chicagosun-times--2020-08-10--For 1st time in Chicago Police history, top 3 brass are African American

They are solemn , reflecting on the weight of history and its responsibilities , coming as America is roiled by ruminations on race .
Chicago Police Supt .
David Brown , his 1st deputy superintendent , Eric Carter , and his deputy superintendent , Barbara West , sat to chat at headquarters , about the race and gender history their department quietly made this year .
“ As African American leaders , we have this clear understanding of the issues , with race the prominent discussion nationwide , ” said Brown , 59 , the former Dallas police chief at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We all have pushed through likely racial barriers in our coming up through the ranks .
We all likely have been looked at differently because of the color of our skin , so we have more than just this reading of the issues that we face .
We have an innate understanding.
” It was 185 years ago , on Jan. 31 , 1835 , that the state of Illinois authorized a police force for the “ Town of Chicago.
” Seven months later , the Chicago Police Department was born .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officer , James L Shelton , in 1871 .
Its first female officers came in 1913 .
It took the 1983 election of the city ’ s first African-American mayor to get the first African-American superintendent , Fred Rice .
Last month ’ s promotion of Carter , a 28-year veteran who previously served as chief of the Bureau of Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations , to CPD ’ s second-highest position , meant the department ’ s top three brass are now all African Americans .
It is a Black History moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggled with equitable representation of its communities in city government .
It also comes atop another milestone reached by the department in January .
Women ’ s History was made when 20-year veteran Barbara West , previously chief of the Bureau of Organizational Development , was promoted to the third-highest position — becoming the highest-ranking African-American female officer in CPD history .
“ When I came on the job , there weren ’ t a lot of females on this job .
It ’ s a predominantly male occupation , so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West , reflecting on dual challenges faced rising up through the ranks .
“ This was said to me by my mentor , a female chief in another department : ‘ It ’ s hard being a unicorn.
’ Because you ’ re different , but yet the same .
I ’ m very excited to be an example for what we want to see in the future , ” said West , 53 , of Chatham .
It ’ s hard to pause to note history when immense challenges loom .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precipice of a COVID-19 pandemic that had seen 162,751 U.S. deaths as of Sunday , and 5 million infected .
Then , already reeling from racial disparities in coronavirus deaths that unveiled America ’ s longstanding economic and health inequities , the nation was plunged into collective trauma on Memorial Day with the heinous killing of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis .
The nation erupted into weeks of protests triggering looting and destruction in Chicago and many cities , followed by soul-searching over America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liken it to the Civil Rights Movement , but we ’ re on the precipice .
The question is whether or not we continue the momentum , and focus on what ’ s really important , not only civil rights , but economic rights , ” said Carter , 54 , of Beverly .
“ That ’ s what was lost in the Civil Rights Movement , ” he said .
“ We never got the economic part of it .
We made some gains , but it ’ s the same thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to make economic gains along with the civil rights gains ?
Will we be able to push through and really achieve equality ?
” The turbulent yet pivotal aftermath of the Floyd killing also brought radical demands to defund the police — rooted not unjustly in the racism that has too often seeped into policing , with many unarmed persons of color killed under glare of cell phone video .
“ The challenges of race in this country , the divisiveness we see , is unprecedented .
This whole narrative of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this discussion , ” Brown said .
“ But again , the challenges are really right here in front of us to meet , without any excuses .
The three of us all grew up in neighborhoods much like the challenging neighborhoods we police in , ” said Brown , who lives in the South Loop with his wife and 14-year-old daughter .
“ And the remnants of much of what we have pushed through is having to be twice as good .
I still have those remnants , believing that I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than my counterparts , that I can ’ t be deficient in any area .
I ’ ve got to , you know , achieve beyond any challenges.
” Much of the challenge of the past 2 1⁄ months has been discerning the post-Floyd impact on a department branded with a history of racism and civil rights violations .
A U.S. Department of Justice investigation in the wake of the brutal 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald — shot 16 times by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke — led to the historic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
CPD has been accused of dragging its feet .
West , charged with managing reforms , disagrees .
“ We started working on reforms probably back in 2016 .
At the same time , we were going through the negotiations on the consent decree .
If you ’ ve seen other cities go through [ it ] , it ’ s taken a significant amount of time , ” argued West , married , with one son .
“ The pieces of our consent decree are more comprehensive and complex than most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” West said .
“ We just want to make sure that when we do reform , it ’ s sustainable .
We also want to make sure we have accountability measures on the back end , because that ’ s going to be truly the test of whether or not reform is taking effect down the street.
” But that ’ s been only half the challenge — the other being the annual summer bloodbath from gang violence .
More than two dozen children under age 10 have been shot , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most violent month in 28 years .
“ It strikes at the heart , as a father , a husband , a family man , a police officer , to see this violence ripping apart families , ” said Carter , a married father of three .
“ It ’ s the total disregard for life in our face right now .
These young people have been just arbitrarily killed or shot at , to get to allegedly one individual or two .
[ The shooters ] have no fear there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s what we ’ re dealing with out here.
” Carter sticks by CPD ’ s argument that more needs to be done to keep gun offenders behind bars , and hammers the department ’ s plea for more community help .
“ That ’ s what the perpetrators are banking on , that the community ’ s too afraid to speak up , to hold them accountable .
We ’ ve got to show the community we ’ re stronger together than apart .
Working together is the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s going on in Chicago right now , ” Carter said .
The three identify with youth activists amplifying this moment into a movement , and too , with youth who have lost their way amid social and economic challenges in disinvested South and West side neighborhoods .
“ I always try to make the case that those might be reasons you have a more difficult time digging yourself out of a tough environment , but they ’ re not excuses , ” said Brown , who grew up poor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I hope to be that example , that , ‘ Look , I ’ m just like you , and you can achieve just like I have.
” He and Brown are focused on holistic solutions to the violence , said Carter , a Missouri native who moved here with his mother when his parents separated .
“ We ’ ve got a good plan in place that will holistically help us address the crime we ’ re seeing .
We ’ re really working hard on the West and South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need us most right now , ” said Carter , who joined CPD after serving in the U.S. Marines .
“ We have business partners on board supporting some of the initiatives .
We ’ re trying to develop jobs for the at-risk age group that we are targeting .
We ’ re trying to get police officers to do mentoring .
We ’ re doing our best in those communities to show them that we care.
” Born on the West Side , West ’ s father died when she was 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her own .
West doesn ’ t take her trailblazer status lightly .
“ I work with a lot of girls in the community , ” said West .
“ And when I go into the stations , some of the officers will corner me and want to know what it ’ s like being female in leadership .
What did I do ?
How did I get there ?
I ’ m able to share in that way.
” But breaking barriers is most meaningful behind results , Brown notes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I am confident in this team to lead this department through these challenging times , ” the superintendent said .
“ And the easiest thing for me is to lead in a crisis , when there ’ s ... a climate where people believe you can ’ t do it .
That ’ s what I ’ ve had to overcome my entire career while moving up the ranks .
”

They are solemn, reflecting on the weight of history and its responsibilities, coming as America is roiled by ruminations on race.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, his 1st deputy superintendent, Eric Carter, and his deputy superintendent, Barbara West, sat to chat at headquarters, about the race and gender history their department quietly made this year.
“As African American leaders, we have this clear understanding of the issues, with race the prominent discussion nationwide,” said Brown, 59, the former Dallas police chief just shy of four months at CPD’s helm.
“We all have pushed through likely racial barriers in our coming up through the ranks. We all likely have been looked at differently because of the color of our skin, so we have more than just this reading of the issues that we face. We have an innate understanding.”
It was 185 years ago, on Jan. 31, 1835, that the state of Illinois authorized a police force for the “Town of Chicago.” Seven months later, the Chicago Police Department was born.
It would accept its first African American police officer, James L Shelton, in 1871.
Its first female officers came in 1913; and in 1918, its first African-American female officer.
It took the 1983 election of the city’s first African-American mayor to get the first African-American superintendent, Fred Rice; 1992 saw the first Latino superintendent, Matt Rodriguez.
Last month’s promotion of Carter, a 28-year veteran who previously served as chief of the Bureau of Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations, to CPD’s second-highest position, meant the department’s top three brass are now all African Americans.
It is a Black History moment notable in a city that has long struggled with equitable representation of its communities in city government.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
It also comes atop another milestone reached by the department in January.
Women’s History was made when 20-year veteran Barbara West, previously chief of the Bureau of Organizational Development, was promoted to the third-highest position — becoming the highest-ranking African-American female officer in CPD history.
“I think back to when I came on the job. There weren’t a lot of females on this job,” said West, reflecting on dual challenges faced rising up through the ranks.
“This was said to me by my mentor, a female chief in another department: ‘It’s hard being a unicorn.’ Because you’re different, but yet the same. It’s a predominantly male occupation, so it’s tough being female,” said West, 53, of Chatham. “I’m very excited to be an example for what we want to see in the future.”
Barbara West, the Chicago Police Department’s Deputy Superintendent of Constitutional Policing and Reform, made history with her promotion in January. Formerly chief of the Bureau of Organizational Development, West became the highest-ranking African American female officer ever to serve in the 185-year-old department. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
It’s hard to pause to note history when immense challenges loom.
In January, the nation was on the precipice of a COVID-19 pandemic that had seen 162,751 U.S. deaths as of Sunday, and 5 million infected. Chicago police have been counted among the city’s 63,109 cases and 2,805 deaths to date.
Then, already reeling from racial disparities in coronavirus deaths that unveiled America’s longstanding economic and health inequities, the nation was plunged into collective trauma on Memorial Day with the heinous killing of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
It raised awareness of police brutality as a public health crisis, and the nation erupted into weeks of protests triggering looting and destruction in Chicago and many cities, followed by soul-searching over America’s structural racism.
“I hate to liken it to the Civil Rights Movement, but we’re on the precipice. The question is whether or not we continue the momentum, and focus on what’s really important, not only civil rights, but economic rights,” said Carter, 54, of Beverly.
“That’s what was lost in the Civil Rights Movement,” he said. “We never got the economic part of it. We made some gains, but it’s the same thing happening now. Are we going to be able to make economic gains along with the civil rights gains? Will we be able to push through and really achieve equality?”
The turbulent yet pivotal aftermath of the Floyd killing also brought radical demands to defund the police — rooted not unjustly in the racism that has too often seeped into policing and led to too many unarmed persons of color killed under glare of cell phone video — putting additional pressure for reform on CPD and departments nationwide.
“The challenges of race in this country, the divisiveness we see, is unprecedented. Unprecedented civil unrest. Unprecedented economic collapse. Unprecedented social injustice. This whole narrative of change in policing became the forefront of this discussion,” Brown said.
“But again, the challenges are really right here in front of us to meet, without any excuses. The three of us all grew up in neighborhoods much like the challenging neighborhoods we police in,” said Brown, who lives in the South Loop with his wife and 14-year-old daughter.
“And the remnants of much of what we have pushed through is having to be twice as good. I still have those remnants, believing that I’ve got to do the job better than my counterparts, that I can’t be deficient in any area. I’ve got to, you know, achieve beyond any challenges.”
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, right, and First Deputy Supt. Eric Carter at Chicago Police Headquarters on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Brown’s promotion of Carter on July 15 meant for the first time in CPD’s 185-year history, its three highest-ranking officers are African-American. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Much of the challenge of the past 2 1⁄ 2 months has been discerning the post-Floyd impact on a department branded with a history of racism and civil rights violations.
A U.S. Department of Justice investigation in the wake of the brutal 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald — shot 16 times by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke — led to the historic January 2019 consent decree now governing reforms.
As deputy superintendent of constitutional policing and reform, West is charged with managing those reforms, overseeing the consent decree, community policing, training, use of force, manpower and supervision, and CPD transparency and accountability efforts.
CPD has been accused of dragging its feet. West, who is married, with one son, disagrees.
“We started working on reforms probably back in 2016. At the same time, we were going through the negotiations on the consent decree. If you’ve seen other cities go through [it], it’s taken a significant amount of time. We are just 17 months in,” she argued.
“The pieces of our consent decree are more comprehensive and complex than most other agencies have ever had to experience. We have had our use of force policy, in particular, reviewed at least twice, and we’ve actually eliminated the chokehold from our policies, so we’re ahead of the game of some other agencies in terms of that,” West said.
“We just want to make sure when we do reform, that it’s sustainable. We also want to make sure we have accountability measures on the back end, because that’s going to be truly the test of whether or not reform is taking effect down the street.”
But that’s been only half the challenge — the other being the annual summer bloodbath from gang violence. It’s been particularly heinous this year, with More than two dozen children under age 10 have been shot, five killed. July was the city’s most violent month in 28 years.
“It strikes at the heart, as a father, a husband, a family man, a police officer, to see this violence ripping apart families,” said Carter, a married father of three, who oversees patrol operations, deployment and criminal investigations..
“It’s the total disregard for life in our face right now. These young people have been just arbitrarily killed or shot at, to get to allegedly one individual or two. [The shooters] have no fear there’s going to be any repercussions. That’s what we’re dealing with out here.”
(L-R) The Chicago Police Department’s First Deputy Supt. Eric Carter, Supt. David Brown and Deputy Supt. Barbara West. CPD’S three highest-ranking officers are African Americans — for the first time in its 185 years. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
He sticks by CPD’s argument that more needs to be done to keep gun offenders behind bars — a dispute with the Office of the Cook County state’s attorney, pre-dating this administration. CPD has always maintained prosecutors are too lenient on gun arrestees. Kim Foxx, the first African American woman to lead that office, rejects the notion.
Carter also hammers the department’s plea for more community help turning in perpetrators.
“That’s what the perpetrators are banking on, that the community’s too afraid to speak up and speak out, to hold them accountable. We’ve got to show the community we’re stronger together than apart,” Carter said. “It’s gotta catch root. Working together is the only way we’re going to change what’s going on in Chicago right now.”
The three identify with youth activists amplifying this moment into a movement, and too, with youth who have lost their way amid social and economic challenges in disinvested South and West side neighborhoods.
“I feel at home in those communities,” said Brown, who grew up poor, raised by his single mother and grandmother.
“I always try to make the case that those might be reasons you have a more difficult time digging yourself out of a tough environment, but they’re not excuses. I hope to be that example, that, ‘Look, I’m just like you, and you can achieve just like I have.”
He and Brown are focused on holistic solutions to the violence, said Carter, a Missouri native who moved here with his mother when his parents separated, later divorcing.
“We’ve got a good plan in place that will holistically help us address the current crime we’re seeing. We’re really working hard on the West and South sides, because those are communities that need us most right now,” said Carter, who joined CPD at age 24, after serving in the U.S. Marines.
“We have business partners on board supporting some of the initiatives. We’re trying to develop jobs for the at-risk age group, 16 to 32, that we are targeting. We’re trying to do rehabilitation and development of blocks. We’re trying to get police officers to do mentoring. We’re doing our best in those communities to show them that we care.”
Born on the West Side, West’s father died when she was 2, her mother left raising four daughters on her own. West doesn’t take her trailblazer status lightly.
After all, her forerunners among CPD’s first 10 women included Alice Clement, later a famed detective, and Grace Wilson, who carried the weight of history as not just Chicago’s first African American female officer but the first nationwide, according to some historical references.
“I work with a lot of girls in the community,” said West. “And when I go into the stations, some of the officers will corner me and want to know what it’s like being female in leadership. What did I do? How did I get there? I’m able to share in that way in the community as well as within the department.”
But breaking barriers is most meaningful behind results, Brown notes.
“The challenges are quite complex — a global pandemic, layered atop all the other racial and civil unrest and strife we are facing. But I am confident in this team to lead this department through these challenging times,” the superintendent said.
”And the easiest thing for me is to lead in a crisis, when there’s barriers, a likely pushback, or a climate where people believe you can’t do it. That’s just right for me, because that’s what I’ve had to overcome my entire career while moving up the ranks.”


chicagosun-times--2020-08-10--CTA suspends downtown service amid looting, property damage on Mag Mile

The CTA has suspended downtown service amid widespread looting and property damage reported overnight and Monday morning .
No buses or trains will run in the area bordered by Fullerton and Ashland avenues and Cermak road , the CTA said .
Videos posted to social media showed large crowds breaking windows and entering stores along the Magnificent Mile .
Chicago police said the situation was still ongoing early Monday and could not provide details about specific incidents or numbers of arrests .
CPD officers exchanged gunfire with an armed person near Michigan Avenue and Lake Street Monday morning , spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injured and it was not immediately clear whether anyone else was hit .
Police said smash-and-grab burglars hit a store in the South Loop late Sunday night , but it was not immediately clear whether that incident was related to the other large crowds of looters .
Chicago and the surrounding suburbs saw widespread looting and vandalism in late May and early June during unrest in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd .
Officials estimated the looting caused more than $ 20 million in damage in Cook County .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s homicides .

Some 10 weeks after the killing of George Floyd triggered protests and looting throughout Chicago, a police shooting in Englewood on Sunday afternoon — and subsequent rumormongering on social media — led to additional shootings downtown, along with widespread theft and destruction in the city’s Magnificent Mile and other retail shopping districts.
Two people were shot and more than 100 people were arrested as hundreds of people looted dozens of high-end shops from the South Loop to Lincoln Park, leaving heaps of shattered glass and empty storefronts in their wake.
When the dust settled, business owners broke out their brooms and called insurance companies to begin picking up the pieces of the second wave of looting this summer. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her police superintendent defended the cops and blamed Cook County prosecutors for being soft on looters who’d been arrested in late May and early June, setting the stage for the violence. The county’s top prosecutor, State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, responded that she’s prosecuting looters to the fullest extent of the law and said Lightfoot is oversimplifying the issue.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people squared off with police near Madison Street and Karlov Avenue on Monday afternoon, with rocks, bottles and bricks being hurled. And Black Lives Matter challenged the Police Department’s narrative of the Sunday afternoon shooting of a 20-year-old man that led to it all.
Oliver Peoples at 941 N. Rush St. after looting broke out overnight in the Gold Coast and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 1 of 26 Bridges over the Chicago River are lifted after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 2 of 26 A board-up crew works on the windows at the Louis Vuitton store at 919 N. Michigan Ave. on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 3 of 26 People take photos of the Louis Vuitton store at 919 N. Michigan Ave. on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 4 of 26 Dior at 931 N. Rush St. after looting broke out overnight in the Gold Coast and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 5 of 26 Louis Vuitton at 919 N. Michigan Ave. on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 6 of 26 Crowds broke windows and looted stores along Michigan Avenue and on the Near North Side overnight and into Monday morning. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 7 of 26 One of the front doors to the Apple store at Halsted Street and Clybourn Avenue lies shattered and draped over a garbage can. Merchandise lay scattered over the floor inside. | Stefano Esposito/Sun-Times 8 of 26 Crews clean up outside the Best Buy store near Marcey and Halsted streets on the Near North Side. Much of the parking lot was strewn with empty flat-screen TV boxes and shredded foam packaging. | Stefano Esposito/Sun-Times 9 of 26 Shattered glass littered the sidewalk outside Fey & Co. jewelers at the corner of North and Halsted streets Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. | Stefano Esposito/Sun-Times 10 of 26 Chicago Police investigate on Lake Street near Michigan Avenue after officers exchanged gunfire with someone overnight in the Loop, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 11 of 26 CBD Kratom at 28 E. Randolph St. after looting broke out in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods overnight, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 12 of 26 A man sweeps up outside Paul Young Fine Jewelers at 34 W. Randolph St. after looting broke out in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods overnight, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 13 of 26 A man sweeps up outside Paul Young Fine Jewelers at 34 W. Randolph St. after looting broke out in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods overnight, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 14 of 26 A woman walks past Nike at 669 N. Michigan Ave. on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 15 of 26 Timberland at 625 N. Michigan Ave. on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times 16 of 26 An Ugg store at 545 N. Michigan Ave. on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 17 of 26 Pandora Jewelry at 533 N. Michigan Ave. on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 18 of 26 People take photos of Macy’s at 835 N. Michigan Ave. in the Water Tower Place on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 19 of 26 A man takes a photo of the Giorgio Armani store at 25 E. Oak St. after looting broke out overnight in the Gold Coast and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 20 of 26 Shelves in a store sit empty after looting broke out overnight in the Gold Coast and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 21 of 26 Macy’s at 835 N. Michigan Ave. in the Water Tower Place on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 22 of 26 CVS at 121 W. Kinzie St. after looting broke out overnight in River North and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 23 of 26 Chicago Police stand guard on the Magnificent Mile and the Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River is lifted after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 24 of 26 Macy’s at 835 N. Michigan Ave. in the Water Tower Place on the Magnificent Mile after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 25 of 26 Bridges over the Chicago River are lifted after looting broke out overnight in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, Monday morning, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 26 of 26
But prosecutors on Monday evening charged the man, Latrell Allen, with two counts of attempted murder for shooting at officers in Englewood before they shot him.
As Lightfoot put restrictions on access in and out of downtown for the second time this year, community activists were left trying to make sense of what had happened.
“Chicago is unstable. It’s like a keg of dynamite right now,” said the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Catholic Church in Auburn Gresham, about 3 miles south of where the police shooting occurred. “People are so frustrated, so hopeless, so angry, and it doesn’t take much — you light a match and throw it on a fire, it goes up.”
“We have to start understanding why this is even happening,” Ja’Mal Green, a community activist and former mayoral candidate, told WGN News. “Whenever there’s a situation where people get angry enough to start breaking stuff and stealing, we’re in a bad situation, and we need to figure out what problems we have to tackle.”
Lightfoot and police Supt. David Brown stressed that the looting wasn’t connected to any peaceful protest, unlike the circumstances that led to looting after Floyd’s death.
“Criminals took to the streets with the confidence that there would be no consequences for their actions,” Brown said.
Englewood shooting a spark
Allen’s family denied that he had a gun, and CPD said no bodycam footage captured the shooting. But the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the agency that investigates uses of force by CPD officers, said its investigation so far confirms that Allen fired at officers before he was shot.
After the shooting around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, a crowd gathered in the area. “Tempers flared, fueled by misinformation,” Brown said. Lightfoot said the shooter was “not an unarmed juvenile” as was “propagated on social media.”
Rumors about the shooting continued to swirl on social media Sunday night, feeding still-high tensions between police and Englewood residents.
Looting soon broke out at stores near 87th Street and the Dan Ryan. Within hours, a caravan headed north toward downtown, Brown said.
Many of the most recognizable stores along and near the famed Magnificent Mile shopping strip had their windows broken and inventory stolen, including Coach, Timberland, Nike, Nordstrom, Burberry, Macy’s, Chase bank, Ugg, Pandora jewelry, Zara, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren, Verizon, Omega, Louis Vuitton, Bloomingdale’s, Swiss Fine Timing, AllSaints, Dior, Brunello Cucinneli, Oliver Peoples, Hermès, Giorgio Armani, Jimmy Choo and Saint Laurent.
By Monday afternoon, reports of looting on the West Side were still coming in to CPD dispatchers.
Two people were shot downtown amid the looting. More than 100 were arrested. More gunshots were fired at and by CPD officers near Lake Street and Michigan Avenue, though no one was struck. All told, 13 police officers were injured. Authorities didn’t provide injury statistics for civilians.
Bridges over the Chicago River were raised to keep people out of the area. CTA service to the Loop was halted. Downtown expressway exits were closed.
“Make no mistake, we were beyond overwhelmed,” said one CPD officer who was assigned to downtown from Sunday into Monday.
Scores of gawkers, many out for a morning run or walking their dog, milled about along the Magnificent Mile on Monday morning, snapping iPhone photos of the damage while crews worked to cover shattered windows with plywood.
‘Dishonest blame games’
Lightfoot and Brown admonished the looters as brazen opportunists with no respect for the rule of law.
Brown and Lightfoot also called on the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to handle the arrests from the looting seriously, arguing that previous arrests by Chicago police from looting in May and June — during the height of unrest — were not. With local prosecutors dropping cases, looters believed there would be no serious consequences for committing crimes, they said.
At her own news conference a few hours later, State’s Attorney Foxx pushed back.
“I think it’s incumbent upon us, for the people that we serve . . . that we have an honest conversation about what’s happening right now,” Foxx said. “It does not serve us to have dishonest blame games, when all of our hearts are breaking by what we’re seeing.”
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx speaks during a news conference Monday about the looting that occurred overnight. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times file
In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the Chicago chapter of Black Lives Matter noted that Chicago is the largest city in the country to not change its policing budget after Floyd’s death.
“Righteous and justified anger — like the kind expressed after the police murder of Laquan McDonald and subsequent cover-up — has proven to be the only tool for police accountability that the public has at their disposal,” BLM said.
Three charged in looting incidents
Meanwhile, in bond court, looting cases started to come in. Three men — two from Chicago and one from Joliet — faced charges.
Devin Draper, 21, was charged with the unlawful use of a weapon after officers spotted him carrying looted merchandise outside a South Side shopping mall, at 112 W. 87th St., shortly before midnight Sunday, according to Cook County prosecutors. Draper ran when he saw the officers, prosecutors said, but tripped in an alley. While patting him down, an officer found a gun on the front left part of Draper’s pants, prosecutors said.
At the same scene about 10 minutes earlier, Devon Bates, 29, was carrying an estimated $600 worth of merchandise from City Sports when officers told him to stop, prosecutors said. He was charged with burglary and resisting arrest.
Then, around 12:52 a.m. Monday, officers standing outside the Burberry store on the Magnificent Mile watched Denisck Lomax, 25, throw a brick through a storefront window, prosecutors said. He then threw a brick at a police sergeant.
Lomax, who lives with his parents in Joliet, denied throwing a brick at the sergeant but admitted throwing one at the window, prosecutors said. He was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer, resisting arrest and criminal damage to property.
Draper, whom the judge said she believes poses “a real threat to the community,” was held on a $300,000 bail. Meanwhile, Bates’ and Lomax’s bails were set at $6,000 and $5,000, respectively. All three are expected back in court Aug. 17.
Chicago police officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Keeler Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 1 of 15 Chicago police officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Monroe Street and South Pulaski Road on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 2 of 15 Chicago police officers respond to shots fired near reports of looting and rioting on West Madison Street near South Karlov Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 3 of 15 Chicago police SWAT officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Karlov Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 4 of 15 Chicago Police Cmdr. Ernest Cato (center), flanked by other officers, responds to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Karlov Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 5 of 15 Chicago police SWAT officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Karlov Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 6 of 15 Chicago police officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Karlov Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 7 of 15 Chicago police officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Keeler Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 8 of 15 Chicago police officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Keeler Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 9 of 15 Chicago police SWAT officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Keeler Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 10 of 15 Chicago police SWAT officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Keeler Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 11 of 15 Chicago police SWAT officers fist bump as they respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Keeler Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 12 of 15 Chicago police officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Keeler Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 13 of 15 Evidence of looting at the Dreamtown store at 4032 W. Madison St. on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 14 of 15 Chicago police officers respond to reports of looting and rioting near West Madison Street and South Karlov Avenue on the West Side, Monday afternoon, Aug. 10, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 15 of 15
West Side standoff
A tense standoff between police and hundreds of West Side residents also unfolded Monday afternoon.
It wasn’t clear what prompted a crowd of hundreds to come together near Madison Street and Karlov Avenue about noon Monday. A Chicago Tribune photographer was hit in the head with a brick and required medical attention. A reporter and a photographer for the Sun-Times were threatened when they approached some people in the crowd.
By 1 p.m., hundreds of officers had flooded the area.
A police SWAT team tried to clear the crowd from an alley near that intersection, forcing the larger crowd to break into smaller groups. Some people tried to break into the back door of a business in the neighborhood, but it was unclear if they gained entry. Other businesses along the street were closed, with their metal gates down covering their storefronts. A few had their windows broken.
Contributing: Stefano Esposito, David Struett, Tom Schuba
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-10--Chicago must go ‘all in’ to end gun violence

Sooner or later , Chicago , you will grow tired of burying children .
You will grow tired of wailing mothers .
You will grow tired of living in fear inside your own homes .
You will realize that prayer , demonstrations and awaiting gun control legislation is not enough .
Chicago has lost both its sanity and its sense of sanctuary .
Now is the time for action .
1 .
If you commit a crime with a gun , you will draw 25 years in prison without parole .
2 .
If you are involved in a crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or are a felon caught with a firearm , you will be sentenced to life in prison without parole .
3 .
If you are juvenile and you use a weapon , you will be incarcerated until age 18 ( unless you are tried as an adult ) .
A second gun offense after 18 will result in life without parole .
These legislative measures do not interfere with 2nd Amendment rights and could be passed tomorrow .
In addition , there must be recognition of and an end to structural racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Lincoln Yards on the North Side .
A recent WBEZ study of bank home lending found that for every $ 1 loaned to white communities , just 12 cents went to Black neighborhoods and 13 cents to Latino areas .
The South and West sides should demand billion dollar investments as well .
We also must invest in and rebuild our schools with smaller classes , desperately-needed teachers and support staff along with after-school programs .
Further , we must rebuild our mental health centers .
There must be greater police accountability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support teachers and police , who can not function without community support .
Without these measures , we will lose Chicago .
Violence is a citywide issue , and it should be all in .
If liberals find some of these measures too draconian , my response is , move to Englewood for one week .
As a Dominican Sister of Peace , who is pro-life in all its aspects ( anti-war , anti-death penalty , anti-abortion ) , I am concerned about the 2020 election .
In a radio interview , Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholics voted for Donald Trump .
Add to that number , the many Evangelical Christians who continue to support Trump .
Some of these voters are perhaps single-issue voters .
That issue is abortion .
While I do not support abortion , I am concerned for the woman who has to make this difficult choice .
I would like voters to consider what happens if our votes lead to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade .
Abortions would still be performed , as they have been for as long as I can remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would now be criminalized .
Do you want a woman who has had an abortion to become a criminal ?
If you answer “ yes , ” what is the next step ?
What punishment will she get ?
You need not be pro-abortion , but you need to consider this question as you vote .

Sooner or later, Chicago, you will grow tired of burying children. You will grow tired of wailing mothers. You will grow tired of living in fear inside your own homes. You will realize that prayer, demonstrations and awaiting gun control legislation is not enough.
Chicago has lost both its sanity and its sense of sanctuary. Now is the time for action.
1. If you commit a crime with a gun, you will draw 25 years in prison without parole.
2. If you are involved in a crime in which a weapon was illegally discharged, or are a felon caught with a firearm, you will be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
3. If you are juvenile and you use a weapon, you will be incarcerated until age 18 (unless you are tried as an adult). A second gun offense after 18 will result in life without parole.
These legislative measures do not interfere with 2nd Amendment rights and could be passed tomorrow.
SEND LETTERS TO: letters@suntimes.com. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be approximately 350 words or less.
In addition, there must be recognition of and an end to structural racism. Sterling Bay got $1 billion for Lincoln Yards on the North Side. A recent WBEZ study of bank home lending found that for every $1 loaned to white communities, just 12 cents went to Black neighborhoods and 13 cents to Latino areas. The South and West sides should demand billion dollar investments as well.
We also must invest in and rebuild our schools with smaller classes, desperately-needed teachers and support staff along with after-school programs. Further, we must rebuild our mental health centers. There must be greater police accountability. In turn, we need to support teachers and police, who cannot function without community support.
Without these measures, we will lose Chicago. Violence is a citywide issue, and it should be all in.
If liberals find some of these measures too draconian, my response is, move to Englewood for one week.
George Bridgeforth, M.D., Bartlett
Trump and abortion
As a Dominican Sister of Peace, who is pro-life in all its aspects (anti-war, anti-death penalty, anti-abortion), I am concerned about the 2020 election.
In a radio interview, Robert P. Jones stated that 60% of Catholics voted for Donald Trump. Add to that number, the many Evangelical Christians who continue to support Trump. Some of these voters are perhaps single-issue voters. That issue is abortion.
While I do not support abortion, I am concerned for the woman who has to make this difficult choice. I would like voters to consider what happens if our votes lead to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
Abortions would still be performed, as they have been for as long as I can remember. The big difference is that they would now be criminalized. Do you want a woman who has had an abortion to become a criminal? If you answer “yes,” what is the next step? What punishment will she get?
You need not be pro-abortion, but you need to consider this question as you vote.
Lois McGovern, OP, North Park


chicagosun-times--2020-08-10--1 dead, 5 hurt in Crystal Lake wrong-way crash

One person was killed and several others were injured in a crash Sunday in northwest suburban Crystal Lake .
The @ @ @ @ @ p.m. on Rakow Road east of Pyott Road , according to a statement from Crystal @ @ @ @ @ Honda CR-V was heading west in the eastbound lanes of Rakow when it hit a @ @ @ @ @ 2012 Ford Fusion that were heading east , police said .
The 2019 Honda continued @ @ @ @ @ collided head-on with a 2017 Buick Enclave , causing another crash with an eastbound 2011 @ @ @ @ @ .
The adult driver of the 2019 Honda , who was the only person in @ @ @ @ @ dead at the scene , police said .
Three other adults were taken to a @ @ @ @ @ not thought to be life threatening , according to police .
Two others were treated @ @ @ @ @ .
The crash remains under investigation , police said .

One person was killed and several others were injured in a crash Sunday in northwest suburban Crystal Lake.
The five-vehicle crash happened about 1:50 p.m. on Rakow Road east of Pyott Road, according to a statement from Crystal Lake police.
A 2019 Honda CR-V was heading west in the eastbound lanes of Rakow when it hit a 2004 Honda CR-V and a 2012 Ford Fusion that were heading east, police said.
The 2019 Honda continued in the wrong direction and collided head-on with a 2017 Buick Enclave, causing another crash with an eastbound 2011 Nissan Versa, police said.
The adult driver of the 2019 Honda, who was the only person in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Three other adults were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not thought to be life threatening, according to police. Two others were treated and released at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation, police said.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-10--Looters are looters no matter what the circumstances

The looting that cut a wide swath through the city ’ s high-end shopping district Sunday night might have been triggered by a police shooting in Englewood earlier in the day , as Chicago Police Supt .
David Brown pointed out .
But that wasn ’ t the root cause of the looting .
Sunday night ’ s assault on downtown businesses was a brazen display of criminal behavior , pure and simple .
An estimated 100 people were arrested , two people were shot and 13 police officers were injured in what appears to be a coordinated effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The people who smashed their way into luxe boutiques didn ’ t do it because they were fed up with police shootings , or because they are out of work and desperate .
They did it because they saw an opportunity to steal stuff they couldn ’ t afford to buy and because they have no respect for the rule of law .
That same attitude was recently on public display when a video surfaced of a group of young black men on bikes carjacking an elderly white man ’ s vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brazen looting and property damage didn ’ t start in the aftermath of George Floyd ’ s death .
Floyd , a Black man , died in May when a white police officer put a knee on his neck .
Several protests over Floyd ’ s death , including one in Chicago , turned into riots that damaged property and left behind empty store shelves .
But the type of pop-up vandalism that took place on Sunday has been going on in Chicago for a while .
In fact , police officers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of young thieves targeting Mag Mile stores for at least two summers .
Sunday night ’ s rampage showed that groups of looters ( with the help of social media ) remain one step ahead of police .
I recognize that youth from poorer neighborhoods have been so marginalized ; they have no respect for police or business owners in these wealthy areas .
But there ’ s no excuse for destroying property and robbing stores .
What happened Sunday night on the Mag Mile was not a protest .
It was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This brazen incident also exposes the divide that exists in the African-American community when it comes to criminality , and why calls to “ defund the police ” are falling on a lot of deaf ears .
While a large number of young Black people are operating under the banner of “ Black Lives Matter ” and making “ good trouble , ” as the civil rights icon , John Lewis , famously said , another group of young Black people have chosen an immoral path that leads to more pain and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mag Mile during the chaos , so I don ’ t know how many of the looters were white or LatinX .
But I woke up to images on TV of Black people—many of them young—hauling away armloads of stolen goods .
Those images convey a shocking lack of respect on their part for Black leadership in this city .
As was pointed out by my colleague , Maudlyne Ihejirika , in Monday ’ s “ Chicago Chronicles ” profile , for the first time in the city ’ s history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Department are African American .
The task to reduce the deadly gun violence falls squarely on their shoulders , and they are fully equipped to meet that challenge .
Yet because of incidents like this one , instead of being able to put more police resources in neighborhoods , police brass will have to put resources exactly where young protesters claim they don ’ t want them to go .
Lori Lightfoot , the first Black woman to serve as the city ’ s mayor , ran for office on a promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all residents .
But Sunday ’ s looting of the Mag Mile will make it even harder for her to deliver on that promise because some people are going to think the city is out of control .
Instead of becoming allies , a lot of well meaning folks of all races are going to pack up and leave .
And Cook County State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx , who is all-in on reforming a system that disproportionately impacts poor Black people , is under constant fire from critics who portray her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can ’ t allow the organizers of these smash-and-grabs to overshadow the “ good trouble ” other youth are engaging in , nor can the looters be allowed to hold the business district hostage .
These are not protesters .
They are criminals and need to get more than a slap on the wrist .
Because what happened Sunday night on the Mag Mile can ’ t be tolerated for reasons bigger than stolen Jimmy Choo ’ s .

The looting that cut a wide swath through the city’s high-end shopping district Sunday night might have been triggered by a police shooting in Englewood earlier in the day, as Chicago Police Supt. David Brown pointed out.
But that wasn’t the root cause of the looting.
Mayor Lightfoot is right.
Sunday night’s assault on downtown businesses was a brazen display of criminal behavior, pure and simple.
An estimated 100 people were arrested, two people were shot and 13 police officers were injured in what appears to be a coordinated effort to pillage Chicago’s premier shopping district.
The people who smashed their way into luxe boutiques didn’t do it because they were fed up with police shootings, or because they are out of work and desperate.
They did it because they saw an opportunity to steal stuff they couldn’t afford to buy and because they have no respect for the rule of law.
That same attitude was recently on public display when a video surfaced of a group of young black men on bikes carjacking an elderly white man’s vehicle at gunpoint.
In Chicago, the brazen looting and property damage didn’t start in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.
Floyd, a Black man, died in May when a white police officer put a knee on his neck.
Several protests over Floyd’s death, including one in Chicago, turned into riots that damaged property and left behind empty store shelves.
But the type of pop-up vandalism that took place on Sunday has been going on in Chicago for a while.
In fact, police officers have been trying to deal with large crowds of young thieves targeting Mag Mile stores for at least two summers.
Sunday night’s rampage showed that groups of looters (with the help of social media) remain one step ahead of police.
I recognize that youth from poorer neighborhoods have been so marginalized; they have no respect for police or business owners in these wealthy areas.
But there’s no excuse for destroying property and robbing stores.
What happened Sunday night on the Mag Mile was not a protest. It was not a revolution. It was anarchy.
This brazen incident also exposes the divide that exists in the African-American community when it comes to criminality, and why calls to “defund the police” are falling on a lot of deaf ears.
While a large number of young Black people are operating under the banner of “Black Lives Matter” and making “good trouble,” as the civil rights icon, John Lewis, famously said, another group of young Black people have chosen an immoral path that leads to more pain and more destruction.
I wasn’t on the Mag Mile during the chaos, so I don’t know how many of the looters were white or Latinx.
But I woke up to images on TV of Black people—many of them young—hauling away armloads of stolen goods.
Those images convey a shocking lack of respect on their part for Black leadership in this city.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday blasted looters who took aim at stores on the Magnificent Mile and elsewhere in the city early that morning. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
As was pointed out by my colleague, Maudlyne Ihejirika, in Monday’s “Chicago Chronicles” profile, for the first time in the city’s history, the top three leaders in the Chicago Police Department are African American.
The task to reduce the deadly gun violence falls squarely on their shoulders, and they are fully equipped to meet that challenge.
Yet because of incidents like this one, instead of being able to put more police resources in neighborhoods, police brass will have to put resources exactly where young protesters claim they don’t want them to go.
Lori Lightfoot, the first Black woman to serve as the city’s mayor, ran for office on a promise to make this city more equitable for all residents.
It was an inspirational goal.
But Sunday’s looting of the Mag Mile will make it even harder for her to deliver on that promise because some people are going to think the city is out of control.
Instead of becoming allies, a lot of well meaning folks of all races are going to pack up and leave.
And Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who is all-in on reforming a system that disproportionately impacts poor Black people, is under constant fire from critics who portray her as soft on crime.
Additionally, we can’t allow the organizers of these smash-and-grabs to overshadow the “good trouble” other youth are engaging in, nor can the looters be allowed to hold the business district hostage.
Don’t be confused.
These are not protesters. They are criminals and need to get more than a slap on the wrist.
Because what happened Sunday night on the Mag Mile can’t be tolerated for reasons bigger than stolen Jimmy Choo’s.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-10--Latest looting leaves a lot to unpack: shock, anger, sadness — and heartbreak

The most telling video from Chicago ’ s latest bout of downtown looting has to be the one that shows two men walking nonchalantly down the street pushing their newly-acquired fancy suitcases .
Big and bold , with little more than a glance over a shoulder , they ’ re in no particular hurry as they make their getaway — not unlike the tourists we might normally expect to see striking a similar pose on Michigan Avenue after vacating their Airbnb and killing time until their flight home .
But tourists are few and far between right now because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are faced with an organized criminal element that seems capable of outmanning and outmaneuvering the police at any time of their choosing .
For the second time in barely two months , we are left to contemplate whether it has come to this : that criminals can act with impunity on what we have always believed to be the safest streets in Chicago .
It ’ s a heartbreaking reality , a gut punch to our collective sense of security .
Because if it ’ s truly the case that police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the golden egg , the downtown area that provides the bulk of the jobs and most of the tax revenue on which this city relies , then Chicago truly is circling the drain .
I apologize if that sounds melodramatic , because that ’ s not normally how I think .
But I ’ ve spent the day cycling rapidly through the stages of grief for our great city — and find myself trapped between shock , anger and sadness .
I suspect many of you are in the same place .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrest following the George Floyd killing that the city couldn ’ t afford for it to happen again , knowing full well that it might .
And yet it managed to catch us with our guard down .
Most of us made peace with the destruction and the looting the first time , understanding that the country was due for a reckoning over race and that there were greater injustices in play .
But this wasn ’ t about that , no matter what really happened in this latest shooting by police in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the same people who terrorize other neighborhoods .
I watched on television Monday morning as Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Supt .
David Brown engaged in fingerpointing , casting blame on Cook County State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx and the judiciary .
Then Lightfoot exploded on a mild-mannered television reporter who rightly called her out on it , displaying a character trait that is growing tiresome .
Brown wanted us to know how smart police had been to deploy 400 officers to respond to the downtown unrest as soon as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , never fully explaining why that was insufficient to quell the disturbance .
Could it be that he needed to send 800 ?
The mayor had spent the weekend obsessing over an embarrassing party at Montrose Point where social distancing was not observed .
She was so busy solving the problem by petulantly erecting snow fences around the shoreline that she may not have noticed her police brass were still unprepared to adequately respond to a real public safety emergency .
Later I drove downtown to see Foxx respond in person to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and not surprisingly , she did not accept any .
Unfortunately for Foxx , she is the only person in the immediate chain of responsibility who is on the ballot this fall .
That probably doesn ’ t mean anything in overwhelmingly Democratic Cook County , but as Foxx herself said , this is a “ weird ” year .
Her Republican opponent , Pat O ’ Brien , is a former judge and high-ranking prosecutor with legitimate credentials , albeit a little conservative for my taste .
Anyhow , Foxx said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unfortunately , no one seems to have any of those , either .
On the way to Foxx ’ s news conference , I noticed it was difficult to know whether I was looking at newly boarded-up buildings or ones that just hadn ’ t completed their repairs from the first time , a reflection of our sorry state of affairs .
On the way home , I was blocked from driving up Michigan Avenue by an array of squad cars blocking every intersection from Ohio to Oak Street , our welcome @ @ @ @ @

The most telling video from Chicago’s latest bout of downtown looting has to be the one that shows two men walking nonchalantly down the street pushing their newly-acquired fancy suitcases.
Big and bold, with little more than a glance over a shoulder, they’re in no particular hurry as they make their getaway — not unlike the tourists we might normally expect to see striking a similar pose on Michigan Avenue after vacating their Airbnb and killing time until their flight home.
But tourists are few and far between right now because of the pandemic, and in their place, we are faced with an organized criminal element that seems capable of outmanning and outmaneuvering the police at any time of their choosing.
Opinion bug Opinion
For the second time in barely two months, we are left to contemplate whether it has come to this: that criminals can act with impunity on what we have always believed to be the safest streets in Chicago.
It’s a heartbreaking reality, a gut punch to our collective sense of security.
Because if it’s truly the case that police cannot secure the goose that lays the golden egg, the downtown area that provides the bulk of the jobs and most of the tax revenue on which this city relies, then Chicago truly is circling the drain.
I apologize if that sounds melodramatic, because that’s not normally how I think. But I’ve spent the day cycling rapidly through the stages of grief for our great city — and find myself trapped between shock, anger and sadness. I suspect many of you are in the same place.
We knew after the first bout of civil unrest following the George Floyd killing that the city couldn’t afford for it to happen again, knowing full well that it might. And yet it managed to catch us with our guard down.
A man sweeps up outside Paul Young Fine Jewelers after looting broke out in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods overnight, Monday morning. Ashlee Rezin Garcia /Chicago Sun-Times
Most of us made peace with the destruction and the looting the first time, understanding that the country was due for a reckoning over race and that there were greater injustices in play.
But this wasn’t about that, no matter what really happened in this latest shooting by police in Englewood. This was a power play by the same people who terrorize other neighborhoods.
I watched on television Monday morning as Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Supt. David Brown engaged in fingerpointing, casting blame on Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and the judiciary. Then Lightfoot exploded on a mild-mannered television reporter who rightly called her out on it, displaying a character trait that is growing tiresome.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot answers questions regarding a police shootout and looting in front city officials during a news conference at the Chicago Police Headquarters at 3510 S Michigan on Monday. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Brown wanted us to know how smart police had been to deploy 400 officers to respond to the downtown unrest as soon as they caught wind of it on social media, never fully explaining why that was insufficient to quell the disturbance. Could it be that he needed to send 800?
The mayor had spent the weekend obsessing over an embarrassing party at Montrose Point where social distancing was not observed. She was so busy solving the problem by petulantly erecting snow fences around the shoreline that she may not have noticed her police brass were still unprepared to adequately respond to a real public safety emergency.
Later I drove downtown to see Foxx respond in person to what she called “dishonest blame games,” and not surprisingly, she did not accept any.
CBD Kratom at 28 E. Randolph St. after looting broke out in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods overnight, Monday morning. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Unfortunately for Foxx, she is the only person in the immediate chain of responsibility who is on the ballot this fall. That probably doesn’t mean anything in overwhelmingly Democratic Cook County, but as Foxx herself said, this is a “weird” year.
Her Republican opponent, Pat O’Brien, is a former judge and high-ranking prosecutor with legitimate credentials, albeit a little conservative for my taste.
Anyhow, Foxx said people are looking for answers not blame.
Unfortunately, no one seems to have any of those, either.
On the way to Foxx’s news conference, I noticed it was difficult to know whether I was looking at newly boarded-up buildings or ones that just hadn’t completed their repairs from the first time, a reflection of our sorry state of affairs.
On the way home, I was blocked from driving up Michigan Avenue by an array of squad cars blocking every intersection from Ohio to Oak Street, our welcome mat to the world.
I didn’t see any suitcases.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-10--Black Lives Matter to Lightfoot: Unrest won’t end until ‘the safety and well-being of our communitie

Black Lives Matter to Lightfoot: Unrest won’t end until ‘the safety and well-being of our communities is finally prioritized’

Black Lives Matter Chicago warned Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday that the renewed civil unrest that ’ s gripped the city throughout the summer won ’ t end until “ the safety and well-being of our communities is finally prioritized.
” “ The mayor clearly has not learned anything since May , and she would be wise to understand that the people will keep rising up until the [ Chicago Police Department ] is abolished and our Black communities are fully invested in , ” the group said in a statement announcing a planned protest Monday night outside the 1st @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The stark warning comes after police wounded a 20-year-old man during a shootout Sunday afternoon in Englewood , leading to an hours-long standoff between officers and residents that at times grew violent .
While police reported that the man fired at officers first , the activists questioned the official police narrative and noted that his shooting wasn ’ t captured on officers ’ body-worn cameras .
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability , the independent agency tasked with investigating police shootings , said the officers involved in the shooting didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviewing POD camera footage that captured “ the pursuit of a man matching the description of the person sought to be in possession of a firearm , ” COPA said .
The man who was shot , Latrell Allen , was charged Monday with two counts of attempted murder and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon , police said .
On Monday morning , CPD Supt .
David Brown said the shooting led to a wave of overnight looting downtown and on the Near North Side that resulted in two people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 injuries to officers .
Though Brown characterized the looting as “ pure criminality , ” Black Lives Matter Chicago said those involved were actually protesting .
“ Over the past few months , too many people — disproportionately Black and Brown — have lost their jobs , lost their income , lost their homes , and lost their lives as the city has done nothing and the Chicago elite have profited , ” the statement reads .
“ When protesters attack high-end retail stores that are owned by the wealthy and service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our ’ city and has never been meant for us.
” Tensions began to boil over shortly after Sunday ’ s shooting in the 5700 block of South Racine when residents took to the streets and clashed with officers .
CPD Deputy Chief Yolanda Talley told reporters that the “ hostile ” crowd was responding to inaccurate reports , including that officers had gunned down a “ young person.
” Talley said an officer was maced and another suffered a shoulder injury during the melee , which resulted in two arrests .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a police vehicle , she said .
But activists faulted police officials for “ sending in hundreds of officers with assault rifles , tear gas , and batons.
” “ These cops intimidated and beat people for nothing more than being at the scene of CPD ’ s violence , ” Black Lives Matter Chicago said in the statement .
“ Yesterday , Chicago police continually proved that they do not keep us safe — they only cause violence , and escalation after the fact.
” As the dust settled Sunday evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own account of the events that led to the shooting .
Earl Allen , 19 , said he and his brother were hanging out at Moran Park , at the intersection of 57th Street and Racine , when they got into a “ little altercation ” and left .
As the brothers walked off with a group of people , Earl Allen said someone made a comment to officers in a police vehicle that prompted a pursuit .
After the group dispersed , Earl Allen said he returned to the area , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he heard roughly eight or nine gunshots ring out .
“ I ’ m hearing it .
I ’ m like , ‘ Oh no , no , no , no .
They ’ re shooting .
I hope they ain ’ t just shoot my brother , ’ ” said Earl Allen , who did not see the shooting .
A short time later , Earl Allen ’ s wounded brother emerged in a grassy clearing and ran into their home .
Fire officials confirmed the victim of the shooting was picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photo of the gun officers reportedly recovered , Earl Allen denied that it belonged to his brother .
He said run-ins with the cops aren ’ t uncommon in his neighborhood : “ They harass us every day .
”

Black Lives Matter Chicago warned Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday that the renewed civil unrest that’s gripped the city throughout the summer won’t end until “the safety and well-being of our communities is finally prioritized.”
“The mayor clearly has not learned anything since May, and she would be wise to understand that the people will keep rising up until the [Chicago Police Department] is abolished and our Black communities are fully invested in,” the group said in a statement. Later Monday, about 200 protesters gathered outside a police station in the South Loop to voice their frustrations.
The stark warning and protests came after police wounded a 20-year-old man during a shootout Sunday afternoon in Englewood, leading to an hours-long standoff between officers and residents that at times grew violent. While police reported that the man fired at officers first, the activists questioned the official police narrative and noted that his shooting wasn’t captured on officers’ body-worn cameras.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the independent agency tasked with investigating police shootings, said the officers involved in the shooting didn’t have body cameras. But investigators are reviewing POD camera footage that captured “the pursuit of a man matching the description of the person sought to be in possession of a firearm,” COPA said.
The man who was shot, Latrell Allen, was charged Monday with two counts of attempted murder and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon, police said.
On Monday morning, CPD Supt. David Brown said the shooting led to a wave of overnight looting downtown and on the Near North Side that resulted in two people being shot, over 100 arrests and 13 injuries to officers. Though Brown characterized the looting as “pure criminality,” Black Lives Matter Chicago said those involved were actually protesting.
“Over the past few months, too many people — disproportionately Black and Brown — have lost their jobs, lost their income, lost their homes, and lost their lives as the city has done nothing and the Chicago elite have profited,” the group’s statement reads. “When protesters attack high-end retail stores that are owned by the wealthy and service the wealthy, that is not ‘our’ city and has never been meant for us.”
Protesters held a sign at a Black Lives Matter Chicago demonstration Monday night. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
At the demonstration later Monday, protesters held a sign that read, “Our futures have been looted from us ... loot back.”
Ariel Atkins, 29, of the North Side, said looters should take “anything they want to take” as “reparations” as about dozens of officers watched.
“I don’t care if somebody decides to loot a Gucci, or a Macy’s, or a Nike, because that makes sure that that person eats, that makes sure that that person has clothes, that makes sure that that person can make some kind of money because this city obviously doesn’t care about them,” Atkins said.
Atkins also refused to believe the police version of the shooting Sunday in the 5700 block of South Racine.
“Police lie,” Atkins said.
After the shooting Sunday, residents took to the streets and clashed with officers. CPD Deputy Chief Yolanda Talley told reporters that the “hostile” crowd was responding to inaccurate reports, including that officers had gunned down a “young person.”
Talley said an officer was maced and another suffered a shoulder injury during the melee, which resulted in two arrests. A brick was also thrown through the window of a police vehicle, she said.
But activists faulted police officials for “sending in hundreds of officers with assault rifles, tear gas, and batons.”
“These cops intimidated and beat people for nothing more than being at the scene of CPD’s violence,” Black Lives Matter Chicago said in the statement. “Yesterday, Chicago police continually proved that they do not keep us safe — they only cause violence, and escalation after the fact.”
Protesters rally Monday night outside the Chicago Police Department’s District 1 Station demanding the release of individuals incarcerated after looting that day, Aug. 10, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
As the dust settled Sunday evening, Allen’s brother offered his own account of the events that led to the shooting.
Earl Allen, 19, said he and his brother were hanging out at Moran Park, at the intersection of 57th Street and Racine, when they got into a “little altercation” and left. As the brothers walked off with a group of people, Earl Allen said someone made a comment to officers in a police vehicle that prompted a pursuit.
After the group dispersed, Earl Allen said he returned to the area, where they live. That’s when he heard roughly eight or nine gunshots ring out.
“I’m hearing it. I’m like, ‘Oh no, no, no, no. They’re shooting. I hope they ain’t just shoot my brother,’” said Earl Allen, who did not see the shooting.
A short time later, Earl Allen’s wounded brother emerged in a grassy clearing and ran into their home. Fire officials confirmed the victim of the shooting was picked up at the home.
Shown a photo of the gun officers reportedly recovered, Earl Allen denied that it belonged to his brother.
“My brother ain’t fired at no police,” Earl Allen claimed.
He said run-ins with the cops aren’t uncommon in his neighborhood: “They harass us every day.”


chicagosun-times--2020-08-10--This year, there’s ‘a silent sadness to each goodbye’ between parents and their college kids (LIVE U

This year, there’s ‘a silent sadness to each goodbye’ between parents and their college kids (LIVE UPDATES)

This year , there ’ s ‘ a silent sadness to each goodbye ’ between parents and their college kids About three weeks ago , I embarked on the 7-hour drive from my parent ’ s suburban Chicago home to my college apartment .
While this is not a new ritual for me , as a third-year college student , saying goodbye this year was immensely harder than any other year .
And I am not unique in feeling this way .
Students have witnessed an unprecedented level of illness and death since last stepping on campus .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 million cases of COVID-19 and some 162,000 deaths .
A time of year that usually calls for great celebration now also brings a silent sadness to each goodbye .
Students are leaving home knowing coronavirus cases will undoubtedly continue to rise over the fall semester .
More seriously , families are parting ways with an awareness that they can not protect each other from becoming ill. No one knows what will occur over these next few months .
No one can guarantee a happy family reunion .
Students are saying goodbye to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lives of others , to fathers who are teachers about to return to the classroom , to sisters who are have an auto-immune disorder that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19 , to brothers who are struggling with their mental health amid such hopeless and uncertain times , and to grandparents who stand little chance against the virus .
Nothing about this is easy .
7:24 p.m. Pritzker defends proposed changes to mask rules as state sees 1,382 new COVID-19 cases , 8 more deaths Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Sunday defended his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes to the way the current statewide mask mandate is enforced , saying politicians shouldn ’ t use a public health crisis for political gain .
The new emergency rules , which were filed Friday by the Illinois Department of Public Health , offer local officials more leeway to give out warnings before fining businesses that don ’ t follow the state ’ s public masking and social distancing guidelines .
Pritzker , who was joined Sunday by a group of doctors and public health officials who shared support for his proposed new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules are “ fair.
” Pritzker , who was joined Sunday by a group of doctors and public health officials who shared support for his proposed new emergency rules , said he believes the rules are “ fair.
” “ Many , many businesses are doing the right thing , but it ’ s not fair to those businesses when their competitors are not doing the right thing , ” Pritzker said .
“ And so , we think it ’ s fair to hold everybody accountable , to hold everybody to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in a way that should allow businesses to get it right.
” Pritzker said having rules requiring masks and proper social distancing makes “ common sense.
” But his new rule changes were met with some opposition .
Read more from Madeline Kenney here .
5:47 p.m. Illinois sees only one new COVID-19 death , but daily caseload again tops 1,000 State health officials on Monday announced 1,319 new coronavirus cases and one additional death .
It ’ s the 20th straight day of four-digit daily caseloads , but only the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional fatality , a woman in her 90s from downstate Cumberland County .
The daily case count has mostly fluctuated between 1,000 and 2,000 in the last four weeks — an uptick from a string of days in June and early July when daily case counts were mostly in the hundreds .
The daily count rose over 2,000 in Illinois for two consecutive days on Friday and Saturday .
But the last time Illinois recorded only a single additional COVID-19 death was on July 26 .
3:33 p.m. U.S. job market paints a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June and pull back on hiring WASHINGTON — U.S. employers advertised more jobs in June compared with the previous month , but overall hiring fell , painting a mixed picture of the job market .
The number of jobs posted on the last day in June jumped 9.6 % to 5.9 million , the Labor Department said Monday , a solid gain but still below the pre-pandemic level of about 7 million .
And employers hired 6.7 million people in June , down from 7.2 million in May , a record high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bars , retail shops , and entertainment venues — businesses that were subject to shutdown orders in April — continued to bring back workers at a healthy pace .
Job openings in those industries also rose .
But outside those categories , employers remain reluctant to bring on new workers , a trend that could weigh on the economy in the coming months .
Hiring slowed sharply in manufacturing , construction , and health care services in June .
12:59 p.m. Antonio Banderas says he ’ s doing relatively well after testing positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says he ’ s tested positive for COVID-19 and is celebrating his 60th birthday in quarantine .
The Spanish actor announced his positive test in a post Monday on Instagram .
Banderas said he would spend his time in isolation reading , writing and “ making plans to begin to give meaning to my 60th year to which I arrive full of enthusiasm.
” “ I would like to add that I am relatively well , just a little more tired than usual and hoping to recover as soon as possible following medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overcome the infection that I and so many people in the world are suffering from , ” wrote Banderas .
11:58 a.m. Nearly 50 U.S. health officials have quit or been fired since April PROVIDENCE , R.I. — Vilified , threatened with violence and in some cases burned out , dozens of state and local public health officials around the country have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak , a testament to how politically combustible masks , lockdowns and infection data have become .
The latest departure came Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director , Dr. Sonia Angell , quit without explanation following a technical glitch that caused a delay in reporting virus test results — information that was used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools .
Last week , New York City ’ s health commissioner was replaced after months of tension with the Police Department and City Hall .
A review by the Kaiser Health News service and The Associated Press finds at least 48 state and local health leaders have resigned , retired or been fired since April across 23 states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 20 people since the AP and KHN began tracking departures in June .
As of Monday , confirmed infections in the United States stood at over 5 million , with deaths topping 163,000 , the highest in the world .
9:15 a.m. State officials question how they can afford additional payments under Trump ’ s unemployment plan FALLS CHURCH , Va. — Whether President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear .
Equally up in the air is whether states , which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bypass Congress , will sign on .
Trump announced an executive order Saturday that extends additional unemployment payments of $ 400 a week to help cushion the economic fallout of the pandemic .
Congress had approved payments of $ 600 a week at the outset of the coronavirus outbreak , but those benefits expired Aug. 1 and Congress has been unable to agree on an extension .
Many Republicans have expressed concern that a $ 600 weekly benefit , on top of existing state benefits , gives people an incentive to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan , the $ 400 a week requires a state to commit to providing $ 100 .
Many states are already facing budget crunches caused by the pandemic .
Asked at a news conference how many governors had signed on to participate , Trump answered : “ If they don ’ t , they don ’ t .
That ’ s up to them.
” • Illinois recorded 1,382 new COVID-19 cases and eight more deaths on Sunday .
• Cubs plan workouts to stay sharp with weekend series postponed due to COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Indiana and Georgia have already reported infections just days into the academic year .
9:20 a.m. Democratic convention preview : Illinois Democrats virtual at-home program ; delegates still get swag The Democratic COVID-19 pandemic virtual convention kicks off next Monday , a pure television and social media prime-time event with the Democratic Party of Illinois producing its own 90-minute daily pre-convention online program , the Chicago Sun-Times has learned .
In past conventions , the Illinois delegation huddled at breakfast meetings , where state and local political intrigue was dished up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , donors , elected and appointed officials plus reporters lurked in the background .
A byproduct of the pandemic is that the political drama that has been a staple of in-person Illinois delegation morning meetings is less likely to take place in 2020 .
In 2016 in Philadelphia , then-Democratic governor potential candidate Chris Kennedy , after delivering a great speech to the delegation , cut into his success when reporters memorably chased him into an elevator wanting to know if he really was going to run .
The spectacle was televised back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 182 delegates and 13 alternates from Illinois , instead of heading north to Milwaukee , will caucus each day starting at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom or some other platform until the convention starts at 8 p.m. Read more from Lynn Sweet here .

State health officials on Monday announced 1,319 new coronavirus cases and one additional death.
It’s the 20th straight day of four-digit daily caseloads, but only the second day since late March with just one additional fatality, a woman in her 90s from downstate Cumberland County.
The fight against the coronavirus pandemic is far from over. Here’s what happened in Chicago and around the state.
News
This year, there’s ‘a silent sadness to each goodbye’ between parents and their college kids
Sun-Times file photo
About three weeks ago, I embarked on the 7-hour drive from my parent’s suburban Chicago home to my college apartment. While this is not a new ritual for me, as a third-year college student, saying goodbye this year was immensely harder than any other year. And I am not unique in feeling this way.
Students have witnessed an unprecedented level of illness and death since last stepping on campus. In the U.S. alone, there have been over 5 million cases of COVID-19 and some 162,000 deaths. A time of year that usually calls for great celebration now also brings a silent sadness to each goodbye.
Students are leaving home knowing coronavirus cases will undoubtedly continue to rise over the fall semester. More seriously, families are parting ways with an awareness that they cannot protect each other from becoming ill. No one knows what will occur over these next few months. No one can guarantee a happy family reunion.
Students are saying goodbye to mothers who are nurses fighting daily for the lives of others, to fathers who are teachers about to return to the classroom, to sisters who are have an auto-immune disorder that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19, to brothers who are struggling with their mental health amid such hopeless and uncertain times, and to grandparents who stand little chance against the virus.
Nothing about this is easy.
Read the full article from contributor Kaitlyn Schatteman.
7:24 p.m. Pritzker defends proposed changes to mask rules as state sees 1,382 new COVID-19 cases, 8 more deaths
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker answers questions from the media after he unveiled a new mask awareness campaign called “It Only Works If You Wear It” during a press conference at the IEMA State Emergency Operations Center, Monday, August 3, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. AP Photos
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday defended his proposed new rules for “modest” changes to the way the current statewide mask mandate is enforced, saying politicians shouldn’t use a public health crisis for political gain.
The new emergency rules, which were filed Friday by the Illinois Department of Public Health, offer local officials more leeway to give out warnings before fining businesses that don’t follow the state’s public masking and social distancing guidelines.
Pritzker, who was joined Sunday by a group of doctors and public health officials who shared support for his proposed new emergency rules, said he believes the rules are “fair.”
Pritzker, who was joined Sunday by a group of doctors and public health officials who shared support for his proposed new emergency rules, said he believes the rules are “fair.”
“Many, many businesses are doing the right thing, but it’s not fair to those businesses when their competitors are not doing the right thing,” Pritzker said. “And so, we think it’s fair to hold everybody accountable, to hold everybody to the same standard and we’re doing it in a way that should allow businesses to get it right.”
Pritzker said having rules requiring masks and proper social distancing makes “common sense.” But his new rule changes were met with some opposition.
Read more from Madeline Kenney here.
5:47 p.m. Illinois sees only one new COVID-19 death, but daily caseload again tops 1,000
State health officials on Monday announced 1,319 new coronavirus cases and one additional death.
It’s the 20th straight day of four-digit daily caseloads, but only the second day since late March with just one additional fatality, a woman in her 90s from downstate Cumberland County.
The daily case count has mostly fluctuated between 1,000 and 2,000 in the last four weeks — an uptick from a string of days in June and early July when daily case counts were mostly in the hundreds.
The daily count rose over 2,000 in Illinois for two consecutive days on Friday and Saturday.
But the last time Illinois recorded only a single additional COVID-19 death was on July 26.
Reporter Mitch Dudek has the full story.
3:33 p.m. U.S. job market paints a mixed picture as employers post more jobs in June and pull back on hiring
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers advertised more jobs in June compared with the previous month, but overall hiring fell, painting a mixed picture of the job market.
The number of jobs posted on the last day in June jumped 9.6% to 5.9 million, the Labor Department said Monday, a solid gain but still below the pre-pandemic level of about 7 million. And employers hired 6.7 million people in June, down from 7.2 million in May, a record high.
The figures suggest that restaurants, bars, retail shops, and entertainment venues — businesses that were subject to shutdown orders in April — continued to bring back workers at a healthy pace. Job openings in those industries also rose.
But outside those categories, employers remain reluctant to bring on new workers, a trend that could weigh on the economy in the coming months. Hiring slowed sharply in manufacturing, construction, and health care services in June.
Read the full story here.
12:59 p.m. Antonio Banderas says he’s doing relatively well after testing positive for COVID-19
NEW YORK — Antonio Banderas says he’s tested positive for COVID-19 and is celebrating his 60th birthday in quarantine.
The Spanish actor announced his positive test in a post Monday on Instagram. Banderas said he would spend his time in isolation reading, writing and “making plans to begin to give meaning to my 60th year to which I arrive full of enthusiasm.”
“I would like to add that I am relatively well, just a little more tired than usual and hoping to recover as soon as possible following medical instructions that I hope will allow me to overcome the infection that I and so many people in the world are suffering from,” wrote Banderas.
Read the full story here.
11:58 a.m. Nearly 50 U.S. health officials have quit or been fired since April
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Vilified, threatened with violence and in some cases burned out, dozens of state and local public health officials around the country have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak, a testament to how politically combustible masks, lockdowns and infection data have become.
The latest departure came Sunday, when California’s public health director, Dr. Sonia Angell, quit without explanation following a technical glitch that caused a delay in reporting virus test results — information that was used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools.
Last week, New York City’s health commissioner was replaced after months of tension with the Police Department and City Hall.
A review by the Kaiser Health News service and The Associated Press finds at least 48 state and local health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 23 states. The list has grown by more than 20 people since the AP and KHN began tracking departures in June.
As of Monday, confirmed infections in the United States stood at over 5 million, with deaths topping 163,000, the highest in the world.
Read the full story here.
9:15 a.m. State officials question how they can afford additional payments under Trump’s unemployment plan
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Whether President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear. Equally up in the air is whether states, which are necessary partners in Trump’s plan to bypass Congress, will sign on.
Trump announced an executive order Saturday that extends additional unemployment payments of $400 a week to help cushion the economic fallout of the pandemic. Congress had approved payments of $600 a week at the outset of the coronavirus outbreak, but those benefits expired Aug. 1 and Congress has been unable to agree on an extension. Many Republicans have expressed concern that a $600 weekly benefit, on top of existing state benefits, gives people an incentive to stay unemployed.
But under Trump’s plan, the $400 a week requires a state to commit to providing $100.
Many states are already facing budget crunches caused by the pandemic. Asked at a news conference how many governors had signed on to participate, Trump answered: “If they don’t, they don’t. That’s up to them.”
Read the full story here.
New Cases
Illinois recorded 1,382 new COVID-19 cases and eight more deaths on Sunday.
Cubs plan workouts to stay sharp with weekend series postponed due to COVID-19.
Newly reopened schools in Mississippi, Indiana and Georgia have already reported infections just days into the academic year.
Analysis & Commentary
9:20 a.m. Democratic convention preview: Illinois Democrats virtual at-home program; delegates still get swag
The Democratic COVID-19 pandemic virtual convention kicks off next Monday, a pure television and social media prime-time event with the Democratic Party of Illinois producing its own 90-minute daily pre-convention online program, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
In past conventions, the Illinois delegation huddled at breakfast meetings, where state and local political intrigue was dished up with the high-calorie buffet while lobbyists, operatives, donors, elected and appointed officials plus reporters lurked in the background.
A byproduct of the pandemic is that the political drama that has been a staple of in-person Illinois delegation morning meetings is less likely to take place in 2020. In 2016 in Philadelphia, then-Democratic governor potential candidate Chris Kennedy, after delivering a great speech to the delegation, cut into his success when reporters memorably chased him into an elevator wanting to know if he really was going to run. The spectacle was televised back home in Illinois.
In 2020, the 182 delegates and 13 alternates from Illinois, instead of heading north to Milwaukee, will caucus each day starting at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom or some other platform until the convention starts at 8 p.m.
Read more from Lynn Sweet here.