chicagosun-times--2020-07-12--Navy veteran fatally shot mom’s lover out of fear he was being targeted as ‘blood sacrifice for the

Navy veteran fatally shot mom’s lover out of fear he was being targeted as ‘blood sacrifice for the Illuminati:’ prosecutors

A Navy veteran was ordered held without bail Sunday after admitting he fatally shot his mother ’ s boyfriend at their apartment in La Grange because the man was planning to kill him as part of a “ blood sacrifice for the illuminati.
” Deangelo Hughes , 25 , is charged with first-degree murder in the killing of 51-year-old Curtis Lee Clark , who Cook County prosecutors said dated Hughes ’ mother for more than 20 years and shared an apartment with her and her son .
About 10:20 a.m. Friday , officers responded to an apartment building in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called 911 and stated he had shot his “ stepfather , ” prosecutors said .
After the shooting , Clark ’ s son called his father using FaceTime and recognized Hughes when he picked up .
The responding officers detained Hughes outside of the apartment building and found a handgun , a magazine and a pepper spray gun that belonged to Clark , who prosecutors said worked as a security officer .
Clark was ultimately found inside a bedroom with five gunshot wounds to his head and body , prosecutors said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short time later .
After being taken into custody , Hughes admitted to the shooting during a videotaped interview and claimed that Clark and a family member were plotting to kill him and that Clark “ wanted him to turn gay , ” prosecutors said .
Hughes also told investigators Clark “ needed a blood sacrifice for the Illuminati , ” a purported cabal of powerful individuals that conspiracy theorists believe has an outsized and secretive influence over world events .
In addition to those seemingly paranoiac comments , prosecutors said family members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t been acting like himself after losing his job at Walmart earlier this month .
Hughes texted a friend two days before the killing , saying he was going to “ smoke ” Clark , according to prosecutors , who said Hughes has a valid concealed carry license and visited a gun range as recently as July 4 .
Patrick Ryan , Hughes ’ public defender , said his client graduated from Westinghouse College Prep in East Garfield Park and later served in the U.S. Navy before being honorably discharged .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Before denying him bail , Judge Arthur Wesley Willis pointed to the possibility that Hughes may have suffered a “ psychotic break.
” At the end of the hearing , Willis entered an order for Hughes to undergo a health care evaluation .
Hughes ’ next court date was set for Tuesday .

A Navy veteran was ordered held without bail Sunday after admitting he fatally shot his mother’s boyfriend at their apartment in La Grange because the man was planning to kill him as part of a “blood sacrifice for the illuminati.”
Deangelo Hughes, 25, is charged with first-degree murder in the killing of 51-year-old Curtis Lee Clark, who Cook County prosecutors said dated Hughes’ mother for more than 20 years and shared an apartment with her and her son.
About 10:20 a.m. Friday, officers responded to an apartment building in the 300 block of Bluff Road when Hughes called 911 and stated he had shot his “stepfather,” prosecutors said. After the shooting, Clark’s son called his father using FaceTime and recognized Hughes when he picked up.
The responding officers detained Hughes outside of the apartment building and found a handgun, a magazine and a pepper spray gun that belonged to Clark, who prosecutors said worked as a security officer.
Clark was ultimately found inside a bedroom with five gunshot wounds to his head and body, prosecutors said. He was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
After being taken into custody, Hughes admitted to the shooting during a videotaped interview and claimed that Clark and a family member were plotting to kill him and that Clark “wanted him to turn gay,” prosecutors said.
Hughes also told investigators Clark “needed a blood sacrifice for the Illuminati,” a purported cabal of powerful individuals that conspiracy theorists believe has an outsized and secretive influence over world events.
In addition to those seemingly paranoiac comments, prosecutors said family members reported to police that Hughes hadn’t been acting like himself after losing his job at Walmart earlier this month.
Hughes texted a friend two days before the killing, saying he was going to “smoke” Clark, according to prosecutors, who said Hughes has a valid concealed carry license and visited a gun range as recently as July 4.
Patrick Ryan, Hughes’ public defender, said his client graduated from Westinghouse College Prep in East Garfield Park and later served in the U.S. Navy before being honorably discharged. He has no prior criminal history, prosecutors said.
Before denying him bail, Judge Arthur Wesley Willis pointed to the possibility that Hughes may have suffered a “psychotic break.” At the end of the hearing, Willis entered an order for Hughes to undergo a health care evaluation.
Hughes’ next court date was set for Tuesday.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-12--Illinois daily COVID-19 case tally drops below 1,000 after recent rise (LIVE UPDATES)

Illinois drops under 1,000 new coronavirus cases , records 20 more deaths Illinois health officials announced 954 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday after recording three consecutive days of over 1,000 cases .
The Illinois Department of Public Health also noted an additional 20 deaths caused by COVID-19 .
The deaths ranged in age from 60 to 90 years old and happened in Cook , Cass , DuPage , Morgan , Will and Winnebago counties .
The slight dip in new cases is still more than what the state was recording just weeks ago .
Since the coronavirus outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 102 of the state ’ s counties and 7,187 deaths .
The most recent confirmed cases were determined out of the 38,894 tests conducted over the last 24 hours .
The seven-day positivity has inched up to 3 % .
America ’ s testing system is once again strained and labs are struggling to keep pace as coronavirus rages faster than ever in the South and West .
From Florida to California , large and small labs running 24/7 can ’ t process samples quickly enough from millions of Americans tested every week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed a week or longer in hotspot communities , undercutting public health efforts to track , isolate and prevent spread .
The number of daily tests reached an all-time high of more than 719,000 on July 3 and averaged nearly 640,000 each day this past week , according to data from the COVID Tracking Project .
Testing centers in Sunbelt cities such as Tallahassee , Florida and Phoenix , Arizona routinely attract long lines and at times must turn away people .
Other than hospital patients , whom labs are prioritizing , delays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at drive-thru and walk-up testing centers , urgent care , doctor ’ s offices and government-supported testing sites .
WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is downplaying the risk of sending kids back to school despite surging coronavirus cases in many parts of the U.S .
Speaking in Sunday TV interviews , DeVos stressed that kids attending school in the fall should be the rule , not the exception .
She asserted that “ there ’ s nothing in the data that suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ health experts who said the virus can still be dangerous to kids , even if the risk is lower .
Dr. Tom Inglesby , director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University , said on “ Fox News Sunday ” that science is also unclear on how much kids can spread the disease to more vulnerable adults .
11:23 a.m. Coronavirus spread , not politics should guide schools , doctors say As the Trump administration pushes full steam ahead to force schools to resume in-person education , public health experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection and death rates even higher .
They ’ re urging a more cautious approach , which many local governments and school districts are already pursuing .
There are too many uncertainties and variables , they say , for back-to-school to be back-to-normal .
Where is the virus spreading rapidly ?
Do students live with aged grandparents ?
Do teachers have high-risk health conditions that would make online teaching safest ?
Do infected children easily spread COVID-19 to each other and to adults ?
Regarding the latter , some evidence suggests they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study aims to find better proof .
Results won ’ t be available before the fall , and some schools are slated to reopen in just a few weeks .
“ These are complicated issues .
You can ’ t just charge straight ahead , ” Dr. Tom Frieden , former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , said Wednesday during an online briefing .
10:56 a.m. Coronavirus surge in Eastern Europe prompts new restrictions BUDAPEST , Hungary — Countries in Eastern Europe are facing rising waves of coronavirus infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandatory face masks in Croatia and travel bans or quarantines imposed by Hungary .
The new restrictions come as the World Health Organization reports that daily global infections hit over 228,000 last week , and the U.S. confirmed over 66,600 new cases on Friday , another record , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Virus deaths are rising in the U.S. , especially in the South and West , with the seven-day rolling daily average increasing from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on Friday — still well below the heights hit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis of data from Johns Hopkins .
Daily infection records were hit in at least six states .
“ It ’ s consistently picking up .
And it ’ s picking up at the time you ’ d expect it to , ” said William Hanage , a Harvard University infectious diseases researcher .
Researchers expect U.S. deaths to rise for weeks , but some think the count will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring .
Jasmin Pierre was 18 when she tried to end her life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Diagnosed with depression and anxiety , she survived two more attempts at suicide , which felt like the only way to stop her pain .
Years of therapy brought progress , but the 31-year-old Black woman ’ s journey is now complicated by a combination of stressors hitting simultaneously : isolation during the pandemic , a shortage of mental health care providers and racial trauma inflicted by repeated police killings of Black people .
“ Black people who already go through mental health issues , we ’ re even more triggered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Orleans .
“ I don ’ t think my mental health issues have ever , ever been this bad before.
” Health experts have warned of a looming mental health crisis linked to the coronavirus outbreak , and the federal government rolled out a broad anti-suicide campaign .
But doctors and researchers say the issues reverberate deeper among Black people , who ’ ve seen rising youth suicide attempts and suffered disproportionately during the pandemic .
Mental health advocates are calling for more specialized federal attention on Black suicides , including research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are offering free help .
And Black churches are finding new ways to address suicide as social distancing has eroded how people connect .
“ There has been a lot of complex grief and loss related to death , related to loss of jobs and loss of income , ” said Sean Joe , an expert on Black suicides at Washington University in St. Louis .
“ There ’ s a lot of hurt and pain in America going on right now , and you only are getting a sense of depth in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Trump wears a mask in public for first time during pandemic to visit military hospital WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump wore a mask during a visit to a military hospital on Saturday , the first time the president has been seen in public with the type of facial covering recommended by health officials as a precaution against spreading or becoming infected by the novel coronavirus .
Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington to meet wounded service members and health care providers caring for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , he told reporters : “ When you ’ re in a hospital , especially … I think it ’ s expected to wear a mask.
” Trump was wearing a mask in Walter Reed ’ s hallway as he began his visit .
He was not wearing one when he stepped off the helicopter at the facility .
7:10 a.m. Trump wears a mask in public for first time during pandemic to visit military hospital WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump wore a mask during a visit to a military hospital on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been seen in public with the type of facial covering recommended by health officials as a precaution against spreading or becoming infected by the novel coronavirus .
Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington to meet wounded service members and health care providers caring for COVID-19 patients .
As he left the White House , he told reporters : “ When you ’ re in a hospital , especially … I think it ’ s expected to wear a mask.
” 7:16 a.m. We can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t hug ; at least let us grin When my boss asked me to gather thoughts on Alinea ’ s new novel coronavirus-shaped canapé , conscientious newsman that I am , I suggested heading over right away to try the tidbit .
To comment intelligently , I had to first sample the purplish sphere of coconut custard with Szechuan peppercorn , dotted with freeze-dried raspberries that caused some on Instagram to grouse that lives lost to COVID-19 are being mocked by a confection .
Alas , time is of the essence .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the thorough treatment by Block Club Chicago , which sadly chose to quote one , count ’ em , one disgruntled person , complaining on Instagram .
“ This isn ’ t ok ... this isn ’ t ‘ cute.
’ This is shameful , ” wrote the irked individual .
No , what ’ s shameful is Donald Trump insisting America ’ s schools re-open in the fall , pandemic be damned .
As is the same people who are willing to sacrifice Grandma to stay behind him now tossing Junior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation marinates in humiliation like Hawaiian chicken .

The Latest
People take a stroll along Chicago’s Riverwalk on Friday afternoon. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Illinois health officials announced 954 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday after recording three consecutive days of over 1,000 cases.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also noted an additional 20 deaths caused by COVID-19. The deaths ranged in age from 60 to 90 years old and happened in Cook, Cass, DuPage, Morgan, Will and Winnebago counties.
The slight dip in new cases is still more than what the state was recording just weeks ago. Since the coronavirus outbreak, the state has documented 153,916 case in all 102 of the state’s counties and 7,187 deaths.
The most recent confirmed cases were determined out of the 38,894 tests conducted over the last 24 hours. The seven-day positivity has inched up to 3%.
Read the full story here.
News
3 p.m. Long lines for COVID tests nationwide, stressed labs delay results as demand spikes
America’s testing system is once again strained and labs are struggling to keep pace as coronavirus rages faster than ever in the South and West.
From Florida to California, large and small labs running 24/7 can’t process samples quickly enough from millions of Americans tested every week. That means COVID-19 test results are delayed a week or longer in hotspot communities, undercutting public health efforts to track, isolate and prevent spread.
The number of daily tests reached an all-time high of more than 719,000 on July 3 and averaged nearly 640,000 each day this past week, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.
Testing centers in Sunbelt cities such as Tallahassee, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona routinely attract long lines and at times must turn away people. Other than hospital patients, whom labs are prioritizing, delays are widespread in the South and West at drive-thru and walk-up testing centers, urgent care, doctor’s offices and government-supported testing sites.
Read the full story here.
12:16 p.m. DeVos downplays risks of return to schools
WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is downplaying the risk of sending kids back to school despite surging coronavirus cases in many parts of the U.S.
Speaking in Sunday TV interviews, DeVos stressed that kids attending school in the fall should be the rule, not the exception.
She asserted that “there’s nothing in the data that suggests that kids being in school is in any way dangerous.”
But she was contradicted by public health experts who said the virus can still be dangerous to kids, even if the risk is lower. Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University, said on “Fox News Sunday” that science is also unclear on how much kids can spread the disease to more vulnerable adults.
11:23 a.m. Coronavirus spread, not politics should guide schools, doctors say
As the Trump administration pushes full steam ahead to force schools to resume in-person education, public health experts warn that a one-size-fits-all reopening could drive infection and death rates even higher.
They’re urging a more cautious approach, which many local governments and school districts are already pursuing.
There are too many uncertainties and variables, they say, for back-to-school to be back-to-normal.
Where is the virus spreading rapidly? Do students live with aged grandparents? Do teachers have high-risk health conditions that would make online teaching safest? Do infected children easily spread COVID-19 to each other and to adults?
Regarding the latter, some evidence suggests they don’t, but a big government study aims to find better proof. Results won’t be available before the fall, and some schools are slated to reopen in just a few weeks.
“These are complicated issues. You can’t just charge straight ahead,” Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday during an online briefing.
Read the full report here.
10:56 a.m. Coronavirus surge in Eastern Europe prompts new restrictions
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Countries in Eastern Europe are facing rising waves of coronavirus infections, leading to riots in Serbia, mandatory face masks in Croatia and travel bans or quarantines imposed by Hungary.
The new restrictions come as the World Health Organization reports that daily global infections hit over 228,000 last week, and the U.S. confirmed over 66,600 new cases on Friday, another record, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Virus deaths are rising in the U.S., especially in the South and West, with the seven-day rolling daily average increasing from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on Friday — still well below the heights hit in April — according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins. Daily infection records were hit in at least six states.
“It’s consistently picking up. And it’s picking up at the time you’d expect it to,” said William Hanage, a Harvard University infectious diseases researcher.
Researchers expect U.S. deaths to rise for weeks, but some think the count will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring.
Read the full report here.
9:42 a.m. Pandemic, racism compound worries about Black suicide rate
Jasmin Pierre was 18 when she tried to end her life, overdosing on whatever pills she could find. Diagnosed with depression and anxiety, she survived two more attempts at suicide, which felt like the only way to stop her pain.
Years of therapy brought progress, but the 31-year-old Black woman’s journey is now complicated by a combination of stressors hitting simultaneously: isolation during the pandemic, a shortage of mental health care providers and racial trauma inflicted by repeated police killings of Black people.
“Black people who already go through mental health issues, we’re even more triggered,” said Pierre, who lives in New Orleans. “I don’t think my mental health issues have ever, ever been this bad before.”
Health experts have warned of a looming mental health crisis linked to the coronavirus outbreak, and the federal government rolled out a broad anti-suicide campaign. But doctors and researchers say the issues reverberate deeper among Black people, who’ve seen rising youth suicide attempts and suffered disproportionately during the pandemic.
Mental health advocates are calling for more specialized federal attention on Black suicides, including research funding. Counselors focusing on Black trauma are offering free help. And Black churches are finding new ways to address suicide as social distancing has eroded how people connect.
“There has been a lot of complex grief and loss related to death, related to loss of jobs and loss of income,” said Sean Joe, an expert on Black suicides at Washington University in St. Louis. “There’s a lot of hurt and pain in America going on right now, and you only are getting a sense of depth in the months ahead.”
8:30 a.m. ICYMI: Trump wears a mask in public for first time during pandemic to visit military hospital
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump wore a mask during a visit to a military hospital on Saturday, the first time the president has been seen in public with the type of facial covering recommended by health officials as a precaution against spreading or becoming infected by the novel coronavirus.
Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington to meet wounded service members and health care providers caring for COVID-19 patients. As he left the White House, he told reporters: “When you’re in a hospital, especially … I think it’s expected to wear a mask.”
Trump was wearing a mask in Walter Reed’s hallway as he began his visit. He was not wearing one when he stepped off the helicopter at the facility.
Read the full report here.
7:10 a.m. Trump wears a mask in public for first time during pandemic to visit military hospital
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump wore a mask during a visit to a military hospital on Saturday, the first time the president has been seen in public with the type of facial covering recommended by health officials as a precaution against spreading or becoming infected by the novel coronavirus.
Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington to meet wounded service members and health care providers caring for COVID-19 patients. As he left the White House, he told reporters: “When you’re in a hospital, especially … I think it’s expected to wear a mask.”
Read the full story here.
Analysis & Commentary
7:16 a.m. We can’t fly; we can’t hug; at least let us grin
When my boss asked me to gather thoughts on Alinea’s new novel coronavirus-shaped canapé, conscientious newsman that I am, I suggested heading over right away to try the tidbit. To comment intelligently, I had to first sample the purplish sphere of coconut custard with Szechuan peppercorn, dotted with freeze-dried raspberries that caused some on Instagram to grouse that lives lost to COVID-19 are being mocked by a confection.
Shoe-leather reporting. Direct experience. Can’t beat it.
Alas, time is of the essence. So all I could do is acquaint myself with the thorough treatment by Block Club Chicago, which sadly chose to quote one, count ’em, one disgruntled person, complaining on Instagram.
“This isn’t ok ... this isn’t ‘cute.’ This is shameful,” wrote the irked individual.
No, what’s shameful is Donald Trump insisting America’s schools re-open in the fall, pandemic be damned. As is the same people who are willing to sacrifice Grandma to stay behind him now tossing Junior onto the pyre as well. Our nation marinates in humiliation like Hawaiian chicken.
Read Neil Steinberg’s full column here.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--Dear Abby: I don’t want to be emergency contact for my sister’s kid

DEAR ABBY : During my sister ’ s pregnancy , she made very clear that the only people she wanted to transport her child would be her , her husband and our mother .
I disagreed , but because of her pregnancy , I kept silent and abided by her wish that I not purchase my own car seat in the event of an emergency .
( I don ’ t have any children of my own . )
Now that the child is in day care , I found out through a third party that my sister has listed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first question that came to mind was “ Why ?
” but all I could do was acknowledge the information .
Would it be out of line for me to ask her about this , and if she confirms it , to remove my info from her emergency contact ?
Or should I just hope that I never get called ?
I don ’ t want to be unprepared , but I know that emergencies do happen .
— TAKEN ABACK IN THE EAST DEAR TAKEN ABACK : Emergencies DO happen .
Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Before listing you as an emergency contact , your sister should have asked for permission and discussed it with you .
It would not be out of line to tell her you have just been informed about it and ask why she did it without telling you .
While you ’ re at it , ask if the child has any medical conditions you ’ re not aware of and EXACTLY what she wants done in an emergency situation .
If you decide to follow through with this , you should know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — if any — medications the child is taking , and what hospital the ambulance should deliver the kid to if it becomes necessary , since you don ’ t have a child seat in your vehicle and don ’ t want to risk being cited should you be stopped on the way .
DEAR ABBY : “ Darlene ” and I have been friends for 40 years .
She moved to Arizona with me in the ’ 80s from Michigan .
Her boyfriend drove out and convinced her to return to Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but she ’ s always hated Michigan .
She raised two girls .
I was always called “ Aunt ” and was considered close .
Years passed and the marriage was struggling .
I invited Darlene to come and visit to get away for a bit .
She fell right back in love with Arizona .
She expressed her unhappiness in the marriage , and I told her that if she ever needed a place to stay , she could live with me .
She came out for another visit , found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her girls , now in their early 20s , were shocked and hurt by their mom ’ s decision to divorce their father .
One of them blames me , blocked me on Facebook and no longer talks to me .
It has been three years , and when Darlene ’ s daughter comes to visit , I have to stay away .
Darlene refuses to talk to the daughter to smooth things out between us .
I think she should do something to defend me .
Am I wrong ?
— WRONGLY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : No , you are not wrong .
You did Darlene a favor by welcoming her to Arizona , but you were not responsible for her divorce .
It appears no good deed goes unpunished .
She should not be letting you take the heat for the fact she left her husband .
Darlene should have explained to her daughter the marriage was an unhappy one for a long time , and regardless of where she chose to live afterward , it wouldn ’ t have been near their father .
Darlene and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because you are required to stay away when Daughter visits , perhaps it would be better if Darlene found another place to live rather than your home .
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren , also known as Jeanne Phillips , and was founded by her mother , Pauline Phillips .
Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .
For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person , order “ How to Be Popular.
” Send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby , Popularity Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: During my sister’s pregnancy, she made very clear that the only people she wanted to transport her child would be her, her husband and our mother. I disagreed, but because of her pregnancy, I kept silent and abided by her wish that I not purchase my own car seat in the event of an emergency. (I don’t have any children of my own.)
Now that the child is in day care, I found out through a third party that my sister has listed me as an emergency contact. The first question that came to mind was “Why?” but all I could do was acknowledge the information.
Would it be out of line for me to ask her about this, and if she confirms it, to remove my info from her emergency contact? Or should I just hope that I never get called? I don’t want to be unprepared, but I know that emergencies do happen. — TAKEN ABACK IN THE EAST
DEAR TAKEN ABACK: Emergencies DO happen. Lives can be changed in only a moment. Before listing you as an emergency contact, your sister should have asked for permission and discussed it with you. It would not be out of line to tell her you have just been informed about it and ask why she did it without telling you.
While you’re at it, ask if the child has any medical conditions you’re not aware of and EXACTLY what she wants done in an emergency situation. If you decide to follow through with this, you should know the name of her doctor, what — if any — medications the child is taking, and what hospital the ambulance should deliver the kid to if it becomes necessary, since you don’t have a child seat in your vehicle and don’t want to risk being cited should you be stopped on the way.
DEAR ABBY: “Darlene” and I have been friends for 40 years. She moved to Arizona with me in the ’80s from Michigan. Her boyfriend drove out and convinced her to return to Michigan and get married, which she did, but she’s always hated Michigan. She raised two girls. I was always called “Aunt” and was considered close.
Years passed and the marriage was struggling. I invited Darlene to come and visit to get away for a bit. She fell right back in love with Arizona. She expressed her unhappiness in the marriage, and I told her that if she ever needed a place to stay, she could live with me. She came out for another visit, found a job and decided to stay.
Her girls, now in their early 20s, were shocked and hurt by their mom’s decision to divorce their father. One of them blames me, blocked me on Facebook and no longer talks to me. It has been three years, and when Darlene’s daughter comes to visit, I have to stay away. Darlene refuses to talk to the daughter to smooth things out between us. I think she should do something to defend me. Am I wrong? — WRONGLY BLAMED IN THE WEST
DEAR WRONGLY BLAMED: No, you are not wrong. You did Darlene a favor by welcoming her to Arizona, but you were not responsible for her divorce. It appears no good deed goes unpunished. She should not be letting you take the heat for the fact she left her husband.
Darlene should have explained to her daughter the marriage was an unhappy one for a long time, and regardless of where she chose to live afterward, it wouldn’t have been near their father. Darlene and her daughter owe you an apology. Because you are required to stay away when Daughter visits, perhaps it would be better if Darlene found another place to live rather than your home.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order “How to Be Popular.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--64 shot, 13 fatally, in Chicago this weekend

Sixty-four people were shot , 13 of them fatally , across Chicago over the weekend .
Fifteen-year-old Terrance Malden , who was gunned down about 4:50 p.m. Friday in Jeffery Manor on the South Side , was the weekend ’ s first victim .
Five other teenagers were wounded in separate shootings between then and Monday morning .
The alarming numbers marked a dip from the gun violence that befell the city over the Fourth of July weekend , when 79 people were shot , 15 fatally .
Eleven of those victims were minors , and two of the children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same weekend last year , nine people were killed and 32 more were wounded .
• The most recent fatal attack left a man dead early Monday in Park Manor on the South Side .
The 27-year-old was on the street about 1:45 a.m. in the 6700 block of South Rhodes Avenue when someone fired shots from a vehicle , Chicago police said .
He was struck in the head and pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center .
• Less than an hour before that , a 26-year-old man was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Side .
He was standing on the sidewalk about 12:24 a.m. in the 1500 block of South Homan Avenue when he was gunned down , police said .
The man was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital .
• Late Sunday night , a man was shot to death and two teenagers were wounded at a gas station in West Englewood on the South Side .
They were in a vehicle at a gas station at 11:28 p.m. in the 7000 block of South Damen Avenue when a silver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting , according to police .
The driver , a 20-year-old man , was shot multiple times and taken to Holy Cross Hospital , where he died .
A 14-year-old boy was shot in the back and a 17-year-old boy was hit in the right arm , police said .
Both were taken to Comer Children ’ s Hospital in good condition .
• Another attack earlier that night left a man dead and three people wounded in Englewood .
Officers responding to a call of a person shot about 9:47 p.m. found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounds in the 700 block of West 66th Place , police said .
He was pronounced dead on the scene .
Soon after , three other people showed up at St. Bernard Hospital saying they had been shot at the same location , police said .
Two men , 27 and 33 , and a 20-year-old woman were all shot in their legs , and all were in good condition .
• Early Sunday morning , a 26-year-old man was shot dead in the same neighborhood .
About 5:15 a.m. , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 71st Street when he heard shots and felt pain , Chicago police said .
He was struck multiple times and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center , where he was pronounced dead .
• Hours before that , a man was killed and two others were critically wounded in a shooting in Humboldt Park on the West Side .
They were standing on the street at 12:44 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Lawndale Avenue when they got into a fight with several other males , who fired gunshots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot in the neck and pronounced dead at the scene .
Two other men , 23 , and 33 , were each shot multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition , police said .
• A 33-year-old woman was killed and two others were injured Saturday night in Avalon Park on the South Side .
She and two 28-year-old women were standing in the street with a group of people about 9:40 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when the shots were fired , police said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Chicago Medical Center , where the 33-year-old who was shot in the chest was pronounced dead .
The other two , both 28 , were in fair condition , police said .
One was shot in the arm , and the other was struck in the buttocks .
• A little over an hour earlier , a 33-year-old man was shot to death in Englewood on the South Side .
Frank Ellis was outside a home about 8:15 p.m. in the 6900 block of South Elizabeth Street when a vehicle pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Cook County medical examiner ’ s office said .
Several people got out and opened fire , striking him in the back .
Ellis , who lived in West Englewood , was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center , where he died .
• Saturday morning , a man was killed and another was wounded in Austin on the West Side .
They were standing on the sidewalk about 1:48 a.m. in the 5400 block of West Congress Parkway when someone fired shots , according to police .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mount Sinai Hospital , where he was pronounced dead , police said .
The other man , 35 , was hit in the left hand and refused medical treatment .
• Minutes before , a man was fatally shot in West Town .
The man , 41 , was found with a gunshot wound to the chest about 1:32 a.m. in the 300 block of North Ashland Avenue , police said .
He was pronounced dead on the scene .
• Another man was found with a fatal gunshot wound about half an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Side .
Officers responding to ShotSpotter reports of gunfire at 1:04 a.m. found the 41-year-old man in an alley in the 7000 block of South King Drive , according to police .
He was shot in the back and chest and pronounced dead at the scene .
• A man was shot to death Friday evening in McKinley Park on the South Side .
About 6:50 p.m. , Sergio Cervantes was in the 3400 block of South Paulina Street when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire , authorities said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park , was struck in the face and back and taken to Stroger Hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
Three other teenagers were among those wounded over the weekend .
• A man and a 15-year-old girl were shot late Sunday night in West Garfield Park on the West Side .
They were standing on the sidewalk just before midnight in the 4200 block of West Monroe Street when they heard gunshots and realized they were hit , according to police .
The girl was shot in the left knee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , was hit in the calf .
Both were taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition .
• A 14-year-old boy was shot early Sunday in Marquette Park on the Southwest Side .
He was standing in an alley about 2:55 a.m. in the 6500 block of South Francisco Avenue when someone fired shots , according to police .
The boy was hit in the abdomen and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in fair condition .
• On Friday evening , a 17-year-old boy was shot in West Garfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 7:33 p.m. in the first block of South Kostner Avenue when another vehicle pulled up , police said .
Someone inside fired shots , striking the boy in the arm .
He was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition .
At least 37 other people were injured by gun violence between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Sixty-four people were shot, 13 of them fatally, across Chicago over the weekend.
Fifteen-year-old Terrance Malden, who was gunned down about 4:50 p.m. Friday in Jeffery Manor on the South Side, was the weekend’s first victim. Five other teenagers were wounded in separate shootings between then and Monday morning.
The alarming numbers marked a dip from the gun violence that befell the city over the Fourth of July weekend, when 79 people were shot, 15 fatally. Eleven of those victims were minors, and two of the children died from their injuries.
In the same weekend last year, nine people were killed and 32 more were wounded.
On Monday, CPD Supt. David Brown asked for patience from the public as he prepares to implement his crime-fighting strategies.
Monday morning
The most recent fatal attack left a man dead early Monday in Park Manor on the South Side.
Shamari K. Smith, 27, was on the street about 1:45 a.m. in the 6700 block of South Rhodes Avenue when someone fired shots from a vehicle, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Smith, who lived in Park Manor, was struck in the head and pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Less than an hour before that, a 26-year-old man was shot and killed in Lawndale on the West Side.
Marshawn Thomas was standing on the sidewalk about 12:24 a.m. in the 1500 block of South Homan Avenue when he was gunned down, authorities said. Thomas, who lived in Lawndale, was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Sunday
Late Sunday night, a man was shot to death and two teenagers were wounded at a gas station in West Englewood on the South Side.
They were in a vehicle at a gas station at 11:28 p.m. in the 7000 block of South Damen Avenue when a silver SUV pulled up and someone inside started shooting, according to police. The driver, a 20-year-old man, was shot multiple times and taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where he died.
A 14-year-old boy was shot in the back and a 17-year-old boy was hit in the right arm, police said. Both were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition.
Another attack earlier that night left a man dead and three people wounded in Englewood.
Officers responding to a call of a person shot about 9:47 p.m. found 39-year-old Rodney Hampton unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds in the 700 block of West 66th Place, officials said. Hampton, an Englewood resident, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Soon after, three other people showed up at St. Bernard Hospital saying they had been shot at the same location, police said. Two men, 27 and 33, and a 20-year-old woman were all shot in their legs, and all were in good condition.
Early Sunday morning, a 26-year-old man was shot dead in the same neighborhood.
About 5:15 a.m., Luther D. Teagues was standing in the 2100 block of West 71st Street when he heard shots and felt pain, authorities said. He was struck multiple times and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Hours before that, a man was killed and two others were critically wounded in a shooting in Humboldt Park on the West Side.
They were standing on the street at 12:44 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Lawndale Avenue when they got into a fight with several other males, who fired gunshots, according to police. A 52-year-old man was shot in the neck and pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other men, 23, and 33, were each shot multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.
Saturday
A 33-year-old woman was killed and two others were injured Saturday night in Avalon Park on the South Side.
She and two 28-year-old women were standing in the street with a group of people about 9:40 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when the shots were fired, police said. All three were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where the 33-year-old who was shot in the chest was pronounced dead.
The other two, both 28, were in fair condition, police said. One was shot in the arm, and the other was struck in the buttocks.
A little over an hour earlier, a 33-year-old man was shot to death in Englewood on the South Side.
Frank Ellis was outside a home about 8:15 p.m. in the 6900 block of South Elizabeth Street when a vehicle pulled up in front of him, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Several people got out and opened fire, striking him in the back. Ellis, who lived in West Englewood, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died.
Saturday morning, a man was killed and another was wounded in Austin on the West Side.
They were standing on the sidewalk about 1:48 a.m. in the 5400 block of West Congress Parkway when someone fired shots, according to police. A 31-year-old man was struck and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The other man, 35, was hit in the left hand and refused medical treatment.
Minutes before, a man was fatally shot in West Town.
The man, 41, was found with a gunshot wound to the chest about 1:32 a.m. in the 300 block of North Ashland Avenue, police said. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Another man was found with a fatal gunshot wound about half an hour earlier in Park Manor on the South Side.
Officers responding to ShotSpotter reports of gunfire at 1:04 a.m. found the 41-year-old man in an alley in the 7000 block of South King Drive, according to police. He was shot in the back and chest and pronounced dead at the scene.
Friday
A man was shot to death Friday evening in McKinley Park on the South Side.
About 6:50 p.m., Sergio Cervantes was in the 3400 block of South Paulina Street when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, authorities said. Cervantes, who lived in McKinley Park, was struck in the face and back and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Nonfatal shootings
Three other teenagers were among those wounded over the weekend.
A man and a 15-year-old girl were shot late Sunday night in West Garfield Park on the West Side.
They were standing on the sidewalk just before midnight in the 4200 block of West Monroe Street when they heard gunshots and realized they were hit, according to police. The girl was shot in the left knee, calf and shoulder while the man, 29, was hit in the calf. Both were taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
A 14-year-old boy was shot early Sunday in Marquette Park on the Southwest Side.
He was standing in an alley about 2:55 a.m. in the 6500 block of South Francisco Avenue when someone fired shots, according to police. The boy was hit in the abdomen and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in fair condition.
On Friday evening, a 17-year-old boy was shot in West Garfield Park.
He was inside a vehicle about 7:33 p.m. in the first block of South Kostner Avenue when another vehicle pulled up, police said. Someone inside fired shots, striking the boy in the arm. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition.
At least 37 other people were injured by gun violence between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--‘Showbiz Kids’: HBO doc offers fresh takes on the struggles of child actors

You know the stories of former child actors such as Gary Coleman and Macaulay Culkin , Lindsay Lohan and Drew Barrymore — but have you ever heard the tale of Baby Peggy , one of the biggest young stars in the history of Hollywood ?
Born on Oct. 29 , 1918 , in San Diego , Peggy-Jean Montgomery was signed to a long-term contract when she was just 3 years old , and became a nationwide sensation after starring in silent films such as “ The Darling of New York ” and “ Helen ’ s Babies.
” At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract with Universal worth $ 1.5 million a year — some $ 22.5 million in today ’ s dollars .
And then , after a contract dispute when Peggy was 7 , she was essentially out of show business .
The 101-year-old who changed her name to Diana Serra Cary to distance herself from her child star past is featured in actor-director Alex Winter ’ s fascinating and thoughtful HBO documentary “ Showbiz Kids.
” Ms. Cary , who passed away shortly after the making of the film , says , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kid was because I didn ’ t have any friends .
… I didn ’ t know there was another world out there for children , and the life of a child was not my life.
” What rang true in 1920 rang true in 1950 and still holds true in 2020 , even as more children than ever are thrust into the spotlight and yearn for their five or 10 or 15 minutes of fame , thanks to an unprecedented number of opportunities , from “ regular ” TV shows to social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes tragic crash of the child star has been tabloid fodder for decades ; we know so many of these stories all too well .
And yet director Winter , best known as an actor for his co-starring role in the “ Bill and Ted ” movies , delivers a thoughtful and fresh take on the subject , thanks in large part to extensive interviews with former child stars such as Wil Wheaton , Milla Jovovich , Evan Rachel Wood , Henry Thomas , Todd Bridges and Mara Wilson .
We see an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young Henry Thomas , who has us choking up as he BECOMES Elliott in an instant , prompting an off-screen Steven Spielberg to confirm he ’ s got the job .
Cut to the now-48-year-old Thomas , a handsome and contemplative fellow , talking about feeling like the center of the universe on film sets , being treated as an equal or a superior by adults — and then going home to rural Texas and feeling lost and wanting to get back to show business , “ because the circus people , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Framed from the hindsight of # MeToo , the stories told by Milla Jovovich and Evan Rachel Wood are particularly harrowing .
Jovovich recalls being sexualized and “ wearing tons of makeup ” for modeling shoots when she was still an adolescent : “ I looked really grown-up .
… I thought I looked like a monster .
I was this little Lolita .
… It was so bizarre and risqué , you ’ d never get away with it today.
” Wil Wheaton , the “ Stand by Me ” star who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( “ Star Trek : The Next Generation ” ) and has become a huge force on multiple media platforms ( he has 2.8 million followers on Twitter ) , laments agreeing to star in a trashy movie called “ The Curse ” and following the career guidance of his mother , noting , “ Her being my manager was all about what was best for her and not for me.
” Director Winter occasionally cuts to a cringe-inducing , cautionary tale in the making , as the Slaters , a couple from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son Marc to Hollywood for pilot audition season .
Mom and Dad talk about how much their boy wants to be an actor and how it ’ s always his choice — but in a session with acting coach Marnie Cooper , the child stumbles through a stiff line reading and looks like he wants to be anywhere but right there .
“ Do you like doing this stuff ?
” says Cooper .
“ Then why are you yawning so much ?
Is this interesting to you ?
Sort of ?
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with acting , then you need to talk to Mom and say this is not something I love doing.
” Later in the film we see Marc back home , playing with toys , splashing about in a swimming pool , having a blast with his friends .
He ’ s not doing any acting at all .
He ’ s genuinely happy , just being a kid .

You know the stories of former child actors such as Gary Coleman and Macaulay Culkin, Lindsay Lohan and Drew Barrymore — but have you ever heard the tale of Baby Peggy, one of the biggest young stars in the history of Hollywood?
Born on Oct. 29, 1918, in San Diego, Peggy-Jean Montgomery was signed to a long-term contract when she was just 3 years old, and became a nationwide sensation after starring in silent films such as “The Darling of New York” and “Helen’s Babies.” At the age of 5, she signed a contract with Universal worth $1.5 million a year — some $22.5 million in today’s dollars. And then, after a contract dispute when Peggy was 7, she was essentially out of show business.
‘Showbiz Kids’
Untitled HBO presents a documentary directed by Alex Winter. No MPAA rating. Running time: 95 minutes. Premieres at 8 p.m. Tuesday on HBO.
The 101-year-old who changed her name to Diana Serra Cary to distance herself from her child star past is featured in actor-director Alex Winter’s fascinating and thoughtful HBO documentary “Showbiz Kids.” Ms. Cary, who passed away shortly after the making of the film, says, “I didn’t know what a regular kid was because I didn’t have any friends. … I didn’t know there was another world out there for children, and the life of a child was not my life.”
“Baby Peggy” Montgomery, a silent-film star at age 3, later said that she “didn’t know what a regular kid was.” Sun-Times file
What rang true in 1920 rang true in 1950 and still holds true in 2020, even as more children than ever are thrust into the spotlight and yearn for their five or 10 or 15 minutes of fame, thanks to an unprecedented number of opportunities, from “regular” TV shows to social media platforms. The unnerving rise and sometimes tragic crash of the child star has been tabloid fodder for decades; we know so many of these stories all too well. And yet director Winter, best known as an actor for his co-starring role in the “Bill and Ted” movies, delivers a thoughtful and fresh take on the subject, thanks in large part to extensive interviews with former child stars such as Wil Wheaton, Milla Jovovich, Evan Rachel Wood, Henry Thomas, Todd Bridges and Mara Wilson.
We see an astonishing audition for “E.T.” by young Henry Thomas, who has us choking up as he BECOMES Elliott in an instant, prompting an off-screen Steven Spielberg to confirm he’s got the job. Cut to the now-48-year-old Thomas, a handsome and contemplative fellow, talking about feeling like the center of the universe on film sets, being treated as an equal or a superior by adults — and then going home to rural Texas and feeling lost and wanting to get back to show business, “because the circus people, they’ll be cool to me.”
Henry Thomas, now 48, recalls his life as a child actor in “Showbiz Kids.” HBO
Framed from the hindsight of #MeToo, the stories told by Milla Jovovich and Evan Rachel Wood are particularly harrowing. Jovovich recalls being sexualized and “wearing tons of makeup” for modeling shoots when she was still an adolescent: “I looked really grown-up. … I thought I looked like a monster. I was this little Lolita. … It was so bizarre and risqué, you’d never get away with it today.”
Wil Wheaton, the “Stand by Me” star who has had success as an adult actor (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) and has become a huge force on multiple media platforms (he has 2.8 million followers on Twitter), laments agreeing to star in a trashy movie called “The Curse” and following the career guidance of his mother, noting, “Her being my manager was all about what was best for her and not for me.”
Wil Wheaton (left) starred in “Stand by Me” as a boy. Columbia Pictures
Wil Wheaton, still an actor and now a social media star, speaks about his experiences in “Showbiz Kids.” HBO
Director Winter occasionally cuts to a cringe-inducing, cautionary tale in the making, as the Slaters, a couple from Orlando, Florida, take their young son Marc to Hollywood for pilot audition season. Mom and Dad talk about how much their boy wants to be an actor and how it’s always his choice — but in a session with acting coach Marnie Cooper, the child stumbles through a stiff line reading and looks like he wants to be anywhere but right there. “Do you like doing this stuff?” says Cooper. “Then why are you yawning so much? Is this interesting to you? Sort of? If you don’t fall in love with acting, then you need to talk to Mom and say this is not something I love doing.”
Later in the film we see Marc back home, playing with toys, splashing about in a swimming pool, having a blast with his friends. He’s not doing any acting at all. He’s genuinely happy, just being a kid.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--City’s development trends post-virus are hard to guess

We ’ re four months into this pandemic .
In some ways , that feels like an arduous slog .
In other ways , it ’ s just a blip in time .
For example , experts are saying it ’ s still too early to assess the pandemic ’ s effects on our choices for where we live and work .
COVID-19 is a conundrum for the world of residential and commercial real estate .
A couple of words about those markets come to mind .
One I ’ ve heard in several conversations is “ visibility , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as , “ We don ’ t have much visibility into demand over the next few months.
” The opaque outlook comes through in a report about the downtown area ’ s office market through the end of the second quarter .
The analysis by the firm Savills , which represents office tenants in lease negotiations , found that much business is on hold .
Robert Sevim , vice chairman at Savills , said many companies are delaying decisions about space needs as long as they can .
Employers are reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figuring out who might continue working from home and whether that arrangement suits their business .
The report said overall leasing in the downtown area was down 75 % in the second quarter compared with the prior quarter , marking the lowest level in 15 years .
With downsizing companies putting space on the market , vacancy rates are rising and rents have just started to head down , reversing a landlord-friendly trend of many years , Savills found .
On the residential side , post-coronavirus market data for the Chicago area has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices mostly holding firm , indicating little panic selling is taking place .
Experts still worry about the evolving crisis , with layoffs continuing and spreading into new parts of the economy .
People worried about job security tend to put off buying or selling a home .
Some think foreclosures could spike in the months ahead .
The other word that comes to mind about real estate is “ churn , ” and I ’ ve used it in some conversations .
So if a leasing agent lays it on you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they need less space — because business is down or more staffers are working from home — or more of it because workers are worried about infection in close quarters .
It ’ s the central question of the downtown business district .
Sevim said companies are biding their time and doing their analyses , but most will be making changes in their space requirements .
“ It ’ s going to depend on each company ’ s preference .
You will not find a singular approach , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were demanding rooftop party decks and tenant lounges .
Now , they ’ ll be asking about cleaning practices , ventilation and touchless elevators .
Corporate culture and productivity come into play .
Some executives will conclude the work-from-home experiment worked wonderfully , while others see value in keeping a team together .
“ The ability to create and innovate and build on a culture is very hard to exercise when everybody is working remotely , ” Sevim said .
The “ churn ” has other implications .
Will employers and hipster workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Fulton Market ?
The Savills report said Fulton Market and River North are especially vulnerable to layoffs that have hit tech companies and co-working spaces .
Other firms could find smaller buildings to be more appealing than downtown skyscrapers .
Darren Sloniger , president of Marquette Cos. , a residential developer in the city and suburbs , said he ’ s breaking ground in August on a Fulton Market development near Union Park .
“ We ’ re not seeing some big flight out to the suburbs , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitches , one from Realtor.com , saying that searches of home listings show people have an increased interest in the suburbs , on the theory that the virus has made the separation of single-family homes and backyards more popular .
But searches are not sales .
People move or stay put for a lot of reasons , many of which will still apply after the pandemic .
Geoffrey Hewings , emeritus director of the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , doesn ’ t buy the shift-to-the-suburbs argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Illinois Association of Realtors , recalled the energy crisis of the 1970s and how people used that to wrongly predict the end of suburban sprawl .
“ Moving is not cheap .
Most people will not make a precipitous decision a month or two into something where you ’ re not quite sure how it will resolve , ” he said .
“ Let ’ s wait a few more months and see what happens.
” In a way , that ’ s the most hopeful message we can internalize in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shall pass .

We’re four months into this pandemic. In some ways, that feels like an arduous slog. In other ways, it’s just a blip in time.
For example, experts are saying it’s still too early to assess the pandemic’s effects on our choices for where we live and work. COVID-19 is a conundrum for the world of residential and commercial real estate.
A couple of words about those markets come to mind. One I’ve heard in several conversations is “visibility,” usually in the context of lacking it, such as, “We don’t have much visibility into demand over the next few months.”
The opaque outlook comes through in a report about the downtown area’s office market through the end of the second quarter. The analysis by the firm Savills, which represents office tenants in lease negotiations, found that much business is on hold.
Robert Sevim, vice chairman at Savills, said many companies are delaying decisions about space needs as long as they can. Employers are reopening offices, but they’re still figuring out who might continue working from home and whether that arrangement suits their business.
The report said overall leasing in the downtown area was down 75% in the second quarter compared with the prior quarter, marking the lowest level in 15 years. With downsizing companies putting space on the market, vacancy rates are rising and rents have just started to head down, reversing a landlord-friendly trend of many years, Savills found.
Robert Sevim Savills
On the residential side, post-coronavirus market data for the Chicago area has shown steep declines in total sales but prices mostly holding firm, indicating little panic selling is taking place.
Experts still worry about the evolving crisis, with layoffs continuing and spreading into new parts of the economy. People worried about job security tend to put off buying or selling a home. Some think foreclosures could spike in the months ahead.
The other word that comes to mind about real estate is “churn,” and I’ve used it in some conversations. So if a leasing agent lays it on you, blame me. It describes employers pondering if they need less space — because business is down or more staffers are working from home — or more of it because workers are worried about infection in close quarters. It’s the central question of the downtown business district.
Sevim said companies are biding their time and doing their analyses, but most will be making changes in their space requirements. “It’s going to depend on each company’s preference. You will not find a singular approach,” he said.
A few years ago, office users were demanding rooftop party decks and tenant lounges. Now, they’ll be asking about cleaning practices, ventilation and touchless elevators.
Chicago Enterprise bug Chicago Enterprise
Corporate culture and productivity come into play. Some executives will conclude the work-from-home experiment worked wonderfully, while others see value in keeping a team together. “The ability to create and innovate and build on a culture is very hard to exercise when everybody is working remotely,” Sevim said.
The “churn” has other implications. Will employers and hipster workers still flock to heretofore hot areas such as Fulton Market? The Savills report said Fulton Market and River North are especially vulnerable to layoffs that have hit tech companies and co-working spaces.
Other firms could find smaller buildings to be more appealing than downtown skyscrapers. Darren Sloniger, president of Marquette Cos., a residential developer in the city and suburbs, said he’s breaking ground in August on a Fulton Market development near Union Park. “We’re not seeing some big flight out to the suburbs,” he said.
My inbox lately has received several publicity pitches, one from Realtor.com, saying that searches of home listings show people have an increased interest in the suburbs, on the theory that the virus has made the separation of single-family homes and backyards more popular.
But searches are not sales. People move or stay put for a lot of reasons, many of which will still apply after the pandemic.
Geoffrey Hewings, emeritus director of the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, doesn’t buy the shift-to-the-suburbs argument. Hewings, who analyzes sales reports for the Illinois Association of Realtors, recalled the energy crisis of the 1970s and how people used that to wrongly predict the end of suburban sprawl.
“Moving is not cheap. Most people will not make a precipitous decision a month or two into something where you’re not quite sure how it will resolve,” he said. “Let’s wait a few more months and see what happens.”
In a way, that’s the most hopeful message we can internalize in the COVID-19 era. This, too, shall pass.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--Woman shot on Dan Ryan; SB lanes closed at 47th

The southbound local lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway are blocked while authorities investigate a shooting Monday on the South @ @ @ @ @ in a vehicle sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. when someone fired at them in @ @ @ @ @ near 47th Street , according to Illinois State Police .
One passenger was hit and @ @ @ @ @ the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition , state police said .
The @ @ @ @ @ not immediately known .
Authorities believe the shots were fired from another vehicle , but @ @ @ @ @ are unknown because the victims have been uncooperative with investigators , state police said .
@ @ @ @ @ the expressway remain closed near 47th as authorities investigate .
Traffic is still moving in @ @ @ @ @ more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

The southbound local lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway reopened about 8 a.m. Monday after authorities investigated a shooting on the South Side.
Three people were in a vehicle about 2:36 a.m. when someone fired at them in the outbound lanes of I-90/94 near 47th Street, according to Illinois State Police.
A passenger was hit and a man, 27, drove her to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, state police said. The woman’s age was not immediately known.
The man and a girl who was riding in the back seat did not sustain any injuries, state police said.
Authorities believe the shots were fired from another vehicle, but the circumstances of the attack are unknown because the victims have been uncooperative with investigators, state police said.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--Home burglaries reported in Englewood

Home burglaries reported in Englewood

Police are warning Englewood residents of burglaries reported since June in the South Side neighborhood .
In each case , @ @ @ @ @ from the home during the afternoon or evening hours , Chicago police said in a @ @ @ @ @ 2:30 p.m. June 7 in the 6700 block of South Green Street ; • Between @ @ @ @ @ June 25 in the 6500 block of South Peoria Street ; and • Between 1:30 @ @ @ @ @ 2 in the 6400 block of South Peoria Street .
Anyone with information about the @ @ @ @ @ Area One detectives at 312-747-8382 .
Read more on crime , and track the city @ @ @ @

Police are warning Englewood residents of burglaries reported since June in the South Side neighborhood.
In each case, someone broke in and stole from the home during the afternoon or evening hours, Chicago police said in a community alert.
The burglaries happened:
At 2:30 p.m. June 7 in the 6700 block of South Green Street;
Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. June 25 in the 6500 block of South Peoria Street; and
Between 1:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. July 2 in the 6400 block of South Peoria Street.
Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call Area One detectives at 312-747-8382.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--Man, 27, fatally shot in Park Manor

Man, 27, fatally shot in Park Manor

A 27-year-old man was shot dead Monday in Park Manor on the South Side .
He was on the street @ @ @ @ @ 6700 block of South Rhodes Avenue when someone fired shots from a vehicle , Chicago @ @ @ @ @ Smith was struck in the head and pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical @ @ @ @ @ Cook County medical examiner ’ s office said .
He lived in Park Manor .
@ @ @ @ @ as Area One detectives investigate .
Read more on crime , and track the city @ @ @ @

A 27-year-old man was shot dead Monday in Park Manor on the South Side.
He was on the street about 1:45 a.m. in the 6700 block of South Rhodes Avenue when someone fired shots from a vehicle, Chicago police said.
Shamari K. Smith was struck in the head and pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He lived in Park Manor.
No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--6 Chicago businesses cited for violating COVID-19 guidelines last weekend (LIVE UPDATES)

Several Chicago businesses received citations from the city ’ s Business Affairs and Consumer Protection last weekend for violating Phase 4 reopening guidelines .
The BACP says it conducted 47 investigations across the city last weekend to ensure restaurants and bars were following rules meant to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
Six different businesses received a total of 12 citations .
“ While most businesses are taking the necessary precautions to keep their customers and employees safe , the City will continue to hold the bad actors accountable , ” a statement read .
One bar – Wise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 324 S. Racine – so egregiously broke guidelines that officials required an immediate shutdown .
The city says the bar was cited for “ being over capacity , failure to maintain social distancing , patrons not wearing face coverings and patrons not seated.
” In the last 10 days , the city has received 1,276 complaints over reopening guideline violations , issued 85 warnings , cited 25 businesses and ordered the immediate closure of two businesses , according to BACP .
7:13 p.m. Illinois coronavirus cases dip after last week ’ s upticks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials announced 883 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and six additional deaths .
It ’ s the third day this month with a daily fatality count that rivals the single-digit tallies not previously seen since late March .
The new figures also marked another day with less than 1,000 new coronavirus cases , after a three-day stretch last week with some of the highest case numbers in weeks .
The seven-day positivity rate remained at 3 % , compared to 2.6 % one week ago .
The six additional deaths brings July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths a day , down sharply from May , when an average of about 100 people were dying each day , or June , when the rate dropped to about 52 COVID-19 deaths per day .
The average number of new cases in July is about 893 a day , down from the peak of 2,172 cases on average in May .
The numbers of new infections topped 1,000 on Thursday , Friday and Saturday , with the 1,317 reported on Friday the highest daily caseload since June 2 .
The most recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30,012 tests conducted over the last 24 hours .
4:32 p.m. Ald .
Carrie Austin reveals she tested positive for the coronavirus Chicago ’ s second-most-senior alderman has tested positive for the coronavirus — after testing negative at a different hospital on the same day .
Ald .
Carrie Austin ( 34th ) tested positive last month after what sources described as a bleeding episode that initially appeared to signal complications from the surgery she had five years ago to repair a torn aorta that nearly killed her .
Sources said the 71-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park , where she tested negative for COVID-19 .
She was then transported by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital , where the original surgery to repair the torn aorta was conducted .
There , Austin was tested again for the coronavirus .
This time , the test came back positive , sources said .
The veteran aldermen , second in seniority only to indicted Ald .
Edward Burke ( 14th ) , was then transferred to a floor at Northwestern reserved for coronavirus patients in isolation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus The Chicago Marathon , which draws runners from across the globe and typically almost 2 million spectators , has been canceled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
It ’ s only the second time in the event ’ s history that it has been cancelled , organizers said .
The challenges of staging a large-scale event at this time , as well as concerns for the safety of event participants , volunteers , event staff and spectators , all led to the decsion to The marathon , now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held Sunday , Oct. 11 .
“ The Chicago Marathon is our city ’ s beloved annual celebration of more than 45,000 runners , as well as tens of thousands of volunteers , spectators and city residents , all of whom come together race weekend as one community here in our city , ” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement .
1:55 p.m. Lightfoot to do what ’ s needed to stop ‘ uptick ’ in coronavirus cases among young people Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday ’ s she ’ s concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases among young people and she is prepared to do whatever is necessary — including a retreat from reopening — to prevent it from continuing .
“ I ’ m not gon na take anything off the table .
I don ’ t think we ’ re at that point just yet .
But I am deeply concerned because we ’ re starting to see this uptick … in the number of daily cases .
… We ’ re not gon na hesitate to take the steps that are necessary if we continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
Lightfoot famously shut down the lakefront in late March because Chicagoans couldn ’ t be trusted to maintain social distance .
She reopened it last month , but only for activities including walking , running and biking — and with the admonition for those on the trail to “ keep it moving.
” Chicago ’ s beaches and Park District swimming pools remain closed .
On Monday , the mayor refused to say what specific actions she was prepared to take to stop the surge among young people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but with the next higher demographic , ages 30 to 39 , also of some concern .
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman here .
1 p.m. Loyola scales back plans for reopening campus this fall , will move most classes online Most of Loyola University ’ s classes this fall will be online , according to an email sent to students , faculty and staff Monday .
The email , sent from university President Jo Ann Rooney and Provost Norberto Grzywacz , announced that in-person classes will only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instruction — things like labs , research and experiential learning classes .
The move represents a scaling back of previous plans .
Loyola had earlier announced they would offer a greater mix of online and in-person courses this fall .
“ Our priority remains the health , safety , and well-being of our Loyola community , ” the email said .
“ As COVID-19 infection rates and deaths continue to increase across numerous states , we share the concerns of our faculty , staff , and broader community.
” Experts are saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic ’ s effects on our choices for where we live and work : COVID-19 is a conundrum for the world of residential and commercial real estate .
The opaque outlook comes through in a report about the downtown area ’ s office market through the end of the second quarter .
The analysis by the firm Savills , which represents office tenants in lease negotiations , found that much business is on hold .
Robert Sevim , vice chairman at Savills , said many companies are delaying decisions about space needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are reopening offices , but they ’ re still figuring out who might continue working from home and whether that arrangement suits their business .
The report said overall leasing in the downtown area was down 75 % in the second quarter compared with the prior quarter , marking the lowest level in 15 years .
With downsizing companies putting space on the market , vacancy rates are rising and rents have just started to head down , reversing a landlord-friendly trend of many years , Savills found .
On the residential side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area has shown steep declines in total sales but prices mostly holding firm , indicating little panic selling is taking place .
Read the full story from David Roeder here .
10:52 a.m. Cubs ’ David Ross , five others missing Monday workout as they await latest COVID-19 test results Cubs manager David Ross and five other Tier 1 individuals are missing Monday ’ s workout at Wrigley Field as they await Saturday test results .
According to a Cubs statement , the “ overwhelming majority ” of test results from Saturday have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all essential on-field personnel , including players , coaches , trainers , doctors , physical therapists and the bullpen catcher .
“ We ’ ve decided to do the prudent thing , so myself and the five others will not attend this morning ’ s workout , ” Ross said .
“ Out of an abundance of caution , we think it makes sense for the six of us to wait for clarity .
Situations like this have not been a worrisome indicator of a positive test result to date.
” 10:17 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn from New York As cases spiked in March and April , New York became the nation ’ s coronavirus nightmare , with New York City at the crux of it .
Statewide , over 18,000 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals at one point in April .
Daily deaths peaked at 799 in April , and have totaled over 24,000 .
Now , as states from Florida to Texas to California see new confirmed cases soar , hospitals fill up and daily death tolls hit new records , numbers have dropped precipitously in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five new deaths statewide Sunday , when hospitals were caring for a total of about 800 coronavirus patients .
While New York has been gradually reopening , it also has been quietly preparing to handle another surge if it comes .
After health workers in New York and elsewhere grappled with shortages of masks , gowns and other protective gear this spring , Cuomo said he would order hospitals to have a 90-day supply on hand .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city would build its own reserve of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kits , identifying local suppliers and manufacturers rather than looking to federal authorities or global markets .
“ We ’ ve learned a tough lesson that we have to create , and we have to protect ourselves , ” said de Blasio , a Democrat , who also said the city would stockpile as many as 18 million shelf-stable meals .
7:56 a.m. Coronavirus surge in Eastern Europe prompts new restrictions Countries in Eastern Europe are facing rising waves of coronavirus infections , leading to riots in Serbia , mandatory face masks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Hungary .
The new restrictions come as the World Health Organization reports that daily global infections hit over 228,000 last week , and the U.S. confirmed over 66,600 new cases on Friday , another record , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Virus deaths are rising in the U.S. , especially in the South and West , with the seven-day rolling daily average increasing from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on Friday — still well below the heights hit in April — according to an Associated Press analysis of data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit in at least six states .
“ It ’ s consistently picking up .
And it ’ s picking up at the time you ’ d expect it to , ” said William Hanage , a Harvard University infectious diseases researcher .
Researchers expect U.S. deaths to rise for weeks , but some think the count will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring .
• Illinois health officials announced 954 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday after recording three consecutive days of over 1,000 cases .
8:03 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes back to bite every 3 to 14 days Mark Urquiza , 65 , died of COVID-19 two weeks ago , having made the mistake of listening to President Donald Trump and Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey .
Trump and Ducey , like a lot of Republican leaders , began urging people in early May to get back to their normal lives .
They said the pandemic was subsiding and sort of a hoax anyway , and Urquiza took them at their word and started going out with friends again .
Three weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order on May 15 , Urquiza began feeling ill. On June 30 , he died .
In a stunning obituary in the Arizona Republic on Wednesday , Urquiza ’ s daughter , Kristin , put the blame right where it belongs : Ducey , she said , “ has blood on his hands.
” It never fails to amaze us how Trump , Ducey and others like them remain wedded to an approach to the pandemic — denial — that is doomed to failure as a matter of both public health and politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic away , the more they will have blood on their hands .
Read the full editorial from the Sun-Times Editorial Board here .

Illinois health officials announced 883 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and six additional deaths.
It’s the third day this month with a daily fatality count that rivals the single-digit tallies not previously seen since late March.
Here’s what else happened in Chicago and around the state as the coronavirus pandemic continued.
News
8:56 p.m. 6 Chicago businesses cited for violating COVID-19 guidelines last weekend
Dozens of people dine outside Tavern on Rush in Gold Coast on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Several Chicago businesses received citations from the city’s Business Affairs and Consumer Protection last weekend for violating Phase 4 reopening guidelines.
The BACP says it conducted 47 investigations across the city last weekend to ensure restaurants and bars were following rules meant to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Six different businesses received a total of 12 citations.
“While most businesses are taking the necessary precautions to keep their customers and employees safe, the City will continue to hold the bad actors accountable,” a statement read.
One bar – Wise Owl Drinkery & Cookhouse, located at 324 S. Racine – so egregiously broke guidelines that officials required an immediate shutdown. The city says the bar was cited for “being over capacity, failure to maintain social distancing, patrons not wearing face coverings and patrons not seated.”
In the last 10 days, the city has received 1,276 complaints over reopening guideline violations, issued 85 warnings, cited 25 businesses and ordered the immediate closure of two businesses, according to BACP.
— Satchel Price
7:13 p.m. Illinois coronavirus cases dip after last week’s upticks, deaths again in single digits
Illinois health officials announced 883 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and six additional deaths.
It’s the third day this month with a daily fatality count that rivals the single-digit tallies not previously seen since late March.
The new figures also marked another day with less than 1,000 new coronavirus cases, after a three-day stretch last week with some of the highest case numbers in weeks.
The seven-day positivity rate remained at 3%, compared to 2.6% one week ago.
The six additional deaths brings July’s daily average to about 21 deaths a day, down sharply from May, when an average of about 100 people were dying each day, or June, when the rate dropped to about 52 COVID-19 deaths per day.
The average number of new cases in July is about 893 a day, down from the peak of 2,172 cases on average in May. The numbers of new infections topped 1,000 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the 1,317 reported on Friday the highest daily caseload since June 2.
The most recent confirmed cases were determined out of the 30,012 tests conducted over the last 24 hours.
4:32 p.m. Ald. Carrie Austin reveals she tested positive for the coronavirus
Chicago’s second-most-senior alderman has tested positive for the coronavirus — after testing negative at a different hospital on the same day.
Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) tested positive last month after what sources described as a bleeding episode that initially appeared to signal complications from the surgery she had five years ago to repair a torn aorta that nearly killed her.
Sources said the 71-year-old Austin was taken by ambulance to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, where she tested negative for COVID-19. She was then transported by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where the original surgery to repair the torn aorta was conducted.
There, Austin was tested again for the coronavirus. This time, the test came back positive, sources said. The veteran aldermen, second in seniority only to indicted Ald. Edward Burke (14th), was then transferred to a floor at Northwestern reserved for coronavirus patients in isolation.
Read the full story here.
3:23 p.m. 2020 Chicago marathon canceled because of the coronavirus
The Chicago Marathon, which draws runners from across the globe and typically almost 2 million spectators, has been canceled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
It’s only the second time in the event’s history that it has been cancelled, organizers said.
The challenges of staging a large-scale event at this time, as well as concerns for the safety of event participants, volunteers, event staff and spectators, all led to the decsion to
The marathon, now in its 43rd year, was to be held Sunday, Oct. 11.
“The Chicago Marathon is our city’s beloved annual celebration of more than 45,000 runners, as well as tens of thousands of volunteers, spectators and city residents, all of whom come together race weekend as one community here in our city,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
1:55 p.m. Lightfoot to do what’s needed to stop ‘uptick’ in coronavirus cases among young people
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday’s she’s concerned about an “uptick” in coronavirus cases among young people and she is prepared to do whatever is necessary — including a retreat from reopening — to prevent it from continuing.
“I’m not gonna take anything off the table. I don’t think we’re at that point just yet. But I am deeply concerned because we’re starting to see this uptick … in the number of daily cases. … We’re not gonna hesitate to take the steps that are necessary if we continue to see a rise in that number,” she said.
Lightfoot famously shut down the lakefront in late March because Chicagoans couldn’t be trusted to maintain social distance. She reopened it last month, but only for activities including walking, running and biking — and with the admonition for those on the trail to “keep it moving.” Chicago’s beaches and Park District swimming pools remain closed.
On Monday, the mayor refused to say what specific actions she was prepared to take to stop the surge among young people, primarily ages 18 to 29, but with the next higher demographic, ages 30 to 39, also of some concern.
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman here.
1 p.m. Loyola scales back plans for reopening campus this fall, will move most classes online
Most of Loyola University’s classes this fall will be online, according to an email sent to students, faculty and staff Monday.
The email, sent from university President Jo Ann Rooney and Provost Norberto Grzywacz, announced that in-person classes will only be offered for courses that need face-to-face instruction — things like labs, research and experiential learning classes.
The move represents a scaling back of previous plans. Loyola had earlier announced they would offer a greater mix of online and in-person courses this fall.
“Our priority remains the health, safety, and well-being of our Loyola community,” the email said. “As COVID-19 infection rates and deaths continue to increase across numerous states, we share the concerns of our faculty, staff, and broader community.”
Read the full story here.
12:48 p.m. ‘Opaque outlook’ for downtown real estate market
Experts are saying it’s still too early to assess the pandemic’s effects on our choices for where we live and work: COVID-19 is a conundrum for the world of residential and commercial real estate.
The opaque outlook comes through in a report about the downtown area’s office market through the end of the second quarter. The analysis by the firm Savills, which represents office tenants in lease negotiations, found that much business is on hold.
Robert Sevim, vice chairman at Savills, said many companies are delaying decisions about space needs as long as they can. Employers are reopening offices, but they’re still figuring out who might continue working from home and whether that arrangement suits their business.
The report said overall leasing in the downtown area was down 75% in the second quarter compared with the prior quarter, marking the lowest level in 15 years. With downsizing companies putting space on the market, vacancy rates are rising and rents have just started to head down, reversing a landlord-friendly trend of many years, Savills found.
On the residential side, post-coronavirus market data for the Chicago area has shown steep declines in total sales but prices mostly holding firm, indicating little panic selling is taking place.
Read the full story from David Roeder here.
10:52 a.m. Cubs’ David Ross, five others missing Monday workout as they await latest COVID-19 test results
Cubs manager David Ross and five other Tier 1 individuals are missing Monday’s workout at Wrigley Field as they await Saturday test results. According to a Cubs statement, the “overwhelming majority” of test results from Saturday have already been reported.
Tier 1 includes all essential on-field personnel, including players, coaches, trainers, doctors, physical therapists and the bullpen catcher.
“We’ve decided to do the prudent thing, so myself and the five others will not attend this morning’s workout,” Ross said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we think it makes sense for the six of us to wait for clarity. Situations like this have not been a worrisome indicator of a positive test result to date.”
Read the full story here.
10:17 a.m. What other states ravaged by COVID-19 can learn from New York
As cases spiked in March and April, New York became the nation’s coronavirus nightmare, with New York City at the crux of it. Statewide, over 18,000 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals at one point in April. Daily deaths peaked at 799 in April, and have totaled over 24,000.
Now, as states from Florida to Texas to California see new confirmed cases soar, hospitals fill up and daily death tolls hit new records, numbers have dropped precipitously in the tri-state region. New York reported five new deaths statewide Sunday, when hospitals were caring for a total of about 800 coronavirus patients.
While New York has been gradually reopening, it also has been quietly preparing to handle another surge if it comes.
After health workers in New York and elsewhere grappled with shortages of masks, gowns and other protective gear this spring, Cuomo said he would order hospitals to have a 90-day supply on hand. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city would build its own reserve of ventilators, protective equipment and coronavirus test kits, identifying local suppliers and manufacturers rather than looking to federal authorities or global markets.
“We’ve learned a tough lesson that we have to create, and we have to protect ourselves,” said de Blasio, a Democrat, who also said the city would stockpile as many as 18 million shelf-stable meals.
Read the full report here.
7:56 a.m. Coronavirus surge in Eastern Europe prompts new restrictions
Countries in Eastern Europe are facing rising waves of coronavirus infections, leading to riots in Serbia, mandatory face masks in Croatia and travel bans or quarantines imposed by Hungary.
The new restrictions come as the World Health Organization reports that daily global infections hit over 228,000 last week, and the U.S. confirmed over 66,600 new cases on Friday, another record, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Virus deaths are rising in the U.S., especially in the South and West, with the seven-day rolling daily average increasing from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on Friday — still well below the heights hit in April — according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins. Daily infection records were hit in at least six states.
“It’s consistently picking up. And it’s picking up at the time you’d expect it to,” said William Hanage, a Harvard University infectious diseases researcher.
Researchers expect U.S. deaths to rise for weeks, but some think the count will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring.
Read the full report here.
New cases
Former Cubs pitcher, current Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has COVID-19.
Brazil’s President Bolsonaro tests positive for COVID-19.
Illinois health officials announced 954 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday after recording three consecutive days of over 1,000 cases.
Analysis & Commentary
8:03 a.m. How Trump’s deadly reelection strategy comes back to bite every 3 to 14 days
Mark Urquiza, 65, died of COVID-19 two weeks ago, having made the mistake of listening to President Donald Trump and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.
Trump and Ducey, like a lot of Republican leaders, began urging people in early May to get back to their normal lives. They said the pandemic was subsiding and sort of a hoax anyway, and Urquiza took them at their word and started going out with friends again.
Three weeks after Ducey lifted Arizona’s stay-at-home order on May 15, Urquiza began feeling ill. On June 30, he died.
In a stunning obituary in the Arizona Republic on Wednesday, Urquiza’s daughter, Kristin, put the blame right where it belongs:
Ducey, she said, “has blood on his hands.”
It never fails to amaze us how Trump, Ducey and others like them remain wedded to an approach to the pandemic — denial — that is doomed to failure as a matter of both public health and politics.
The more they try to wish the pandemic away, the more they will have blood on their hands.
Read the full editorial from the Sun-Times Editorial Board here.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--Teen shot in Lawndale

Teen shot in Lawndale

A 17-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting Monday in Lawndale on the West Side .
He was on the @ @ @ @ @ the 1500 block of South Keeler Avenue when someone opened fire , Chicago police said @ @ @ @ @ in the shoulder and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition , police said @ @ @ @ @ , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A 17-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting Monday in Lawndale on the West Side.
He was on the sidewalk about 5:48 p.m. in the 1500 block of South Keeler Avenue when someone opened fire, Chicago police said.
The teen was struck in the shoulder and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said.
Area Four detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-07-13--Man dies weeks after motorcycle crash in Des Plaines

A 22-year-old man has died from complications about a month after he was injured in a crash in northwest suburban @ @ @ @ @ was in a motorcycle crash about 11:28 p.m. June 3 in the 1000 block of @ @ @ @ @ to the Cook County medical examiner ’ s office .
He was pronounced dead July @ @ @ @ @ .
Autopsy results found he died from complications of blunt force injuries and ruled his @ @ @ @ @ medical examiner ’ s office said .
Des Plaines police didn ’ t immediately respond @ @ @ @ @ about the crash .

A 22-year-old man has died from complications about a month after he was injured in a crash in northwest suburban Des Plaines.
Dylan Arends was in a motorcycle crash about 11:28 p.m. June 3 in the 1000 block of East Northwest Highway, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead July 11 at Lutheran General Hospital.
Autopsy results found he died from complications of blunt force injuries and ruled his death an accident, the medical examiner’s office said.
Des Plaines police didn’t immediately respond to a request for details about the crash.