chicagosun-times--2020-06-22--College football amid a pandemic is not worth the risk to young men’s lives

How many lives of young men and women should be sacrificed for entertainment — and for billions in profit ?
That question can ’ t be ducked as the NCAA allows colleges to begin “ voluntary ” football practices , and other college teams begin to practice .
Colleges are desperate to open the full football season , a source of millions in profits for colleges and universities .
Donald Trump , who pretends that COVID-19 is behind us , wants a return to normal , with stadiums filled with fans cheering their heroes .
Players are eager to compete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem is that the coronavirus doesn ’ t care about profits or presidents , or about fans or coaches .
It doesn ’ t follow polls , doesn ’ t care who wins the presidential election , and has no party .
It is deadly and it ’ s still here , even spiking in more than 20 states .
And now , it ’ s hitting football players hard .
Thirty Louisiana State players are in quarantine , either testing positive for the virus or from being in contact with those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tested positive since workouts started on June 1 .
Thirteen at Texas , 14 at Kansas State , and more at Alabama , Mississippi , Southern Florida , Auburn , Oklahoma State and others .
Houston and Kansas State have suspended voluntary workouts after a raft of positive tests .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the United States ’ leading infectious disease expert , warns that football might not be possible now : ” Unless players are essentially in a bubble — insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see how football is able to be played this fall.
” For Donald Trump , this is unacceptable .
He wants to pretend that the pandemic has been conquered and wants praise for the self-proclaimed “ phenomenal job ” that he has done , even though the U.S. has suffered more victims than any other nation in the world .
He sought to kickstart his re-election campaign with a rally in an enclosed arena in Tulsa , Oklahoma , site of one of the worst racial massacres in our history in 1921 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people had sought tickets for the 19,000-seat arena , he spoke before an arena that was only one-third full .
Even the Trumpsters thought twice about gathering in a closed arena to listen to hours of speeches in a crowd parading without masks .
Who will be responsible for the athletes whose lives will be at risk so fans can be entertained , and the universities can profit ?
College presidents now make big salaries , but they should feel a greater responsibility to the young men and women who attend their schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs , but they should protect the players that play for them .
The NCAA should reconsider its decision to open practices now that the virus has spread so quickly .
In the end , sadly , it is likely that the players themselves will have to be the adults in the room .
At UCLA , 30 players petitioned the university for additional protections , seeking a Third-Party Health Official to review all safety measures and protocols to ensure the greatest protection possible .
They wanted guarantees that players would not lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose not to return to the campus for the season this fall .
They argued , sensibly , that they could not trust university or athletic department officials who had interests other than their lives and health at stake .
With demonstrations in support of the Black Lives movement continuing , it is time for players to speak out .
Oklahoma State ’ s football coach , Mike Gundy , found that out when he wore a sweatshirt from OAN , the virulent right-wing cable network that has consistently mocked Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running back Chuba Hubbard , called him out , leading to Gundy ’ s abject apology for what he claimed was an ignorant mistake .
Now players need to speak out about their own health and safety .
College football is a wonderful spectator sport , but it is not worth the lives of young American men .
The same is true for other college sports .
If college officials , college coaches and the NCAA are not prepared to act responsibly , the athletes themselves must take the lead .
Their parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive in “ voluntary ” practices is 30 too many .
It is time to give greater weight to the pandemic experts than to the panicked administrators .

How many lives of young men and women should be sacrificed for entertainment — and for billions in profit? That question can’t be ducked as the NCAA allows colleges to begin “voluntary” football practices, and other college teams begin to practice.
Colleges are desperate to open the full football season, a source of millions in profits for colleges and universities. Donald Trump, who pretends that COVID-19 is behind us, wants a return to normal, with stadiums filled with fans cheering their heroes. Players are eager to compete and to display their skills.
Only problem is that the coronavirus doesn’t care about profits or presidents, or about fans or coaches. It doesn’t follow polls, doesn’t care who wins the presidential election, and has no party. It is deadly and it’s still here, even spiking in more than 20 states.
Columnists bug Columnists In-depth political coverage, sports analysis, entertainment reviews and cultural commentary.
And now, it’s hitting football players hard. Thirty Louisiana State players are in quarantine, either testing positive for the virus or from being in contact with those who tested positive. Twenty-three Clemson football players have tested positive since workouts started on June 1. Thirteen at Texas, 14 at Kansas State, and more at Alabama, Mississippi, Southern Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State and others.
Houston and Kansas State have suspended voluntary workouts after a raft of positive tests.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ leading infectious disease expert, warns that football might not be possible now: ”Unless players are essentially in a bubble — insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day — it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall.”
For Donald Trump, this is unacceptable. He wants to pretend that the pandemic has been conquered and wants praise for the self-proclaimed “phenomenal job” that he has done, even though the U.S. has suffered more victims than any other nation in the world. He sought to kickstart his re-election campaign with a rally in an enclosed arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma, site of one of the worst racial massacres in our history in 1921. Yet, after boasting that a million people had sought tickets for the 19,000-seat arena, he spoke before an arena that was only one-third full. Even the Trumpsters thought twice about gathering in a closed arena to listen to hours of speeches in a crowd parading without masks.
Who will be responsible for the athletes whose lives will be at risk so fans can be entertained, and the universities can profit? College presidents now make big salaries, but they should feel a greater responsibility to the young men and women who attend their schools. College coaches make millions at big-time programs, but they should protect the players that play for them. The NCAA should reconsider its decision to open practices now that the virus has spread so quickly.
In the end, sadly, it is likely that the players themselves will have to be the adults in the room.
At UCLA, 30 players petitioned the university for additional protections, seeking a Third-Party Health Official to review all safety measures and protocols to ensure the greatest protection possible. They wanted guarantees that players would not lose their scholarships or face retaliation if they chose not to return to the campus for the season this fall. They argued, sensibly, that they could not trust university or athletic department officials who had interests other than their lives and health at stake.
With demonstrations in support of the Black Lives movement continuing, it is time for players to speak out. Oklahoma State’s football coach, Mike Gundy, found that out when he wore a sweatshirt from OAN, the virulent right-wing cable network that has consistently mocked Black Lives Matter demonstrations. His Heisman Award candidate, running back Chuba Hubbard, called him out, leading to Gundy’s abject apology for what he claimed was an ignorant mistake.
Now players need to speak out about their own health and safety.
College football is a wonderful spectator sport, but it is not worth the lives of young American men. The same is true for other college sports. If college officials, college coaches and the NCAA are not prepared to act responsibly, the athletes themselves must take the lead. Their parents should support them. Thirty players testing positive in “voluntary” practices is 30 too many.
It is time to give greater weight to the pandemic experts than to the panicked administrators.
Follow Jesse Jackson on Twitter @RevJJackson
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com


chicagosun-times--2020-06-22--Joel Schumacher, director of ‘Batman Forever,’ ‘St. Elmo’s Fire,’ dies at 80

NEW YORK — Joel Schumacher , the eclectic and brazen filmmaker who dressed New York department store windows before shepherding the Brat Pack to the big screen in “ St .
Elmo ’ s Fire ” and steering the Batman franchise into its most baroque territory in “ Batman Forever ” and “ Batman & Robin , ” has died .
He was 80 .
A representative for Schumacher said the filmmaker died Monday in New York after a yearlong battle with cancer .
A native New Yorker , Schumacher was first a sensation in the fashion world after attending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bendel ’ s windows .
His entry to film came first as a costume designer .
Schumacher dressed a pair of Woody Allen movies in the 1970s : “ Interiors ” and “ Sleeper.
” As a director , he established himself as a filmmaker of great flare , if not often good reviews , in a string of mainstream films in the ‘ 80s and ’ 90s .
To the frequent frustration of critics but the delight of audiences , Schumacher favored entertainment over tastefulness — including those infamous sensual Batman and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did so proudly .
“ A movie that ’ s in a movie theater that runs at 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 and 10 and there ’ s no one in the audience when that movie runs — what ’ s the point ?
” Schumacher once told Charlie Rose .
The success of his first hit , “ St .
Elmo ’ s Fire , ” with Rob Lowe , Demi Moore , Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy not only helped make a name for the Brat Pack but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed it up with 1987 ’ s “ The Lost Boys , ” with Jason Patric , Corey Haim , Kiefer Sutherland and Corey Feldman .
A vampire horror comedy , it gave a darker , contemporary view of the perpetual adolescence of “ Peter Pan.
” Schumacher then made “ Flatliners , ” about morbidly obsessed medical students , and a pair of John Grisham adaptations in “ The Client ” and “ A Time to Kill.
” “ Falling Down , ” with Michael Douglas as a Los Angeles man whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in violence , was maybe his most critically acclaimed film , though its depictions of minorities — particularly a Korean grocer — were from the start hotly debated .
On its 25th anniversary , April Wolfe of LA Weekly wrote that it “ remains one of Hollywood ’ s most overt yet morally complex depictions of the modern white-victimization narrative , one both adored and reviled by the extreme right.
” The slickness of those productions helped Schumacher inherit the DC universe from Tim Burton .
In Schumacher ’ s hands , Batman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two of the the franchise ’ s most cartoonish movies in 1995 ’ s “ Batman Forever ” and 1997 ’ s “ Batman & Robin.
” The first was a box-office smash but the second fizzled and remains most often remembered for its infamous suits .
“ It was like I had murdered a baby , ” Schumacher said of the response to ” Batman & Robin.
” Yet it , too , has developed a small cult following for those who prefer the antithesis of Christopher Nolan ’ s more grim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Queens by his mother after his father died when he was four-years-old .
As a youngster , he quickly became enmeshed in the city ’ s nightlife .
“ The street was my education , ” Schumacher told Vulture earlier this year .
“ You could ride your bike over the 59th Street Bridge then .
So I rode my bike everywhere .
I was in Manhattan all the time and all over Queens .
If you ’ re a kid on a bike , anything can happen , and predators come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I looked very innocent , but I wasn ’ t. ” Schumacher would often say he was fortunate to have survived the ‘ 60s at all .
He made habits of liquid Methadrine , acid and sex .
Out long before many in Hollywood , Schumacher pegged his lovers in “ the double-digit thousands.
” He was a warm and gossipy raconteur though Schumacher said he “ never kissed and told about anybody who gives me the favor of sharing a bed with me.
” “ I don ’ t not like talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t believe it matters , ” Schumacher said of his sexuality in a 2000 interview with the Guardian .
“ I ’ ve lived my life very openly .
I started drinking at nine .
I started doing drugs in my early teens .
I started smoking at 10 and I started sex at 11 .
So I ’ m not hiding anything .
But I am totally and completely against labels.
” After “ Batman and Robin , ” Schumacher turned to lower-budget thrillers : “ 8mm , ” with Nicholas Cage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ De Niro ; “ Phone Booth , ” with Colin Farrell .
Schumacher , behind the beginnings of so many careers , gave Farrell his first led role in 2000 ’ s “ Tigerland.
” In 2004 , he took on Andrew Lloyd Weber ’ s “ Phantom of the Opera , ” a late , gaudy flourish that combined Schumacher with perhaps his Broadway equivalent in the spectacle-making Weber .
Most recently , he directed two episodes of Netflix ’ s “ House of Cards ” in 2013 .
In his last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schumacher reflected on a show at London ’ s National Gallery of the now highly regarded works of James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent .
“ They did a brilliant thing .
Right next to them on the wall , framed right next to the paintings , were all their horrible reviews , ” said Schumacher .
“ Who remembers these reviews ?
”

NEW YORK — Joel Schumacher, the eclectic and brazen filmmaker who dressed New York department store windows before shepherding the Brat Pack to the big screen in “St. Elmo’s Fire” and steering the Batman franchise into its most baroque territory in “Batman Forever” and “Batman & Robin,” has died. He was 80.
A representative for Schumacher said the filmmaker died Monday in New York after a yearlong battle with cancer.
A native New Yorker, Schumacher was first a sensation in the fashion world after attending Parsons School of Design and decorating Henri Bendel’s windows. His entry to film came first as a costume designer. Schumacher dressed a pair of Woody Allen movies in the 1970s: “Interiors” and “Sleeper.”
As a director, he established himself as a filmmaker of great flare, if not often good reviews, in a string of mainstream films in the ‘80s and ’90s. To the frequent frustration of critics but the delight of audiences, Schumacher favored entertainment over tastefulness — including those infamous sensual Batman and Robin suits with visible nipples — and he did so proudly.
“A movie that’s in a movie theater that runs at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 and there’s no one in the audience when that movie runs — what’s the point?” Schumacher once told Charlie Rose.
The success of his first hit, “St. Elmo’s Fire,” with Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy not only helped make a name for the Brat Pack but made Schumacher in-demand in Hollywood. He followed it up with 1987’s “The Lost Boys,” with Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland and Corey Feldman. A vampire horror comedy, it gave a darker, contemporary view of the perpetual adolescence of “Peter Pan.”
Schumacher then made “Flatliners,” about morbidly obsessed medical students, and a pair of John Grisham adaptations in “The Client” and “A Time to Kill.” “Falling Down,” with Michael Douglas as a Los Angeles man whose anger from minute every-day interactions steadily builds in violence, was maybe his most critically acclaimed film, though its depictions of minorities — particularly a Korean grocer — were from the start hotly debated.
On its 25th anniversary, April Wolfe of LA Weekly wrote that it “remains one of Hollywood’s most overt yet morally complex depictions of the modern white-victimization narrative, one both adored and reviled by the extreme right.”
The slickness of those productions helped Schumacher inherit the DC universe from Tim Burton. In Schumacher’s hands, Batman received a garish overhaul that resulted in two of the the franchise’s most cartoonish movies in 1995’s “Batman Forever” and 1997’s “Batman & Robin.” The first was a box-office smash but the second fizzled and remains most often remembered for its infamous suits.
“It was like I had murdered a baby,” Schumacher said of the response to ”Batman & Robin.” Yet it, too, has developed a small cult following for those who prefer the antithesis of Christopher Nolan’s more grim Batman movies.
Schumacher was raised in Queens by his mother after his father died when he was four-years-old. As a youngster, he quickly became enmeshed in the city’s nightlife.
“The street was my education,” Schumacher told Vulture earlier this year. “You could ride your bike over the 59th Street Bridge then. So I rode my bike everywhere. I was in Manhattan all the time and all over Queens. If you’re a kid on a bike, anything can happen, and predators come out of the woodwork, my God. I looked very innocent, but I wasn’t.”
Schumacher would often say he was fortunate to have survived the ‘60s at all. He made habits of liquid Methadrine, acid and sex. Out long before many in Hollywood, Schumacher pegged his lovers in “the double-digit thousands.” He was a warm and gossipy raconteur though Schumacher said he “never kissed and told about anybody who gives me the favor of sharing a bed with me.”
“I don’t not like talking about it, I just don’t believe it matters,” Schumacher said of his sexuality in a 2000 interview with the Guardian. “I’ve lived my life very openly. I started drinking at nine. I started doing drugs in my early teens. I started smoking at 10 and I started sex at 11. So I’m not hiding anything. But I am totally and completely against labels.”
After “Batman and Robin,” Schumacher turned to lower-budget thrillers: “8mm,” with Nicholas Cage; “Flawless,” with Robert De Niro; “Phone Booth,” with Colin Farrell. Schumacher, behind the beginnings of so many careers, gave Farrell his first led role in 2000’s “Tigerland.” In 2004, he took on Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Phantom of the Opera,” a late, gaudy flourish that combined Schumacher with perhaps his Broadway equivalent in the spectacle-making Weber. Most recently, he directed two episodes of Netflix’s “House of Cards” in 2013.
In his last interview, with New York magazine, Schumacher reflected on a show at London’s National Gallery of the now highly regarded works of James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent.
“They did a brilliant thing. Right next to them on the wall, framed right next to the paintings, were all their horrible reviews,” said Schumacher. “Who remembers these reviews?”


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--Here’s what Phase 4 will look like (LIVE UPDATES)

Here ’ s what Phase 4 will look like Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s administration Monday released safety guidance for the state ’ s next phase of reopening , which allows indoor restaurant services , gyms and museums to open with capacity limits beginning Friday .
Notable changes for Phase 4 include allowing gatherings of 50 people or less — and reopening of indoor restaurant services to groups of 10 or less , with tables spaced 6-feet-apart .
Indoor gyms can reopen at 50 % capacity , with group fitness classes capped at 50 people , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Department of Public Health .
The use of face coverings and social distancing is still encouraged under the public safety and health guidelines .
Businesses are also encouraged to continue to conduct regular cleanings , to screen employees for temperatures upon entry and to allow employees who can continue working from home to do so .
Pritzker ’ s office said about 400,000 Illinoisans will get back to work in Phase 4 .
Public pools will remain closed unless there is a “ heat emergency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time next month with social distancing .
Lincoln Park Zoo will remain free , but with reservations required .
Gyms will be open Friday , but you ’ ll need to work out with a face mask .
Equipment will either be six feet apart — or , in smaller facilities , separated by clear plastic screens .
Movie theaters , as well as other theaters and live performance venues can open to audiences of 50 or fewer , but all but the smallest live theaters are likely to remain closed because production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Standing-room-only live music venues will remain closed — and likely will be the last to reopen .
Click here to read more about Illinois ’ transition to Phase 4 , and click here for a report specific to Chicago ’ s reopening .
The government ’ s top infectious disease expert said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021 , and warned that the next few weeks will be critical to tamping down coronavirus hot spots around the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down testing for coronavirus , an issue that became controversial after President Donald Trump said last weekend that he had asked them to do just that because it was uncovering too many infections .
Trump said Wednesday that he wasn ’ t kidding when he said that .
“ We will be doing more testing , ” Fauci told a House committee .
The U.S. has tested more than 27 million people , with about 2.3 million – or 8.4 % — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment in the nation ’ s pandemic response , with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations .
“ We ’ ve been hit badly , ” said Fauci , infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health .
He said he was “ really quite concerned ” about rising community spread in some states .
“ The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warns 9 hand sanitizers may contain a potentially fatal ingredient The US Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to use certain hand sanitizer products due to the potential presence of methanol , a toxic substance when absorbed through skin or ingested .
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent , pesticide , and alternative fuel source , according to the Centers for Disease Control .
The FDA advises consumers to “ stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately ” : 10:28 a.m. Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is working for a different kind of ‘ Tonight Show ’ For many TV veterans , the transition into quarantine production , with guests patching in from their kitchens and crew members contributing from several miles or several states away , has been wrenching .
But Second City alum Rebecca Drysdale has found it sort of thrilling .
“ I come from Chicago , where I was doing shows with two chairs and one light , ” she said .
“ So I don ’ t feel limited .
I feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure out , ‘ What can we do with these limitations ?
What can we do that we couldn ’ t even do live ?
’ I think that ’ s a fun challenge.
” Drysdale now is helping shape “ The Tonight Show , ” as illustrious a TV franchise as there ever was .
And she ’ s doing it in her jammies .
As the head writer since April , she came aboard just after social distancing rules drove host Jimmy Fallon out of 30 Rock in New York .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his home , which is by no means a TV studio but does have some phones , his wife and adorable children , and an indoor slide .
Read the full profile by Darel Jevens here .
8:18 a.m. Trump : US doing ‘ too good a job ’ on testing President Donald Trump said Monday the United States has done “ too good a job ” on testing for cases of COVID-19 , even as his staff insisted the president was only joking when he said over the weekend that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing down , please.
” The president ’ s comments at a campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , on Saturday brought quick rebukes from the campaign of likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as well as scores of Democratic lawmakers .
In an interview with Scripps for its local TV stations , Trump was asked Monday whether he did indeed tell aides to “ slow it down.
” He did not directly answer the question .
“ If it did slow down , frankly , I think we ’ re way ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know the truth , ” Trump said .
“ We ’ ve done too good a job , ” adding that the reason the United States has more coronavirus cases is that it does more testing .
The U.S. is seeing disturbing trends in several benchmarks , including the percentage of tests that prove positive for the virus .
• State health officials on Monday announced 462 new coronavirus cases and 26 additional deaths .
That brings the state ’ s total number of cases to 137,224 and the total number of deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hughley announced he tested positive for COVID-19 after collapsing onstage during a performance in Nashville , Tennessee .
• President Donald Trump ’ s campaign says six staff members helping set up for his Saturday night rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , have tested positive for coronavirus .
6:43 a.m. College football amid a pandemic is not worth the risk to young men ’ s lives How many lives of young men and women should be sacrificed for entertainment — and for billions in profit ?
That question can ’ t be ducked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ voluntary ” football practices , and other college teams begin to practice .
Colleges are desperate to open the full football season , a source of millions in profits for colleges and universities .
Donald Trump , who pretends that COVID-19 is behind us , wants a return to normal , with stadiums filled with fans cheering their heroes .
Players are eager to compete and to display their skills .
Only problem is that the coronavirus doesn ’ t care about profits or presidents , or about fans or coaches .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t care who wins the presidential election , and has no party .
It is deadly and it ’ s still here , even spiking in more than 20 states .
And now , it ’ s hitting football players hard .
Thirty Louisiana State players are in quarantine , either testing positive for the virus or from being in contact with those who tested positive .
Twenty-three Clemson football players have tested positive since workouts started on June 1 .
Thirteen at Texas , 14 at Kansas State , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , Auburn , Oklahoma State and others .
Read the full commentary from the Rev .
Jesse Jackson here .

Barring any spikes in coronavirus cases, Chicago and the rest of the state will move into Phase 4 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Reopen Illinois ban. More businesses will be able to open at a limited capacity, and people will be able to visit their favorite bars again.
Here’s what else happened in the city as the fight against the coronavirus pandemic continued.
News
9:11 p.m. Here’s what Phase 4 will look like
A cyclist rides by a sign letting people know what is and isn’t allowed on the Chicago Lakefront Trails near Montrose Beach, Monday, June 22, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
In Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration Monday released safety guidance for the state’s next phase of reopening, which allows indoor restaurant services, gyms and museums to open with capacity limits beginning Friday.
Notable changes for Phase 4 include allowing gatherings of 50 people or less — and reopening of indoor restaurant services to groups of 10 or less, with tables spaced 6-feet-apart.
Indoor gyms can reopen at 50% capacity, with group fitness classes capped at 50 people, according to the guidelines designed by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The use of face coverings and social distancing is still encouraged under the public safety and health guidelines. Businesses are also encouraged to continue to conduct regular cleanings, to screen employees for temperatures upon entry and to allow employees who can continue working from home to do so. Pritzker’s office said about 400,000 Illinoisans will get back to work in Phase 4.
Reopening Tracker When will Illinois reopen? On May 5, Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled his five-phase plan to reopen the state, breaking the state into four regions and identifying key metrics each region needs to meet before moving to the next phase. When the plan was released, each region was already in Phase 2, but the governor’s office cautioned that regions could move backwards if the spread of the coronavirus intensifies. We’re tracking the state’s progress along Pritzker’s plan to gradually reopen, using data from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Click here to see our Reopening Illinois data-tracking portal.
In Chicago
Public pools will remain closed unless there is a “heat emergency,” but beaches just might open some time next month with social distancing.
Lincoln Park Zoo will remain free, but with reservations required.
Gyms will be open Friday, but you’ll need to work out with a face mask. Equipment will either be six feet apart — or, in smaller facilities, separated by clear plastic screens.
Movie theaters, as well as other theaters and live performance venues can open to audiences of 50 or fewer, but all but the smallest live theaters are likely to remain closed because production costs will far exceed the gate. Standing-room-only live music venues will remain closed — and likely will be the last to reopen.
Click here to read more about Illinois’ transition to Phase 4, and click here for a report specific to Chicago’s reopening.
7:21 p.m. State unveils $85 million in grants for business support
State officials Tuesday said they will issue $85 million in grants to help businesses affected by the pandemic or rioting.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said applications can be filed beginning Friday and are due July 7. Eligibility rules are available at the agency’s web site, Illinois.gov/dceo.
The grants are available under two programs: $60 million in Business Interruption Grants, or BIG, and $25 million in Rebuilt Distressed Communities assistance. A DCEO official said the money comes from either the federal CARES Act payments to states or proceeds of the Rebuild Illinois capital improvements bonds. Recipients will be picked via lottery.
5 p.m. Fauci: Next few weeks critical to tamping down coronavirus spikes
WASHINGTON — The next few weeks are critical to tamping down a disturbing coronavirus surge, Dr. Anthony Fauci told Congress on Tuesday — issuing a plea for people to avoid crowds and wear masks just hours before mask-shunning President Donald Trump was set to hold a campaign rally in one hot spot.
Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down virus testing, in contrast to Trump’s claim last weekend that he had ordered fewer tests be performed because they were uncovering too many infections. Trump said earlier Tuesday that he wasn’t kidding when he made that remark.
“We will be doing more testing,” Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health, pledged to a House committee conducting oversight of the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic.
The leading public health officials spent more than five hours testifying before the committee at a fraught moment, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.
Read the full story by The Associated Press here.
12:32 p.m. Fauci hopeful for a vaccine by late 2020, early 2021
The government’s top infectious disease expert said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021, and warned that the next few weeks will be critical to tamping down coronavirus hot spots around the country.
Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down testing for coronavirus, an issue that became controversial after President Donald Trump said last weekend that he had asked them to do just that because it was uncovering too many infections. Trump said Wednesday that he wasn’t kidding when he said that.
“We will be doing more testing,” Fauci told a House committee.
The U.S. has tested more than 27 million people, with about 2.3 million – or 8.4% — testing positive.
The health officials returned to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment in the nation’s pandemic response, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.
“We’ve been hit badly,” said Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health. He said he was “really quite concerned” about rising community spread in some states.
“The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges,” he said.
Read the full story here.
11:19 a.m. FDA warns 9 hand sanitizers may contain a potentially fatal ingredient
The US Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to use certain hand sanitizer products due to the potential presence of methanol, a toxic substance when absorbed through skin or ingested.
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The FDA advises consumers to “stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately”:
All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)
Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)
Read the full story here.
10:28 a.m. Second City alum, hired by Jimmy Fallon, is working for a different kind of ‘Tonight Show’
For many TV veterans, the transition into quarantine production, with guests patching in from their kitchens and crew members contributing from several miles or several states away, has been wrenching. But Second City alum Rebecca Drysdale has found it sort of thrilling.
“I come from Chicago, where I was doing shows with two chairs and one light,” she said. “So I don’t feel limited. I feel like it’s a fun opportunity to figure out, ‘What can we do with these limitations? What can we do that we couldn’t even do live?’ I think that’s a fun challenge.”
Drysdale now is helping shape “The Tonight Show,” as illustrious a TV franchise as there ever was. And she’s doing it in her jammies.
As the head writer since April, she came aboard just after social distancing rules drove host Jimmy Fallon out of 30 Rock in New York. Now he’s fronting the show from his home, which is by no means a TV studio but does have some phones, his wife and adorable children, and an indoor slide.
Read the full profile by Darel Jevens here.
8:18 a.m. Trump: US doing ‘too good a job’ on testing
President Donald Trump said Monday the United States has done “too good a job” on testing for cases of COVID-19, even as his staff insisted the president was only joking when he said over the weekend that he had instructed aides to “slow the testing down, please.”
The president’s comments at a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday brought quick rebukes from the campaign of likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as well as scores of Democratic lawmakers.
In an interview with Scripps for its local TV stations, Trump was asked Monday whether he did indeed tell aides to “slow it down.” He did not directly answer the question.
“If it did slow down, frankly, I think we’re way ahead of ourselves, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said. “We’ve done too good a job,” adding that the reason the United States has more coronavirus cases is that it does more testing.
The U.S. is seeing disturbing trends in several benchmarks, including the percentage of tests that prove positive for the virus.
Read the full report here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
6:43 a.m. College football amid a pandemic is not worth the risk to young men’s lives
How many lives of young men and women should be sacrificed for entertainment — and for billions in profit? That question can’t be ducked as the NCAA allows colleges to begin “voluntary” football practices, and other college teams begin to practice.
Colleges are desperate to open the full football season, a source of millions in profits for colleges and universities. Donald Trump, who pretends that COVID-19 is behind us, wants a return to normal, with stadiums filled with fans cheering their heroes. Players are eager to compete and to display their skills.
Only problem is that the coronavirus doesn’t care about profits or presidents, or about fans or coaches. It doesn’t follow polls, doesn’t care who wins the presidential election, and has no party. It is deadly and it’s still here, even spiking in more than 20 states.
And now, it’s hitting football players hard. Thirty Louisiana State players are in quarantine, either testing positive for the virus or from being in contact with those who tested positive. Twenty-three Clemson football players have tested positive since workouts started on June 1. Thirteen at Texas, 14 at Kansas State, and more at Alabama, Mississippi, Southern Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State and others.
Read the full commentary from the Rev. Jesse Jackson here.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--Southwest launches annual fall fare sale; one-way tickets start at $39

Southwest Airlines typically has two major fare sales a year , in June and October .
The airline launched this year ’ s June sale on Tuesday , a few weeks later than normal , but there ’ s an upside for travelers : Starting fares are lower than in recent years , given the coronavirus pandemic that has crushed travel demand .
The nation ’ s largest domestic carrier said one-way fares begin at $ 39 , compared with $ 49 last year and in 2018 .
On longer flights , it is touting sale fares of $ 79 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fares vary widely by route and travel date .
The three-day sale generally covers travel between Aug. 11 and Dec. 17 , excluding travel around Thanksgiving .
Last year ’ s sale also blacked out Labor Day weekend travel , but this one does not .
The biggest fine print beyond that : Sale fares are generally not available on Fridays and Sundays , ruling out traditional weekend getaways .
More days of the week are blacked out for flights to and from Las Vegas and Florida , popular vacation destinations .
Where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here ’ s a sampling of sale routes .
Travelers can search fares from their departing airport ( s ) on the airline ’ s website .
Another way to search : use the airline ’ s low-fare calendar for dates with the cheapest rates .
Competing airlines generally match Southwest ’ s sales , so travelers in the mood to fly should shop around for the best deals and routes .
Like all airlines , Southwest has taken extensive measures to convince travelers that it ’ s safe to fly .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats open through Sept. 30 .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not relaxed its guidelines about travel during the pandemic , noting that coronavirus cases and deaths have been reported in all 50 states .
“ Because travel increases your chances of getting infected and spreading COVID-19 , staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick , ’ ’ the agency says on its website .
Despite the guidelines , Southwest and other airlines have reported an uptick in travel demand as summer vacation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 600,000 passengers and airport and airline employees on Monday for the first time since mid-March .
That is still down 78 % from a year ago but up from a low of 87,534 in mid-April .

Southwest Airlines typically has two major fare sales a year, in June and October.
The airline launched this year’s June sale on Tuesday, a few weeks later than normal, but there’s an upside for travelers: Starting fares are lower than in recent years, given the coronavirus pandemic that has crushed travel demand.
The nation’s largest domestic carrier said one-way fares begin at $39, compared with $49 last year and in 2018. On longer flights, it is touting sale fares of $79 and $99 each way, but fares vary widely by route and travel date.
The three-day sale generally covers travel between Aug. 11 and Dec. 17, excluding travel around Thanksgiving. Last year’s sale also blacked out Labor Day weekend travel, but this one does not.
The biggest fine print beyond that: Sale fares are generally not available on Fridays and Sundays, ruling out traditional weekend getaways. More days of the week are blacked out for flights to and from Las Vegas and Florida, popular vacation destinations.
Where can I fly for $39?
Here’s a sampling of sale routes. Travelers can search fares from their departing airport(s) on the airline’s website. Another way to search: use the airline’s low-fare calendar for dates with the cheapest rates.
Baltimore to/from Charlotte, Charleston, Detroit, Hartford
Chicago to from/Indianapolis, Cleveland, Cincinnati
Phoenix to/from Las Vegas, Albuquerque, San Diego
Houston to/from New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Dallas, San Antonio
Detroit to Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis
Competing airlines generally match Southwest’s sales, so travelers in the mood to fly should shop around for the best deals and routes.
Like all airlines, Southwest has taken extensive measures to convince travelers that it’s safe to fly. The airline recently said it will leave middle seats open through Sept. 30. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not relaxed its guidelines about travel during the pandemic, noting that coronavirus cases and deaths have been reported in all 50 states.
“Because travel increases your chances of getting infected and spreading COVID-19, staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick,’’ the agency says on its website.
Despite the guidelines, Southwest and other airlines have reported an uptick in travel demand as summer vacation season kicked off. One indicator: The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 600,000 passengers and airport and airline employees on Monday for the first time since mid-March. That is still down 78% from a year ago but up from a low of 87,534 in mid-April.
Read more at usatoday.com


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--Fauci hopeful for a vaccine by late 2020, early 2021

WASHINGTON — The government ’ s top infectious disease expert said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021 , and warned that the next few weeks will be critical to tamping down coronavirus hot spots around the country .
Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down testing for coronavirus , an issue that became controversial after President Donald Trump said last weekend that he had asked them to do just that because it was uncovering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he wasn ’ t kidding when he said that .
“ We will be doing more testing , ” Fauci told a House committee .
The U.S. has tested more than 27 million people , with about 2.3 million – or 8.4 % — testing positive .
The health officials returned to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment in the nation ’ s pandemic response , with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations .
“ We ’ ve been hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health .
He said he was “ really quite concerned ” about rising community spread in some states .
“ The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges , ” he said .
Fauci was testifying along with the heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration and a Health and Human Services official .
Since Fauci ’ s last appearance at a high-profile hearing more than a month ago , the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders and business shutdowns .
But it ’ s being done in an uneven way , with some states far less cautious than others .
A trio of states with Republican governors who are bullish on reopening — Arizona , Florida and Texas — are among those seeing worrisome increases in cases .
Last week , Vice President Mike Pence published an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal saying the administration ’ s efforts have strengthened the nation ’ s ability to counter the virus and should be “ a cause for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend rally in Tulsa , many of his supporters didn ’ t wear masks , which for some was an act of defiance against what they see as government intrusion .
White House officials later tried to walk back Trump ’ s comment there on slowing down testing , suggesting it wasn ’ t meant to be taken literally .
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey said during Tuesday ’ s hearing that Trump ’ s testing comment at the rally “ was an extremely reckless action , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s pattern of ignoring the advice of his own public health experts.
” Trump , departing the White House for a visit to Arizona on Tuesday , played down those comments , saying under his administration the U.S. is doing more testing than any other country .
Trump ’ s trip includes a rally at a megachurch .
Fauci has recently warned that the U.S. is still in the first wave of the pandemic and has continued to urge the American public to practice social distancing .
And , in a recent ABC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as protests against racial injustice are “ risky ” to all involved .
Asked if that applied to Trump rallies , he said it did .
Fauci continues to recognize widespread testing as critical for catching clusters of COVID-19 cases before they turn into full outbreaks in a given community .
About 2.3 million Americans have been sickened in the pandemic , and some 120,000 have died , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
Fauci , who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , was joined by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief Dr. Stephen Hahn and the head of the U.S. Public Health Service , Adm. Brett Giroir .
Giroir was tapped by the White House to oversee the expansion of coronavirus testing .
But he gained notoriety after a whistleblower complaint flagged him for trying to push a malaria drug touted by Trump to treat COVID-19 without conclusive scientific evidence .
The FDA has since withdrawn its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine .
“ There have been a lot of unfortunate missteps in the Trump administration ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities across the country ease social distancing guidance and reopen their economies , it is critically important that both the administration and Congress remain focused on containing the spread of the coronavirus and providing the resources and support Americans need during this time of crisis.
” There is still no vaccine for COVID-19 , and there are no treatments specifically developed for the disease , although the antiviral drug remdesivir has been shown to help some patients , as well as a steroid called dexamethasone , and plasma from patients who have recovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians have become more skilled in treating coronavirus patients with the techniques and medications at their disposal .
The U.S. continues to ramp up testing , with some 27.5 million Americans , or more than 8 % of the population , tested thus far .
But most communities still lack enough health workers trained in doing contact tracing , the work of identifying people who have had interactions with an infected person .
That could make it more difficult to tamp down emerging outbreaks .
The Energy and Commerce Committee has oversight over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. health care system .
Committee Democrats have been harshly critical of the administration .
However , not all Republicans have lined up to defend the White House .
Some GOP members were growing concerned early in the year that the administration wasn ’ t doing enough to prepare .

WASHINGTON — The government’s top infectious disease expert said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021, and warned that the next few weeks will be critical to tamping down coronavirus hot spots around the country.
Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down testing for coronavirus, an issue that became controversial after President Donald Trump said last weekend that he had asked them to do just that because it was uncovering too many infections. Trump said Wednesday that he wasn’t kidding when he said that.
“We will be doing more testing,” Fauci told a House committee.
The U.S. has tested more than 27 million people, with about 2.3 million – or 8.4% — testing positive.
The health officials returned to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment in the nation’s pandemic response, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.
“We’ve been hit badly,” said Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health. He said he was “really quite concerned” about rising community spread in some states.
“The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges,” he said.
Fauci was testifying along with the heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration and a Health and Human Services official.
Since Fauci’s last appearance at a high-profile hearing more than a month ago, the U.S. has begun emerging from weeks of stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns. But it’s being done in an uneven way, with some states far less cautious than others. A trio of states with Republican governors who are bullish on reopening — Arizona, Florida and Texas — are among those seeing worrisome increases in cases.
Last week, Vice President Mike Pence published an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal saying the administration’s efforts have strengthened the nation’s ability to counter the virus and should be “a cause for celebration.”
Then at Trump’s weekend rally in Tulsa, many of his supporters didn’t wear masks, which for some was an act of defiance against what they see as government intrusion. White House officials later tried to walk back Trump’s comment there on slowing down testing, suggesting it wasn’t meant to be taken literally.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey said during Tuesday’s hearing that Trump’s testing comment at the rally “was an extremely reckless action, and unfortunately it continues the president’s pattern of ignoring the advice of his own public health experts.”
Trump, departing the White House for a visit to Arizona on Tuesday, played down those comments, saying under his administration the U.S. is doing more testing than any other country. Trump’s trip includes a rally at a megachurch.
Fauci has recently warned that the U.S. is still in the first wave of the pandemic and has continued to urge the American public to practice social distancing. And, in a recent ABC News interview, he said political demonstrations such as protests against racial injustice are “risky” to all involved. Asked if that applied to Trump rallies, he said it did. Fauci continues to recognize widespread testing as critical for catching clusters of COVID-19 cases before they turn into full outbreaks in a given community.
About 2.3 million Americans have been sickened in the pandemic, and some 120,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was joined by CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield, FDA chief Dr. Stephen Hahn and the head of the U.S. Public Health Service, Adm. Brett Giroir.
Giroir was tapped by the White House to oversee the expansion of coronavirus testing. But he gained notoriety after a whistleblower complaint flagged him for trying to push a malaria drug touted by Trump to treat COVID-19 without conclusive scientific evidence. The FDA has since withdrawn its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine.
“There have been a lot of unfortunate missteps in the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pallone said. “As communities across the country ease social distancing guidance and reopen their economies, it is critically important that both the administration and Congress remain focused on containing the spread of the coronavirus and providing the resources and support Americans need during this time of crisis.”
There is still no vaccine for COVID-19, and there are no treatments specifically developed for the disease, although the antiviral drug remdesivir has been shown to help some patients, as well as a steroid called dexamethasone, and plasma from patients who have recovered.
Since Fauci last testified, hospital physicians have become more skilled in treating coronavirus patients with the techniques and medications at their disposal. The U.S. continues to ramp up testing, with some 27.5 million Americans, or more than 8% of the population, tested thus far. But most communities still lack enough health workers trained in doing contact tracing, the work of identifying people who have had interactions with an infected person. That could make it more difficult to tamp down emerging outbreaks.
The Energy and Commerce Committee has oversight over drugs and vaccines, among other facets of the U.S. health care system. Committee Democrats have been harshly critical of the administration. However, not all Republicans have lined up to defend the White House. Some GOP members were growing concerned early in the year that the administration wasn’t doing enough to prepare.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--Tina Fey asks streaming platforms to pull ‘30 Rock’ episodes that featured blackface

NEW YORK — At the request of co-creator Tina Fey , four episodes of the comedy “ 30 Rock ” are being removed from circulation because they featured characters performing in blackface .
The series aired on NBC from 2006 to 2013 , but episodes are still being shown in television syndication and on streaming services including Hulu , Amazon Prime , iTunes and Peacock .
Fey , who also starred as Liz Lemon in the series about the backstage world of a television show , said in a note to distributors that “ I understand now that ‘ intent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white people to use these images.
” “ I apologize for the pain they have caused , ” Fey wrote .
“ Going forward , no comedy-loving kid really needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness.
” The elimination of the “ 30 Rock ” episodes is the latest example of how the societal reckoning triggered by protests against police treatment of Black people has hit the entertainment world .
They include the cancellation of the long-running TV show “ Cops ” and temporary removal of “ Gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Max service .
Two of the four eliminated “ 30 Rock ” episodes originally aired in 2010 , with the others first shown in 2008 and 2010 .
They include the East Coast version of an episode first shown live .
Series regular Jane Krakowski and guest star Jon Hamm appeared in blackface .
The 2012 episode with Hamm also included “ Tonight ” show host Jimmy Fallon as a guest .
Fallon , who did not appear in such makeup on “ 30 Rock , ” apologized last month after online circulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” skit where he wore blackface to impersonate Chris Rock .

NEW YORK — At the request of co-creator Tina Fey, four episodes of the comedy “30 Rock” are being removed from circulation because they featured characters performing in blackface.
The series aired on NBC from 2006 to 2013, but episodes are still being shown in television syndication and on streaming services including Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes and Peacock.
Fey, who also starred as Liz Lemon in the series about the backstage world of a television show, said in a note to distributors that “I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images.”
“I apologize for the pain they have caused,” Fey wrote. “Going forward, no comedy-loving kid really needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness.”
The elimination of the “30 Rock” episodes is the latest example of how the societal reckoning triggered by protests against police treatment of Black people has hit the entertainment world. They include the cancellation of the long-running TV show “Cops” and temporary removal of “Gone With the Wind” from the HBO Max service.
Two of the four eliminated “30 Rock” episodes originally aired in 2010, with the others first shown in 2008 and 2010. They include the East Coast version of an episode first shown live. Series regular Jane Krakowski and guest star Jon Hamm appeared in blackface.
The 2012 episode with Hamm also included “Tonight” show host Jimmy Fallon as a guest. Fallon, who did not appear in such makeup on “30 Rock,” apologized last month after online circulation of an earlier “Saturday Night Live” skit where he wore blackface to impersonate Chris Rock.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--Fine-dining restaurants, including Chicago’s Alinea, find new ways to survive amid pandemic

San Francisco chef Dominique Crenn was huddled with staff one day in mid-March when she learned that coronavirus restrictions would close the dining room at her celebrated restaurant , Atelier Crenn .
Immediately , everyone started brainstorming .
“ We said , ‘ OK , who are we ?
We are people at the service of people , always here to feed the community , ’ ” Crenn said .
Since then , Crenn and a skeleton crew — 20 of the 70 people she usually employs — have made hundreds of meals for medical workers and firefighters .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic violence shelter .
They ’ ve started a takeout business , selling multi-course tasting menus — a seven-course luxury kit is $ 145 — and even a wine tasting kit .
Crenn is in good company .
Chefs at many of the world ’ s best restaurants are making quick pivots to weather the coronavirus .
Some say carryout has been so popular that they ’ ll continue when dining rooms reopen .
Others stayed closed but made meals for their furloughed staff .
Alinea in Chicago used to welcome guests with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; it ’ s now cooking up a six-course to-go feast for $ 49.95 .
Copenhagen ’ s Noma , which usually requires reservations months ahead , opened an outdoor burger and wine bar .
Les Amis in Singapore is selling grocery items like artisanal butter and caviar .
Restaurants were hit hard by the new coronavirus .
In the U.S. alone , the industry lost 6 million jobs in March and April .
But fine dining was hit hardest of all , says David Portalatin , an industry adviser with The NPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April , U.S. fine dining transactions were down 82 % from a year ago , he said .
Fourteen U.S. restaurants — including Atelier Crenn and Alinea — have earned the highest rating of three stars from the Michelin Guide .
Of those , just one — The Inn at Little Washington in rural Virginia — has reopened its dining room at half capacity .
The restaurant put mannequins at its empty tables to make the space look more inviting .
Some three-star restaurants , like The French Laundry in Yountville , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London , have temporarily closed , saying that was the best way to protect guests and staff .
Others aren ’ t offering carryout but are still cooking .
Eleven Madison Park in New York is making 3,000 meals per day for frontline workers .
In Paris , renowned chef Alain Ducasse started Ducasse Chez Moi , offering delivery of meals like salmon ceviche for $ 14 and foie gras baked in a crust for $ 28 .
Delivery has been so popular it will continue when Ducasse ’ s restaurants reopen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since then , it has served 82,000 meals , said Nick Kokonas , the restaurant ’ s co-owner .
It started with $ 35 entrees like beef wellington , which sold out every night , and moved on to tasting menus .
Kokonas said carryout was so successful that Alinea hired all its employees back by the end of April at 80 % of their former pay and benefits .
He thinks to-go meals will remain even after the restaurant reopens its dining room later this summer .
Toshi Szpyra , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward to celebrating her wedding anniversary at Alinea earlier this month .
Instead , she and her husband ordered a six-course spring tasting menu .
Each dish came prepared with instructions for how to reheat and plate the meal , she said .
The highlight ?
Scallops with ham and peas on fennel with a white wine vermouth cream sauce .
“ This is a great way for them to bring the experience to people who may not have had the chance to get there yet , ” she said .
Szpyra plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some fine dining restaurants are using the closure to redesign their interiors or retool their menus , said David Mitroff , a restaurant consultant and founder of Piedmont Avenue Consulting .
Restaurants of this caliber need to keep things fresh and interesting , he said .
Others are rethinking the experience entirely .
Quince , a three-star restaurant in San Francisco , will likely be closed until fall .
But starting in July , co-owner Lindsay Tusk is planning to offer lunches and dinners at the Marin County farm that grows the restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a higher purpose right now .
Fine dining is not what we need .
Connecting over nature and food in a beautiful setting and providing a genuine experience — that ’ s what we need , ” she said .
Tusk usually employs 170 people at three restaurants : Quince , the less formal sibling Cotogna and wine bar Verjus .
Most are furloughed , but she ’ s been able to hire back around 25 people to help at the farm .
More will come back soon .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re hoping we get to a break-even point in the next few months , ” she said .
High-end restaurants have some things going for them .
Landlords like the prestige they convey , so they ’ re more likely to give them a break on the rent , Mitroff said .
Many top chefs also have other money-making outlets , like television shows and cookbooks .
Manresa , a three-star restaurant in Los Gatos , California , made its full wine list available alongside takeout food and it ’ s made more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , much of it to collectors looking for rare bottles .
Crenn just published a memoir , and she used a $ 50,000 donation from Lexus to make meals for medical workers .
Even when restrictions allow restaurants to reopen , they ’ ll have to decide whether it makes sense financially .
High-end restaurants spend less on food than regular ones because their portions are smaller , Mitroff said .
But they spend more on labor , because they have more specialized workers like pastry chefs and sommeliers .
Labor approached 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates .
High-end restaurants can make a profit because they fill their tables every night .
But if the restaurant is only at partial capacity , the math may not work .
That ’ s why The Inn at Little Washington is now offering two seatings per night instead of one .
Crenn expects to reopen Atlelier Crenn ’ s dining room on July 14 .
She only seats 28 people , and the tables are far apart .
But the coronavirus has also made her reflect and want to try new things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s more work than I ever thought , but one of the most incredible experiences I ’ ve ever had in my life , ” she said .
Contributing : AP writers Thomas Adamson in Paris and Jan Olsen in Copenhagen

San Francisco chef Dominique Crenn was huddled with staff one day in mid-March when she learned that coronavirus restrictions would close the dining room at her celebrated restaurant, Atelier Crenn. Immediately, everyone started brainstorming.
“We said, ‘OK, who are we? We are people at the service of people, always here to feed the community,’” Crenn said.
Since then, Crenn and a skeleton crew — 20 of the 70 people she usually employs — have made hundreds of meals for medical workers and firefighters. They’ve sent meals to a nearby domestic violence shelter. They’ve started a takeout business, selling multi-course tasting menus — a seven-course luxury kit is $145 — and even a wine tasting kit.
Crenn is in good company. Chefs at many of the world’s best restaurants are making quick pivots to weather the coronavirus. Some say carryout has been so popular that they’ll continue when dining rooms reopen. Others stayed closed but made meals for their furloughed staff.
Alinea in Chicago used to welcome guests with a $365, 18-course tasting menu; it’s now cooking up a six-course to-go feast for $49.95. Copenhagen’s Noma, which usually requires reservations months ahead, opened an outdoor burger and wine bar. Les Amis in Singapore is selling grocery items like artisanal butter and caviar.
Cal Barnett, a staffer from Alinea restaurant, holds a sign for carryout customers in Chicago, AP
Restaurants were hit hard by the new coronavirus. In the U.S. alone, the industry lost 6 million jobs in March and April. But fine dining was hit hardest of all, says David Portalatin, an industry adviser with The NPD Group. At the low point, in April, U.S. fine dining transactions were down 82% from a year ago, he said.
Fourteen U.S. restaurants — including Atelier Crenn and Alinea — have earned the highest rating of three stars from the Michelin Guide. Of those, just one — The Inn at Little Washington in rural Virginia — has reopened its dining room at half capacity. The restaurant put mannequins at its empty tables to make the space look more inviting.
Some three-star restaurants, like The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and Restaurant Gordon Ramsey in London, have temporarily closed, saying that was the best way to protect guests and staff. Others aren’t offering carryout but are still cooking. Eleven Madison Park in New York is making 3,000 meals per day for frontline workers.
In Paris, renowned chef Alain Ducasse started Ducasse Chez Moi, offering delivery of meals like salmon ceviche for $14 and foie gras baked in a crust for $28. Delivery has been so popular it will continue when Ducasse’s restaurants reopen.
Alinea shifted to carryout on March 17. Since then, it has served 82,000 meals, said Nick Kokonas, the restaurant’s co-owner. It started with $35 entrees like beef wellington, which sold out every night, and moved on to tasting menus.
Kokonas said carryout was so successful that Alinea hired all its employees back by the end of April at 80% of their former pay and benefits. He thinks to-go meals will remain even after the restaurant reopens its dining room later this summer.
Lead sommelier Rachel Coe (left) and service manager Antoine Mueller wear face masks as they assist a customer at the Atelier Crenn restaurant window during the coronavirus outbreak in San Francisco. AP
Toshi Szpyra, a behavioral analyst in Chicago, was looking forward to celebrating her wedding anniversary at Alinea earlier this month. Instead, she and her husband ordered a six-course spring tasting menu. Each dish came prepared with instructions for how to reheat and plate the meal, she said. The highlight? Scallops with ham and peas on fennel with a white wine vermouth cream sauce.
“This is a great way for them to bring the experience to people who may not have had the chance to get there yet,” she said. Szpyra plans to order takeout from Alinea again.
Some fine dining restaurants are using the closure to redesign their interiors or retool their menus, said David Mitroff, a restaurant consultant and founder of Piedmont Avenue Consulting. Restaurants of this caliber need to keep things fresh and interesting, he said.
Others are rethinking the experience entirely. Quince, a three-star restaurant in San Francisco, will likely be closed until fall. But starting in July, co-owner Lindsay Tusk is planning to offer lunches and dinners at the Marin County farm that grows the restaurant’s produce.
“It serves a higher purpose right now. Fine dining is not what we need. Connecting over nature and food in a beautiful setting and providing a genuine experience — that’s what we need,” she said.
Tusk usually employs 170 people at three restaurants: Quince, the less formal sibling Cotogna and wine bar Verjus. Most are furloughed, but she’s been able to hire back around 25 people to help at the farm. More will come back soon.
“It’s tough right now, but we’re hoping we get to a break-even point in the next few months,” she said.
High-end restaurants have some things going for them. Landlords like the prestige they convey, so they’re more likely to give them a break on the rent, Mitroff said.
Many top chefs also have other money-making outlets, like television shows and cookbooks. Manresa, a three-star restaurant in Los Gatos, California, made its full wine list available alongside takeout food and it’s made more than $50,000 just from selling wine, much of it to collectors looking for rare bottles. Crenn just published a memoir, and she used a $50,000 donation from Lexus to make meals for medical workers.
Even when restrictions allow restaurants to reopen, they’ll have to decide whether it makes sense financially. High-end restaurants spend less on food than regular ones because their portions are smaller, Mitroff said. But they spend more on labor, because they have more specialized workers like pastry chefs and sommeliers. Labor approached 50% of their total costs, he estimates.
High-end restaurants can make a profit because they fill their tables every night. But if the restaurant is only at partial capacity, the math may not work. That’s why The Inn at Little Washington is now offering two seatings per night instead of one.
Crenn expects to reopen Atlelier Crenn’s dining room on July 14. She only seats 28 people, and the tables are far apart. But the coronavirus has also made her reflect and want to try new things, like meal deliveries for the elderly.
“It’s more work than I ever thought, but one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” she said.
Contributing: AP writers Thomas Adamson in Paris and Jan Olsen in Copenhagen


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--Bears rookie Lachavious ‘Pig’ Simmons brings versatility — and farm strength

If a team is going to take a shot on a seventh-round offensive lineman , it might as well increase its chances of success by taking someone as versatile as Lachavious Simmons .
The Bears picked Simmons , a relatively unknown player out of Tennessee State , at No .
227 overall knowing that he could wind up at any of the five positions on the line .
He came up as a defensive tackle in high school , then started at guard and tackle in college in addition to frequently working at center in practice .
That range bodes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it also boosts his candidacy to make the roster this season as a backup .
“ We just saw an athletic kid and we knew if we gave him some time to develop , he could be really good , ” Tennessee State coach Rod Reed said .
“ He just continued to progress every year and learn to do multiple things , and he ’ s a really tough kid .
He ’ s one of those guys you never had to worry about — very goal-oriented .
“ Always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the kid have a down day or come in dragging .
He was always going to come in and get it done and be a leader.
” But that ’ s only part of why Reed loves him .
Simmons , who goes by “ Pig , ” is from Selma , Ala. and grew up working on his family ’ s farm .
That ’ s where he ’ s been doing his workouts during an unconventional offseason in which players have not been allowed at Halas Hall .
With a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question about his work ethic .
Flipping tractor tires and throwing bales of hay were recreational activities for him as a kid .
“ He ’ s a big old country boy , ” Reed said .
“ When he wasn ’ t here , he was home working out on the farm , hauling hay , building boat docks , brick masonry — whatever the case may be .
He ’ s done all of that with his dad .
He ’ s used to hard work.
” He proved that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley Conference honor roll as a red-shirt junior for carrying a 3.25 GPA or higher while balancing the demands of playing football .
Simmons ’ bid to secure a roster spot — never a guarantee for someone picked this late — begins next month .
At 6-foot-5 , 315 pounds , he ’ ll probably begin that quest at guard .
He started seven games at left guard and five at left tackle last season .
“ Right away his size and length jumps out , ” general manager Ryan Pace said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that our offensive line coach Juan Castillo loves to work with , just for that body type ...
There ’ s just a lot of upside with him.
” Turning around the offensive line is one of the biggest challenges Castillo and the Bears face .
They went into last season thinking they had one of the best units in the NFL , but struggled throughout the season .
Because of contract situations , however , the team moves forward with most of the same personnel .
The Bears are likely locked into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Daniels , center Cody Whitehair and right tackle Bobby Massie as four of their starters .
The right guard spot looks like a competition between Rashaad Coward and free agent Germain Ifedi , with the loser of that competition slotted as a backup .
With those six in place , that leaves two or three spots for nine linemen currently on the roster .
That group includes former Packers second-round pick Jason Spriggs and rookie Arlington Hambright , whom the Bears chose out of Colorado one spot ahead of Simmons .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compete on the first day , ” Simmons said .
“ I ’ m a blue-collar guy who grew up on a farm , throwing hay bales — disciplined .
My hard work , it can match anybody ’ s .
”

If a team is going to take a shot on a seventh-round offensive lineman, it might as well increase its chances of success by taking someone as versatile as Lachavious Simmons.
The Bears picked Simmons, a relatively unknown player out of Tennessee State, at No. 227 knowing that he could wind up at any of the five positions on the line. He came up as a defensive tackle in high school, then started at guard and tackle in college in addition to frequently working at center in practice.
That range bodes well not only for his long-term future, but it also boosts his candidacy to make the roster this season as a backup.
“We just saw an athletic kid, and we knew if we gave him some time to develop, he could be really good,” Tennessee State coach Rod Reed said. “He just continued to progress every year and learned to do multiple things, and he’s a really tough kid. He’s one of those guys you never had to worry about — very goal-oriented.
“Always upbeat, man. I never really saw the kid have a down day or come in dragging. He was always going to come in and get it done and be a leader.”
But that’s only part of why Reed loves him.
Simmons, who goes by “Pig,” is from Selma, Alabama, and grew up working on his family’s farm. That’s where he has been doing his workouts during an unconventional offseason in which players have not been allowed at Halas Hall.
With a farming background, there’s no question about his work ethic. Flipping tractor tires and throwing bales of hay were recreational activities for him as a kid.
“He’s a big old country boy,” Reed said. “When he wasn’t here, he was home working out on the farm, hauling hay, building boat docks, brick masonry — whatever the case may be. He’s done all of that with his dad. He’s used to hard work.”
He proved that, in part, by making the Ohio Valley Conference honor roll as a red-shirt junior for carrying a 3.25 GPA or higher while balancing the demands of playing football.
Simmons’ bid to secure a roster spot — never a guarantee for someone picked so late — begins next month. At 6-5, 315 pounds, he’ll probably begin that quest at guard. He started seven games at left guard and five at left tackle last season.
“Right away, his size and length jump out,” general manager Ryan Pace said. “These are the type of guys that our offensive line coach, Juan Castillo, loves to work with, just for that body type. . . . There’s just a lot of upside with him.”
Turning around the offensive line is one of the biggest challenges Castillo and the Bears face. They went into last season thinking they had one of the best units in the NFL but struggled throughout the season. Because of contract situations, however, the team moves forward with most of the same personnel.
The Bears are likely locked into left tackle Charles Leno, left guard James Daniels, center Cody Whitehair and right tackle Bobby Massie as starters. Right guard looks like a competition between Rashaad Coward and free agent Germain Ifedi, with the loser of that competition slotted as a backup.
With those six in place, that leaves two or three spots for nine linemen on the roster. That group includes Packers 2016 second-round pick Jason Spriggs and rookie Arlington Hambright, whom the Bears chose out of Colorado one spot ahead of Simmons.
“I’m a guy who can compete on the first day,” Simmons said. “I’m a blue-collar guy who grew up on a farm, throwing hay bales — disciplined. My hard work, it can match anybody’s.”


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--Starbucks adds plant-based sausage meat to its U.S. menu

Starbucks is adding plant-based meat to its U.S. menu for the first time .
The Seattle coffee chain said Tuesday that a breakfast sandwich made with imitation sausage from Redwood City , California-based Impossible Foods is now available at a majority of its U.S. restaurants .
The sandwich comes with egg and cheese and is served on a ciabatta bun .
Starbucks said earlier this year that it would add plant-based meat to its menus worldwide as part of an effort to reduce its environmental impact .
The company has sold milk alternatives , such as soy milk and oat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the sausage is its first plant-based food item in the U.S .
In April , it began selling lasagna , pasta and wraps made with Beyond Meat crumbles in China .
It also introduced a Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich in Canada in February .
Beyond Meat , which is based in El Segundo , California , is Impossible Foods ’ chief competitor .
Asked why it went with an Impossible Foods sausage for the U.S. over one from Beyond Meat , Starbucks said it works with a variety of suppliers around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inc. slipped just over 1 % before the opening bell Tuesday .

Starbucks is adding plant-based meat to its U.S. menu for the first time.
The Seattle coffee chain said Tuesday that a breakfast sandwich made with imitation sausage from Redwood City, California-based Impossible Foods is now available at a majority of its U.S. restaurants. The sandwich comes with egg and cheese and is served on a ciabatta bun.
Starbucks said earlier this year that it would add plant-based meat to its menus worldwide as part of an effort to reduce its environmental impact. The company has sold milk alternatives, such as soy milk and oat milk, in the U.S. and elsewhere. But the sausage is its first plant-based food item in the U.S.
In April, it began selling lasagna, pasta and wraps made with Beyond Meat crumbles in China. It also introduced a Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich in Canada in February. Beyond Meat, which is based in El Segundo, California, is Impossible Foods’ chief competitor.
Asked why it went with an Impossible Foods sausage for the U.S. over one from Beyond Meat, Starbucks said it works with a variety of suppliers around the globe.
Shares of Beyond Meat Inc. slipped just over 1% before the opening bell Tuesday.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--Where’s the outrage? Funny you should ask

“ Where ’ s the outrage ?
” activist Tio Hardiman asked Sunday .
“ For this 3-year-old that was killed .
The same kind of outrage when George Floyd was killed by the police in Minneapolis .
There should be 30 , 40 , 50,000 people on the streets , right now , shutting down the Black community until we get it right.
” OK , I ’ ll bite .
Can I fit in 10 thoughts ?
Let ’ s try .
1 .
Did cops kill that 3-year-old too ?
My hunch is they didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not about the victim , per se , but about living in a nation where a police officer , the representative of law and order , in theory , can leisurely strangle a Black man while his buddies stand guard .
That ’ s what galls , as opposed to the age of of the person killed .
Though I suppose — I hope — that had the Minneapolis police smothered a toddler , not to give them any ideas , the national outrage would be worse .
2 .
That question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” is a cliche , the half-clever way the Fox Nation sorts and their surrogates — not to point any fingers — try to avoid the admittedly slight risk of being drawn into a sincere conversation about racism .
“ Where ’ s the outrage ?
” is FoxSpeak for “ Fix it yourself.
” 3 .
Holding our noses , let ’ s dive into my spam filter , where the tone used to describe last weekend ’ s 101 shootings is between a leering chortle and a blatting raspberry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter — Except in Lawndale , Englewood , Etc.
’ Very sad ... ” begins one , “ very sad ” being the polite form of Nelson Muntz ’ s bray of “ Haw-haw !
” 4 .
“ Black on black murders .
Horrible , ” sighs another .
“ The media ignore it .
Not a peep !
” Well , Fox News was certainly didn ’ t ignore it — that ’ s where I saw Hardiman ’ s interview .
They even have a running logo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The killings were the front page of Monday ’ s Sun-Times , not to conflate the two .
And the Trib : “ Outrage after toddler , teen die.
” That ’ s sorta answers Hardiman ’ s question , doesn ’ t it ?
5 .
It is easier to be outraged over something done to you ( like being killed unjustly by cops ) than over something we have a hand in doing to ourselves ( like the 100 plus shootings in Chicago over the weekend ) .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entered the American lexicon while ... checking ... Mekhi James , the 3-year-old killed in South Austin Saturday , won ’ t .
This isn ’ t a criticism , but an observation .
One tragedy here is how quickly Americans of every color fall to bickering .
We ’ re like a bunch of neighbors gathered around a burning house , hoses and buckets at our feet , yelling at each other about firefighting technique .
6 .
As with people who complain on Facebook about the media not covering a situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those wondering where the outrage is over non-police murders haven ’ t bothered to look .
When this subject came up in 2016 , after Laquan McDonald ’ s murder , my former colleague Jen Sabella wrote a fine piece lyrically headlined , “ Chicagoans Actually DO Protest Violence In Their Communities All The Time.
” Of course they do .
Who wants to live in a war zone ?
Mothers face down gangs .
Fathers form block clubs .
It ’ s an insult to assume they don ’ t .
7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest against the police as nihilistic racist revolution and will use it as grease as they try to jam Donald Trump ’ s hideous bulk through the narrow doorway into his second term .
8 .
Hardiman has it completely backward .
Black men don ’ t need to shut down their communities until they get it right .
They need to build them up .
9 .
So much of this dialogue — scratch that , it ’ s not a conversation — so much of this trumpet-blasting is just responsibility shifting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , despite having its knee firmly on the neck of Black America , they really aren ’ t involved .
They squint into the distance until their eyes focus on something they can get worked up over .
“ Look !
They hate statues !
It ’ s the French Revolution !
” 10 .
There are no pat conclusions here .
Violence is caused by and in turn causes every other social ill. Hardiman ’ s 50,000 Black men can shut down the city for 100 days running .
And on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pick up a broom and start sweeping the broken glass , and binding up broken communities .
It ’ s never as easy as saying stuff on TV .

“Where’s the outrage?” activist Tio Hardiman asked Sunday. “For this 3-year-old that was killed. The same kind of outrage when George Floyd was killed by the police in Minneapolis. There should be 30, 40, 50,000 people on the streets, right now, shutting down the Black community until we get it right.”
OK, I’ll bite. Can I fit in 10 thoughts? Let’s try.
1. Did cops kill that 3-year-old too? My hunch is they didn’t. Because the outrage roiling the country is not about the victim, per se, but about living in a nation where a police officer, the representative of law and order, in theory, can leisurely strangle a Black man while his buddies stand guard. That’s what galls, as opposed to the age of the person killed. Though I suppose — I hope — that had the Minneapolis police smothered a toddler, not to give them any ideas, the national outrage would be worse.
Opinion bug Opinion
2. That question, “Where’s the outrage?” is a cliche, the half-clever way the Fox Nation sorts and their surrogates — not to point any fingers — try to avoid the admittedly slight risk of being drawn into a sincere conversation about racism. “Where’s the outrage?” is Fox Speak for “Fix it yourself.”
3. Holding our noses, let’s dive into my spam folder, where the tone used to describe last weekend’s 104 shootings is between a leering chortle and a blatting raspberry.
“Maybe the credo should be ‘Black Lives Matter — Except in Lawndale, Englewood, Etc.’ Very sad,” begins one, “very sad” being the polite form of Nelson Muntz’s bray of “Ha-ha!”
4. “Black on Black murders. Horrible,” sighs another. “The media ignore it. Not a peep!”
Well, Fox News certainly didn’t ignore it — that’s where I saw Hardiman’s interview. They even have a running logo, “Chicago’s Crime Wave.” The killings were the front page of Monday’s Sun-Times, not to conflate the two. And the Trib: “Outrage after toddler, teen die.” That sorta answers Hardiman’s question, doesn’t it?
5. It is easier to be outraged over something done to you (like being killed unjustly by cops) than over something we have a hand in doing to ourselves (like the 100-plus shootings in Chicago over the weekend). That’s why George Floyd’s name has entered the American lexicon while ... checking ... Mekhi James, the 3-year-old killed in the Austin neighborhood Saturday, won’t. This isn’t a criticism, but an observation. One tragedy here is how quickly Americans of every color fall to bickering. We’re like a bunch of neighbors gathered around a burning house, hoses and buckets at our feet, yelling at each other about firefighting technique.
6. As with people who complain on Facebook about the media not covering a situation that they somehow magically know about, those wondering where the outrage is over non-police murders haven’t bothered to look. When this subject came up in 2016, after Laquan McDonald’s murder, my former colleague Jen Sabella wrote a fine piece lyrically headlined, “Chicagoans Actually DO Protest Violence In Their Communities All The Time.” Of course they do. Who wants to live in a war zone? Mothers face down gangs. Fathers form block clubs. It’s an insult to assume they don’t.
7. The Republics are going to paint protest against the police as nihilistic racist revolution and will use it as grease as they try to jam Donald Trump’s hideous bulk through the narrow doorway into his second term.
8. Hardiman has it completely backward. Black men don’t need to shut down their communities until they get it right. They need to build them up.
9. So much of this dialogue — scratch that, it’s not a conversation — so much of this trumpet-blasting is just responsibility shifting. Fox Nation wants to convince itself that, despite having its knee firmly on the neck of Black America, they really aren’t involved. They squint into the distance until their eyes focus on something they can get worked up over. “Look! They hate statues! It’s the French Revolution!”
10. There are no pat conclusions here. Violence is caused by and in turn causes every other social ill. Hardiman’s 50,000 Black men can shut down the city for 100 days running. And on the 101st day, somebody has to pick up a broom and start sweeping the broken glass, and binding up broken communities. It’s never as easy as saying stuff on TV.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-23--FDA warns 9 hand sanitizers may contain a potentially fatal ingredient

The US Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to use certain hand sanitizer products due to the potential presence of methanol , a toxic substance when absorbed through skin or ingested .
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent , pesticide , and alternative fuel source , according to the Centers for Disease Control .
Significant exposure to methanol can result in nausea , vomiting , headache , blurred vision , permanent blindness , seizures , coma , permanent damage to the nervous system or death .
According to a study by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can only potentially be lethal if used in a dose of approximately 30 to 240 mL .
The FDA advises consumers to “ stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately ” : Those exposed to hand sanitizers that contain methanol should seek medical care immediately , according to the FDA .
The FDA found methanol in samples of Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ hand sanitizers manufactured by Eskbiochem SA , a chemical manufacturer based in Mexico .
The FDA has recommended to Eskbiochem that the company remove its hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company has not yet removed them .
Young children who accidentally ingest hand sanitizer and young people who drink hand sanitizer as an alcohol substitute are at an increased risk for methanol poisoning , the FDA said .
USA TODAY has reached out to the FDA for comment .

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to use certain hand sanitizer products due to the potential presence of methanol, a toxic substance when absorbed through skin or ingested.
Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Significant exposure to methanol can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.
According to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, methanol can only potentially be lethal if used in a dose of approximately 30 to 240 mL.
The FDA advises consumers to “stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately”:
All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01).
Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01).
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04).
Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01).
The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10).
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03).
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01).
CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01).
Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01).
Those exposed to hand sanitizers that contain methanol should seek medical care immediately, according to the FDA.
The FDA found methanol in samples of Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ hand sanitizers manufactured by Eskbiochem SA, a chemical manufacturer in Mexico.
The FDA has recommended to Eskbiochem that the company remove its hand sanitizer products from the market, but the company has not yet removed them.
Young children who accidentally ingest hand sanitizer and young people who drink hand sanitizer as an alcohol substitute are at an increased risk for methanol poisoning, the FDA said.
Read more at usatoday.com.