chicagosun-times--2020-04-21--Wall Street ratings firm: COVID-19 could mean ‘long-term damage’ to already woeful Illinois finances

Wall Street ratings firm: COVID-19 could mean ‘long-term damage’ to already woeful Illinois finances (LIVE UPDATES)

Wall Street ratings firm : COVID-19 could mean ‘ long-term damage ’ to already woeful Illinois finances The coronavirus pandemic will “ exacerbate the already substantial financial challenges ” facing Illinois and “ could inflict some long-term damage ” to the state by the time it ’ s contained .
That ’ s according to a report released Tuesday by the credit ratings agency Moody ’ s , which earlier this month already affirmed the cash-strapped state ’ s rating at a notch above junk status and revised its outlook for Illinois from “ stable ” to “ negative.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view of the probable effects of the coronavirus pandemic , which will reduce tax collections and likely cause current-year pension investment losses , both of which would weigh more heavily on Illinois , given its existing weaknesses relative to other states , ” Moody ’ s report states .
“ Federal government support will mitigate some of the direct budgetary burden , but the state will face liquidity pressure that may lead it to near-term actions such as adding to its balance of unpaid bills .
The state is also increasingly likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in view of revenue shortfalls and growing health and social burdens.
” One potential action is an extension of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order that has ground the state economy nearly to a halt .
Pritzker is expected to extend that order later this week , keeping thousands of businesses closed — though it ’ s not clear for how long .
A $ 483 billion coronavirus aid package flew through the Senate on Tuesday after Congress and the White House reached a deal to replenish a small-business payroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and testing .
Passage was swift and unanimous , despite opposition from conservative Republicans .
President Donald Trump tweeted his support , pledging to sign it into law .
It now goes to the House , with votes set for Thursday .
“ I urge the House to pass the bill , ” Trump said at the White House .
After nearly two weeks of negotiations and deadlock , Congress and the White House reached agreement Tuesday on the nearly $ 500 billion package — the fourth as Washington strains to respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates urged the Chicago Housing Authority on Tuesday to open up its 2,000 vacant units to people experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic .
Their demands come as homeless shelters across the city fear becoming overwhelmed in the coming days as between 30 % and 45 % of people tested positive for the virus at some locations .
“ The CHA is doing a grave injustice for the homeless , and in our darkest hour they ’ re still dragging their feet , ” said Kevin Reynolds , a grassroots organizer with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been on the CHA waitlist for over three years .
...
So when I found out that CHA has over 1,800 available units that they ’ re just sitting on , it was like a slap in the face , ” Reynolds said during a news conference Tuesday .
“ Do they plan on ever filling these apartments ?
I understand there ’ s a vetting process , but in a time of crisis like this , placing the homeless in these units should be the top priority.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2,042 vacant units across its portfolio isn ’ t easy .
Around 900 of those units are scheduled for redevelopment and are not habitable , the agency said , while other vacant units are in the process of being rented out .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has already used an executive order to grant herself extraordinary spending and contracting powers during the coronavirus pandemic .
Now she ’ s asking the City Council ’ s Budget Committee to give her even more authority — even though aldermen have adopted rules allowing them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city business .
The mayor ’ s ordinance will be introduced directly to the Budget Committee in preparation for a vote on Tuesday and final sign-off Wednesday by the full Council .
It would give Budget Director Susie Park carte blanche to “ appropriate emergency-related funds from federal , state and other sources , establish new funding lines , consolidate funding lines and transfer or otherwise reallocate currently appropriated funds , including transfers between city departments ... to maximize effectiveness of the city response ” to the pandemic .
Chief Procurement Officer Shannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any contract or amendment to a contract as she deems necessary ” without requiring economic disclosure statements .
4:02 p.m. Fourth of July fireworks may be the next victim of coronavirus They are Fourth of July fireworks traditions that might be considerably muted this year as coronavirus concerns have led several suburbs to cancel patriotic pyrotechnic displays in what could prove to be a growing trend in the coming days and weeks .
“ It ’ s not something we wanted to do , ” Beecher President Greg Szymanski told the Chicago Sun-Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , hoping and praying we could still pull it off , but I think the writing was just on the wall.
” Public safety was the chief concern , but it was also not the right time to ask local businesses for money to pay for the event , which is entirely funded through sponsorships , Szymanski said .
The cancellation was announced Monday .
3:39 p.m. Pritzker : Trump ’ s rhetoric will lead to violence and death , ‘ and he should stop it ’ Gov .
J.B Pritzker on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fomenting some violence ” and stirring up protests that will lead to more COVID-19 deaths by urging states to “ liberate ” themselves from stay-at-home orders meant to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus .
Pritzker accused the president of resorting to a “ political maneuver in the middle of a national emergency.
” “ And he should stop it , ” Pritzker said .
A day after Trump said he ’ d issue guidance to the nation ’ s governors , the president on Friday tweeted “ LIBERATE MINNESOTA !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Protests to lift states ’ stay-at-home orders have drawn large crowds in a number of states , including Kentucky , Ohio , Michigan and California .
Pritzker on Tuesday joined a chorus of Democratic and Republican governors in criticizing Trump ’ s message on a Washington Post Live event with national political reporter Robert Costa .
2:40 p.m. 119 more die from COVID-19 in Illinois as death toll nears 1.5K Officials on Tuesday said another 119 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois as the state anticipates an extension of a stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have died from the outbreak .
There were also 1,551 new cases reported , bringing the state ’ s total of patients testing positive to 33,059 .
The virus was also confirmed in an additional county , with 96 of 102 counties now reporting cases .
There were 6,639 coronavirus tests conducted on Monday .
Hospitalizations , however , have remained relatively level , according to Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s office .
On Monday , there were 757 COVID-19 patients on ventilators and in intensive care units .
On Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritzker ’ s office said there were 13 fewer ICU beds occupied by coronavirus patients from Sunday to Monday .
2:25 p.m. Lightfoot says stay-at-home order could last well into June As the April 30 endpoint of the Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s extended stay-at-home order nears , and some city and state governments are in talks to lift similar shelter-in-place guidelines and reopen non-essential businesses , Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on a call with reporters Tuesday that she expects Chicago and Illinois to extend its quarantine procedures potentially into June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his daily coronavirus briefing Monday that Illinois ’ containment efforts have shown promise , but he asserted the state hasn ’ t “ quite hit the peak yet.
” “ And you won ’ t really know if you ’ ve hit the peak until you start to go down , ” the governor said .
The governor said some of the federal guidelines for re-opening the country “ are worth looking at , ” including the notion that getting past the peak equates to 14 days of numbers going down .
Lightfoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guided by the science ” and the advice of experts at the city ’ s Department of Public Health to tell her when there “ we have a comfort level ” coming out of this period .
“ The cases not only have to slow , as they have .
They have to decrease dramatically .
We haven ’ t seen that yet and we ’ re not near there .
We have to see a substantial drop in the number of overall ICU cases , particularly the percentage of ICU beds occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
Lightfoot also demanded “ much more widespread testing than what ’ s available right now , ” adding , ’ “ We need to build an infrastructure so that we can do extensive contract tracing.
” “ Those are the bare minimums .
And we ’ re not there on any of those metrics , ” she said “ I ’ ve made no secret of the fact that April 30 is , I think , no longer a viable date , ” the mayor said Tuesday , according to Block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extension of the stay at home order and the other orders that were put in place … to go through sometime in May .
It certainly could go into June , but June 30 is just kinda an outside marker.
” U.S. health regulators on Tuesday OK ’ d the first coronavirus test that allows people to collect their own sample at home , a new approach that could help expand testing options in most states .
The test from LabCorp will initially only be available to health care workers and first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The sample will still have to be shipped for processing back to LabCorp , which operates diagnostic labs throughout the U.S .
Allowing people to self-swab at home would help reduce infection risks for front-line health care workers and help conserve protective gear .
For the home test , people are initially screened with an online questionnaire .
If authorized by a physician , LabCorp will ship a testing kit to their home .
The kit includes cotton swabs , a collection tube , an insulated pouch and box to ship the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sample , a cotton swab is swirled in each nostril .
The test results are posted online to a secure company website .
The $ 119 test includes a kit with all necessary testing materials , two-way overnight shipping via FedEx , physician services from PWNHealth , and the testing of your sample LabCorp ’ s labs .
Watch LabCorp ’ s instructional video on how to self-swab at home : Read the full report about the new test here .
12:28 p.m. Doctors ask death penalty states to share execution drugs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some , it can cause severe illness , requiring them to be placed to ventilators to help them breathe .
Many medications used to sedate and immobilize people put on ventilators and to treat their pain are the same drugs that states use to put inmates to death .
Drugs being requested include the sedative midazolam , the paralytic vecuronium bromide and the opioid fentanyl .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient on a ventilator “ with no drugs ... would be torture , ” said Zivot , an associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Emory University in Atlanta who has studied medicine ’ s role in capital punishment .
States may be hesitant to turn over their drugs because they have had problems securing them as many pharmaceutical companies oppose their use in executions , said Robert Dunham , executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center .
10:40 a.m. Pritzker joins panel Tuesday on leadership during coronavirus , at odds with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has been publicly sparring with President Donald Trump since he began mobilizing Illinois ’ response to the coronavirus pandemic , will join Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer for a conversation moderated by the Washington Post Tuesday at 11:35 CST .
Click here to watch the live discussion , hosted by Washington Post political reporter Robert Costa .
After weeks of speculation over the fate of some of Chicago ’ s biggest summer festivals , the official word arrived Tuesday morning .
Out of an abundance of caution and adhering to state-mandated stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC , the following events have been canceled according to the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events ( DCASE ) : • 35th Chicago Gospel Music Festival , May 27–30 in Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center Also canceled is the new 18-day “ Chicago In Tune ” citywide celebration ( May 21–June 7 ) , which was billed as “ the signature program ” for the Year of Chicago Music .
Click here for more on summer festival cancellations .
8:48 a.m. National Spelling Bee canceled for first time since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spelling Bee has been canceled after organizers concluded there is “ no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020 ” because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The decision , announced by Scripps on Tuesday morning , means kids who are in eighth grade this year will miss their final opportunity to compete in the national finals .
Scripps will not change eligibility requirements for next year ’ s bee , which is scheduled for June 1-3 , 2021 , at its longtime venue , a convention center outside Washington .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids through the eighth grade .
7:50 a.m .
Mental health therapists seek help from Blue Cross Mental health therapists who contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois are pressuring the insurer to cover their telehealth services beyond April 30 , the current end of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order .
In an email to Blue Cross executives , they said extending the coverage deadline would reduce stress for their small businesses needing cash flow and for clients concerned about payment .
They said the pandemic and its required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are seeing many more cases of depression because social support is such a huge part of dealing with it , ” said Colleen Cira , executive director of the Cira Center for Behavioral Health in Chicago .
She said therapists are getting more cases involving suicidal thoughts , anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder , especially among health-care and other essential workers .
Cira said the email went to about 20 Blue Cross executives .
It was from her and 35 other leaders of mental health practices in the Chicago area that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A copy was provided to the Chicago Sun-Times .
Boeing and at least one other U.S. heavy-equipment manufacturer resumed production and some states rolled out aggressive reopening plans Monday , despite nationwide concerns there is not enough testing yet to keep the coronavirus from rebounding .
Some states — mostly Republican-led ones — have relaxed restrictions , and on Monday announced that they would take further steps to reopen their economies .
Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp announced that gyms , hair salons , bowling alleys and tattoo parlors were among businesses that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners followed strict social distancing and hygiene requirements .
But governors from many other states said they lacked the testing supplies they need and warned they could get hit by a second wave of infections , given how people with no symptoms can still spread the disease .
“ Who in this great state actually believes that they care more about jet skiing than saving the lives of the elderly or the vulnerable ?
” Democratic Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer remarked , referring to restrictions in place in her state .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual right to gather .
It ’ s about our parents ’ right to live.
” 6:26 a.m. Efforts outlined to bridge Chicago ’ s racial divide in coronavirus-related deaths Two weeks after declaring a “ public health red alarm , ” Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday outlined the immediate steps she has taken to prevent the coronavirus from continuing to kill African Americans at a rate four times higher than whites .
The mayor ’ s “ hyper-local , data-informed ” strategy will be focused , at least initially , on three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Shore .
The unprecedented outreach by Lightfoot ’ s so-called “ racial equity rapid response teams ” includes expanded testing and free distribution of 60,000 masks , 80,000 door hangers and 150,000 postcards .
The goal is to “ pro-actively reach ” African Americans at greatest risk of contracting the coronavirus because of their age , their underlying health conditions or the fact that they are “ essential ” employees who can not afford to stay safe at home .
To spread the message , the city is holding three , 90-minute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of the targeted neighborhoods .
South Shore is first — on Thursday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. — followed by Auburn Gresham from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Austin from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Read the full report from Fran Spielman here .
• Illinois health officials on Monday said another 59 people have died from the coronavirus .
There are also 1,151 new cases , bringing the state ’ s total to 31,508 positive cases .
• Chicago police announced Tuesday 50 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 , bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department to 365 .
• Another employee at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk ’ s office has tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the overall total to 20 .
• Two more inmates at Cook County Jail who tested positive for COVID-19 have died , the sheriff ’ s office announced Monday .
• A Cook County corrections officer has died after contracting COVID-19 , possibly the first jail guard to die from complications related to coronavirus , her relatives said .
Sheila Rivera , 47 , died Sunday at Resurrection Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 WNBA draft , Sky center Stefanie Dolson revealed on ESPN that her family tested positive for the coronavirus last month .
7:31 p.m. Would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help develop a vaccine ?
If you are young and healthy , would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help quickly develop a vaccine ?
With the pandemic sweeping the globe , it ’ s a reasonable question to be asking .
A group of 35 lawmakers , led by Reps. Bill Foster , D-Ill. , and Donna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food and Drug Administration to take more risks — including infecting humans — to shrink the time it takes to develop and approve a vaccine .
“ We are trying to give the FDA political cover to be somewhat more aggressive on the rapid rollout of vaccines than they would under normal circumstances , ” Foster told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday .
The “ typical ” approval time for vaccines of normal diseases is 18 months to several years .
Foster told me testing a COVID-19 vaccine using infected humans could cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Read Lynn Sweet ’ s column in its entirety here .
President Donald Trump ’ s announced plan to suspend immigration is anything but an honest response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
It is political opportunism at its worst .
It is Trump 101 — “ the wall ” — all over again .
It is ugly xenophobia .
We doubt it will work .
Only the hopelessly gullible will be taken in .
The coronavirus continues to spread across the country because of person-to-person contact among Americans , not because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and out of our country has largely dried up anyway , as a result of earlier restrictions imposed by the United States and many other countries .
But Trump has always wanted to shut down immigration , making exceptions for those who are wealthy , non-Muslim , highly skilled or his wife .
He and his thuggish adviser on immigration , Stephen Miller , see the pandemic as their chance .
It thrills his political base .
Given all that Trump and his administration have failed to do in the fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unconscionable , if entirely predictable .
Read the editorial by the Chicago-Sun-Times editorial board .
12:58 p.m. Muslims prepare for a Ramadan like no other The holiest month of the Islamic calendar begins with the sighting of the new moon — probably this Friday .
And just as earlier this month , when Jews faced the challenge of the Zoom Seder and Christians coped with Easter Mass celebrated in empty cathedrals , now Muslims prepare to enter a new world of social-distance Ramadan .
“ It ’ s going to be very interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer .
“ Muslims around the world are bracing for a Ramadan of the likes they ’ ve never seen or imagined before , ” said Salman Azam , a board member at the Downtown Islamic Center .
“ We watched our interfaith partners having Seders and Easter dinners virtually and it helped us get ideas for the breaking of the fast.
” The Ramadan dawn-to-darkness fast from eating and drinking is one of the five essential “ pillars of Islam , ” along with prayer , charity , pilgrimage , and declaration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken with a nighttime meal , called an “ iftar , ” a much-anticipated home-cooked feast eaten with friends and relations .
“ Ramadan is a time when communities and families gather in large numbers , ” said Ahmed Rehab , executive director of the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations .
“ That obviously is not going to happen this Ramadan.
” 12:01 p.m .
If we can beat a virus , we can beat climate change During this pandemic , we have seen reports of clearer skies , cleaner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less burning of fossil fuels .
Our planet seems to be demonstrating an ability to repair the damage we have caused , and faster than we might have expected .
Once the virus is under control , must we rush to reverse this progress , returning to an orgy of fossil-fuel consumption and the desecration of the oceans and land ?
Please , no !
Let ’ s do whatever it takes to maintain and build on this progress toward reversing climate change .
Read this and more letters from readers here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ featured the story of how the coronavirus savaged the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale , Louisiana .
On March 28 , Patrick Jones , 49 , serving a 27-year sentence for possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute , became the first federal inmate to die of the virus .
Barely three weeks later , seven inmates had died , at least 100 inmates and staff members had been infected , with more than 20 hospitalized — and an entire community terrorized .
The prisoners died , unreported , unknown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government that imprisoned them .
According to corrections officers there , the warden was slow to act , saying that “ we live in the South and it ’ s warm here .
We won ’ t have any problems , ” a haunting illustration of the dangers of loose rhetoric and tall tales from the president , amplified on social media .
The horrors of the Andover , New Jersey nursing home — with at least 70 residents dead and dozens more testing positive — has dramatized the vulnerability of the elderly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have died .
Our grossly overpopulated prisons and jails are quickly becoming the next centers to be ravaged by the disease .
Cook County Jail , the largest in the country , is already one of the nation ’ s largest sources of infections , with more confirmed cases than the USS Theodore Roosevelt or the New Rochelle , New York cluster .
Four inmates are dead and 215 have tested positive , as have 191 correctional officers and 34 other sheriff ’ s office employees .
One employee just died .

Illinoisans might not be going back to work in offices or eating out at restaurants any time soon. Both Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot said they expect the stay-at-home order to be extended into May — maybe even into June.
Here’s what went down today as the state continued to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
News
Governor J.B. Pritzker, along health officials give their daily update on the coronavirus situation in Illinois, Monday, April 13, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file
The coronavirus pandemic will “exacerbate the already substantial financial challenges” facing Illinois and “could inflict some long-term damage” to the state by the time it’s contained.
That’s according to a report released Tuesday by the credit ratings agency Moody’s, which earlier this month already affirmed the cash-strapped state’s rating at a notch above junk status and revised its outlook for Illinois from “stable” to “negative.”
“The negative outlook aligns with our view of the probable effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which will reduce tax collections and likely cause current-year pension investment losses, both of which would weigh more heavily on Illinois, given its existing weaknesses relative to other states,” Moody’s report states.
“Federal government support will mitigate some of the direct budgetary burden, but the state will face liquidity pressure that may lead it to near-term actions such as adding to its balance of unpaid bills. The state is also increasingly likely to take actions that worsen its long-term liabilities, in view of revenue shortfalls and growing health and social burdens.”
One potential action is an extension of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order that has ground the state economy nearly to a halt. Pritzker is expected to extend that order later this week, keeping thousands of businesses closed — though it’s not clear for how long.
Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout.
8:09 p.m. Would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help develop a vaccine?
If you are young and healthy, would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help quickly develop a vaccine? With the pandemic sweeping the globe, it’s a reasonable question to be asking.
A group of 35 lawmakers, led by Reps. Bill Foster, D-Ill., and Donna Shalala, D-Fla., are urging the Food and Drug Administration to take more risks — including infecting humans — to shrink the time it takes to develop and approve a vaccine.
“We are trying to give the FDA political cover to be somewhat more aggressive on the rapid rollout of vaccines than they would under normal circumstances,” Foster told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.
The “typical” approval time for vaccines of normal diseases is 18 months to several years. Foster told me testing a COVID-19 vaccine using infected humans could cut that time to two or three months.
Foster, a physicist, and Shalala, who served as Health and Human Services Secretary under former President Bill Clinton, laid out the case for rethinking the risk/benefit ratio involved in COVID-19 human drug testing in a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn.
Reporter Lynn Sweet has the full story.
7:00 p.m. Senate approves $483B coronavirus aid bill
A $483 billion coronavirus aid package flew through the Senate on Tuesday after Congress and the White House reached a deal to replenish a small-business payroll fund and provided new money for hospitals and testing.
Passage was swift and unanimous, despite opposition from conservative Republicans. President Donald Trump tweeted his support, pledging to sign it into law. It now goes to the House, with votes set for Thursday.
“I urge the House to pass the bill,” Trump said at the White House.
After nearly two weeks of negotiations and deadlock, Congress and the White House reached agreement Tuesday on the nearly $500 billion package — the fourth as Washington strains to respond to the health and economic crisis.
Read the full report here.
5:52 p.m. Homeless urge CHA to open vacant public housing units during coronavirus crisis
Housing advocates urged the Chicago Housing Authority on Tuesday to open up its 2,000 vacant units to people experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic.
Their demands come as homeless shelters across the city fear becoming overwhelmed in the coming days as between 30% and 45% of people tested positive for the virus at some locations.
“The CHA is doing a grave injustice for the homeless, and in our darkest hour they’re still dragging their feet,” said Kevin Reynolds, a grassroots organizer with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
“I’ve been on the CHA waitlist for over three years. ... So when I found out that CHA has over 1,800 available units that they’re just sitting on, it was like a slap in the face,” Reynolds said during a news conference Tuesday.
“Do they plan on ever filling these apartments? I understand there’s a vetting process, but in a time of crisis like this, placing the homeless in these units should be the top priority.”
The Chicago Housing Authority said Tuesday filling up the 2,042 vacant units across its portfolio isn’t easy. Around 900 of those units are scheduled for redevelopment and are not habitable, the agency said, while other vacant units are in the process of being rented out.
Read the full story by Carlos Ballesteros.
4:50 p.m. Lightfoot seeks expanded emergency spending and procurement powers during pandemic
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has already used an executive order to grant herself extraordinary spending and contracting powers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Now she’s asking the City Council’s Budget Committee to give her even more authority — even though aldermen have adopted rules allowing them to hold virtual Council meetings to conduct substantive city business.
The mayor’s ordinance will be introduced directly to the Budget Committee in preparation for a vote on Tuesday and final sign-off Wednesday by the full Council.
It would give Budget Director Susie Park carte blanche to “appropriate emergency-related funds from federal, state and other sources, establish new funding lines, consolidate funding lines and transfer or otherwise reallocate currently appropriated funds, including transfers between city departments ... to maximize effectiveness of the city response” to the pandemic.
Chief Procurement Officer Shannon Andrews would be empowered to “enter any contract or amendment to a contract as she deems necessary” without requiring economic disclosure statements.
Read the full story by Fran Spielman.
4:02 p.m. Fourth of July fireworks may be the next victim of coronavirus
Booms accompanied by ooohs and ahhhs.
They are Fourth of July fireworks traditions that might be considerably muted this year as coronavirus concerns have led several suburbs to cancel patriotic pyrotechnic displays in what could prove to be a growing trend in the coming days and weeks.
“It’s not something we wanted to do,” Beecher President Greg Szymanski told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday. “We were holding out, hoping and praying we could still pull it off, but I think the writing was just on the wall.”
Public safety was the chief concern, but it was also not the right time to ask local businesses for money to pay for the event, which is entirely funded through sponsorships, Szymanski said. The cancellation was announced Monday.
Read the full story by Mitch Dudek.
3:39 p.m. Pritzker: Trump’s rhetoric will lead to violence and death, ‘and he should stop it’
Gov. J.B Pritzker on Tuesday said President Donald Trump is “fomenting some violence” and stirring up protests that will lead to more COVID-19 deaths by urging states to “liberate” themselves from stay-at-home orders meant to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Pritzker accused the president of resorting to a “political maneuver in the middle of a national emergency.”
“And he should stop it,” Pritzker said.
A day after Trump said he’d issue guidance to the nation’s governors, the president on Friday tweeted “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” Similar tweets about Michigan and Virginia followed. Protests to lift states’ stay-at-home orders have drawn large crowds in a number of states, including Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and California.
Pritzker on Tuesday joined a chorus of Democratic and Republican governors in criticizing Trump’s message on a Washington Post Live event with national political reporter Robert Costa.
2:40 p.m. 119 more die from COVID-19 in Illinois as death toll nears 1.5K
Officials on Tuesday said another 119 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois as the state anticipates an extension of a stay-at-home order.
In total, 1,468 people have died from the outbreak. There were also 1,551 new cases reported, bringing the state’s total of patients testing positive to 33,059.
The virus was also confirmed in an additional county, with 96 of 102 counties now reporting cases. There were 6,639 coronavirus tests conducted on Monday.
Hospitalizations, however, have remained relatively level, according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office. On Monday, there were 757 COVID-19 patients on ventilators and in intensive care units. On Sunday, there were 781 patients using ventilators. Pritzker’s office said there were 13 fewer ICU beds occupied by coronavirus patients from Sunday to Monday.
Read the full story by Tina Sfondeles.
2:25 p.m. Lightfoot says stay-at-home order could last well into June
As the April 30 endpoint of the Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s extended stay-at-home order nears, and some city and state governments are in talks to lift similar shelter-in-place guidelines and reopen non-essential businesses, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on a call with reporters Tuesday that she expects Chicago and Illinois to extend its quarantine procedures potentially into June.
Lightfoot says she expects stay at home order to go deep into May and it might even go into June. "We have to see a lot of things in place before we're gonna have a comfort level" to return to some semblance of normalcy. — Fran Spielman (@fspielman) April 21, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at his daily coronavirus briefing Monday that Illinois’ containment efforts have shown promise, but he asserted the state hasn’t “quite hit the peak yet.”
“And you won’t really know if you’ve hit the peak until you start to go down,” the governor said.
The governor said some of the federal guidelines for re-opening the country “are worth looking at,” including the notion that getting past the peak equates to 14 days of numbers going down.
Lightfoot said Tuesday that she would be “guided by the science” and the advice of experts at the city’s Department of Public Health to tell her when there “we have a comfort level” coming out of this period.
“The cases not only have to slow, as they have. They have to decrease dramatically. We haven’t seen that yet and we’re not near there. We have to see a substantial drop in the number of overall ICU cases, particularly the percentage of ICU beds occupied by COVID positive” or suspected COVID cases.
Lightfoot also demanded “much more widespread testing than what’s available right now,” adding,’ “We need to build an infrastructure so that we can do extensive contract tracing.”
“Those are the bare minimums. And we’re not there on any of those metrics,” she said
“I’ve made no secret of the fact that April 30 is, I think, no longer a viable date,” the mayor said Tuesday, according to Block Club Chicago. “I would expect an extension of the stay at home order and the other orders that were put in place … to go through sometime in May. It certainly could go into June, but June 30 is just kinda an outside marker.”
— Fran Spielman
12:41 p.m. FDA approves first at-home COVID-19 test
U.S. health regulators on Tuesday OK’d the first coronavirus test that allows people to collect their own sample at home, a new approach that could help expand testing options in most states.
The test from LabCorp will initially only be available to health care workers and first responders under a doctor’s orders. The sample will still have to be shipped for processing back to LabCorp, which operates diagnostic labs throughout the U.S.
Allowing people to self-swab at home would help reduce infection risks for front-line health care workers and help conserve protective gear.
For the home test, people are initially screened with an online questionnaire. If authorized by a physician, LabCorp will ship a testing kit to their home. The kit includes cotton swabs, a collection tube, an insulated pouch and box to ship the specimen back to LabCorp. To take a sample, a cotton swab is swirled in each nostril. The test results are posted online to a secure company website.
The $119 test includes a kit with all necessary testing materials, two-way overnight shipping via FedEx, physician services from PWNHealth, and the testing of your sample LabCorp’s labs.
Watch LabCorp’s instructional video on how to self-swab at home:
Read the full report about the new test here.
12:28 p.m. Doctors ask death penalty states to share execution drugs for use in COVID-19 treatment
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some, it can cause severe illness, requiring them to be placed to ventilators to help them breathe.
Many medications used to sedate and immobilize people put on ventilators and to treat their pain are the same drugs that states use to put inmates to death.
Drugs being requested include the sedative midazolam, the paralytic vecuronium bromide and the opioid fentanyl. They’re needed because putting a patient on a ventilator “with no drugs ... would be torture,” said Zivot, an associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Emory University in Atlanta who has studied medicine’s role in capital punishment.
States may be hesitant to turn over their drugs because they have had problems securing them as many pharmaceutical companies oppose their use in executions, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.
Read the full report here.
10:40 a.m. Pritzker joins panel Tuesday on leadership during coronavirus, at odds with Trump
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has been publicly sparring with President Donald Trump since he began mobilizing Illinois’ response to the coronavirus pandemic, will join Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for a conversation moderated by the Washington Post Tuesday at 11:35 CST.
They are leaders in America’s heartland, battling the global pandemic. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is facing massive demonstrations against her stay-at-home executive order. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is at odds with the federal government, saying he has given up on help from the Trump administration.
Click here to watch the live discussion, hosted by Washington Post political reporter Robert Costa.
9:46 a.m. City of Chicago cancels early summer music festivals, parades
After weeks of speculation over the fate of some of Chicago’s biggest summer festivals, the official word arrived Tuesday morning.
Out of an abundance of caution and adhering to state-mandated stay-at-home guidelines and social distancing guidelines from the CDC, the following events have been canceled according to the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE):
4th annual Chicago House Music Conference & Festival, May 21–24, various venues
Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremony, May 23
35th Chicago Gospel Music Festival, May 27–30 in Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center
37th annual Chicago Blues Festival, June 5-7 in Millennium Park
Also canceled is the new 18-day “Chicago In Tune” citywide celebration (May 21–June 7), which was billed as “the signature program” for the Year of Chicago Music.
Click here for more on summer festival cancellations.
8:48 a.m. National Spelling Bee canceled for first time since 1945
This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee has been canceled after organizers concluded there is “no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020” because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision, announced by Scripps on Tuesday morning, means kids who are in eighth grade this year will miss their final opportunity to compete in the national finals. Scripps will not change eligibility requirements for next year’s bee, which is scheduled for June 1-3, 2021, at its longtime venue, a convention center outside Washington. The bee has always been open to kids through the eighth grade.
Read the full report here.
7:50 a.m. Mental health therapists seek help from Blue Cross
Mental health therapists who contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois are pressuring the insurer to cover their telehealth services beyond April 30, the current end of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.
In an email to Blue Cross executives, they said extending the coverage deadline would reduce stress for their small businesses needing cash flow and for clients concerned about payment. They said the pandemic and its required isolation are exacerbating mental health issues.
“We are seeing many more cases of depression because social support is such a huge part of dealing with it,” said Colleen Cira, executive director of the Cira Center for Behavioral Health in Chicago. She said therapists are getting more cases involving suicidal thoughts, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, especially among health-care and other essential workers.
Cira said the email went to about 20 Blue Cross executives. It was from her and 35 other leaders of mental health practices in the Chicago area that together employ more than 250 therapists. A copy was provided to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Read more from reporter David Roeder.
6:54 a.m. Some states begin loosening restrictions, reopening hair salons, bowling alleys, tattoo shops
Boeing and at least one other U.S. heavy-equipment manufacturer resumed production and some states rolled out aggressive reopening plans Monday, despite nationwide concerns there is not enough testing yet to keep the coronavirus from rebounding.
Some states — mostly Republican-led ones — have relaxed restrictions, and on Monday announced that they would take further steps to reopen their economies.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and tattoo parlors were among businesses that could reopen Friday, as long as owners followed strict social distancing and hygiene requirements.
But governors from many other states said they lacked the testing supplies they need and warned they could get hit by a second wave of infections, given how people with no symptoms can still spread the disease.
“Who in this great state actually believes that they care more about jet skiing than saving the lives of the elderly or the vulnerable?” Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer remarked, referring to restrictions in place in her state. “This action isn’t about our individual right to gather. It’s about our parents’ right to live.”
Read the full report here.
6:26 a.m. Efforts outlined to bridge Chicago’s racial divide in coronavirus-related deaths
Two weeks after declaring a “public health red alarm,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday outlined the immediate steps she has taken to prevent the coronavirus from continuing to kill African Americans at a rate four times higher than whites.
The mayor’s “hyper-local, data-informed” strategy will be focused, at least initially, on three hard-hit neighborhoods: Austin, Auburn-Gresham and South Shore.
The unprecedented outreach by Lightfoot’s so-called “racial equity rapid response teams” includes expanded testing and free distribution of 60,000 masks, 80,000 door hangers and 150,000 postcards.
The goal is to “pro-actively reach” African Americans at greatest risk of contracting the coronavirus because of their age, their underlying health conditions or the fact that they are “essential” employees who cannot afford to stay safe at home.
To spread the message, the city is holding three, 90-minute telephone town hall meetings, one in each of the targeted neighborhoods. South Shore is first — on Thursday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. — followed by Auburn Gresham from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Austin from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Read the full report from Fran Spielman here.
New Cases
Analysis & Commentary
7:31 p.m. Would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help develop a vaccine?
If you are young and healthy, would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help quickly develop a vaccine? With the pandemic sweeping the globe, it’s a reasonable question to be asking.
A group of 35 lawmakers, led by Reps. Bill Foster, D-Ill., and Donna Shalala, D-Fla., are urging the Food and Drug Administration to take more risks — including infecting humans — to shrink the time it takes to develop and approve a vaccine.
“We are trying to give the FDA political cover to be somewhat more aggressive on the rapid rollout of vaccines than they would under normal circumstances,” Foster told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.
The “typical” approval time for vaccines of normal diseases is 18 months to several years. Foster told me testing a COVID-19 vaccine using infected humans could cut that time to two or three months.
Read Lynn Sweet’s column in its entirety here.
6:26 p.m. Trump’s feeble plan to beat COVID-19? Scapegoat immigrants
President Donald Trump’s announced plan to suspend immigration is anything but an honest response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is political opportunism at its worst. It is Trump 101 — “the wall” — all over again. It is ugly xenophobia.
We doubt it will work. Only the hopelessly gullible will be taken in.
The coronavirus continues to spread across the country because of person-to-person contact among Americans, not because of an influx of diseased immigrants. Travel in and out of our country has largely dried up anyway, as a result of earlier restrictions imposed by the United States and many other countries.
But Trump has always wanted to shut down immigration, making exceptions for those who are wealthy, non-Muslim, highly skilled or his wife. He and his thuggish adviser on immigration, Stephen Miller, see the pandemic as their chance. It thrills his political base.
Given all that Trump and his administration have failed to do in the fight against the coronavirus, this latest foolishness is unconscionable, if entirely predictable.
Read the editorial by the Chicago-Sun-Times editorial board.
12:58 p.m. Muslims prepare for a Ramadan like no other
The holiest month of the Islamic calendar begins with the sighting of the new moon — probably this Friday. And just as earlier this month, when Jews faced the challenge of the Zoom Seder and Christians coped with Easter Mass celebrated in empty cathedrals, now Muslims prepare to enter a new world of social-distance Ramadan.
“It’s going to be very interesting,” said Nabeela Rasheed, a lawyer.
“Muslims around the world are bracing for a Ramadan of the likes they’ve never seen or imagined before,” said Salman Azam, a board member at the Downtown Islamic Center. “We watched our interfaith partners having Seders and Easter dinners virtually and it helped us get ideas for the breaking of the fast.”
The Ramadan dawn-to-darkness fast from eating and drinking is one of the five essential “pillars of Islam,” along with prayer, charity, pilgrimage, and declaration of faith. The fast is usually broken with a nighttime meal, called an “iftar,” a much-anticipated home-cooked feast eaten with friends and relations.
“Ramadan is a time when communities and families gather in large numbers,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “That obviously is not going to happen this Ramadan.”
Read more from columnist Neil Steinberg.
12:01 p.m. If we can beat a virus, we can beat climate change
During this pandemic, we have seen reports of clearer skies, cleaner air and even fresher water due to less burning of fossil fuels. Our planet seems to be demonstrating an ability to repair the damage we have caused, and faster than we might have expected.
Once the virus is under control, must we rush to reverse this progress, returning to an orgy of fossil-fuel consumption and the desecration of the oceans and land? Please, no! Let’s do whatever it takes to maintain and build on this progress toward reversing climate change.
Read this and more letters from readers here.
6:08 a.m. Coronavirus has made incarceration a potential death sentence
This week, the New York Times featured the story of how the coronavirus savaged the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale, Louisiana. On March 28, Patrick Jones, 49, serving a 27-year sentence for possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, became the first federal inmate to die of the virus.
Barely three weeks later, seven inmates had died, at least 100 inmates and staff members had been infected, with more than 20 hospitalized — and an entire community terrorized. The prisoners died, unreported, unknown, their bodies essentially owned by the federal government that imprisoned them.
According to corrections officers there, the warden was slow to act, saying that “we live in the South and it’s warm here. We won’t have any problems,” a haunting illustration of the dangers of loose rhetoric and tall tales from the president, amplified on social media.
The horrors of the Andover, New Jersey nursing home — with at least 70 residents dead and dozens more testing positive — has dramatized the vulnerability of the elderly in nursing homes, where over 7,000 have died. Our grossly overpopulated prisons and jails are quickly becoming the next centers to be ravaged by the disease.
Cook County Jail, the largest in the country, is already one of the nation’s largest sources of infections, with more confirmed cases than the USS Theodore Roosevelt or the New Rochelle, New York cluster. Four inmates are dead and 215 have tested positive, as have 191 correctional officers and 34 other sheriff’s office employees. One employee just died.
Read Rev. Jesse Jackson’s full column here.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-21--‘Last Dance’ reminds us of end of Bulls’ dynasty, but where was the outcry when it happened?

If you watched the first two episodes of ‘ ‘ The Last Dance ’ ’ documentary about Michael Jordan and the Bulls on Sunday on ESPN , you likely had a lot of thoughts , reflections and emotions stirred up .
But here ’ s the takeaway that , when the screen went dark and your pondering set in , had to hit you like a hammer between the eyes : ‘ ‘ Why was this the last dance ?
’ ’ Why was this the end ?
What in the world ?
The Jordan-led Bulls were on their way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight seasons , and it had been stated before the first game was played that this would be the end of the road for the whole shebang .
General manager Jerry Krause had declared coach Phil Jackson was out .
Because of that , Jordan was out .
Scottie Pippen hated Krause so much by the end that he was more gone than gone .
Loose-screw rebounding genius Dennis Rodman would have no value on a decimated team , so he was gone .
So were Steve Kerr , Luc Longley , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benny the Bull wasn ’ t sent packing , giant bags of popcorn in tow .
Think about it .
Here was Jordan , the greatest player in the history of the game , with the most dominant team of the modern era ( I don ’ t include the old Bill Russell/Red Auerbach Celtics because of salaries , fewer teams , draft issues , etc . )
, yet the decision had been made to play one more season and cast it all to the wind .
The powers that be were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more precisely , they had put a price on that continued success — a price they were unwilling to pay .
Even Bulls fans seemed to have grown oddly sated or , maybe predictably , bored with the sameness that came with being the best .
I remember this well , and I never will forget it : There were hosts on Chicago sports radio talking about how fun and exciting a rebuild would be .
They were tired of the soap opera that came with the dynamic of being the best team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason to this , to which any critic can say : So how has that rebuild worked out some two decades later ?
There are lessons here for all of us .
What would you think now if the Bulls dumped a Hall of Fame coach , such as Jackson , for an untested college coach who liked to fish with the GM ?
Might there be insurrection ?
Might fans question the sanity of management ?
Back then , however , there wasn ’ t that much resistance .
Six championships in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Viewing is passive .
But to keep winning , Jordan had to live in a fury .
Of course , he was tired of the pressure .
Of course , he had enemies ( Krause being No .
1 ) .
Of course , he was aging .
He would turn 35 during the 1997-98 season , the same age LeBron James is now .
( Think James is done ? )
And remember , too , that he got so itchy for the game that he came back at 38 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wouldn ’ t Chicagoans have preferred to see the nucleus of Jackson , Jordan , Pippen , Rodman , Toni Kukoc , Ron Harper and Kerr fade slowly into the sunset rather than detonate ?
Maybe .
Maybe not .
It will take all 10 episodes of ‘ ‘ The Last Dance ’ ’ to explain how and why this happened .
Some viewers might say that it had to happen , that a certain critical mass of destructiveness had been achieved and that this ending was more like a lit fuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talent .
If you pay attention , you will see the breakup of the dynasty ultimately comes down to the ever-so-human issues of respect , will , power , anger , greed , vindictiveness and , above all , pride .
Great playwrights and novelists would have loved this assembled cast .
Who needs King Lear when you ’ ve got Jerry Reinsdorf ?
Luke Skywalker when you have Jordan ?
Gollum when you have Krause ?
We can look back and marvel .
We can see the greatness on display and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As with a mirror , what we see finally will be ourselves , reflected darkly .

If you watched the first two episodes of ‘‘The Last Dance’’ documentary about Michael Jordan and the Bulls on Sunday on ESPN, you likely had a lot of thoughts, reflections and emotions stirred up.
But here’s the takeaway that, when the screen went dark and your pondering set in, had to hit you like a hammer between the eyes: ‘‘Why was this the last dance?’’
Why was this the end?
What in the world?
The Jordan-led Bulls were on their way to winning their sixth NBA championship in eight seasons, and it had been stated before the first game was played that this would be the end of the road for the whole shebang.
General manager Jerry Krause had declared coach Phil Jackson was out. Because of that, Jordan was out. Scottie Pippen hated Krause so much by the end that he was more gone than gone. Loose-screw rebounding genius Dennis Rodman would have no value on a decimated team, so he was gone. So were Steve Kerr, Luc Longley, even Jud Buechler. It was surprising that Benny the Bull wasn’t sent packing, giant bags of popcorn in tow.
Think about it.
Here was Jordan, the greatest player in the history of the game, with the most dominant team of the modern era (I don’t include the old Bill Russell/Red Auerbach Celtics because of salaries, fewer teams, draft issues, etc.), yet the decision had been made to play one more season and cast it all to the wind.
The powers that be were essentially tired of winning. Or, more precisely, they had put a price on that continued success — a price they were unwilling to pay.
Even Bulls fans seemed to have grown oddly sated or, maybe predictably, bored with the sameness that came with being the best.
I remember this well, and I never will forget it: There were hosts on Chicago sports radio talking about how fun and exciting a rebuild would be. They were tired of the soap opera that came with the dynamic of being the best team anywhere.
There was an element of reason to this, to which any critic can say: So how has that rebuild worked out some two decades later?
There are lessons here for all of us. What would you think now if the Bulls dumped a Hall of Fame coach, such as Jackson, for an untested college coach who liked to fish with the GM? Might there be an insurrection? Might fans question the sanity of management? Back then, however, there wasn’t that much resistance.
Six championships in eight years can do that to you. Viewing is passive. But to keep winning, Jordan had to live in a fury.
Of course, he was tired of the pressure. Of course, he had enemies (Krause being No. 1). Of course, he was aging. He would turn 35 during the 1997-98 season, the same age LeBron James is now. (Think James is done?) And remember, too, that he got so itchy for the game that he came back at 38 and played two more seasons for the Wizards.
Wouldn’t Chicagoans have preferred to see the nucleus of Jackson, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper and Kerr fade slowly into the sunset rather than detonate?
Maybe. Maybe not.
It will take all 10 episodes of ‘‘The Last Dance’’ to explain how and why this happened. Some viewers might say that it had to happen, that a certain critical mass of destructiveness had been achieved and that this ending was more like a lit fuse reaching its payload than an offloading of talent.
If you pay attention, you will see the breakup of the dynasty ultimately comes down to the ever-so-human issues of respect, will, power, anger, greed, vindictiveness and, above all, pride.
Great playwrights and novelists would have loved this assembled cast. Who needs King Lear when you’ve got Jerry Reinsdorf? Luke Skywalker when you have Jordan? Gollum when you have Krause?
We can look back and marvel. We can see the greatness on display and the sadness of the end drawing near. As with a mirror, what we see finally will be ourselves, reflected darkly.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-21--Would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help develop a vaccine?

If you are young and healthy , would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help quickly develop a vaccine ?
With the pandemic sweeping the globe , it ’ s a reasonable question to be asking .
A group of 35 lawmakers , led by Reps. Bill Foster , D-Ill. , and Donna Shalala , D-Fla. , are urging the Food and Drug Administration to take more risks — including infecting humans — to shrink the time it takes to develop and approve a vaccine .
“ We are trying to give the FDA political cover to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of vaccines than they would under normal circumstances , ” Foster told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday .
The “ typical ” approval time for vaccines of normal diseases is 18 months to several years .
Foster told me testing a COVID-19 vaccine using infected humans could cut that time to two or three months .
Foster , a physicist , and Shalala , who served as Health and Human Services Secretary under former President Bill Clinton , laid out the case for rethinking the risk/benefit ratio involved in COVID-19 human drug testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azar and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn .
They want the FDA to embrace “ expedited procedures for testing , approval and use of COVID-19 vaccines.
” The pandemic , Foster and Shalala said in their letter , means a reevaluation of the “ essential tradeoff ” of having new drugs quickly — even if “ the effectiveness and side effects ” are “ not fully known at the time of deployment.
” In normal times , infecting human subjects to develop a drug is controversial , and while it has been done , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is intended to let the FDA know that Congress — or at least 35 House members — will have their back .
The 35 included two Republicans and a total of five Illinois Democrats : Foster , Sean Casten , Danny Davis , Bobby Rush and Jesus “ Chuy ” Garcia .
“ We write to assure you that Congress understands that a more risk-tolerant development process is likely appropriate in the case of a COVID-19 vaccine , ” the letter said .
They suggest running two vaccine trials in parallel : One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not involving infecting anyone while at the same time “ deliberately infecting volunteers.
” Some infected volunteers would receive a vaccine ; others a placebos .
“ We urge you to consider these and other options , provided they proceed with the principle of informed consent of truly voluntary subjects and backed by the best available science.
” Any volunteer would head into a test knowing there is no widely accepted cure for COVID-19 .
“ There is no zero risk path here , ” Foster told me .
Still , “ Anytime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a risk.
” The discussion of infecting humans is done in the context that COVID-19 “ is a fire burning through the developed world right now and very soon the developing world , ” Foster said .
“ ...
So the benefits of getting a vaccine approve early is enormous.
” An article in the April 3 edition of “ Science ” considered the ethics of using human volunteers to speed a vaccine .
Seema Shah , a bioethicist at Northwestern University , noted her “ misgivings ” in the article and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the volunteers were people already ‘ trained to take on these risks , ’ like health care workers.
” She added , “ If we ’ re going to say we ’ re making an exception to the standard way we do things , then we really have to get that right.
” Foster , from Naperville , who represents the 11th Congressional District , said young and healthy volunteers would be recruited because they would have a “ low probability of dying ” in a controlled testing situation .
Also , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so you can actually resolve some of these issues , why is it African-Americans are dying at a much higher rate.
” The volunteers would have “ state of the art medical care ” if they got sick .
Said Foster , “ It ’ s very much like the military , asking for volunteers for a very dangerous mission.
” The COVID-19 vaccine volunteers “ will be heroes to humanity and they will be responsible for saving thousands and maybe millions of lives .
”

If you are young and healthy, would you volunteer to be infected with COVID-19 to help quickly develop a vaccine? With the pandemic sweeping the globe, it’s a reasonable question to be asking.
A group of 35 lawmakers, led by Reps. Bill Foster, D-Ill., and Donna Shalala, D-Fla., are urging the Food and Drug Administration to take more risks — including infecting humans — to shrink the time it takes to develop and approve a vaccine.
“We are trying to give the FDA political cover to be somewhat more aggressive on the rapid rollout of vaccines than they would under normal circumstances,” Foster told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.
The “typical” approval time for vaccines of normal diseases is 18 months to several years. Foster told me testing a COVID-19 vaccine using infected humans could cut that time to two or three months.
Foster, a physicist, and Shalala, who served as Health and Human Services Secretary under former President Bill Clinton, laid out the case for rethinking the risk/benefit ratio involved in COVID-19 human drug testing in a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn.
They want the FDA to embrace “expedited procedures for testing, approval and use of COVID-19 vaccines.”
The pandemic, Foster and Shalala said in their letter, means a reevaluation of the “essential tradeoff” of having new drugs quickly — even if “the effectiveness and side effects” are “not fully known at the time of deployment.”
In normal times, infecting human subjects to develop a drug is controversial, and while it has been done, it is rare. The Foster/Shalala letter is intended to let the FDA know that Congress — or at least 35 House members — will have their back.
The 35 included two Republicans and a total of five Illinois Democrats: Foster, Sean Casten, Danny Davis, Bobby Rush and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
“We write to assure you that Congress understands that a more risk-tolerant development process is likely appropriate in the case of a COVID-19 vaccine,” the letter said.
They suggest running two vaccine trials in parallel: One, the time consuming traditional way, not involving infecting anyone while at the same time “deliberately infecting volunteers.” Some infected volunteers would receive a vaccine; others a placebos.
“We urge you to consider these and other options, provided they proceed with the principle of informed consent of truly voluntary subjects and backed by the best available science.”
Any volunteer would head into a test knowing there is no widely accepted cure for COVID-19. “There is no zero risk path here,” Foster told me. Still, “Anytime any new drug is approved there’s a risk.”
The discussion of infecting humans is done in the context that COVID-19 “is a fire burning through the developed world right now and very soon the developing world,” Foster said. “...So the benefits of getting a vaccine approve early is enormous.”
An article in the April 3 edition of “Science” considered the ethics of using human volunteers to speed a vaccine.
Seema Shah, a bioethicist at Northwestern University, noted her “misgivings” in the article and said they could be addressed if “the volunteers were people already ‘trained to take on these risks,’ like health care workers.”
She added, “If we’re going to say we’re making an exception to the standard way we do things, then we really have to get that right.”
Foster, from Naperville, who represents the 11th Congressional District, said young and healthy volunteers would be recruited because they would have a “low probability of dying” in a controlled testing situation. Also, “You can get the right racial mixture so you can actually resolve some of these issues, why is it African-Americans are dying at a much higher rate.”
The volunteers would have “state of the art medical care” if they got sick.
Said Foster, “It’s very much like the military, asking for volunteers for a very dangerous mission.” The COVID-19 vaccine volunteers “will be heroes to humanity and they will be responsible for saving thousands and maybe millions of lives.”


chicagosun-times--2020-04-21--Chicago Police Department COVID-19 cases now at 365

Chicago police announced Tuesday 50 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of confirmed cases in the department @ @ @ @ @ cases , 347 are officers and 18 are civilian employees , police said .
A @ @ @ @ @ reported positive tests but the department ’ s medical section has yet to confirm five @ @ @ @ @ said .
The department announced last week the death of a third police officer from @ @ @ @ @ Illinois health officials Tuesday said 119 more people died from COVID-19 , raising the state @ @ @ @ @ .
There were also 1,551 new cases reported , bringing the state ’ s total @ @ @ @ @ 33,059 .

Chicago police announced Tuesday 50 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the department to 365.
Of the cases, 347 are officers and 18 are civilian employees, police said.
A total of 370 employees have reported positive tests but the department’s medical section has yet to confirm five of those cases, police said.
The department announced last week the death of a third police officer from complications of the virus.
Illinois health officials Tuesday said 119 more people died from COVID-19, raising the state’s toll to 1,468. There were also 1,551 new cases reported, bringing the state’s total of patients testing positive to 33,059.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-21--Trump’s feeble plan to beat COVID-19? Scapegoat immigrants

President Donald Trump ’ s announced plan to suspend immigration is anything but an honest response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
It is political opportunism at its worst .
It is Trump 101 — “ the wall ” — all over again .
It is ugly xenophobia .
We doubt it will work .
Only the hopelessly gullible will be taken in .
The coronavirus continues to spread across the country because of person-to-person contact among Americans , not because of an influx of diseased immigrants .
Travel in and out of our country has largely dried up anyway , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the United States and many other countries .
But Trump has always wanted to shut down immigration , making exceptions for those who are wealthy , non-Muslim , highly skilled or his wife .
He and his thuggish adviser on immigration , Stephen Miller , see the pandemic as their chance .
It thrills his political base .
Given all that Trump and his administration have failed to do in the fight against the coronavirus , this latest foolishness is unconscionable , if entirely predictable .
Any form of social distancing will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sure , less interaction among people — including by further limiting immigration — will lower the curve of the virus ’ spread to some degree .
But immigration is far from where the action is .
Trump should be doing all he can to discourage states from phasing out stay-at-home orders .
He should be exhorting people to wise up , take the danger of the pandemic seriously and quit congregating in public places .
He finally should get serious about leading a national effort to pump up testing for the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of medical supplies .
Instead , while hundreds of people die each day from COVID-19 , Trump remains the biggest obstacle keeping his own administration from doing a credible job .
He ’ s lambasting hard-working governors who are desperate for a federal partner .
He ’ s egging on ignorant protesters who are demanding an immediate end to stay-at-home orders .
And he ’ s beating the drum against immigration again .
It ’ s difficult to know what Trump even has in mind with this latest attack on immigration .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to form , on Monday night : “ In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy , as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens , I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States !
” And , like so many of Trump ’ s pronouncements , it could go anywhere or nowhere .
His executive order , intended to bar new green-card recipients from entering the country , could be ended in 60 days or extended at his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried about foreigners who have the virus coming into the country , he would simply ban all inbound international flights .
But Trump has always seen bashing immigrants as a winning strategy .
It ’ s the game he plays when all else fails — and all else is failing now .
That ’ s why he attempted to impose a ban on Muslim immigrants early in his presidency .
It ’ s why he put a drastic limit on the number of refugees accepted into the United States each year .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have pushed so hard for years to end family based immigration .
A statement put out by the White House on Monday suggested that Trump ’ s chief concern is that immigrants will take jobs from Americans as the nation recovers from the pandemic .
But the executive order was not issued as part of any larger strategy to restart the economy , nor is there evidence that immigrants take jobs from others .
On the contrary , study after study has shown that immigration has been a boost to the U.S. economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s executive order , for all its bluster , reportedly will carve out exceptions for migrant farm workers , health care workers and other “ essential ” workers .
It appears Trump ’ s tweet caught many of his own advisers by surprise , another indication that this has nothing to do with stopping a pandemic .
He ’ s just jawboning at a virtual MAGA rally , one tweet at a time .
As a practical matter , we ’ ll be curious to see how the White House will try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other green cards for the thousands of people who are preparing to come to the United States at any given time .
They are , for the most part , family members of Americans .
Trump desperately wants to look like a leader , though anybody can see that he ’ s not .
The fight against the pandemic is being led by governors .
He ’ s just out there , as always , throwing bombs .

President Donald Trump’s announced plan to suspend immigration is anything but an honest response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is political opportunism at its worst. It is Trump 101 — “the wall” — all over again. It is ugly xenophobia.
We doubt it will work. Only the hopelessly gullible will be taken in.
The coronavirus continues to spread across the country because of person-to-person contact among Americans, not because of an influx of diseased immigrants. Travel in and out of our country has largely dried up anyway, as a result of earlier restrictions imposed by the United States and many other countries.
But Trump has always wanted to shut down immigration, making exceptions for those who are wealthy, non-Muslim, highly skilled or his wife. He and his thuggish adviser on immigration, Stephen Miller, see the pandemic as their chance. It thrills his political base.
Given all that Trump and his administration have failed to do in the fight against the coronavirus, this latest foolishness is unconscionable, if entirely predictable.
Editorials bug Editorials
Any form of social distancing will slow the onslaught of the virus. Sure, less interaction among people — including by further limiting immigration — will lower the curve of the virus’ spread to some degree. But immigration is far from where the action is.
Trump should be doing all he can to discourage states from phasing out stay-at-home orders. He should be exhorting people to wise up, take the danger of the pandemic seriously and quit congregating in public places. He finally should get serious about leading a national effort to pump up testing for the virus, increase contact tracing and build a stockpile of medical supplies.
Instead, while hundreds of people die each day from COVID-19, Trump remains the biggest obstacle keeping his own administration from doing a credible job. He’s lambasting hard-working governors who are desperate for a federal partner. He’s egging on ignorant protesters who are demanding an immediate end to stay-at-home orders. And he’s beating the drum against immigration again.
Chicago Sun-Times. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
It’s difficult to know what Trump even has in mind with this latest attack on immigration. He announced it with a tweet, true to form, on Monday night: “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!”
And, like so many of Trump’s pronouncements, it could go anywhere or nowhere. His executive order, intended to bar new green-card recipients from entering the country, could be ended in 60 days or extended at his pleasure.
If the president is truly worried about foreigners who have the virus coming into the country, he would simply ban all inbound international flights.
But Trump has always seen bashing immigrants as a winning strategy. It’s the game he plays when all else fails — and all else is failing now. That’s why he attempted to impose a ban on Muslim immigrants early in his presidency. It’s why he put a drastic limit on the number of refugees accepted into the United States each year. It’s why he and other Republicans have pushed so hard for years to end family based immigration.
A statement put out by the White House on Monday suggested that Trump’s chief concern is that immigrants will take jobs from Americans as the nation recovers from the pandemic. But the executive order was not issued as part of any larger strategy to restart the economy, nor is there evidence that immigrants take jobs from others. On the contrary, study after study has shown that immigration has been a boost to the U.S. economy.
Maybe that’s why Trump’s executive order, for all its bluster, reportedly will carve out exceptions for migrant farm workers, health care workers and other “essential” workers.
It appears Trump’s tweet caught many of his own advisers by surprise, another indication that this has nothing to do with stopping a pandemic. He’s just jawboning at a virtual MAGA rally, one tweet at a time.
As a practical matter, we’ll be curious to see how the White House will try to put the kibosh on visas and other green cards for the thousands of people who are preparing to come to the United States at any given time. They are, for the most part, family members of Americans.
Trump desperately wants to look like a leader, though anybody can see that he’s not. The fight against the pandemic is being led by governors. He’s just out there, as always, throwing bombs.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-21--Senate approves $483B coronavirus aid bill

WASHINGTON — A $ 483 billion coronavirus aid package flew through the Senate on Tuesday after Congress and the White House reached a deal to replenish a small-business payroll fund and provided new money for hospitals and testing .
Passage was swift and unanimous , despite opposition from conservative Republicans .
President Donald Trump tweeted his support , pledging to sign it into law .
It now goes to the House , with votes set for Thursday .
“ I urge the House to pass the bill , ” Trump said at the White House .
After nearly two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House reached agreement Tuesday on the nearly $ 500 billion package — the fourth as Washington strains to respond to the health and economic crisis .
“ The Senate is continuing to stand by the American people , ” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , to an almost empty chamber .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill was made “ better and broader ” after Democrats forced the inclusion of money for hospitals and testing .
A copy of the measure was provided to The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the funding , $ 331 billion , would go to boost a small-business payroll loan program that ran out of money last week .
An additional $ 75 billion would be given to hospitals , and $ 25 billion would be spent to boost testing for the virus , a key step in building the confidence required to reopen state economies .
Missing from the package , however , was extra funding for state and local governments staring down budget holes and desperate to avert furloughs and layoffs of workers needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was open to including in a subsequent virus aid package fiscal relief for state and local government — which Democrats wanted for the current bill — along with infrastructure projects .
Not all Republicans are backing Trump on the deal .
Two conservative Republicans , Sen. Mike Lee , R-Utah , and Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky. , voiced opposition during Tuesday ’ s session but did not halt passage .
Lee said it was “ unacceptable ” that the full Senate was not present and voting in the pro forma session as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul said no amount of federal funding will be able to salvage a shuttered economy .
“ Deaths from infectious disease will continue , but we can not continue to indefinitely quarantine , ” said Paul , who tested positive for the virus last month but has since recovered .
The House is being called to Washington for a Thursday vote , said Rep. Steny Hoyer , the House majority leader .
Hoyer , D-Md.
, said the House will also vote on a proposal to allow proxy voting on future business during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has required in-person business essentially since its founding .
“ The House must show the American people that we continue to work hard on their behalf , ” Hoyer wrote to colleagues .
But the landmark rules change met with objections from conservative Republicans .
“ I don ’ t support it at all , ” said Rep. Clay Higgins , R-La.
, one of a handful of Republicans who showed up for Tuesday ’ s pro forma session to protest proxy votes .
“ Congress should be in session.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCarthy , R-Calif. , wrote Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , seeking more information on plans to reopen the House .
The emerging virus aid package — originally designed by Republicans as a $ 250 billion stopgap to replenish the payroll subsidies for smaller businesses — has grown into the second largest of the four coronavirus response bills so far .
Democratic demands have caused the measure to balloon , though Republicans support additions for hospitals and testing .
The now $ 310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program includes $ 60 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divided equally among — smaller banks and community lenders that seek to focus on underbanked neighborhoods and rural areas .
Democrats have highlighted the number of smaller and minority-owned shops missing out on the aid .
Another $ 60 billion would be available for a small-business loans and grants program delivered through an existing small business disaster aid program , $ 10 billion of which would come in the form of direct grants .
The bill provides $ 25 billion for increased testing efforts , including at least $ 11 billion to state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new infections .
The rest will help fund federal research into new coronavirus testing options .
Currently , the U.S. has tested roughly 4 million people for the virus , or just over 1 % of its population , according to the Covid Tracking Project website .
While the White House says the U.S. has enough testing to begin easing social distancing measures , most experts say capacity needs to increase at least threefold , if not more .
Despite yet another big package from Congress , all sides say more aid is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlined infrastructure and broadband spending for the next bill .
And there ’ s pressure to help cities with populations of less than 500,000 that were shut out of the massive $ 2 trillion relief bill that passed last month .
Schumer said Monday that he had talked to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and that Powell said the Fed is working to open up the Main Street Lending program to nonprofits and municipal governments .
The government ’ s Paycheck Protection Program has been swamped by companies applying for loans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approving nearly 1.7 million loans .
That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help .
Controversies have enveloped the program , with many businesses complaining that banks have favored customers with whom they already do business .
Some businesses that haven ’ t been harmed much by the pandemic have also received loans , along with a number of publicly traded corporations .
Associated Press writers Matthew Perrone , Mary Clare Jalonick and Matthew Daly contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON — A $483 billion coronavirus aid package flew through the Senate on Tuesday after Congress and the White House reached a deal to replenish a small-business payroll fund and provided new money for hospitals and testing.
Passage was swift and unanimous, despite opposition from conservative Republicans. President Donald Trump tweeted his support, pledging to sign it into law. It now goes to the House, with votes set for Thursday.
“I urge the House to pass the bill,” Trump said at the White House.
After nearly two weeks of negotiations and deadlock, Congress and the White House reached agreement Tuesday on the nearly $500 billion package — the fourth as Washington strains to respond to the health and economic crisis.
“The Senate is continuing to stand by the American people,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to an almost empty chamber.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill was made “better and broader” after Democrats forced the inclusion of money for hospitals and testing.
A copy of the measure was provided to The Associated Press by a GOP aide.
Most of the funding, $331 billion, would go to boost a small-business payroll loan program that ran out of money last week. An additional $75 billion would be given to hospitals, and $25 billion would be spent to boost testing for the virus, a key step in building the confidence required to reopen state economies.
Missing from the package, however, was extra funding for state and local governments staring down budget holes and desperate to avert furloughs and layoffs of workers needed to keep cities running.
Trump said he was open to including in a subsequent virus aid package fiscal relief for state and local government — which Democrats wanted for the current bill — along with infrastructure projects.
Not all Republicans are backing Trump on the deal.
Two conservative Republicans, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voiced opposition during Tuesday’s session but did not halt passage.
Lee said it was “unacceptable” that the full Senate was not present and voting in the pro forma session as Congress shuttered during the virus outbreak.
Paul said no amount of federal funding will be able to salvage a shuttered economy. “Deaths from infectious disease will continue, but we cannot continue to indefinitely quarantine,” said Paul, who tested positive for the virus last month but has since recovered.
The House is being called to Washington for a Thursday vote, said Rep. Steny Hoyer, the House majority leader.
Hoyer, D-Md., said the House will also vote on a proposal to allow proxy voting on future business during the pandemic, a first for Congress, which has required in-person business essentially since its founding.
“The House must show the American people that we continue to work hard on their behalf,” Hoyer wrote to colleagues.
But the landmark rules change met with objections from conservative Republicans.
“I don’t support it at all,” said Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., one of a handful of Republicans who showed up for Tuesday’s pro forma session to protest proxy votes. “Congress should be in session.”
Signaling concerns, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., wrote Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., seeking more information on plans to reopen the House.
The emerging virus aid package — originally designed by Republicans as a $250 billion stopgap to replenish the payroll subsidies for smaller businesses — has grown into the second largest of the four coronavirus response bills so far.
Democratic demands have caused the measure to balloon, though Republicans support additions for hospitals and testing.
The now $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program includes $60 billion or so set aside for — and divided equally among — smaller banks and community lenders that seek to focus on underbanked neighborhoods and rural areas. Democrats have highlighted the number of smaller and minority-owned shops missing out on the aid.
Another $60 billion would be available for a small-business loans and grants program delivered through an existing small business disaster aid program, $10 billion of which would come in the form of direct grants.
The bill provides $25 billion for increased testing efforts, including at least $11 billion to state and tribal governments to detect and track new infections. The rest will help fund federal research into new coronavirus testing options.
Currently, the U.S. has tested roughly 4 million people for the virus, or just over 1% of its population, according to the Covid Tracking Project website.
While the White House says the U.S. has enough testing to begin easing social distancing measures, most experts say capacity needs to increase at least threefold, if not more.
Despite yet another big package from Congress, all sides say more aid is likely needed.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin outlined infrastructure and broadband spending for the next bill. And there’s pressure to help cities with populations of less than 500,000 that were shut out of the massive $2 trillion relief bill that passed last month.
Schumer said Monday that he had talked to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and that Powell said the Fed is working to open up the Main Street Lending program to nonprofits and municipal governments.
The government’s Paycheck Protection Program has been swamped by companies applying for loans and reached its appropriations limit last Thursday after approving nearly 1.7 million loans. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help.
Controversies have enveloped the program, with many businesses complaining that banks have favored customers with whom they already do business. Some businesses that haven’t been harmed much by the pandemic have also received loans, along with a number of publicly traded corporations.
Associated Press writers Matthew Perrone, Mary Clare Jalonick and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-21--Blue Line train evacuated after power failure; service running with delays

About 30 people were safely evacuated from a Blue Line train that had a power failure Tuesday afternoon on the @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago Fire Department .
Fire crews were called about 2:51 p.m. for a stalled @ @ @ @ @ avenues , according to CFD spokesman Larry Merritt .
Trains were initially standing near Harlem @ @ @ @ @ , the CTA initially said at 2:37 p.m. Service resumed normal service with delays about @ @ @ @ @ said .
A spokesperson for the CTA did not immediately have details about the suspension @

About 30 people were safely evacuated from a Blue Line train that had a power failure Tuesday afternoon on the Northwest Side, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
Fire crews were called about 2:51 p.m. for a stalled train between Central and Harlem avenues, according to CFD spokesman Larry Merritt.
Trains were initially standing near Harlem due to a track condition, the CTA initially said at 2:37 p.m.
Service resumed normal service with delays about 5 p.m., the CTA said.
A spokesperson for the CTA did not immediately have details about the suspension.


chicagosun-times--2020-04-21--Homeless urge CHA to open vacant public housing units during coronavirus crisis

Housing advocates urged the Chicago Housing Authority on Tuesday to open up its 2,000 vacant units to people experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic .
Their demands come as homeless shelters across the city fear becoming overwhelmed in the coming days as between 30 % and 45 % of people tested positive for the virus at some locations .
“ The CHA is doing a grave injustice for the homeless , and in our darkest hour they ’ re still dragging their feet , ” said Kevin Reynolds , a grassroots organizer with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CHA waitlist for over three years .
...
So when I found out that CHA has over 1,800 available units that they ’ re just sitting on , it was like a slap in the face , ” Reynolds said during a news conference Tuesday .
“ Do they plan on ever filling these apartments ?
I understand there ’ s a vetting process , but in a time of crisis like this , placing the homeless in these units should be the top priority.
” The Chicago Housing Authority said Tuesday filling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portfolio isn ’ t easy .
Around 900 of those units are scheduled for redevelopment and are not habitable , the agency said , while other vacant units are in the process of being rented out .
Many vacant units are also interspersed with other family and senior buildings , the CHA said , making them ill-suited for quarantine purposes if a resident tests positive for coronavirus .
The CHA also said it must abide by waitlist and admission protocols established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development , which already give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like victims of domestic abuse .
But advocates argue that the CHA can fast-track the applications of people who are homeless during the pandemic so they can better abide by shelter-in-place orders issued by the state .
“ On April 10 , HUD issued a notice to housing authorities ... that gave [ them ] broad and immediate ability to waive provisions of federal law and regulations , ” said Kate Walz , director of housing justice at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law .
“ We think the CHA could use that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are housing unstable or who are homeless and become a real partner in this effort.
” Earlier this month , Mayor Lori Lightfoot rented out two downtown hotels to care for homeless people who have contracted the virus and opened a new temporary isolation facility at A Safe Haven , a shelter on the West Side .
The city has also partnered with the YMCA of Metro Chicago and Salvation Army to open extra shelter beds .
But advocates say homeless people who have contracted COVID-19 are returning to crowded shelters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residence in vacant CHA units , they argue , would help the city mitigate the spread of the virus .
“ We ’ re not just talking about protecting all of those who are using shelters and are homeless .
This is part of the city of Chicago ’ s COVID-19 response , and having a pocket of vulnerable population who is not protected ... is a weakness in the city ’ s overall response and needs to be addressed as such , ” said Dr. Susan Cheng , a board member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Benedictine University ’ s public health department .
As the news conference took place , dozens of cars circled City Hall , honking their horns in support of opening up vacant CHA units to the homeless .
One of those cars carried Cheryl Johnson , executive director of People for Community Recovery , a South Side environmental justice group , who says there are about 50 vacant CHA units in Altgeld Gardens , where she lives .
“ It ’ s a shame the CHA is not leasing these units up considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Johnson said .
“ It ’ s unfortunate that we ’ re down here protesting to get Mayor Lightfoot to do the right thing .
House our people !
We ’ re dying on the street.
” Carlos Ballesteros is a corps member of Report for America , a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of Chicago ’ s South Side and West Side .

Housing advocates urged the Chicago Housing Authority on Tuesday to open up its 2,000 vacant units to people experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic.
Their demands come as homeless shelters across the city fear becoming overwhelmed in the coming days as between 30% and 45% of people tested positive for the virus at some locations.
“The CHA is doing a grave injustice for the homeless, and in our darkest hour they’re still dragging their feet,” said Kevin Reynolds, a grassroots organizer with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
“I’ve been on the CHA waitlist for over three years. ... So when I found out that CHA has over 1,800 available units that they’re just sitting on, it was like a slap in the face,” Reynolds said during a news conference Tuesday.
“Do they plan on ever filling these apartments? I understand there’s a vetting process, but in a time of crisis like this, placing the homeless in these units should be the top priority.”
The Chicago Housing Authority said Tuesday filling up the 2,042 vacant units across its portfolio isn’t easy. Around 900 of those units are scheduled for redevelopment and are not habitable, the agency said, while other vacant units are in the process of being rented out.
Many vacant units are also interspersed with other family and senior buildings, the CHA said, making them ill-suited for quarantine purposes if a resident tests positive for coronavirus.
The CHA also said it must abide by waitlist and admission protocols established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which already give preference to homeless families and other groups like victims of domestic abuse.
But advocates argue that the CHA can fast-track the applications of people who are homeless during the pandemic so they can better abide by shelter-in-place orders issued by the state.
“On April 10, HUD issued a notice to housing authorities ... that gave [them] broad and immediate ability to waive provisions of federal law and regulations,” said Kate Walz, director of housing justice at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. “We think the CHA could use that flexible authority to create more opportunities for people who are housing unstable or who are homeless and become a real partner in this effort.”
Earlier this month, Mayor Lori Lightfoot rented out two downtown hotels to care for homeless people who have contracted the virus and opened a new temporary isolation facility at A Safe Haven, a shelter on the West Side. The city has also partnered with the YMCA of Metro Chicago and Salvation Army to open extra shelter beds.
But advocates say homeless people who have contracted COVID-19 are returning to crowded shelters. Allowing them to instead take up residence in vacant CHA units, they argue, would help the city mitigate the spread of the virus.
“We’re not just talking about protecting all of those who are using shelters and are homeless. This is part of the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 response, and having a pocket of vulnerable population who is not protected ... is a weakness in the city’s overall response and needs to be addressed as such,” said Dr. Susan Cheng, a board member of the Illinois Public Health Association and head of Benedictine University’s public health department.
As the news conference took place, dozens of cars circled City Hall, honking their horns in support of opening up vacant CHA units to the homeless.
One of those cars carried Cheryl Johnson, executive director of People for Community Recovery, a South Side environmental justice group, who says there are about 50 vacant CHA units in Altgeld Gardens, where she lives.
“It’s a shame the CHA is not leasing these units up considering the crisis we are in today,” Johnson said. “It’s unfortunate that we’re down here protesting to get Mayor Lightfoot to do the right thing. House our people! We’re dying on the street.”
Carlos Ballesteros is a corps member of Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of Chicago’s South Side and West Side.