lot, 1362 S. Linn White Dr.), marking his first live performance in nearly a year. Show time is 7 p.m.
A limited number of tickets, $25-$230 per car (up to four persons), are available via Universe. There is a maximum of 6 persons per car; additional ticket purchase will be required. No outside food or drink, pets permitted. Attendees under age 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The all-ages event will adhere to social distancing guidelines by requiring concertgoers to park their vehicles one full space apart. All attendees must wear a mask or facial covering when outside any vehicle. Masks will also be available for purchase at the event.
Read the full story from Evan F. Moore here.
4:45 p.m. Technology troubles mark return to school in remote learning age
A half hour before his class began Monday morning at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Joe Engleman noticed problems when he tried connecting with his students on Zoom.
Engleman, a 28-year-old graduate teaching assistant, then suggested the class try meeting on Blackboard Connect.
But minutes later, that learning management system shut out Engleman too. Because he was unable to hold class, Engleman had to delay formal instruction until Wednesday.
As UIC, other universities and suburban elementary and schools marked the first day of the school year Monday with mostly online classes, many students and teachers dealt with similar challenges due to technical glitches with Blackboard and Zoom’s partial outages across the country between about 8 a.m. and noon.
“One of the most challenging things is that folks are ready to get started today,” said Engleman, of Noble Square. “It’s like we’re building the plane midair, how we think about what college is looking like.”
Read the full story from Clare Proctor here.
3 p.m. UIC to start COVID-19 vaccine trial Monday
The University of Illinois at Chicago will begin clinical trials Monday on a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
UIC researchers will enroll up to 1,000 people into the trial to test the effectiveness of the vaccine, which was developed by Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna, according to a statement from university officials.
“We are looking for two things really,” Dr. Richard Novak, who is leading the study, said in the statement. “One, we want to see if people who get the vaccine have a lower chance of getting sick from the virus compared to others — this would be game-changing.
“Two, for those people who still get sick from COVID-19, we want to see if those who received the vaccine have better outcomes. For example, if people with the vaccine have a lower chance of needing to be hospitalized when they do get sick, this would also be a really positive step forward and dramatically impact public health.”
Read the full story from Luke Wilusz here.
1:58 p.m. City releases Snapchat filter to encourage mask wearing
First there were the many memes of Mayor Lori Lightfoot guarding Chicago attractions from virus-spreading crowds. Now the city, hoping to stifle the latest outbreaks of COVID-19, has turned to social media again with a new Snapchat filter designed to encourage mask wearing.
Released on Monday, the new Snapchat filter only unlocks when the camera detects a user wearing a mask. Mayor Lightfoot also started a new account on the platform as an additional method to reach out to Millennials and Gen Xers, a demographic that’s seen a rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
“Our youth are smart, civically-minded people,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “They know their personal actions help keep them and their friends and families safe. By using this fun, unique tool we reach them where they are – on their phones, on social media – and at the point when they have a choice to make about wearing that mask.”
Chicago is the first city to deploy the Snapchat filter in partnership with Snap Inc. and Ogilvy marketing agency. The CDC recommends that all Americans wear masks after case studies showed the use of face coverings limits the spread of COVID-19.
— Satchel Price
1:05 p.m. Coronavirus scare won’t be last in Bears’ ‘year of the contingency plan’
Bears coach Matt Nagy’s wife nudged him awake at 2:51 a.m. Sunday. She told him his phone was vibrating.
On the other line was Andre Tucker, the Bears’ head trainer and infection-control officer. He gave Nagy news that would shake the franchise for the next six hours but ultimately would prove to be a false alarm.
Nine tests taken by players and staff, administered by the Bears and sent to the BioReference laboratory Saturday, came back positive for coronavirus overnight. By 9 a.m. Sunday, however, the team conducted its own testing and found them to be false positives.
The Bears weren’t alone. The NFL said multiple players from at least 10 teams were found to have tested positive by BioReference’s lab in New Jersey. Other labs, the league said, had not produced similar anomalies. Monday, BioReference said in a statement that the positive results have since been confirmed negative, and blamed an “isolated contamination” for the mistake.
Read more from Patrick Finley here.
12:04 p.m. If the University of Illinois can’t prevail over COVID-19, no other big university will be able to either
The University of North Carolina abandoned in-person classes at the first sign of infections on campus.
The University of Notre Dame and Michigan State punted even before they got started.
There are dozens of large institutions planning to hold in-person education, while the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is using a hybrid model, mixing in-person and on-line classes. Can the U. of I. succeed where so many others have and will fail?
With their frequent testing plan in place, they have a good chance to succeed.
When students first show up on campus, even a modest positivity rate of 2% will result in 500 to 900 initial infections. The key to success is preventing such infections from spreading unfettered across campus and into the local community, particularly to at-risk people.
Read the full story here.
11:31 a.m. Lab used by NFL blames contaminated COVID-19 tests for 77 false positives
The lab used by the NFL for COVID-19 tests said Monday that an isolated contamination caused 77 “most likely false positive results.”
In a statement, BioReference Laboratories said the test results on Saturday were contaminated during preparation at its lab in New Jersey. Eleven clubs were affected, and the tests were re-examined and found to be false positives.
Read the full story here.
9:25 a.m. A renewed warning about COVID-19 at summer’s end
A gathering of several families swimming and playing volleyball at a private inland Lake County beach in late July led to 16 positive cases of COVID-19.
It’s a startling reminder of what health officials have been warning about for months: The virus can be transmitted outside as well as indoors, and children are at risk of infection just like adults.
The people involved in the Lake County case admitted to health officials they weren’t always wearing masks or social distancing during their outing. Eleven of those infected were under age 18.
“Even outdoors, if you are in close proximity to people who don’t live in your household, you’re taking a risk,” said Lake County Health Department spokeswoman Hannah Goering. “It is very important to wear a mask and maintain social distancing any time you gather with others.”
As summer winds down, public health officials are racing to curb the spread of COVID-19. The effort includes issuing warnings and taking actions to reduce the risks of crowded outdoor gatherings. It’s a message not resonating with everyone, as many enjoying the warm weather aren’t wearing masks or keeping distance from others.
Read the full story here.
8:20 a.m. Trump authorizes unproven plasma treatment for coronavirus
WASHINGTON — After expressing frustration at the slow pace of approval for coronavirus treatments, President Donald Trump announced Sunday the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients.
The announcement came after days of White House officials suggesting there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances.
On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump issued the emergency order — it would make it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment — in a news conference Sunday evening, according to White House officials.
The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling with the disease. But the evidence has been inconclusive as to how it works or how best to administer it.
Many scientists and physicians believe that convalescent plasma might provide some benefit, but it is far from a breakthrough. It is rich in antibodies that could be helpful in fighting the coronavirus, but the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.
Read the full story here.
New Cases
Illinois surpassed 220,000 coronavirus cases Sunday as health officials announced 1,893 new coronavirus infections.
Chicago Fire player tests positive for COVID-19
More than 37,000 people have been diagnosed with the virus over the first three weeks of August, compared to 22,925 in all of June.
Five Notre Dame football players test positive for COVID-19.
Analysis & Commentary
9:11 a.m. Parents, we’re pulling for you as the new school year looms
If you’re a parent of a Chicago Public Schools student, know this: We’re with you as Sept. 8 draws near.
We’re rooting for you as you and your children begin another few months — at least — of remote learning amid a pandemic. It’s going to be the trickiest of balancing acts for thousands of busy parents, like you, to once again juggle work, child care and overseeing a restless second-grader’s online lessons.
You’re no doubt hoping and praying that Chicago can rein in the coronavirus enough in the coming months so that your children can soon get back to real school. Maybe you’ve already circled Nov. 6 on the calendar, the day that CPS hopes to get a green light from public health experts to launch its hybrid learning model with in-person instruction two days a week for most students.
Getting students back to classes, even part-time, would be a huge step forward for kids. Because last spring, all of us, especially parents, saw first-hand how seriously remote learning falls short.
Read the full column here.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--Trump-Rauner a one-two punch for Illinois Republican Party already on the ropes — but GOP not ready

Trump-Rauner a one-two punch for Illinois Republican Party already on the ropes — but GOP not ready to throw in the towel

Despite having a member of their own party in the White House , or partly because of that fact , these are tough times for Illinois Republicans , probably the worst in memory .
Coming up on two years since Bruce Rauner vacated the governor ’ s mansion , taking his money with him , the Illinois GOP has no statewide elected officials , faces super-majority opposition in both chambers of the Legislature and can claim only five of 18 members of Congress .
Party coffers are anemic , if not quite bare .
To top it off , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , particularly among the Chicago suburban voters who once gave Illinois Republicans an even chance , that no quick turnaround seems likely .
It ’ s so bad that Jim Edgar , the state ’ s last popular Republican governor , revealed Monday that he , too , is voting for Joe Biden for president .
Yet as the Republican National Convention convenes this week to officially nominate Trump for a second term , nobody is quite ready to throw Illinois into the same permanently out-of-reach category as California and New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and other prominent Democrats give them hope for the future .
“ It ’ s always darkest before the dawn .
I do think it can turn on a dime , ” said DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin , who nonetheless is concerned Republicans could lose their once unassailable majority on the county board if local GOP candidates are caught up in the anti-Trump sentiment revealed by suburban polling .
“ It used to be all politics are local .
Now everything seems to be driven by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is asking DuPage voters to “ look at what we ’ ve accomplished ” locally with Republicans running the county instead of being swayed by national issues .
“ President Trump is not value added in the suburbs , ” Durkin said , although he believes Trump ’ s popularity downstate could translate into Republicans picking up as many as four seats to pare down the Democrats ’ advantage in the state House .
Trump is just part of the state GOP ’ s problem .
The demographics of Chicago ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving fewer dependable GOP loyalists in the six-county region .
Plus , some independent voters were turned off by Rauner and his dogmatic pursuit of an agenda that led to a government stalemate .
Another problem created by Rauner is that he funded everything for Republicans while he was governor , but didn ’ t do anything to strengthen the party for the long term .
Now that he ’ s put away his checkbook , the GOP fundraising apparatus is weak because many of the business leaders who formerly played that role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it off , Trump has invested no time or money toward reclaiming Illinois .
Durkin sees a solution in making sure voters understand Democrats are at the root of the Commonwealth Edison scandal and other current corruption prosecutions coming out of Chicago .
“ They created it , and they ’ re going to own it , ” Durkin vowed .
“ The Democratic Party , they are the definition of a RICO organization.
” But making that rhetoric stick takes money , and Durkin said he has about $ 3 million to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretch drive of the campaign compared to $ 20 million for Madigan and House Democrats .
Edgar said Republicans need to reclaim the governor ’ s office to gain a foothold that would allow them to sustain the party organization and restore the brand of Republicanism that once played well in Illinois .
That was within Rauner ’ s reach when he won the office in 2014 , Edgar believes .
“ If he ’ d have handled that job , he could have been re-elected , ” said Edgar .
The former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too far to the right .
“ That ’ s particularly dangerous in Illinois , ” Edgar said .
Most Republicans credit state party chairman Tim Schneider , a former Cook County commissioner chosen for the party leadership post by Rauner , of doing a decent job of holding the party together at a difficult time .
But the state party showed only $ 107,112 on hand at the end of June , which doesn ’ t put it in a position to do much more than strafe Democrats with a daily barrage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reward for taking the party position was to be dumped from the County Board , leaving only one GOP commissioner .
Edgar thinks a moderate Republican would have a chance to win the governor ’ s office in 2022 — if Illinois voters are unhappy at that point with Gov .
J.B. Pritzker .
“ It ’ s got to be the right candidate , ” he says .
Cronin said the recent death of former Illinois Gov .
James R. Thompson provided Republicans a “ good reminder of where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an alternative.
” For now , though , they ’ re the party of Trump , who seems to want nothing to do with them .

Despite having a member of their own party in the White House, or partly because of that fact, these are tough times for Illinois Republicans, probably the worst in memory.
Coming up on two years since Bruce Rauner vacated the governor’s mansion, taking his money with him, the Illinois GOP has no statewide elected officials, faces super-majority opposition in both chambers of the Legislature and can claim only five of 18 members of Congress. Party coffers are anemic, if not quite bare.
To top it off, President Donald Trump is so unpopular in the state, particularly among the Chicago suburban voters who once gave Illinois Republicans an even chance, that no quick turnaround seems likely.
Opinion bug Opinion
It’s so bad that Jim Edgar, the state’s last popular Republican governor, revealed Monday that he, too, is voting for Joe Biden for president.
Yet as the Republican National Convention convenes this week to officially nominate Trump for a second term, nobody is quite ready to throw Illinois into the same permanently out-of-reach category as California and New York either.
And the corruption scandals engulfing Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and other prominent Democrats give them hope for the future.
“It’s always darkest before the dawn. I do think it can turn on a dime,” said DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, who nonetheless is concerned Republicans could lose their once unassailable majority on the county board if local GOP candidates are caught up in the anti-Trump sentiment revealed by suburban polling.
DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin speaks to the media in 2013, Chandler West/For Sun-Times Media
“It used to be all politics are local. Now everything seems to be driven by national politics,” complained Cronin, who is asking DuPage voters to “look at what we’ve accomplished” locally with Republicans running the county instead of being swayed by national issues.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin admits Trump “poses a challenge for us.”
“President Trump is not value added in the suburbs,” Durkin said, although he believes Trump’s popularity downstate could translate into Republicans picking up as many as four seats to pare down the Democrats’ advantage in the state House.
Trump is just part of the state GOP’s problem.
The demographics of Chicago’s suburbs have been changing for several decades leaving fewer dependable GOP loyalists in the six-county region.
Plus, some independent voters were turned off by Rauner and his dogmatic pursuit of an agenda that led to a government stalemate.
Another problem created by Rauner is that he funded everything for Republicans while he was governor, but didn’t do anything to strengthen the party for the long term. Now that he’s put away his checkbook, the GOP fundraising apparatus is weak because many of the business leaders who formerly played that role are no longer involved. To top it off, Trump has invested no time or money toward reclaiming Illinois.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, last year. Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register file
Durkin sees a solution in making sure voters understand Democrats are at the root of the Commonwealth Edison scandal and other current corruption prosecutions coming out of Chicago.
“They created it, and they’re going to own it,” Durkin vowed. “The Democratic Party, they are the definition of a RICO organization.”
But making that rhetoric stick takes money, and Durkin said he has about $3 million to spend on his candidates going into the stretch drive of the campaign compared to $20 million for Madigan and House Democrats.
Edgar said Republicans need to reclaim the governor’s office to gain a foothold that would allow them to sustain the party organization and restore the brand of Republicanism that once played well in Illinois.
That was within Rauner’s reach when he won the office in 2014, Edgar believes.
“If he’d have handled that job, he could have been re-elected,” said Edgar.
The former governor argues the state party has moved too far to the right.
“That’s particularly dangerous in Illinois,” Edgar said.
Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar speaks during a luncheon hosted by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform in 2016. Lou Foglia/Sun-Times file
Most Republicans credit state party chairman Tim Schneider, a former Cook County commissioner chosen for the party leadership post by Rauner, of doing a decent job of holding the party together at a difficult time.
But the state party showed only $107,112 on hand at the end of June, which doesn’t put it in a position to do much more than strafe Democrats with a daily barrage of press releases on ethics. Schneider’s reward for taking the party position was to be dumped from the County Board, leaving only one GOP commissioner.
Edgar thinks a moderate Republican would have a chance to win the governor’s office in 2022 — if Illinois voters are unhappy at that point with Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“It’s got to be the right candidate,” he says.
Cronin said the recent death of former Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson provided Republicans a “good reminder of where we used to be and how we offered an alternative.”
For now, though, they’re the party of Trump, who seems to want nothing to do with them.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--Five months late and not how they envisioned, Fire set for home opener

“ First , the player who was confirmed positive on Friday is self-isolating .
He continues to be asymptomatic and is in good spirits , ” Wicky said .
“ Second , all other players and staff have continued to test negative , thankfully , and are all asymptomatic .
And third , our club followed all the health , safety , and medical protocols put in place by Major League Soccer .
We have done so the entire time since March .
We did it in Orlando in the bubble and we continue to do it now.
” That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a part of life these days , especially after the Fire ’ s late Friday night announcement .
It ’ s another sign that COVID-19 will be part of everything Tuesday night when the team makes its Soldier Field return against FC Cincinnati .
Originally , the Fire were supposed to play at the lakefront on March 21 against Atlanta United , but that was postponed due to the pandemic .
Instead , the Fire ’ s had to wait five months for their Soldier Field bow , and there will be no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons .
Indeed , that ’ s quite far from what the Fire envisioned , and the pandemic has undoubtedly affected all facets of the franchise .
On the field , the Fire ( 1-4-1 , 4 points ) are still trying to figure out how the pieces fit .
Wicky conceded the circumstances have been challenging for the club , which practically rebuilt their roster after last year .
But at the same time , he knows every team is battling an unprecedented season .
“ It ’ s obviously challenging and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not really getting a rhythm , ” Wicky said from Soldier Field , where the Fire practiced Monday .
“ But I can ’ t lose too much energy on that .
I can ’ t control that so that ’ s just how it is this year .
That doesn ’ t excuse anything but it ’ s a fact .
It ’ s not easy but we work hard .
We try to do the best and we do the best ( we can ) and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field , the Fire chose not to pursue welcoming fans for their initial three home matches .
Whether or not they try to open their doors later this year remains to be seen , but that choice will come down to health and safety , the current situation in and around Chicago , and how the Fire feel about their preparedness to host supporters .
“ We had this vision and we were on track for this fantastic celebration of our sport and our city and our community on March 21 , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We want to , if we can , we want to still have that moment .
That ’ s not to say we won ’ t play with fans if we ’ re limited in attendance , but it is to say if in Phase 2 we go back and invite fans in , we might just scale back what we do because we don ’ t want to lose that moment that we know was going to happen and we know will happen .
”

Fire coach Raphael Wicky had three updates Monday.
“First, the player who was confirmed positive on Friday is self-isolating,’’ Wicky said. ‘‘He continues to be asymptomatic and is in good spirits. Second, all other players and staff have continued to test negative, thankfully, and are all asymptomatic. And third, our club followed all the health, safety and medical protocols put in place by Major League Soccer. We have done so the entire time since March. We did it in Orlando in the bubble, and we continue to do it now.”
That Wicky had to make that statement is a part of life these days, especially after the Fire’s announcement late Friday night. It’s another sign that COVID-19 will loom over everything Tuesday night, when the team makes its Soldier Field return against FC Cincinnati.
The Fire were supposed to play at the lakefront March 21 against Atlanta United, but that game was postponed because of the pandemic. Instead, the Fire have had to wait five months for their Soldier Field bow, and there will be no fans in the stands because of safety reasons.
That’s not quite how the Fire envisioned their return, but the pandemic has altered all their plans.
On the field, the Fire (1-4-1, four points) are still trying to figure out how the pieces fit. Wicky conceded the circumstances have been challenging for the club, which practically rebuilt its roster after last year.
But at the same time, he knows every team is battling unprecedented circumstances.
“It’s obviously challenging and then all the other things where you’re not really getting a rhythm,” Wicky said from Soldier Field, where the Fire practiced Monday. “But I can’t lose too much energy on that. I can’t control that, so that’s just how it is this year. That doesn’t excuse anything, but it’s a fact. It’s not easy, but we work hard. We try to do the best, and we do the best [we can], and that’s all we can control.”
Off the field, the Fire chose not to have fans for their first three home games. Whether they try to open their doors later this year remains to be seen, but that choice will come down to health and safety, the situation in and around Chicago and how the Fire feel about their preparedness to host supporters.
“We had this vision, and we were on track for this fantastic celebration of our sport and our city and our community on March 21,” Fire president Nelson Rodriguez said. “We want, if we can, to still have that moment. That’s not to say we won’t play with fans if we’re limited in attendance, but it is to say if in Phase 2 we go back and invite fans in, we might just scale back what we do because we don’t want to lose that moment that we know was going to happen and we know will happen.”


chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--To-go drinks an elixir for public, a lifeline for business shaken by coronavirus

DETROIT — The coronavirus is shaking up America ’ s liquor laws .
At least 33 states and the District of Columbia are temporarily allowing cocktails to-go during the pandemic .
Only two — Florida and Mississippi — allowed them on a limited basis before coronavirus struck , according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States .
Struggling restaurants say it ’ s a lifeline , letting them rehire bartenders , pay rent and reestablish relationships with customers .
But others want states to slow down , saying the decades-old laws help ensure public safety .
Julia Momose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Chicago , on March 16 .
The next day , Illinois allowed bars and restaurants to start selling unopened bottles of beer , wine and liquor , but mixed drinks were excluded .
Momose spent the next three months collecting petition signatures and pressing lawmakers to allow carryout cocktails .
It worked .
On June 17 , she poured her first to-go drink : a Seaflower , made with gin , vermouth , Japanese citrus fruit and fermented chili paste .
A carryout bottle , which serves two , costs $ 32 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back four of her furloughed employees .
A group she co-founded , Cocktails for Hope , is now helping restaurants buy glass bottles in bulk for carryout .
“ Part of getting cocktails to go approved was embracing the fact that this isn ’ t going to fix everything , but it is going to fix something , ” Momose said .
“ All these little things that we do will keep us open and keep our staff employed.
” U.S. liquor laws — many of which date to the end of Prohibition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vary by state , city and county .
Carryout cocktail regulations — which were passed starting in March — only deepen that confusion .
Lawmakers approved carryout cocktails in some states ; governors approved them in others .
Nevada passed no statewide measure , but individual cities like Las Vegas and Reno allow them .
In Pennsylvania , only restaurants and bars that lost 25 % of average monthly total sales can sell cocktails to go .
Most carryout cocktail regulations require customers to buy food with their mixed drinks .
Lids or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states say drinks also need to be transported in the trunk .
Marbet Lewis , a founding partner at Spiritus Law in Miami who specializes in the alcohol industry , says IDs should be checked — online or in person — by restaurants and bars as well as by delivery drivers .
Some states , like Arizona , allow third party delivery companies like DoorDash to deliver cocktails ; Kansas only allows delivery within a 50-foot radius .
The laws also have different sunset dates .
Alabama is only allowing carryout cocktails through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have extended them into next year .
Michigan is allowing them through 2025 .
Last month , Iowa became the first state to permanently allow carryout and delivery of cocktails .
Lawmakers in Ohio and Oklahoma are considering a similar measure , and the governors of Texas and Florida have expressed support for the change .
There is overwhelming public support for making cocktails to go permanent , says Mike Whatley , vice president of state and local affairs for the National Restaurant Association .
Between 75 % and 80 % of respondents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous state polls , Whatley said .
U.S. restaurants and bars have lost an estimated $ 165 billion since March due to lockdowns and social distancing requirements , the association said .
In a May survey of 3,800 restaurants , the association found that 78 % of operators who were selling alcohol to go had brought back laid-off employees , compared to 62 % of operators overall .
But some are urging states not to be too hasty .
Mothers Against Drunk Driving worries that permanent carryout cocktails will lead to an increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the drinks can ’ t be consumed until the buyer is in a safe location .
The U.S. government hasn ’ t released preliminary drunk driving data for 2020 .
But Jonathan Adkins , the executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association , said there ’ s no anecdotal evidence that drunk driving has spiked during the pandemic .
Patrick Maroney , a former liquor control officer in Colorado who is now a consultant , said carryout beer and wine — which was allowed in around 15 states prior to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the containers are sealed by the manufacturer and the alcohol content is lower .
Cocktails are mixed at the bar , so the alcohol content can vary and they may not be properly sealed , he said .
Maroney said states need to make sure police and health officials are consulted before changing laws that have worked for decades .
He noted that California reported a spike in reports of alcohol delivery to minors in April .
“ Are law enforcement officials worried about an ‘ open air ’ type atmosphere ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restricted to at-home consumption ?
How do they enforce it ?
” Maroney received funding from the Center for Alcohol Policy — which is funded by beer wholesalers — for a recent research paper raising concerns about carryout cocktails .
Even before the coronavirus hit , there was a push to modernize alcohol laws to reflect the growing popularity of food delivery , Lewis said .
She thinks lawmakers will have a hard time reinstating bans on carryout cocktails once the pandemic eases .
“ Once you get the genie out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a problem , how do you get it back in ?
” she said .
Still , restaurant and bar owners say they ’ re not worried that patrons will get so used to carryout that they ’ ll stop going out even after the coronavirus has passed .
“ I think that people are social .
People enjoy the bar experience and like being waited on , ” said Dave Kwiatkowski , who owns the Sugar House cocktail bar in Detroit , which closed March 15 but was able to reopen July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employs a staff of 16 .
For now , it ’ s just him at the door and a bartender making drinks .
“ It ’ s enough to pay the electricity and the insurance , and it ’ s nice to give at least a couple of people some jobs , ” he said .
Kwiatkowski does wonder how he ’ ll handle carryout demand once the pandemic has ended and there ’ s a crowd in the bar on a Saturday night .
But that will be a good problem to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carryout cocktails to be permanently legalized .
“ I think this is probably going to change how we do business forever , ” he sa

DETROIT — The coronavirus is shaking up America’s liquor laws.
At least 33 states and the District of Columbia are temporarily allowing cocktails to-go during the pandemic. Only two — Florida and Mississippi — allowed them on a limited basis before coronavirus struck, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
Struggling restaurants say it’s a lifeline, letting them rehire bartenders, pay rent and reestablish relationships with customers. But others want states to slow down, saying the decades-old laws help ensure public safety.
Julia Momose closed Kumiko, her Japanese-style cocktail bar in Chicago, on March 16. The next day, Illinois allowed bars and restaurants to start selling unopened bottles of beer, wine and liquor, but mixed drinks were excluded.
Momose spent the next three months collecting petition signatures and pressing lawmakers to allow carryout cocktails. It worked. On June 17, she poured her first to-go drink: a Seaflower, made with gin, vermouth, Japanese citrus fruit and fermented chili paste. A carryout bottle, which serves two, costs $32.
Momose has been able to hire back four of her furloughed employees. A group she co-founded, Cocktails for Hope, is now helping restaurants buy glass bottles in bulk for carryout.
“Part of getting cocktails to go approved was embracing the fact that this isn’t going to fix everything, but it is going to fix something,” Momose said. “All these little things that we do will keep us open and keep our staff employed.”
U.S. liquor laws — many of which date to the end of Prohibition in 1933 —are a confusing jumble that vary by state, city and county.
Carryout cocktail regulations — which were passed starting in March — only deepen that confusion. Lawmakers approved carryout cocktails in some states; governors approved them in others. Nevada passed no statewide measure, but individual cities like Las Vegas and Reno allow them. In Pennsylvania, only restaurants and bars that lost 25% of average monthly total sales can sell cocktails to go.
Most carryout cocktail regulations require customers to buy food with their mixed drinks. Lids or seals are generally required, but some states say drinks also need to be transported in the trunk. Marbet Lewis, a founding partner at Spiritus Law in Miami who specializes in the alcohol industry, says IDs should be checked — online or in person — by restaurants and bars as well as by delivery drivers.
Some states, like Arizona, allow third party delivery companies like DoorDash to deliver cocktails; Kansas only allows delivery within a 50-foot radius.
The laws also have different sunset dates. Alabama is only allowing carryout cocktails through Sept. 15, while Colorado and Massachusetts have extended them into next year. Michigan is allowing them through 2025.
Last month, Iowa became the first state to permanently allow carryout and delivery of cocktails. Lawmakers in Ohio and Oklahoma are considering a similar measure, and the governors of Texas and Florida have expressed support for the change.
There is overwhelming public support for making cocktails to go permanent, says Mike Whatley, vice president of state and local affairs for the National Restaurant Association. Between 75% and 80% of respondents have said they support carryout cocktails in numerous state polls, Whatley said.
U.S. restaurants and bars have lost an estimated $165 billion since March due to lockdowns and social distancing requirements, the association said. In a May survey of 3,800 restaurants, the association found that 78% of operators who were selling alcohol to go had brought back laid-off employees, compared to 62% of operators overall.
But some are urging states not to be too hasty. Mothers Against Drunk Driving worries that permanent carryout cocktails will lead to an increase in drunken driving unless laws make clear that the drinks can’t be consumed until the buyer is in a safe location.
The U.S. government hasn’t released preliminary drunk driving data for 2020. But Jonathan Adkins, the executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, said there’s no anecdotal evidence that drunk driving has spiked during the pandemic.
Patrick Maroney, a former liquor control officer in Colorado who is now a consultant, said carryout beer and wine — which was allowed in around 15 states prior to the pandemic — are different from cocktails because the containers are sealed by the manufacturer and the alcohol content is lower. Cocktails are mixed at the bar, so the alcohol content can vary and they may not be properly sealed, he said.
Maroney said states need to make sure police and health officials are consulted before changing laws that have worked for decades. He noted that California reported a spike in reports of alcohol delivery to minors in April.
“Are law enforcement officials worried about an ‘open air’ type atmosphere?” he said. “Is the law restricted to at-home consumption? How do they enforce it?”
Maroney received funding from the Center for Alcohol Policy — which is funded by beer wholesalers — for a recent research paper raising concerns about carryout cocktails.
Even before the coronavirus hit, there was a push to modernize alcohol laws to reflect the growing popularity of food delivery, Lewis said. She thinks lawmakers will have a hard time reinstating bans on carryout cocktails once the pandemic eases.
“Once you get the genie out of the bottle and there hasn’t been a problem, how do you get it back in?” she said.
Still, restaurant and bar owners say they’re not worried that patrons will get so used to carryout that they’ll stop going out even after the coronavirus has passed.
“I think that people are social. People enjoy the bar experience and like being waited on,” said Dave Kwiatkowski, who owns the Sugar House cocktail bar in Detroit, which closed March 15 but was able to reopen July 10 for carryout service.
Kwiatkowski normally employs a staff of 16. For now, it’s just him at the door and a bartender making drinks.
“It’s enough to pay the electricity and the insurance, and it’s nice to give at least a couple of people some jobs,” he said.
Kwiatkowski does wonder how he’ll handle carryout demand once the pandemic has ended and there’s a crowd in the bar on a Saturday night. But that will be a good problem to have, he said. He wants carryout cocktails to be permanently legalized.
“I think this is probably going to change how we do business forever,” he sa


chicagosun-times--2020-08-24--Trump questions election integrity as he’s renominated

CHARLOTTE , N.C. — President Donald Trump turned a surprise opening-day appearance at his party ’ s scaled-down national convention into an opportunity to question the integrity of the fall election , even as his aides promised a diverse and uplifting message once the evening program shifted back to Washington , D.C. for prime time .
Trump , who was not scheduled to deliver his keynote convention address until later in the week , nevertheless made multiple public appearances throughout the first day of the four-day convention .
And while the evening programming was carefully scripted , Trump was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election , ” Trump told hundreds of Republican delegates gathered in North Carolina , raising anew his unsupported concerns about Americans ’ expected reliance on mail voting during the pandemic .
Experts say mail voting has proven remarkably secure .
The GOP convention marks a crucial moment for Trump , a first-term Republican president tasked with reshaping a campaign he is losing by all accounts , at least for now .
A deep sense of pessimism has settled over the electorate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 % of Americans think the country is heading in the right direction , according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
The evening program highlighted the inherent tension within Trump ’ s Republican Party .
His harsh attacks against Democrats who are trying to expand mail voting and demonstrators protesting deaths in police custody , for example , often delight his die-hard loyalists .
Yet convention organizers are also featuring a diverse lineup with a more inclusive message designed to expand Trump ’ s political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two of the three coveted final speaking slots Monday night went to people of color who have been openly critical of Trump in the past , South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Nikki Haley , the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations .
In between , the schedule called for Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s eldest son and one of the GOP ’ s most aggressive political attackers .
Like the Democrats the week before , the program also included a collection of average Americans : a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business owner from Montana and a nurse practitioner from Virginia .
One of several African Americans on the schedule , Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones , was expected to explain why he split from fellow Democrats and announced his support for Trump this year .
Some of the planned remarks for the evening program were prerecorded , while others were to be delivered live from a Washington auditorium .
The fact that the Republicans gathered at all stood in contrast to the Democrats , who held an all-virtual convention last week .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video montage featuring diverse officials from across the nation .
The Republicans spoke from the ballroom in Charlotte and were overwhelmingly white .
Trump said he had made the trip to North Carolina to contrast himself with his Democratic rival , Joe Biden , who never traveled to Wisconsin , the state where the Democratic convention was originally supposed to be held .
The president has sought to minimize the toll of the coronavirus pandemic and he barely addressed it on Monday , but its impact was plainly evident at the Charlotte Convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of the thousands once expected to converge on this city for a week-long extravaganza .
Attendees sat at well-spaced tables at first and masks were mandatory , though many were seen flouting the regulation .
Trump also panned the state ’ s Democratic governor for restrictions put in place to try to prevent the spread of the virus , which has killed more than 175,000 people in the country and infected millions .
The president accused Gov .
Roy Cooper of “ being in a total shutdown mode , ” and claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt his campaign .
Republicans will spend the week trying to convince the American people that the president deserves a second term .
Aides want the convention to recast the story of Trump ’ s presidency and present the election as a choice between his vision for America ’ s future and the one presented by Biden .
“ Over the next four days , President Trump and Republicans are going to talk about all we have achieved the past four years , and cast an aspirational , forward-looking vision about what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel .
For both sides , it ’ s an unconventional convention year .
The parties ’ election year gatherings are typically massive events , drawing thousands of delegates , party leaders , donors , journalists and political junkies for a week of speeches , parties and after-parties that inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy and deliver a multiday infomercial for the nominee .
Besides formally awarding Trump the Republican nomination , delegates gathered in North Carolina also approved a handful of new resolutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a federal holiday and one that labels the Southern Poverty Law Center , which catalogs the country ’ s hate groups , as a “ radical organization.
” Another bemoans “ cancel culture , ” warning that it “ has grown into erasing of history , encouraging lawlessness , muting citizens and violating free exchange of ideas , thoughts , and speech.
” But the delegates did not vote on a new 2020 platform , which details the party ’ s positions on key issues , after a unanimous vote to forgo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to let Trump ’ s unfiltered message drive the day .
While he campaigned aggressively across the country throughout last week ’ s Democratic convention , Biden made no public appearance on Monday .

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President Donald Trump turned a surprise opening-day appearance at his party’s scaled-down national convention into an opportunity to question the integrity of the fall election, even as his aides promised a diverse and uplifting message once the evening program shifted back to Washington, D.C. for prime time.
Trump, who was not scheduled to deliver his keynote convention address until later in the week, nevertheless made multiple public appearances throughout the first day of the four-day convention. And while the evening programming was carefully scripted, Trump was not.
“The only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election,” Trump told hundreds of Republican delegates gathered in North Carolina, raising anew his unsupported concerns about Americans’ expected reliance on mail voting during the pandemic. Experts say mail voting has proven remarkably secure.
The GOP convention marks a crucial moment for Trump, a first-term Republican president tasked with reshaping a campaign he is losing by all accounts, at least for now.
A deep sense of pessimism has settled over the electorate 10 weeks before Election Day. Just 23% of Americans think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The evening program highlighted the inherent tension within Trump’s Republican Party. His harsh attacks against Democrats who are trying to expand mail voting and demonstrators protesting deaths in police custody, for example, often delight his die-hard loyalists. Yet convention organizers are also featuring a diverse lineup with a more inclusive message designed to expand Trump’s political coalition beyond his white, working-class base.
Two of the three coveted final speaking slots Monday night went to people of color who have been openly critical of Trump in the past, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. In between, the schedule called for Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son and one of the GOP’s most aggressive political attackers.
Like the Democrats the week before, the program also included a collection of average Americans: a public school teacher from California, a small business owner from Montana and a nurse practitioner from Virginia. One of several African Americans on the schedule, Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones, was expected to explain why he split from fellow Democrats and announced his support for Trump this year.
Some of the planned remarks for the evening program were prerecorded, while others were to be delivered live from a Washington auditorium.
The fact that the Republicans gathered at all stood in contrast to the Democrats, who held an all-virtual convention last week. The Democratic programming included a well-received roll call video montage featuring diverse officials from across the nation. The Republicans spoke from the ballroom in Charlotte and were overwhelmingly white.
Trump said he had made the trip to North Carolina to contrast himself with his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, who never traveled to Wisconsin, the state where the Democratic convention was originally supposed to be held.
The president has sought to minimize the toll of the coronavirus pandemic and he barely addressed it on Monday, but its impact was plainly evident at the Charlotte Convention Center, where just 336 delegates gathered instead of the thousands once expected to converge on this city for a week-long extravaganza. Attendees sat at well-spaced tables at first and masks were mandatory, though many were seen flouting the regulation.
Trump also panned the state’s Democratic governor for restrictions put in place to try to prevent the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 175,000 people in the country and infected millions. The president accused Gov. Roy Cooper of “being in a total shutdown mode,” and claimed the restrictions were aimed at trying to hurt his campaign.
Republicans will spend the week trying to convince the American people that the president deserves a second term. Aides want the convention to recast the story of Trump’s presidency and present the election as a choice between his vision for America’s future and the one presented by Biden.
“Over the next four days, President Trump and Republicans are going to talk about all we have achieved the past four years, and cast an aspirational, forward-looking vision about what we can achieve in the next four,” said GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel.
For both sides, it’s an unconventional convention year.
The parties’ election year gatherings are typically massive events, drawing thousands of delegates, party leaders, donors, journalists and political junkies for a week of speeches, parties and after-parties that inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy and deliver a multiday infomercial for the nominee.
Besides formally awarding Trump the Republican nomination, delegates gathered in North Carolina also approved a handful of new resolutions, including one to keep Columbus Day as a federal holiday and one that labels the Southern Poverty Law Center, which catalogs the country’s hate groups, as a “radical organization.” Another bemoans “cancel culture,” warning that it “has grown into erasing of history, encouraging lawlessness, muting citizens and violating free exchange of ideas, thoughts, and speech.”
But the delegates did not vote on a new 2020 platform, which details the party’s positions on key issues, after a unanimous vote to forgo one this year.
Democrats were content to let Trump’s unfiltered message drive the day.
While he campaigned aggressively across the country throughout last week’s Democratic convention, Biden made no public appearance on Monday.