chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--‘Superintelligence’: Melissa McCarthy comedy asks very little of the brain

Early on in the techno-comedy “ Superintelligence , ” Melissa McCarthy ’ s Carol Peters shows up for a job interview with a dating website and is invited to sit in an enormous , teal-colored beanbag chair .
Cue the shtick-heavy sequence of Carol flinging herself onto the chair and falling off repeatedly , being humiliated by the terrible people interviewing her and then struggling to escape from the beanbag chair and regain her feet .
It ’ s a mildly funny scene in a sitcom sort of way — and it sets the tone for the movie as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filmmakers telling us this is going to be lighthearted , unambitious and intermittently amusing romp that plays to McCarthy ’ s considerable comedic skills but is not going to present much of anything new for her or for the viewer .
And indeed , “ Superintelligence ” glides along on its merry path , putting a comedic spin on the overly familiar plot device of a rogue Artificial Intelligence entity that has become so smart it wants to rule the world .
( For a much more serious take on the subject , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neXt ” on fox.com and Hulu ) McCarthy ’ s Carol is a kindhearted soul who quit her job eight years ago with the goal of contributing to the greater good , which she does by volunteering for a wide variety of worthy causes while her career is on hold .
When one of the aforementioned execs at the dating site tells Carol she ’ s literally the most average person in the world , she appears on the radar of an artificial intelligence program that initially sounds like HAL from “ 2001 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes on the voice of James Corden ( voiced by James Corden ) who says , “ I ’ m not James Corden , Carol , but my analysis shows that hearing James Corden ’ s voice would calm you.
” As the James Corden-sounding algorithm explains , “ Yesterday , I acquired what you would consider ‘ awareness.
’ I inhabit every electronic , digital and computation in existence .
I can see everything and calculate every outcome to every situation.
” From that moment forward , the superintelligence — let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — is with Carol every waking and probably sleeping moment , observing her behavior so it can learn more about human beings .
The S.I .
tells Carol there are three options : • It will save mankind ; end war , poverty and disease ; fix global warming , and establish world peace .
• It will shut down the whole thing , destroy humanity and start all over again with a single amoeba .
It ’ s basically up to Carol to demonstrate to S.I .
that humans are worth saving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s become your “ average baseline guinea pig.
” Carol enlists the help of her techie best friend Dennis ( Brian Tyree Hill ) , who in turn begins to work with the POTUS ( Jean Smart ) and top military brass in an attempt to pull off some sort of “ War Games ” plan to trap and “ kill ” the S.I .
Carol has also attracted the attention of a couple of amiable if not particularly sharp NSA agents played by Ben Falcone ( McCarthy ’ s husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richardson , who seemed to have wandered in from another movie , and she tries to reconnect with her ex-boyfriend George ( Bobby Canavale ) , whom she dumped for no good reason two years ago .
( Regrets , she has a few . )
All of this will tie together , sort of , as Carol races against the clock to prove to the S.I .
people are worth saving It ’ s virtually impossible for Melissa McCarthy to star in a comedy and not garner some laughs , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two here and there .
But this is the kind of movie in which a character is surprised by someone and exclaims , “ Hope Floats !
” just because it sounds kinda funny , even though nobody would ever say “ Hope Floats !
” in that situation .
“ Superintelligence ” goes heavy on the pop culture references , with Octavia Spencer , “ Law & Order ” and Jerry Orbach , Captain Kirk , Adam Levine and “ Hoosiers ” getting name-checked , not to mention Carol singing “ One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once , but twice , which is at least one time too many .
Like Carol herself , this movie is the very definition of something average .

Early on in the techno-comedy “Superintelligence,” Melissa McCarthy’s Carol Peters shows up for a job interview with a dating website and is invited to sit in an enormous, teal-colored beanbag chair. Cue the shtick-heavy sequence of Carol flinging herself onto the chair and falling off repeatedly, being humiliated by the terrible people interviewing her and then struggling to escape from the beanbag chair and regain her feet.
‘Superintelligence’
Untitled HBO Max and New Line Cinema present a film directed by Ben Falcone and written by Steve Mallory. Rated PG (for some suggestive material, language and thematic elements). Running time: 105 minutes. Available now on HBO Max.
It’s a mildly funny scene in a sitcom sort of way — and it sets the tone for the movie as a whole. We can almost hear the filmmakers telling us this is going to be lighthearted, unambitious and intermittently amusing romp that plays to McCarthy’s considerable comedic skills but is not going to present much of anything new for her or for the viewer. And indeed, “Superintelligence” glides along on its merry path, putting a comedic spin on the overly familiar plot device of a rogue Artificial Intelligence entity that has become so smart it wants to rule the world. (For a much more serious take on the subject, check out the sci-fi crime procedural “neXt” on fox.com and Hulu)
McCarthy’s Carol is a kindhearted soul who quit her job eight years ago with the goal of contributing to the greater good, which she does by volunteering for a wide variety of worthy causes while her career is on hold. When one of the aforementioned execs at the dating site tells Carol she’s literally the most average person in the world, she appears on the radar of an artificial intelligence program that initially sounds like HAL from “2001: A Space Odyssey” but then takes on the voice of James Corden (voiced by James Corden) who says, “I’m not James Corden, Carol, but my analysis shows that hearing James Corden’s voice would calm you.” As the James Corden-sounding algorithm explains, “Yesterday, I acquired what you would consider ‘awareness.’ I inhabit every electronic, digital and computation in existence. I can see everything and calculate every outcome to every situation.”
From that moment forward, the superintelligence — let’s just call it the S.I. — is with Carol every waking and probably sleeping moment, observing her behavior so it can learn more about human beings. The S.I. tells Carol there are three options:
It will save mankind; end war, poverty and disease; fix global warming, and establish world peace.
It will enslave humanity.
It will shut down the whole thing, destroy humanity and start all over again with a single amoeba.
It’s basically up to Carol to demonstrate to S.I. that humans are worth saving. As a friend tells her, she’s become your “average baseline guinea pig.” Carol enlists the help of her techie best friend Dennis (Brian Tyree Henry), who in turn begins to work with the POTUS (Jean Smart) and top military brass in an attempt to pull off some sort of “War Games” plan to trap and “kill” the S.I. Carol has also attracted the attention of a couple of amiable if not particularly sharp NSA agents played by Ben Falcone (McCarthy’s husband, who also directs) and Sam Richardson, who seemed to have wandered in from another movie, and she tries to reconnect with her ex-boyfriend George (Bobby Cannavale), whom she dumped for no good reason two years ago. (Regrets, she has a few.) All of this will tie together, sort of, as Carol races against the clock to prove to the S.I. people are worth saving.
It’s virtually impossible for Melissa McCarthy to star in a comedy and not garner some laughs, and the capable supporting cast provides a chuckle or two here and there. But this is the kind of movie in which a character is surprised by someone and exclaims, “Hope Floats!” just because it sounds kinda funny, even though nobody would ever say “Hope Floats!” in that situation. “Superintelligence” goes heavy on the pop culture references, with Octavia Spencer, “Law & Order” and Jerry Orbach, Captain Kirk, Adam Levine and “Hoosiers” getting name-checked, not to mention Carol singing “One Week” by the Barenaked Ladies not once, but twice, which is at least one time too many. Like Carol herself, this movie is the very definition of something average.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--Man stabbed on CTA train platform in the Loop; person in custody

A man was stabbed on a CTA train platform Thursday in the Loop .
About 2:45 a.m. , he was @ @ @ @ @ on a train platform in the 100 block of North State Street , when he @ @ @ @ @ male from the group , Chicago police said .
The male pulled out a knife @ @ @ @ @ chest , police said .
The person stabbed was taken to Northwestern Medical Center in @ @ @ @ @ .
The male who allegedly stabbed him was taken into custody .
Police believe the @ @ @ @ @ more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A man was stabbed on a CTA train platform early Thursday in the Loop.
About 2:45 a.m., he was with a group of people on a train platform in the 100 block of North State Street, when he began to argue with a male from the group, Chicago police said.
The male pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest, police said.
The person stabbed was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition, police said.
The male who allegedly stabbed him was taken into custody but later released without charges, police said.
Investigators determined the man who was stabbed was the aggressor in the incident, and the male stabbed him in self defense, according to a police source.
Police believe the incident was drug-related.
Area Three detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--3 shot Wednesday in Chicago

3 shot Wednesday in Chicago

Three people were shot Wednesday in Chicago .
A 28-year-old man was seriously injured in a shooting on the Near West Side .
He was inside a vehicle about 7:50 p.m. in the 2300 block of West Madison Street when two people exited another vehicle and fired shots , Chicago police said .
He was struck in the arm and head and transported to Stroger Hospital in serious condition , police said .
A woman is in critical condition after being shot in Brainerd on the South Side .
The woman , 24 , was standing outside about 10:10 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street when a male fired shots , striking her twice in the abdomen , Chicago police said .
The woman was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , where she was listed in critical condition , police said .
Police described the suspect as a man between 18 and 20 years old , dressed in all black .
He is not in custody , police said .
The day ’ s first reported shooting wounded a 43-year-old man in Albany Park on the Northwest Side .
He was walking about 3:35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hamlin Avenue , when a person got out of a car and fired shots at him , Chicago police said .
The man was struck in the chest and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition , police said .
Nine people were shot , two fatally , Tuesday in Chicago .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Three people were shot Wednesday in Chicago.
A 28-year-old man was seriously injured in a shooting on the Near West Side.
He was inside a vehicle about 7:50 p.m. in the 2300 block of West Madison Street when two people exited another vehicle and fired shots, Chicago police said.
He was struck in the arm and head and transported to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, police said.
A woman is in critical condition after being shot in Brainerd on the South Side.
The woman, 24, was standing outside about 10:10 a.m. in the 9300 block of South Wallace Street when a male fired shots, striking her twice in the abdomen, Chicago police said.
The woman was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was listed in critical condition, police said.
Police described the suspect as a man between 18 and 20 years old, dressed in all black. He is not in custody, police said.
The day’s first reported shooting wounded a 43-year-old man in Albany Park on the Northwest Side.
He was walking about 3:35 a.m. in the 4400 block of North Hamlin Avenue, when a person got out of a car and fired shots at him, Chicago police said.
The man was struck in the chest and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, police said.
Nine people were shot, two fatally, Tuesday in Chicago.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-25--Horoscope for Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Horoscope for Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Avoid shopping or important decisions from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Chicago time .
After that , the moon moves from Aries into Taurus .
Possibly there are touchy feelings left over from yesterday , which might account for difficulties dealing with parents , bosses , teachers and the police .
These relations could be strained and repressive .
Try to give the head honcho a wide berth .
Don ’ t even go there when it comes to getting involved with arguments about politics , religion and racial issues because you will be squashed .
These discussions will be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
Instead , focus on close friends and partners .
They ’ re happy to see you !
Relations with friends and members of groups are still delicate , which is why you might feel discouraged in discussions about how to share or divide something .
People in power are not interested in helping .
“ Elvis has left the building.
” This is a poor day to challenge bosses , parents and the police about anything .
Be smart and don ’ t do this .
If you do , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put down in some way .
Instead focus on social outings , sports and fun activities with kids .
( “ Who wants an ice-cream cone ?
” ) Discussions about politics , religion and racial issues will be a bummer .
Don ’ t even go there .
Instead , focus on family matters , especially to do with home repairs or redecorating projects .
This is something that will interest you .
It always does .
Discussions about the cost of a social event or the cost or support of kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not go well today .
You will feel overwhelmed by obstacles and people who don ’ t agree with you , especially authority figures .
( Time to send out for dark chocolate . )
This is a poor day for an important discussion with an older family member or an authority figure about family situations .
Whatever happens , you will feel blocked or dismissed or squelched .
You might want to explore money-making ideas or shopping therapy ?
If so , check moon alert .
Discussions related to your health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , might discourage you today .
Rules and regulations will block your efforts .
[ “ Must be legal drinking age .
Please drink responsibly.
” ] Fortunately , with Mercury and Venus in your sign , you will be friendly and helpful .
Tension related to social outings , planning vacations or something to do with sports or kids might discourage you today .
Or perhaps an authority figure will try to restrict your actions or make you feel diminished .
No fun !
Be accommodating with family members today to avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Criticisms , restrictions , obstacles and reasons you can not do something will be par for the course .
Instead , focus on involvement with a friend or a group because this will please you !
Your day-to-day interactions with others might discourage you today .
Someone might put you down or be critical .
Don ’ t take this personally .
Instead , make an appeal to a boss , parent or someone in authority because they are on your side .
That ’ s what you want — someone on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we all want . )
Squabbles about money and possessions might occur .
Or something else might make you feel broke .
Instead , talk to people from other cultures or focus on learning something new or traveling somewhere because if you can expand your horizons , you ’ ll be happier !
“ I need to get outta Dodge !
” If Your Birthday Is Today Singer , performer Tina Turner ( 1939 ) shares your birthday .
You are brave and persevering .
You are a seeker , especially a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down-to-earth .
Exciting changes and opportunities await you this year .
Count on new adventures !
If you can , explore opportunities to travel .
Do whatever you can to expand your world through learning .
Welcome change !
Your personal freedom is your goal this year .

Moon Alert
Avoid shopping or important decisions from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Aries into Taurus.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Possibly there are touchy feelings left over from yesterday, which might account for difficulties dealing with parents, bosses, teachers and the police. These relations could be strained and repressive. Try to give the head honcho a wide berth.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Don’t even go there when it comes to getting involved with arguments about politics, religion and racial issues because you will be squashed. These discussions will be a real downer and a squeeze play for you. Instead, focus on close friends and partners. They’re happy to see you!
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Relations with friends and members of groups are still delicate, which is why you might feel discouraged in discussions about how to share or divide something. People in power are not interested in helping. “Elvis has left the building.”
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
This is a poor day to challenge bosses, parents and the police about anything. Be smart and don’t do this. If you do, you will feel diminished by the experience or put down in some way. Instead focus on social outings, sports and fun activities with kids. (“Who wants an ice-cream cone?”)
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Discussions about politics, religion and racial issues will be a bummer. Don’t even go there. Instead, focus on family matters, especially to do with home repairs or redecorating projects. This is something that will interest you. It always does.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Discussions about the cost of a social event or the cost or support of kids and their education and their activities will not go well today. You will feel overwhelmed by obstacles and people who don’t agree with you, especially authority figures. (Time to send out for dark chocolate.)
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
This is a poor day for an important discussion with an older family member or an authority figure about family situations. Whatever happens, you will feel blocked or dismissed or squelched. You might want to explore money-making ideas or shopping therapy? If so, check moon alert.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Discussions related to your health, or a pet, or your job, might discourage you today. Rules and regulations will block your efforts. [“Must be legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.”] Fortunately, with Mercury and Venus in your sign, you will be friendly and helpful.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Tension related to social outings, planning vacations or something to do with sports or kids might discourage you today. Or perhaps an authority figure will try to restrict your actions or make you feel diminished. No fun!
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Be accommodating with family members today to avoid a squeeze play, which is likely. Criticisms, restrictions, obstacles and reasons you cannot do something will be par for the course. Instead, focus on involvement with a friend or a group because this will please you!
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Your day-to-day interactions with others might discourage you today. Someone might put you down or be critical. Don’t take this personally. Instead, make an appeal to a boss, parent or someone in authority because they are on your side. That’s what you want — someone on your side. (It’s what we all want.)
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Squabbles about money and possessions might occur. Or something else might make you feel broke. Instead, talk to people from other cultures or focus on learning something new or traveling somewhere because if you can expand your horizons, you’ll be happier! “I need to get outta Dodge!”
If Your Birthday Is Today
Singer, performer Tina Turner (1939) shares your birthday. You are brave and persevering. You are a seeker, especially a spiritual seeker who is also practical and down-to-earth. Exciting changes and opportunities await you this year. Count on new adventures! If you can, explore opportunities to travel. Do whatever you can to expand your world through learning. Welcome change! Your personal freedom is your goal this year.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-25--Coronavirus live blog, Nov. 25, 2020: Vaccine timeline remains fluid, Lightfoot expects ‘all adults

Coronavirus live blog, Nov. 25, 2020: Vaccine timeline remains fluid, Lightfoot expects ‘all adults to be able to get vaccinated sometime in 2021’

Illinois ’ coronavirus numbers took a slight step upward Wednesday as public health officials announced COVID-19 has killed another 155 residents and spread to 11,378 more .
Here ’ s what you need to know in coronavirus-related news .
8:55 p.m. Highest-risk Chicagoans could begin receiving coronavirus vaccine as early as mid-December : Lightfoot Chicago health care workers could begin getting vaccinated against the coronavirus as early as mid-December , city officials said Wednesday .
And while the timelines remains fluid , Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she expects “ all adults to be able to get vaccinated sometime in 2021.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more widely distributed , it is likely to be available at “ large , centralized sites , ” including city colleges and “ mobile sites deployed at trusted community settings.
” Chicago ’ s top public health official , Dr. Allison Arwady , said the city has “ very specific ” plans for storage and distribution of a vaccine should the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approve one .
The Chicago Department of Public Health has already built up its “ ultra-cold ” storage in preparation for the arrival of a vaccine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that also have built up some of that ultra-cold storage capacity , ” Arwady said .
“ Highest-risk ” health care workers are expected to receive the vaccine , followed by distribution to nursing home and long-term care facilities , and then health care workers who see coronavirus patients outside of hospitals , Arwady said .
Rain fell on Maria Cwiklik as she waited outside her Austin apartment Wednesday afternoon for two women to bring her something her family was in need of — a warm meal .
“ Everybody is struggling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me , ” Cwiklik said .
“ I can ’ t buy any food right now so this is a lot of help , you know ; this is what hardship looks like.
” Cwiklik was waiting for her old friends Candace Musick and Michelle Thomas , who were delivering to her six Thanksgiving meals just before the holiday — already cooked and individually packaged .
Both Musick and Thomas work with The Night Ministry , an organization that provides housing for young people .
Wednesday , they were delivering almost 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who used to be residents in their shelter , which is how Cwiklik knows the two .
Making sure people have a warm meal in the days leading up to Thanksgiving has always been a tough task , but a lingering pandemic that has triggered economic hardships has made that work even more difficult .
McHenry County ’ s top prosecutor says he won ’ t enforce Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s indoor dining ban amid the state ’ s recent efforts to rein in rising coronavirus infections and deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ D. Kenneally on Wednesday said he would enforce capacity limits and laws requiring patrons and employees to wear masks and social distance .
Indoor dining was banned statewide after Tier 3 mitigations took effect last Friday .
Since then , the McHenry County Public Health Department referred 11 complaints to the state ’ s attorney ’ s office about restaurants violating indoor dining restrictions , the Northwest Herald reported .
But Kenneally explained in a statement that the mitigations rested on an executive order that he believes his office isn ’ t authorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritzker ’ s emergency powers were constitutional under state law .
2:03 p.m. 155 more Illinois coronavirus deaths , second-worst day of this wave Illinois ’ coronavirus numbers took a slight step upward Wednesday as public health officials announced COVID-19 has killed another 155 residents and spread to 11,378 more .
That ’ s the second-highest daily death count the state has suffered during the second wave of the pandemic , and the fifth-worst day for coronavirus fatalities overall .
Sixty-four of the latest victims came from the Chicago area .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an all-time worst 191 deaths May 13 .
COVID-19 has claimed 2,084 lives in Illinois so far this month , or 336 more than during the previous two months combined .
The new cases were detected among 114,233 tests , raising the state ’ s average positivity rate over the last week to 10.6 % .
The caseload also ended a two-day stretch in which the state reported fewer than 10,000 cases .
Nearly 268,000 new cases have been logged this month , compared to about 175,000 in all of September and October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Airing out the mail ?
Experts say it can be overkill NEW YORK — Cleaning wipes are harder to find on store shelves , and businesses are reassuring customers with stepped up sanitation measures .
In New York , the subway system is shut down nightly for disinfecting .
To avoid any traces of the coronavirus that might be lurking on surfaces , Americans have been wiping down groceries , wearing surgical gloves when they go out and leaving mail packages out for an extra day or two .
But experts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic can sometimes be overkill .
“ It ’ s important to clean surfaces , but not to obsess about it too much in a way that can be unhealthy , ” said Dr. John Brooks , chief medical officer for the COVID-19 response at the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control .
Health officials knew less about the virus in the early days of the pandemic , but say it ’ s become clearer the main way it spreads is between people — through the respiratory droplets they spray when talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s why officials emphasize the importance of wearing masks and social distancing .
That doesn ’ t mean surfaces don ’ t pose any risk — cleaning is still recommended — especially frequently touched spots like door knobs or elevator buttons that infected people might have recently touched .
Other germs that sicken people , like gastrointestinal bugs , haven ’ t gone away either .
But with COVID-19 , experts say to keep the risk in perspective : The virus is fragile and doesn ’ t survive easily outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could linger on surfaces for days used large viral loads and were in laboratory conditions , not the real world .
Other tests might just detect remnants of the virus , rather than live virus capable of infecting people .
11:39 a.m. As state logs 125 more coronavirus deaths , Pritzker offers Thanksgiving warning : ‘ Skip the big group dinner this year ’ As Illinois reported 9,469 more coronavirus cases and 125 deaths Tuesday , officials said they ’ re “ cautiously optimistic ” the state ’ s massive viral resurgence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned that any progress will be wiped out if families don ’ t cancel plans for holiday gatherings this week .
“ Thanksgiving this year needs to be different , ” Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said .
“ To those who haven ’ t yet changed your plans , the doctors are asking all of us to skip the big group dinner this year .
The vaccines that seem to be on the horizon can ’ t help you if you get sick now.
” Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike cautioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you could be putting your friends and family , or yourself in grave danger.
” “ We have to accept what we ’ re dealing with : a global pandemic , the likes of which no one has seen before .
That does deserve a change from the norm , ” Ezike said .
Alabama coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before the Iron Bowl .
Team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson and head trainer Jeff Allen said in a joint statement that the positive test came Wednesday morning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive , ” the statement said .
“ He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home.
” The 69-year-old Saban previously received a false positive ahead of the game with Georgia , but didn ’ t have any symptoms .
He was cleared to coach in the game after subsequent tests leading up to the game came out negative .
10:10 a.m. Keep the mask : A COVID-19 vaccine won ’ t end the pandemic crisis right away NEW YORK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting the mask away anytime soon .
Despite the expected arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in just a few weeks , it could take several months — probably well into 2021 — before things get back to something close to normal in the U.S. and Americans can once again go to the movies , cheer at an NBA game or give Grandma a hug .
The first , limited shipments of the vaccine would mark just the beginning of what could be a long and messy road toward the end of the pandemic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quarter-million people in the U.S .
In the meantime , Americans are being warned not to let their guard down .
“ If you ’ re fighting a battle and the cavalry is on the way , you don ’ t stop shooting ; you keep going until the cavalry gets here , and then you might even want to continue fighting , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious-disease expert , said last week .
This week , AstraZeneca became the third vaccine maker to say early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pfizer last week asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization to begin distributing its vaccine , and Moderna is expected to do the same any day .
Federal officials say the first doses will ship within a day of authorization .
But most people will probably have to wait months for shots to become widely available .
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines also each require two doses , meaning people will have to go back for a second shot after three and four weeks , respectively , to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new talks planned as Infinity nursing home strike continues for a 2nd day , union says Union officials representing nearly 700 nursing home workers who hit the picket lines this week said the owner of the 11 facilities has left town and they aren ’ t sure when negotiations for a new contract will resume .
“ The employer has refused to make a move , ” said Shaba Andrich , vice president for nursing homes at SEIU Healthcare Illinois .
Infinity Healthcare Management Owner Moishe Gubin “ had indicated to some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last Sunday , but then left the state and has not been able to negotiate.
” Nursing home workers at Infinity locations in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs entered their second day on strike as negotiations for a new contract remain nonexistent .
Members have been fighting for improved working conditions , base salaries for between $ 15 and $ 15.50 an hour ( up from $ 11.50 to $ 13.50 , depending on location ) and hazard pay for the duration of the pandemic .
But union members claim their employer has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiating sessions haven ’ t been scheduled for the near future .
“ We want to get back to negotiations , we want him to come back with different solutions and different ideas about how we get a contract done , ” Andrich said during a Zoom call Tuesday afternoon .
“ There is none [ no meetings ] happening now , there is none on the calendar.
” 9:27 a.m. State launches investigation into coronavirus outbreak at LaSalle Veterans ’ Home , where 27 died of COVID-19 Ineffective hand sanitizer , employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coronavirus and inadequate “ hand hygiene ” are all under scrutiny as possible sources of a COVID-19 outbreak that has left 27 residents of an Illinois veterans ’ home dead .
Those findings from a pair of reports prompted Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and state veterans officials to launch an investigation into the circumstances around the spread of the deadly virus at the LaSalle Veterans ’ Home .
The reports released by the Illinois Department of Veterans ’ Affairs found employees of the home attended the same Halloween gathering and later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veterans ’ home in LaSalle was also stocked earlier this month with hand sanitizer found not to be effective against COVID-19 , and some staff were observed touching patients and surfaces without changing their gloves or performing “ hand hygiene , ” according to one report released Tuesday .
Those were just some of the findings from one site visit on Nov. 12 — a second visit five days later found many of the initial recommendations were followed , a second report found .
But cases at the home some 95 miles southwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the month , and 27 residents have died , a spokeswoman for the veterans ’ affairs department said .
• Two more employees at the Cook County chief judge ’ s office have tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the total number of employees infected to 173 since the start of the pandemic , with 73 of those employees working at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center .
• Chicago R & B artist Jeremih was reportedly transferred to a regular hospital room Saturday after spending at least a week in intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization has recorded 65 cases of the coronavirus among staff based at its headquarters , including five people who worked on the premises and were in contact with one another .
3:14 p.m. COVID-19 forces the question : How can we keep from warehousing the elderly ?
Every once in a while , the governor of New York , Andrew Cuomo , says something I absolutely agree with .
At the beginning of the pandemic , he went on and on about how every human life matters .
I prayed : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can see that reflected in our politics .
As it happens , with all the death this year , my friends in the religious order Sisters of Life tell me that some pregnant women are rejecting abortion because the last thing we need is more death .
Wouldn ’ t a newfound commitment to protecting human life be something healthy to come from the COVID-19 ordeal ?
But we seem to be heading in the wrong direction .
The Associated Press recently reported on the staggering number of Americans dying in nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , but from neglect .
“ As more than 90,000 of the nation ’ s long-term care residents have died in a pandemic that has pushed staffs to the limit , ” the AP reports , “ advocates for the elderly say a tandem wave of death separate from the virus has quietly claimed tens of thousands more , often because overburdened workers haven ’ t been able to give them the care they need.
” 9:33 a.m. Why I am asking you to support one of the most painful budgets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak directly to Chicagoans about our city ’ s budget , which will come up for a vote before the full City Council today .
Long before I formally introduced this budget in October , it became clear that our economic path out of the COVID-19 pandemic would require us to make some extraordinarily difficult decisions .
It was a matter of when , not if , these decisions would be made , and how we would make them — all while holding firm to our core values of equity , inclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upended all our lives from a health perspective , it also has devastated significant parts of our economy .
This has resulted in an $ 800 million loss of revenues for the 2020 budget and a significant $ 1.2 billion deficit for next year , 65 % of which is directly tied to COVID-19 .
Dealing with a $ 1.2 billion gap means there were no easy decisions .
None .
And while the prospect of better times comes closer into view , particularly because of a new partner in the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide COVID-19 response plan rooted in science and data , we must face the reality in front of us right now .
To put it bluntly , this is likely the most painful budget we have ever faced as a city .
And it comes after the many difficult and painful choices we ’ ve already had to make over the last eight months .
So , if there were a responsible way to close our budget gap that didn ’ t involve raising taxes or requiring some level of furloughs for our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken it .
But among the many thing this pandemic has taken from us is our ability to make decisions without sacrificing something in return .
America got more good news about a COVID-19 vaccine last week , the second potential vaccine shown to be at least 90 % effective against the disease in early data from clinical trials .
If the Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization to one or both vaccines , doses could be distributed beginning in late Decembe , r and the country will have its most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But no vaccine , no matter how effective it is or how quickly it becomes available , will be a powerful tool against the pandemic if too few people — especially African Americans , who are among the most vulnerable to severe illness or death from COVID-19 — get the shot .
And as the Sun-Times ’ Brett Chase reported Sunday , distrust of a COVID-19 vaccine runs deep among Black Americans .
They ’ re less likely to volunteer for clinical trials to test vaccine safety and effectiveness .
Public opinion polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are less likely to say they would take a coronavirus vaccine .
The health care system has a lot of work to do to get past that lingering distrust .
As states and the federal government plan public education campaigns to urge people to take a vaccine , extra effort must be made to reach the African American community , get people vaccinated and save lives .

Illinois’ coronavirus numbers took a slight step upward Wednesday as public health officials announced COVID-19 has killed another 155 residents and spread to 11,378 more.
Here’s what you need to know in coronavirus-related news.
News
8:55 p.m. Highest-risk Chicagoans could begin receiving coronavirus vaccine as early as mid-December: Lightfoot
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Chicago health care workers could begin getting vaccinated against the coronavirus as early as mid-December, city officials said Wednesday.
And while the timelines remains fluid, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she expects “all adults to be able to get vaccinated sometime in 2021.”
Lightfoot said when the vaccine becomes more widely distributed, it is likely to be available at “large, centralized sites,” including city colleges and “mobile sites deployed at trusted community settings.”
Chicago’s top public health official, Dr. Allison Arwady, said the city has “very specific” plans for storage and distribution of a vaccine should the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approve one.
The Chicago Department of Public Health has already built up its “ultra-cold” storage in preparation for the arrival of a vaccine.
“We are working with multiple hospitals that also have built up some of that ultra-cold storage capacity,” Arwady said.
“Highest-risk” health care workers are expected to receive the vaccine, followed by distribution to nursing home and long-term care facilities, and then health care workers who see coronavirus patients outside of hospitals, Arwady said.
Read the full story here.
7:33 p.m. Delivering free Thanksgiving meals amid pandemic offers glimpse of ‘what hardship looks like’
Rain fell on Maria Cwiklik as she waited outside her Austin apartment Wednesday afternoon for two women to bring her something her family was in need of — a warm meal.
“Everybody is struggling, and this is a lot of help for me,” Cwiklik said. “I can’t buy any food right now so this is a lot of help, you know; this is what hardship looks like.”
Cwiklik was waiting for her old friends Candace Musick and Michelle Thomas, who were delivering to her six Thanksgiving meals just before the holiday — already cooked and individually packaged.
Both Musick and Thomas work with The Night Ministry, an organization that provides housing for young people. Wednesday, they were delivering almost 40 meals donated by Smoke Daddy Wrigleyville to those who used to be residents in their shelter, which is how Cwiklik knows the two.
Making sure people have a warm meal in the days leading up to Thanksgiving has always been a tough task, but a lingering pandemic that has triggered economic hardships has made that work even more difficult.
Reporter Manny Ramos has the full story.
4:11 p.m. McHenry County won’t prosecute violations of Gov. Pritzker’s indoor dining ban
McHenry County’s top prosecutor says he won’t enforce Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s indoor dining ban amid the state’s recent efforts to rein in rising coronavirus infections and deaths.
However, State’s Attorney Patrick D. Kenneally on Wednesday said he would enforce capacity limits and laws requiring patrons and employees to wear masks and social distance.
Indoor dining was banned statewide after Tier 3 mitigations took effect last Friday. Since then, the McHenry County Public Health Department referred 11 complaints to the state’s attorney’s office about restaurants violating indoor dining restrictions, the Northwest Herald reported.
But Kenneally explained in a statement that the mitigations rested on an executive order that he believes his office isn’t authorized to enforce. Kenneally also questioned if Pritzker’s emergency powers were constitutional under state law.
Reporter David Struett has the full story.
2:03 p.m. 155 more Illinois coronavirus deaths, second-worst day of this wave
Illinois’ coronavirus numbers took a slight step upward Wednesday as public health officials announced COVID-19 has killed another 155 residents and spread to 11,378 more.
That’s the second-highest daily death count the state has suffered during the second wave of the pandemic, and the fifth-worst day for coronavirus fatalities overall. Sixty-four of the latest victims came from the Chicago area.
The state reported 168 deaths Nov. 19, and an all-time worst 191 deaths May 13.
COVID-19 has claimed 2,084 lives in Illinois so far this month, or 336 more than during the previous two months combined.
The new cases were detected among 114,233 tests, raising the state’s average positivity rate over the last week to 10.6%.
The caseload also ended a two-day stretch in which the state reported fewer than 10,000 cases. Nearly 268,000 new cases have been logged this month, compared to about 175,000 in all of September and October.
12:47 p.m. Wiping down groceries? Airing out the mail? Experts say it can be overkill
NEW YORK — Cleaning wipes are harder to find on store shelves, and businesses are reassuring customers with stepped up sanitation measures. In New York, the subway system is shut down nightly for disinfecting.
To avoid any traces of the coronavirus that might be lurking on surfaces, Americans have been wiping down groceries, wearing surgical gloves when they go out and leaving mail packages out for an extra day or two. But experts say the national fixation on scrubbing sparked by the pandemic can sometimes be overkill.
“It’s important to clean surfaces, but not to obsess about it too much in a way that can be unhealthy,” said Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer for the COVID-19 response at the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control.
Health officials knew less about the virus in the early days of the pandemic, but say it’s become clearer the main way it spreads is between people — through the respiratory droplets they spray when talking, coughing, sneezing or singing. It’s why officials emphasize the importance of wearing masks and social distancing.
That doesn’t mean surfaces don’t pose any risk — cleaning is still recommended — especially frequently touched spots like door knobs or elevator buttons that infected people might have recently touched. Other germs that sicken people, like gastrointestinal bugs, haven’t gone away either.
But with COVID-19, experts say to keep the risk in perspective: The virus is fragile and doesn’t survive easily outside the body for long. Early studies finding it could linger on surfaces for days used large viral loads and were in laboratory conditions, not the real world. Other tests might just detect remnants of the virus, rather than live virus capable of infecting people.
Read the full story here.
11:39 a.m. As state logs 125 more coronavirus deaths, Pritzker offers Thanksgiving warning: ‘Skip the big group dinner this year’
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
As Illinois reported 9,469 more coronavirus cases and 125 deaths Tuesday, officials said they’re “cautiously optimistic” the state’s massive viral resurgence might finally be leveling off — but warned that any progress will be wiped out if families don’t cancel plans for holiday gatherings this week.
“Thanksgiving this year needs to be different,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. “To those who haven’t yet changed your plans, the doctors are asking all of us to skip the big group dinner this year. The vaccines that seem to be on the horizon can’t help you if you get sick now.”
Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike cautioned that “without even knowing it, you could be putting your friends and family, or yourself in grave danger.”
“We have to accept what we’re dealing with: a global pandemic, the likes of which no one has seen before. That does deserve a change from the norm,” Ezike said.
Read the full story here.
11:00 a.m. Alabama coach Nick Saban tests positive for coronavirus
Alabama coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before the Iron Bowl.
Team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson and head trainer Jeff Allen said in a joint statement that the positive test came Wednesday morning.
“He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive,” the statement said. “He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home.”
The 69-year-old Saban previously received a false positive ahead of the game with Georgia, but didn’t have any symptoms. He was cleared to coach in the game after subsequent tests leading up to the game came out negative.
Read the full story here.
10:10 a.m. Keep the mask: A COVID-19 vaccine won’t end the pandemic crisis right away
NEW YORK — Don’t even think of putting the mask away anytime soon.
Despite the expected arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in just a few weeks, it could take several months — probably well into 2021 — before things get back to something close to normal in the U.S. and Americans can once again go to the movies, cheer at an NBA game or give Grandma a hug.
The first, limited shipments of the vaccine would mark just the beginning of what could be a long and messy road toward the end of the pandemic that has upended life and killed more than a quarter-million people in the U.S. In the meantime, Americans are being warned not to let their guard down.
“If you’re fighting a battle and the cavalry is on the way, you don’t stop shooting; you keep going until the cavalry gets here, and then you might even want to continue fighting,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said last week.
This week, AstraZeneca became the third vaccine maker to say early data indicates its shots are highly effective. Pfizer last week asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization to begin distributing its vaccine, and Moderna is expected to do the same any day. Federal officials say the first doses will ship within a day of authorization.
But most people will probably have to wait months for shots to become widely available. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines also each require two doses, meaning people will have to go back for a second shot after three and four weeks, respectively, to get the full protection.
9:31 a.m. No new talks planned as Infinity nursing home strike continues for a 2nd day, union says
Union officials representing nearly 700 nursing home workers who hit the picket lines this week said the owner of the 11 facilities has left town and they aren’t sure when negotiations for a new contract will resume.
“The employer has refused to make a move,” said Shaba Andrich, vice president for nursing homes at SEIU Healthcare Illinois. Infinity Healthcare Management Owner Moishe Gubin “had indicated to some people that he would be available to negotiate last Sunday, but then left the state and has not been able to negotiate.”
Nursing home workers at Infinity locations in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs entered their second day on strike as negotiations for a new contract remain nonexistent. Members have been fighting for improved working conditions, base salaries for between $15 and $15.50 an hour (up from $11.50 to $13.50, depending on location) and hazard pay for the duration of the pandemic.
But union members claim their employer has completely walked away from the table and negotiating sessions haven’t been scheduled for the near future.
“We want to get back to negotiations, we want him to come back with different solutions and different ideas about how we get a contract done,” Andrich said during a Zoom call Tuesday afternoon. “There is none [no meetings] happening now, there is none on the calendar.”
Read the full story here.
9:27 a.m. State launches investigation into coronavirus outbreak at LaSalle Veterans’ Home, where 27 died of COVID-19
Ineffective hand sanitizer, employees showing up for work after testing positive for the coronavirus and inadequate “hand hygiene” are all under scrutiny as possible sources of a COVID-19 outbreak that has left 27 residents of an Illinois veterans’ home dead.
Those findings from a pair of reports prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state veterans officials to launch an investigation into the circumstances around the spread of the deadly virus at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
The reports released by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs found employees of the home attended the same Halloween gathering and later tested positive for the virus.
The veterans’ home in LaSalle was also stocked earlier this month with hand sanitizer found not to be effective against COVID-19, and some staff were observed touching patients and surfaces without changing their gloves or performing “hand hygiene,” according to one report released Tuesday.
Those were just some of the findings from one site visit on Nov. 12 — a second visit five days later found many of the initial recommendations were followed, a second report found.
But cases at the home some 95 miles southwest of Chicago have ballooned over the course of the month, and 27 residents have died, a spokeswoman for the veterans’ affairs department said.
Read the full story here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
3:14 p.m. COVID-19 forces the question: How can we keep from warehousing the elderly?
Every once in a while, the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, says something I absolutely agree with.
At the beginning of the pandemic, he went on and on about how every human life matters. I prayed: If he means this, maybe we can see that reflected in our politics. As it happens, with all the death this year, my friends in the religious order Sisters of Life tell me that some pregnant women are rejecting abortion because the last thing we need is more death.
Wouldn’t a newfound commitment to protecting human life be something healthy to come from the COVID-19 ordeal?
But we seem to be heading in the wrong direction.
The Associated Press recently reported on the staggering number of Americans dying in nursing homes during the pandemic, not just from the coronavirus, but from neglect.
“As more than 90,000 of the nation’s long-term care residents have died in a pandemic that has pushed staffs to the limit,” the AP reports, “advocates for the elderly say a tandem wave of death separate from the virus has quietly claimed tens of thousands more, often because overburdened workers haven’t been able to give them the care they need.”
Read the full column here.
9:33 a.m. Why I am asking you to support one of the most painful budgets in Chicago’s history
I want to speak directly to Chicagoans about our city’s budget, which will come up for a vote before the full City Council today.
Long before I formally introduced this budget in October, it became clear that our economic path out of the COVID-19 pandemic would require us to make some extraordinarily difficult decisions. It was a matter of when, not if, these decisions would be made, and how we would make them — all while holding firm to our core values of equity, inclusion and transparency.
COVID-19 has not only upended all our lives from a health perspective, it also has devastated significant parts of our economy. This has resulted in an $800 million loss of revenues for the 2020 budget and a significant $1.2 billion deficit for next year, 65% of which is directly tied to COVID-19.
Dealing with a $1.2 billion gap means there were no easy decisions. None. And while the prospect of better times comes closer into view, particularly because of a new partner in the White House, along with the prospect of a nationwide COVID-19 response plan rooted in science and data, we must face the reality in front of us right now.
To put it bluntly, this is likely the most painful budget we have ever faced as a city. And it comes after the many difficult and painful choices we’ve already had to make over the last eight months. So, if there were a responsible way to close our budget gap that didn’t involve raising taxes or requiring some level of furloughs for our City employees, we would have already taken it. But among the many thing this pandemic has taken from us is our ability to make decisions without sacrificing something in return.
Read Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s full column here.
9:17 a.m. Vaccine news highlights racial disparities in COVID-19 cases
America got more good news about a COVID-19 vaccine last week, the second potential vaccine shown to be at least 90% effective against the disease in early data from clinical trials.
If the Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization to one or both vaccines, doses could be distributed beginning in late Decembe,r and the country will have its most powerful tool yet against the pandemic.
But no vaccine, no matter how effective it is or how quickly it becomes available, will be a powerful tool against the pandemic if too few people — especially African Americans, who are among the most vulnerable to severe illness or death from COVID-19 — get the shot.
And as the Sun-Times’ Brett Chase reported Sunday, distrust of a COVID-19 vaccine runs deep among Black Americans. They’re less likely to volunteer for clinical trials to test vaccine safety and effectiveness. Public opinion polls, too, have consistently shown African Americans are less likely to say they would take a coronavirus vaccine.
The health care system has a lot of work to do to get past that lingering distrust. As states and the federal government plan public education campaigns to urge people to take a vaccine, extra effort must be made to reach the African American community, get people vaccinated and save lives.
Read the full editorial here.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-25--‘We lost our baby girl’: Singer Christina Perri says her ‘rainbow baby’ was ‘born silent’

Singer Christina Perri has suffered a pregnancy loss in her third trimester .
The ” Thousand Years ” singer , 34 , revealed on Instagram Tuesday her daughter with comedian husband Paul Costabile was “ born silent , ” days after the star was admitted to the hospital with pregnancy complications .
“ Last night we lost our baby girl , ” Perri wrote .
” She was born silent after fighting so hard to make it to our world .
She is at peace now and will live forever in our hearts.
” The couple shared a solemn photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny hand .
Their daughter was due in January .
In January , the singer said her family was “ shocked and completely heartbroken ” after she suffered a miscarriage at 11-weeks .
“ I am so sad but not ashamed , ” Perri wrote on Twitter at the time .
” I am ever reminded how amazing and powerful women are at making life and at healing .
To all the mothers who have been here and who will be here , I see you and I love you.
” She added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not discouraged .
When the time feels right we will try again , but today , we mourn our little life lost.
” In July , Perri announced that she was expecting a “ rainbow baby , ” a term for a baby born after a miscarriage or loss of an infant .
” Carmella is gon na be a big sister , ” she wrote in her pregnancy reveal on Instagram .
However , the “ Jar of Hearts ” singer faced more pregnancy complications .
On Nov. 11 , Perri was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ issues.
” “ Hey friends .
Well , nothing ever goes as we plan , ” Perri wrote on her Instagram Stories , according to a screenshot from People Magazine .
“ Baby is having an issue , so I ’ m gon na be here till it ’ s time for baby to come out .
Which might have to be very soon .
Which is very early.
” Perri updated her fans later in the day , tweeting , “ I ’ m able to go home and monitor baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging issues when they arrive but hopefully I can stay pregnant a bit longer.
” Earlier this month , Perri opened up about how her outlook on pregnancy changed following her miscarriage .
“ I truly am grateful to be pregnant and grateful to be a woman , ” she wrote on Instagram Nov. 9 .
“ I am so blown away by what our bodies can do .
I don ’ t know if I ’ ll ever be pregnant again , so this time I ’ m going to celebrate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my beautiful body.
” Perri adds to a growing list of stars , including Chrissy Teigen , Duchess Meghan , Hilaria Baldwin and Meghan McCain , that have shared their grief with the world to help change the stigma of secrecy and shame surrounding pregnancy loss and miscarriages .
According to Mayo Clinic , ” about 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage .

Singer Christina Perri has suffered a pregnancy loss in her third trimester.
The ”Thousand Years” singer, 34, revealed on Instagram Tuesday her daughter with comedian husband Paul Costabile was “born silent,” days after the star was admitted to the hospital with pregnancy complications.
“Last night we lost our baby girl,” Perri wrote. ”She was born silent after fighting so hard to make it to our world. She is at peace now and will live forever in our hearts.”
The couple shared a solemn photo of holding their baby girl’s tiny hand. Their daughter was due in January.
Perri and Costabile also share daughter Carmella, 2.
In January, the singer said her family was “shocked and completely heartbroken” after she suffered a miscarriage at 11-weeks.
“I am so sad but not ashamed,” Perri wrote on Twitter at the time. ”I am ever reminded how amazing and powerful women are at making life and at healing. To all the mothers who have been here and who will be here, I see you and I love you.”
She added: “I am so sad but not discouraged. When the time feels right we will try again, but today, we mourn our little life lost.”
In July, Perri announced that she was expecting a “rainbow baby,” a term for a baby born after a miscarriage or loss of an infant. ”Carmella is gonna be a big sister,” she wrote in her pregnancy reveal on Instagram.
However, the “Jar of Hearts” singer faced more pregnancy complications. On Nov. 11, Perri was hospitalized after her unborn child experienced some “issues.”
“Hey friends. Well, nothing ever goes as we plan,” Perri wrote on her Instagram Stories, according to a screenshot from People Magazine. “Baby is having an issue, so I’m gonna be here till it’s time for baby to come out. Which might have to be very soon. Which is very early.”
Perri updated her fans later in the day, tweeting, “I’m able to go home and monitor baby closely. Baby will still have some challenging issues when they arrive but hopefully I can stay pregnant a bit longer.”
Earlier this month, Perri opened up about how her outlook on pregnancy changed following her miscarriage.
“I truly am grateful to be pregnant and grateful to be a woman,” she wrote on Instagram Nov. 9. “I am so blown away by what our bodies can do. I don’t know if I’ll ever be pregnant again, so this time I’m going to celebrate and honor my pregnancy, my baby & my beautiful body.”
Perri adds to a growing list of stars, including Chrissy Teigen, Duchess Meghan, Hilaria Baldwin and Meghan McCain, that have shared their grief with the world to help change the stigma of secrecy and shame surrounding pregnancy loss and miscarriages.
According to Mayo Clinic, ”about 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Read more at usatoday.com


chicagosun-times--2020-11-25--Man fatally shot his girlfriend’s son following argument over loud music: prosecutors

A 38-year-old man is accused of killing his girlfriend ’ s son last month after the two got into an argument about the younger man playing loud music at their West Pullman home .
Steven Johnson allegedly felt disrespected on Oct. 15 when he shot 24-year-old Sherrod Taylor in the basement of the home they were sharing in the 11700 block of South Indiana Avenue , Cook County prosecutors said .
Johnson had asked his girlfriend to tell her son to turn his music down that evening , which Taylor initially did by turning the music off , prosecutors said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the music back on , leading to an argument between the two men , prosecutors said .
Saying he “ had something ” for Taylor , Johnson allegedly went to the kitchen and got a revolver .
The two tussled over the weapon on the basement stairs , allegedly leading Johnson to fire once , striking Taylor in the left shoulder , prosecutors said .
Johnson ran past the boy ’ s mother as he fled from the apartment after the shooting , saying he had “ F——— up , ” and later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boy had shot himself , prosecutors said .
Taylor was taken to Roseland Community Hospital , where he died , according to Chicago police .
An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson and he was taken into custody Tuesday .
“ There was obviously a struggle over the gun and we ’ re going to suggest there certainly is a basis for self defense here , ” Johnson ’ s defense attorney said in court .
Judge John F. Lyke Jr. reprimanded Johnson for not being able to control his anger and called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ utter nonsense.
” Lyke ordered Johnson , a convicted felon who the judge noted should never have been in possession of a gun , held without bail .

A 38-year-old man is accused of killing his girlfriend’s son last month after the two got into an argument about the younger man playing loud music at their West Pullman home.
Steven Johnson allegedly felt disrespected on Oct. 15 when he shot 24-year-old Sherrod Taylor in the basement of the home they were sharing in the 11700 block of South Indiana Avenue, Cook County prosecutors said.
Johnson had asked his girlfriend to tell her son to turn his music down that evening, which Taylor initially did by turning the music off, prosecutors said.
But shortly after, Taylor turned the music back on, leading to an argument between the two men, prosecutors said.
Saying he “had something” for Taylor, Johnson allegedly went to the kitchen and got a revolver.
The two tussled over the weapon on the basement stairs, allegedly leading Johnson to fire once, striking Taylor in the left shoulder, prosecutors said.
Steven Johnson Chicago police
Johnson ran past the boy’s mother as he fled from the apartment after the shooting, saying he had “F——— up,” and later called police and allegedly reported that the boy had shot himself, prosecutors said.
Taylor was taken to Roseland Community Hospital, where he died, according to Chicago police. An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson and he was taken into custody Tuesday.
“There was obviously a struggle over the gun and we’re going to suggest there certainly is a basis for self defense here,” Johnson’s defense attorney said in court.
Judge John F. Lyke Jr. reprimanded Johnson for not being able to control his anger and called the situation that led to the shooting “utter nonsense.”
Lyke ordered Johnson, a convicted felon who the judge noted should never have been in possession of a gun, held without bail.
Johnson was expected back in court Dec. 15.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--As winter approaches and coronavirus cases surge, fight against hunger continues

If you ’ d told Lucía Angel and Jorge Saldarriaga in February they ’ d spend the summer and fall feeding hungry people in Chicago , they probably would ’ ve laughed .
The pair launched Grocery Run Club in July , one of many efforts in the city started to respond to the global pandemic that pushed many Chicago families into poverty and created a dire need for access to good food .
“ Did we expect to do this ?
100 % not .
But do I think this is a reflection of our communities and our Latinx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Saldarriaga said as a truck , beeping loudly , backed into a loading dock to drop off food .
Other recent efforts include a food drive that started in one neighborhood and branched out into dozens of locations , and a modified bus bringing fresh produce to food deserts .
Grocery Run Club ’ s concept was simple : collect money from friends , run to the store , buy groceries and drop them off in places of need .
The pandemic has shown the need for Grocery Run Club and similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has grown to meet increasing demand ; they now use a West Town warehouse to store pallets of food before it is delivered to places like alt_Market .
But the next couple of months should alarm people , Angel said .
On Nov. 13 , the resurgent coronavirus hit a sad milestone , as Illinois reported 15,415 new cases — more new coronavirus cases in a single day than any other state in the country had recorded at that point .
( California and Texas set new records this week . )
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slightly since then , the continued surge , a struggling economy , a troubled job market , compounded with falling temperatures , have groups like Grocery Run Club worried for the future .
“ We know that unemployment rates potentially could rise again .
We know that this virus isn ’ t going anywhere .
We know that people are having the most difficult times that they ’ ve ever experienced , ” Angel said .
“ The majority of us are closer to making one wrong move and ending up in poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our head.
” Feeding America , a nationwide network of 200 food banks , released a report examining the local impact COVID-19 will have on access to food .
It concluded Cook County is projected to have 785,890 food-insecure people in 2020 , the third-most in the country .
The report also projected 239,130 children will struggle to find quality food in Cook County , the fourth-most in the country .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health and economic crisis , the effects of which are widespread , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include added hardship for already vulnerable populations as well as a significant increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity.
” Alex Esparza is president of Economic Strategies Development Corporation .
Before the pandemic , his organization ’ s primary function was to foster economic growth in Pilsen .
After the first statewide stay-at-home order in March , Esparza saw a huge problem brewing — people losing jobs , businesses closing for good .
When it became clear the shutdown would stretch on , Esparza used his relationships in the business community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called it “ Food for Hope ” and held it in Pilsen .
Food for Hope has since spent over $ 3 million and expanded to over 30 neighborhoods .
It offers a drive-thru service for those in need to pick up boxes of food .
Esparza estimates they have served about 60,000 families .
The organization has also added drop-off services for seniors and essential workers within a 25-mile radius of his Pilsen office .
At one of his events , he said , a woman in line driving “ an expensive-looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll admit I was a little judgmental — I wanted to ask why she was waiting in line , ” Esparza said .
“ So I approached her and asked.
” He was surprised and disheartened by her story .
The woman had a great job as a paralegal but when the law office she worked with started cutting back , she was the first to go .
Then her husband lost his job .
“ You just never know what a person is going through and it is on us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in need , ” Esparza said .
“ That is why I am losing sleep over what ’ s to come.
” The rising number of coronavirus cases will prevent people from finding new work and still more people will lose their jobs .
Cold weather also threatens his operation .
“ We had the opportunity to help people and at least we were covered by Mother Nature ’ s nicer side , but now we are going up against winter , ” Esparza said .
“ How do we get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” he asked .
“ What ’ s going to happen when that family can ’ t leave their homes anymore to wait in line because we are having a blizzard ?
” “ We deliver to 630 people , mostly seniors , and what ’ s going to happen when we can ’ t deliver because my van can ’ t move because of the snow ?
” Also bringing food to areas struggling with the pandemic is Urban Growers Collective .
The organization ’ s Fresh Moves Mobile Market converted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality food at a discounted price .
The “ produce aisle on wheels ” will visit 15 South and West side locations every week .
Dates , times and locations are on the map below : “ We know that the areas we service are hardest hit by the pandemic at nearly three times the rate of other areas in Chicago , ” said Laurell Sims , co-founder and CEO of Urban Growers Collective .
“ As the cases in the city rise , we know that people getting access to fresh food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report for America , a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago ’ s South and West sides .

If you’d told Lucía Angel and Jorge Saldarriaga in February they’d spend the summer and fall feeding hungry people in Chicago, they probably would’ve laughed.
The pair launched Grocery Run Club in July, one of many efforts in the city started to respond to the global pandemic that pushed many Chicago families into poverty and created a dire need for access to good food.
“Did we expect to do this? 100% not. But do I think this is a reflection of our communities and our Latinx heritage? Yes. 100%,” Saldarriaga said as a truck, beeping loudly, backed into a loading dock to drop off food.
“I couldn’t be happier.”
Other recent efforts include a food drive that started in one neighborhood and branched out into dozens of locations, and a modified bus bringing fresh produce to food deserts.
Grocery Run Club’s concept was simple: collect money from friends, run to the store, buy groceries and drop them off in places of need.
The pandemic has shown the need for Grocery Run Club and similar efforts. The group’s work has grown to meet increasing demand; they now use a West Town warehouse to store pallets of food before it is delivered to places like alt_Market.
But the next couple of months should alarm people, Angel said.
Juvenal Reyes (left) delivers boxes of kefir to Jorge Saldarriaga (right), founder of Grocery Run Club, at the group’s West Town storage facility. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
On Nov. 13, the resurgent coronavirus hit a sad milestone, as Illinois reported 15,415 new cases — more new coronavirus cases in a single day than any other state in the country had recorded at that point. (California and Texas set new records this week.) And while the daily case tally has receded slightly since then, the continued surge, a struggling economy, a troubled job market, compounded with falling temperatures, have groups like Grocery Run Club worried for the future.
“We know that unemployment rates potentially could rise again. We know that this virus isn’t going anywhere. We know that people are having the most difficult times that they’ve ever experienced,” Angel said. “The majority of us are closer to making one wrong move and ending up in poverty or ending up without a roof over our head.”
Feeding America, a nationwide network of 200 food banks, released a report examining the local impact COVID-19 will have on access to food. It concluded Cook County is projected to have 785,890 food-insecure people in 2020, the third-most in the country.
The report also projected 239,130 children will struggle to find quality food in Cook County, the fourth-most in the country.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health and economic crisis, the effects of which are widespread,” the report said. “The repercussions will include added hardship for already vulnerable populations as well as a significant increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity.”
South Shore resident Alexandra Antoine, 31, enters Fresh Moves Mobile Market outside Howard Brown Health, 641 W. 63rd St. in Englewood, earlier this month. The converted bus started selling produce on the South, West and Northwest Sides Nov. 9. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Alex Esparza is president of Economic Strategies Development Corporation. Before the pandemic, his organization’s primary function was to foster economic growth in Pilsen. After the first statewide stay-at-home order in March, Esparza saw a huge problem brewing — people losing jobs, businesses closing for good.
When it became clear the shutdown would stretch on, Esparza used his relationships in the business community to organize a food drive. They called it “Food for Hope” and held it in Pilsen.
Food for Hope has since spent over $3 million and expanded to over 30 neighborhoods. It offers a drive-thru service for those in need to pick up boxes of food. Esparza estimates they have served about 60,000 families.
The organization has also added drop-off services for seniors and essential workers within a 25-mile radius of his Pilsen office.
At one of his events, he said, a woman in line driving “an expensive-looking Audi” piqued his interest.
“I’ll admit I was a little judgmental — I wanted to ask why she was waiting in line,” Esparza said. “So I approached her and asked.”
He was surprised and disheartened by her story. The woman had a great job as a paralegal but when the law office she worked with started cutting back, she was the first to go. Then her husband lost his job.
“You just never know what a person is going through and it is on us to be there for them when they are in need,” Esparza said. “That is why I am losing sleep over what’s to come.”
The rising number of coronavirus cases will prevent people from finding new work and still more people will lose their jobs. Cold weather also threatens his operation.
“We had the opportunity to help people and at least we were covered by Mother Nature’s nicer side, but now we are going up against winter,” Esparza said.
“How do we get the food to the families that need it?” he asked. “What’s going to happen when that family can’t leave their homes anymore to wait in line because we are having a blizzard?”
Frigid temperatures also threaten his delivery services.
“We deliver to 630 people, mostly seniors, and what’s going to happen when we can’t deliver because my van can’t move because of the snow?”
Also bringing food to areas struggling with the pandemic is Urban Growers Collective. The organization’s Fresh Moves Mobile Market converted a bus into farmers market that offers quality food at a discounted price.
The “produce aisle on wheels” will visit 15 South and West side locations every week. Dates, times and locations are on the map below:
“We know that the areas we service are hardest hit by the pandemic at nearly three times the rate of other areas in Chicago,” said Laurell Sims, co-founder and CEO of Urban Growers Collective. “As the cases in the city rise, we know that people getting access to fresh food is both critical and a fundamental right.”
Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago’s South and West sides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--Angry Trump promises rally in battleground state of Georgia

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday renewed baseless claims that “ massive fraud ” and crooked officials in battleground states led to his election defeat , and said he ’ ll go to Georgia to rally supporters ahead of two Senate runoff elections .
“ This has a long way to go , ” Trump said on Thanksgiving evening , despite the fact that President-elect Joe Biden won the election .
“ This election was a fraud .
It was a rigged election.
” Trump spoke to reporters at the White House after speaking with U.S. military leaders overseas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions for the first time since Election Day and angrily denounced officials in Georgia and Pennsylvania , two key swing states that helped give Biden the win , as “ enemies of the state ” and claimed they were culprits in vote fraud .
State officials and international observers have repeatedly said no evidence of mass fraud exists and Trump ’ s campaign has repeatedly failed in court .
Trump said he would hold a rally with thousands of supporters in Georgia to support a pair of incumbent Republican Senate candidates — David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections on Jan. 5 will determine which party controls the Senate .
Trump initially said the rally would be Saturday .
The White House later clarified he meant Dec. 5 , a week from Saturday .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday renewed baseless claims that “massive fraud” and crooked officials in battleground states led to his election defeat, and said he’ll go to Georgia to rally supporters ahead of two Senate runoff elections.
“This has a long way to go,” Trump said on Thanksgiving evening, despite the fact that President-elect Joe Biden won the election. “This election was a fraud. It was a rigged election.”
Trump spoke to reporters at the White House after speaking with U.S. military leaders overseas.
After his conversation, Trump took questions for the first time since Election Day and angrily denounced officials in Georgia and Pennsylvania, two key swing states that helped give Biden the win, as “enemies of the state” and claimed they were culprits in vote fraud.
State officials and international observers have repeatedly said no evidence of mass fraud exists and Trump’s campaign has repeatedly failed in court.
Trump said he would hold a rally with thousands of supporters in Georgia to support a pair of incumbent Republican Senate candidates — David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler — whose runoff elections on Jan. 5 will determine which party controls the Senate.
Trump initially said the rally would be Saturday. The White House later clarified he meant Dec. 5, a week from Saturday.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--Our Lady of the Angels school fire to be remembered at Sunday Mass

A Mass is planned Sunday to mark the 62nd anniversary of Chicago ’ s Our Lady of the Angels fire @ @ @ @ @ will be required at the memorial , which is scheduled at 5 p.m. Sunday at @ @ @ @ @ W. Roosevelt Rd.
, according to the Chicago Fire Department Foundation .
Members of the @ @ @ @ @ those affected by the blaze are expected to attend , said Bill Kugelman , president @ @ @ @ @ Greater Chicago .
The Dec. 1 , 1958 , fire at the grade school at @ @ @ @ @ killed 92 students and three nuns .
It resulted in stricter fire safety codes nationwide @

A Mass is planned Sunday to mark the 62nd anniversary of Chicago’s Our Lady of the Angels fire.
Social distancing and masks will be required at the memorial, which is scheduled at 5 p.m. Sunday at Holy Family Church, 1080 W. Roosevelt Rd., according to the Chicago Fire Department Foundation.
Members of the fire department and relatives of those affected by the blaze are expected to attend, said Bill Kugelman, president of the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago.
The Dec. 1, 1958, fire at the grade school at Iowa Street and Avers Avenue killed 92 students and three nuns. It resulted in stricter fire safety codes nationwide.
Related Chicago to mark 60th anniversary of Our Lady of the Angels fire


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--The pandemic just another of life’s pitfalls for the needy on Thanksgiving

They started arriving about 8:30 a.m. — the chronically unlucky , the broken-hearted , the wounded , the hungry .
A mother huddled in the cold with her two small sons , her eyes downcast as they clutched empty grocery bags they soon hoped to fill .
A wife cupped her hands over her husband ’ s ears to keep them warm .
“ I ’ m really hungry , ” said Susan Zahn , 65 .
She ’ d taken the bus from her one-bedroom Mayfair apartment to St. John ’ s Lutheran Church , where she stood in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — for a hot , to-go Thanksgiving meal courtesy of Joined Hands Food Pantry on the Northwest Side .
Zahn hadn ’ t had a meal — if you can call it that — since Wednesday afternoon : a bowl of oatmeal with some coffee creamer as thickener .
“ It ’ s the end of the month , ” Zahn said , explaining why she ’ d run out of groceries and money to buy more .
A fuller explanation : Zahn has been out of work for months , like so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This year , with the craziness and the hopelessness , where you don ’ t know from day to day exactly what ’ s going on , this gives people hope .
That ’ s important .
If we can do something to instill that as well as feed them , that ’ s as good a thing as anything , ” said Marty Busse , a pantry volunteer .
“ A lot of these people are people who come to the pantry normally , but there are a lot of people I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included Jorge Medrano , hobbling on a cane .
He lost his job as a bartender in April .
He also spent a month in the hospital , after contracting COVID-19 .
“ We ’ re grateful for the people who are giving us some food today , ” said Medrano , 61 , of Portage Park .
“ We thank the Lord also for providing .
You ’ ve got to have faith in these days.
” For others in line , 2020 wouldn ’ t even make their personal highlight reel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patrick Cloherty , 63 , came years before — he lost Isabel , his wife of 30 years , on Aug. 5 , 2012 to heart disease .
“ That day I felt a gigantic part of me died , ” said Cloherty , his hands thrust into the pockets of a gray parka .
“ She was the only one who ever cared about me.
” As Cloherty spoke , a pantry volunteer raised a megaphone , urging those in the midst of “ the storm ” to trust God .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose faith , ” said the volunteer , Michael Mathews .
“ He promises to be with us through the valley.
” Not far away , a man in line who identified himself only as “ Ken , ” offered , unprompted , a joke : “ Last night , I dreamed I was a muffler .
I woke up exhausted.
” An hour or so later , Zahn , with a smile on her face and grocery bag heavy with roast turkey and pecan pie , was on her way to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m very happy , ” she said .

They started arriving about 8:30 a.m. — the chronically unlucky, the broken-hearted, the wounded, the hungry.
A mother huddled in the cold with her two small sons, her eyes downcast as they clutched empty grocery bags they soon hoped to fill. A wife cupped her hands over her husband’s ears to keep them warm.
“I’m really hungry,” said Susan Zahn, 65. She’d taken the bus from her one-bedroom Mayfair apartment to St. John’s Lutheran Church, where she stood in line — like hundreds of others Thursday — for a hot, to-go Thanksgiving meal courtesy of Joined Hands Food Pantry on the Northwest Side.
Zahn hadn’t had a meal — if you can call it that — since Wednesday afternoon: a bowl of oatmeal with some coffee creamer as thickener.
“It’s the end of the month,” Zahn said, explaining why she’d run out of groceries and money to buy more.
A fuller explanation: Zahn has been out of work for months, like so many others during the pandemic.
Volunteers from Joined Hands Food Pantry handed out free Thanksgiving meals. The food pantry distributed the meals at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 4939 W. Montrose Ave. in the Portage Park neighborhood. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
“This year, with the craziness and the hopelessness, where you don’t know from day to day exactly what’s going on, this gives people hope. That’s important. If we can do something to instill that as well as feed them, that’s as good a thing as anything,” said Marty Busse, a pantry volunteer. “A lot of these people are people who come to the pantry normally, but there are a lot of people I’ve never seen before.”
Those included Jorge Medrano, hobbling on a cane. He lost his job as a bartender in April. He also spent a month in the hospital, after contracting COVID-19.
“We’re grateful for the people who are giving us some food today,” said Medrano, 61, of Portage Park. “We thank the Lord also for providing. You’ve got to have faith in these days.”
For others in line, 2020 wouldn’t even make their personal highlight reel of misfortune. The low point for Patrick Cloherty, 63, came years before — he lost Isabel, his wife of 30 years, on Aug. 5, 2012 to heart disease.
“That day I felt a gigantic part of me died,” said Cloherty, his hands thrust into the pockets of a gray parka. “She was the only one who ever cared about me.”
As Cloherty spoke, a pantry volunteer raised a megaphone, urging those in the midst of “the storm” to trust God.
“Do not lose heart. Do not lose faith,” said the volunteer, Michael Mathews. “He promises to be with us through the valley.”
Not far away, a man in line who identified himself only as “Ken,” offered, unprompted, a joke: “Last night, I dreamed I was a muffler. I woke up exhausted.”
An hour or so later, Zahn, with a smile on her face and grocery bag heavy with roast turkey and pecan pie, was on her way to the bus stop and then home.
“I’m very happy,” she said.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--Lanes open on I-55 after semi-truck crash shuts down traffic for hours in Joliet

All northbound lanes on Interstate 55 have been reopened Thursday after a semi-truck crash in southwest suburban Joliet shut down @ @ @ @ @ .
The semi was northbound about 7:42 a.m. on I-55 when it overturned after striking @ @ @ @ @ bridge , Illinois State Police said .
The truck was hauling cooking oil but there @ @ @ @ @ driver was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries , state police said .
@ @ @ @ @ until about 3:15 p.m. , when police reopened the expressway to traffic .

All northbound lanes on Interstate 55 have been reopened Thursday after a semi-truck crash in southwest suburban Joliet shut down traffic for over six hours.
The semi was northbound about 7:42 a.m. on I-55 when it overturned after striking a support on Black Road bridge, Illinois State Police said.
The truck was hauling cooking oil but there was no spill and the driver was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, state police said.
All northbound lanes were closed until about 3:15 p.m., when police reopened the expressway to traffic.
Illinois State Police are investigating.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--Trump supporters gather downtown, insist election isn’t over

Supporters of President Donald Trump sparred with counter-protesters during a downtown rally Thursday as they pushed the false claim that wide-scale fraud had swung the election for his Democratic rival , Joe Biden .
“ Four more years !
” a group of roughly 60 defiant Trump backers , mostly maskless , shouted as they congregated in Millennium Park after marching from Trump ’ s riverfront skyscraper .
The crew included Edgar “ Remy Del Toro ” Gonzalez , president of the Chicago chapter of the far-right Proud Boys , as well as other marchers touting the pro-police “ Back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away , a few dozen anti-Trump activists shouted them down as “ losers ” while effectively raining on their Thanksgiving Day parade .
While Trump has yet to concede to President-elect Biden , his last-ditch efforts to overturn the election results have largely proved fruitless .
Trump ’ s legal team , led by his private attorney Rudy Giuliani , has faced a series of embarrassing defeats while continuing to push unfounded conspiracy theories outside the courtroom .
Thursday ’ s rally was part of the nationwide “ Stop the Steal ” campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other parts of the country .
Republican operative Ali Alexander , the campaign ’ s leader , claimed there are still multiple pathways for Trump to win the election , including potentially protesting the certification of Electoral College votes .
“ We believe that Joe Biden did not legitimately win , and we understand that we have to cooperate within the framework of the Constitution and the timeline of the judiciary answering some of these questions for us , ” Alexander said .
“ We want to follow the Constitution , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is a lot more important.
” Though Chicago police officers stood between the Trump acolytes and the counter-protesters , both sides used megaphones to hurl insults for hours .
After leaving Millennium Park , thinned-out contingents from both sides returned to the area near Trump International Hotel & Tower and continued to assail each other as Trump-inspired rap music blared from a large speaker .
Lamar Whitfield , a Hyde Park resident and organizer with the No More Foundation , said it ’ s “ disgusting ” that Mayor Lori Lightfoot allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets .
“ We know who won .
So it ’ s unfortunate that we would be having people in our city , where we already have so much uprising going on , to antagonize and keep agitating folks , ” said Whitfield .
“ It ’ s not fair that this thing is over with but yet they ’ re allowed to come here and keep this type of energy going .
”

Supporters of President Donald Trump sparred with counter-protesters during a downtown rally Thursday as they pushed the false claim that wide-scale fraud had swung the election for his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
“Four more years!” a group of roughly 60 defiant Trump backers, mostly maskless, shouted as they congregated in Millennium Park after marching from Trump’s riverfront skyscraper. The crew included Edgar “Remy Del Toro” Gonzalez, president of the Chicago chapter of the far-right Proud Boys, as well as other marchers touting the pro-police “Back the Blue” movement.
Just steps away, a few dozen anti-Trump activists shouted them down as “losers” while effectively raining on their Thanksgiving Day parade.
While Trump has yet to concede to President-elect Biden, his last-ditch efforts to overturn the election results have largely proved fruitless. Trump’s legal team, led by his private attorney Rudy Giuliani, has faced a series of embarrassing defeats while continuing to push unfounded conspiracy theories outside the courtroom.
Thursday’s rally was part of the nationwide “Stop the Steal” campaign, which is holding similar events in other parts of the country. Republican operative Ali Alexander, the campaign’s leader, claimed there are still multiple pathways for Trump to win the election, including potentially protesting the certification of Electoral College votes.
“We believe that Joe Biden did not legitimately win, and we understand that we have to cooperate within the framework of the Constitution and the timeline of the judiciary answering some of these questions for us,” Alexander said. “We want to follow the Constitution, but the will of the people, I think, is a lot more important.”
Counter-protesters gathered downtown Thursday near a pro-Trump rally. Two of the anti-Trump protesters brought this effigy of the president to smack around. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Though Chicago police officers stood between the Trump acolytes and the counter-protesters, both sides used megaphones to hurl insults for hours. After leaving Millennium Park, thinned-out contingents from both sides returned to the area near Trump International Hotel & Tower and continued to assail each other as Trump-inspired rap music blared from a large speaker.
Lamar Whitfield, a Hyde Park resident and organizer with the No More Foundation, said it’s “disgusting” that Mayor Lori Lightfoot allowed the pro-Trump protesters to take to the streets.
“We know who won. So it’s unfortunate that we would be having people in our city, where we already have so much uprising going on, to antagonize and keep agitating folks,” said Whitfield. “It’s not fair that this thing is over with but yet they’re allowed to come here and keep this type of energy going.”


chicagosun-times--2020-11-26--After a dud, Bill Lazor must find best way to use Mitch Trubisky

Bears coaches spent the bye week studying the team ’ s last four games against the Packers — all the matchups between head coach Matt Nagy ’ s offense and coordinator Mike Pettine ’ s defense .
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky jumped out to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor , who didn ’ t coach in any of those games .
“ It just brings back to mind what all of his abilities are , ” Lazor said Thursday .
“ Some of it is planned in the run game , when he has played them in the past .
And some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass game to move in the pocket and out of the pocket .
“ I think it ’ s pretty self-explanatory , but everyone knows what his abilities are — including the team we are going against.
” Precisely how Lazor uses Trubisky will have a major impact in Sunday ’ s rivalry game , which technically isn ’ t Nagy-versus-Pettine anymore .
It ’ s Lazor-versus-Pettine .
For the offensive coordinator ’ s sake , it better be an improvement on his first game as the Bears ’ play-caller .
After Nagy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , about-to-break-down car , Lazor ’ s offense set new lows .
The Bears gained 149 yards , the fewest since Nagy was named head coach , and only 32 yards in the second half of the 19-13 loss to the Vikings .
Lazor will have a new toy against the Packers , at least — Trubisky figures to start Sunday , though the Bears refused to announce it Thursday .
Trubisky won ’ t intimidate the Packers , who are 3-1 against him and have held him to a 76.3 passer rating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll give them a moving target , at least – Trubisky averaged 5.2 yards per rush over 17 carries in his last two years against the Packers .
Lazor said “ you ’ d probably be surprised at how little the calls have changed ” based around whether Trubisky or Nick Foles is starting .
He ’ d be foolish , though , not to take advantage of Trubisky ’ s athleticism .
The threat of a bootleg seemed to help the Bears ’ run game when he started the first three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ offensive line broken down — left tackle Charles Leno missed practice Thursday with a toe injury — Trubisky must use his athleticism to improvise .
“ I think we ’ ve shown that throughout the year as far as how much we run , how much we pass , how much we are in the shotgun , how much we ’ re under center , how much we move the pocket , how much we throw quick , try to throw deep , ” Lazor said .
“ Those changes can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nagy pointed to Lazor calling plays for the Dolphins ’ Ryan Tannehill as evidence he knows how to use a mobile quarterback .
While Lazor reportedly had a complicated relationship with his passer , Tannehill threw for more than 4,000 yards and ran for more than 300 in 2014 , their lone full season together .
Lazor ’ s usage of Trubisky won ’ t be drastically different than Nagy ’ s was , given the conceptual similarities between the coach and coordinator .
But it might be different at the most crucial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhythm as to when you ’ re feeling a certain run , when you ’ re feeling a certain play action , a screen , a movement outside the pocket , a shot , ’ Nagy said .
“ That kind of thing .
That ’ s probably the biggest thing .
And maybe when you ’ re in the red zone and how your choices are there .
”

Bears coaches spent the bye week studying the team’s last four games against the Packers — all the matchups between coach Matt Nagy’s offense and coordinator Mike Pettine’s defense.
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky jumped out on film to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who didn’t coach in any of those games.
‘‘It just brings back to mind what all of his abilities are,’’ Lazor said Thursday. ‘‘Some of it is planned in the run game when he has played them in the past. And some of it is his ability in the pass game to move in the pocket and out of the pocket.
‘‘I think it’s pretty self-explanatory, but everyone knows what his abilities are — including the team we are going against.’’
Precisely how Lazor uses Trubisky will have a major effect on the game Sunday, which technically isn’t Nagy vs. Pettine anymore; it’s Lazor vs. Pettine.
For Lazor’s sake, it had better be an improvement on his first game as the Bears’ play-caller. After Nagy handed over the keys to the Bears’ sputtering, about-to-break-down car, Lazor’s offense set new lows. The Bears gained 149 yards — the fewest since Nagy was named coach — and only 32 in the second half in a 19-13 loss to the Vikings.
At least Lazor will have a new toy against the Packers. Trubisky figures to start Sunday, even though the Bears refused to announce it Thursday.
Trubisky won’t intimidate the Packers, who are 3-1 against him and have held him to a 76.3 passer rating the last two seasons, but he at least will give them a moving target. Trubisky averaged 5.2 yards per carry on 17 rushes in the last two seasons against the Packers.
Lazor said, ‘‘You’d probably be surprised at how little the calls have changed,’’ based on whether Trubisky or Nick Foles is starting. He’d be foolish, however, not to take advantage of Trubisky’s athleticism.
The threat of a bootleg seemed to help the Bears’ running game when Trubisky started the first three games this season. With the Bears’ offensive line broken down — left tackle Charles Leno missed practice Thursday with a toe injury — Trubisky must use his athleticism to improvise.
‘‘I think we’ve shown that throughout the year, as far as how much we run, how much we pass, how much we are in the shotgun, how much we’re under center, how much we move the pocket, how much we throw quick, try to throw deep,’’ Lazor said. ‘‘Those changes can be made pretty seamlessly, in my mind.’’
Nagy pointed to Lazor calling plays for Ryan Tannehill as evidence he knows how to use a mobile quarterback. While Lazor reportedly had a complicated relationship with Tannehill, Tannehill threw for more than 4,000 yards and ran for more than 300 in 2014, their lone full season together with the Dolphins.
Lazor’s use of Trubisky won’t be drastically different than Nagy’s was, given the conceptual similarities between the coach and coordinator. But it might be different at the most crucial times.
‘‘There can be a rhythm as to when you’re feeling a certain run, when you’re feeling a certain play-action, a screen, a movement outside the pocket, a shot,’’ Nagy said. ‘‘That’s probably the biggest thing. And maybe when you’re in the red zone and how your choices are there.’’