chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--4 wounded in South Chicago shooting

4 wounded in South Chicago shooting

Four males were wounded Tuesday in a shooting in South Chicago on the South Side .
The were standing on @ @ @ @ @ in the 8400 block of South Colfax Avenue when someone approached and fired shots at @ @ @ @ @ .
One male was struck in the back and is in critical condition at the @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
The second was struck twice in the back , the third @ @ @ @ @ and the fourth was struck in the right arm .
They were all taken to @ @ @ @ @ condition .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Four males were wounded Tuesday in a shooting in South Chicago on the South Side.
The were standing on the sidewalk about 9:30 p.m. in the 8400 block of South Colfax Avenue when someone approached and fired shots at them, Chicago police said.
One male was struck in the back and is in critical condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. The second was struck twice in the back, the third was struck in right leg and the fourth was struck in the right arm. They were all taken to the same hospital in good condition.
Area Two detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--3 wounded in Logan Square shooting

3 wounded in Logan Square shooting

Three people were wounded in a shooting Tuesday in Logan Square on the Northwest Side .
The three males were @ @ @ @ @ the 2700 block of West Wabansia Avenue when someone in a white SUV pulled up @ @ @ @ @ police said .
One male was shot in the thigh and taken to Stroger Hospital @ @ @ @ @ said .
Another was shot in the hand and taken to St. Mary ’ s @ @ @ @ @ A third male tried to pull out a gun and accidentally shot himself in the @ @ @ @ @ He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition .
Read more on crime , @ @ @ @ @ s homicides .

Three people were wounded in a shooting Tuesday in Logan Square on the Northwest Side.
The three males were outside about 6:10 p.m. in the 2700 block of West Wabansia Avenue when someone in a white SUV pulled up and opened fire, Chicago police said.
One male was shot in the thigh and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said. Another was shot in the hand and taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in good condition.
A third male tried to pull out a gun and accidentally shot himself in the groin, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
Area Five detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--Fire ravages Humboldt Park Dollar Tree

Fire ravages Humboldt Park Dollar Tree

Crews were called to the store , 3401 W. Chicago Ave. , about 8:35 p.m. , according to Chicago fire @ @ @ @ @ hurt , but the damage resulted in a “ complete loss ” for the store @ @ @ @ @ fire remains under investigation , fire officials said .

A fire tore through a Dollar Tree store Tuesday evening in Humboldt Park.
Crews were called to the store, 3401 W. Chicago Ave., about 8:35 p.m., according to Chicago fire officials. No one was hurt, but the damage resulted in a “complete loss” for the store.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, fire officials said.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-02--3 injured in Kennedy Expressway crash

3 injured in Kennedy Expressway crash

A crash Tuesday on the Kennedy Expressway left three people injured and one vehicle engulfed in flames .
A vehicle @ @ @ @ @ lane about 9:50 p.m. when it was rear-ended by another vehicle near North Avenue , @ @ @ @ @ of the two vehicles went up in flames .
Two people were taken to Stroger @ @ @ @ @ with serious but not life-threatening injuries , state police said .
Another person was taken @ @ @ @ @ minor injuries .
All lanes were reopened about 10:45 p.m. , state police said .

A crash Tuesday on the Kennedy Expressway left three people injured and one vehicle engulfed in flames.
A vehicle was stalled in a southbound lane about 9:50 p.m. when it was rear-ended by another vehicle near North Avenue, Illinois State Police. One of the two vehicles went up in flames.
Two people were taken to Stroger Hospital, one of them with serious but not life-threatening injuries, state police said. Another person was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.
All lanes were reopened about 10:45 p.m., state police said.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--Virtual reality: Bears talk it out — and come together

Akiem Hicks was dubious when Bears coach Matt Nagy called a Zoom meeting for the entire team to address the turbulent civil unrest that has torn the nation apart in the wake of African-American George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer .
More than dubious , actually .
The Pro Bowl defensive end — a leading voice on and off the field and a member of the team ’ s social justice committee — thought it would be a sham .
“ I wasn ’ t too excited to get on that call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t think anything was going to come from it .
I didn ’ t know why we were having this moment where we were singing Kumbaya and trying to get over what ’ s really happening in the world .
“ I felt like it might be a control situation where they want to control the narrative and point us in a direction so when we talk to [ the media ] there ’ s only going to be a certain message that you guys hear.
” But when it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 139 players , coaches and team personnel on the video conference spoke in the two-hour meeting , many of them passionately in a real-talk , from-the-heart , come-together meeting that included tales of woe some would not normally share in the context of a football team — Hicks was glad to admit he was very wrong .
The meeting was nothing like he thought it would be .
“ It was the complete opposite , ” Hicks said .
“ I watched young black men , young white men , older coaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and watching everybody rebuild themselves in a way that isn ’ t common in sport or masculinity in general , and express their real feelings .
“ Everybody … shared from the heart and shared their real experiences .
There was some hurtful stuff in there .
There was some stuff where people were changed and altered for life .
I won ’ t speak [ in details ] because that ’ s their story .
But I will say this : As a team , there was a level of healing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming together .
It was a positive call and I think it will change the lives of some of the young men on the team and it changed mine .
It changed my perspective on life.
” There ’ s no telling what the fallout from this unsettling episode will be if the dust ever settles .
But with a locker room of motivated , competitive athletes of different races , from different parts of the country , molded by varying degrees of disparate upbringings , Nagy ’ s job probably didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 days .
Everybody talks about building a culture , but it ’ s a particular passion for the Bears under general manager Ryan Pace and Nagy .
In two seasons as the Bears ’ head coach , Nagy has had one very good season and one disappointing season .
We don ’ t know if he can coach .
But we do know he has a knack for managing people — a forte that figures to come in handy in a critical season .
Already , it has .
After talking with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday ’ s two-hour allotment of meeting time on healing .
“ To listen and to let our players know how much I and we support them .
And then let them feel our love , ” he said .
“ That starts by listening .
We did that.
” Even the ever-confident Nagy was unsure how it would go — if it would seem too forced and unnatural .
But the emotion of the moment brought a team together like never before .
“ There was a lot of anger … fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ There was compassion , hurt and even at times … surprise.
” “ We were all very emotionally drained , in a good way , ” Nagy said .
“ It was probably the most powerful two-hour meeting that I have ever been in and will ever be in .
” And Nagy felt that emotional as well .
“ I ’ m just proud of our family , ” he said .
“ I ’ m proud of our players , our coaches .
There was a protectiveness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people ’ s stories .
I know the word powerful has been used a lot , but to me it was raw .
I feel like y ’ all should know that because this was way bigger than football .
I know I and many others were completely exhausted , but you felt love and you felt togetherness .
And that ’ s how this thing starts .
It was the start of a long , long journey and we ’ re excited to do it together.
” The following day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Blackout Tuesday ” and then resumed football preparation on Wednesday , “ which did feel good , ” he said .
The Bears and Nagy still have a lot of work ahead on the football field and a lot to prove .
But in the midst of a crisis that is much bigger than football , Matt Nagy moved the Bears one small step in the right direction .

Akiem Hicks was dubious when Bears coach Matt Nagy called a Zoom meeting for the entire team to address the turbulent civil unrest that has torn the nation apart in the wake of African-American George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer.
More than dubious, actually. The Pro Bowl defensive end — a leading voice on and off the field and a member of the team’s social justice committee — thought it would be a sham.
“I wasn’t too excited to get on that call,” Hicks said. “I didn’t think anything was going to come from it. I didn’t know why we were having this moment where we were singing Kumbaya and trying to get over what’s really happening in the world.
“I felt like it might be a control situation where they want to control the narrative and point us in a direction so when we talk to [the media] there’s only going to be a certain message that you guys hear.”
But when it was over — after more than 40 of the 139 players, coaches and team personnel on the video conference spoke in the two-hour meeting, many of them passionately in a real-talk, from-the-heart, come-together meeting that included tales of woe some would not normally share in the context of a football team — Hicks was glad to admit he was very wrong. The meeting was nothing like he thought it would be.
“It was the complete opposite,” Hicks said. “I watched young black men, young white men, older coaches from all over the United States — and watching everybody rebuild themselves in a way that isn’t common in sport or masculinity in general, and express their real feelings.
“Everybody … shared from the heart and shared their real experiences. There was some hurtful stuff in there. There was some stuff where people were changed and altered for life. I won’t speak [in details] because that’s their story. But I will say this: As a team, there was a level of healing in that call, a level of just coming together. It was a positive call and I think it will change the lives of some of the young men on the team and it changed mine. It changed my perspective on life.”
There’s no telling what the fallout from this unsettling episode will be if the dust ever settles. But with a locker room of motivated, competitive athletes of different races, from different parts of the country, molded by varying degrees of disparate upbringings, Nagy’s job probably didn’t get any easier over the last 10 days.
Everybody talks about building a culture, but it’s a particular passion for the Bears under general manager Ryan Pace and Nagy. In two seasons as the Bears’ head coach, Nagy has had one very good season and one disappointing season. We don’t know if he can coach. But we do know he has a knack for managing people — a forte that figures to come in handy in a critical season. Already, it has.
After talking with some players, Nagy decided to spend Monday’s two-hour allotment of meeting time on healing. “To listen and to let our players know how much I and we support them. And then let them feel our love,” he said. “That starts by listening. We did that.”
Even the ever-confident Nagy was unsure how it would go — if it would seem too forced and unnatural. But the emotion of the moment brought a team together like never before. “There was a lot of anger … fear … disgust … sadness,” Nagy said. “There was compassion, hurt and even at times … surprise.”
“We were all very emotionally drained, in a good way,” Nagy said. “It was probably the most powerful two-hour meeting that I have ever been in and will ever be in. ”
And Nagy felt that emotional as well.
“I’m just proud of our family,” he said. “I’m proud of our players, our coaches. There was a protectiveness to the meeting. There was a vulnerability to people’s stories. I know the word powerful has been used a lot, but to me it was raw. I feel like y’all should know that because this was way bigger than football. I know I and many others were completely exhausted, but you felt love and you felt togetherness. And that’s how this thing starts. It was the start of a long, long journey and we’re excited to do it together.”
The following day, Nagy cancelled all team activities to observe “Blackout Tuesday” and then resumed football preparation on Wednesday, “which did feel good,” he said. The Bears and Nagy still have a lot of work ahead on the football field and a lot to prove. But in the midst of a crisis that is much bigger than football, Matt Nagy moved the Bears one small step in the right direction.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--Dr. Conrad Worrill, a man for all seasons

I was never sure what to call Dr. Conrad Worrill when I sourced him on a story .
Frankly , I had to go through a long list of titles he rightfully earned before settling on one that wouldn ’ t take up a paragraph .
Besides being a superstar black nationalist in the tradition of Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey , Worrill was a professor , a political organizer , an education advocate , a black institution builder , an accomplished athlete , a radio talk-show host , a newspaper columnist , ( whose articles appeared in black newspapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV commentator .
If there was a controversy brewing that impacted the black community , you could be sure that Worrill was somewhere in the backroom fully enmeshed in the fight .
And he firmly believed that black people needed to take control of the narrative if they wanted the true history of blacks in America to be passed down , uncorrupted , to their children and their children ’ s children .
His vast knowledge of African , American and world history equipped him to spar with white folks over issues such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inclusion of African-Centered education in public schools .
In 1997 , when reparations was considered a pipe dream by many , Worrill led a delegation to Geneva , Switzerland , to formally charge the U.S. government with genocide and human rights violations , boosting the work of N ’ Cobra , ( National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations ) .
Worrill was proud of being a black radical and was at the top of the newsroom “ call list ” when racial issues popped up .
I met him very early in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for a quote on a racial flare-up .
After considering my questions , he asked me to come to his office , located in what is now the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies , to give me some perspective .
To say I was intimidated is an understatement .
After all , I was working for what black folks deemed the “ white newspaper.
” During one testy episode , Worrill had been at the forefront of a fallout that had black business owners tossing the Sun-Times back on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , Worrill walked me through the history of black activism in the city , a lesson that I didn ’ t get in journalism school .
Fiery and unabashedly pro-black , Worrill wanted to make sure I took down his words without softening them up .
From time to time , he would call me up when a controversy was brewing and share the narrative that he felt no other reporter from mainstream press was interested in covering .
Worrill had the private number of everyone and anyone who represented black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t fill in the gaps of my knowledge , he knew who could .
Worrill was among the longest surviving black activists in the country , having co-founded the National Black United Front in the 1980s , an organization dedicated to the struggle for black self-determination .
After retiring as director of the Carruthers Center , Worrill took over a leadership role at the Black United Fund of Illinois when his close friend , Henry English , the long-time CEO , passed away in 2016 .
Worrill ’ s last crusade , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his heart .
A former track star , Worrill used his negotiating skills to convince then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel to invest in the development of an Indoor Track & Field facility in Pullman .
He was motivated , he told me , by an incident in which he saw a suspected carjacker sprint away from the scene at an incredible speed .
My gratitude goes out to Worrill ’ s wife and his daughters for sharing him with black people all over the world .
Many Chicagoans will remember Worrill for the various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I will always remember him as a friend .

I was never sure what to call Dr. Conrad Worrill when I sourced him on a story.
Frankly, I had to go through a long list of titles he rightfully earned before settling on one that wouldn’t take up a paragraph.
Besides being a superstar black nationalist in the tradition of Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey, Worrill was a professor, a political organizer, an education advocate, a black institution builder, an accomplished athlete, a radio talk-show host, a newspaper columnist, (whose articles appeared in black newspapers across the country), and a TV commentator.
If there was a controversy brewing that impacted the black community, you could be sure that Worrill was somewhere in the backroom fully enmeshed in the fight.
And he firmly believed that black people needed to take control of the narrative if they wanted the true history of blacks in America to be passed down, uncorrupted, to their children and their children’s children.
His vast knowledge of African, American and world history equipped him to spar with white folks over issues such as reparations for slavery, and the inclusion of African-Centered education in public schools.
In 1997, when reparations was considered a pipe dream by many, Worrill led a delegation to Geneva, Switzerland, to formally charge the U.S. government with genocide and human rights violations, boosting the work of N’Cobra, (National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations).
Worrill was proud of being a black radical and was at the top of the newsroom “call list” when racial issues popped up.
I met him very early in my newspaper career.
I had called him up for a quote on a racial flare-up. After considering my questions, he asked me to come to his office, located in what is now the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, to give me some perspective.
To say I was intimidated is an understatement.
After all, I was working for what black folks deemed the “white newspaper.”
During one testy episode, Worrill had been at the forefront of a fallout that had black business owners tossing the Sun-Times back on the paper’s doorstep.
That day, Worrill walked me through the history of black activism in the city, a lesson that I didn’t get in journalism school.
Fiery and unabashedly pro-black, Worrill wanted to make sure I took down his words without softening them up.
From time to time, he would call me up when a controversy was brewing and share the narrative that he felt no other reporter from mainstream press was interested in covering.
This relationship was a two-way street.
Worrill had the private number of everyone and anyone who represented black people’s interests.
If he couldn’t fill in the gaps of my knowledge, he knew who could.
Worrill was among the longest surviving black activists in the country, having co-founded the National Black United Front in the 1980s, an organization dedicated to the struggle for black self-determination.
After retiring as director of the Carruthers Center, Worrill took over a leadership role at the Black United Fund of Illinois when his close friend, Henry English, the long-time CEO, passed away in 2016.
Worrill’s last crusade, however, was the one perhaps nearest to his heart.
A former track star, Worrill used his negotiating skills to convince then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel to invest in the development of an Indoor Track & Field facility in Pullman.
He was motivated, he told me, by an incident in which he saw a suspected carjacker sprint away from the scene at an incredible speed.
My gratitude goes out to Worrill’s wife and his daughters for sharing him with black people all over the world.
Many Chicagoans will remember Worrill for the various roles he played in uplifting his people.
I will always remember him as a friend.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--Pritzker adds Lake, four downstate counties to disaster proclamation amid civil unrest

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday added north suburban Lake County and four downstate counties to his disaster proclamation to help “ keep communities safe ” amid ongoing , statewide protests against police brutality that have sometimes been accompanied by riots or looting , all following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd .
The latest downstate counties to receive more state resources include Peoria in the central part of the state , Rock Island in the Quad-Cities area , Stephenson along the Wisconsin border and Williamson in deep southern Illinois .
Each of the five represents “ a threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” is “ home to critical infrastructure ” or has requested state assistance , Pritzker ’ s office said .
The Lake County sheriff ’ s office said “ hundreds of looters ” smashed storefronts and destroyed vehicles Sunday in Waukegan and Beach Park .
Things were quieter the next two nights , police said .
“ We are thankful that peace prevailed again yesterday , ” the sheriff ’ s office said in a statement Wednesday .
“ Again , we thank the overwhelming majority of the community who denounce violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now been declared in 14 counties following the outrage over Floyd ’ s death , including Cook , DuPage , Kane , Kendall and Will in the Chicago area .
Champaign , Macon and Sangamon in central Illinois and Madison in the Metro East area are also covered under the proclamation .
Pritzker previously activated 375 Illinois National Guard soldiers to help enforce Chicago street closures following the weekend riots that resulted in hundreds of arrests , dozens of injured police officers and rampant property damage .
The Democratic governor activated another 250 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join the state ’ s civil disturbance response efforts ” helping local governments as needed or requested by the Illinois State Police .
Besides Chicago , those additional forces are staged in Springfield , Peoria , Scott Air Force Base , Mount Vernon and Kewanee .
And with the civil unrest still unfolding in the middle of a pandemic , “ all personnel deployed for operations will be outfitted with personal protective equipment , such as face shields and masks , to address the threats of our current COVID environment , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state-run COVID-19 testing sites were shut down following the chaos , but 10 have reopened .
The last one , in Waukegan , will relocate to a new site at 102 W. Water St. “ Additional security has been brought in to replace personnel that had been reassigned due to ongoing civil unrest throughout the state , ” Pritzker ’ s office said .

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday added north suburban Lake County and four downstate counties to his disaster proclamation to help “keep communities safe” amid ongoing, statewide protests against police brutality that have sometimes been accompanied by riots or looting, all following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
The latest downstate counties to receive more state resources include Peoria in the central part of the state, Rock Island in the Quad-Cities area, Stephenson along the Wisconsin border and Williamson in deep southern Illinois.
Each of the five represents “a threat for looting or destruction through planned protests,” is “home to critical infrastructure” or has requested state assistance, Pritzker’s office said.
The Lake County sheriff’s office said “hundreds of looters” smashed storefronts and destroyed vehicles Sunday in Waukegan and Beach Park. Things were quieter the next two nights, police said.
“We are thankful that peace prevailed again yesterday,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday. “Again, we thank the overwhelming majority of the community who denounce violence and strive for peace.”
Disasters have now been declared in 14 counties following the outrage over Floyd’s death, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will in the Chicago area. Champaign, Macon and Sangamon in central Illinois and Madison in the Metro East area are also covered under the proclamation.
Pritzker previously activated 375 Illinois National Guard soldiers to help enforce Chicago street closures following the weekend riots that resulted in hundreds of arrests, dozens of injured police officers and rampant property damage.
The Democratic governor activated another 250 soldiers on top of that Monday “to join the state’s civil disturbance response efforts” helping local governments as needed or requested by the Illinois State Police.
Besides Chicago, those additional forces are staged in Springfield, Peoria, Scott Air Force Base, Mount Vernon and Kewanee.
And with the civil unrest still unfolding in the middle of a pandemic, “all personnel deployed for operations will be outfitted with personal protective equipment, such as face shields and masks, to address the threats of our current COVID environment,” Pritzker’s office said.
Eleven state-run COVID-19 testing sites were shut down following the chaos, but 10 have reopened. The last one, in Waukegan, will relocate to a new site at 102 W. Water St.
“Additional security has been brought in to replace personnel that had been reassigned due to ongoing civil unrest throughout the state,” Pritzker’s office said.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--Chicagoans flock to restaurants for the next phase of reopening: ‘Feels so weird being back’

Shaggy-headed men formed a line outside Father & Son Barber Shop in Edgewater well before it opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday .
Perched on a lawn chair , Andrew Carpenter , 36 , worked remotely on his phone as he waited his turn .
It was safety , not vanity , that motivated him to show up early on the first day of Phase 3 of Chicago ’ s reopening , as hundreds of businesses were allowed to reopen their doors after almost three months of the coronavirus shutdown .
“ I was hoping to be one of the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of customers , ” he said , suspecting odds would be lower any barbers would have COVID-19 at the onset of reopening their business .
“ Then I ’ m going to wait a couple months before I get another cut.
” “ I ’ m also here because it ’ s getting hot , and my wife really doesn ’ t like it this big and shaggy .
But it ’ s always good to have a professional appearance as well , ” said Carpenter , a real estate agent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s Roseland neighborhood , where many businesses remained closed in the wake of weekend rioting , some boarded up and covered with metal security shutters .
It was still carryout only at The Ware Ranch steakhouse , 1147 S. Michigan Ave .
Owner Judy Ware said she had to close Sunday so her staff could clean up the damaged entrance way .
Business was slow Tuesday but steady Wednesday , she said .
“ I made a decision to open the restaurant up [ again ] based on my observation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , ” Ware said .
“ There was no place to get anything to eat , so I felt like I had to open up to give people an option.
” There weren ’ t as many boarded storefronts in Morgan Park and Beverly .
Customers were getting their hair done at The Tranquility Salon Company , 9908 S. Walden Parkway , for the first time since mid-March , a hiatus that co-owner Meg ’ n Barba actually saw as a positive .
“ Before this thing happened , I feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ Now , I feel like we ’ ve had a lot of time to reflect and to see what ’ s important.
” Marcia McGann Hatzell was happy to welcome diners back to Franconello , 10222 S. Western Ave. , but she said it ’ ll take some getting used to masked greetings .
“ You ’ re so excited to see everybody but you can ’ t react the way you want to — like a human being , ” she said .
Weeks of preparation at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chaotic weekend , leaving general manager Brian Mackenzie anxiously awaiting a survey of the damage in River North .
Two windows ended up being broken , leaving the restaurant relatively unscathed compared to other boarded-up businesses at the normally bustling intersection of Hubbard and Wells streets .
“ People are just ready to be back and busy .
The No .
1 reason we ’ re in as good of shape as we are now , is luck , ” Mackenzie said , with eight full tables being served outside .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal , ” Jessica Grapenthin said over drinks with Garrett Vaughan .
“ Or sort of normal , at least.
” Fortunes weren ’ t quite so cheery for Club Lago co-owner Guido Nardini , who arrived the morning of the big partial reopening only to find a city construction crew pouring a sidewalk just outside the entrance near his new makeshift patio at 331 W. Superior St. “ I don ’ t know if I could have less luck with the city , ” Nardini said .
“ But that also disincentivized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s riots ] , so you count your blessings.
” Nardini applauded officials ’ responses to the pandemic , but said he hopes the city quickly expands street closures to make room for more outdoor diners , as it plans to do in six other commercial corridors — though none of them were cordoned off for diners as of Wednesday afternoon .
“ I am subject to how many seats I have , and if I only have 12 seats , every chicken parmigiana would have to cost $ 500 to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ That ’ s not sustainable.
” A trio of Armour Square neighborhood bars and restaurants launched into patio season Wednesday afternoon along 33rd Street — north of the parking lots that usually are home to tailgating White Sox fans , but instead are serving as a staging area for Chicago Police officers still bracing for protests .
Mario Scalise said he felt fortunate to come out the other end of the shutdown and a weekend of unrest with his Stix ‘ n Brix pizza restaurant intact at 220 W. 33rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a third of its normal business when limited to takeout and had to furlough most employees , Scalise said , but a federal PPP loan helped make ends meet .
“ My fear is that some restaurants in other parts of the city just get swamped over capacity , and that ends up setting the whole city back , ” he said .
“ For now , it ’ s just a matter of figuring out how comfortable people are to go out and sit down in a restaurant.
” Ashkan Mokhtari @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since he and three friends from the nearby Illinois Institute of Technology had seen each other before they sat down over cups of coffee .
The next destination on the group ’ s reopening reopening itinerary ?
“ A bar .
I really miss having beers , ” Mokhtari said .
Two blocks north , a woman emerged from Velvet Pin Up Hair Studio , 243 W. 31st St. , after her first professional haircut in three months .
The Bridgeport native said she ’ d barely slept the night before in excitement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I put a bra and makeup on for the first time in months .
I ’ ve had my hair clipped up like Pebbles [ from ‘ The Flintstones ’ ] this whole time , ” said the woman , who preferred not to give her name .
At Kanela Breakfast Club in Andersonville , Caryn Garaygay sipped from her latte , and then her mimosa , “ I ’ m going all out today , liquor and caffeine , ” she said with a laugh .
“ We ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long time.
” Manager Trevor DeChant was overjoyed to have them .
Filling orders for carryout and delivery is just not the same .
“ You can ’ t see people enjoying food , ” he said .
“ I know our food is good , and it ’ s comforting to see people share that sentiment.
” At Maxim Nails in Bronzeville ’ s Lake Meadows Shopping Center , Hien Tran said her mother , Kelly , had not planned to reopen her nail salon to customers Wednesday , three days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was looted .
“ We knew weren ’ t going to be one of them ” reopening Wednesday , Hien Tran said outside the business at 34th and King Drive .
“ Even with the COVID-19 , we still didn ’ t feel like we were ready to open because the cases have still been spiking up , and we value our employees , ” she said .
“ A life is worth more to us than money , ” she said .
Then the looting happened Sunday .
“ This just put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tran said as workers stepped through shattered glass to fix boarded up store windows .
Hien Tran said with all the repairs needed at Maxim , they ’ re hoping to reopen to clients around the “ beginning of July.
” When it does , client safety will be the priority .
“ We ’ re still taking precautions with COVID-19 .
My mom bought sanitizers , gloves , shields.
” Next door , at The UPS Store , a table was set up to meet customers at the entrance , barring everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David B. Bender said vandalism in the store wasn ’ t too bad .
The looters had another goal there : packages .
“ It ’ s UPS , and they knew that there were packages in that store , and that ’ s what they came for , ” Bender said .
“ They came in waves ” that night , he said .
“ The first wave took all the big stuff .
The second wave just took what the first wave left behind.
” That leaves Bender ’ s customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had their package in that store prior to Monday , none of them will be able to retrieve anything.
” The shop owner said he is grateful to volunteers who have helped out answering phones while he works to get the store fully operational .
Bender said that may be sometime next week , “ but we are doing what we can to make it happen sooner .
”

Shaggy-headed men formed a line outside Father & Son Barber Shop in Edgewater well before it opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Perched on a lawn chair, Andrew Carpenter, 36, worked remotely on his phone as he waited his turn.
It was safety, not vanity, that motivated him to show up early on the first day of Phase 3 of Chicago’s reopening, as hundreds of businesses were allowed to reopen their doors after almost three months of the coronavirus shutdown.
“I was hoping to be one of the first, before the barbers have contact with a lot of customers,” he said, suspecting odds would be lower any barbers would have COVID-19 at the onset of reopening their business. “Then I’m going to wait a couple months before I get another cut.”
“I’m also here because it’s getting hot, and my wife really doesn’t like it this big and shaggy. But it’s always good to have a professional appearance as well,” said Carpenter, a real estate agent.
Judy Ware outside her restaurant, The Ware Ranch steakhouse, in Roseland. Noah Johnson/Sun-Times
It was a different story in the city’s Roseland neighborhood, where many businesses remained closed in the wake of weekend rioting, some boarded up and covered with metal security shutters.
It was still carryout only at The Ware Ranch steakhouse, 1147 S. Michigan Ave. Owner Judy Ware said she had to close Sunday so her staff could clean up the damaged entrance way. Business was slow Tuesday but steady Wednesday, she said.
“I made a decision to open the restaurant up [again] based on my observation of what was going on in the area,” Ware said. “There was no place to get anything to eat, so I felt like I had to open up to give people an option.”
There weren’t as many boarded storefronts in Morgan Park and Beverly. Customers were getting their hair done at The Tranquility Salon Company, 9908 S. Walden Parkway, for the first time since mid-March, a hiatus that co-owner Meg’n Barba actually saw as a positive.
“Before this thing happened, I feel like [work] was just cyclical,” she said. “Now, I feel like we’ve had a lot of time to reflect and to see what’s important.”
Marcia McGann Hatzell was happy to welcome diners back to Franconello, 10222 S. Western Ave., but she said it’ll take some getting used to masked greetings.
“You’re so excited to see everybody but you can’t react the way you want to — like a human being,” she said.
Co-owner Meg’n Barba stands outside the Tranquility Salon Company, 9908 S. Walden Parkway. Noah Johnson/Sun-Times
Weeks of preparation at Pink Taco came to a head over the chaotic weekend, leaving general manager Brian Mackenzie anxiously awaiting a survey of the damage in River North. Two windows ended up being broken, leaving the restaurant relatively unscathed compared to other boarded-up businesses at the normally bustling intersection of Hubbard and Wells streets.
“People are just ready to be back and busy. The No. 1 reason we’re in as good of shape as we are now, is luck,” Mackenzie said, with eight full tables being served outside.
“It feels so weird being back to normal,” Jessica Grapenthin said over drinks with Garrett Vaughan. “Or sort of normal, at least.”
Fortunes weren’t quite so cheery for Club Lago co-owner Guido Nardini, who arrived the morning of the big partial reopening only to find a city construction crew pouring a sidewalk just outside the entrance near his new makeshift patio at 331 W. Superior St.
“I don’t know if I could have less luck with the city,” Nardini said. “But that also disincentivized people from breaking in [during Saturday’s riots], so you count your blessings.”
Nardini applauded officials’ responses to the pandemic, but said he hopes the city quickly expands street closures to make room for more outdoor diners, as it plans to do in six other commercial corridors — though none of them were cordoned off for diners as of Wednesday afternoon.
“I am subject to how many seats I have, and if I only have 12 seats, every chicken parmigiana would have to cost $500 to come close to breaking even,” Nardini said. “That’s not sustainable.”
Garrett Vaughan and Jessica Grapenthin have drinks at Pink Taco, 431 N. Wells St., on Wednesday, when Chicago restaurants were allowed to seat outdoor diners following the coronavirus shutdown. Mitchell Armentrout/Sun-Times
A trio of Armour Square neighborhood bars and restaurants launched into patio season Wednesday afternoon along 33rd Street — north of the parking lots that usually are home to tailgating White Sox fans, but instead are serving as a staging area for Chicago Police officers still bracing for protests.
Mario Scalise said he felt fortunate to come out the other end of the shutdown and a weekend of unrest with his Stix ‘n Brix pizza restaurant intact at 220 W. 33rd St.
The restaurant had been handling about a third of its normal business when limited to takeout and had to furlough most employees, Scalise said, but a federal PPP loan helped make ends meet.
“My fear is that some restaurants in other parts of the city just get swamped over capacity, and that ends up setting the whole city back,” he said. “For now, it’s just a matter of figuring out how comfortable people are to go out and sit down in a restaurant.”
Ashkan Mokhtari said it had been about three months since he and three friends from the nearby Illinois Institute of Technology had seen each other before they sat down over cups of coffee.
The next destination on the group’s reopening reopening itinerary?
“A bar. I really miss having beers,” Mokhtari said.
Two blocks north, a woman emerged from Velvet Pin Up Hair Studio, 243 W. 31st St., after her first professional haircut in three months.
Ankit Srivastava, Hossein Khodavirdi, Declan Mulroy and Ashkan Mokhtari sit down for coffee Wednesday at the newly reopened Stix ‘n Brix. Mitchell Armentrout/Sun-Times
The Bridgeport native said she’d barely slept the night before in excitement of the long overdue ‘do.
“I put a bra and makeup on for the first time in months. I’ve had my hair clipped up like Pebbles [from ‘The Flintstones’] this whole time,” said the woman, who preferred not to give her name.
At Kanela Breakfast Club in Andersonville, Caryn Garaygay sipped from her latte, and then her mimosa.
“I’m going all out today, liquor and caffeine,” she said with a laugh. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time.”
Manager Trevor DeChant was overjoyed to have them. Filling orders for carryout and delivery is just not the same.
“You can’t see people enjoying food,” he said. “I know our food is good, and it’s comforting to see people share that sentiment.”
Caryn Garaygay, left, and Pacita Castillo-Reiter eat at Kanela Breakfast Club at 5413 N. Clark St. in Andersonville, Wednesday morning, June 3, 2020. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
At Maxim Nails in Bronzeville’s Lake Meadows Shopping Center, Hien Tran said her mother, Kelly, had not planned to reopen her nail salon to customers Wednesday, three days after the strip mall where the shop stands was looted.
“We knew we weren’t going to be one” of the stores reopening Wednesday, Hien Tran said outside the business at 34th and King Drive. “Even with the COVID-19, we still didn’t feel like we were ready to open because the cases have still been spiking up, and we value our employees,” she said.
“A life is worth more to us than money,” she said.
Then the looting happened Sunday. “This just put us two steps back,” Hien Tran said as workers stepped through shattered glass to fix boarded up store windows.
Hien Tran said with all the repairs needed at Maxim, they’re hoping to reopen to clients around the “beginning of July.”
When it does, client safety will be the priority. “We’re still taking precautions with COVID-19. My mom bought sanitizers, gloves, shields.”
Next door, at The UPS Store, a table was set up to meet returning customers at the entrance, barring everyone but workers from coming inside.
Owner David B. Bender said vandalism in the store wasn’t too bad. The looters had another goal there: packages.
“It’s UPS, and they knew that there were packages in that store, and that’s what they came for,” Bender said. “They came in waves” that night, he said. “The first wave took all the big stuff. The second wave just took what the first wave left behind.”
That leaves Bender’s customers without their items. “If they had their package in that store prior to Monday, none of them will be able to retrieve anything.”
The shop owner said he is grateful to volunteers who have helped out answering phones while he works to get the store fully operational. Bender said that may be sometime next week, “but we are doing what we can to make it happen sooner.”


chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--Little Village residents march in support of Black Lives Matter protesters  (LIVE UPDATES)

7:05 p.m. Little Village residents march in support of Black Lives Matter protesters The crowd was silent as residents knelt on one knee , raised their fists in the air while observing a moment of silence for George Floyd under the iconic archway welcoming the public to Little Village .
Laura Ramirez , an organizer from El Foro Del Pueblo , walked through the crowd waving burning sage , which is an indigenous tradition believed to help prayers elevate to God .
“ This fight is long , and this is not going to end today , ” Ramirez said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in support of the Black Lives Matter movement .
For two hours Wednesday morning , the group took over the business corridor of 26th Street in Little Village , chanting Floyd ’ s name and equating police to federal immigration agents .
The effort comes after days of rising racial tensions among Latinos and African Americans after protests denouncing the death of Floyd led to people breaking into businesses and vandalism throughout the city .
Read the full story by Elvia Malagón and Fran Spielman here .
Three days after massive rioting and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off , Chicago police officers are exhausted , burned out and in desperate need of relief , CPD Supt .
David Brown said Wednesday .
“ It ’ s not lost on me that our folks are human .
Working them 12-hour days for extended periods , fatigue sets in .
You get this risk factor that they ’ ve been on the front line too long , ” Brown said during a conference call with City Hall reporters .
“ So we ’ re working on relief factor for these officers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pull some off the line just to get them that break so they can just de-compress from the constant verbal and physical assaults from factions in the crowd .
… Their wellness from a mental health perspective has to be taken into consideration.
” Brown said he plans to provide that sorely-needed relief while maintaining the 375 members of the Illinois National Guard summoned to Chicago to control the downtown perimeter Read the full story by Fran Spielman here .
4:55 p.m .
Timid City Hall and undermanned cops turned Saturday unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union president says Saturday night was a “ s—tshow ” in downtown Chicago because police were undermanned and ill-equipped and City Hall was too timid to take the steps necessary to prevent rioting , looting and mayhem , the police union president said Wednesday .
Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said curfew should have been imposed on Saturday morning — not Saturday night — and strictly enforced by impounding vehicles instead of allowing those vehicles to transport looted merchandise .
The downtown area should have been sealed off Saturday morning also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should also have been canceled Saturday morning — not Sunday — and the Illinois National Guard should have been called out sooner and in far greater numbers than the 375 authorized by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker at Lightfoot ’ s request only to control the downtown perimeter , Catanzara said .
Earlier this week , CPD Supt .
David Brown pegged the number of injured officers at 132 , including one officer suffering a heart attack during the mayhem .
Read the full story by Fran Spielman here .
4:25 p.m .
COLUMN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against racism All too often in Chicago , Latinos and African Americans fight for scraps .
We have to accept slumlords as landlords .
We don ’ t know where to turn when our wages are stolen .
When they join the workforce , African Americans fight against the stereotype of being lazy .
Mexicans and other Latin Americans get exploited for cheap labor .
It can make people angry .
Sometimes , they misplace blame for their lot in life .
I ’ ve sometimes heard Latinos join the chorus of whites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to their safety or economic mobility .
They should see that Latinos and African Americans have a lot in common , especially in working class neighborhoods .
Many of our families started out in Chicago with no money or a place to live .
Many have encountered racism that dehumanizes .
Read the full column by Marlen Garcia here .
Federal prosecutors say a man with a toddler by his side pointed a handgun in the face of an ATF agent in Englewood just after midnight Wednesday morning , told the agent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picked up the child and ran .
The allegations against Joseph Hammond , 33 , appear in a seven-page criminal complaint filed in federal court Wednesday .
A 911 call reporting there was a man shooting a gun while carrying a book bag and a baby in the 900 block of West 68th Street drew agents to West 68th and South Sangamon around 12:02 a.m. Wednesday .
On the northwest corner , they found Hammond , who was standing with his hands at his side with a toddler in front of him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak to Hammond , they said he pointed a black semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine at an agent ’ s face and said , “ Keep moving.
” Read the full story by Jon Seidel here .
Binny ’ s Beverage Depot , the region ’ s dominant chain of liquor stores , sustained damage at 11 of its 42 locations across Illinois , including six in Chicago , and is evaluating when they will reopen .
Greg Versch , director of communications , said Wednesday no stores will be closed permanently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep ties in the communities it serves .
“ With our employee base and the relationships we have , we ’ re seeing an outpouring of goodwill and people saying they are looking forward to our reopening , ” he said .
Because of its cavernous stores , Binny ’ s has been a lucrative target for looters , even if just for smash-and-grab opportunists .
Versch said locations such as Lincoln Park , Rover North and Hyde Park were especially torn up .
He said the Hyde Park store was damaged Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone rammed through the boards with a U-Haul vehicle , prompting a new round of looting .
Outlets with less damage may be ready to reopen , at least for curbside pickups , in a few days , Versch said .
Read the full story by David Roeder here .
2:06 p.m. Report : 3 more cops to be charged in George Floyd ’ s death MINNEAPOLIS — Prosecutors plan to charge a Minneapolis police officer accused of pressing his knee against George Floyd ’ s neck with second-degree murder , and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three other officers at the scene , a newspaper reported Wednesday .
Widely seen bystander video showing Floyd ’ s May 25 death has sparked protests nationwide and around the world .
The officer , Derek Chauvin , was fired May 26 and initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
The three other officers involved were also fired but were not immediately charged .
The Star Tribune reported that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison would be upgrading the charge against Chauvin while also charging Thomas Lane , J. Kueng and Tou @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The newspaper cited multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity .
Read the full report from The Associated Press here .
The Obama Foundation will host a virtual town hall at 4 p.m. Wednesday to “ discuss the tragic events of recent weeks , the history of police violence in America , and specific actions needed to transform a system that has led to the loss of too many lives.
” Panelists will include President Barack Obama , former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Change , Minneapolis City Council Representative Phillipe Cunningham and Playon Patrick .
youth leader with the My Brother ’ s Keeper alliance .
The conversation will be moderated by Campaign Zero co-founder Brittany Packnett Cunningham .
Stay tuned for our coverage of the conversation , “ Reimagining Policing in the Wake of Continued Police Violence.
” 11:32 a.m. Little Village marchers speak out against racial tension in community Days after racial tension mounted between Little Village residents and African Americans protesting the death of George Floyd , protesters marched down 26th street and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indigenous rituals .
A woman reminded the small crowd gathered to watch that George Floyd died over $ 20 .
She asked out loud how much a life is worth .
As the crowd grew , organizers told those gathered that Latinos won ’ t get respect until black people do .
“ Our lives as brown people is connected to the lives of black people , ” one organizer said .
Stephanie Cerda-Ocampo said she joined the march because she thinks Latinos ignore anti-black problems in the community .
“ We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real issue like white supremacy , ” she said .
Two CTA buses filled with Chicago police officers followed the crowd , but few officers were on the ground .
At one point , marchers chanted that police are the same as ICE .
Jai Simpson from Good Kids Mad City spoke to the crowd and called them “ family.
” He said it was his first time in Little Village , which is considered the heart of the Mexican immigrant community .
10:49 a.m. CTA bypassing stops in the Loop CTA resumed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but trains and buses will continue to bypass stops in the Loop .
Trains will bypass stations at Jackson Boulevard , Clark and Lake Streets , State and Lake Streets , Lake Street , Grand Avenue , and Chicago Avenue .
Bus routes will also be rerouted in the downtown area , due to local street and bridge closures , officials said .
Passengers are able to see the latest alerts about transit service at transitchicago.com .
10:01 a.m. Mars Cheese Castle , a Wisconsin way station for Chicagoans , takes a stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lactose landmark where generations of Illinois residents heading to Wisconsin or coming back home have stocked up on bratwurst , beef jerky and , of course , hundreds of different cheeses .
But in recent days , in what ’ s believed to be a first for the 73-year-old family-owned business , the iconic cheese shop used its towering outdoor sign just off of Interstate 94 to take a strong and public stand on a social issue .
Its giant LED sign blazed with three words : “ I guess it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , Mario and Martha Ventura , ” said Michael Ventura , along with his cousins Natalie Broussard and Tyson Wehrmeister the third generation operating the family business .
“ They valued their fellow human beings and treated them with dignity and respect .
They would say : Everybody gets treated like family at Mars .
We couldn ’ t stay silent on this because we value our fellow human beings.
” He said his family was heartbroken by the images of George Floyd , killed last week by a now-fired Minneapolis police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m.
Here ’ s how you can help looted Chicago businesses rebuild By the time Kareem Matariyeh arrived Sunday night at his family ’ s liquor store in Marquette Park , flames had already engulfed the business .
Like countless other storefronts in the city , the Quick Stop at 2424 W. 71st St. was targeted by vandals and looters amid the unrest that ’ s gripped the city and much of the country in the wake of protests over the officer-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Now , as protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broader systemic racism in Chicago and beyond , Matariyeh and others are launching crowdfunding campaigns to repair minority-owned businesses that have been ransacked and destroyed in the fallout .
My Block My Hood My City , a Chicago nonprofit , has set up a small business relief fund , while individuals from communities that have been affected by the looting have also stepped up .
Charles Pickett , of Humboldt Park , is raising $ 20,000 for minority business owners in his neighborhood , Austin , Humboldt Park and Douglass Park .
Aaliyah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s already surpassed its $ 20,000 fundraising goal in just two days .
Lara ’ s “ Black and brown business relief fund ” will benefit the Flamingo Bar & Grill in the Gold Coast , Express Food Market in Stony Island Park and Quesadilla Monarca in Ashburn .
Read the full story by Tom Schuba here .

8:55 p.m. Hundreds of protesters pause for 9 minutes to remember George Floyd at Dunbar Park rally
Hundreds of protesters filled Douglas’ Dunbar Park on Wednesday afternoon on the sixth consecutive day of George Floyd protests across Chicago.
But for nine minutes — the length of time ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck prior to the latter’s death last week — the only sounds heard in the park were of honking cars and television helicopters as protesters kneeled and held a moment of silence.
“The only way you can take nine minutes to kill someone while they’re pleading for their life is if you don’t think that they’re human,” protest organizer Kobi Guillory said. “This is something we need to do to put this in perspective and humanize ourselves.”
Guillory and others from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression planned the protest through social media Wednesday.
Read the full story by Ben Pope.
7:05 p.m. Little Village residents march in support of Black Lives Matter protesters
The crowd was silent as residents knelt on one knee, raised their fists in the air while observing a moment of silence for George Floyd under the iconic archway welcoming the public to Little Village.
Laura Ramirez, an organizer from El Foro Del Pueblo, walked through the crowd waving burning sage, which is an indigenous tradition believed to help prayers elevate to God.
“This fight is long, and this is not going to end today,” Ramirez said to the group, many holding signs in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
For two hours Wednesday morning, the group took over the business corridor of 26th Street in Little Village, chanting Floyd’s name and equating police to federal immigration agents. The effort comes after days of rising racial tensions among Latinos and African Americans after protests denouncing the death of Floyd led to people breaking into businesses and vandalism throughout the city.
Read the full story by Elvia Malagón and Fran Spielman here.
5:50 p.m. Exhausted, abused Chicago Police officers need a break, top cop says
Three days after massive rioting and looting prompted the city to cancel days off, Chicago police officers are exhausted, burned out and in desperate need of relief, CPD Supt. David Brown said Wednesday.
“It’s not lost on me that our folks are human. Working them 12-hour days for extended periods, fatigue sets in. You get this risk factor that they’ve been on the front line too long,” Brown said during a conference call with City Hall reporters.
“So we’re working on relief factor for these officers. We are cognizant that we might have to pull some off the line just to get them that break so they can just de-compress from the constant verbal and physical assaults from factions in the crowd. … Their wellness from a mental health perspective has to be taken into consideration.”
Brown said he plans to provide that sorely-needed relief while maintaining the 375 members of the Illinois National Guard summoned to Chicago to control the downtown perimeter
Read the full story by Fran Spielman here.
4:55 p.m. Timid City Hall and undermanned cops turned Saturday unrest into a ‘s—tshow,’ police union president says
Saturday night was a “s—tshow” in downtown Chicago because police were undermanned and ill-equipped and City Hall was too timid to take the steps necessary to prevent rioting, looting and mayhem, the police union president said Wednesday.
Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said curfew should have been imposed on Saturday morning — not Saturday night — and strictly enforced by impounding vehicles instead of allowing those vehicles to transport looted merchandise. The downtown area should have been sealed off Saturday morning also, he said.
Police days off should also have been canceled Saturday morning — not Sunday — and the Illinois National Guard should have been called out sooner and in far greater numbers than the 375 authorized by Gov. J.B. Pritzker at Lightfoot’s request only to control the downtown perimeter, Catanzara said.
Earlier this week, CPD Supt. David Brown pegged the number of injured officers at 132, including one officer suffering a heart attack during the mayhem.
Read the full story by Fran Spielman here.
4:25 p.m. COLUMN: Latinos and African Americans must unite against racism
All too often in Chicago, Latinos and African Americans fight for scraps.
We have to accept slumlords as landlords. We don’t know where to turn when our wages are stolen. When they join the workforce, African Americans fight against the stereotype of being lazy. Mexicans and other Latin Americans get exploited for cheap labor.
It can make people angry. Sometimes, they misplace blame for their lot in life. I’ve sometimes heard Latinos join the chorus of whites who speak of Africans Americans as a threat to their safety or economic mobility.
They should see that Latinos and African Americans have a lot in common, especially in working class neighborhoods. Many of our families started out in Chicago with no money or a place to live. Many have encountered racism that dehumanizes.
Read the full column by Marlen Garcia here.
3:35 p.m. Man pointed gun at ATF agent’s face while toddler stood nearby, feds allege
Federal prosecutors say a man with a toddler by his side pointed a handgun in the face of an ATF agent in Englewood just after midnight Wednesday morning, told the agent to “keep moving” and then picked up the child and ran.
The allegations against Joseph Hammond, 33, appear in a seven-page criminal complaint filed in federal court Wednesday.
A 911 call reporting there was a man shooting a gun while carrying a book bag and a baby in the 900 block of West 68th Street drew agents to West 68th and South Sangamon around 12:02 a.m. Wednesday. On the northwest corner, they found Hammond, who was standing with his hands at his side with a toddler in front of him.
When agents approached in their vehicle to speak to Hammond, they said he pointed a black semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine at an agent’s face and said, “Keep moving.”
Read the full story by Jon Seidel here.
3:02 p.m. Binny’s pledges to reopen 11 damaged stores
Binny’s Beverage Depot, the region’s dominant chain of liquor stores, sustained damage at 11 of its 42 locations across Illinois, including six in Chicago, and is evaluating when they will reopen.
Greg Versch, director of communications, said Wednesday no stores will be closed permanently. He emphasized Binny’s builds deep ties in the communities it serves.
“With our employee base and the relationships we have, we’re seeing an outpouring of goodwill and people saying they are looking forward to our reopening,” he said.
Because of its cavernous stores, Binny’s has been a lucrative target for looters, even if just for smash-and-grab opportunists. Versch said locations such as Lincoln Park, Rover North and Hyde Park were especially torn up.
He said the Hyde Park store was damaged Saturday and boarded up, then on Sunday someone rammed through the boards with a U-Haul vehicle, prompting a new round of looting.
Outlets with less damage may be ready to reopen, at least for curbside pickups, in a few days, Versch said.
Read the full story by David Roeder here.
2:06 p.m. Report: 3 more cops to be charged in George Floyd’s death
MINNEAPOLIS — Prosecutors plan to charge a Minneapolis police officer accused of pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck with second-degree murder, and for the first time will level charges against three other officers at the scene, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
Widely seen bystander video showing Floyd’s May 25 death has sparked protests nationwide and around the world. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was fired May 26 and initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The three other officers involved were also fired but were not immediately charged.
The Star Tribune reportedthat Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison would be upgrading the charge against Chauvin while also charging Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. The newspaper cited multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Read the full report from The Associated Press here.
12:52 p.m. Obama Foundation will host virtual town hall Wednesday
The Obama Foundation will host a virtual town hall at 4 p.m. Wednesday to “discuss the tragic events of recent weeks, the history of police violence in America, and specific actions needed to transform a system that has led to the loss of too many lives.” Panelists will include President Barack Obama, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, Minneapolis City Council Representative Phillipe Cunningham and Playon Patrick. youth leader with the My Brother’s Keeper alliance. The conversation will be moderated by Campaign Zero co-founder Brittany Packnett Cunningham.
Stay tuned for our coverage of the conversation, “Reimagining Policing in the Wake of Continued Police Violence.”
11:32 a.m. Little Village marchers speak out against racial tension in community
Days after racial tension mounted between Little Village residents and African Americans protesting the death of George Floyd, protesters marched down 26th street and encouraged unity.
The march started with indigenous rituals. A woman reminded the small crowd gathered to watch that George Floyd died over $20. She asked out loud how much a life is worth.
The march starts with indigenous rituals. A woman reminds the small crowd gathered in Little Village that George Floyd died over $20. She asks out loud how much a life is worth. pic.twitter.com/iDUy6Su2P3 — Elvia Malagón (@ElviaMalagon) June 3, 2020
As the crowd grew, organizers told those gathered that Latinos won’t get respect until black people do. “Our lives as brown people is connected to the lives of black people,” one organizer said.
Stephanie Cerda-Ocampo said she joined the march because she thinks Latinos ignore anti-black problems in the community. “We need to stick together and fight against the real issue like white supremacy,” she said.
Crowd chants “George Floyd” as they start marching along 26th Street in Little Village. pic.twitter.com/EZzvdGUCnw — Elvia Malagón (@ElviaMalagon) June 3, 2020
Two CTA buses filled with Chicago police officers followed the crowd, but few officers were on the ground. At one point, marchers chanted that police are the same as ICE.
Jai Simpson from Good Kids Mad City spoke to the crowd and called them “family.” He said it was his first time in Little Village, which is considered the heart of the Mexican immigrant community.
— Elvia Malagón
10:49 a.m. CTA bypassing stops in the Loop
CTA resumed rail and bus service Wednesday morning, but trains and buses will continue to bypass stops in the Loop.
Trains will bypass stations at Jackson Boulevard, Clark and Lake Streets, State and Lake Streets, Lake Street, Grand Avenue, and Chicago Avenue.
Bus routes will also be rerouted in the downtown area, due to local street and bridge closures, officials said.
Passengers are able to see the latest alerts about transit service at transitchicago.com.
10:01 a.m. Mars Cheese Castle, a Wisconsin way station for Chicagoans, takes a stand
Kenosha’s Mars Cheese Castle is a lactose landmark where generations of Illinois residents heading to Wisconsin or coming back home have stocked up on bratwurst, beef jerky and, of course, hundreds of different cheeses.
But in recent days, in what’s believed to be a first for the 73-year-old family-owned business, the iconic cheese shop used its towering outdoor sign just off of Interstate 94 to take a strong and public stand on a social issue. Its giant LED sign blazed with three words:
I CAN’T BREATHE
“I guess it comes back to our grandparents who started the business, Mario and Martha Ventura,” said Michael Ventura, along with his cousins Natalie Broussard and Tyson Wehrmeister the third generation operating the family business. “They valued their fellow human beings and treated them with dignity and respect. They would say: Everybody gets treated like family at Mars. We couldn’t stay silent on this because we value our fellow human beings.”
He said his family was heartbroken by the images of George Floyd, killed last week by a now-fired Minneapolis police officer kneeling on his neck.
Read Maureen O’Donnell’s story.
8:15 a.m. Here’s how you can help looted Chicago businesses rebuild
By the time Kareem Matariyeh arrived Sunday night at his family’s liquor store in Marquette Park, flames had already engulfed the business.
Like countless other storefronts in the city, the Quick Stop at 2424 W. 71st St. was targeted by vandals and looters amid the unrest that’s gripped the city and much of the country in the wake of protests over the officer-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Now, as protesters continue to fight against police brutality and broader systemic racism in Chicago and beyond, Matariyeh and others are launching crowdfunding campaigns to repair minority-owned businesses that have been ransacked and destroyed in the fallout.
My Block My Hood My City, a Chicago nonprofit, has set up a small business relief fund, while individuals from communities that have been affected by the looting have also stepped up.
Charles Pickett, of Humboldt Park, is raising $20,000 for minority business owners in his neighborhood, Austin, Humboldt Park and Douglass Park.
Aaliyah Lara set up another GoFundMe campaign that’s already surpassed its $20,000 fundraising goal in just two days. Lara’s “Black and brown business relief fund” will benefit the Flamingo Bar & Grill in the Gold Coast, Express Food Market in Stony Island Park and Quesadilla Monarca in Ashburn.
Read the full story by Tom Schuba here.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-03--Daily COVID-19 cases dip under 1,000, but officials warn it could take 2 weeks to see if protests pr

Daily COVID-19 cases dip under 1,000, but officials warn it could take 2 weeks to see if protests prompt uptick   (LIVE UPDATES)

6:44 p.m. Daily COVID-19 cases dip under 1,000 , but officials warn it could take 2 weeks to see if protests prompt uptick Another 97 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois , and health officials are warning that it could take up to two weeks to see if mass protests in the state will spark any upticks in new cases .
An Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman called it a “ moving timeline ” of up to 14 days to see if anyone gathered in a crowd has contracted COVID-19 .
They could also be asymptomatic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested — whether they show symptoms or not .
In total , 5,622 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois .
The state also reported 982 new positive cases , bringing the tally to 123,830 cases .
The virus remains in 101 of 102 counties .
Read the full story by Tina Sfondeles here .
4:45 p.m. Chicagoans start adjusting to new normal with salons , restaurants in Phase 3 Shaggy-headed men formed a line outside Father & Son Barber Shop in Edgewater well before it opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carpenter , 36 , worked remotely on his phone as he waited his turn .
It was safety , not vanity , that motivated him to show up early on the first day of Phase 3 of Chicago ’ s reopening .
“ I was hoping to be one of the first , before the barbers have contact with a lot of customers , ” he said , suspecting odds would be lower any barbers would have COVID-19 at the onset of reopening their business .
“ Then I ’ m going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another cut.
” “ I ’ m also here because it ’ s getting hot , and my wife really doesn ’ t like it this big and shaggy .
But it ’ s always good to have a professional appearance as well , ” said Carpenter , a real estate agent .
4:39 p.m .
Coalition doesn ’ t want public money going to private companies to tackle COVID-19 in the city A coalition of community activists , including two former city public health administrators , wants Mayor Lori Lightfoot to rethink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to private companies for COVID-19 contact tracing .
The group , the People ’ s Response Network , wants to see the Chicago Department of Public Health oversee the project after filling hundreds of jobs they say the agency has shed since 1990 .
“ I have no faith whatsoever in the health department , but the health department is the only vehicle by which this pandemic can be brought under control , ” said Dr. Howard Ehrman , one of the founders of the group and a former city public health deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration released a $ 56 million request-for-proposals from organizations interested in coordinating “ contact tracing and resource referral efforts ” across the city .
3:25 p.m. Daily COVID-19 cases dip under 1,000 , but officials warn it could take 2 weeks to see if protests prompt uptick Another 97 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois , and health officials are warning that it could take up to two weeks to see if mass protests in the state will spark any upticks in new cases .
An Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of up to 14 days to see if anyone gathered in a crowd has contracted COVID-19 .
They could also be asymptomatic .
The department is urging all protestors to get tested .
In total , 5,622 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois .
The state also reported 982 new positive cases , bringing the tally to 123,830 cases .
The virus remains in 101 of 102 counties .
Only downstate Scott County has reported no infections .
A trio of Armour Square neighborhood bars and restaurants launched into patio season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the parking lots that usually are home to tailgating White Sox fans , but instead are serving as a staging area for Chicago police officers still bracing for protests .
Mario Scalise said he felt fortunate to come out the other end of the coronavirus shutdown and a weekend of unrest with his Stix ‘ n Brix pizza restaurant intact at 220 W. 33rd St .
The restaurant had been handling about a third of its normal business when limited to takeout and had to furlough most employees , Scalise said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends meet .
“ My fear is that some restaurants in other parts of the city just get swamped over capacity , and that ends up setting the whole city back , ” he said .
“ For now it ’ s just a matter of figuring out how comfortable people are to go out and sit down in a restaurant.
” Ashkan Mokhtari and three of his friends from the nearby Illinois Institute of Technology returned felt comfortable enough to return right away for coffee at Stix ‘ n Brix , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a long time since we ’ ve seen each other , or anyone really .
About three months , ” Mokhtari said .
Next destination on the group ’ s reopening reopening itinerary ?
“ A bar .
I really miss having beers , ” Mokhtari said .
Two blocks north , a woman emerged from Velvet Pin Up Hair Studio , 243 W. 31st St. , after her first professional haircut in three months .
The Bridgeport native said she ’ d barely slept the night before in excitement of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put a bra and makeup on for the first time in months .
I ’ ve had my hair clipped up like Pebbles [ from ‘ The Flintstones ’ ] this whole time , ” said the woman , who preferred not to give her name .
She was only able to score a coveted appointment because her friend works there , she said .
And it turns out hair appointments in the age of COVID-19 come with their own inconveniences , as face coverings are required for both stylist and customer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ass , ” she said , showing a ring of dye left behind her ear from the strap of a face mask .
“ But I ’ m thrilled .
It feels great.
” 2:15 p.m .
US job losses in May could raise 3-month total to 30 million WASHINGTON — The epic damage to America ’ s job market from the viral outbreak will come into sharper focus Friday when the government releases the May employment report : Eight million more jobs are estimated to have been lost .
Unemployment could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than half of all adults may be working .
Beneath the dismal figures will be signs that job cuts , severe as they are , are slowing as more businesses gradually or partially reopen .
Still , the economy is mired in a recession , and any rebound in hiring will likely be painfully slow .
Economists foresee unemployment remaining in double-digits through the November elections and into 2021 .
If their forecast of 8 million jobs lost in May proves correct , it would come on top of April ’ s loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monthly loss on record — and bring total job cuts in the three months since the viral outbreak intensified to nearly 30 million .
That ’ s more than three times the jobs lost in the 2008-2009 Great Recession .
And if the jobless rate does reach 20 % for May , it would be double the worst level during that previous recession .
1:50 p.m. First diners return to Edgewater restaurant as city enters Phase 3 of reopening Caryn Garaygay sipped from her latte , and then her mimosa , at Kanela @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m going all out today , liquor and caffeine , ” she said with a laugh .
“ We ’ ve been waiting for this for a long , long time , ” she said .
A goat cheese omelet with spinach sat on her plate .
“ I cook , too , and I got tired of my cooking .
It ’ s the novelty of going out and eating with friends after being cooped up for so long , that ’ s what this is about , being social again.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garaygay , nibbling pancakes .
The two are walking partners but their morning strolls , for the foreseeable future , at least , will focus on acquiring calories rather then burning them .
“ We are the brave ones , ” Castillo-Reiter said of being the first , and only , customers at Kanela Wednesday morning .
Trevor DeChant , the manager , was overjoyed to have them .
Filling orders for carry out and delivery is just not the same .
“ You can ’ t see people enjoying food , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food is good and it ’ s comforting to see people share that sentiment.
” 12:41 p.m .
Sister of woman who died from coronavirus sues Westchester nursing home The sister of a woman who died from complications related to the coronavirus is suing the west suburban long-term care facility where she lived .
Rita Saunders , 64 , died on March 31 from acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 , according to the lawsuit , which was filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court .
Saunders ’ sister , Eileen Walsh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ years , if not decades , ” of mismanagement that contributed to a delayed response to prevent the spread of the virus .
11:10 a.m .
Restaurants , barber shops reopen across Chicago as city enters Phase 3 Wednesday Shaggy-headed men formed a line outside Father and Son Barber Shop in Edgewater well before it opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday .
Perched on a lawn chair , Andrew Carpenter , 36 , worked remotely on his phone as he waited his turn .
It was safety , not vanity , that motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first day of Phase 3 of Chicago ’ s reopening .
“ I was hoping to be one of the first , before the barbers have contact with a lot of customers , ” he said , suspecting odds would be lower any barbers would have COVID-19 at the onset of reopening their business .
“ Then I ’ m going to wait a couple months before I get another cut.
” “ I ’ m also here because it ’ s getting hot , and my wife really doesn ’ t like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s always good to have a professional appearance as well , ” said Carpenter , a real estate agent .
9:53 a.m .
Many restaurants excited for ‘ new beginning ’ — even if open-air only : Customers ‘ hungry to get out ’ After more than two hellish months of closed doors capped by days of widespread looting , many restaurant owners are looking forward to serving dine-in customers again Wednesday — even if it ’ s just open-air seating .
“ I ’ m thrilled we can reopen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crosby ’ s Kitchen , 3455 N. Southport , along with four other North Side eateries that will begin seating diners .
“ Every seat is extremely valuable , ” said Dunlay , who expects to do about 12 % to 25 % of normal business with open-air seating in place .
“ I think people are dying to feel normal again ... anniversaries , dates , family time , ” he said .
“ And we need this to help jump start restaurants .
And we need the governor and the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move us to Phase Four as quickly as possible , so we can have people sitting inside , ” he said .
“ Then again , what if it rains ... then our business is back to zero.
” 8:40 a.m. Judge bars Cicero officials from unannounced visits to nursing home after COVID-19 ‘ raid ’ Cicero officials can not conduct additional “ surprise visits ” at a nursing home where 13 died from complications related to the coronavirus after the facility accused the town of launching “ a raid ” on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court Judge Alison Conlon issued the order Tuesday in response to an emergency motion filed by City View MultiCare Center claiming Cicero health officials violated the rights of its residents by barging into their rooms without knocking and recording them in various states of undress .
Conlon said Cicero officials violated the “ letter and spirit ” of an order she gave last month , allowing them to make two unannounced visits to the facility after the town claimed staff and residents weren ’ t following proper guidelines to prevent the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit last week , Cicero police officers were “ standing guard ” outside the facility , officials did not provide identification and recorded video at the facility — an action City View say violates federal and state privacy laws .
Voters across America navigated curfews and health concerns Tuesday in a slate of primary elections amid dueling national crises as Joe Biden looked to move closer to formally clinching the Democratic presidential nomination .
In all , nine states and the District of Columbia were hosting elections , including four that delayed their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While voters cast ballots from Maryland to Montana , Pennsylvania offered the day ’ s biggest trove of delegates .
The state also represented a significant test case for Republicans and Democrats working to strengthen their operations in a premier general election battleground .
The dynamic was especially intense in Washington , D.C. , where Mayor Muriel Bowser imposed a 7 p.m. curfew as law enforcement agencies and National Guard troops prepared for a fifth night of protests near the White House following the police killing of George Floyd .
A large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House and military vehicles blocked some streets in downtown .
In-person voting numbers were down in every state as many voters were encouraged to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Yet there were reports of long lines , particularly in minority communities in the Philadelphia area , where election officials consolidated the vast majority of polling places to minimize health risks , according to Erin Kramer , executive director of One Pennsylvania .
• Illinois officials on Tuesday reported another 113 deaths due to COVID-19 , a day after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count in two months .
• Another employee at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk ’ s office has tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the overall total to 26 .
• Federal health authorities have received reports of nearly 26,000 nursing home residents dying from COVID-19 across the country .
• A pair of Cook County judges have tested positive for COVID-19 , marking the first cases of the coronavirus in judges of the Circuit Court , officials announced Thursday .
7:04 a.m. A smarter way to trace the spread of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country are exploring tools they can use in the battle against COVID-19 .
The latest device to be considered ?
The smartphone in your hand .
Many believe that the same phone you use to stay connected with your loved ones , get breaking news and play games might slow down the spread of COVID-19 .
But using our phones for this purpose is not a quick fix , and it runs the risk of tapping into private data stored on them .
Just think about all the ways you use your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with you .
All the information you share with it .
Now imagine giving the government or another third party access to all that information .
Read the full guest commentary by Sapna Khatri here .

Chicagoans rejoiced with the opening of more restaurants, bars, hair salons and other businesses with the beginning of Phase 3 of the city’s reopening plan.
The numbers of deaths from COVID-19 has been falling, but officials worry about a spike in new cases in 14 days after the protests and rioting from the previous weekend.
Here’s what happened in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago and around the state.
News
Men wait in line outside Father & Son Barber Shop at 5806 N. Broadway St. in Edgewater, Wednesday morning, June 3, 2020. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Shaggy-headed men formed a line outside Father & Son Barber Shop in Edgewater well before it opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Perched on a lawn chair, Andrew Carpenter, 36, worked remotely on his phone as he waited his turn.
It was safety, not vanity, that motivated him to show up early on the first day of Phase 3 of Chicago’s reopening, as hundreds of businesses were allowed to reopen their doors after almost three months of the coronavirus shutdown.
Read the full story by Mitch Dudek, Mitchell Armentrout, Noah Johnson and Candi Meriwether.
6:44 p.m. Daily COVID-19 cases dip under 1,000, but officials warn it could take 2 weeks to see if protests prompt uptick
Another 97 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois, and health officials are warning that it could take up to two weeks to see if mass protests in the state will spark any upticks in new cases.
An Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman called it a “moving timeline” of up to 14 days to see if anyone gathered in a crowd has contracted COVID-19. They could also be asymptomatic.
The department is urging all protesters to get tested — whether they show symptoms or not.
In total, 5,622 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois. The state also reported 982 new positive cases, bringing the tally to 123,830 cases. The virus remains in 101 of 102 counties.
Read the full story by Tina Sfondeles here.
4:45 p.m. Chicagoans start adjusting to new normal with salons, restaurants in Phase 3
Shaggy-headed men formed a line outside Father & Son Barber Shop in Edgewater well before it opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Perched on a lawn chair, Andrew Carpenter, 36, worked remotely on his phone as he waited his turn.
It was safety, not vanity, that motivated him to show up early on the first day of Phase 3 of Chicago’s reopening.
“I was hoping to be one of the first, before the barbers have contact with a lot of customers,” he said, suspecting odds would be lower any barbers would have COVID-19 at the onset of reopening their business. “Then I’m going to wait a couple months before I get another cut.”
“I’m also here because it’s getting hot, and my wife really doesn’t like it this big and shaggy. But it’s always good to have a professional appearance as well,” said Carpenter, a real estate agent.
Read the full story here.
4:39 p.m. Coalition doesn’t want public money going to private companies to tackle COVID-19 in the city
A coalition of community activists, including two former city public health administrators, wants Mayor Lori Lightfoot to rethink plans to dole out millions of dollars to private companies for COVID-19 contact tracing.
The group, the People’s Response Network, wants to see the Chicago Department of Public Health oversee the project after filling hundreds of jobs they say the agency has shed since 1990.
“I have no faith whatsoever in the health department, but the health department is the only vehicle by which this pandemic can be brought under control,” said Dr. Howard Ehrman, one of the founders of the group and a former city public health deputy commissioner.
Last month, the Lightfoot administration released a $56 million request-for-proposals from organizations interested in coordinating “contact tracing and resource referral efforts” across the city.
Read the full story here.
3:25 p.m. Daily COVID-19 cases dip under 1,000, but officials warn it could take 2 weeks to see if protests prompt uptick
Another 97 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois, and health officials are warning that it could take up to two weeks to see if mass protests in the state will spark any upticks in new cases.
An Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman called it a “moving timeline” of up to 14 days to see if anyone gathered in a crowd has contracted COVID-19. They could also be asymptomatic.
The department is urging all protestors to get tested.
In total, 5,622 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois. The state also reported 982 new positive cases, bringing the tally to 123,830 cases. The virus remains in 101 of 102 counties.
Only downstate Scott County has reported no infections.
Read the full story here.
2:47 p.m. Armour Square restaurant reopens under new Phase 3 rules
A trio of Armour Square neighborhood bars and restaurants launched into patio season Wednesday afternoon along 33rd Street — north of the parking lots that usually are home to tailgating White Sox fans, but instead are serving as a staging area for Chicago police officers still bracing for protests.
Mario Scalise said he felt fortunate to come out the other end of the coronavirus shutdown and a weekend of unrest with his Stix ‘n Brix pizza restaurant intact at 220 W. 33rd St.
The restaurant had been handling about a third of its normal business when limited to takeout and had to furlough most employees, Scalise said, but a federal PPP loan helped make ends meet.
“My fear is that some restaurants in other parts of the city just get swamped over capacity, and that ends up setting the whole city back,” he said. “For now it’s just a matter of figuring out how comfortable people are to go out and sit down in a restaurant.”
Ashkan Mokhtari and three of his friends from the nearby Illinois Institute of Technology returned felt comfortable enough to return right away for coffee at Stix ‘n Brix, a regular hangout.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, or anyone really. About three months,” Mokhtari said.
Next destination on the group’s reopening reopening itinerary?
“A bar. I really miss having beers,” Mokhtari said.
Two blocks north, a woman emerged from Velvet Pin Up Hair Studio, 243 W. 31st St., after her first professional haircut in three months.
The Bridgeport native said she’d barely slept the night before in excitement of the long overdue ‘do.
“I put a bra and makeup on for the first time in months. I’ve had my hair clipped up like Pebbles [from ‘The Flintstones’] this whole time,” said the woman, who preferred not to give her name.
She was only able to score a coveted appointment because her friend works there, she said. And it turns out hair appointments in the age of COVID-19 come with their own inconveniences, as face coverings are required for both stylist and customer.
“It’s a pain in the ass,” she said, showing a ring of dye left behind her ear from the strap of a face mask. “But I’m thrilled. It feels great.”
— Mitchell Armentrout
2:15 p.m. US job losses in May could raise 3-month total to 30 million
WASHINGTON — The epic damage to America’s job market from the viral outbreak will come into sharper focus Friday when the government releases the May employment report: Eight million more jobs are estimated to have been lost. Unemployment could near 20%. And potentially fewer than half of all adults may be working.
Beneath the dismal figures will be signs that job cuts, severe as they are, are slowing as more businesses gradually or partially reopen. Still, the economy is mired in a recession, and any rebound in hiring will likely be painfully slow. Economists foresee unemployment remaining in double-digits through the November elections and into 2021.
If their forecast of 8 million jobs lost in May proves correct, it would come on top of April’s loss of 20.5 million jobs — the worst monthly loss on record — and bring total job cuts in the three months since the viral outbreak intensified to nearly 30 million. That’s more than three times the jobs lost in the 2008-2009 Great Recession. And if the jobless rate does reach 20% for May, it would be double the worst level during that previous recession.
Read the full story here.
1:50 p.m. First diners return to Edgewater restaurant as city enters Phase 3 of reopening
Caryn Garaygay and Pacita Castillo-Reiter enjoy breakfast at Kanela Breakfast Club in Edgewater on the first day of reopening. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Caryn Garaygay sipped from her latte, and then her mimosa, at Kanela Breakfast Club in Edgewater.
“I’m going all out today, liquor and caffeine,” she said with a laugh.
“We’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time,” she said. A goat cheese omelet with spinach sat on her plate.
“I cook, too, and I got tired of my cooking. It’s the novelty of going out and eating with friends after being cooped up for so long, that’s what this is about, being social again.”
Pacita Castillo-Reiter, sat across from Garaygay, nibbling pancakes. The two are walking partners but their morning strolls, for the foreseeable future, at least, will focus on acquiring calories rather then burning them.
“We are the brave ones,” Castillo-Reiter said of being the first, and only, customers at Kanela Wednesday morning.
The pair sat inside the restaurant’s open front window.
Trevor DeChant, the manager, was overjoyed to have them. Filling orders for carry out and delivery is just not the same.
“You can’t see people enjoying food,” he said. “I know our food is good and it’s comforting to see people share that sentiment.”
— Mitch Dudek
12:41 p.m. Sister of woman who died from coronavirus sues Westchester nursing home
The sister of a woman who died from complications related to the coronavirus is suing the west suburban long-term care facility where she lived.
Rita Saunders, 64, died on March 31 from acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court.
Saunders’ sister, Eileen Walsh, accuses Westchester Health and Rehabilitation Center of “years, if not decades,” of mismanagement that contributed to a delayed response to prevent the spread of the virus.
State public health recordsshow 12 COVID-19-related deaths at Westchester Health and 43 reported cases.
Read the full story here.
11:10 a.m. Restaurants, barber shops reopen across Chicago as city enters Phase 3 Wednesday
Shaggy-headed men formed a line outside Father and Son Barber Shop in Edgewater well before it opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Perched on a lawn chair, Andrew Carpenter, 36, worked remotely on his phone as he waited his turn.
It was safety, not vanity, that motivated him to show up early on the first day of Phase 3 of Chicago’s reopening.
“I was hoping to be one of the first, before the barbers have contact with a lot of customers,” he said, suspecting odds would be lower any barbers would have COVID-19 at the onset of reopening their business. “Then I’m going to wait a couple months before I get another cut.”
“I’m also here because it’s getting hot, and my wife really doesn’t like it this big and shaggy. But it’s always good to have a professional appearance as well,” said Carpenter, a real estate agent.
9:53 a.m. Many restaurants excited for ‘new beginning’ — even if open-air only: Customers ‘hungry to get out’
After more than two hellish months of closed doors capped by days of widespread looting, many restaurant owners are looking forward to serving dine-in customers again Wednesday — even if it’s just open-air seating.
“I’m thrilled we can reopen,” said Doug Dunlay, who owns Crosby’s Kitchen, 3455 N. Southport, along with four other North Side eateries that will begin seating diners.
“Every seat is extremely valuable,” said Dunlay, who expects to do about 12% to 25% of normal business with open-air seating in place.
“I think people are dying to feel normal again ... anniversaries, dates, family time,” he said.
“And we need this to help jump start restaurants. And we need the governor and the mayor to see we’re responsible and move us to Phase Four as quickly as possible, so we can have people sitting inside,” he said.
“Then again, what if it rains ... then our business is back to zero.”
Read the full story here.
8:40 a.m. Judge bars Cicero officials from unannounced visits to nursing home after COVID-19 ‘raid’
Cicero officials cannot conduct additional “surprise visits” at a nursing home where 13 died from complications related to the coronavirus after the facility accused the town of launching “a raid” on its premises last week.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Alison Conlon issued the order Tuesday in response to an emergency motion filed by City View MultiCare Center claiming Cicero health officials violated the rights of its residents by barging into their rooms without knocking and recording them in various states of undress.
Conlon said Cicero officials violated the “letter and spirit” of an order she gave last month, allowing them to make two unannounced visits to the facility after the town claimed staff and residents weren’t following proper guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The judge said during a visit last week, Cicero police officers were “standing guard” outside the facility, officials did not provide identification and recorded video at the facility — an action City View say violates federal and state privacy laws.
Read the full story here.
7:28 a.m. 9 states, DC vote amid coronavirus pandemic, social unrest
Voters across America navigated curfews and health concerns Tuesday in a slate of primary elections amid dueling national crises as Joe Biden looked to move closer to formally clinching the Democratic presidential nomination.
In all, nine states and the District of Columbia were hosting elections, including four that delayed their April contests because of the coronavirus outbreak. While voters cast ballots from Maryland to Montana, Pennsylvania offered the day’s biggest trove of delegates. The state also represented a significant test case for Republicans and Democrats working to strengthen their operations in a premier general election battleground.
The dynamic was especially intense in Washington, D.C., where Mayor Muriel Bowser imposed a 7 p.m. curfew as law enforcement agencies and National Guard troops prepared for a fifth night of protests near the White House following the police killing of George Floyd. A large fence was erected in front of the White House and military vehicles blocked some streets in downtown.
In-person voting numbers were down in every state as many voters were encouraged to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. Yet there were reports of long lines, particularly in minority communities in the Philadelphia area, where election officials consolidated the vast majority of polling places to minimize health risks, according to Erin Kramer, executive director of One Pennsylvania.
Read the full story here
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
7:04 a.m. A smarter way to trace the spread of COVID-19 without violating your privacy rights
Decision-makers across the country are exploring tools they can use in the battle against COVID-19. The latest device to be considered? The smartphone in your hand.
Many believe that the same phone you use to stay connected with your loved ones, get breaking news and play games might slow down the spread of COVID-19. But using our phones for this purpose is not a quick fix, and it runs the risk of tapping into private data stored on them.
Just think about all the ways you use your phones. All the places it goes with you. All the information you share with it. Now imagine giving the government or another third party access to all that information.
Read the full guest commentary by Sapna Khatri here.