chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--The future of riding the CTA: Here’s how Chicago commutes will change as the city reopens (LIVE UPDA

The future of riding the CTA: Here’s how Chicago commutes will change as the city reopens (LIVE UPDATES)

The future of riding the CTA : Here ’ s how Chicago commutes will change It ’ s the million-dollar question in the world of transit : What will commuting look like ?
No one is sure .
Human behavior is hard to predict .
But here ’ s how it might play out .
Beginning in June , workers at the CTA ’ s control center will monitor live video feeds of high ridership stations to watch for platform crowding .
If crowding occurs , announcements will be made over the public address system asking customers to spread out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incoming one is full .
About 90 people fill a jam-packed CTA train car in normal times .
Capacity will be down significantly with social distancing , but CTA officials couldn ’ t immediately provide an estimate .
The CTA will also be placing floor decals at stations and platforms reminding people to spread out .
Reporter Mitch Dudek has more on the future of commuting on the CTA , Metra and Pace .
6:57 p.m. California Clipper , longtime Humboldt Park tavern , to shutter its doors for good While Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — patiently wait for the city ’ s official re-opening phases to kick in , a longtime Humboldt Park tavern won ’ t be around to experience what it ’ s like to survive the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The California Clipper , located at 1002 N. California Ave. , is closing permanently , according to multiple media reports Thursday .
The closing , first reported by Eater Chicago , says that Brendan Sodikoff , the tavern ’ s owner , couldn ’ t come to an agreement with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sense for the bar and coffee shop to remain as tenants.
” Sodikoff , the CEO of Hogsalt Hospitality ( Au Cheval , Bavette ’ s ) who bought the venue in 2014 , also confirmed in the report that he ’ s shutdown C.C .
Ferns , a neighboring coffee shop .
5:44 p.m.
Here ’ s what Illinois ’ Phase 3 reopening will look like Illinois is expected to enter Phase 3 of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s “ Reopen Illinois ” plan Friday , which will mean fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to work for as many as 130,000 non-essential employees in the state .
Among the changes that will accompany a transition into Phase 3 : • All gatherings of 10 people or fewer are allowed with this limit subject to change based on latest data & guidance • Travel is permitted in accordance with IDPH and CDC approved guidance • All health care providers are open with IDPH approved safety guidance • Remote learning will continue in P-12 schools and higher education ; Limited child care and summer programs can open with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will open ; Activities are permitted in groups of 10 or fewer with social distancing • Barbershops and salons will open with IDPH approved safety guidance ; Health and fitness clubs can provide outdoor classes and one-on-one personal training with IDPH approved safety guidance We ’ re tracking the state ’ s transition through Pritzker ’ s Reopen Illinois plan here .
Follow along for real-time updates .
4:54 p.m .
Suburbs get ready for new normal as Pritzker ’ s reopening plan enters next phase Most of Illinois is set to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s “ Restore Illinois ” plan Friday , a crucial step toward restoring the life Illinoisans once knew .
But that doesn ’ t mean all will necessarily go back to normal in the suburbs .
Pritzker ’ s plan still restricts gatherings to 10 people or fewer .
Face coverings are required in public .
Retailers may open , but with limited capacity .
Barbershops , salons and gyms must follow certain rules .
And while some suburbs might put their own restrictions in place , enforcement is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the legal authority to enforce any of this , ” Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said Thursday .
Karla Taylor-Bauman opened her eyes , saw the strange creatures in blue suits and visors floating before her and thought she was in outer space .
“ What ’ s going on ?
Where am I ?
” she remembers the panicked voice in her head saying .
Not outer space , but she had just returned from a kind of nowhere world — 21 days in a coma .
The Lake Villa woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus infection that kept her in a hospital bed for almost two months .
At one point , doctors told her husband to prepare for the worst .
On Wednesday , a day after being released from Kindred Hospital Chicago North in the Uptown neighborhood , she was at her parents ’ home in North Chicago , marveling at her good fortune — but also reflecting on what might have been .
Read the full story from Stefano Esposito here .
State health officials on Thursday announced 104 more deaths attributed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 5,186 .
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 1,527 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
A total of 115,833 people have tested positive statewide .
Nearly 44 % of those cases have occurred in long-term care facilities like nursing homes , state Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said .
“ We are ensuring that swift action is being taken and we know that facilities must immediately notify state health officials of any cases of COVID-19 , ” Ezike said .
Chicago will begin a partial reopening of restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday .
The guidelines of the limited reopening will even be explained by the Second City in weekly web series titled “ Phased & Confused.
” Officially , under the city ’ s guidelines for reopening , this means we are moving to Phase 3 .
But Phase 3 does not mean the pandemic is over , Lightfoot cautioned .
We can not “ totally eliminate risk .
The best we can do is continue following public health guidance ” around wearing a mask , washing hands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If cases spike again and people fail to obey social distance and wear masks , Lightfoot said she won ’ t hesitate to revert to the more-restrictive Phase 2 .
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman here .
1:02 p.m .
These 8 Chicago streets will close to most traffic for social distancing Some streets in Chicago will soon allow more than just cars .
The city ’ s Department of Transportation is temporarily converting some roads into “ shared streets , ” which will accommodate walkers , runners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The conversions will allow residents of certain neighborhoods to follow social distancing guidelines even when out and about , which they might not otherwise be able to do on the sidewalk .
The streets are being selected through a collaborative process with local residents and officials , CDOT spokesperson Michael Claffey said Wednesday .
“ As the City anticipates transitioning into a new phase of its reopening plan sometime in June , CDOT is preparing plans to equitably re-allocate street space to residents , where feasible , for various uses beyond driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
The streets designated so far include : Read the full story from Ben Pope here .
Karla Taylor-Bauman opened her eyes , saw the strange creatures in blue suits and visors floating before her and thought she was in outer space .
“ What ’ s going on ?
Where am I ?
” she remembers the panicked voice in her head saying .
Not outer space , but she had just returned from a kind of nowhere world — 21 days in a coma .
The Lake Villa woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus infection that kept her in a hospital bed for almost two months .
At one point , doctors told her husband to prepare for the worst .
On Wednesday , a day after being released from Kindred Hospital Chicago North in the Uptown neighborhood , she was at her parents ’ home in North Chicago , marveling at her good fortune — but also reflecting on what might have been .
“ It ’ s just hitting me really that three weeks ago I could have died and I had no opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I went from just having a fever to a complete coma , ” said Taylor-Bauman , who spent her 50th birthday alone at the hospital .
Read the full story from Stefano Esposito here .
10:02 a.m. Two Cook County judges test positive for COVID-19 A pair of Cook County judges have tested positive for COVID-19 , marking the first cases of the coronavirus in judges of the Circuit Court , officials announced Thursday .
Both work at the 5th Municipal District in Bridgeview , according to Pat Milhizer , spokesman for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are among a total of 39 employees of the Office of the Chief Judge who have tested positive for the coronavirus , Milhizer said .
The announcement comes on the day Chief Judge Timothy Evans is expected to sign an order extending COVID-19 precautions in the Circuit Court into July .
Most day-to-day court operations ceased when Evans ’ initial order went into effect March 17 .
Read the full story from David Struett here .
8:50 a.m. 41 million have lost jobs since virus hit , but layoffs slow Roughly 2.1 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , a sign that companies are still slashing jobs in the face of a deep recession even as more businesses reopen and rehire some laid-off employees .
About 41 million people have now applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March , though not all of them are still unemployed .
The Labor Department ’ s report Thursday includes a count of all the people now receiving unemployment aid : 21 million .
That is a rough measure of the number of unemployed Americans .
The national jobless rate was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the Great Depression , and many economists expect it will near 20 % in May .
States are gradually restarting their economies by letting some businesses — from gyms , retail shops and restaurants to hair and nail salons — reopen with some restrictions .
As some of these employers , including automakers , have recalled a portion of their laid-off employees , the number of people receiving unemployment benefits has fallen .
In Illinois , 58,359 people filed for first-time claims for unemployment benefits last week , down from the 72,780 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nearly 1.1 million Illinoisans have filed for jobless benefits .
Another 160 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois , with the state ’ s fatalities now totaling 5,083 .
Officials on Wednesday , however , said the latest deaths could include some from over the holiday weekend .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s office on Tuesday warned the 39 deaths recorded then could have been lower due to a lack of reporting on Memorial Day , when many state laboratory workers were given a day off .
The high death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer than 100 deaths , something that had not occurred since mid-April , when the state recorded its first 100-plus day .
Wednesday also marked the 22nd day in which more than 100 deaths were reported .
There were also 1,111 new cases reported , raising the state ’ s total to 114,306 .
The state received 17,179 test results , officials said .
In total , the state has performed 803,973 coronavirus tests .
Read the full story from Tina Sfondeles here .
6:50 a.m. Movie theaters pressure Pritzker to loosen up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % capacity Movie theater owners are pressuring Gov .
J.B. Pritzker to let them reopen to additional capacity this summer to boost ticket revenue and pave the way for major studios to release their traditional summer blockbusters .
Pritzker wants to keep movie theaters closed until Phase 4 of his reopening plan—June 26 at the earliest—and cap the number of movie patrons at 50 per theater .
Chris Johnson , president of the National Association of Theater Owners of Illinois , is not overly concerned about waiting until Phase 4 .
His major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called it unreasonably low at a time when a handful of theaters — like the Pickwick in Oak Park , the Tivoli in Downers Grove and Chicago ’ s Music Box — still seat 1,000 while remodeled theaters with recliners have “ already taken out two-thirds of their seating.
” In those theaters , social distancing can easily be maintained , he said .
“ We want to have the capacity , rather than a hard 50 , based on social distancing so that , if you have a bigger auditorium and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever that number is would be allowed , ” Johnson said .
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman here .
• A pair of Cook County judges have tested positive for COVID-19 , marking the first cases of the coronavirus in judges of the Circuit Court , officials announced Thursday .
• Another 160 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois , with the state ’ s fatalities now totaling 5,083 .
The toll ends a four-day streak of daily counts below 100 deaths .
• Chicago police announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bringing the total number of cases in the department to 551 .
• Two employees of Chicago ’ s Tootsie Roll manufacturing plant have died of COVID-19 .
A proposal to improve South Side health care by merging four financially struggling hospitals flatlined last week during the state Legislature ’ s spring session .
We believe the hospital plan is too critical to let die .
The merger would have put Mercy Hospital & Medical Center , St. Bernard , South Shore and Advocate Trinity Hospital under one ownership group and resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new combined facility .
The move would have replaced four aging hospitals with a better one , plus a network of smaller facilities around the South Side .
To make that happen , the four hospitals sought $ 520 million in state funding over five years .
But lawmakers excluded the merger from a health and hospital funding bill approved in Springfield , claiming the proposal lacked sufficient details and failed to convincingly lay out its benefits .
“ This development by the Legislature forces the conclusion of our transformation plans , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is bad news for the South Side , which has suffered from an under-resourced and overburdened health care network for decades — a fact underscored by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , has delivered a particularly lethal blow to predominantly African American neighborhoods on the South and West sides .
12:55 p.m. University of Illinois football and basketball players — essential workers — head back to campus Some student workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will return to campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ football and men ’ s basketball seasons .
Did I say workers ?
Yes , that ’ s what they are .
The university calls them student-athletes , and they are that , too .
But please make no mistake .
They are employees at the U. of I .
That they are going back , though summer classes were moved online because of the pandemic , underscores how valuable they are to the university .
They are not just students or athletes .
They are workers , too .
It looks like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than many other workers across America .
They are fortunate in that regard .
In announcing the athletes ’ return , the school said it was coordinating with sports medicine staff , local doctors and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District .
That ’ s a lot of oversight .
6:19 a.m .
Steering a middle course between COVID-19 hopes and fears Despite what many people hoped , COVID-19 is clearly worse than the seasonal flu .
But despite what other people feared , it does not seem to be nearly as lethal as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which killed about 0.7 % of the total U.S. population — equivalent to more than 2 million people today .
As we move from lockdowns to something more closely resembling normal life , the emerging evidence about the threat posed by COVID-19 should inform our judgment about which precautions make sense .
The initial , ham-handed approach — which confined hundreds of millions of people to their homes except for government-approved purposes — should be replaced by more carefully targeted measures focused on protecting the people who face the highest risk .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Prevention , the current “ best estimate ” of the death rate among Americans who develop COVID-19 symptoms is 0.4 % .
By that measure — the symptomatic case fatality rate — COVID-19 is roughly four times as deadly as the seasonal flu but far less deadly than the Spanish flu .

For most Illinois cities and towns, Friday marks the official reopening of the state — for every city except Chicago.
But Chicagoans won’t have to wait long for businesses to start reopening. Mayor Lightfoot announced Chicago’s reopening for Wednesday, June 3.
That’s not all that happened. Here’s what went down Thursday as the state continued to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
News
8:57 p.m. The future of riding the CTA: Here’s how Chicago commutes will change
Rich Hein/Sun-Times file photo
It’s the million-dollar question in the world of transit: What will commuting look like?
No one is sure. Human behavior is hard to predict. But here’s how it might play out.
Beginning in June, workers at the CTA’s control center will monitor live video feeds of high ridership stations to watch for platform crowding. If crowding occurs, announcements will be made over the public address system asking customers to spread out or wait for the next train if the incoming one is full.
About 90 people fill a jam-packed CTA train car in normal times. Capacity will be down significantly with social distancing, but CTA officials couldn’t immediately provide an estimate.
The CTA will also be placing floor decals at stations and platforms reminding people to spread out.
Reporter Mitch Dudek has more on the future of commuting on the CTA, Metra and Pace.
7:38 p.m. South and west suburban properties to get break in assessments to reflect COVID-19 impact
The Cook County Assessor’s Office is planning to adjust some south and west suburban property assessments by as much as 12% for single family homes and as much as 15% for multi-family homes due to the coronavirus pandemic.
For commercial properties in the county, the assessor’s office is making a “range of adjustments” in the complex formula it uses to calculate assessments, based on how much the businesses have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. That could range from little or no change for grocery stores, to significant reductions for neighborhood restaurants.
The goal is to cap rates that are often used as a factor in determining property values, according to a report titled Cook County Assessor’s COVID-19 Adjustments to Property Assessments in the South and West Suburbs.
Reporter Rachel Hinton has the full story.
6:57 p.m. California Clipper, longtime Humboldt Park tavern, to shutter its doors for good
While Chicago’s bars — and their employees — patiently wait for the city’s official re-opening phases to kick in, a longtime Humboldt Park tavern won’t be around to experience what it’s like to survive the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The California Clipper, located at 1002 N. California Ave., is closing permanently, according to multiple media reports Thursday.
The closing, first reported by Eater Chicago, says that Brendan Sodikoff, the tavern’s owner, couldn’t come to an agreement with the property’s landlord “that would make sense for the bar and coffee shop to remain as tenants.” Sodikoff, the CEO of Hogsalt Hospitality (Au Cheval, Bavette’s) who bought the venue in 2014, also confirmed in the report that he’s shutdown C.C. Ferns, a neighboring coffee shop.
Reporter Evan F. Moore has the full story.
5:44 p.m. Here’s what Illinois’ Phase 3 reopening will look like
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Illinois is expected to enter Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Reopen Illinois” plan Friday, which will mean fewer restrictions on travel, gatherings and a return to work for as many as 130,000 non-essential employees in the state.
Among the changes that will accompany a transition into Phase 3:
All gatherings of 10 people or fewer are allowed with this limit subject to change based on latest data & guidance
Travel is permitted in accordance with IDPH and CDC approved guidance
All health care providers are open with IDPH approved safety guidance
Remote learning will continue in P-12 schools and higher education; Limited child care and summer programs can open with IDPH approved safety guidance
State parks will open; Activities are permitted in groups of 10 or fewer with social distancing
Barbershops and salons will open with IDPH approved safety guidance; Health and fitness clubs can provide outdoor classes and one-on-one personal training with IDPH approved safety guidance
Entertainment venues and events will remain closed
We’re tracking the state’s transition through Pritzker’s Reopen Illinois plan here. Follow along for real-time updates.
4:54 p.m. Suburbs get ready for new normal as Pritzker’s reopening plan enters next phase
Most of Illinois is set to move into the long-awaited next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan Friday, a crucial step toward restoring the life Illinoisans once knew.
But that doesn’t mean all will necessarily go back to normal in the suburbs. Pritzker’s plan still restricts gatherings to 10 people or fewer. Face coverings are required in public. Retailers may open, but with limited capacity. Barbershops, salons and gyms must follow certain rules.
And while some suburbs might put their own restrictions in place, enforcement is another question.
“We do not have the legal authority to enforce any of this,” Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said Thursday.
Read the full story here.
3:45 p.m. Chicago-area woman survives coronavirus — and 21-day coma
Karla Taylor-Bauman opened her eyes, saw the strange creatures in blue suits and visors floating before her and thought she was in outer space.
“What’s going on? Where am I?” she remembers the panicked voice in her head saying.
Not outer space, but she had just returned from a kind of nowhere world — 21 days in a coma. The Lake Villa woman had fought through the worst of a coronavirus infection that kept her in a hospital bed for almost two months. At one point, doctors told her husband to prepare for the worst.
On Wednesday, a day after being released from Kindred Hospital Chicago North in the Uptown neighborhood, she was at her parents’ home in North Chicago, marveling at her good fortune — but also reflecting on what might have been.
Read the full story from Stefano Esposito here.
3:05 p.m. 104 more Illinois coronavirus deaths; Pritzker issues Phase 3 guidance for churches
State health officials on Thursday announced 104 more deaths attributed to the coronavirus, raising Illinois’ pandemic toll to 5,186.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 1,527 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19. A total of 115,833 people have tested positive statewide.
Nearly 44% of those cases have occurred in long-term care facilities like nursing homes, state Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said.
“We are ensuring that swift action is being taken and we know that facilities must immediately notify state health officials of any cases of COVID-19,” Ezike said.
Read the full story here.
2 p.m. Chicago to begin limited reopening on June 3
Chicago will begin a partial reopening of restaurants and other businesses on Wednesday, June 3, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday.
The guidelines of the limited reopening will even be explained by the Second City in weekly web series titled “Phased & Confused.”
Officially, under the city’s guidelines for reopening, this means we are moving to Phase 3. But Phase 3 does not mean the pandemic is over, Lightfoot cautioned.
We cannot “totally eliminate risk. The best we can do is continue following public health guidance” around wearing a mask, washing hands and maintaining social distance, she said.
If cases spike again and people fail to obey social distance and wear masks, Lightfoot said she won’t hesitate to revert to the more-restrictive Phase 2.
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman here.
1:02 p.m. These 8 Chicago streets will close to most traffic for social distancing
Some streets in Chicago will soon allow more than just cars.
The city’s Department of Transportation is temporarily converting some roads into “shared streets,” which will accommodate walkers, runners, bikers and only local car traffic.
The conversions will allow residents of certain neighborhoods to follow social distancing guidelines even when out and about, which they might not otherwise be able to do on the sidewalk.
The streets are being selected through a collaborative process with local residents and officials, CDOT spokesperson Michael Claffey said Wednesday.
“As the City anticipates transitioning into a new phase of its reopening plan sometime in June, CDOT is preparing plans to equitably re-allocate street space to residents, where feasible, for various uses beyond driving a car,” Claffey said in a statement.
The streets designated so far include:
Greenview Avenue, in Rogers Park
Glenwood Avenue, in Edgewater and Andersonville
Leland Avenue, from Ravenswood to Uptown
Wabansia Avenue, in Wicker Park
Wood Street, in Wicker Park
Palmer Avenue, from Hanson Park to Logan Square
Cortland Street, in Logan Square
Roscoe Street, from Dunning to Irving Park
Read the full story from Ben Pope here.
11:24 a.m. Chicago-area woman survives coronavirus — and 21-day coma
Karla Taylor-Bauman opened her eyes, saw the strange creatures in blue suits and visors floating before her and thought she was in outer space.
“What’s going on? Where am I?” she remembers the panicked voice in her head saying.
Not outer space, but she had just returned from a kind of nowhere world — 21 days in a coma. The Lake Villa woman had fought through the worst of a coronavirus infection that kept her in a hospital bed for almost two months. At one point, doctors told her husband to prepare for the worst.
On Wednesday, a day after being released from Kindred Hospital Chicago North in the Uptown neighborhood, she was at her parents’ home in North Chicago, marveling at her good fortune — but also reflecting on what might have been.
“It’s just hitting me really that three weeks ago I could have died and I had no opportunity to even say goodbye to anybody. I went from just having a fever to a complete coma,” said Taylor-Bauman, who spent her 50th birthday alone at the hospital.
Read the full story from Stefano Esposito here.
10:02 a.m. Two Cook County judges test positive for COVID-19
A pair of Cook County judges have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first cases of the coronavirus in judges of the Circuit Court, officials announced Thursday.
Both work at the 5th Municipal District in Bridgeview, according to Pat Milhizer, spokesman for the Office of the Chief Judge.
They are among a total of 39 employees of the Office of the Chief Judge who have tested positive for the coronavirus, Milhizer said.
The announcement comes on the day Chief Judge Timothy Evans is expected to sign an order extending COVID-19 precautions in the Circuit Court into July. Most day-to-day court operations ceased when Evans’ initial order went into effect March 17.
Read the full story from David Struett here.
8:50 a.m. 41 million have lost jobs since virus hit, but layoffs slow
Roughly 2.1 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, a sign that companies are still slashing jobs in the face of a deep recession even as more businesses reopen and rehire some laid-off employees.
About 41 million people have now applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March, though not all of them are still unemployed. The Labor Department’s report Thursday includes a count of all the people now receiving unemployment aid: 21 million. That is a rough measure of the number of unemployed Americans.
The national jobless rate was 14.7% in April, the highest since the Great Depression, and many economists expect it will near 20% in May.
States are gradually restarting their economies by letting some businesses — from gyms, retail shops and restaurants to hair and nail salons — reopen with some restrictions. As some of these employers, including automakers, have recalled a portion of their laid-off employees, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits has fallen.
In Illinois, 58,359 people filed for first-time claims for unemployment benefits last week, down from the 72,780 filings a week earlier. Since mid-March, nearly 1.1 million Illinoisans have filed for jobless benefits.
7:41 a.m. Illinois coronavirus death toll eclipses 5,000
Another 160 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois, with the state’s fatalities now totaling 5,083.
Officials on Wednesday, however, said the latest deaths could include some from over the holiday weekend. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office on Tuesday warned the 39 deaths recorded then could have been lower due to a lack of reporting on Memorial Day, when many state laboratory workers were given a day off.
The high death tally comes after four consecutive days seeing fewer than 100 deaths, something that had not occurred since mid-April, when the state recorded its first 100-plus day. Wednesday also marked the 22nd day in which more than 100 deaths were reported.
There were also 1,111 new cases reported, raising the state’s total to 114,306. The state received 17,179 test results, officials said. In total, the state has performed 803,973 coronavirus tests.
Read the full story from Tina Sfondeles here.
6:50 a.m. Movie theaters pressure Pritzker to loosen up and allow them to open at 50% capacity
Movie theater owners are pressuring Gov. J.B. Pritzker to let them reopen to additional capacity this summer to boost ticket revenue and pave the way for major studios to release their traditional summer blockbusters.
Pritzker wants to keep movie theaters closed until Phase 4 of his reopening plan—June 26 at the earliest—and cap the number of movie patrons at 50 per theater.
Chris Johnson, president of the National Association of Theater Owners of Illinois, is not overly concerned about waiting until Phase 4. His major complaint is the 50-person cap.
Johnson called it unreasonably low at a time when a handful of theaters — like the Pickwick in Oak Park, the Tivoli in Downers Grove and Chicago’s Music Box — still seat 1,000 while remodeled theaters with recliners have “already taken out two-thirds of their seating.” In those theaters, social distancing can easily be maintained, he said.
“We want to have the capacity, rather than a hard 50, based on social distancing so that, if you have a bigger auditorium and you can seat groups six feet apart, whatever that number is would be allowed,” Johnson said.
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
6:09 p.m. D.O.A. proposal for South Side hospital merger deserves second chance
A proposal to improve South Side health care by merging four financially struggling hospitals flatlined last week during the state Legislature’s spring session.
We believe the hospital plan is too critical to let die.
The merger would have put Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, St. Bernard, South Shore and Advocate Trinity Hospital under one ownership group and resulted in the construction of at least one new combined facility.
The move would have replaced four aging hospitals with a better one, plus a network of smaller facilities around the South Side.
To make that happen, the four hospitals sought $520 million in state funding over five years. But lawmakers excluded the merger from a health and hospital funding bill approved in Springfield, claiming the proposal lacked sufficient details and failed to convincingly lay out its benefits.
“This development by the Legislature forces the conclusion of our transformation plans,” a spokesperson for the hospitals told us.
This is bad news for the South Side, which has suffered from an under-resourced and overburdened health care network for decades — a fact underscored by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, has delivered a particularly lethal blow to predominantly African American neighborhoods on the South and West sides.
12:55 p.m. University of Illinois football and basketball players — essential workers — head back to campus
Some student workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will return to campus next week to start preparing for their football and men’s basketball seasons.
Did I say workers? Yes, that’s what they are. The university calls them student-athletes, and they are that, too.
But please make no mistake. They are employees at the U. of I. That they are going back, though summer classes were moved online because of the pandemic, underscores how valuable they are to the university.
They are not just students or athletes. They are workers, too.
It looks like they will be treated a lot better than many other workers across America. They are fortunate in that regard. In announcing the athletes’ return, the school said it was coordinating with sports medicine staff, local doctors and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. That’s a lot of oversight.
Read the full column here.
6:19 a.m. Steering a middle course between COVID-19 hopes and fears
Despite what many people hoped, COVID-19 is clearly worse than the seasonal flu. But despite what other people feared, it does not seem to be nearly as lethal as the “Spanish flu” of 1918, which killed about 0.7% of the total U.S. population — equivalent to more than 2 million people today.
As we move from lockdowns to something more closely resembling normal life, the emerging evidence about the threat posed by COVID-19 should inform our judgment about which precautions make sense. The initial, ham-handed approach — which confined hundreds of millions of people to their homes except for government-approved purposes — should be replaced by more carefully targeted measures focused on protecting the people who face the highest risk.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current “best estimate” of the death rate among Americans who develop COVID-19 symptoms is 0.4%. By that measure — the symptomatic case fatality rate — COVID-19 is roughly four times as deadly as the seasonal flu but far less deadly than the Spanish flu.
Read Jacob Sullum’s full column here.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--‘Summer may be wasted’ if CPS doesn’t help students who aren’t logging on now, school board presiden

‘Summer may be wasted’ if CPS doesn’t help students who aren’t logging on now, school board president says

Chicago Public Schools officials have said students who don ’ t complete all their work during remote learning this spring will be told to register for summer school to make up lost learning .
But questions have been raised about what will change in the next month to make summer school successful for tens of thousands of students who , according to new data released this week , have a laptop but still aren ’ t logging on to do school work for various reasons .
Despite CPS reporting that 93 % of students now have both a computer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and quality of that broadband access .
There are also high school students working essential jobs to help pay the bills , and children whose parents are at work and unable to help with homework .
Overall , less than 60 percent of students are logging on three days a week or more , CPS said .
Board of Education President Miguel del Valle questioned at this week ’ s school board meeting whether CPS officials have a plan in place to help those kids .
“ My focus is on this small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need this help this summer , ” del Valle said .
“ Otherwise , it ’ s going to be a continuation of the same .
And then the summer may be wasted for some of these students .
“ At this point , as we are doing with other students that are provided with hotspots , are we going to make sure that we identify those students and families and follow up with them in a timely manner so that they ’ re ready to go on day one of summer school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McDade told del Valle that officials don ’ t have a clear solution for students who have laptops and internet but aren ’ t doing online work because of other life circumstances , or “ families who choose to do non-digital as opposed to digital.
” “ Students who don ’ t engage , it may not be solely based on technology access , ” McDade said .
“ So I can not say that remote learning in the summer is going to all of a sudden miraculously be so much new and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening today .
But what I will say is that we have an obligation to make sure we ’ re opening up opportunities for the summer to try to capture those students.
” McDade said officials are soon sending out notices to parents who need to sign up their children for summer school .
If technology is still a problem , families will have another opportunity during the registration process to let the district know whether they need a computer or internet access .
“ Once we identify all of the students that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ll be able to do a second capture of whether or not we have families that need a device that were missed , ” McDade said .
“ We don ’ t provide connectivity , we ’ re relying on our partners that provide that , such as AT & T and Comcast .
I can not tell you that I have a way to provide connectivity outside of what is currently available.
” District officials have said providing internet to all students would be nearly impossible without additional help from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced services for low-income families .
CPS passed out 100,000 laptops and tablets the past couple months , an effort made possible by repurposing 65,000 devices already in use at schools .
The same isn ’ t true with mobile internet hotspots .
CPS only had 2,000 hotspots in hand and bought another 12,000 last month , which were committed to the district ’ s homeless students .
Officials have said it ’ s been difficult to purchase any more because production has slowed due to the pandemic .
Phil DiBartolo , CPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district is looking to make the most of the existing inventory over the summer .
“ When we have student refusals for those devices , say for example , it turns out they do have access to internet , whether it ’ s via smartphone and their data plan , or some type of connectivity , then we ’ re looking into putting those back into a pool and getting those out to the students that need them , ” DiBartolo said .
“ We ’ re doing what we can to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via devices or bandwidth.
” Asked by board member Luisiana Melendez whether any information was available about the quality of internet access students currently have , McDade and DiBartolo said there was none .

Chicago Public Schools officials have said students who don’t complete all their work during remote learning this spring will be told to register for summer school to make up lost learning.
But questions have been raised about what will change in the next month to make summer school successful for tens of thousands of students who, according to new data released this week, have a laptop but still aren’t logging on to do school work for various reasons.
Despite CPS reporting that 93% of students now have both a computer and internet, doubts remain about the consistency and quality of that broadband access. There are also high school students working essential jobs to help pay the bills, and children whose parents are at work and unable to help with homework. Overall, less than 60 percent of students are logging on three days a week or more, CPS said.
Board of Education President Miguel del Valle questioned at this week’s school board meeting whether CPS officials have a plan in place to help those kids.
“My focus is on this small group, this percentage of students that need this help this summer,” del Valle said. “Otherwise, it’s going to be a continuation of the same. And then the summer may be wasted for some of these students.
“At this point, as we are doing with other students that are provided with hotspots, are we going to make sure that we identify those students and families and follow up with them in a timely manner so that they’re ready to go on day one of summer school?”
CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade told del Valle that officials don’t have a clear solution for students who have laptops and internet but aren’t doing online work because of other life circumstances, or “families who choose to do non-digital as opposed to digital.”
“Students who don’t engage, it may not be solely based on technology access,” McDade said. “So I cannot say that remote learning in the summer is going to all of a sudden miraculously be so much new and improved in comparison to what’s happening today. But what I will say is that we have an obligation to make sure we’re opening up opportunities for the summer to try to capture those students.”
McDade said officials are soon sending out notices to parents who need to sign up their children for summer school. If technology is still a problem, families will have another opportunity during the registration process to let the district know whether they need a computer or internet access.
“Once we identify all of the students that will be designated for summer school, we’ll be able to do a second capture of whether or not we have families that need a device that were missed,” McDade said. “We don’t provide connectivity, we’re relying on our partners that provide that, such as AT&T and Comcast. I cannot tell you that I have a way to provide connectivity outside of what is currently available.”
District officials have said providing internet to all students would be nearly impossible without additional help from broadband providers, which offer free and reduced services for low-income families.
CPS passed out 100,000 laptops and tablets the past couple months, an effort made possible by repurposing 65,000 devices already in use at schools. The same isn’t true with mobile internet hotspots.
CPS only had 2,000 hotspots in hand and bought another 12,000 last month, which were committed to the district’s homeless students. Officials have said it’s been difficult to purchase any more because production has slowed due to the pandemic.
Phil DiBartolo, CPS’ chief information officer, said the district is looking to make the most of the existing inventory over the summer.
“When we have student refusals for those devices, say for example, it turns out they do have access to internet, whether it’s via smartphone and their data plan, or some type of connectivity, then we’re looking into putting those back into a pool and getting those out to the students that need them,” DiBartolo said. “We’re doing what we can to reach these students, whether it’s via devices or bandwidth.”
Asked by board member Luisiana Melendez whether any information was available about the quality of internet access students currently have, McDade and DiBartolo said there was none.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--Downtown’s first pot dispensary opens: ‘This is a great addition to our neighborhood’

After months of jockeying for city and state approval , Cresco Labs on Thursday opened Chicago ’ s first downtown pot shop .
Cresco ’ s latest Sunnyside dispensary , located at 436 N. Clark St. in River North , also became the first store in the city to exclusively sell recreational weed .
“ We ’ re happy to help set an example here in River North of what normalized cannabis looks like with a store on a main corridor where people shop , live and work and we couldn ’ t be happier to provide everyday wellness products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cresco spokesman Jason Erkes told the Sun-Times .
Susan Morrow , who serves as the land use development director of the River North Residents Association , was the shop ’ s first customer .
She bought a few packs of infused gummies and coffee beans and some pre-ground marijuana to make her own edibles .
“ I am the person that grew up and never touched it , ” said Morrow .
“ As it ’ s become legal , it ’ s become a fun thing to dabble with as opposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that everybody ’ s under so much stress , it ’ s been a great way to get some sleep.
” Both the residents association and Ald .
Brendan Reilly ( 42nd ) backed Cresco ’ s bid to set up shop in the neighborhood , where the major , multi-state pot firm is already headquartered .
“ Cresco views this neighborhood as their neighborhood and I know their business plan is one that both embraces and respects the local community , ” said Reilly .
“ I get really excited when companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invest in downtown Chicago and my office stands ready to offer any assistance we can to support this new business as it opens during the global pandemic.
” To streamline sales and promote social distancing amid the public health crisis , Sunnyside is only accepting online orders .
Once customers receive a text notification that their order is ready , they can check in at a designated waiting area to get in line to pick up their pot products .
In March , Cresco was among the five pot firms that earned special-use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city .
MOCA , which currently operates a dual-use dispensary in Logan Square , was also granted local zoning approval and issued a state license to open a nearby shop at 216 W. Ohio despite receiving pushback from Reilly and the residents association .
Nevertheless , Morrow believes the cannabis retailers will give the neighborhood an economic boost .
“ So many of the neighbors were not looking forward to it , but we worked with all the dispensaries to really show that this is a great addition to our neighborhood .
@

After months of jockeying for city and state approval, Cresco Labs on Thursday opened Chicago’s first downtown pot shop.
Cresco’s latest Sunnyside dispensary, located at 436 N. Clark St. in River North, also became the first store in the city to exclusively sell recreational weed.
“We’re happy to help set an example here in River North of what normalized cannabis looks like with a store on a main corridor where people shop, live and work and we couldn’t be happier to provide everyday wellness products to the River North neighborhood,” Cresco spokesman Jason Erkes told the Sun-Times.
A 55-year-old man from River North thanks wellness advisor Jordan Davis after making the second purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. The man purchased three vape cartridges, sativa shake and two packages of indica gummies. The Sunnyside location represents the first cannabis retail shop to open near downtown Chicago and the first recreational-use only dispensary in the city. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 1 of 17 Susan Morrow (left), 53, and a 55-year-old man, both from River North, are the first two customers to walk to Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 2 of 17 Workers at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. wait for the next round of customers on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 3 of 17 A security guard outside Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. wait for the next round of customers on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. The location represents the first cannabis retail shop to open near downtown Chicago and the first recreational-use only dispensary in the city. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 4 of 17 Susan Morrow, 53, of River North, is the first customer to make a purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 5 of 17 Susan Morrow (left), 53, and a 55-year-old man, both from River North, are the first two customers to make purchases at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 6 of 17 A 55-year-old man from River North gets his cash ready to be the second person to make a purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 7 of 17 Jordan Davis, a wellness advisor, speaks to a 55-year-old man from River North as he gets his cash ready to be the second person to make a purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. The location represents the first cannabis retail shop to open near downtown Chicago and the first recreational-use only dispensary in the city. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 8 of 17 Susan Morrow, 53, of River North, is the first customer to make a purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. Morrow spent $238 and purchased two packages of indica gummies, a package of hybrid shake and two packages of sativa espresso coffee beans. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 9 of 17 Jordan Davis, a wellness advisor, shows products to a 55-year-old man from River North as he makes the second purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 10 of 17 Susan Morrow, 53, of River North, is the first customer to make a purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 11 of 17 Susan Morrow, 53, of River North, is the first customer to make a purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 12 of 17 Jordan Davis, a wellness advisor, shows products to a 55-year-old man from River North as he makes the second purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 13 of 17 A 55-year-old man from River North smiles after making the second purchase at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. The man purchased three vape cartridges, sativa shake and two packages of indica gummies. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 14 of 17 Customers on the opening day of Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. stand in line at the guest experience center at 22 W. Hubbard St., where they can be socially distant while waiting for their order to be prepared, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. Once their order is ready, the customers walk from the guest experience center to the dispensary. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 15 of 17 On the opening day of Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St., a customer leaves the guest experience center at 22 W. Hubbard St., where he could be socially distant while waiting for his order to be prepared, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. Once the order is ready, the customer walks from the guest experience center to the dispensary. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 16 of 17 Jordan Davis, a wellness advisor, puts hand sanitizer on her rubber gloves at Cresco Labs’ seventh Sunnyside dispensary at 436 N. Clark St. on the store’s opening day in River North, Thursday morning, May 28, 2020. The location represents the first cannabis retail shop to open near downtown Chicago and the first recreational-use only dispensary in the city. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 17 of 17
Susan Morrow, who serves as the land use development director of the River North Residents Association, was the shop’s first customer. She bought a few packs of infused gummies and coffee beans and some pre-ground marijuana to make her own edibles.
“I am the person that grew up and never touched it,” said Morrow. “As it’s become legal, it’s become a fun thing to dabble with as opposed to drinking. Now, in this time that everybody’s under so much stress, it’s been a great way to get some sleep.”
Both the residents association and Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) backed Cresco’s bid to set up shop in the neighborhood, where the major, multi-state pot firm is already headquartered.
“Cresco views this neighborhood as their neighborhood and I know their business plan is one that both embraces and respects the local community,” said Reilly. “I get really excited when companies like Cresco make the wise choice to invest in downtown Chicago and my office stands ready to offer any assistance we can to support this new business as it opens during the global pandemic.”
To streamline sales and promote social distancing amid the public health crisis, Sunnyside is only accepting online orders. Once customers receive a text notification that their order is ready, they can check in at a designated waiting area to get in line to pick up their pot products.
In March, Cresco was among the five pot firms that earned special-use zoning permits to open recreational stores in the city. MOCA, which currently operates a dual-use dispensary in Logan Square, was also granted local zoning approval and issued a state license to open a nearby shop at 216 W. Ohio despite receiving pushback from Reilly and the residents association.
Nevertheless, Morrow believes the cannabis retailers will give the neighborhood an economic boost.
“So many of the neighbors were not looking forward to it, but we worked with all the dispensaries to really show that this is a great addition to our neighborhood.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--California Clipper, longtime Humboldt Park tavern, to shutter its doors for good

While Chicago ’ s bars — and their employees — patiently wait for the city ’ s official re-opening phases to kick in , a longtime Humboldt Park tavern won ’ t be around to experience what it ’ s like to survive the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The California Clipper , located at 1002 N. California Ave. , is closing permanently , according to multiple media reports Thursday .
The closing , first reported by Eater Chicago , says that Brendan Sodikoff , the tavern ’ s owner , couldn ’ t come to an agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would make sense for the bar and coffee shop to remain as tenants.
” Sodikoff , the CEO of Hogsalt Hospitality ( Au Cheval , Bavette ’ s ) who bought the venue in 2014 , also confirmed in the report that he ’ s shutdown C.C .
Ferns , a neighboring coffee shop .
Sodikoff and Gino Battaglia , the Clipper ’ s landlord , were unavailable for comment .
The dimly-lit and intimate tavern , dating back to the 1930s , was a venue where some of the city ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people to jam to .
Isaiah Spencer , a drummer for various local jazz bands , including The Spencer Collective , first performed at the Clipper during the 1990s , and most recently in January .
He learned of the Clipper ’ s closing from a friend .
“ That messed up , man , ” said Spencer .
“ They just kind of got the music together as he [ Sodikoff ] built a DJ booth , so yeah , that ’ s unfortunate , man.
” Spencer , the assistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School , says a lot of bars and venues will have a tough time bouncing back in the aftermath of the pandemic .
“ We ’ re not going to be able to make the money we once saw — not right now at least , ” said Spencer .
The Clipper was also a favorite spot for first dates for some neighborhood residents .
Humboldt Park resident John Ingram went on a date at the Clipper two days before Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s executive order in March closing Illinois bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my friends and everybody I met had a connection here in one way or another .
People came here for the music or the bartender , ” said Ingram , who would normally order a Negroni cocktail .
“ The dark , red lights and the atmosphere ; something felt appropriate about just drinking Fernet [ -Branca ] on the rocks.
” And did the California Clipper provide the perfect setting for the start of a beautiful relationship ?
“ We ’ re going strong now , so I guess it went pretty @ @ @ @ @ @

While Chicago’s bars — and their employees — patiently wait for the city’s official re-opening phases to kick in, a longtime Humboldt Park tavern won’t be around to experience what it’s like to survive the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The California Clipper, located at 1002 N. California Ave., is closing permanently, according to multiple media reports Thursday.
The closing, first reported by Eater Chicago, says that Brendan Sodikoff, the tavern’s owner, couldn’t come to an agreement with the property’s landlord “that would make sense for the bar and coffee shop to remain as tenants.” Sodikoff, the CEO of Hogsalt Hospitality (Au Cheval, Bavette’s) who bought the venue in 2014, also confirmed in the report that he’s shutdown C.C. Ferns, a neighboring coffee shop.
C.C. Ferns, a neighboring coffee shop, was closed for good along with the California Clipper, according to multiple media reports on Thursday. Evan F. Moore/Sun-Times
Sodikoff and Gino Battaglia, the Clipper’s landlord, were unavailable for comment.
The dimly-lit and intimate tavern, dating back to the 1930s, was a venue where some of the city’s musicians and sound selectors curated sets for people to jam to.
Isaiah Spencer, a drummer for various local jazz bands, including The Spencer Collective, first performed at the Clipper during the 1990s, and most recently in January.
He learned of the Clipper’s closing from a friend.
“That messed up, man,” said Spencer. “They just kind of got the music together as he [Sodikoff] built a DJ booth, so yeah, that’s unfortunate, man.”
Spencer, the assistant jazz band director at New Trier High School, says a lot of bars and venues will have a tough time bouncing back in the aftermath of the pandemic.
“We’re not going to be able to make the money we once saw — not right now at least,” said Spencer.
The Clipper was also a favorite spot for first dates for some neighborhood residents.
Humboldt Park resident John Ingram went on a date at the Clipper two days before Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order in March closing Illinois bars and restaurants.
“Pretty much all my friends and everybody I met had a connection here in one way or another. People came here for the music or the bartender,” said Ingram, who would normally order a Negroni cocktail. “The dark, red lights and the atmosphere; something felt appropriate about just drinking Fernet [-Branca]on the rocks.”
And did the California Clipper provide the perfect setting for the start of a beautiful relationship?
“We’re going strong now, so I guess it went pretty well,” said Ingram.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--SkyART bringing art kits directly to area youth during stay-at-home

When Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced his COVID-19 stay-at-home order on March 20 , SkyART didn ’ t miss a beat .
Realizing it could no longer offer classes and other programs at its South Side location , the non-profit art center immediately began helping its participants in other ways .
That very day , staffers scrounged together art materials from its studios and put together kits for use at home .
They spread the word to some of the center ’ s regulars to stop by and pick up the supplies , and the offerings were depleted in minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the response would be , ” said Devon VanHouten-Maldonado , assistant director of programs .
“ People came and lined up at the door and we ran out .
And for us , it was like , ‘ Wow , we need to keep doing this.
’ ” And that ’ s exactly what SkyART has done .
In addition to taking some of its classes , art therapy and other programs online , a priority has been distributing more than 1,000 art kits to families as far south as 115th Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ re a community organization on the front lines , ” said executive director Sarah Ward .
“ We ’ ve always focused on being responsive to the community , and I think this pandemic has shown how responsive we are being without us really knowing it.
” Ward founded what was originally known as the South Chicago Art Center in 2001 , teaching 18 students two days a week in a small rented studio .
In 2015 , it changed its name and moved into a 6,000-square-foot studio facility at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three multipurpose art spaces , a computer lab and gallery .
SkyART bills itself as the only free art program of its kind in Chicago , normally reaching some 3,600 youths ages 3 to 24 , with programs in its facilities as well as at several dozen schools and community organizations .
It has an annual budget of $ 1.2 million , with 12 full- and part-time employees and more than 20 freelance art teachers and therapists .
In a recent survey of about 100 South Side families served by the center , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified as people of color and many do not have access to the Internet .
A study conducted by the University of Chicago ’ s Consortium on School Research showed the median income in the neighborhoods served by SkyART is $ 29,582 .
“ It ’ s a population that is like 90 percent below the poverty line , ” VanHouten-Maldonado said , “ and they ’ re not going to be prioritizing purchasing art supplies and things like that for their kids to do during this time .
For a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to scrape by.
” After the center ’ s initial success with art kits on March 20 , its development team pushed the idea of distributing 1,000 sets of the supplies .
Both Ward and VanHouten-Maldonado were a little dubious that such an ambitious goal was possible , but they agreed to go for it .
The team created an Amazon wish list , where donors could purchase a $ 5 set of markers or spend as much as they wanted on supplies that were sent directly to SkyART .
“ So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VanHouten-Maldonado said , “ we just had multiple packages showing up everyday and huge piles of art supplies in the studio , which was really cool.
” After having participants stop by the center to obtain the kits on two occasions , the staff realized that such a distribution system wasn ’ t feasible because of the unsafe lines that formed outside the door .
So , the center began deliveries — typically 50-150 kits a week — directly to families , as well as to schools and organizations like Chicago HOPES for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children living in shelters .
Among the first recipients was Myles Sanders , 13 , a Chatham resident who has been involved with SkyART for about two years .
His mother , Kimberly Y. Sanders , describes the center as a “ place of peace ” for him , because it accepts him for whom he is .
“ He is a completely free person there , ” she said .
“ He doesn ’ t feel weird , which has been the case with kids at school .
If he is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to be knucklehead .
He ’ s a good kid .
He ’ s smart and he loves art.
” The art kits include Crayola markers , crayons , multi-sized sheets of paper and a sketchbook , as well as suggestions as to how to put them to use .
“ It ’ s really cool , ” said Myles , who takes part in on-line art therapy and a Wednesday Zoom class .
“ I really like the watercolors best and how you can mix the colors — make them lighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surpassed its initial goal of 1,000 art kits , but it has no plans to stop .
The center is working to expand distribution westward and to assemble additional packages with different art materials from other suppliers .
A positive side effect of the coronavirus shutdown has been connections that might not have happened otherwise , such as the art center ’ s partnership with Masks4Chi , which provided 800 cloth face masks for inclusion in the art kits .
“ There have just been a significant number of new collaborations that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” VanHouten-Maldonado said , “ because everybody wants to make a difference and everybody is really working together , and that has been really cool to see .
”

When Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced his COVID-19 stay-at-home order on March 20, SkyART didn’t miss a beat. Realizing it could no longer offer classes and other programs at its South Side location, the non-profit art center immediately began helping its participants in other ways.
That very day, staffers scrounged together art materials from its studios and put together kits for use at home. They spread the word to some of the center’s regulars to stop by and pick up the supplies, and the offerings were depleted in minutes.
“We didn’t anticipate what the response would be,” said Devon VanHouten-Maldonado, assistant director of programs. “People came and lined up at the door and we ran out. And for us, it was like, ‘Wow, we need to keep doing this.’”
And that’s exactly what SkyART has done. In addition to taking some of its classes, art therapy and other programs online, a priority has been distributing more than 1,000 art kits to families as far south as 115th Street and as far north as Bronzeville.
“We’re a community organization on the front lines,” said executive director Sarah Ward. “We’ve always focused on being responsive to the community, and I think this pandemic has shown how responsive we are being without us really knowing it.”
Ward founded what was originally known as the South Chicago Art Center in 2001, teaching 18 students two days a week in a small rented studio. In 2015, it changed its name and moved into a 6,000-square-foot studio facility at 3026 E. 91st St., which includes three multipurpose art spaces, a computer lab and gallery.
The SkyART studio, 3026 East 91st St., in Chicago. The organization offers art classes for people ages 7 to 21 and creates arts/crafts kits for kids, which are then delivered to their homes. | James Foster/For the Sun-Times James Foster/Sun-Times
SkyART bills itself as the only free art program of its kind in Chicago, normally reaching some 3,600 youths ages 3 to 24, with programs in its facilities as well as at several dozen schools and community organizations. It has an annual budget of $1.2 million, with 12 full- and part-time employees and more than 20 freelance art teachers and therapists.
In a recent survey of about 100 South Side families served by the center, more than 90 percent of the participants identified as people of color and many do not have access to the Internet. A study conducted by the University of Chicago’s Consortium on School Research showed the median income in the neighborhoods served by SkyART is $29,582.
“It’s a population that is like 90 percent below the poverty line,” VanHouten-Maldonado said, “and they’re not going to be prioritizing purchasing art supplies and things like that for their kids to do during this time. For a lot of them, they’re just trying to scrape by.”
After the center’s initial success with art kits on March 20, its development team pushed the idea of distributing 1,000 sets of the supplies. Both Ward and VanHouten-Maldonado were a little dubious that such an ambitious goal was possible, but they agreed to go for it.
The team created an Amazon wish list, where donors could purchase a $5 set of markers or spend as much as they wanted on supplies that were sent directly to SkyART. “So, for a few weeks there,” VanHouten-Maldonado said, “we just had multiple packages showing up everyday and huge piles of art supplies in the studio, which was really cool.”
After having participants stop by the center to obtain the kits on two occasions, the staff realized that such a distribution system wasn’t feasible because of the unsafe lines that formed outside the door.
Works from a Project 3rd Space exhibit are on display at the SkyART studio gallery. James Foster/Sun-Times
So, the center began deliveries — typically 50-150 kits a week — directly to families, as well as to schools and organizations like Chicago HOPES for Kids, which provides educational support for children living in shelters.
Among the first recipients was Myles Sanders, 13, a Chatham resident who has been involved with SkyART for about two years. His mother, Kimberly Y. Sanders, describes the center as a “place of peace” for him, because it accepts him for whom he is.
“He is a completely free person there,” she said. “He doesn’t feel weird, which has been the case with kids at school. If he is not playing sports, then he’s got to be knucklehead. He’s a good kid. He’s smart and he loves art.”
Myles and Kimberly Y. Sanders check out some of the artwork at the SkyART studio in 2019. Jasmine Kwong
The art kits include Crayola markers, crayons, multi-sized sheets of paper and a sketchbook, as well as suggestions as to how to put them to use. “It’s really cool,” said Myles, who takes part in on-line art therapy and a Wednesday Zoom class. “I really like the watercolors best and how you can mix the colors — make them lighter, make them darker.”
SkyART recently surpassed its initial goal of 1,000 art kits, but it has no plans to stop. The center is working to expand distribution westward and to assemble additional packages with different art materials from other suppliers.
The SkyArt 6,000-square-foot studio facility includes three multipurpose art spaces, a computer lab and gallery. James Foster/Sun-Times
A positive side effect of the coronavirus shutdown has been connections that might not have happened otherwise, such as the art center’s partnership with Masks4Chi, which provided 800 cloth face masks for inclusion in the art kits.
“There have just been a significant number of new collaborations that have arisen out of this [sequestration],” VanHouten-Maldonado said, “because everybody wants to make a difference and everybody is really working together, and that has been really cool to see.”
Kyle MacMillan is a local freelance writer.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--Woodfield Mall to reopen Friday, with others to follow

Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg will reopen Friday , but other suburban shopping centers will wait until next week or haven @ @ @ @ @ .
The plans for Woodfield were disclosed in a public relations firm ’ s invitations @ @ @ @ @ and videos at the mall Friday morning .
Woodfield ’ s owner , Simon Property @ @ @ @ @ to inquiries about its plans .
A mall employee told the Chicago Sun-Times that it @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
Simon also was unavailable to discuss plans for its other suburban properties , @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora and Orland Square in Orland Park .
Hawthorn Mall in @ @ @ @ @ Mall in Aurora said they will reopen Monday .
Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook , @ @ @ @ @ Dundee and Northbrook Court in Northbrook , all owned by Brookfield Properties , have not @ @ @ @ @ did not reply to inquiries .
The malls mostly have been closed to shoppers except @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .

Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg will reopen Friday, but other suburban shopping centers will wait until next week or haven’t disclosed their plans.
The plans for Woodfield were disclosed in a public relations firm’s invitations to media to take photos and videos at the mall Friday morning. Woodfield’s owner, Simon Property Group, did not respond to inquiries about its plans. A mall employee told the Chicago Sun-Times that it would open at 11 a.m. Friday.
Simon also was unavailable to discuss plans for its other suburban properties, Gurnee Mills in Gurnee, Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora and Orland Square in Orland Park.
Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills and Fox Valley Mall in Aurora said they will reopen Monday.
Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee and Northbrook Court in Northbrook, all owned by Brookfield Properties, have not issued reopening plans. Brookfield did not reply to inquiries.
The malls mostly have been closed to shoppers except for curbside service during the coronavirus pandemic.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--CPD no longer using Clearview AI facial recognition software, department says after ACLU sues contro

CPD no longer using Clearview AI facial recognition software, department says after ACLU sues controversial firm

Chicago police confirmed Thursday that the department was no longer using facial recognition software developed by Clearview AI , a controversial firm that was sued in Cook County hours earlier by the American Civil Liberties Union .
The Sun-Times first reported in January that Chicago police had entered in a two-year contract with the Vernon Hills-based tech firm CDW government to use Clearview ’ s technology , which allows users to compare images against a database of billions of photos lifted from the internet .
After the lawsuit was filed on Thursday , CPD spokesman Howard Ludwig said that $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on May 1 .
“ A prorated refund has been issued to the Department following the termination of the contract , ” said Ludwig , who said the department ’ s contract with another facial recognition firm remains intact .
The move came just months after another police spokesman said facial recognition software like Clearview added “ jet fuel ” to the department ’ s ability to identify and locate suspects .
The complaint filed Thursday in Cook County alleges that Clearview is in violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents ’ facial and fingerprint identifiers from being used without consent .
The company has also been hit with a series of federal lawsuits over alleged violations of the same state law .
Three potential class action suits are currently being lodged in the Northern District of Illinois , with the most recent filing coming last week .
Clearview has claimed it ’ s taking steps to comply with the state law as the company attempts to beat back an injunction preventing the use of biometric data belonging to current and former Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to the first suit brought against Clearview in Illinois , the firm vowed to cancel all accounts with non-governmental clients , as well as “ any entity based in Illinois.
” The termination of the CPD ’ s contract appears to have been related to this commitment .
The new suit specifically aims to protect survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse , undocumented immigrants and other vulnerable communities “ uniquely harmed by face recognition surveillance , ” according to a statement from the ACLU .
“ We can change our names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identities from stalkers and abusive partners , but we can ’ t change our faces , ” said Mallory Littlejohn , legal director of the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation , a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the rights of survivors of sexual violence and exploitation that ’ s listed as a plaintiff in the case .
“ Clearview ’ s practices put survivors in constant fear of being tracked by those who seek to harm them , and are a threat to our security , safety , and well-being , ” Littlejohn added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compiling of the massive database “ embodied the nightmare scenario privacy advocates long warned of , and accomplished what many companies — such as Google — refused to try due to ethical concerns.
” Tor Ekeland , an attorney representing Clearview , shot back in a statement , claiming the company ’ s facial recognition tool is merely “ a search engine that uses only publicly available images accessible on the internet.
” “ It is absurd the ACLU wants to censor which search engines people can use to access public information on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The First Amendment forbids this.
” ‘ End privacy as we know it ’ The lawsuit was brought by the ACLU , the ACLU of Illinois and Edelson PC , a law firm that has filed other privacy suits related to BIPA and recently secured a $ 550 million settlement with Facebook after a class action suit alleged the social networking giant ’ s use of facial recognition violated the state law .
In addition to the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation , other listed plaintiffs include the Sex Workers Outreach Project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group and Mujeres Latinas en Accion .
Clearview came under heavy fire after the New York Times published a front-page story in January detailing the little-known startup ’ s facial recognition software and raising privacy concerns .
Clearview has since faced increased scrutiny and mounting legal challenges as its list of clients has incrementally been made public .
A review by Buzzfeed News found that many of the company ’ s 105 clients in Illinois were local law enforcement agencies , though the report noted that the Illinois secretary of state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the software .
“ Companies like Clearview will end privacy as we know it , and must be stopped , ” said Nathan Freed Wessler , senior staff attorney with the ACLU ’ s Speech , Privacy , and Technology Project .
“ This menacing technology gives governments , companies , and individuals the unprecedented power to spy on us wherever we go — tracking our faces at protests , AA meetings , political rallies , places of worship and more .
”

Chicago police confirmed Thursday that the department was no longer using facial recognition software developed by Clearview AI, a controversial firm that was sued in Cook County hours earlier by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The Sun-Times first reported in January that Chicago police had entered in a two-year contract with the Vernon Hills-based tech firm CDW government to use Clearview’s technology, which allows users to compare images against a database of billions of photos lifted from the internet. After the lawsuit was filed on Thursday, CPD spokesman Howard Ludwig said that $49,875 contract was cut short by Clearview on May 1.
“A prorated refund has been issued to the Department following the termination of the contract,” said Ludwig, who said the department’s contract with another facial recognition firm remains intact.
The move came just months after another police spokesman said facial recognition software like Clearview added “jet fuel” to the department’s ability to identify and locate suspects.
The complaint filed Thursday in Cook County alleges that Clearview is in violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, a law that protects current and former residents’ facial and fingerprint identifiers from being used without consent.
The company has also been hit with a series of federal lawsuits over alleged violations of the same state law. Three potential class action suits are currently being lodged in the Northern District of Illinois, with the most recent filing coming last week.
Clearview has claimed it’s taking steps to comply with the state law as the company attempts to beat back an injunction preventing the use of biometric data belonging to current and former Illinois residents.
In a May 6 filing related to the first suit brought against Clearview in Illinois, the firm vowed to cancel all accounts with non-governmental clients, as well as “any entity based in Illinois.” The termination of the CPD’s contract appears to have been related to this commitment.
New suit aims to protect abuse victims
The new suit specifically aims to protect survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, undocumented immigrants and other vulnerable communities “uniquely harmed by face recognition surveillance,” according to a statement from the ACLU.
“We can change our names and addresses to shield our whereabouts and identities from stalkers and abusive partners, but we can’t change our faces,” said Mallory Littlejohn, legal director of the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the rights of survivors of sexual violence and exploitation that’s listed as a plaintiff in the case.
“Clearview’s practices put survivors in constant fear of being tracked by those who seek to harm them, and are a threat to our security, safety, and well-being,” Littlejohn added.
The ACLU said Clearview’s compiling of the massive database “embodied the nightmare scenario privacy advocates long warned of, and accomplished what many companies — such as Google — refused to try due to ethical concerns.”
Tor Ekeland, an attorney representing Clearview, shot back in a statement, claiming the company’s facial recognition tool is merely “a search engine that uses only publicly available images accessible on the internet.”
“It is absurd the ACLU wants to censor which search engines people can use to access public information on the internet,” Ekeland said. “The First Amendment forbids this.”
‘End privacy as we know it’
The lawsuit was brought by the ACLU, the ACLU of Illinois and Edelson PC, a law firm that has filed other privacy suits related to BIPA and recently secured a $550 million settlement with Facebook after a class action suit alleged the social networking giant’s use of facial recognition violated the state law. In addition to the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, other listed plaintiffs include the Sex Workers Outreach Project, the Illinois State Public Interest Research Group and Mujeres Latinas en Accion.
Clearview came under heavy fire after the New York Times published a front-page story in January detailing the little-known startup’s facial recognition software and raising privacy concerns.
Clearview has since faced increased scrutiny and mounting legal challenges as its list of clients has incrementally been made public. A review by Buzzfeed News found that many of the company’s 105 clients in Illinois were local law enforcement agencies, though the report noted that the Illinois secretary of state’s office and the Chicago Cubs have also used the software.
“Companies like Clearview will end privacy as we know it, and must be stopped,” said Nathan Freed Wessler, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. “This menacing technology gives governments, companies, and individuals the unprecedented power to spy on us wherever we go — tracking our faces at protests, AA meetings, political rallies, places of worship and more.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--Woman walking dog rescues man drowning in Chicago River: ‘There was nobody else to do it’

A woman who jumped in the Chicago River to rescue a drowning man on Thursday says she waited until it was clear that no one else was able to help him .
The scene unfolded about 1:45 p.m. when a 36-year-old man fell into the river near State Street and Wacker Drive , according to Chicago police .
Julie Macholz was walking her dog nearby when she heard a commotion near the State Street bridge .
She went over and saw a man bobbing up and down , Macholz , 57 , told the Sun-Times .
“ He was trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” but was being pushed further into the river , she said .
Two men jumped a fence and threw two life preservers toward the man , but both missed him , according to Macholz , a retired Navy pilot who was a lifeguard in high school and college .
Police said a 52-year-old man jumped in to save to the man , but didn ’ t make it to him .
“ I yelled at him , ‘ If you can ’ t swim , I will go , ’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I yelled at someone to hold my dog , and I swam out and grabbed a ring.
” Macholz said she grabbed the man as he was “ going under , ” and pulled him to the side of the river before first responders had arrived .
Divers finally showed up and helped the pair to shore , she said .
“ By the time I came up , it looked like a movie scene .
The whole street was filled with trucks and cameras.
” The 36-year-old who fell in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
He was listed in critical condition .
Macholz said she hopes she pulled the man out in time , and hopes he recovers .
“ This was definitely not part of something I was planning on doing .
There was nobody else to do it , ” Macholz said , adding that she “ got a towel out of it.
” The 52-year-old man who jumped in refused medical treatment , police said .

A woman who jumped in the Chicago River to rescue a drowning man on Thursday says she waited until it was clear that no one else was able to help him.
The scene unfolded about 1:45 p.m. when a 36-year-old man fell into the river near State Street and Wacker Drive, according to Chicago police.
Julie Macholz was walking her dog nearby when she heard a commotion near the State Street bridge.
She went over and saw a man bobbing up and down, Macholz, 57, told the Sun-Times.
“He was trying to keep his head above the water,” but was being pushed further into the river, she said.
Two men jumped a fence and threw two life preservers toward the man, but both missed him, according to Macholz, a retired Navy pilot who was a lifeguard in high school and college.
Police said a 52-year-old man jumped in to save to the man, but didn’t make it to him.
“I yelled at him, ‘If you can’t swim, I will go,’” Macholz said. “At that point, I yelled at someone to hold my dog, and I swam out and grabbed a ring.”
Macholz said she grabbed the man as he was “going under,” and pulled him to the side of the river before first responders had arrived.
Divers finally showed up and helped the pair to shore, she said.
“By the time I came up, it looked like a movie scene. The whole street was filled with trucks and cameras.”
The 36-year-old who fell in the water was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, police said. He was listed in critical condition.
Macholz said she hopes she pulled the man out in time, and hopes he recovers.
“This was definitely not part of something I was planning on doing. There was nobody else to do it,” Macholz said, adding that she “got a towel out of it.”
The 52-year-old man who jumped in refused medical treatment, police said.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-28--Lightfoot likens George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis to police shooting of Laquan McDonald in Chicag

Lightfoot likens George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis to police shooting of Laquan McDonald in Chicago

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday likened George Floyd ’ s death to the police shooting of Laquan McDonald and responded to violent protests in Minneapolis by saying , “ There for the grace of God goes Chicago.
” “ There ’ s no mayor in any big city that has the diversity that we have here in Chicago who can ’ t be thinking every single day , watching what ’ s happening in Minneapolis , ‘ This could be me .
This could be our city .
This could be us going through this incredibly challenging time , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of Floyd lying under the knee of a Minneapolis officer struggling to breathe resurrected the Chicago nightmare that inspired Lightfoot to declare her candidacy for mayor at a time when incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel was still a candidate for re-election .
Lightfoot called it a “ painful reminder ” that , even as city ’ s attention has been diverted to the pandemic , work continues to reform the Chicago Police Department and rebuild public trust shattered by the court-ordered release of the video of McDonald ’ s shooting .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mothers and fathers in our city still live in fear of getting a phone call about something terrible happening to their children , ” the mayor said .
“ I hug my daughter a little longer at night every time I hear a story like that of Mr. Floyd .
And I think about my brothers and men in my family — another black American killed in this way .
It ’ s a generational burden I know my mother carried .
I carry it , too.
” Lightfoot and CPD Supt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it clear to our officers that we hold them — and they must hold themselves — to the highest of standards .
We can ’ t go backwards now , ” the mayor said .
“ There are some communities — particularly on the South and West Sides — where Chicagoans call for police presence more often .
That is their right and they are entitled to service .
They must be able to do so with the expectation that they will be treated with the same respect and dignity … they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s death , and the video of Floyd saying he could not breathe as a white officer kept his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes , has touched off protests in Minneapolis and other cities .
On Thursday , Lightfoot acknowledged she worries the same thing could happen in Chicago .
“ I had a very good conversation earlier today with the superintendent .
He believes — and I think he ’ s 100 percent right — that the time to prepare is now before the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By doing “ the hard , but important , essential work every single day of building legitimacy [ and ] authentic relationships with members of the community , ” she said , you are ready when there is a crisis , so that “ you have a well of good will that you can draw upon in trying to defuse it.
” Lightfoot talked about the revulsion she felt watching “ the life leave another human being ” while he was “ on the ground begging for his life , saying he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arriving paramedics treated Floyd “ almost like he was a piece of meat.
” She added : “ It sickened me .
I want to make sure that something like that doesn ’ t happen in our city .
”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday likened George Floyd’s death to the police shooting of Laquan McDonald and responded to violent protests in Minneapolis by saying, “There but for the grace of God goes Chicago.”
“There’s no mayor in any big city that has the diversity that we have here in Chicago who can’t be thinking every single day, watching what’s happening in Minneapolis, ‘This could be me. This could be our city. This could be us going through this incredibly challenging time,’” Lightfoot said.
Seeing the horrific video of Floyd lying under the knee of a Minneapolis officer struggling to breathe resurrected the Chicago nightmare that inspired Lightfoot to declare her candidacy for mayor at a time when incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel was still a candidate for re-election.
Lightfoot called it a “painful reminder” that, even as city’s attention has been diverted to the pandemic, work continues to reform the Chicago Police Department and rebuild public trust shattered by the court-ordered release of the video of McDonald’s shooting.
“We can’t rest knowing that black mothers and fathers in our city still live in fear of getting a phone call about something terrible happening to their children,” the mayor said.
“I hug my daughter a little longer at night every time I hear a story like that of Mr. Floyd. And I think about my brothers and men in my family — another black American killed in this way. It’s a generational burden I know my mother carried. I carry it, too.”
Lightfoot and CPD Supt. David Brown “are united in making it clear to our officers that we hold them — and they must hold themselves — to the highest of standards. We can’t go backwards now,” the mayor said.
“There are some communities — particularly on the South and West Sides — where Chicagoans call for police presence more often. That is their right and they are entitled to service. They must be able to do so with the expectation that they will be treated with the same respect and dignity … they would in my neighborhood of Logan Square.”
Floyd’s death, and the video of Floyd saying he could not breathe as a white officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes, has touched off protests in Minneapolis and other cities.
On Thursday, Lightfoot acknowledged she worries the same thing could happen in Chicago.
“I had a very good conversation earlier today with the superintendent. He believes — and I think he’s 100 percent right — that the time to prepare is now before the crisis hits,” the mayor said.
By doing “the hard, but important, essential work every single day of building legitimacy [and] authentic relationships with members of the community,” she said, you are ready when there is a crisis, so that “you have a well of good will that you can draw upon in trying to defuse it.”
Lightfoot talked about the revulsion she felt watching “the life leave another human being” while he was “on the ground begging for his life, saying he can’t breathe” and about how arriving paramedics treated Floyd “almost like he was a piece of meat.”
She added: “It sickened me. I want to make sure that something like that doesn’t happen in our city.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--Dear Abby: Teen’s quarantine calls with boyfriend aren’t meaningful enough

DEAR ABBY : I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for a little over five months .
We have enjoyed spending time with each other , but we never have deep , meaningful conversations , and I feel that it ’ s negatively impacting our relationship .
Because of the coronavirus quarantine , we can ’ t see each other because we are still in our teens and don ’ t live together .
If we don ’ t start having conversations that mean something to either of us over the phone , I ’ m afraid we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to see each other again .
Please give me some advice .
— STUCK IN QUARANTINE DEAR STUCK : You may be worrying needlessly .
Stop for a moment and ask yourself what kind of conversations you had with your boyfriend BEFORE the pandemic .
How deep were they ?
Express how you have been feeling lately , but , if you can , try to keep your conversations upbeat .
Share stories and videos with him that make you laugh .
If he wants to discuss his concerns , be prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push him in that direction .
Space your calls so there will be something fresh to talk about .
And always end your chats by telling how much you care about him , which will probably make him smile .
DEAR ABBY : I have several adult nieces and nephews whose dysfunctional upbringing makes them react in a very hostile and aggressive manner to anyone they perceive as disagreeing with them .
They verbally abuse anyone they view as opposing them .
They have so alienated their parent ’ s new spouse that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent ’ s home at any time , for any reason .
I would like to remain on semi-friendly terms with them , but I am unwilling to accept their verbal abuse .
Is there any way this can be fixed ?
— DISTANCING IN OKLAHOMA DEAR DISTANCING : Unless your nieces and nephews are willing to accept that they have anger management issues that need addressing , this isn ’ t a problem that anyone other than a licensed professional can fix .
If one of them unleashes a tirade on you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to be abused and end the conversation by absenting yourself .
Do it once , and I guarantee the word will spread .
DEAR ABBY : I ’ m at my wits ’ end .
I love my husband , but when we have company , he dominates the conversation , usually repeating the same stories over and over .
If friends and family tell him they ’ ve heard the story before , he just ignores the remark and continues .
He is retired , and I realize he doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been the best .
By the end of the evening , I am worn out .
What can I do ?
— PAIN IN HOSTING DEAR PAIN : That your husband is retired and isolated may contribute to his problem .
As soon as it ’ s feasible , encourage him to get out of the house and involve himself in some new activities where he can put his talents and experience to good use .
However , if his repetitiveness is new behavior , this should be discussed with his doctor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could indicate the onset of a medical or neurological problem .
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 .
Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “ The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.
” To order , send your name and mailing address , plus check or money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , to : Dear Abby , Anger Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for a little over five months. We have enjoyed spending time with each other, but we never have deep, meaningful conversations, and I feel that it’s negatively impacting our relationship.
Because of the coronavirus quarantine, we can’t see each other because we are still in our teens and don’t live together. If we don’t start having conversations that mean something to either of us over the phone, I’m afraid we’ll break up before we are allowed to see each other again. Please give me some advice. — STUCK IN QUARANTINE
DEAR STUCK: You may be worrying needlessly. Stop for a moment and ask yourself what kind of conversations you had with your boyfriend BEFORE the pandemic. How deep were they?
Express how you have been feeling lately, but, if you can, try to keep your conversations upbeat. Share stories and videos with him that make you laugh. If he wants to discuss his concerns, be prepared to listen, but don’t push him in that direction. Space your calls so there will be something fresh to talk about. And always end your chats by telling how much you care about him, which will probably make him smile.
DEAR ABBY: I have several adult nieces and nephews whose dysfunctional upbringing makes them react in a very hostile and aggressive manner to anyone they perceive as disagreeing with them. They verbally abuse anyone they view as opposing them. They have so alienated their parent’s new spouse that they are no longer welcome in that parent’s home at any time, for any reason.
I would like to remain on semi-friendly terms with them, but I am unwilling to accept their verbal abuse. Is there any way this can be fixed? — DISTANCING IN OKLAHOMA
DEAR DISTANCING: Unless your nieces and nephews are willing to accept that they have anger management issues that need addressing, this isn’t a problem that anyone other than a licensed professional can fix. If one of them unleashes a tirade on you, CALMLY point out that you prefer not to be abused and end the conversation by absenting yourself. Do it once, and I guarantee the word will spread.
DEAR ABBY: I’m at my wits’ end. I love my husband, but when we have company, he dominates the conversation, usually repeating the same stories over and over. If friends and family tell him they’ve heard the story before, he just ignores the remark and continues.
He is retired, and I realize he doesn’t socialize enough. His health has not been the best. By the end of the evening, I am worn out. What can I do? — PAIN IN HOSTING
DEAR PAIN: That your husband is retired and isolated may contribute to his problem. As soon as it’s feasible, encourage him to get out of the house and involve himself in some new activities where he can put his talents and experience to good use. However, if his repetitiveness is new behavior, this should be discussed with his doctor so he can be evaluated, because it could indicate the onset of a medical or neurological problem.
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.
Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.” To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)