chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--Peaceful protests against police brutality continue, from Far South Side to suburbs

Hundreds of demonstrators marched peacefully through the Far South Side on Sunday to push for changes in federal law to bolster police transparency and accountability in the wake of the officer-involved killing of George Floyd .
Sean Howard , who consults for the south suburban villages of Robbins and Matteson and previously served as a spokesman for the Harvey Police Department , helped organize Sunday ’ s march alongside Bishop Larry Trotter of Sweet Holy Spirit Church of Chicago and other community leaders .
Howard said the purpose of the protest was to advocate for “ a new public policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to revise the federal statutes covering when police officers can be charged for excessive force and whether they can be sued for such behavior , ” Howard said .
The event ’ s organizers urged those demonstrating to remain peaceful and ignore any detractors along the procession from 111th Street and Western Avenue to Mount Hope Cemetery 115th Street and Fairfield Avenue , which was lined with officers and led by a Chicago police SUV and four hearses .
Some marchers carried caskets .
Trotter said it was a symbolic display .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to another funeral and another burial of another black man who was innocent or killed by a crazy white policeman , ” Trotter said .
For over a week , activists and everyday residents in the Chicago area and throughout the country have taken to the streets to demand reforms , push leaders to defund local police departments and call for punitive action to be taken against officers facing allegations of misconduct .
A protest last weekend in the Loop , which was organized in response to Floyd ’ s killing in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and looting after demonstrators clashed with officers .
Howard on Sunday called for a nationwide ban on chokeholds , the creation of a national police misconduct registry , an end to “ no-knock ” warrants in drug cases and the establishment of lynching as a federal crime .
He intends to present the plan to Congresswoman Robin Kelly ( D-Ill. ) at another demonstration Monday .
Before Sunday ’ s march , comedian Damon Williams offered an update on the condition of his son , who was injured a week early while being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alongside poet Malcolm London and other activists .
Williams ’ son , who shares his name , said he was slammed on his head while being arrested and officers used their knees to press on his neck , similar to the move that led to Floyd ’ s death .
Williams noted his son was hospitalized Saturday night after experiencing symptoms consistent with a concussion .
“ We ’ re talking to the Police Department .
You are a department not a force .
Let ’ s take force out of it because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues that we ’ re out here about , ” Williams said .
“ You shouldn ’ t get beat down and kicked and stomped in the street if your sticker ’ s expired on your car or if you missed a red light or you made a wrong turn .
“ That ’ s not a reason to be beaten or taken into custody with force.
” During the protest , Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the 9 p.m. citywide curfew she put in place amid the city ’ s bubbling social unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property damage and looting subsided .
Meanwhile , the protests against police brutality have continued .
In addition to other peaceful protests across the city Sunday , black and brown speakers took center stage during a march through the affluent , overwhelmingly white northern suburb of Highland Park .
The march through a few blocks of the suburb ’ s downtown area included a period of silence while taking a knee on Central Avenue in memory of Floyd .
The marchers , almost all of whom were white , chanted “ black lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Sunset Woods Park .
Marlena Jayatilake , the owner of Love That Spice & Tea , a shop located in the suburban city , was among the speakers at the rally in the park .
“ I hate using the term white , but I am going to say it , ” Jayatilake said .
“ White people have privilege .
Use that privilege .
Jaime Barraza , who grew up in Highland Park and adjacent Highwood , urged white attendees to embrace and understand the movement they ’ re getting behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Barraza said .
“ We don ’ t need safe spaces .
We need brave spaces that will foster uncomfortable dialogue , uncomfortable dialogue that will lead to action , that will lead to change .
“ Listen , seek to understand , act .
We are not going to solve our racial issues overnight .
”

Hundreds of demonstrators marched peacefully through the Far South Side on Sunday to push for changes in federal law to bolster police transparency and accountability in the wake of the officer-involved killing of George Floyd.
Sean Howard, who consults for the south suburban villages of Robbins and Matteson and previously served as a spokesman for the Harvey Police Department, helped organize Sunday’s march alongside Bishop Larry Trotter of Sweet Holy Spirit Church of Chicago and other community leaders. Howard said the purpose of the protest was to advocate for “a new public policy on policing in America.”
“We want to revise the federal statutes covering when police officers can be charged for excessive force and whether they can be sued for such behavior,” Howard said.
The event’s organizers urged those demonstrating to remain peaceful and ignore any detractors along the procession from 111th Street and Western Avenue to Mount Hope Cemetery 115th Street and Fairfield Avenue, which was lined with officers and led by a Chicago police SUV and four hearses. Some marchers carried caskets.
Trotter said it was a symbolic display.
Hundreds of people march from Morgan Park on the Far South Side on Sunday, June 7, 2020 — some carrying empty caskets — to call an end to police brutality following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
“We cannot stand to go to another funeral and another burial of another black man who was innocent or killed by a crazy white policeman,” Trotter said.
For over a week, activists and everyday residents in the Chicago area and throughout the country have taken to the streets to demand reforms, push leaders to defund local police departments and call for punitive action to be taken against officers facing allegations of misconduct.
A protest last weekend in the Loop, which was organized in response to Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis, set off a wave of destruction and looting after demonstrators clashed with officers.
Howard on Sunday called for a nationwide ban on chokeholds, the creation of a national police misconduct registry, an end to “no-knock” warrants in drug cases and the establishment of lynching as a federal crime.
Before Sunday’s march, comedian Damon Williams offered an update on the condition of his son, who was injured a week early while being arrested at a protest in Hyde Park alongside poet Malcolm London and other activists.
Williams’ son, who shares his name, said he was slammed on his head while being arrested and officers used their knees to press on his neck, similar to the move that led to Floyd’s death. Williams noted his son was hospitalized Saturday night after experiencing symptoms consistent with a concussion.
“We’re talking to the Police Department. You are a department not a force. Let’s take force out of it because excessive force is one of the main issues that we’re out here about,” Williams said. “You shouldn’t get beat down and kicked and stomped in the street if your sticker’s expired on your car or if you missed a red light or you made a wrong turn.
“That’s not a reason to be beaten or taken into custody with force.”
During the protest, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the 9 p.m. citywide curfew she put in place amid the city’s bubbling social unrest had been lifted after the wave of property damage and looting subsided. Meanwhile, the protests against police brutality have continued.
In addition to other peaceful protests across the city Sunday, black and brown speakers took center stage during a march through the affluent, overwhelmingly white northern suburb of Highland Park.
The march through a few blocks of the suburb’s downtown area included a period of silence while taking a knee on Central Avenue in memory of Floyd. The marchers, almost all of whom were white, chanted “black lives matter” as they walked to and from Sunset Woods Park.
Protesters in Highland Park take a knee in honor of George Floyd on Sunday, June 7, 2020. Lynn Sweet/Sun-Times
Marlena Jayatilake, the owner of Love That Spice & Tea, a shop located in the suburban city, was among the speakers at the rally in the park.
“I hate using the term white, but I am going to say it,” Jayatilake said. “White people have privilege. Use that privilege.
“Police brutality must end. Silence means consent.”
Jaime Barraza, who grew up in Highland Park and adjacent Highwood, urged white attendees to embrace and understand the movement they’re getting behind.
“Process your white privilege,” Barraza said. “We don’t need safe spaces. We need brave spaces that will foster uncomfortable dialogue, uncomfortable dialogue that will lead to action, that will lead to change.
“Listen, seek to understand, act. We are not going to solve our racial issues overnight.”
In Hegewisch on the Far South Side, protesters gathered at a “celebration of life” rally — hosted by Chicago activist Andrew Holmes — to honor George Floyd and other police brutality victims.
Attendees at the event outside the UAW Local 551 union hall held up flower bouquets and candles in commemoration.
“How can you take a baton and pull somebody out of a car?” Holmes said. “Grab women by the head? Slam them down? Put your knee on a man’s neck until he dies? That isn’t right.”
UAW Local 551 President Chris Pena said the rally’s concept was born out of a desire to start gathering in ways different than simply marching.
Holmes said he believes judicial reform will be necessary to solve problems of racial inequality and police brutality.
“If [judges] can’t stand up in court for us and just throw the book at those who are murdering our black and brown brothers and sisters, then they need to be removed,” he said.
Contributing: Lynn Sweet, Ben Pope


chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--Metra announces return to alternate weekday schedules

Metra announced Sunday that all trains would resume operating on alternate weekday schedules this week .
Starting Monday , all @ @ @ @ @ weekday schedules , which were first implemented in March after a severe drop in ridership @ @ @ @ @ spread , Metra said in a statement .
Metra suspended all service June 1 in @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd that prompted Mayor Lori Lightfoot to shut down access @ @ @ @ @ days .
Metra resumed service on June 3 , but with a modified Sunday schedule @ @ @ @ @ SouthWest Service , Heritage Corridor and North Central Service lines .
Those lines will join @ @ @ @ @ service in returning to an alternate weekday schedule Monday , Metra said .
The alternate @ @ @ @ @ .

Metra announced Sunday that all trains would resume operating on alternate weekday schedules this week.
Starting Monday, all lines will return to alternate weekday schedules, which were first implemented in March after a severe drop in ridership due to the coronavirus’ spread, Metra said in a statement.
Metra suspended all service June 1 in response to protests against the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd that prompted Mayor Lori Lightfoot to shut down access to the Loop for four days.
Metra resumed service on June 3, but with a modified Sunday schedule that did not include the SouthWest Service, Heritage Corridor and North Central Service lines.
Those lines will join the rest of the transit service in returning to an alternate weekday schedule Monday, Metra said.
The alternate schedules can be found here.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--Girl, 5, shot in Gresham

Girl, 5, shot in Gresham

A 5-year-old girl was wounded after being shot Sunday in Gresham on the South Side .
The girl was shot @ @ @ @ @ p.m. on Vincennes Avenue , Chicago police said .
A guardian took her to St. @ @ @ @ @ transferred to Comer Children ’ s Hospital , police said .
Her condition was not @ @ @ @ @ detectives are investigating the shooting as either accidental or self-inflicted , police said .
Police @ @ @ @ @ any arrests Sunday afternoon .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ @ @ @

The injury of a 5-year-old girl in a reported shooting Sunday in Gresham is no longer being classified as a shooting, according to police.
Police initially reported that the girl was shot in the hand about 4:30 p.m. on Vincennes Avenue. A guardian took her to St. Bernard Hospital, then she was transferred to Comer Children’s Hospital.
However, after being treated at Comer Children’s Hospital, doctors were unable to determine if the injury to her hand was actually the result of a gunshot wound, police said.
No arrests have been made, police said, and detectives are no longer investigating the incident as a shooting.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--These days, the intersection of sports and online shaming is a very special place

It was bound to happen eventually , and it finally did a few days ago : An admirer on Twitter called me ‘ ‘ Karen.
’ ’ If you know anything about the pejorative term ‘ ‘ Karen , ’ ’ you know it ’ s used — more and more all the time , mainly on social media — to describe someone who is , among other things , white , middle-aged and annoying as all get-out .
And if you know anything about me , you know I ’ m guiltier than a dog with barbecue sauce on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts .
So there you go : an example of some very light online shaming .
So light , I ’ m pretty sure I ’ m not even allowed to be slightly miffed or offended by it .
And if I were ?
Total Karen move , people .
But enough about me .
There is far more serious online shaming going on , and it seems — though it ’ s somewhat odd to put it this way — to be a very good , healthy , productive thing .
Consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had .
One day , in reference to blackballed former quarterback Colin Kaepernick and others who ’ ve taken a knee during the national anthem , Brees told Yahoo Finance : ‘ ‘ I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.
’ ’ But what about police brutality and George Floyd ?
What about systemic racism and Black Lives Matter ?
What about people taking to the streets throughout the country and across the globe ?
Brees was crushed on social media by teammates , fellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even some Saints fans .
On the other hand , he was praised by the flag-hugging leader of the free world .
But Brees reacted by doing what we Karens are being asked by African Americans — and , more broadly , by so many young people — to do : He listened .
And he learned a thing or two .
One could be cynical about the public statements that came next from Brees .
It ’ s easy to be cynical about the types of mea culpas we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve stepped in it .
But this struck me , anyway , as sincere and meaningful .
Momentous , even .
First , Brees publicly apologized , acknowledging his words had ‘ ‘ completely missed the mark ’ ’ and ‘ ‘ lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy.
’ ’ Later , in an Instagram post , he addressed the Tweeter-in-Chief directly : ‘ ‘ I [ now ] realize this is not an issue about the American flag , ’ ’ he wrote .
‘ ‘ It never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.
’ ’ Score one for bullying .
Wait , did I really just write that ?
Brees was shamed into wising up and doing — being — better .
Broncos coach Vic Fangio , the former defensive coordinator of the Bears , was , too .
In a Zoom interview with reporters last Tuesday , Fangio called the NFL a ‘ ‘ league of meritocracy.
’ ’ ‘ ‘ You get what you earn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ I don ’ t see racism at all in the NFL .
I don ’ t see discrimination in the NFL.
’ ’ Cue the army of upstanding bullies that included many players with ties to Fangio .
Where did he get off espousing such nonsensical rhetoric about a league whose owners , general managers and head coaches are , by an overwhelming majority , white ?
About a league that , again , blackballed Kaepernick for protesting — peacefully and solemnly — about the very thing that would lead to Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fangio said he was wrong and apologized .
And Saturday — wearing a shirt with Floyd ’ s portrait in front and a mask with ‘ ‘ I Can ’ t Breathe ’ ’ on it — he marched in the streets of Denver with his players .
Like Brees , he listened and was redeemable .
There are different types and degrees of online shaming , which in many cases are horrible .
For example : So-called ‘ ‘ cancel culture ’ ’ is one thing , but ‘ ‘ doxxing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persons — is quite another .
Many of you are familiar with the case of Anthony Brennan III , the cyclist who was arrested Friday and charged with assaulting three teenagers who were putting up ‘ ‘ Black Lives Matter ’ ’ signs along a D.C.-area bike trail .
Before the identity of Brennan , 60 , became known , at least two innocent men were misidentified on social media as the offenders .
I watched on Twitter as their names , phone numbers and home addresses were published and their employers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sports story at all , but it reminded me of the constant race to be first with sports news that has led to countless misinformed reports tweeted onto the trash heap .
The errant doxxers are no worse .
We all ought to be better than that .
You know who might have benefitted from a little online shaming ?
Michael Jordan .
No , the ‘ ‘ crying Jordan ’ ’ memes don ’ t count .
But if Jordan were playing today , it would be a heck of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with being both the most famous athlete on the planet and an avowed non-activist for African American causes and against racial inequality and injustice .
But now Jordan has , at 57 , decided to donate $ 100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to fighting for such vital causes .
Tennis icon Martina Navratilova tweeted it was ‘ ‘ better late than never.
’ ’ Again , it ’ s easy to be cynical , even when a figure as massive as $ 100 million is on the table @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s easy for me to say , but good on him for listening , learning a thing or two , growing and leading after all .
There ’ s no shame in trying .

It was bound to happen eventually, and it finally did a few days ago:
An admirer on Twitter called me ‘‘Karen.’’
OK, minus the ‘‘admirer’’ part.
If you know anything about the pejorative term ‘‘Karen,’’ you know it’s used — more and more all the time, mainly on social media — to describe someone who is, among other things, white, middle-aged and annoying as all get-out.
And if you know anything about me, you know I’m guiltier than a dog with barbecue sauce on its nose on all three of those counts.
So there you go: an example of some very light online shaming. So light, I’m pretty sure I’m not even allowed to be slightly miffed or offended by it. And if I were? Total Karen move, people.
But enough about me. There is far more serious online shaming going on, and it seems — though it’s somewhat odd to put it this way — to be a very good, healthy, productive thing.
Consider the experience Saints quarterback Drew Brees just had. One day, in reference to blackballed former quarterback Colin Kaepernick and others who’ve taken a knee during the national anthem, Brees told Yahoo Finance: ‘‘I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.’’
But what about police brutality and George Floyd? What about systemic racism and Black Lives Matter? What about people taking to the streets throughout the country and across the globe?
Brees was crushed on social media by teammates, fellow pro athletes, writers, talking heads and even some Saints fans. On the other hand, he was praised by the flag-hugging leader of the free world. But Brees reacted by doing what we Karens are being asked by African Americans — and, more broadly, by so many young people — to do: He listened. And he learned a thing or two.
One could be cynical about the public statements that came next from Brees. It’s easy to be cynical about the types of mea culpas we’re accustomed to seeing from famous people who’ve stepped in it. But this struck me, anyway, as sincere and meaningful. Momentous, even.
First, Brees publicly apologized, acknowledging his words had ‘‘completely missed the mark’’ and ‘‘lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy.’’ Later, in an Instagram post, he addressed the Tweeter-in-Chief directly:
‘‘I [now] realize this is not an issue about the American flag,’’ he wrote. ‘‘It never has been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.’’
Score one for bullying. Wait, did I really just write that?
Brees was shamed into wising up and doing — being — better. Broncos coach Vic Fangio, the former defensive coordinator of the Bears, was, too. In a Zoom interview with reporters last Tuesday, Fangio called the NFL a ‘‘league of meritocracy.’’
‘‘You get what you earn,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t see racism at all in the NFL. I don’t see discrimination in the NFL.’’
Cue the army of upstanding bullies that included many players with ties to Fangio. Where did he get off espousing such nonsensical rhetoric about a league whose owners, general managers and head coaches are, by an overwhelming majority, white? About a league that, again, blackballed Kaepernick for protesting — peacefully and solemnly — about the very thing that would lead to Floyd’s killing?
A day later, Fangio said he was wrong and apologized. And Saturday — wearing a shirt with Floyd’s portrait in front and a mask with ‘‘I Can’t Breathe’’ on it — he marched in the streets of Denver with his players. Like Brees, he listened and was redeemable.
There are different types and degrees of online shaming, which in many cases are horrible. For example: So-called ‘‘cancel culture’’ is one thing, but ‘‘doxxing’’ the wrong person — or persons — is quite another.
Many of you are familiar with the case of Anthony Brennan III, the cyclist who was arrested Friday and charged with assaulting three teenagers who were putting up ‘‘Black Lives Matter’’ signs along a D.C.-area bike trail. Before the identity of Brennan, 60, became known, at least two innocent men were misidentified on social media as the offenders. I watched on Twitter as their names, phone numbers and home addresses were published and their employers were contacted.
It wasn’t really a sports story at all, but it reminded me of the constant race to be first with sports news that has led to countless misinformed reports tweeted onto the trash heap. The errant doxxers are no worse. We all ought to be better than that.
You know who might have benefitted from a little online shaming? Michael Jordan. No, the ‘‘crying Jordan’’ memes don’t count. But if Jordan were playing today, it would be a heck of a lot harder for him to get away with being both the most famous athlete on the planet and an avowed non-activist for African American causes and against racial inequality and injustice.
But now Jordan has, at 57, decided to donate $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to fighting for such vital causes. Tennis icon Martina Navratilova tweeted it was ‘‘better late than never.’’ Again, it’s easy to be cynical, even when a figure as massive as $100 million is on the table.
‘‘Black lives matter,’’ Jordan said in a statement. ‘‘This isn’t a controversial statement.’’
No, indeed. It’s easy for me to say, but good on him for listening, learning a thing or two, growing and leading after all.
There’s no shame in trying.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--Man in custody after crashing stolen ambulance in Austin

A man is in police custody Sunday after stealing an ambulance and crashing it in Austin on the West Side @ @ @ @ @ , jumped into the ambulance about 2:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of West Washington @ @ @ @ @ paramedics were loading a patient into the back , Chicago police said .
He sped @ @ @ @ @ about a block before crashing in the 100 block of North Laramie Avenue , police @ @ @ @ @ taken into custody and brought to West Suburban Medical Center for treatment , police said @ @ @ @ @ , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A man is in police custody Sunday after stealing an ambulance and crashing it in Austin on the West Side.
The man, 43, jumped into the ambulance about 2:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of West Washington Boulevard while Chicago Fire Department paramedics were loading a patient into the back, Chicago police said.
He sped off but only made it about a block before crashing in the 100 block of North Laramie Avenue, police said.
The man was taken into custody and brought to West Suburban Medical Center for treatment, police said.
Charges are pending.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--Illinois coronavirus update: 43 more deaths, 867 new cases  (LIVE BLOG)

Illinois recorded another 43 deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday , bringing the state ’ s pandemic death toll to 5,904 .
The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced an additional 867 people have tested positive for coronavirus .
That brings the state ’ s case total to 127,757 since Illinois ’ first case was reported more than four months ago , although the vast majority have now recovered .
State officials found the new cases among 20,700 tests processed .
More than 1 million people have been tested overall across the state , and the state ’ s rolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just 5 % .
According to a Friday report , nursing homes have accounted for slightly more than half of Illinois ’ COVID-19 deaths — but only about 15 % of its cases .
While the majority of victims have been older , Sunday ’ s deaths included two men in their 30s .
Read the full report from Ben Pope here .
BARCELONA , Spain — The confirmed global death toll from the COVID-19 virus reached at least 400,000 fatalities on Sunday , a day after the government of Brazil broke with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publish updates of the number of deaths and infections in the hard-hit South American country .
Worldwide , at least 6.9 million people have been infected by the virus , according to Johns Hopkins University , whose aggregated tally has become the main worldwide reference for monitoring the disease .
Its running counter says United States leads the world with nearly 110,000 confirmed virus-related deaths .
Europe as a whole has recorded more than 175,000 since the virus emerged in China late last year .
Health experts , however , believe that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the true tragedy of the pandemic .
Many governments have struggled to produce statistics that can reasonably be considered as true indicators of the pandemic given the scarcity of diagnostic tests especially in the first phase of the crisis .
Authorities in Italy and Spain , with over 60,000 combined deaths , have acknowledged that their death count is larger than the story the numbers tell .
But Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro went as far as to tweet on Saturday that his country ’ s disease totals are “ not representative ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the numbers were actually overestimating the spread of the virus .
Critics of Bolsonaro , who has repeatedly clashed with health experts over the seriousness of the disease and has threatened to take Brazil out of the World Health Organization , said the decision was a maneuver by the hardman-style leader to hide the depths of crisis .
Brazil ’ s last official numbers recorded over 34,000 virus-related deaths , the third-highest toll in the world behind the U.S. and Britain .
It reported nearly 615,000 infections , putting it second behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with health experts , Pope Francis cautioned people in countries emerging from lockdown to keep following authorities ’ rules on social distancing , hygiene and limits on movement .
“ Be careful , don ’ t cry victory , don ’ t cry victory too soon , ” Francis said .
“ Follow the rules .
They are rules that help us to avoid the virus getting ahead ” again .
1:22 p.m. With Illinois ’ drive-thru COVID-19 test sites open to all , we asked : Do you plan to get tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state-run drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites to everyone , regardless of symptoms , we asked Chicagoans whether they ’ ll go get tested , and why .
Some of these answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity .
“ Yes , I found it very hard to do it through a hospital.
” — Rolf Baker “ Yes .
I ’ m an essential worker who has been working this entire time , and I ’ m traveling out of state in two weeks .
It ’ s the responsible thing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least not anytime soon .
There should be a priority system that labels me as low-priority for the following reasons : I am a student who is functioning with minimal social interactions , and I wear a mask whenever I ’ m outside my apartment .
My roommates are also healthy individuals in their 20s .
A thoughtfully designed testing system should never be congested by people like me.
” — Ian Hsieh Here ’ s a list of more responses from our readers .
11:55 a.m. Left out : More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs NEW YORK — Eric Benz didn ’ t worry very much when his graphic design firm in Atlanta laid him off in March .
He felt sure he ’ d be recalled to work once the viral pandemic eased and his firm ’ s clients resumed spending .
Three months later , there ’ s been no call .
Instead , Benz has applied for gig work as an Instacart shopper .
Hope has given way to an urgent need to pay bills because Benz ’ s unemployment benefits haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his mortgage lender to defer payments on the home he and his wife bought earlier this year .
But the deferral won ’ t last long .
“ I ’ m doing everything I can , ” said Benz , 37 .
“ It will take a little while to get back.
” Even as the U.S. economy begins to flicker back to life , even as job cuts slow and some laid-off people are called back to work , the scope of the devastation left by the viral pandemic has grown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoped for a quick return to their jobs : They may not be going back anytime soon .
With many businesses reopening , the government surprisingly announced Friday that contrary to expectations of further layoffs , the economy added 2.5 million jobs in May , and the unemployment rate fell from 14.7 % to 13.3 % .
But the harsh reality is that last month ’ s rehirings aren ’ t expected to continue at the same pace .
10:22 a.m. Amid virus , US students look to colleges closer to home As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some U.S. universities are seeing surging interest from in-state residents who are looking to stay closer to home amid the coronavirus pandemic .
At the University of Texas at Arlington , commitments from state residents are up 26 % over last year .
Ohio State and Western Kentucky universities are both up about 20 % .
Deposits paid to attend Michigan State University are up 15 % among state residents , while deposits from others are down 15 % .
Colleges and admissions counselors credit the uptick to a range of factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be closer to home in case an outbreak again forces classes online .
Some are choosing nearby schools where they ’ re charged lower rates as state residents .
And amid uncertainty around the fall term , some are paying deposits at multiple schools to keep their options open .
At the same time , scores of universities are bracing for sharp downturns in international enrollments amid visa issues and travel concerns .
The result , some schools say , is that campuses will have a more local feel if they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are going to be a more regional and local university , ” Bob McMaster , vice provost of the University of Minnesota , told the school ’ s board of regents at a May meeting .
“ The spheres of geography have certainly changed this year.
” Universities across the U.S. have ramped up recruiting efforts amid fears that the pandemic would spur students to rethink their plans .
Schools have accepted more students and reached far deeper into wait lists than in the past .
Some have increased financial aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students in their own backyards .
While the scientists follow government guidelines , they know that people intent on illegally exploiting the rainforests are still entering the parks , because several motion-activated research cameras have been smashed .
Around the world , government resources diverted to pandemic efforts have opened opportunities for illegal land clearing and poaching .
Lockdowns also have derailed the eco-tourism that funds many environmental projects , from South America ’ s rainforests to Africa ’ s savannahs .
“ Scientists and conservationists have faced interruptions from big global disasters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coup in one country , ” said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm , founder of the nonprofit Saving Nature .
“ But I can ’ t think of another time when almost every country on the planet has faced the impacts of the same big disaster at once.
” In Guatemala , indigenous communities that monitor rainforests are struggling to contain one of the worst fire seasons in two decades , as government firefighting resources are devoted to the pandemic .
“ Ninety-nine percent of these fires are started by people , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open space for illegal cattle ranching , ” said Erick Cuellar , deputy director of an alliance of community organizations within Guatemala ’ s Maya Biosphere Reserve called Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén .
Indigenous people are stepping up as volunteer firefighters , but they are now doubly strained : Closed borders have shriveled their income from sustainably harvested forest exports , such as palm fronds sold for flower arrangements .
“ Tropical forests are rich in biodiversity , so we ’ re losing rare flora and fauna , ” said Jeremy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society .
“ The situation is different in every country , but reduced enforcement of environmental laws is a common concern.
” Over 4,000 people have died of coronavirus-related causes in Cook County , the medical examiner ’ s office announced Saturday .
With 33 more COVID-19 deaths , the county ’ s total rose to 4,005 , the Cook County medical examiner ’ s office said .
Cook County residents make up about 68 % of the 5,864 coronavirus deaths in Illinois .
Earlier Saturday , Illinois health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with 975 more cases .
7:30 a.m. Archdiocese gives its blessing for dozens of Chicago-area churches to resume mass on Sunday , but urges ‘ they start slow ’ As houses of worship across the country grapple with how to welcome back believers following the coronavirus shutdown , the Chicago-area faithful could be returning for mass at dozens of Catholic churches this Sunday .
About 80 parishes have been cleared by Chicago ’ s local arm of the Catholic Church to enter its next reopening phase , which allows for regular masses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Archdiocese of Chicago .
That ’ s almost a quarter of its 316 parishes , but just because churches have been certified doesn ’ t mean they ’ ll resume mass right away , according to archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Thomas .
“ It ’ s encouraged that they start slow , ” she said .
Read the full report from Mitchell Armentrout here .
• Health officials on Saturday announced 72 more people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois , raising the state ’ s death toll from the pandemic to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coronavirus from among the latest batch of 21,155 samples taken , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
• Two more detainees , employee at Cook County Juvenile detention center test positive for COVID-19 .
• Another employee at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk ’ s office has tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the overall total to 26 .
• Federal health authorities have received reports of nearly 26,000 nursing home residents dying from COVID-19 across the country .
7:04 a.m. A smarter way to trace the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights Decision-makers across the country are exploring tools they can use in the battle against COVID-19 .
The latest device to be considered ?
The smartphone in your hand .
Many believe that the same phone you use to stay connected with your loved ones , get breaking news and play games might slow down the spread of COVID-19 .
But using our phones for this purpose is not a quick fix , and it runs the risk of tapping into private data stored on them .
Just think about all the ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places it goes with you .
All the information you share with it .
Now imagine giving the government or another third party access to all that information .
Read the full column by Sapna Khatri here .

The Latest
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Illinois recorded another 43 deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s pandemic death toll to 5,904.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced an additional 867 people have tested positive for coronavirus.
That brings the state’s case total to 127,757 since Illinois’ first case was reported more than four months ago, although the vast majority have now recovered.
State officials found the new cases among 20,700 tests processed.
More than 1 million people have been tested overall across the state, and the state’s rolling positivity rate over the past week is just 5%.
According to a Friday report, nursing homes have accounted for slightly more than half of Illinois’ COVID-19 deaths — but only about 15% of its cases. While the majority of victims have been older, Sunday’s deaths included two men in their 30s.
Read the full report from Ben Pope here.
News
2:45 p.m. World reaches 400,000 virus deaths as pope urges caution: ‘Don’t cry victory too soon’
Pope Francis cautioned people in countries emerging from lockdown to keep following authorities’ rules on social distancing, hygiene and limits on movement. Alberto Pizzoli/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
BARCELONA, Spain — The confirmed global death toll from the COVID-19 virus reached at least 400,000 fatalities on Sunday, a day after the government of Brazil broke with standard public health protocols by ceasing to publish updates of the number of deaths and infections in the hard-hit South American country.
Worldwide, at least 6.9 million people have been infected by the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University, whose aggregated tally has become the main worldwide reference for monitoring the disease. Its running counter says United States leads the world with nearly 110,000 confirmed virus-related deaths. Europe as a whole has recorded more than 175,000 since the virus emerged in China late last year.
Health experts, however, believe that the John Hopkins tally falls short of showing the true tragedy of the pandemic.
Many governments have struggled to produce statistics that can reasonably be considered as true indicators of the pandemic given the scarcity of diagnostic tests especially in the first phase of the crisis. Authorities in Italy and Spain, with over 60,000 combined deaths, have acknowledged that their death count is larger than the story the numbers tell.
But Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro went as far as to tweet on Saturday that his country’s disease totals are “not representative” of Brazil’s current situation, insinuating that the numbers were actually overestimating the spread of the virus.
Critics of Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly clashed with health experts over the seriousness of the disease and has threatened to take Brazil out of the World Health Organization, said the decision was a maneuver by the hardman-style leader to hide the depths of crisis.
Brazil’s last official numbers recorded over 34,000 virus-related deaths, the third-highest toll in the world behind the U.S. and Britain. It reported nearly 615,000 infections, putting it second behind the U.S.
After Bolsonaro stoked his clash with health experts, Pope Francis cautioned people in countries emerging from lockdown to keep following authorities’ rules on social distancing, hygiene and limits on movement.
“Be careful, don’t cry victory, don’t cry victory too soon,” Francis said. “Follow the rules. They are rules that help us to avoid the virus getting ahead” again.
Read the full report here.
1:22 p.m. With Illinois’ drive-thru COVID-19 test sites open to all, we asked: Do you plan to get tested?
Now that Illinois has opened its state-run drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites to everyone, regardless of symptoms, we asked Chicagoans whether they’ll go get tested, and why.
Some of these answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
“Yes, I found it very hard to do it through a hospital.” — Rolf Baker
“Yes. I’m an essential worker who has been working this entire time, and I’m traveling out of state in two weeks. It’s the responsible thing to do.” — John Tacopina
“Absolutely not.” — Jim Cooper
“No, at least not anytime soon. There should be a priority system that labels me as low-priority for the following reasons: I am a student who is functioning with minimal social interactions, and I wear a mask whenever I’m outside my apartment. My roommates are also healthy individuals in their 20s. A thoughtfully designed testing system should never be congested by people like me.” — Ian Hsieh
Here’s a list of more responses from our readers.
11:55 a.m. Left out: More workers now losing hope of getting back jobs
NEW YORK — Eric Benz didn’t worry very much when his graphic design firm in Atlanta laid him off in March. He felt sure he’d be recalled to work once the viral pandemic eased and his firm’s clients resumed spending.
Three months later, there’s been no call. Instead, Benz has applied for gig work as an Instacart shopper.
Hope has given way to an urgent need to pay bills because Benz’s unemployment benefits haven’t yet come through. Benz has negotiated with his mortgage lender to defer payments on the home he and his wife bought earlier this year. But the deferral won’t last long.
“I’m doing everything I can,” said Benz, 37. “It will take a little while to get back.”
Even as the U.S. economy begins to flicker back to life, even as job cuts slow and some laid-off people are called back to work, the scope of the devastation left by the viral pandemic has grown distressingly clear to millions who’d hoped for a quick return to their jobs: They may not be going back anytime soon.
With many businesses reopening, the government surprisingly announced Friday that contrary to expectations of further layoffs, the economy added 2.5 million jobs in May, and the unemployment rate fell from 14.7% to 13.3%.
But the harsh reality is that last month’s rehirings aren’t expected to continue at the same pace.
Read the full report here.
10:22 a.m. Amid virus, US students look to colleges closer to home
As students make college plans for the fall, some U.S. universities are seeing surging interest from in-state residents who are looking to stay closer to home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
At the University of Texas at Arlington, commitments from state residents are up 26% over last year. Ohio State and Western Kentucky universities are both up about 20%. Deposits paid to attend Michigan State University are up 15% among state residents, while deposits from others are down 15%.
Colleges and admissions counselors credit the uptick to a range of factors tied to the pandemic. Students want to be closer to home in case an outbreak again forces classes online. Some are choosing nearby schools where they’re charged lower rates as state residents. And amid uncertainty around the fall term, some are paying deposits at multiple schools to keep their options open.
At the same time, scores of universities are bracing for sharp downturns in international enrollments amid visa issues and travel concerns. The result, some schools say, is that campuses will have a more local feel if they’re allowed to reopen this fall.
“We are going to be a more regional and local university,” Bob McMaster, vice provost of the University of Minnesota, told the school’s board of regents at a May meeting. “The spheres of geography have certainly changed this year.”
Universities across the U.S. have ramped up recruiting efforts amid fears that the pandemic would spur students to rethink their plans. Schools have accepted more students and reached far deeper into wait lists than in the past. Some have increased financial aid. And some have focused on recruiting students in their own backyards.
Read the full story here.
9:33 a.m. Coronavirus disrupts global fight to save endangered species
While the scientists follow government guidelines, they know that people intent on illegally exploiting the rainforests are still entering the parks, because several motion-activated research cameras have been smashed.
Around the world, government resources diverted to pandemic efforts have opened opportunities for illegal land clearing and poaching. Lockdowns also have derailed the eco-tourism that funds many environmental projects, from South America’s rainforests to Africa’s savannahs.
“Scientists and conservationists have faced interruptions from big global disasters before, like an earthquake or a coup in one country,” said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, founder of the nonprofit Saving Nature. “But I can’t think of another time when almost every country on the planet has faced the impacts of the same big disaster at once.”
In Guatemala, indigenous communities that monitor rainforests are struggling to contain one of the worst fire seasons in two decades, as government firefighting resources are devoted to the pandemic.
“Ninety-nine percent of these fires are started by people, and it’s mostly done deliberately to open space for illegal cattle ranching,” said Erick Cuellar, deputy director of an alliance of community organizations within Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve called Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén.
Indigenous people are stepping up as volunteer firefighters, but they are now doubly strained: Closed borders have shriveled their income from sustainably harvested forest exports, such as palm fronds sold for flower arrangements.
“Tropical forests are rich in biodiversity, so we’re losing rare flora and fauna,” said Jeremy Radachowsky, director for Mesoamerica at the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society. “The situation is different in every country, but reduced enforcement of environmental laws is a common concern.”
Read the full report here.
8:40 a.m. Cook County passes 4,000 coronavirus deaths: medical examiner
Over 4,000 people have died of coronavirus-related causes in Cook County, the medical examiner’s office announced Saturday.
With 33 more COVID-19 deaths, the county’s total rose to 4,005, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
Cook County residents make up about 68% of the 5,864 coronavirus deaths in Illinois. Earlier Saturday, Illinois health officials announced 72 more statewide deaths to go along with 975 more cases.
Read the full report here.
7:30 a.m. Archdiocese gives its blessing for dozens of Chicago-area churches to resume mass on Sunday, but urges ‘they start slow’
Parishioners attend a service at Transfiguration Catholic Church in Oakdale, Minn., on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP
As houses of worship across the country grapple with how to welcome back believers following the coronavirus shutdown, the Chicago-area faithful could be returning for mass at dozens of Catholic churches this Sunday.
About 80 parishes have been cleared by Chicago’s local arm of the Catholic Church to enter its next reopening phase, which allows for regular masses “for larger groups,” according to the Archdiocese of Chicago.
That’s almost a quarter of its 316 parishes, but just because churches have been certified doesn’t mean they’ll resume mass right away, according to archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Thomas.
“It’s encouraged that they start slow,” she said.
Read the full report from Mitchell Armentrout here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
7:04 a.m. A smarter way to trace the spread of COVID-19 without violating your privacy rights
Decision-makers across the country are exploring tools they can use in the battle against COVID-19. The latest device to be considered? The smartphone in your hand.
Many believe that the same phone you use to stay connected with your loved ones, get breaking news and play games might slow down the spread of COVID-19. But using our phones for this purpose is not a quick fix, and it runs the risk of tapping into private data stored on them.
Just think about all the ways you use your phones. All the places it goes with you. All the information you share with it. Now imagine giving the government or another third party access to all that information.
Read the full column by Sapna Khatri here.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--Illinois announces 43 coronavirus deaths, 867 new cases

Illinois recorded another 43 deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday , bringing the state ’ s pandemic death toll to 5,904 .
The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced an additional 867 people have tested positive for coronavirus .
That brings the state ’ s case total to 127,757 since Illinois ’ first case was reported more than four months ago , although the vast majority have now recovered .
State officials found the new cases among 20,700 tests processed .
More than 1 million people have been tested overall across the state , and the state ’ s rolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just 5 % .
According to a Friday report , nursing homes have accounted for slightly more than half of Illinois ’ COVID-19 deaths — but only about 15 % of its cases .
While the majority of victims have been older , Sunday ’ s deaths included two men in their 30s .
With every region of the state now well into Phase 3 of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan , hospitalization and testing numbers are currently hitting benchmarks that would allow the state to progress to Phase 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state reported 720 coronavirus patients occupied ICU beds , with 438 on ventilators , as of Saturday .

Illinois recorded another 43 deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s pandemic death toll to 5,904.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced an additional 867 people have tested positive for coronavirus.
That brings the state’s case total to 127,757 since Illinois’ first case was reported more than four months ago, although the vast majority have now recovered.
State officials found the new cases among 20,700 tests processed.
More than 1 million people have been tested overall across the state, and the state’s rolling positivity rate over the past week is just 5%.
According to a Friday report, nursing homes have accounted for slightly more than half of Illinois’ COVID-19 deaths — but only about 15% of its cases. While the majority of victims have been older, Sunday’s deaths included two men in their 30s.
With every region of the state now well into Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, hospitalization and testing numbers are currently hitting benchmarks that would allow the state to progress to Phase 4 as soon as June 26.
The state reported 720 coronavirus patients occupied ICU beds, with 438 on ventilators, as of Saturday.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--IDOT worker injured in vehicle crash on I-94 near Bronzeville, person cited

A 20-year-old man from Gary , Indiana , was cited Sunday after he crashed into two Illinois Department of Transportation trucks , injuring one person , on Interstate 94 near Bronzeville on the South Side .
About 1:25 a.m. seven IDOT maintenance trucks and one fully marked Illinois State police squad car with emergency lights activated were parked blocking the I-94 northbound exit ramp towards the Chinatown feeder , Illinois State police said .
A 2009 black Chevrolet traveling north on I-94 , failed to slow down and crashed into the rear of two of the trucks , state police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were struck .
One of the drivers , a man in his 50s , was not injured , police said .
The second driver , a man also in his 50s , was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries .
The 20-year-old driver of the Chevrolet was also taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries , state police said .
The man was cited for driving an uninsured vehicle , speeding , texting while driving , improper passing emergency vehicle causing property damage to another as well as a @ @ @ @ @ @

A 20-year-old man from Gary, Indiana, was cited Sunday after he crashed into two Illinois Department of Transportation trucks, injuring one person, on Interstate 94 near Bronzeville on the South Side.
About 1:25 a.m. seven IDOT maintenance trucks and one fully marked Illinois State police squad car with emergency lights activated were parked blocking the I-94 northbound exit ramp towards the Chinatown feeder, Illinois State police said.
A 2009 black Chevrolet traveling north on I-94, failed to slow down and crashed into the rear of two of the trucks, state police said. Both trucks were occupied when they were struck.
One of the drivers, a man in his 50s, was not injured, police said. The second driver, a man also in his 50s, was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The 20-year-old driver of the Chevrolet was also taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, state police said.
The man was cited for driving an uninsured vehicle, speeding, texting while driving, improper passing emergency vehicle causing property damage to another as well as a number of other moving violations.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-07--After speaking out for social justice, Bears put words into action

When Bears players spoke out Wednesday about George Floyd ’ s killing , police violence and what they see as systemic racism , they vowed to do more than talk .
The next day , quarterback Mitch Trubisky and receiver Allen Robinson joined former Bears linebacker Sam Acho in the Austin neighborhood .
Acho played the role of Noah on Thursday , bringing two athletes from most Chicago teams with him : the Blackhawks ’ Jonathan Toews and Malcolm Subban ; the Cubs ’ Jason Heyward and Jason Kipnis ; the Bulls ’ Ryan Arcidiacono and Max Strus , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lancaster .
Teaming with neighborhood groups By The Hand , BUILD and Westside Health Authority , the players spent an hour listening to area teenagers and police offers and then took a bus tour of the neighborhood .
When the players counted 10 liquor stores and only one grocery store , they agreed to take action .
Acho said they ’ re trying to purchase a liquor store and turn it into a food mart .
Kids from the neighborhood groups could help run it , learn life skills and bring healthy food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our resources , ” said Acho , who ’ s a free agent .
“ And they need our money to help invest in their community .
They need our platform , our voices to help spread the word … and they need our time.
” Bears players know they have all four things .
“ When you see any kind of stereotypical being done or any kind of discrimination happening , I think that everybody , if they continue to speak up and not be silent or not turn a blind eye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll continue to make this world a better place , ” Robinson said last week .
“ I think that ’ s the biggest thing .
And that ’ s [ so ] people who are actually living in it , like myself , like my family , like my teammates , for guys to continue to get in the community and to continue to impact the community.
” Bears players have been quick to say that words won ’ t be enough .
One player , though , used his words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Friday night , guard James Daniels , an Iowa alum , Tweeted that “ there are too many racial disparities in the Iowa football program .
Black players have been treated unfairly for far too long.
” His former teammates replied with their own stories about improper behavior by strength coach Chris Doyle .
Saturday afternoon , coach Kirk Ferentz placed Doyle on administrative leave and acknowledged calls for a cultural shift in the program .
The Bears have spent time in their meetings trying to find ways to channel their energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has November circled .
“ We have to be heard — I feel now that has happened , ” Trevathan said .
“ Now , what ’ s the next step ?
The next step is affecting change , creating change .
That ’ s where we have to be on board .
Like we have to get out as a team going forward .
At the same time , do whatever , bring as many people — rent a bus , rent a dag-gone big old subway if you have to — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote and to put something forward , not just talk about this stuff.
” When the players were on the bus in Austin , a teenager reminded them that they got to return home after the field trip .
The players , though , vowed to return .
“ I think about where we ’ re at as a country , and I think about how a lot of black people are hurting right now , because George Floyd looks like them , ” Acho said .
“ He could be their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be their son .
… “ The question isn ’ t what would you do if George Floyd was you ?
The question is if George Floyd was your brother , your father , your son , what wouldn ’ t you do to see justice happen ?
What rock wouldn ’ t you look under ?
What heights wouldn ’ t you go to to do whatever it takes ?
… .
“ Let ’ s seize this moment and not forget about it .
”

When Bears players spoke out Wednesday about George Floyd’s killing, police violence and what they see as systemic racism, they vowed to do more than talk.
The next day, quarterback Mitch Trubisky and receiver Allen Robinson joined former Bears linebacker Sam Acho in the Austin neighborhood.
Acho played the role of Noah on Thursday, bringing two athletes from most Chicago teams with him: the Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews and Malcolm Subban; the Cubs’ Jason Heyward and Jason Kipnis; the Bulls’ Ryan Arcidiacono and Max Strus; and Northwestern football alums-turned-pros Austin Carr and Tyler Lancaster.
Teaming with neighborhood groups By The Hand, BUILD and Westside Health Authority, the players spent an hour listening to area teenagers and police officers and then took a bus tour of the neighborhood.
When the players counted 10 liquor stores and only one grocery store, they agreed to take action. Acho said they will try to purchase a liquor store and turn it into a food mart. Kids from the neighborhood groups could help run it, learn life skills and bring healthful food to the area.
“They need our resources,” said Acho, who’s a free agent. “And they need our money to help invest in their community. They need our platform, our voices to help spread the word … and they need our time.”
Bears players know they have all four things.
“When you see any kind of stereotypical being done or any kind of discrimination happening, I think that everybody, if they continue to speak up and not be silent or not turn a blind eye to it, that we’ll continue to make this world a better place,” Robinson said last week. “I think that’s the biggest thing. And that’s [so] people who are -actually living in it, like myself, like my family, like my teammates, for guys to continue to get in the community and to continue to impact the community.”
Bears players have been quick to say that words won’t be enough.
One player used his words on social media to start a movement.
On Friday night, guard James Daniels, an Iowa alum, tweeted that “there are too many racial disparities in the Iowa football program. Black players have been treated unfairly for far too long.” His former teammates replied with their own stories about improper behavior by strength coach Chris Doyle.
Saturday afternoon, coach Kirk Ferentz placed Doyle on administrative leave and acknowledged calls for a cultural shift in the program.
Spent the day yesterday healing. Listening to kids all around the city of Chicago and learning how we can do better. How I can do better. Grateful for @Mtrubisky10 @AllenRobinson @JonathanToews @TheJK_Kid @ayeseeme #jasonheyward #Malcolmsubban & more for being real about change pic.twitter.com/oeOPI51mmi — Sam Acho (@TheSamAcho) June 5, 2020
The Bears have spent time in their meetings trying to find ways to channel their energy into change. Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan has November circled.
“We have to be heard — I feel now that has happened,” Trevathan said. “Now, what’s the next step? The next step is affecting change, creating change. That’s where we have to be on board. Like we have to get out as a team going forward. At the same time, do whatever, bring as many people — rent a bus, rent a dag-gone big old subway if you have to — bring as many people as you can to vote and to put something forward, not just talk about this stuff.”
When the players were on the bus in Austin, a teenager reminded them that they got to return home after the field trip. The players vowed to return.
“I think about where we’re at as a country, and I think about how a lot of black people are hurting right now because George Floyd looks like them,” Acho said. “He could be their brother, could be their father, could be their son.
“The question isn’t what would you do if George Floyd was you? The question is if George Floyd was your brother, your father, your son, what wouldn’t you do to see justice happen? What rock wouldn’t you look under? What heights wouldn’t you go to to do whatever it takes?
“Let’s seize this moment and not forget about it.”


Chicago’s Bloody Sunday

A hardworking father killed just before 1 a.m. A college freshman who hoped to become a correctional officer , gunned down at 4:25 p.m. after getting into an argument in Englewood .
While Chicago was roiled by another day of protests and looting in the wake of George Floyd ’ s murder , 18 people were killed Sunday , May 31 , making it the single most violent day in Chicago in six decades , according to the University of Chicago Crime Lab .
The lab ’ s data doesn ’ t go back further than 1961 .
From 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. Sunday , May 31 , 25 people were killed in the city , with another 85 wounded by gunfire , according to data maintained by the Chicago Sun-Times .
In a city with an international reputation for crime — where 900 murders per year were common in the early 1990s — it was the most violent weekend in Chicago ’ s modern history , stretching police resources that were already thin because of protests and looting .
“ We ’ ve never seen anything like it , at all , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the crime lab .
“ ...
I don ’ t even know how to put it into context .
It ’ s beyond anything that we ’ ve ever seen before.
” The next highest murder total for a single day was on Aug. 4 , 1991 , when 13 people were killed in Chicago , according to the crime lab .
The Rev .
Michael Pfleger , a longtime crusader against gun violence who leads St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham , said it was “ open season ” last weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South and West sides .
“ On Saturday and particularly Sunday , I heard people saying all over , ‘ Hey , there ’ s no police anywhere , police ain ’ t doing nothing , ’ ” Pfleger said .
“ I sat and watched a store looted for over an hour , ” he added .
“ No police came .
I got in my car and drove around to some other places getting looted [ and ] didn ’ t see police anywhere.
” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency center received 65,000 calls for all types of service — 50,000 more than on a usual day .
Pfleger noted the systemic problems that have plagued minority communities for decades — like joblessness , food insecurity and a lack of housing — were already heightened by the COVID-19 outbreak , which he said “ made a bad situation worse.
” Floyd ’ s killing in Minnesota simply brought further to the fore the “ hopelessness and anger ” felt by those living in blighted communities , added Pfleger , who said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that broke out when the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated .
“ It ’ s like a time bomb out here , ” Pfleger said .
“ People are on the edge , people are angry , people are poor , and they don ’ t even know when it ’ s going to change.
” If immediate action isn ’ t taken to address systemic racism , poverty and “ black folks being shot down and killed out here like dogs , ” Pfleger said last weekend will merely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s going to happen next.
” Most homicide victims in Chicago are young , black men , and the suspects are , too .
But murders have fallen significantly in recent years , along with police-involved shootings .
There were 764 murders and 12 fatal police-involved shootings in 2016 , compared with 492 murders and three fatal police-involved shootings last year .
“ The level of activity experienced over the last week has been unprecedented and the Department is actively investigating multiple incidents across the city and working to determine the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police spokesman Thomas Ahern said in a statement .
“ ...
The Department is actively working to seek justice for all the residents impacted , especially those who have been killed or injured by these senseless acts of violence.
” Ahern said after “ increased violent and criminal activity ” on Saturday , May 30 , police canceled days off for all officers and placed them on 12-hour shifts in order to direct “ our full force of manpower towards Chicago ’ s neighborhoods , particularly on the South and West Sides.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21-year-old Gregory Lewis , who was gunned down early Saturday while riding in a vehicle in the 500 block of East 115th Street .
Mustafa Abdullah , Lewis ’ former dean at Excel Academy of Roseland , spoke glowingly of his former student , who he described as a “ positive influence ” and a leader who for a time served as the vice president of the school ’ s student government .
“ He was very helpful at deescalating any situations that had potential to kind of escalate into anything further , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a really good kid.
” Abdullah said he had a “ unique ” relationship with Lewis .
In addition to joking around and “ busting on each other , ” Lewis also helped Abdullah acclimate to life in Chicago as he was still adjusting after moving from Philadelphia .
“ We would sit and talk in my office for hours just about life , ” he said .
“ So just kind of schooling me on the ins and outs of Chicago , the do ’ s and don ’ ts .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going through today as far as neighborhood situations or whatever the case may be.
” In recent years , Abdullah fell out of touch with Lewis but said he knew his former student was trying to launch a rap career .
On Thursday , Abdullah fondly recalled a school trip to Washington , D.C. , that he and Lewis went on together .
The pair spent the bus ride down poking fun at each other , which served as a constant source of entertainment for the other students along for the ride .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ toured the historical sites and museums and took in a Washington Wizards game .
“ I could tell that he was very humbled and very appreciative of the experience of getting the chance to get out of Chicago for a few days and then kind of , proverbially and actually , just letting his hair down and be able to just be a kid , ” he said .
Shot after her own graduation party For Teyonna Lofton , of Gresham , last Sunday started on a high note .
The 18-year-old recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Academy , and her family was holding a socially distanced graduation parade to honor the occasion .
While the day “ started off perfect , ” a trip to a gas station at the corner of 81st and Racine — a half-mile south of St. Sabina — later that day quickly turned into the most harrowing experience of her young life .
As she waited in line outside the store , an SUV pulled up and someone inside opened fire into the crowd , striking Lofton and two others .
Struck near her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 911 for help .
“ When I needed help , to call the police and stuff , nobody responded .
Nobody answered , ” Lofton said .
“ My mom had to come from home , and we had to get to the hospital.
” On the way to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park , Lofton peered out her mother ’ s car window and saw the “ madness ” that was unfolding outside .
“ It was just people jumping out their cars into stores and stealing and looting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they wanted , ” she said .
Because the bullet struck an artery , Lofton was ultimately transferred to the trauma unit at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for surgery .
After being released Wednesday , she now faces months of physical therapy after losing feeling in much of her wounded arm .
Though she has worked with Pfleger in the past to advocate against gun violence , Lofton said she plans to increase her efforts now that she ’ s become a victim .
“ I want to really make some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week , Lofton was concerned that detectives still hadn ’ t reached out to her about the shooting , which hasn ’ t been publicly reported by the department .
Kapustin of U. of C. ’ s crime lab said massive upheavals or protests typically require police departments to divert officers to respond to demonstrations .
“ When CPD has to turn its attention elsewhere and there ’ s suddenly this vacuum that opens up , you also unfortunately see a picture like you saw with [ last ] weekend where you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people getting injured and killed , ” he said .
“ Those forces are still there.
” Kapustin said the current situation “ lays bare a really nuanced understanding of the role of the police.
” “ You have to sort of ask yourself : How are you going to get to a place where you have a police department that people respect and that has earned the trust of the community , but it ’ s still actually effective at reducing gun violence , which is the thing that plagues a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And we ’ re so far right now from getting that figured out.
” Andrew Holmes and Pastor Donovan Price have seen more anguish than most .
Both men respond to crime scenes across the city , offering support and comfort to the families of those killed .
Even for them , the last weekend in May was different .
“ I ’ ve been experiencing a great , great , great , great , great deal of anxiety , ” Price said .
“ I ’ ve been hurting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been crying , I ’ ve been losing sleep for the city because I love the city ... And so I ’ ve been hurting for that , as well as watching it , to a certain level , not self-destruct but definitely take a sip of the poison every now and then.
” In Price ’ s view , collaboration between academics , clergy and neighborhood leaders has been lacking in the fight to tamp down violence .
“ There ’ s a difference between swelling and growth , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town halls and all of those things caused a swelling — mainly of the peoples ’ heads who were doing them — in thinking that they ’ ve got this , they ’ ve solved this , we ’ ve got a handle on this , ” Price said .
Even aside from his work in aiding bereaved families , Holmes knows violence all too well .
His daughter was shot to death in Indianapolis in 2015 .
Two years later , a young cousin of his — an 11-year-old girl — was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the South Side .
In the last week , Holmes said , he ’ s felt “ kind of numb ” and can sometimes struggle to find words of comfort for grieving families .
“ Because sometimes when they lose their baby , there ’ s not a right word that you can say ... especially [ to ] a mother , a woman , ” Holmes said .
“ It took her nine months to give birth and life to that baby , and it takes a second for a person to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that person ’ s life and that ’ s wrong .
That ’ s a lot of pain.
” “ I ’ m not going to sit here and tell you I ’ m all right , ” he added .
“ No , I ’ m not all right because I feel that pain , I feel that suffering that they ’ re going through.
” Angelo Bronson was standing in Englewood ’ s 6800 block of South Laflin when someone fired shots from a passing car , striking him in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young children was dead less than an hour later .
Bronson had lived in the Washington , D.C. , area for many years , where he worked installing solar panels and was remembered by friends as hardworking , humble and quick to laugh .
He had come home for the weekend to visit his family who lived in the neighborhood , which he did frequently .
“ Just about the last person I could have thought this would happen to was Angelo , ” his longtime friend Ali Evans said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laugh , too .
I just can ’ t believe we ’ re talking about him in the past tense.
” John Tiggs , 32 , was walking into a Metro PCS at 8100 S. Halsted St. to pay his bill , family said , when shots were fired inside the store amid widespread looting on the South Side .
Tiggs , who family described as a devoted father of three young children , was struck in the abdomen and died .
A 15-year-old boy was also injured .
Police said two people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without charges .
“ John had a big heart .
He was there for us , and [ his death ] has taken so much from us , ” his aunt Marie Marsham said .
“ When you needed something done , he was the first to be there to help you out.
” Two students among the victims Other victims included two 18-year-old women — both students .
Lazarra Daniels , a student at DRW College Prep in Lawndale , was found shot by officers at 10:51 p.m. Sunday in the 4200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Principal Tony Sutton called Daniels ’ death “ an incalculable loss for her family , and one that will pain those who loved Lazarra for a long time ” in a social media post breaking the news to the school ’ s community .
“ I can ’ t even cry no more I just get mad , ” a friend wrote on Facebook about her death .
Keishanay Bolden was enrolled at Western Illinois University , where she was studying law enforcement and justice and hoped to become a correctional officer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outgoing personality and ability to make people laugh .
“ Keishanay was a person of determination , intelligence and joy .
She had the ability to uplift the mood of anyone near her .
A gifted young lady who will be truly missed , ” a resident adviser at Lincoln Hall dorm wrote .
Police said Bolden was killed Sunday afternoon when she was shot during an argument in Englewood , where she grew up .
Thinking about her community for a college assignment last year , Bolden touched on the gun violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When one person is hurt everybody is hurt .
We all might not hurt the same , but we can feel that pain when one of ours is hurt .
”

A hardworking father killed just before 1 a.m.
A West Side high school student murdered two hours later.
A man killed amid South Side looting at a cellphone store at 12:30 p.m.
A college freshman who hoped to become a correctional officer, gunned down at 4:25 p.m. after getting into an argument in Englewood.
While Chicago was roiled by another day of protests and looting in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, 18 people were killed Sunday, May 31, making it the single most violent day in Chicago in six decades, according to the University of Chicago Crime Lab. The lab’s data doesn’t go back further than 1961.
From 7 p.m. Friday, May 29, through 5 a.m. Monday, June 1, 25 people were killed in the city, with another 85 wounded by gunfire, according to data maintained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
In a city with an international reputation for crime — where 900 murders per year were common in the early 1990s — it was the most violent weekend in Chicago’s modern history, stretching police resources that were already thin because of protests and looting.
“We’ve never seen anything like it at all,” said Max Kapustin, the senior research director at the crime lab. “I don’t even know how to put it into context. It’s beyond anything that we’ve ever seen before.”
The next highest murder total for a single day was on Aug. 4, 1991, when 13 people were killed in Chicago, according to the crime lab.
Pfleger: A time bomb
The Rev. Michael Pfleger, a longtime crusader against gun violence who leads St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham, said it was “open season” last weekend in his neighborhood and others on the South and West sides.
“On Saturday and particularly Sunday, I heard people saying all over, ‘Hey, there’s no police anywhere, police ain’t doing nothing,’” Pfleger said.
“I sat and watched a store looted for over an hour,” he added. “No police came. I got in my car and drove around to some other places getting looted [and] didn’t see police anywhere.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on May 31 alone, Chicago’s 911 emergency center received 65,000 calls for all types of service — 50,000 more than on a usual day.
Pfleger said the systemic problems that have plagued minority communities for decades — like joblessness, food insecurity and a lack of housing — already were heightened by the COVID-19 outbreak, which he said “made a bad situation worse.”
Floyd’s killing in Minnesota simply brought further to the fore the “hopelessness and anger” felt by those living in blighted communities, added Pfleger, who said the current unrest reminds him of the rioting that broke out when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
“It’s like a time bomb out here,” Pfleger said. “People are on the edge, people are angry, people are poor, and they don’t even know when it’s going to change.”
If immediate action isn’t taken to address systemic racism, poverty and “black folks being shot down and killed out here like dogs,” Pfleger said the last weekend in May will merely serve as a “coming attraction of what’s going to happen next.”
Most homicide victims in Chicago are young, black men, and the suspects are, too. But murders have fallen significantly in recent years, along with police-involved shootings. There were 764 murders and 12 fatal police-involved shootings in 2016, compared with 492 murders and three fatal police-involved shootings last year.
“The level of activity experienced over the last week has been unprecedented and the Department is actively investigating multiple incidents across the city and working to determine the motives in these cases,” Chicago Police spokesman Thomas Ahern said in a statement. “... The Department is actively working to seek justice for all the residents impacted, especially those who have been killed or injured by these senseless acts of violence.”
Ahern said after “increased violent and criminal activity” on Saturday, May 30, police canceled days off for all officers and placed them on 12-hour shifts in order to direct “our full force of manpower towards Chicago’s neighborhoods, particularly on the South and West Sides.”
‘Positive influence’ slain
The weekend’s death toll includes 21-year-old Gregory Lewis, one of six people killed May 30. Lewis was gunned down early that morning while riding in a vehicle in the 500 block of East 115th Street.
Mustafa Abdullah (center left) and Gregory Lewis (center right) during their trip to Washington D.C. Provided by Mustafa Abdullah
Mustafa Abdullah, Lewis’ former dean at Excel Academy of Roseland, spoke glowingly of his former student, who he described as a “positive influence” and a leader who for a time served as the vice president of the school’s student government.
“He was very helpful at deescalating any situations that had potential to kind of escalate into anything further,” Abdullah said. “He was a really good kid.”
Abdullah said he had a “unique” relationship with Lewis. In addition to joking around and “busting on each other,” Lewis also helped Abdullah acclimate to life in Chicago as he was still adjusting after moving from Philadelphia.
“We would sit and talk in my office for hours just about life,” he said. “So just kind of schooling me on the ins and outs of Chicago, the do’s and don’ts. Just kind of what the young people are going through today as far as neighborhood situations or whatever the case may be.”
In recent years, Abdullah fell out of touch with Lewis but said he knew his former student was trying to launch a rap career.
On Thursday, Abdullah fondly recalled a school trip to Washington, D.C., that he and Lewis went on together.
The pair spent the bus ride down poking fun at each other, which served as a constant source of entertainment for the other students along for the ride. Once in the Capitol, the group toured the historical sites and museums and took in a Washington Wizards game.
“I could tell that he was very humbled and very appreciative of the experience of getting the chance to get out of Chicago for a few days and then kind of, proverbially and actually, just letting his hair down and be able to just be a kid,” he said.
Teyonna Lofton was shot last Sunday while waiting in line outside a gas station. James Foster/For the Sun-Times
Shot after her own graduation party
For Teyonna Lofton, of Gresham, last Sunday started on a high note. The 18-year-old recently finished her senior year at Perspectives Leadership Academy, and her family was holding a socially distanced graduation parade to honor the occasion.
While the day “started off perfect,” a trip to a gas station at the corner of 81st and Racine — a half-mile south of St. Sabina — later that day quickly turned into the most harrowing experience of her young life.
As she waited in line outside the store, an SUV pulled up and someone inside opened fire into the crowd, striking Lofton and two others. Struck near her elbow, she tried repeatedly to call 911 for help.
“When I needed help, to call the police and stuff, nobody responded. Nobody answered,” Lofton said. “My mom had to come from home, and we had to get to the hospital.”
On the way to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Lofton peered out her mother’s car window and saw the “madness” that was unfolding outside.
“It was just people jumping out their cars into stores and stealing and looting ... Police was letting them do whatever they wanted,” she said.
“They did not care,” Lofton added. “Nobody cared.”
Because the bullet struck an artery, Lofton was ultimately transferred to the trauma unit at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for surgery. After being released Wednesday, she now faces months of physical therapy after losing feeling in much of her wounded arm.
Lofton was among the 48 people wounded in shootings across Chicago that day. Though she has worked with Pfleger in the past to advocate against gun violence, Lofton said she plans to increase her efforts now that she’s become a victim.
“I want to really make some noise,” she said.
Late last week, Lofton was concerned that detectives still hadn’t reached out to her about the shooting, which hasn’t been publicly reported by the department.
Police attention diverted: expert
Kapustin of U. of C.’s crime lab said massive upheavals or protests typically require police departments to divert officers to respond to demonstrations.
“When CPD has to turn its attention elsewhere and there’s suddenly this vacuum that opens up, you also unfortunately see a picture like you saw with [last] weekend where you see an absurd amount of carnage, people getting injured and killed,” he said. “Those forces are still there.”
Kapustin said the current situation “lays bare a really nuanced understanding of the role of the police.”
Danyal Jones, 30, was standing on a front porch in the 8100 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when a male walked up and fired shots, authorities said. Jones was hit in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
“You have to sort of ask yourself: How are you going to get to a place where you have a police department that people respect and that has earned the trust of the community, but it’s still actually effective at reducing gun violence, which is the thing that plagues a lot of these neighborhoods,” Kapustin said. “And we’re so far right now from getting that figured out.”
‘Great, great deal of anxiety’
Andrew Holmes and Pastor Donovan Price have seen more anguish than most.
Both men respond to crime scenes across the city, offering support and comfort to the families of those killed.
Even for them, the last weekend in May was different.
“I’ve been experiencing a great, great, great, great, great deal of anxiety,” Price said. “I’ve been hurting, I’ve been paining, I’ve been crying, I’ve been losing sleep for the city because I love the city ... And so I’ve been hurting for that, as well as watching it, to a certain level, not self-destruct but definitely take a sip of the poison every now and then.”
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In Price’s view, collaboration between academics, clergy and neighborhood leaders has been lacking in the fight to tamp down violence.
“There’s a difference between swelling and growth, and the amount of programs and nonprofits and town halls and all of those things caused a swelling — mainly of the peoples’ heads who were doing them — in thinking that they’ve got this, they’ve solved this, we’ve got a handle on this,” Price said.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
Even aside from his work in aiding bereaved families, Holmes knows violence all too well. His daughter was shot to death in Indianapolis in 2015. Two years later, a young cousin of his — an 11-year-old girl — was shot and killed in Parkway Gardens on the South Side.
In the last week, Holmes said, he’s felt “kind of numb” and can sometimes struggle to find words of comfort for grieving families.
“Because sometimes when they lose their baby, there’s not a right word that you can say ... especially [to] a mother, a woman,” Holmes said. “It took her nine months to give birth and life to that baby, and it takes a second for a person to discharge that weapon [and] take that person’s life and that’s wrong. That’s a lot of pain.”
“I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’m all right,” he added. “No, I’m not all right because I feel that pain, I feel that suffering that they’re going through.”
Killed while visiting
Angelo Bronson was standing in Englewood’s 6800 block of South Laflin on May 31 when someone fired shots from a passing car, striking him in the chest. The 36-year-old father of two young children was dead less than an hour later.
Angelo Bronson Forevermissed.com
Bronson had lived in the Washington, D.C., area for many years, where he worked installing solar panels and was remembered by friends as hardworking, humble and quick to laugh. He had come home for the weekend to visit his family who lived in the neighborhood, which he did frequently.
“Just about the last person I could have thought this would happen to was Angelo,” his longtime friend Ali Evans said. “The man was so calm and quick to laugh, too. I just can’t believe we’re talking about him in the past tense.”
Shots fired during looting
John Tiggs, 32, was walking into a Metro PCS at 8100 S. Halsted St. on May 31 to pay his bill, family said, when shots were fired inside the store amid widespread looting on the South Side. Tiggs, who family described as a devoted father of three young children, was struck in the abdomen and died. A 15-year-old boy was also injured. Police said two people initially taken into custody have been released without charges.
“John had a big heart. He was there for us, and [his death] has taken so much from us,” his aunt Marie Marsham said. “When you needed something done, he was the first to be there to help you out.”
John Tiggs Provided
2 students among the victims
Other May 31 victims included two 18-year-old women — both students.
Lazarra Daniels, a student at DRW College Prep in Lawndale, was found shot by officers at 10:51 p.m. Sunday in the 4200 block of West Van Buren Street.
Lazarra Daniels, 18, was shot in the 4200 block of West Van Buren Street on Sunday, police said. Facebook
Principal Tony Sutton called Daniels’ death “an incalculable loss for her family, and one that will pain those who loved Lazarra for a long time” in a social media post breaking the news to the school’s community.
“I can’t even cry no more I just get mad,” a friend wrote on Facebook about her death.
Keishanay Bolden was enrolled at Western Illinois University, where she was studying law enforcement and justice and hoped to become a correctional officer.
Her campus community remembered her for her outgoing personality and ability to make people laugh.
Keishanay Bolden Western Illinois University
“Keishanay was a person of determination, intelligence and joy. She had the ability to uplift the mood of anyone near her. A gifted young lady who will be truly missed,” a resident adviser at Lincoln Hall dorm wrote.
Police said Bolden was killed Sunday afternoon when she was shot during an argument in Englewood, where she grew up.
Thinking about her community for a college assignment last year, Bolden touched on the gun violence in her neighborhood, writing: “When one person is hurt everybody is hurt. We all might not hurt the same, but we can feel that pain when one of ours is hurt.”
Contributing: Frank Main


chicagosun-times--2020-06-08--Red, Purple Line trains to share tracks from Howard to Belmont for most of June

Trains on the CTA ’ s Red and Purple lines will share tracks for most of June as crews work @ @ @ @ @ the North Side .
Northbound Purple Line Express trains will run on the same tracks @ @ @ @ @ Howard and Belmont , according to a service alert from the CTA .
Southbound trains @ @ @ @ @ Granville and Belmont .
Riders are advised to expect delays .
The trains are being @ @ @ @ @ of two tracks between the Lawrence and Sheridan stations as part of the Red and @ @ @ @ @ CTA said .
The closure started at 5 a.m. Monday and will last until 8 @ @ @ @ @ The project , which broke ground in October , will involve the construction of a @ @ @ @ @ congestion at Belmont and reconstructed stations at Lawrence , Argyle , Berwyn and Bryn Mawr @

Trains on the CTA’s Red and Purple lines will share tracks for most of June as crews work to modernize both lines on the North Side.
Northbound Purple Line Express trains will run on the same tracks as the Red Line between Howard and Belmont, according to a service alert from the CTA. Southbound trains will share a track between Granville and Belmont. Riders are advised to expect delays.
The trains are being rerouted because of the closure of two tracks between the Lawrence and Sheridan stations as part of the Red and Purple Modernization project, the CTA said. The closure started at 5 a.m. Monday and will last until 8 p.m. on June 26.
The project, which broke ground in October, will involve the construction of a flyover meant to ease train congestion at Belmont and reconstructed stations at Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-08--Dear Abby: It’s hard to work when roommate is yelling, abusing kids

DEAR ABBY : My roommate owns the house .
His girlfriend and her two children are over here all day , every day .
I have my own living room , office and bedroom , and we share the kitchen and bathroom .
I ’ m clean and respectful and try to mind my own business .
The problem is , neither of them work .
They drink heavily every day and then scream and fight for hours .
Since COVID-19 , they have been drinking even more and fighting constantly .
Sometimes it gets physical .
My roommate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girlfriend threatens to leave when he starts abusing her kids , but doesn ’ t follow through .
I have intervened a couple of times on behalf of the children , but there ’ s only so much I can do .
Lately , they ’ ve been screaming at the top of their lungs about me .
I work from home and often customers on the phone hear them drop F-bomb after F-bomb .
I ’ m afraid their behavior will lead to me losing my job .
They ’ re also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night fighting , which keeps me from sleeping ( even with earplugs ) .
I ’ m completely stressed out and starting to get depressed .
I ’ m not sure what to do .
I have limited funds , so moving would be difficult .
I ’ m wondering if you have any suggestions so I can weather the storm .
— BAD SITUATION IN UTAH DEAR BAD SITUATION : This storm isn ’ t going to end .
I feel for the children whose mother doesn ’ t protect them from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be they will think they deserve the mistreatment they are receiving , which may affect them for the rest of their lives .
I am not sure there is a way to “ weather ” the storm .
Because these addicts can not control their behavior , and it is affecting the way your clients perceive you , it would be better to get out of there .
If possible , go live temporarily with a friend or relative until you find affordable alternative living quarters .
Your job may depend on it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hannah ” told one of my children that she is sorry she married my son .
He does not know .
They are both young adults .
Hannah and her mother had pushed for the marriage .
She even bought her wedding dress before he proposed .
My son loves her .
He is special-needs , lower IQ and gullible .
What do I do with this information ?
It will hurt him , but I don ’ t want him wasting years married to someone who doesn ’ t love him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ SAD MOM IN FLORIDA DEAR SAD MOM : Your son needs to know what Hannah has been saying and receive as much support from the family as possible .
I think the news should come from the person in whom Hannah confided rather than from you , which could be perceived as meddling .
This should also be discussed with an attorney .
I hope you will do it soon , before there are children involved .
DEAR ABBY : On May 3 , you responded to a cancer patient about what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer .
What do you recommend to readers whose good friends disclose their cancer for the first time ?
What can be said that shows concern , understanding and being supportive ?
— AT A LOSS FOR WORDS DEAR AT A LOSS : I will share what I have said to people I care about when told of their diagnosis .
I hope it will guide you .
I tell the person I am sorry to hear the person is having to fight that battle , that I will mention him or her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and offer whatever emotional support the person is willing to accept from me .
And then I follow through .
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren , also known as Jeanne Phillips , and was founded by her mother , Pauline Phillips .
Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .
Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets : “ Abby ’ s Favorite Recipes ” and “ More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.
” Send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check or money order for $ 16 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby , Cookbooklet Set , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: My roommate owns the house. His girlfriend and her two children are over here all day, every day. I have my own living room, office and bedroom, and we share the kitchen and bathroom.
I’m clean and respectful and try to mind my own business. The problem is, neither of them work. They drink heavily every day and then scream and fight for hours. Since COVID-19, they have been drinking even more and fighting constantly. Sometimes it gets physical.
My roommate is a verbally abusive drunk, and his girlfriend threatens to leave when he starts abusing her kids, but doesn’t follow through. I have intervened a couple of times on behalf of the children, but there’s only so much I can do.
Lately, they’ve been screaming at the top of their lungs about me. I work from home and often customers on the phone hear them drop F-bomb after F-bomb. I’m afraid their behavior will lead to me losing my job. They’re also up until 2 or 3 a.m. every night fighting, which keeps me from sleeping (even with earplugs).
I’m completely stressed out and starting to get depressed. I’m not sure what to do. I have limited funds, so moving would be difficult. I’m wondering if you have any suggestions so I can weather the storm. — BAD SITUATION IN UTAH
DEAR BAD SITUATION: This storm isn’t going to end. I feel for the children whose mother doesn’t protect them from her abusive boyfriend. The result will be they will think they deserve the mistreatment they are receiving, which may affect them for the rest of their lives.
I am not sure there is a way to “weather” the storm. Because these addicts cannot control their behavior, and it is affecting the way your clients perceive you, it would be better to get out of there. If possible, go live temporarily with a friend or relative until you find affordable alternative living quarters. Your job may depend on it.
DEAR ABBY: My daughter-in-law “Hannah” told one of my children that she is sorry she married my son. He does not know. They are both young adults.
Hannah and her mother had pushed for the marriage. She even bought her wedding dress before he proposed. My son loves her. He is special-needs, lower IQ and gullible.
What do I do with this information? It will hurt him, but I don’t want him wasting years married to someone who doesn’t love him. He deserves better than that. — SAD MOM IN FLORIDA
DEAR SAD MOM: Your son needs to know what Hannah has been saying and receive as much support from the family as possible. I think the news should come from the person in whom Hannah confided rather than from you, which could be perceived as meddling. This should also be discussed with an attorney. I hope you will do it soon, before there are children involved.
DEAR ABBY: On May 3, you responded to a cancer patient about what to say to those who bring up her cancer. What do you recommend to readers whose good friends disclose their cancer for the first time? What can be said that shows concern, understanding and being supportive? — AT A LOSS FOR WORDS
DEAR AT A LOSS: I will share what I have said to people I care about when told of their diagnosis. I hope it will guide you. I tell the person I am sorry to hear the person is having to fight that battle, that I will mention him or her in my prayers until remission is accomplished, and offer whatever emotional support the person is willing to accept from me. And then I follow through.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)