chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Federal judge rejects Cook County GOP’s attempt to block new vote-by-mail rules

A federal judge on Thursday shot down the Cook County Republican Party ’ s effort to block the state ’ s expanded vote-by-mail program , which GOP officials described as a “ partisan scheme ” that could result in voter fraud .
But U.S. District Judge Robert Dow ruled that the claims made by the Cook County Republicans amounted to “ legislative policy disagreements and unsupported speculation about potential criminal conduct.
” Gov .
J.B. Pritzker signed the expanded vote-by-mail rules into law in June , a month after lawmakers voted to adopt a series of considerations to manage a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic .
Among other things , the new rules allowed for the creation of collection sites for mail-in ballots without postage and made Election Day a holiday for state workers .
The lawsuit , filed in August in the Northern District of Illinois , named Pritzker , Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough and members of both the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners .
The suit alleged that the changes enabled “ ballot harvesting , ” which the Cook County Republicans described as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political operatives collect ballots from voters and return them to the election authority.
” They claimed this would enable a partisan agent to collect ballots but only turn over those belonging to Democrats .
Dow rejected that central argument in his ruling , saying the claim “ rests on a misreading ” of the changes made in May and deals with portions of the state election law that weren ’ t altered then .
“ The Election Code does not permit just anyone to return the voter ’ s ballot , ” Dow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not permit anyone to systematically collect but fail to submit Republican ballots.
” An attorney for the Cook County Republican Party couldn ’ t immediately be reached .
Neither could a spokesman for the governor ’ s office .
But when the suit was filed in August , Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh described the suit as “ a desperate political attempt to suppress the vote .
”

A federal judge on Thursday shot down the Cook County Republican Party’s effort to block the state’s expanded vote-by-mail program, which GOP officials described as a “partisan scheme” that could result in voter fraud.
But U.S. District Judge Robert Dow ruled that the claims made by the Cook County Republicans amounted to “legislative policy disagreements and unsupported speculation about potential criminal conduct.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the expanded vote-by-mail rules into law in June, a month after lawmakers voted to adopt a series of considerations to manage a November election that will undoubtedly be affected by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, the new rules allowed for the creation of collection sites for mail-in ballots without postage and made Election Day a holiday for state workers.
The lawsuit, filed in August in the Northern District of Illinois, named Pritzker, Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough and members of both the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
The suit alleged that the changes enabled “ballot harvesting,” which the Cook County Republicans described as “the practice by which paid, political operatives collect ballots from voters and return them to the election authority.” They claimed this would enable a partisan agent to collect ballots but only turn over those belonging to Democrats.
Dow rejected that central argument in his ruling, saying the claim “rests on a misreading” of the changes made in May and deals with portions of the state election law that weren’t altered then.
“The Election Code does not permit just anyone to return the voter’s ballot,” Dow wrote. “And it certainly does not permit anyone to systematically collect but fail to submit Republican ballots.”
An attorney for the Cook County Republican Party couldn’t immediately be reached. Neither could a spokesman for the governor’s office.
But when the suit was filed in August, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh described the suit as “a desperate political attempt to suppress the vote.”


chicagosun-times--2020-09-17--Horoscope for Friday, Sept, 18, 2020

Horoscope for Friday, Sept, 18, 2020

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions .
The Moon is in Libra .
Today the moon is in Libra , the sign that is opposite your sign , which means you have to be cooperative when dealing with others .
Be prepared to go more than halfway to keep the peace .
This is very little to ask .
Be friendly with others and all will be well .
You might have to put the emotional considerations of others before your own .
A little self-sacrifice .
It ’ s the way things roll today .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
( You ’ ll feel better if you do something to get better organized . )
It ’ s Friday , and you want to play !
Enjoy social outings , good times with friends , playful activities with kids , the arts , sports and all kinds of fun diversions .
Romance will feel special , which makes this a great date day .
You might want to nurture someone .
It ’ s Friday ; nevertheless , part of you wants to cocoon at home and check out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week and so today , your reward will be good food and drink in relaxing surroundings that are familiar and comfortable .
You deserve this .
You feel a strong need to talk to others .
You want to hook up with someone who can exchange ideas and also understand exactly where you are coming from .
You don ’ t want to waste time on superficial , polite chitchat .
You want the skinny .
“ Just the facts , ma ’ am.
” Today the moon is in your money house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than usual with your possessions .
( “ My precious !
” ) That ’ s why it will please you to be surrounded by things that you own , especially things that are sentimental or important to you .
Today the moon is in your sign , which makes you more protective of others .
It will also heighten your emotions , which is why you might have strong reactions to others .
The good news is , though , it will also make you a tiny bit luckier than other signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work alone or behind the scenes .
You ’ ve been very involved with others including groups lately , and today and this evening , you need to catch your breath .
You ’ ve been busting your buns working hard and you ’ ve made a great impression on bosses .
Time to refuel .
A discussion with a friend , perhaps a female , will be important to you today .
Possibly , it ’ s important to both of you ?
It might pertain to your relationship to a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some long-range plans for the future .
It ’ s time to talk .
People notice you today , especially because personal details about your private life seem to be public .
( Oh wow , like what ’ s with that ? )
Fear not because the impression you make on others is good !
You look successful in their eyes .
They respect you .
You feel encouraged because the support that you want from others is forthcoming now .
In fact , it might even be more generous than what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone has your back today .
In addition , relations with partners and close friends are warm and understanding .
Bonus !
Remember that you need more sleep now because the sun is opposite your sign .
This might be a good night to catch up on some rest .
It ’ s the end of the week and you are bagged .
Do whatever feels good and put yourself first .
If Your Birthday Is Today Actress Jada Pinkett Smith ( 1971 ) shares your birthday .
You are sensitive and artistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limelight , which is not what you want .
It ’ s encouraging to see your hard work pay off this year !
Channel your energy and focus on building solid foundations now and for the future .
Work with purpose .
Physical exercise will be important , which is why you might want to explore something physical that you enjoy doing .

Moon Alert
There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The Moon is in Libra.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Today the moon is in Libra, the sign that is opposite your sign, which means you have to be cooperative when dealing with others. Be prepared to go more than halfway to keep the peace. This is very little to ask. Be friendly with others and all will be well.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
You might have to put the emotional considerations of others before your own. A little self-sacrifice. It’s the way things roll today. You might be more focused on health issues as well. (You’ll feel better if you do something to get better organized.)
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
It’s Friday, and you want to play! Enjoy social outings, good times with friends, playful activities with kids, the arts, sports and all kinds of fun diversions. Romance will feel special, which makes this a great date day. You might want to nurture someone.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
It’s Friday; nevertheless, part of you wants to cocoon at home and check out. You’ve had a busy week and so today, your reward will be good food and drink in relaxing surroundings that are familiar and comfortable. You deserve this.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
You feel a strong need to talk to others. You want to hook up with someone who can exchange ideas and also understand exactly where you are coming from. You don’t want to waste time on superficial, polite chitchat. You want the skinny. “Just the facts, ma’am.”
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Today the moon is in your money house, which can make you identify more than usual with your possessions. (“My precious!”) That’s why it will please you to be surrounded by things that you own, especially things that are sentimental or important to you.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Today the moon is in your sign, which makes you more protective of others. It will also heighten your emotions, which is why you might have strong reactions to others. The good news is, though, it will also make you a tiny bit luckier than other signs. Oh yeah.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Choose today to work alone or behind the scenes. You’ve been very involved with others including groups lately, and today and this evening, you need to catch your breath. You’ve been busting your buns working hard and you’ve made a great impression on bosses. Time to refuel.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
A discussion with a friend, perhaps a female, will be important to you today. Possibly, it’s important to both of you? It might pertain to your relationship to a group. You might also be concerned with some long-range plans for the future. It’s time to talk.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
People notice you today, especially because personal details about your private life seem to be public. (Oh wow, like what’s with that?) Fear not because the impression you make on others is good! You look successful in their eyes. They respect you.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You feel encouraged because the support that you want from others is forthcoming now. In fact, it might even be more generous than what you had hoped for. Definitely, someone has your back today. In addition, relations with partners and close friends are warm and understanding. Bonus!
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Remember that you need more sleep now because the sun is opposite your sign. This might be a good night to catch up on some rest. It’s the end of the week and you are bagged. Do whatever feels good and put yourself first.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith (1971) shares your birthday. You are sensitive and artistic. Your creative talent can attract the limelight, which is not what you want. It’s encouraging to see your hard work pay off this year! Channel your energy and focus on building solid foundations now and for the future. Work with purpose. Physical exercise will be important, which is why you might want to explore something physical that you enjoy doing.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Pritzker OKs indoor dining in Will, Kankakee counties, crediting COVID-19 improvement to ‘neighbors

Pritzker OKs indoor dining in Will, Kankakee counties, crediting COVID-19 improvement to ‘neighbors doing right by neighbors’

Indoor service is back on the menu at bars and restaurants across Chicago ’ s far south suburbs after an improved COVID-19 testing positivity rate prompted Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Friday to lift restrictions on Will and Kankakee counties .
The eased coronavirus guidelines were set to kick in Friday evening , also allowing gatherings to increase from 25 to 50 people .
The Democratic governor called it a “ testament to the entire state and to the power of community ” as he dished out the good news at an unrelated news conference in Rock Island .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community leaders who stand on the side of science , to collaboration between [ the Illinois Department of Public Health ] and local health departments , and a testament to neighbors doing right by neighbors , ” Pritzker said .
“ We can ’ t outrun this virus , but with masks and distancing , with hand washing and respect for public health , and for each other , we can beat it back enough to keep our businesses and our schools open , and our neighborhoods safer.
” Pritzker ’ s health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three weeks ago after the testing positivity rate — which indicates how quickly the virus is spreading — jumped over 8 % .
That ’ s the threshold set by the state to trigger rollbacks in reopening efforts .
Will and Kankakee counties are now down to 5.6 % positivity , sending them back to the Phase 4 reopening guidelines in place for most of the state .
The Metro East region was hit with restrictions a few weeks before Will and Kankakee , but Pritzker initially allowed bars and restaurants there to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to local officials that the governor later called “ a mistake.
” So when the south suburbs were hit with an indoor dining ban Aug. 26 — while it was still business as usual at Metro East restaurants with positivity nearing 10 % — Will County officials including state Sen. Michael Hastings , D-Frankfort , slammed Pritzker for “ inconsistencies in public policy.
” The governor later imposed dining restrictions in Metro East , which are still in place with the region at 8 % positivity .
Hastings said Friday “ our local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We must remain vigilant for the sake of economic recovery and public health.
” The resumption of indoor service in the suburbs capped a week of high but encouraging coronavirus numbers that saw the statewide testing positivity rate fall consistently after a mid-summer surge .
State public health officials announced 2,120 more residents were confirmed to carry the virus among the latest batch of nearly 62,000 test results .
The virus also killed 20 more Illinoisans , raising the state ’ s pandemic death toll to 8,411 since March .
Illinois has added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day so far this month — not far from the rate of 2,172 per day during a peak month of May — but booming testing numbers mean the average testing positivity rate over the last week is at 3.6 % , as low as it ’ s been in about two months .
The list of counties deemed to be at a COVID-19 “ warning level ” also shrank Friday to 24 .
That ’ s still almost a quarter of the entire state , but as many as 30 have previously been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as rising case and death rates .
Notably absent from the warning list are any Chicago-area counties .
Suburban Cook , Lake , DuPage , Will and Kane all have alternately worked their way off the list over the last two months .
The city is down to 4.9 % positivity , while all its surrounding regions are below 6 % .
Current warning-level counties seeing COVID-19 outbreaks tied to college parties , schools and other gathering points are now mostly clustered in southern Illinois : Bond , Bureau , Cass , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , DeWitt , Edwards , Effingham , Greene , Jasper , Jo Daviess , Lawrence , Madison , Marion , Rock Island , St. Clair , Shelby , Washington , Wayne , Williamson , Wabash and Union .
More than 270,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Illinois among almost 5 million tests administered .
An additional 236 deaths and 2,198 infections are considered to have been probable but untested cases .
As of Thursday night , 1,481 Illinois coronavirus patients were hospitalized , with 329 in intensive care units and 149 @ @ @

Indoor service is back on the menu at bars and restaurants across Chicago’s far south suburbs after an improved COVID-19 testing positivity rate prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday to lift restrictions on Will and Kankakee counties.
The eased coronavirus guidelines were set to kick in Friday evening, also allowing gatherings to increase from 25 to 50 people. The Democratic governor called it a “testament to the entire state and to the power of community” as he dished out the good news at an unrelated news conference in Rock Island.
“Let it also be a testament to community leaders who stand on the side of science, to collaboration between [the Illinois Department of Public Health] and local health departments, and a testament to neighbors doing right by neighbors,” Pritzker said. “We can’t outrun this virus, but with masks and distancing, with hand washing and respect for public health, and for each other, we can beat it back enough to keep our businesses and our schools open, and our neighborhoods safer.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at a press conference in Rock Island on Friday. State of Illinois live stream
Pritzker’s health team banned indoor service in the region three weeks ago after the testing positivity rate — which indicates how quickly the virus is spreading — jumped over 8%. That’s the threshold set by the state to trigger rollbacks in reopening efforts.
Will and Kankakee counties are now down to 5.6% positivity, sending them back to the Phase 4 reopening guidelines in place for most of the state.
The Metro East region was hit with restrictions a few weeks before Will and Kankakee, but Pritzker initially allowed bars and restaurants there to continue serving customers inside — a concession to local officials that the governor later called “a mistake.”
So when the south suburbs were hit with an indoor dining ban Aug. 26 — while it was still business as usual at Metro East restaurants with positivity nearing 10% — Will County officials including state Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Frankfort, slammed Pritzker for “inconsistencies in public policy.”
The governor later imposed dining restrictions in Metro East, which are still in place with the region at 8% positivity.
Hastings said Friday “our local businesses cannot afford another setback. We must remain vigilant for the sake of economic recovery and public health.”
Graph not displaying properly? Click here.
The resumption of indoor service in the suburbs capped a week of high but encouraging coronavirus numbers that saw the statewide testing positivity rate fall consistently after a mid-summer surge.
State public health officials announced 2,120 more residents were confirmed to carry the virus among the latest batch of nearly 62,000 test results. The virus also killed 20 more Illinoisans, raising the state’s pandemic death toll to 8,411 since March.
Illinois has added an average of 1,961 new cases per day so far this month — not far from the rate of 2,172 per day during a peak month of May — but booming testing numbers mean the average testing positivity rate over the last week is at 3.6%, as low as it’s been in about two months.
Counties considered to be at a coronavirus “warning level” are marked orange. Illinois Department of Public Health
The list of counties deemed to be at a COVID-19 “warning level” also shrank Friday to 24. That’s still almost a quarter of the entire state, but as many as 30 have previously been flagged for coronavirus “risk indicators” such as rising case and death rates.
Notably absent from the warning list are any Chicago-area counties. Suburban Cook, Lake, DuPage, Will and Kane all have alternately worked their way off the list over the last two months. The city is down to 4.9% positivity, while all its surrounding regions are below 6%.
Current warning-level counties seeing COVID-19 outbreaks tied to college parties, schools and other gathering points are now mostly clustered in southern Illinois: Bond, Bureau, Cass, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Edwards, Effingham, Greene, Jasper, Jo Daviess, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Rock Island, St. Clair, Shelby, Washington, Wayne, Williamson, Wabash and Union.
More than 270,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Illinois among almost 5 million tests administered. An additional 236 deaths and 2,198 infections are considered to have been probable but untested cases.
As of Thursday night, 1,481 Illinois coronavirus patients were hospitalized, with 329 in intensive care units and 149 on ventilators.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a diminutive yet towering women ’ s rights champion who became the court ’ s second female justice , died Friday at her home in Washington .
She was 87 .
Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer , the court said .
Ginsberg ’ s death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether President Donald Trump should nominate , and the Republican-led Senate should confirm , her replacement , or if the seat should remain vacant until the outcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is known .
Ginsburg announced in July that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver , the latest of her several battles with cancer .
Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court ’ s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirers .
Young women especially seemed to embrace the court ’ s Jewish grandmother , affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG , for her defense of the rights of women and minorities , and the strength and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal loss and health crises .
Those health issues included five bouts with cancer beginning in 1999 , falls that resulted in broken ribs , insertion of a stent to clear a blocked artery and assorted other hospitalizations after she turned 75 .
She resisted calls by liberals to retire during Barack Obama ’ s presidency at a time when Democrats held the Senate and a replacement with similar views could have been confirmed .
Instead , Trump will almost certainly try to push Ginsburg ’ s successor through the Republican-controlled Senate — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the right .
Ginsburg antagonized Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign in a series of media interviews , including calling him a faker .
She soon apologized .
Her appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1993 was the first by a Democrat in 26 years .
She initially found a comfortable ideological home somewhere left of center on a conservative court dominated by Republican appointees .
Her liberal voice grew stronger the longer she served .
Ginsburg was a mother of two , an opera lover and an intellectual who watched arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though she ditched them for more fashionable frames in her later years .
At argument sessions in the ornate courtroom , she was known for digging deep into case records and for being a stickler for following the rules .
She argued six key cases before the court in the 1970s when she was an architect of the women ’ s rights movement .
She won five .
“ Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books , ” Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ She has already done that.
” On the court , where she was known as a facile writer , her most significant majority opinions were the 1996 ruling that ordered the Virginia Military Institute to accept women or give up its state funding , and the 2015 decision that upheld independent commissions some states use to draw congressional districts .
Besides civil rights , Ginsburg took an interest in capital punishment , voting repeatedly to limit its use .
During her tenure , the court declared it unconstitutional for states to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 18 .
In addition , she questioned the quality of lawyers for poor accused murderers .
In the most divisive of cases , including the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000 , she was often at odds with the court ’ s more conservative members — initially Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O ’ Connor , Antonin Scalia , Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas .
The division remained the same after John Roberts replaced Rehnquist as chief justice , Samuel Alito took O ’ Connor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined the court , in seats that had been held by Scalia and Kennedy , respectively .
Ginsburg would say later that the 5-4 decision that settled the 2000 presidential election for Republican George W. Bush was a “ breathtaking episode ” at the court .
She was perhaps personally closest on the court to Scalia , her ideological opposite .
Ginsburg once explained that she took Scalia ’ s sometimes biting dissents as a challenge to be met .
“ How am I going to answer this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real putdown ?
” she said .
When Scalia died in 2016 , also an election year , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to act on Obama ’ s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the opening .
The seat remained vacant until after Trump ’ s surprising presidential victory .
McConnell has said he would move to confirm a Trump nominee if there were a vacancy this year .
Ginsburg authored powerful dissents of her own in cases involving abortion , voting rights and pay discrimination against women .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinions of her fellow judges while others were “ an appeal to the intelligence of another day ” in the hopes that they would provide guidance to future courts .
“ Hope springs eternal , ” she said in 2007 , “ and when I am writing a dissent , I ’ m always hoping for that fifth or sixth vote — even though I ’ m disappointed more often than not.
” She wrote memorably in 2013 that the court ’ s decision to cut out a key part of the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Black people , Hispanics and other minorities was “ like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.
” Change on the court hit Ginsburg especially hard .
She dissented forcefully from the court ’ s decision in 2007 to uphold a nationwide ban on an abortion procedure that opponents call partial-birth abortion .
The court , with O ’ Connor still on it , had struck down a similar state ban seven years earlier .
The “ alarming ” ruling , Ginsburg said , “ can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this court — and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women ’ s lives.
” In 1999 , Ginsburg had surgery for colon cancer and received radiation and chemotherapy .
She had surgery again in 2009 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and in December 2018 for cancerous growths on her left lung .
Following the last surgery , she missed court sessions for the first time in more than 25 years on the bench .
Ginsburg also was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her pancreas in August 2019 .
She maintained an active schedule even during the three weeks of radiation .
When she revealed a recurrence of her cancer in July 2020 , Ginsburg said she remained “ fully able ” to continue as a justice .
Joan Ruth Bader was born in Brooklyn , New York , in 1933 , the second daughter in a middle-class family .
Her older sister , who gave her the lifelong nickname “ Kiki , ” died at age 6 , so Ginsburg grew up in Brooklyn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her dream , she has said , was to be an opera singer .
Ginsburg graduated at the top of her Columbia University law school class in 1959 but could not find a law firm willing to hire her .
She had “ three strikes against her ” — for being Jewish , female and a mother , as she put it in 2007 .
She had married her husband , Martin , in 1954 , the year she graduated from Cornell University .
She attended Harvard University ’ s law school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took a law job there .
Martin Ginsburg went on to become a prominent tax attorney and law professor .
Martin Ginsburg died in 2010 .
She is survived by two children , Jane and James , and several grandchildren .
Ginsburg once said that she had not entered the law as an equal-rights champion .
“ I thought I could do a lawyer ’ s job better than any other , ” she wrote .
“ I have no talent in the arts , but I do write fairly well and analyze @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a diminutive yet towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87.
Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said.
Ginsburg’s death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether President Donald Trump should nominate, and the Republican-led Senate should confirm, her replacement, or if the seat should remain vacant until the outcome of his race against Democrat Joe Biden is known.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made his intentions clear shortly after news of the justice’s death broke.
The Kentucky Republican ended his statement paying tribute to Ginsburg with a paragraph detailing why the Senate had no plans to wait.
“President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate,” McConnell said.
US Supreme Court: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg has died. pic.twitter.com/q78wKTAwkw — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 18, 2020
Ginsburg announced in July that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver, the latest of her several battles with cancer.
Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court’s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirers. Young women especially seemed to embrace the court’s Jewish grandmother, affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG, for her defense of the rights of women and minorities, and the strength and resilience she displayed in the face of personal loss and health crises.
Those health issues included five bouts with cancer beginning in 1999, falls that resulted in broken ribs, insertion of a stent to clear a blocked artery and assorted other hospitalizations after she turned 75.
She resisted calls by liberals to retire during Barack Obama’s presidency at a time when Democrats held the Senate and a replacement with similar views could have been confirmed. Instead, Trump will almost certainly try to push Ginsburg’s successor through the Republican-controlled Senate — and move the conservative court even more to the right.
Ginsburg antagonized Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign in a series of media interviews, including calling him a faker. She soon apologized.
Her appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1993 was the first by a Democrat in 26 years. She initially found a comfortable ideological home somewhere left of center on a conservative court dominated by Republican appointees. Her liberal voice grew stronger the longer she served.
Ginsburg was a mother of two, an opera lover and an intellectual who watched arguments behind oversized glasses for many years, though she ditched them for more fashionable frames in her later years. At argument sessions in the ornate courtroom, she was known for digging deep into case records and for being a stickler for following the rules.
She argued six key cases before the court in the 1970s when she was an architect of the women’s rights movement. She won five.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books,” Clinton said at the time of her appointment. “She has already done that.”
On the court, where she was known as a facile writer, her most significant majority opinions were the 1996 ruling that ordered the Virginia Military Institute to accept women or give up its state funding, and the 2015 decision that upheld independent commissions some states use to draw congressional districts.
Besides civil rights, Ginsburg took an interest in capital punishment, voting repeatedly to limit its use. During her tenure, the court declared it unconstitutional for states to execute the intellectually disabled and killers younger than 18.
In addition, she questioned the quality of lawyers for poor accused murderers. In the most divisive of cases, including the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000, she was often at odds with the court’s more conservative members — initially Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas.
The division remained the same after John Roberts replaced Rehnquist as chief justice, Samuel Alito took O’Connor’s seat, and, under Trump, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined the court, in seats that had been held by Scalia and Kennedy, respectively.
Ginsburg would say later that the 5-4 decision that settled the 2000 presidential election for Republican George W. Bush was a “breathtaking episode” at the court.
People gather at the Supreme Court Friday, after the court announced that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died of metastatic pancreatic cancer at age 87. AP
She was perhaps personally closest on the court to Scalia, her ideological opposite. Ginsburg once explained that she took Scalia’s sometimes biting dissents as a challenge to be met. “How am I going to answer this in a way that’s a real putdown?” she said.
When Scalia died in 2016, also an election year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to act on Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the opening. The seat remained vacant until after Trump’s surprising presidential victory. McConnell has said he would move to confirm a Trump nominee if there were a vacancy this year.
Ginsburg authored powerful dissents of her own in cases involving abortion, voting rights and pay discrimination against women. She said some were aimed at swaying the opinions of her fellow judges while others were “an appeal to the intelligence of another day” in the hopes that they would provide guidance to future courts.
“Hope springs eternal,” she said in 2007, “and when I am writing a dissent, I’m always hoping for that fifth or sixth vote — even though I’m disappointed more often than not.”
She wrote memorably in 2013 that the court’s decision to cut out a key part of the federal law that had ensured the voting rights of Black people, Hispanics and other minorities was “like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”
Change on the court hit Ginsburg especially hard. She dissented forcefully from the court’s decision in 2007 to uphold a nationwide ban on an abortion procedure that opponents call partial-birth abortion. The court, with O’Connor still on it, had struck down a similar state ban seven years earlier. The “alarming” ruling, Ginsburg said, “cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this court — and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women’s lives.”
In 1999, Ginsburg had surgery for colon cancer and received radiation and chemotherapy. She had surgery again in 2009 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and in December 2018 for cancerous growths on her left lung. Following the last surgery, she missed court sessions for the first time in more than 25 years on the bench.
President Bill Clinton walks with Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the way to a press conference on June 14, 1993 at the White House to introduce as a nominee as justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. | Getty 1 of 8 President Bill Clinton (L) laughs as newly confirmed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (R) stepped up the microphone to speak to the press in ceremonies in the Rose Garden at the White House. - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died September 18, 2020 at her home in Washington, the court says. She was 87. | Getty 2 of 8 In this photo taken on July 20, 1993 US Supreme Court nominee Ruth Bader Ginsburg (L) greets US Senators Diane Feinstein (C), D-Calif. and Carol Moseley Braun (R), D-Ill, prior to her Senate confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill. | Getty 3 of 8 In this file photo taken on August 09, 1993 Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court William Rehnquist (R) administers the oath of office to newly-appointed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (L) as U.S. President Bill Clinton looks on. | Getty 4 of 8 Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, right, laughs with her husband Martin as they listen to Justice Stephen Breyer speak at Columbia Law School. The occasion celebrated the 10th anniversary of her appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States. | AP 5 of 8 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg tries to calm down a standing ovation before a conversation with Judge Ann Claire Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit during Roosevelt University’s 2017 American Dream Reconsidered conference, Monday evening, Sept. 11, 2017 | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 6 of 8 Getty 7 of 8 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg visits the University of Chicago for a conversation event with Harris School of Public Policy Dean Katherine Baicker at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Monday evening, Sept. 9, 2019. Ginsburg is receiving the 2019 Harris Dean’s Award, which is “bestowed upon an exceptional leader for his or her lifetime contributions to public policy.” | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 8 of 8
Ginsburg also was treated with radiation for a tumor on her pancreas in August 2019. She maintained an active schedule even during the three weeks of radiation. When she revealed a recurrence of her cancer in July 2020, Ginsburg said she remained “fully able” to continue as a justice.
Joan Ruth Bader was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, the second daughter in a middle-class family. Her older sister, who gave her the lifelong nickname “Kiki,” died at age 6, so Ginsburg grew up in Brooklyn’s Flatbush section as an only child. Her dream, she has said, was to be an opera singer.
Ginsburg graduated at the top of her Columbia University law school class in 1959 but could not find a law firm willing to hire her. She had “three strikes against her” — for being Jewish, female and a mother, as she put it in 2007.
She had married her husband, Martin, in 1954, the year she graduated from Cornell University. She attended Harvard University’s law school but transferred to Columbia when her husband took a law job there. Martin Ginsburg went on to become a prominent tax attorney and law professor. Martin Ginsburg died in 2010. She is survived by two children, Jane and James, and several grandchildren.
Ginsburg once said that she had not entered the law as an equal-rights champion. “I thought I could do a lawyer’s job better than any other,” she wrote. “I have no talent in the arts, but I do write fairly well and analyze problems clearly.”


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Cook County watchdog planning exit after helping find successor: ‘It’s good government’

Cook County ’ s top watchdog plans to bow out in 2022 after 14 years trying to sniff out corruption , misconduct and other wrongdoing by government employees .
The move is laid out in a proposed amendment to a county ordinance governing how to choose a successor to Cook County Independent Inspector General Patrick Blanchard .
Blanchard ’ s current six-year term ends in October , but he ’ ll return for a special two-year term to complete his 30 years of total employment by the county and to assist officials as they look for a replacement .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Blanchard ’ s exit plan was first reported by Crain ’ s .
Blanchard said he ’ s not being forced out of the position .
“ It simply was designed to capture the reality that I ’ m approaching 30 years of service which is the time when people can retire if they want .
...
So it ’ s designed to capture that notion and also what will undoubtedly be a long period of time to allow the search and reappointment process to take place , and it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blanchard said .
“ It ’ s good government.
” Blanchard is currently in his second six-year term as inspector general .
Before taking on the watchdog post , he spent about 15 years as an assistant Cook County state ’ s attorney .
During his time as inspector general , Blanchard developed a reputation for sharp elbows with pols and payrollers alike .
In a July report , Blanchard ’ s office suggested the Cook County Board of Review had a hiring process for employees that put clout before qualifications .
Blanchard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of property assessments , has no formal hiring process , hired people “ despite incomplete application materials and lack of formal process , ” and uses an application form that contains the question “ ‘ who recommended you to us ?
’ ” Last year , Blanchard butted heads with Commissioner Luis Arroyo Jr. over allegations that the Northwest Side Democrat stepped in when his political friend Luis Pena was given a $ 250 parking ticket in 2018 .
Arroyo said he weighed in to make sure Latinos were being treated fairly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and other members of the County Board were concerned about Blanchard ’ s fitness for the position — but none of the 11 commissioners polled by the Chicago Sun-Times at the time were willing to publicly share such reservations .
In a statement , a spokesman for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Blanchard requested the two-year appointment and it will “ ensure continuity in operations during this process.
” The matter will come before the Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Wednesday and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of commissioners Thursday .

Cook County’s top watchdog plans to bow out in 2022 after 14 years trying to sniff out corruption, misconduct and other wrongdoing by government employees.
The move is laid out in a proposed amendment to a county ordinance governing how to choose a successor to Cook County Independent Inspector General Patrick Blanchard.
Blanchard’s current six-year term ends in October, but he’ll return for a special two-year term to complete his 30 years of total employment by the county and to assist officials as they look for a replacement. That process could take eight months to a year.
Blanchard’s exit plan was first reported by Crain’s.
Blanchard said he’s not being forced out of the position.
“It simply was designed to capture the reality that I’m approaching 30 years of service which is the time when people can retire if they want. ... So it’s designed to capture that notion and also what will undoubtedly be a long period of time to allow the search and reappointment process to take place, and it’s a very good thing,” Blanchard said. “It’s good government.”
Blanchard is currently in his second six-year term as inspector general. Before taking on the watchdog post, he spent about 15 years as an assistant Cook County state’s attorney.
Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard outside his Loop office in 2012. Tom Cruze~Sun-Times file
During his time as inspector general, Blanchard developed a reputation for sharp elbows with pols and payrollers alike.
In a July report, Blanchard’s office suggested the Cook County Board of Review had a hiring process for employees that put clout before qualifications.
Blanchard concluded the board, which handles appeals of property assessments, has no formal hiring process, hired people “despite incomplete application materials and lack of formal process,” and uses an application form that contains the question “‘who recommended you to us?’”
Last year, Blanchard butted heads with Commissioner Luis Arroyo Jr. over allegations that the Northwest Side Democrat stepped in when his political friend Luis Pena was given a $250 parking ticket in 2018. Arroyo said he weighed in to make sure Latinos were being treated fairly.
After that incident, Arroyo Jr. said he and other members of the County Board were concerned about Blanchard’s fitness for the position — but none of the 11 commissioners polled by the Chicago Sun-Times at the time were willing to publicly share such reservations.
In a statement, a spokesman for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Blanchard requested the two-year appointment and it will “ensure continuity in operations during this process.”
The matter will come before the Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Wednesday and then will likely go before the full board of commissioners Thursday.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Tiger Woods misses cut at U.S. Open after shooting 7-over 77 in second round

Tiger Woods has made enough double bogeys in his career to understand anything in golf is possible , especially in the U.S. Open .
But two on the same hole with a pair of fluffed chips in successive rounds ?
That ’ s a stat that won ’ t make the cut when it comes time to review Woods ’ spectacular career .
Woods didn ’ t make the cut Friday , either , which was surprising only to his most sycophantic fans .
His game was spotty coming in , and if he had to play Winged Foot every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still be looking for his first win .
He missed fairways and he missed putts .
He likely missed the thousands of fans who would have cheered his every move and maybe even have gotten him moving in the right direction , had they been allowed to attend .
About the only thing he didn ’ t miss was the private jet that was his ticket away from the nightmare that , for him , is Winged Foot .
Woods has played the course eight times in three major championships , missing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Friday he struggled to break 80 , which is pretty much the mark where things start to get embarrassing .
Not that Woods was alone with his 7-over 77 .
Rory McIlroy shot a 76 after opening with a 67 , and Jordan Spieth made a mess of everything with a second-round 81 that sent him packing .
And then there ’ s Phil Mickelson , who at the age of 50 might consider playing the PGA Tour Champions more often in the future .
Mickelson , who famously made double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to throw away an Open , shot 79 in his opening round and never looked back .
Winged Foot is brutally tough , so exacting with gnarly rough and treacherous greens that just six players — led by Patrick Reed at 4-under 136 — are under par halfway through .
If history is any indication , the USGA will tighten the screws even more on the weekend and whoever can find a way to be at even par at the end will end up hoisting the Open trophy .
Still , Woods has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s beaten tough courses down , winning three times , including on one leg at Torrey Pines in 2008 .
But he never gave himself a chance at Winged Foot .
“ On this golf course it ’ s imperative that you hit fairways , and I did not do that , ’ ’ Woods said .
At the age of 44 Woods is certainly still capable of making a ton of birdies .
And his Masters win last year was one for the ages .
Put him on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as Augusta National , though , and things seem to get off track quickly .
Not only was he lapped by much of the field this week but playing partner Justin Thomas beat him by 12 strokes .
You could almost hear the groans of dismay from the fans who weren ’ t there .
“ It ’ s frustrating that I ’ m not going to be here for the weekend and be able to compete for this great championship , ’ ’ Woods said .
“ It feels like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is turning , that anybody who makes the cut has the opportunity to win this championship .
I didn ’ t get myself that opportunity.
’ ’ About the only positive Woods can take out of it is that , unlike Winged Foot , there is very little rough at Augusta National , where he will defend his Masters title in November .
He ’ ll also be defending his title next month in the ZoZo Championship at Sherwood Country Club , a course he knows well .
“ We have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us , ” he said .
Still , with each bad outing it starts looking more and more like that Masters win might have been the cap on his career rather than the beginning of a belated run at the majors record held by Jack Nicklaus .
Consider this stat for context : In the first 65 majors of his professional career , Woods missed a grand total of three cuts .
Now he ’ s missed the cut in eight of his last 15 .
A weekend without Woods won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ratings like he does , and no one is more interesting to watch , even when he ’ s playing poorly .
Maybe the worst part about this weekend at Winged Foot was that he didn ’ t even give himself a chance .

Tiger Woods has made enough double bogeys in his career to understand anything in golf is possible, especially in the U.S. Open.
But two on the same hole with a pair of fluffed chips in successive rounds? That’s a stat that won’t make the cut when it comes time to review Woods’ spectacular career.
Woods didn’t make the cut Friday, either, which was surprising only to his most sycophantic fans. His game was spotty coming in, and if he had to play Winged Foot every week of his pro career he might still be looking for his first win.
He missed fairways and he missed putts. He likely missed the thousands of fans who would have cheered his every move and maybe even have gotten him moving in the right direction, had they been allowed to attend.
About the only thing he didn’t miss was the private jet that was his ticket away from the nightmare that, for him, is Winged Foot.
Woods has played the course eight times in three major championships, missing the cut twice and shooting a combined 29-over-par. On Friday he struggled to break 80, which is pretty much the mark where things start to get embarrassing.
Not that Woods was alone with his 7-over 77. Rory McIlroy shot a 76 after opening with a 67, and Jordan Spieth made a mess of everything with a second-round 81 that sent him packing.
And then there’s Phil Mickelson, who at the age of 50 might consider playing the PGA Tour Champions more often in the future. Mickelson, who famously made double bogey on the final hole in 2006 to throw away an Open, shot 79 in his opening round and never looked back.
Winged Foot is brutally tough, so exacting with gnarly rough and treacherous greens that just six players — led by Patrick Reed at 4-under 136 — are under par halfway through. If history is any indication, the USGA will tighten the screws even more on the weekend and whoever can find a way to be at even par at the end will end up hoisting the Open trophy.
Still, Woods has played U.S. Opens his entire career. He’s beaten tough courses down, winning three times, including on one leg at Torrey Pines in 2008.
But he never gave himself a chance at Winged Foot.
“On this golf course it’s imperative that you hit fairways, and I did not do that,’’ Woods said.
At the age of 44 Woods is certainly still capable of making a ton of birdies. And his Masters win last year was one for the ages.
Put him on a tough course he doesn’t know as well as Augusta National, though, and things seem to get off track quickly. Not only was he lapped by much of the field this week but playing partner Justin Thomas beat him by 12 strokes.
You could almost hear the groans of dismay from the fans who weren’t there.
“It’s frustrating that I’m not going to be here for the weekend and be able to compete for this great championship,’’ Woods said. “It feels like the way the golf course is changing, is turning, that anybody who makes the cut has the opportunity to win this championship. I didn’t get myself that opportunity.’’
About the only positive Woods can take out of it is that, unlike Winged Foot, there is very little rough at Augusta National, where he will defend his Masters title in November. He’ll also be defending his title next month in the ZoZo Championship at Sherwood Country Club, a course he knows well.
“We have a couple big, big things ahead of us,” he said.
Still, with each bad outing it starts looking more and more like that Masters win might have been the cap on his career rather than the beginning of a belated run at the majors record held by Jack Nicklaus.
Consider this stat for context: In the first 65 majors of his professional career, Woods missed a grand total of three cuts. Now he’s missed the cut in eight of his last 15.
A weekend without Woods won’t make anyone happy. No one boosts ratings like he does, and no one is more interesting to watch, even when he’s playing poorly.
Maybe the worst part about this weekend at Winged Foot was that he didn’t even give himself a chance.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Man shot dead in South Chicago

Man shot dead in South Chicago

A 24-year-old man was found with a fatal gunshot wound Friday in South Chicago .
He was found unresponsive about @ @ @ @ @ block of South Escanaba Avenue , Chicago police said .
He had a gunshot wound @ @ @ @ @ pronounced dead .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office hasn ’ t released @ @ @ @ @ No one is in custody as Area Two detectives investigate .
Read more on crime @ @ @ @ @ ’ s homicides .

A 24-year-old man was found with a fatal gunshot wound Friday in South Chicago.
He was found unresponsive about 5:40 p.m. in the 8400 block of South Escanaba Avenue, Chicago police said. He had a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as Isaiah Armstrong, of Calumet Heights. An autopsy conducted Saturday ruled his death a homicide.
No one is in custody as Area Two detectives investigate.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Mexican restaurants scramble, get creative to survive during tough pandemic times  (LIVE UPDATES)

Mexican restaurants scramble , get creative to survive during tough pandemic times In the decade that Kevin Suarez has worked at Mi Tierra Restaurant in Little Village , he has seen the popular business go through a change of ownership , a fluctuating local economy , several makeovers and a variety of clientele and performers .
But never has the survival of the Mexican restaurant been so precarious as during the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ It affected us because this restaurant has a lot of capacity and many employees on staff , ” he said .
“ In the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ re practically counting this year as a loss.
” Latino restaurants had no choice but to adapt to the public health crisis .
For many immigrant owners , their businesses are their only lifelines .
It was do or die .
Read the full story by Jackie Serrato here .
Olga Ricketts-Peart is not what she calls a “ science person.
” But she loves science anyway .
The 77-year-old has been attending “ Science with Seniors , ” a program offered at the Levy Senior Center in Evanston that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The third Thursday of each month , graduate students from Northwestern University meet virtually with seniors from the Levy Center for lectures on science and technology , topics that range from sleep to solar cells .
Read the full story by Michael Lee here .
4:15 p.m. Latino officials call for more workplace enforcement , less victim-blaming in COVID-19 fight Francisco Anzures learned he was sick with the coronavirus in May after his employer had him take a test .
For one week , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburbs was shut down for cleaning .
For two weeks , the Back of the Yards resident received paid time off , at his $ 15-per-hour wage .
And for two months , he stayed home sick , isolating himself from his wife and two kids while his family lost their source of income .
Anzures never went to the hospital because he has no insurance and feared he wouldn ’ t ever return home .
While he was sick , Anzures said he could barely eat .
He struggled to breathe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ die .
“ I thought that I wouldn ’ t survive , ” he said , speaking in Spanish .
“ It was taking me too much effort to breathe .
It ’ s something so horrible that I wouldn ’ t wish on anyone.
” Read the full story by Alexandra Arriaga here .
3:30 p.m. Mayor : It ’ s likely Soldier Field will remain empty this season Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the odds of Bears fans returning to Soldier Field this season are less than 50 percent .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on WSCR-AM on Friday morning , Lightfoot said that “ we ’ re no nowhere near at a place where we can even realistically talk about fans coming back to Soldier Field.
” The Bears will not have fans inside Soldier Field for their home opener Sunday .
The team just last week said it hopes that will change later in the season .
Lightfoot , though , sounded frustrated by a lack of communication with the team .
Read the full story by Patrick Finley and Fran Spielman here .
2:45 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kankakee counties , crediting COVID-19 improvement to ‘ neighbors doing right by neighbors ’ Indoor service is back on the menu at bars and restaurants across Chicago ’ s far south suburbs after an improved COVID-19 testing positivity rate prompted Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Friday to lift restrictions on Will and Kankakee counties .
The eased coronavirus guidelines were set to kick in Friday evening , also allowing gatherings to increase from 25 to 50 people .
The Democratic governor called it a “ testament to the entire state and to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the good news at an unrelated news conference in Rock Island .
Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout and Mitch Dudek here .
1 p.m. We asked : How has the pandemic affected you financially ?
Some of the answers were heartbreaking .
Like a lot of Illinoisans , the coronavirus pandemic has hit Nicholas Senffner hard .
Restaurants and bars shutting down took a big toll on the 37-year-old , who owns a window-cleaning business that operates all over Chicago and the suburbs .
“ It ’ s completely killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restaurants , ” said Senffner , of Lockport .
“ They ’ re not getting their windows cleaned if they ’ re not making money.
” Senffner says he built his business over 15 years and normally would work 12 hours a day five days a week .
Now , he ’ s lucky to get two or three days of work each week : “ Last year , I was a six-figure company , ” he said .
“ This year , we ’ re barely pushing five.
” It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cutting back things like visiting his family in Colorado .
“ It was horrible , I mean , this was 15 years of hard work , of day in and day out of building routes and gaining customers , making sure that everything ran like clockwork .
I watched my whole world fall apart.
” He doesn ’ t think business will ever return to what it was , given that many of his customers were mom-and-pop shops that have permanently closed , some having taken a double hit from the pandemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd while being restrained by a police officer .
“ It hasn ’ t been easy .
I ’ m just trying to ride this year out until it ’ s all over with , and they get back to work.
” Others spoke to use about how COVID-19 has affected their personal finances .
Read their stories here .
12:03 p.m. Survey finds teens will follow COVID rules , but want specifics America ’ s teens and young adults have a crucial role in containing the spread of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many misunderstand social distancing guidelines and want clearer advice on how to safely live their lives .
This is especially relevant now that universities are back in session and many campuses are seeing COVID-19 outbreaks .
Over the last several months , a team at the University of Michigan has conducted several national text-message surveys of more than 1,000 American youth ages 14-24 to better understand what they are going through during the pandemic .
The responses by young people in their surveys suggest that they are taking the pandemic seriously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that gives them safe ways to socialize , not just rules for what they can ’ t do Read our guest column from the researchers involved in the study here .
8:43 a.m. Dentists see surge of oral health problems , and the pandemic is likely to blame Stress and isolation brought on by the pandemic are certainly bad for our mental health , and dentists say they ’ re seeing evidence our oral health is suffering , too .
Dentists say reports of a huge spike in cracked teeth are just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s like a perfect storm , ” says Dr. Michael Dickerson , an independent practice owner with Aspen Dental in Tarpon Springs , Florida , who says the patients he sees need “ a ton of work.
” One factor in the upswing : The first patients to go back to the dentist after widespread stay-at-home orders were likely the most in need .
Also , before shutdowns , lockdowns and quarantines , “ Your day had a rhythm to it , ” American Dental Association spokesman Dr. Matthew Messina says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s easy to forget “ simple little things like oral hygiene.
” Other factors leading to dental problems : Teeth grinding due to stress is probably up .
Brushing and flossing are probably down as good habits slip and social outings decline .
Routine cleanings have been put off .
• Public health officials on Thursday announced Illinois logged more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases for the third time in a week , but the state ’ s high testing capacity suggests that apparently high number isn ’ t cause for alarm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider being bilingual an advantage .
The road to achieving what is seen as a powerful skill leaves a mark .
For a Mexican like me , it ’ s imposter syndrome .
Picture laughter erupting from a second grade class after a non-English speaker can ’ t respond to a question like , “ Is your birthday coming up ?
” Or a 9-year-old practicing the word “ world ” for two weeks because it will come up in conversation some way or another .
Seriously .
Try it .
Your tongue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one syllable .
Read the full column by Ismael Perez here .
The Jewish year of ... checking ... 5781 begins at sundown Friday , and is a reminder that the Chosen People are not newcomers at celebrating holidays during hard times .
As grim as the COVID pandemic has been , it doesn ’ t hold a candle to Babylonian captivity or Roman persecution , the Inquisition or the Holocaust .
Not yet , anyway .
The business of maintaining Jewish identity , already under siege by modern life , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Judaism celebrates Rosh Hashanah — literally , “ head of the year ” — and then atones for sins in the year to come at Yom Kippur nine days later .
“ This is an interesting year , unlike any other , ” said Rabbi Steven Lowenstein , whom I called because his synagogue , Am Shalom of Glencoe , is one of many streaming high holiday services .
Read the full column by Neil Steinberg here .

On Friday, indoor service is back on the menu at bars and restaurants across Chicago’s far south suburbs after an improved COVID-19 testing positivity rate prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to lift restrictions on Will and Kankakee counties.
Here’s what happened in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago, the state and the nation.
News
8:45 p.m. Homecoming in the COVID era: No football or dance, but event still puts ‘smiles on ... faces’
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Fall school festivities might look different than ever before this year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still be fun.
Dozens of students and parents showed up Friday afternoon to Leo High School in Auburn Gresham for a twist on the usual homecoming celebration.
There was no football game or dance. Instead, teachers and staff at the private all-boys Catholic school handed out hot dog lunches, school supplies, T-shirts and backpacks, while parents picked up first quarter progress reports for their kids.
Read the full story by Nader Issa and Tyler LaRiviere here.
7:45 p.m. Trump Administration’s plan to bring EPA workers back is unsafe, union says
The Trump Administration is taking steps to bring hundreds of employees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago back to their offices in the coming weeks, putting them at risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus, the workers’ union charges.
The EPA is moving toward a phased return to work without taking appropriate precautions, said Nicole Cantello, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704. While President Donald Trump has been pushing workers in all industries to go back to work for months, part of the motivation, she suspects, is tighter control of employees amid the administration’s ongoing efforts to weaken environmental protections.
Read the full story by Brett Chase here.
6:45 p.m. Mexican restaurants scramble, get creative to survive during tough pandemic times
In the decade that Kevin Suarez has worked at Mi Tierra Restaurant in Little Village, he has seen the popular business go through a change of ownership, a fluctuating local economy, several makeovers and a variety of clientele and performers.
But never has the survival of the Mexican restaurant been so precarious as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It affected us because this restaurant has a lot of capacity and many employees on staff,” he said. “In the beginning we laid off a lot of people and we’re practically counting this year as a loss.”
Latino restaurants had no choice but to adapt to the public health crisis. For many immigrant owners, their businesses are their only lifelines. It was do or die.
Read the full story by Jackie Serrato here.
5 p.m. Northwestern graduate students host virtual, monthly science talks with seniors
Olga Ricketts-Peart is not what she calls a “science person.” But she loves science anyway.
The 77-year-old has been attending “Science with Seniors,” a program offered at the Levy Senior Center in Evanston that’s gone online in the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The third Thursday of each month, graduate students from Northwestern University meet virtually with seniors from the Levy Center for lectures on science and technology, topics that range from sleep to solar cells.
Read the full story by Michael Lee here.
4:15 p.m. Latino officials call for more workplace enforcement, less victim-blaming in COVID-19 fight
Francisco Anzures learned he was sick with the coronavirus in May after his employer had him take a test.
For one week, the factory where he worked in the southwest suburbs was shut down for cleaning. For two weeks, the Back of the Yards resident received paid time off, at his $15-per-hour wage. And for two months, he stayed home sick, isolating himself from his wife and two kids while his family lost their source of income.
Anzures never went to the hospital because he has no insurance and feared he wouldn’t ever return home.
While he was sick, Anzures said he could barely eat. He struggled to breathe. One night, he feared he would die.
“I thought that I wouldn’t survive,” he said, speaking in Spanish. “It was taking me too much effort to breathe. It’s something so horrible that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
Read the full story by Alexandra Arriaga here.
3:30 p.m. Mayor: It’s likely Soldier Field will remain empty this season
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the odds of Bears fans returning to Soldier Field this season are less than 50 percent.
In an interview with “Mully and Haugh” on WSCR-AM on Friday morning, Lightfoot said that “we’re no nowhere near at a place where we can even realistically talk about fans coming back to Soldier Field.”
The Bears will not have fans inside Soldier Field for their home opener Sunday. The team just last week said it hopes that will change later in the season.
Lightfoot, though, sounded frustrated by a lack of communication with the team.
Read the full story by Patrick Finley and Fran Spielman here.
2:45 p.m. Pritzker OKs indoor dining in Will, Kankakee counties, crediting COVID-19 improvement to ‘neighbors doing right by neighbors’
Indoor service is back on the menu at bars and restaurants across Chicago’s far south suburbs after an improved COVID-19 testing positivity rate prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday to lift restrictions on Will and Kankakee counties.
The eased coronavirus guidelines were set to kick in Friday evening, also allowing gatherings to increase from 25 to 50 people. The Democratic governor called it a “testament to the entire state and to the power of community” as he dished out the good news at an unrelated news conference in Rock Island.
Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout and Mitch Dudek here.
1 p.m. We asked: How has the pandemic affected you financially? Some of the answers were heartbreaking.
Like a lot of Illinoisans, the coronavirus pandemic has hit Nicholas Senffner hard.
Restaurants and bars shutting down took a big toll on the 37-year-old, who owns a window-cleaning business that operates all over Chicago and the suburbs.
“It’s completely killed us, the way they shut down the restaurants,” said Senffner, of Lockport. “They’re not getting their windows cleaned if they’re not making money.”
Senffner says he built his business over 15 years and normally would work 12 hours a day five days a week. Now, he’s lucky to get two or three days of work each week: “Last year, I was a six-figure company,” he said. “This year, we’re barely pushing five.”
It’s meant laying off two employees and cutting back things like visiting his family in Colorado.
“It was horrible, I mean, this was 15 years of hard work, of day in and day out of building routes and gaining customers, making sure that everything ran like clockwork. I watched my whole world fall apart.”
He doesn’t think business will ever return to what it was, given that many of his customers were mom-and-pop shops that have permanently closed, some having taken a double hit from the pandemic and from looting after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd while being restrained by a police officer.
“It hasn’t been easy. I’m just trying to ride this year out until it’s all over with, and they get back to work.”
Others spoke to use about how COVID-19 has affected their personal finances. Read their stories here.
12:03 p.m. Survey finds teens will follow COVID rules, but want specifics
America’s teens and young adults have a crucial role in containing the spread of COVID-19, but a series of youth surveys suggests that many misunderstand social distancing guidelines and want clearer advice on how to safely live their lives.
This is especially relevant now that universities are back in session and many campuses are seeing COVID-19 outbreaks.
Over the last several months, a team at the University of Michigan has conducted several national text-message surveys of more than 1,000 American youth ages 14-24 to better understand what they are going through during the pandemic.
The responses by young people in their surveys suggest that they are taking the pandemic seriously, but want more concrete guidance: advice that gives them safe ways to socialize, not just rules for what they can’t do
Read our guest column from the researchers involved in the study here.
8:43 a.m. Dentists see surge of oral health problems, and the pandemic is likely to blame
Stress and isolation brought on by the pandemic are certainly bad for our mental health, and dentists say they’re seeing evidence our oral health is suffering, too.
Dentists say reports of a huge spike in cracked teeth are just the start of the problem.
“It’s like a perfect storm,” says Dr. Michael Dickerson, an independent practice owner with Aspen Dental in Tarpon Springs, Florida, who says the patients he sees need “a ton of work.”
One factor in the upswing: The first patients to go back to the dentist after widespread stay-at-home orders were likely the most in need.
Also, before shutdowns, lockdowns and quarantines, “Your day had a rhythm to it,” American Dental Association spokesman Dr. Matthew Messina says. When that rhythm is interrupted, it’s easy to forget “simple little things like oral hygiene.”
Other factors leading to dental problems: Teeth grinding due to stress is probably up. Brushing and flossing are probably down as good habits slip and social outings decline. Routine cleanings have been put off.
Read the full report here.
New Cases
Public health officials on Thursday announced Illinois logged more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases for the third time in a week, but the state’s high testing capacity suggests that apparently high number isn’t cause for alarm.
Analysis & Commentary
2:30 p.m. Remote learning compounds longstanding challenges facing bilingual students like me
Sometimes it’s difficult to consider being bilingual an advantage.
The road to achieving what is seen as a powerful skill leaves a mark. For a Mexican like me, it’s imposter syndrome.
Picture laughter erupting from a second grade class after a non-English speaker can’t respond to a question like, “Is your birthday coming up?” Or a 9-year-old practicing the word “world” for two weeks because it will come up in conversation some way or another. Seriously. Try it. Your tongue does about four movements for a word with one syllable.
Read the full column by Ismael Perez here.
7:47 a.m. Rosh Hashanah livestreamed in COVID-19 era
The Jewish year of ... checking ... 5781 begins at sundown Friday, and is a reminder that the Chosen People are not newcomers at celebrating holidays during hard times. As grim as the COVID pandemic has been, it doesn’t hold a candle to Babylonian captivity or Roman persecution, the Inquisition or the Holocaust.
Not yet, anyway.
The business of maintaining Jewish identity, already under siege by modern life, is complicated in the Plague Year of 2020 as Judaism celebrates Rosh Hashanah — literally, “head of the year” — and then atones for sins in the year to come at Yom Kippur nine days later.
“This is an interesting year, unlike any other,” said Rabbi Steven Lowenstein, whom I called because his synagogue, Am Shalom of Glencoe, is one of many streaming high holiday services.
Read the full column by Neil Steinberg here.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--Spend every dollar available to ensure safe and secure elections in Illinois this fall

Illinois election officials must take advantage of every dollar available to them during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the upcoming vote goes as well as possible .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker last week sent a letter urging the Illinois State Board of Elections to distribute at least $ 4 million in federal aid to pay for additional secure mail-in ballot drop boxes and to recruit more election judges .
Secure drop boxes are needed for voters who get their ballots by mail but who worry the U.S .
Postal Service won ’ t deliver them on time to be counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 102 counties , only 54 election authorities have requested money for secure drop boxes , which require time to order and install .
He ’ s also concerned about recruiting enough election judges because many older people who traditionally served as judges may be afraid to expose themselves to COVID-19 .
Not everyone is on board with Pritzker ’ s request .
A lobbyist for the Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders reportedly said the organization ’ s members oppose spending the $ 4 million the way Pritzker wants .
ISBE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board meeting on Monday morning amid reported complaints in some quarters that it has been sitting on federal money that should be channeled to local election authorities .
Around the state , election authorities have been scrambling to hire staff , install secure drop boxes , recruit election judges and move polling places to areas such as school gyms where voters can keep a safe distance apart .
ISBE has distributed millions of dollars in response to grant requests to pay for those efforts , but some additional money remains unspent .
Local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still need to ensure a safe , secure and seamless election .
Then , they should hustle their grant requests while there is still time to spend the money before voting starts .
On Friday , on the first day of early voting in Virginia , some voters had to stand in line for up to four hours .
We don ’ t want to see that scene replayed all across Illinois .
Once the Nov. 3 election is over , we might find Illinois actually did more than was necessary to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that sure beats doing too little .

Illinois election officials must take advantage of every dollar available to them during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the upcoming vote goes as well as possible.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week sent a letter urging the Illinois State Board of Elections to distribute at least $4 million in federal aid to pay for additional secure mail-in ballot drop boxes and to recruit more election judges.
Editorials bug Editorials
Secure drop boxes are needed for voters who get their ballots by mail but who worry the U.S. Postal Service won’t deliver them on time to be counted.
Pritzker frets that in a state with 102 counties, only 54 election authorities have requested money for secure drop boxes, which require time to order and install. He’s also concerned about recruiting enough election judges because many older people who traditionally served as judges may be afraid to expose themselves to COVID-19.
Not everyone is on board with Pritzker’s request. A lobbyist for the Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders reportedly said the organization’s members oppose spending the $4 million the way Pritzker wants. ISBE will take up the issue at its board meeting on Monday morning amid reported complaints in some quarters that it has been sitting on federal money that should be channeled to local election authorities.
Around the state, election authorities have been scrambling to hire staff, install secure drop boxes, recruit election judges and move polling places to areas such as school gyms where voters can keep a safe distance apart. ISBE has distributed millions of dollars in response to grant requests to pay for those efforts, but some additional money remains unspent.
Local election authorities should be identifying whatever they still need to ensure a safe, secure and seamless election. Then, they should hustle their grant requests while there is still time to spend the money before voting starts.
Last week, on the first day of early voting in Virginia, some voters had to stand in line for up to four hours. We don’t want to see that scene replayed all across Illinois.
Throughout Illinois, election authorities will begin sending out mail-in ballots starting Thursday.
Once the Nov. 3 election is over, we might find Illinois actually did more than was necessary to ensure that no one was disenfranchised.
But that sure beats doing too little.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--In Uptown, the mosaics at 2 schools reflect the community and their missions

In Uptown , the mosaics at 2 schools reflect the community and their missions Share All sharing options for : In Uptown , the mosaics at 2 schools reflect the community and their missions Look closely at the colorful mosaic outside Uplift Community High School in Uptown , and you ’ ll see thousands of ceramic tiles that together form giant images of community activists and protesters .
There ’ s an image of a woman fighting , part of an indigenous Mexican social movement , a bandana covering her face , her wrists breaking free of their chains .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ face mask might be familiar today , given the Black Lives Matter gatherings of recent months .
But this artwork was created 10 years ago .
“ I think that , although it was birthed 10 years ago , unfortunately we live in a society that has not done its due diligence for justice , ” says Angela Clay , community engagement coordinator at Uplift , 900 W. Wilson Ave. “ Until that happens , that mural and that visual will continue to ring and resonate with people all over.
” Kamelia Hristeva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Movement , a not-for-profit that works to create public art across the city , was the lead artist working on the mosaic .
The images she helped create foreshadowed current events , she says , and also pay tribute to social justice movements that have been going on for years .
“ With the pandemic , that wasn ’ t the reason why she was wearing the bandana , ” Hristeva says .
“ But it ’ s almost foreshadowing .
These issues are not new issues .
These are issues a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have been fighting for decades.
” The wall is scattered with images of activists holding signs with quotations from Rosa Parks , Gandhi , Barack Obama and the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr .
The images of strong leaders should be an inspiration for students at Uplift , Clay says .
“ I think to see those leaders in just powerful faces every day is a constant reminder to them that they can one day obviously aspire to be like them , but they are actually on the right path to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
Social justice is part of the school ’ s mission .
It opened in 2004 after community members fought to get a high school .
“ The history goes back to a very , very tough fight for community members to claim stake in the ward , ” Clay says .
Nearby , the People ’ s Music School , 931 W. Eastwood Ave. , also features a mosaic , featuring music and musicians .
The school provides tuition-free music lessons to students whose families otherwise couldn ’ t afford them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , those lessons have had to go online .
The school ’ s staff uses the mosaic to bring a piece of the building to its virtual classrooms .
“ A lot of our staff uses the deck pictures for our backgrounds on Zoom because it just really lightens up that whole space , ” says Lilly Torres , the school ’ s associate director of community .
The ceramic mosaic , installed in 2012 , takes up three walls surrounding bleacher seating on an outdoor rooftop deck .
The pieces that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students playing instruments as sparkling musical notes pour from a globe .
Torres says the school had about 400 students participating in its virtual summer program , with more than that signed up for the fall .
The background tiles on the mosaic are shimmering yellows , blues and reds .
“ The light reflects off of it , ” Torres says , “ so it brightens up , like , that whole second floor because there ’ s a lot of yellows and glass and things up there.
” Like at Uplift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s past is reflected in the art .
The school opened in 1976 .
Images of the founders and former students are scattered throughout the mosaic , printed onto ceramic tiles .
“ You ’ ll see a lot of old pictures like the founder at the beginning , ” Torres says .
“ You ’ ll see staff and students and families.
” The People ’ s Music School mosaic also was overseen by Green Star Movement , which worked with Chicago ’ s After School Matters to offer Chicago Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s like to create art .
“ One of our goals is to not only beautify public space but give youth an opportunity to see what it ’ s like working and creating art for our communities , ” says Hristeva , who also was the lead artist for the People ’ s Music School mosaic .
“ They worked with me and the other artists to craft the design , ” Hristeva says .
“ They then cut tiles and placed the tiles .
They grouted it .
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Melissa Mister , After School Matters ’ chief program officer , says : “ When your project or presentation can be something lasting like a mural or a piece of public art or mosaic or something like that , that ’ s huge .
It means that everybody is going to be able to enjoy it for years to come.
” Click on the map below for a selection of Chicago-area murals

Look closely at the colorful mosaic outside Uplift Community High School in Uptown, and you’ll see thousands of ceramic tiles that together form giant images of community activists and protesters.
Chicago’s murals and mosaics sidebar Chicago’s murals & mosaics Part of a series on public art in the city and suburbs. More murals are added every week.
There’s an image of a woman demonstrating, part of an indigenous Mexican social movement, a bandana covering her face, her wrists breaking free of their chains.
The sight of a demonstrator in a face mask might be familiar today, given the Black Lives Matter gatherings of recent months. But this artwork was created 10 years ago.
“I think that, although it was birthed 10 years ago, unfortunately we live in a society that has not done its due diligence for justice,” says Angela Clay, community engagement coordinator at Uplift, 900 W. Wilson Ave. “Until that happens, that mural and that visual will continue to ring and resonate with people all over.”
Kamelia Hristeva, chief executive officer of Green Star Movement, a not-for-profit that works to create public art across the city, was the lead artist working on the mosaic. The images she helped create foreshadowed current events, she says, and also pay tribute to social justice movements that have been going on for years.
“With the pandemic, that wasn’t the reason why she was wearing the bandana,” Hristeva says. “But it’s almost foreshadowing. These issues are not new issues. These are issues a lot of communities, including the Uptown community, have been fighting for decades.”
The wall is scattered with images of activists holding signs with quotations from Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Barack Obama and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The images of strong leaders should be an inspiration for students at Uplift, Clay says.
“I think to see those leaders in just powerful faces every day is a constant reminder to them that they can one day obviously aspire to be like them, but they are actually on the right path to actually make a difference,” she says.
The Uplift Community High School mosaic includes images of the neighborhood, including the L’s Red Line. Green Star Movement
Social justice is part of the school’s mission. It opened in 2004 after community members fought to get a high school.
“The history goes back to a very, very tough fight for community members to claim stake in the ward,” Clay says.
Nearby, the People’s Music School, 931 W. Eastwood Ave., also features a mosaic, featuring music and musicians. The school provides tuition-free music lessons to students whose families otherwise couldn’t afford them.
Now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, those lessons have had to go online. The school’s staff uses the mosaic to bring a piece of the building to its virtual classrooms.
The mosaic at the People’s Music School focuses on music, featuring musicians and musical notes. Green Star Movement
“A lot of our staff uses the deck pictures for our backgrounds on Zoom because it just really lightens up that whole space,” says Lilly Torres, the school’s associate director of community.
The ceramic mosaic, installed in 2012, takes up three walls surrounding bleacher seating on an outdoor rooftop deck. The pieces that make up the mosaic form images of students playing instruments as sparkling musical notes pour from a globe.
Before the pandemic, students, staff and people from the neighboring community often could be found in the outdoor space at the People’s Music School. Green Star Movement
Torres says the school had about 400 students participating in its virtual summer program, with more than that signed up for the fall.
The background tiles on the mosaic are shimmering yellows, blues and reds.
“The light reflects off of it,” Torres says, “so it brightens up, like, that whole second floor because there’s a lot of yellows and glass and things up there.”
The mosaic at the People’s Music School features images of students playing instruments. Green Star Movement
Like at Uplift, the People’s Music School’s past is reflected in the art. The school opened in 1976. Images of the founders and former students are scattered throughout the mosaic, printed onto ceramic tiles.
“You’ll see a lot of old pictures like the founder at the beginning,” Torres says. “You’ll see staff and students and families.”
The artists used old photos provided by the People’s Music School to print directly onto tiles. Lilly Torres / People’s Music School
The People’s Music School mosaic also was overseen by Green Star Movement, which worked with Chicago’s After School Matters to offer Chicago Public Schools students a chance to experience what it’s like to create art.
“One of our goals is to not only beautify public space but give youth an opportunity to see what it’s like working and creating art for our communities,” says Hristeva, who also was the lead artist for the People’s Music School mosaic.
Kamelia Hristeva was the lead artist for the mosaics at the People’s Music School and Uplift Community High School. Provided
Thirty high school students took part.
“They worked with me and the other artists to craft the design,” Hristeva says. “They then cut tiles and placed the tiles. They grouted it. They were right next to us the whole time.”
Melissa Mister, After School Matters’ chief program officer, says: “When your project or presentation can be something lasting like a mural or a piece of public art or mosaic or something like that, that’s huge. It means that everybody is going to be able to enjoy it for years to come.”


chicagosun-times--2020-09-18--McCook police chief indicted in extortion scheme related to Jeff Tobolski case

The police chief of tiny west suburban McCook has been indicted in an extortion scheme related to the corruption case against the village ’ s former mayor , Jeff Tobolski .
Mario DePasquale has been charged with extortion , conspiracy to commit extortion and attempted extortion more than two weeks after Tobolski , also a former Cook County commissioner , admitted to his role in a scheme that involved an unnamed McCook police officer .
DePasquale ’ s name also appeared in search warrant documents one year ago when the feds targeted Tobolski ’ s mayoral offices amid a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately be reached for comment Friday evening , when the indictment was filed in federal court .
An attorney for DePasquale was not listed on the docket .
Tobolski pleaded guilty to an extortion conspiracy and filing a false tax return earlier this month , admitting he engaged in multiple extortion and bribery schemes involving his two offices and accepting more than $ 250,000 in payments “ as part of criminal activity that involved more than five participants.
” His plea agreement laid out the details of only one scheme , though — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DePasquale .
It involved a restaurant that signed a five-year deal with McCook in 2013 to use village property .
According to DePasquale ’ s indictment , he allegedly demanded one of the restaurant ’ s owners pay him and Tobolski $ 1,500 for each themed event the owner ’ s company wanted to host at the restaurant .
Tobolski and DePasquale allegedly planned for DePasquale to go to the restaurant on multiple occasions to collect money from the owner , and then the feds say the men split the cash .
DePasquale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contribute to Tobolski ’ s political campaign .
The owner did so to make sure DePasquale and Tobolski did not interfere with the restaurant , according to the indictment .
Though court records in the cases involving DePasquale and Tobolski have not named the restaurant , the feds also last year seized records related to a restaurant once known as The Pub at The Max — located inside a McCook-owned indoor sports complex .

The police chief of tiny west suburban McCook has been indicted in an extortion scheme related to the corruption case against the village’s former mayor, Jeff Tobolski.
Mario DePasquale has been charged with extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and attempted extortion more than two weeks after Tobolski, also a former Cook County commissioner, admitted to his role in a scheme that involved an unnamed McCook police officer.
Mario DePasquale Village of McCook Police Department
DePasquale’s name also appeared in search warrant documents one year ago when the feds targeted Tobolski’s mayoral offices amid a series of suburban raids.
DePasquale could not immediately be reached for comment Friday evening, when the indictment was filed in federal court. An attorney for DePasquale was not listed on the docket.
Tobolski pleaded guilty to an extortion conspiracy and filing a false tax return earlier this month, admitting he engaged in multiple extortion and bribery schemes involving his two offices and accepting more than $250,000 in payments “as part of criminal activity that involved more than five participants.”
His plea agreement laid out the details of only one scheme, though — the one the feds now allege involved DePasquale. It involved a restaurant that signed a five-year deal with McCook in 2013 to use village property.
According to DePasquale’s indictment, he allegedly demanded one of the restaurant’s owners pay him and Tobolski $1,500 for each themed event the owner’s company wanted to host at the restaurant. Tobolski and DePasquale allegedly planned for DePasquale to go to the restaurant on multiple occasions to collect money from the owner, and then the feds say the men split the cash.
DePasquale also allegedly told the restaurant owner to contribute to Tobolski’s political campaign. The owner did so to make sure DePasquale and Tobolski did not interfere with the restaurant, according to the indictment.
Though court records in the cases involving DePasquale and Tobolski have not named the restaurant, the feds also last year seized records related to a restaurant once known as The Pub at The Max — located inside a McCook-owned indoor sports complex.