chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--The time is ripe to bury this slur

The time is ripe to bury this slur

I never gave the word “ master ” a lot of thought .
In fact , a couple of years ago I thought it was funny when my podcast sister , author Leslie Baldacci , suggested we do a segment called : “ Who put the Master in MasterCard ?
” But I ’ m not laughing now .
All hell broke loose when a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd , a Black man , by putting his knee on his neck .
The aftermath of that cold-hearted act left more than broken glass and ransacked stores .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , the killing of Floyd ( which reminded many of a public lynching ) has changed the way many of us see our racial history .
That change is now rolling across America : From the boardrooms — where corporate leaders decided to retire popular longstanding brands like “ Aunt Jemima ” and “ Uncle Ben ” — to sports teams , like the former “ Washington Redskins , ” which recently dumped its offensive mascot , people are reexamining their racial attitudes .
These changes didn ’ t come overnight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural misappropriation by college and professional sports teams .
Tragically , it took a cruel act of racial oppression for decision-makers to listen .
Now , we are in the midst of not only confronting our racist roots , but we are trying to dig them up , which brings me back to “ master.
” Because of this racial reckoning , so to speak , what was once a socially acceptable term used to describe a person ’ s dominance has come under scrutiny .
In Houston , one of the fastest-growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a recent CBS News report , will no longer use the term .
“ …More members viewed the terms ( master bedroom , master bathroom ) as sexist than racist , although some did view them as racist , ” according to a statement from the Houston Association of Realtors , CBS News reported .
Chicago-based real estate firm @ properties has also dropped the term “ master.
” The National Association of Realtors , however , told the Houston Chronicle that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not discriminatory and that its usage does not violate any fair housing laws.
” “ Master ” is chiefly defined in the New Oxford American Dictionary as a “ man who has people working for him , especially servants or slaves.
” What was once accepted as an innocuous term used to describe a person ’ s dominance is now being denounced as racist .
Frankly , I would pull out my “ MasterCard ” credit card without ever making the connection that “ master ” is as rooted in our slavery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people in the real estate industry are debating this issue shows the depth at which Americans of all races are reexamining racial bias .
Maybe now African-American leaders , artists , musicians and influencers will launch a serious campaign to stop the use of the n-word .
The NAACP tried in vain to bury the word more than a decade ago .
But Black youth , particularly , have been bamboozled , as Malcolm X would say , into believing that a word rooted in the outright hatred of Black skin could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person — no matter who uses it .
It pains me to hear that word blasting from car radios and from the lips of Black comedians , as if they don ’ t know where the word comes from .
Like so many others in my generation , I ’ m proud of the activism young people continue to show around criminal justice reform .
They are right to go hard when it coms to fixing our broken and inequitable system , including policing in Black and Brown neighborhoods .
But we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is easy to demand that statues of slave-owning historical figures be taken down and hidden from public view .
We should replace those monuments with statues of American heroes that people of every race can be proud of .
But there ’ s no pride in the continued widespread use of a word that was used by racists to denigrate Black people .
It was a racial slur back then .
It is still a racial slur today .

I never gave the word “master” a lot of thought.
In fact, a couple of years ago I thought it was funny when my podcast sister, author Leslie Baldacci, suggested we do a segment called: “Who put the Master in MasterCard?”
But I’m not laughing now.
All hell broke loose when a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, a Black man, by putting his knee on his neck.
The aftermath of that cold-hearted act left more than broken glass and ransacked stores.
Just like the coronavirus has changed everyday life, the killing of Floyd (which reminded many of a public lynching) has changed the way many of us see our racial history.
That change is now rolling across America:
From the boardrooms — where corporate leaders decided to retire popular longstanding brands like “Aunt Jemima” and “Uncle Ben”— to sports teams, like the former “Washington Redskins,” which recently dumped its offensive mascot, people are reexamining their racial attitudes.
These changes didn’t come overnight.
Native Americans have campaigned for decades against cultural misappropriation by college and professional sports teams.
Tragically, it took a cruel act of racial oppression for decision-makers to listen.
Now, we are in the midst of not only confronting our racist roots, but we are trying to dig them up, which brings me back to “master.”
Because of this racial reckoning, so to speak, what was once a socially acceptable term used to describe a person’s dominance has come under scrutiny.
In Houston, one of the fastest-growing cities in America, real estate agents, according to a recent CBS News report, will no longer use the term.
“…More members viewed the terms (master bedroom, master bathroom) as sexist than racist, although some did view them as racist,” according to a statement from the Houston Association of Realtors, CBS News reported.
Chicago-based real estate firm @properties has also dropped the term “master.”
The National Association of Realtors, however, told the Houston Chronicle that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development advised them the term “master bedroom is not discriminatory and that its usage does not violate any fair housing laws.”
“Master” is chiefly defined in the New Oxford American Dictionary as a “man who has people working for him, especially servants or slaves.”
What was once accepted as an innocuous term used to describe a person’s dominance is now being denounced as racist.
Frankly, I would pull out my “MasterCard” credit card without ever making the connection that “master” is as rooted in our slavery lexicon as “mammy.”
The fact that people in the real estate industry are debating this issue shows the depth at which Americans of all races are reexamining racial bias.
Maybe now African-American leaders, artists, musicians and influencers will launch a serious campaign to stop the use of the n-word.
The NAACP tried in vain to bury the word more than a decade ago.
But Black youth, particularly, have been bamboozled, as Malcolm X would say, into believing that a word rooted in the outright hatred of Black skin could ever be used to describe a Black person — no matter who uses it.
It pains me to hear that word blasting from car radios and from the lips of Black comedians, as if they don’t know where the word comes from.
Like so many others in my generation, I’m proud of the activism young people continue to show around criminal justice reform.
They are right to go hard when it coms to fixing our broken and inequitable system, including policing in Black and Brown neighborhoods.
But we have a lot of internal work to do.
It is easy to demand that statues of slave-owning historical figures be taken down and hidden from public view.
Right on.
We should replace those monuments with statues of American heroes that people of every race can be proud of.
But there’s no pride in the continued widespread use of a word that was used by racists to denigrate Black people.
It was a racial slur back then.
It is still a racial slur today.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--Daisy Coleman, subject of Netflix’s ‘Audrie & Daisy’ documentary, dies at 23

Daisy Coleman , the activist and sexual assault survivor who was the subject of the 2016 Netflix documentary “ Audrie & Daisy , ” has died at age 23 .
Daisy ’ s mother , Melinda Coleman , revealed her daughter ’ s death Tuesday on Facebook , where she also shared tributes from friends .
SafeBAE , an organization for sexual assault survivors co-founded by Daisy Coleman , a tattoo artist and model , confirmed the news in a statement sent to USA TODAY by Shael Norris , the group ’ s executive director .
“ As all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many years to both heal from her assault and prevent future sexual violence among teens , ” a statement says .
“ She was our sister in this work and much of the driving force behind it .
“ We are shattered and shocked by her passing from suicide .
... She had many coping demons and had been facing and overcoming them all , but as many of you know , healing is not a straight path or any easy one.
” Melinda Coleman wrote on Facebook that she called police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was found dead in Denver .
“ She was my best friend and amazing daughter .
I think she had to make it seem like I could live without her .
I can ’ t , ” she wrote .
“ I wish I could have taken the pain from her !
She never recovered from what those boys did to her and it ’ s just not fair .
My baby girl is gone.
” In “ Audrie & Daisy , ” Coleman spoke of being a survivor after experiencing sexual assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the movie , Audrie Pott , committed suicide after nude photos taken of her after an assault went viral when she was 15 .
When local law enforcement emphasized to filmmakers the safety of the small town where Coleman was allegedly assaulted , “ I really had to sit back and laugh , ” she told USA TODAY in a 2016 interview .
She said she enjoyed tattooing images with dark themes on her clients .
“ It almost forces my audience to look for the light and the good in the darkness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USA TODAY that Coleman appeared to be doing well until about two years ago , when she lost her brother in a car accident .
After that , Coleman started EMDR ( Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing ) therapy , a treatment used on PTSD patients , to help deal with her trauma .
Over time , says Norris , the therapy appeared to be so effective that it was going to be featured in another documentary in production about Coleman called “ Saving Daisy.
” SafeBAE ’ s statement says Coleman “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever know , ” and emphasizes that Coleman worked to help young survivors .
“ Please know that above ALL ELSE , she did this work for you .
She loved talking to young people about changing the culture and taking care of one another .
Much of her healing came from each of you .
”

Daisy Coleman, the activist and sexual assault survivor who was the subject of the 2016 Netflix documentary “Audrie & Daisy,” has died at age 23.
Daisy’s mother, Melinda Coleman, revealed her daughter’s death Tuesday on Facebook, where she also shared tributes from friends.
SafeBAE, an organization for sexual assault survivors co-founded by Daisy Coleman,a tattoo artist and model, confirmed the news in a statement sent to USA TODAY by Shael Norris, the group’s executive director.
“As all of our supporters know, Daisy has fought for many years to both heal from her assault and prevent future sexual violence among teens,” a statement says. “She was our sister in this work and much of the driving force behind it.
“We are shattered and shocked by her passing from suicide. ... She had many coping demons and had been facing and overcoming them all, but as many of you know, healing is not a straight path or any easy one.”
Melinda Coleman wrote on Facebook that she called police to check on her daughter, who was found dead in Denver.
“She was my best friend and amazing daughter. I think she had to make it seem like I could live without her. I can’t,” she wrote. “I wish I could have taken the pain from her! She never recovered from what those boys did to her and it’s just not fair. My baby girl is gone.”
In “Audrie & Daisy,” Coleman spoke of being a survivor after experiencing sexual assault at 14. The other subject of the movie, Audrie Pott, committed suicide after nude photos taken of her after an assault went viral when she was 15.
When local law enforcement emphasized to filmmakers the safety of the small town where Coleman was allegedly assaulted, “I really had to sit back and laugh,” she told USA TODAY in a 2016 interview.
She said she enjoyed tattooing images with dark themes on her clients. “It almost forces my audience to look for the light and the good in the darkness,” Coleman said.
Norris told USA TODAY that Coleman appeared to be doing well until about two years ago, when she lost her brother in a car accident.
After that, Coleman started EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy, a treatment used on PTSD patients, to help deal with her trauma. Over time, says Norris, the therapy appeared to be so effective that it was going to be featured in another documentary in production about Coleman called “Saving Daisy.”
SafeBAE’s statement says Coleman “fought longer and harder than we will ever know,” and emphasizes that Coleman worked to help young survivors.
“Please know that above ALL ELSE, she did this work for you. She loved talking to young people about changing the culture and taking care of one another. Much of her healing came from each of you.”
“Her work was truly inspirational,” Norris added.
Read more at usatoday.com


chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--Coronavirus ‘rages on’ in Illinois, prompting Pritzker to warn locals to take action — or the state

Coronavirus ‘rages on’ in Illinois, prompting Pritzker to warn locals to take action — or the state ‘will be forced to step in’ (LIVE UPDATES)

Coronavirus ‘ rages on ’ in Illinois , prompting Pritzker to warn locals to take action — or the state ‘ will be forced to step in ’ Health officials on Wednesday announced another 1,759 people have tested positive for COVID-19 across Illinois , marking the third-highest daily caseload in two months and the 15th straight day the state has reported 1,000 or more cases .
Over the last four weeks , Illinois has had 23 days with four-digit caseloads — following a full month without hitting that level .
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 30 more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the second time the state has tallied 30 or more deaths in almost a month .
Experts predict a spike in deaths during the next few weeks , the grim result of Illinois ’ steady increase in cases since late June and an uptick in hospitalizations over the last two weeks .
Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here , 7:20 p.m .
Disappointment , relief , uncertainty : CPS students , teachers and parents have mixed reactions to online school this fall Nesean Smith ’ s fall of his senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to be full of memories he ’ s been looking forward to since he was a freshman : football season , homecoming and enjoying the last year of high school with his friends .
Instead , Smith , 16 , of the South Side will log onto school virtually Sept. 8 , since Chicago Public Schools announced the entire first quarter will be completely online .
“ I didn ’ t really want it to happen , but I knew it would happen , ” Smith said .
“ Most people prefer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday schools will remain closed beginning Sept. 8 through at least the end of the first quarter , Nov. 6 .
Many teachers and parents are relieved about the decision in light of worsening COVID-19 conditions .
Read the full story by Clare Proctor here .
5:40 p.m. With loan money gone , restaurants are at mercy of virus The check has arrived and beleaguered restaurant owners across America are looking down on their empty wallets .
Government coronavirus loans in the spring helped eating establishments rehire laid-off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s initial surge and wave of shutdown orders .
But that Paycheck Protection Program money has now been spent at many restaurants , leaving them in the same precarious position they were in during outbreak ’ s early days : Thousands of restaurants are being forced to close down again on mandates from state and local officials combating the virus ’ s resurgence , particularly in the South and West .
And even in parts of the country where the outbreak appears contained , restaurants ’ revenue is far below normal because social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean fewer tables , fewer customers and limited hours .
4:47 p.m. More than 100 CEOs warn Congress of pandemic impact on small businesses The pandemic continues to eat away at the nation ’ s small businesses , and dozens of current and former CEOs are calling on Congress to do more to address it .
In a letter published August 3 and addressed to congressional leaders , a group of more than 100 high power executives emphasized the importance of small businesses in America .
They also warned the House and Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic fallout ahead if more relief isn ’ t provided to small businesses .
“ We can not stress enough the urgent need to act , ” the letter said .
“ By Labor Day , we foresee a wave of permanent closures if the right steps are not taken soon .
Allowing small businesses to fail will turn temporary job losses into permanent ones.
” The business leaders said that by year-end , the domino effect on goods and services in the country “ could be catastrophic.
” 4:10 p.m .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease that has kept so many musicians apart The music floats down a narrow , weedy gangway to a backyard on the North Side , where four French horn players sit , socially distanced , their instruments gleaming in the late-morning sunlight .
A cardinal somewhere up in the high branches of a huge silver maple adds its own accompaniment to the piece they ’ re playing , “ Fripperies for Four Horns , ” by Lowell Shaw .
A middle-aged couple step out onto their deck overlooking the garden to listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bees out here .
What ’ s going on ?
” said Mary Jo Neher , swatting at the little insects buzzing around her ankles during a pause in the music .
It ’ s a small inconvenience for Neher , 42 , and her fellow Chicago-area horn players , who are thrilled to be playing with other human beings after months of isolation at home .
“ One of the things I ’ ve missed was the feeling of throwing my case on my back and going into the garage to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a freelance musician .
“ There is so much in that moment : I have a purpose .
I ’ m not just Mom , keeping everyone alive and teaching at home .
I just yearn for that basic feeling.
” Read the full story by Stefano Esposito here A letter representing more than 1,000 Big Ten college football players was published Wednesday to express concerns over the conference ’ s protocols regarding return to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Published at The Players ’ Tribune through a collective called the College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players said the Big Ten ’ s proposal “ falls short in certain areas ” and offered an alternative proposal instead .
“ The NCAA — which is known for its zeal for regulations and enforcement — has had ample time to prepare for the safe return of its athletes to competition , yet it has done nothing , ” the players wrote Wednesday .
“ Its laissez-faire approach is forcing each conference and each school to create its own plan , resulting in inconsistent policies , procedures and protocols.
” 2:45 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept Democratic convention nomination in Milwaukee Former Vice President Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept his Democratic nomination on Aug. 20 because the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening and instead will deliver his acceptance speech from his home state of Delaware , the Democratic National Committee announced Wednesday .
Meanwhile , President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday he is considering accepting the Republican nomination from the White House , raising a legal question of whether a political speech could be made from a government building .
“ I ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House , ” he said .
The few other speakers and activities that were going to be in Milwaukee during the Democratic National Convention have also been scrapped , even after extensive daily testing and other preventative measures had been planned .
Read the full story by Lynn Sweet here .
2:20 p.m.
Here ’ s what a virtual school day will look like for CPS students this fall When school starts next month for more than 300,000 CPS students , all classes will be held remotely , the district announced Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the spring , when remote learning systems were put into place virtually overnight , and CPS had trouble getting many students to log on for a very limited amount of live instruction .
“ We learned a lot from our remote learning experience last spring , ” CPS said in an Instagram post .
“ This fall , we are prepared to provide your children with a robust , high-quality education aligned to guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education.
” While CPS plans to release more details later this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that students working from home will follow .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson held a press conference Wednesday morning to announce that CPS schools would go to all remote learning in the school year ’ s first quarter , which begins on Sept. 8 .
Fall sports are scheduled to start almost a full month earlier .
The Illinois High School Association allows practices to begin on Aug. 10 .
Under the IHSA ’ s revised sports calendar fall sports include boys and girls golf , girls tennis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls swimming and diving .
The IHSA allows schools that are remote learning to participate in sports .
The final decision rests with each school district .
It appears that CPS is going to opt out of fall sports , but the announcement wasn ’ t exactly definitive .
Read the full report from Michael O ’ Brien here .
11:18 a.m. Spike in Illinois coronavirus deaths may be weeks away , experts say As Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and health officials sound the alarm on a rise in coronavirus cases , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s COVID-19 deaths reported per day could easily give the false impression that Illinois ’ pandemic curve has flattened .
Don ’ t be fooled , experts say — more deaths are looming .
“ In the next two to four weeks , we ’ re really going to start seeing the effects , ” University of Chicago epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon said .
“ We just started seeing an increase in patients in the hospital in the last week and a half .
Deaths come into the picture a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst could be yet to come , as the Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported the latest 1,471 cases of the disease , marking two straight weeks with four-digit daily caseloads .
Illinois has averaged about 1,500 new cases per day over those two weeks — almost double the daily case average in June — but the 19 latest COVID-19 deaths reported Tuesday are just slightly above the average of 17 deaths per day during that time frame .
It takes some time for deaths to catch up to case trends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus curve hit a valley with just 473 new cases reported June 15 , the state still averaged about 42 deaths per day for the following two weeks , including 84 on June 17 .
9:56 a.m. Chicago Public Schools staying closed due to worsening COVID-19 conditions , Lightfoot says Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday cited worsening public health conditions and parent concerns about in-person schooling in backing off a proposal to return to classrooms in the fall and deciding to move Chicago Public Schools to fully remote learning next month .
Beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the school year , the city will hold remote learning for CPS ’ 355,000 students through the end of the first quarter Nov. 5 .
In the next month , the district will work to develop and unveil a more comprehensive at-home plan than the makeshift one used in the spring when the pandemic forced surprise school closures .
The mayor held a morning news conference with CPS CEO Janice Jackson and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady to discuss the decision .
The mayor said the decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Chicago Teachers Union ’ s increasing pressure and threats to strike .
Read the full report from Nader Issa and Fran Spielman here .
8:24 a.m .
Going South : Pritzker says southern Illinois coronavirus surge ‘ worse than in Chicago ’ Some southern Illinois politicians have spent months hammering Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s COVID-19 measures for bringing the downstate economy to a halt to solve what they have called a Chicago-area problem .
Now , southern Illinois is the problem , the Democratic governor said Tuesday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic , which once seemed tame in Carbondale and throughout the entire region , is surging here , ” Pritzker said at Southern Illinois University .
“ It ’ s worse than in Chicago .
“ And I ’ ll be frank , if we don ’ t see some change here , the virus will cause some businesses to close , and an increasing percentage of people to get sick , and some will even die.
” Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here .
• Marlins resume season and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
J.B. Pritzker reported coronavirus testing positivity rates of 7.3 % and 7.4 % over the last week in the Metro East and southern Illinois regions , including an 8 % rate in Jackson County .
In Chicago , the seven-day positivity rate was at 4.9 % , and 5.8 % in suburban Cook County .
• The number of confirmed infections in the U.S. has topped 4.7 million , with new cases running at over 60,000 a day .
While that ’ s down from a peak of well over 70,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases are rising in 26 states , many in the South and West , and deaths are climbing in 35 states 7:15 p.m .
When will Chicago ’ s schools reopen ?
When Chicago parents think it ’ s safe Chicago kids aren ’ t going back to school , not in brick-and-mortar school buildings , until enough parents think it ’ s safe .
It ’ s as simple as that .
And right now , parents just are not there .
Nothing else — no technological challenges , COVID-19 data or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better explains why the Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday abandoned plans for a hybrid reopening of the schools in September .
Fully 41 % of elementary school parents and 38 % of high school parents , according to a CPS survey , said they would refuse to send their children back to school that soon .
Read the full editorial by the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board here .
After a prolonged dryness , we now find ourselves awash in live sports .
Yes , the presence of COVID-19 means that the whole thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s disorienting — NHL playoff games in August ?
Isn ’ t that like ice cream truck music in January ?
We ’ ve gone from nothing to baseball , basketball and hockey in what feels like the blink of an eye .
The virus can take it all away from us just as quickly .
That can ’ t be emphasized too much .
Actually , yes it can .
I certainly have done it .
Let ’ s put the pessimism on pause for a moment and enjoy the opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Did we take that for granted , pre-pandemic ?
The way we take oxygen for granted .
Read the full column by Rick Morrissey here .
2:30 p.m. A lesson from hospital workers and two hair stylists : Wear the mask and we ’ ll all be safer As we begin to see another uptick in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 , I ’ d like to share some of what we ’ ve learned at Edward-Elmhurst Health in the past six months .
• Most people who contract the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or mild-to-moderate symptoms .
• Some people have more severe symptoms and need to be hospitalized .
Those individuals are more likely to be older , immunocompromised , or have chronic conditions such as diabetes , respiratory disease , heart conditions or obesity .
But not always .
Read the full Letter to the Editor by Mary Lou Mastro here .
8:30 a.m. Illinois has all it needs for a banner season — except for the one thing it can ’ t control The team ’ s best player in 15 years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed Friday that he ’ s out of the NBA Draft and heading back to school for his junior season .
The team ’ s best big man in longer than that , 2019-20 Big Ten freshman of the year Kofi Cockburn , announced the same a day later .
It ’ s just plain awful to think that Dosunmu ’ s and Cockburn ’ s championship dreams , Illini fans ’ fervent hopes and a potentially glorious time of winning at a basketball-mad school might all be rolled into a ball and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus that shows up whenever and wherever it can and hasn ’ t the slightest sense of sentimentality .
Nobody deserves this insidious brand of worry , but it surrounds and envelops sports these days and has a place in any honest discussion of any game , any season , any team , any goal .
For a supposed refuge from the harsh realities of life , sports is having a hard time holding up its end of the bargain .
The Cubs are getting ready for a road trip through Missouri , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upside-down with COVID-19 cases and a quarantining process in Milwaukee that just won ’ t quit .
The White Sox ’ much-anticipated “ Field of Dreams ” game , scheduled for Aug. 13 in the cornfields of Dyersville , Iowa , has been called off .
Read the full column from Steve Greenberg here .

Chicago Public Schools confirmed yesterday’s reports that CPS was beginning the school year with remote learning and that it will continue that arrangement through Nov. 6.
Reaction from parents, students and teachers was mixed. Many preferred in-person learning, but they realize the challenges of keeping everyone healthy during the coronavirus pandemic was too much to chance everyone’s well-being.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools will open with in-person learning. They will have remote and online learning options for students who are unable to return or whose parents are unwilling to send them to in-person classes.
The numbers of coronavirus cases remained on a steady increase. Over the last four weeks, Illinois has had 23 days with four-digit caseloads — following a full month without hitting that level. Gov. J.B. Pritzker continued his downstate tour warning residents of continued danger from COVID-19.
Here’s what we learned today in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago, the state and the nation.
News
9 p.m. Coronavirus ‘rages on’ in Illinois, prompting Pritzker to warn locals to take action — or the state ‘will be forced to step in’
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Health officials on Wednesday announced another 1,759 people have tested positive for COVID-19 across Illinois, marking the third-highest daily caseload in two months and the 15th straight day the state has reported 1,000 or more cases.
Over the last four weeks, Illinois has had 23 days with four-digit caseloads — following a full month without hitting that level.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 30 more people suffering from COVID-19 have died, just the second time the state has tallied 30 or more deaths in almost a month.
Experts predict a spike in deaths during the next few weeks, the grim result of Illinois’ steady increase in cases since late June and an uptick in hospitalizations over the last two weeks.
Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here,
8:43 p.m. Chicago Catholic schools will stick with in-person learning as CPS goes online for the fall
As Chicago Public Schools change course for this fall, announcing Wednesday that the school year will begin with remote learning, the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools said it’s moving forward with its plan to return to the classroom next month.
In an email to families, Catholic Schools superintendent Jim Rigg said the archdiocese is committed to starting the school year with full-time in-person learning, saying it’s “in the best interests of children and our mission.”
Rigg called in-person learning “essential” for students to grow not only intellectually and emotionally but also in their faith.
Read the full story by Madeline Kenney here.
8:15 p.m. UConn becomes 1st FBS program to cancel football season because of coronavirus
The University of Connecticut canceled its 2020 football season Wednesday, becoming the first FBS program to suspend football because of the coronavirus pandemic, as other schools had taken the Huskies off their schedules and the governor was reluctant to allow UConn to travel to states with high infection rates.
“After receiving guidance from state and public health officials and consulting with football student-athletes, we’ve decided that we will not compete on the gridiron this season,” athletic director David Benedict said. “The safety challenges created by COVID-19 place our football student-athletes at an unacceptable level of risk.”
UConn had been scheduled to play its first season as an independent after leaving the American Athletic Conference.
The Huskies had already been taken off the schedules of Illinois, Indiana, Maine and Mississippi by those schools, and games against North Carolina and Virginia remained uncertain, UConn officials said. Many of the Power Five conferences are playing league-only schedules this season.
Read the full story here.
7:20 p.m. Disappointment, relief, uncertainty: CPS students, teachers and parents have mixed reactions to online school this fall
Nesean Smith’s fall of his senior year at Morgan Park High School was supposed to be full of memories he’s been looking forward to since he was a freshman: football season, homecoming and enjoying the last year of high school with his friends.
Instead, Smith, 16, of the South Side will log onto school virtually Sept. 8, since Chicago Public Schools announced the entire first quarter will be completely online.
“I didn’t really want it to happen, but I knew it would happen,” Smith said. “Most people prefer learning in-person over Zoom calls.”
CPS and Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday schools will remain closed beginning Sept. 8 through at least the end of the first quarter, Nov. 6. Many teachers and parents are relieved about the decision in light of worsening COVID-19 conditions.
Read the full story by Clare Proctor here.
5:40 p.m. With loan money gone, restaurants are at mercy of virus
The check has arrived and beleaguered restaurant owners across America are looking down on their empty wallets.
Government coronavirus loans in the spring helped eating establishments rehire laid-off employees and ride out the pandemic’s initial surge and wave of shutdown orders.
But that Paycheck Protection Program money has now been spent at many restaurants, leaving them in the same precarious position they were in during outbreak’s early days: Thousands of restaurants are being forced to close down again on mandates from state and local officials combating the virus’s resurgence, particularly in the South and West.
And even in parts of the country where the outbreak appears contained, restaurants’ revenue is far below normal because social distancing requirements — and wary diners — mean fewer tables, fewer customers and limited hours.
Read the full story here.
4:47 p.m. More than 100 CEOs warn Congress of pandemic impact on small businesses
The pandemic continues to eat away at the nation’s small businesses, and dozens of current and former CEOs are calling on Congress to do more to address it.
In a letter published August 3 and addressed to congressional leaders, a group of more than 100 high power executives emphasized the importance of small businesses in America.
They also warned the House and Senate about the potential for a more disastrous economic fallout ahead if more relief isn’t provided to small businesses.
“We cannot stress enough the urgent need to act,” the letter said. “By Labor Day, we foresee a wave of permanent closures if the right steps are not taken soon. Allowing small businesses to fail will turn temporary job losses into permanent ones.”
The business leaders said that by year-end, the domino effect on goods and services in the country “could be catastrophic.”
Read the full story here.
4:10 p.m. They call themselves the ’Rona Quartet after the disease that has kept so many musicians apart
The music floats down a narrow, weedy gangway to a backyard on the North Side, where four French horn players sit, socially distanced, their instruments gleaming in the late-morning sunlight.
A cardinal somewhere up in the high branches of a huge silver maple adds its own accompaniment to the piece they’re playing, “Fripperies for Four Horns,” by Lowell Shaw. A middle-aged couple step out onto their deck overlooking the garden to listen.
“There are a lot of bees out here. What’s going on?” said Mary Jo Neher, swatting at the little insects buzzing around her ankles during a pause in the music.
It’s a small inconvenience for Neher, 42, and her fellow Chicago-area horn players, who are thrilled to be playing with other human beings after months of isolation at home.
“One of the things I’ve missed was the feeling of throwing my case on my back and going into the garage to go to work,” said Neher, a freelance musician. “There is so much in that moment: I have a purpose. I’m not just Mom, keeping everyone alive and teaching at home. I just yearn for that basic feeling.”
Read the full story by Stefano Esposito here
3:25 p.m. Big Ten players demand improved coronavirus safety procedures
A letter representing more than 1,000 Big Ten college football players was published Wednesday to express concerns over the conference’s protocols regarding return to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published at The Players’ Tribune through a collective called the College Athlete Unity (CAU), the players said the Big Ten’s proposal “falls short in certain areas” and offered an alternative proposal instead.
“The NCAA — which is known for its zeal for regulations and enforcement — has had ample time to prepare for the safe return of its athletes to competition, yet it has done nothing,” the players wrote Wednesday. “Its laissez-faire approach is forcing each conference and each school to create its own plan, resulting in inconsistent policies, procedures and protocols.”
Read the full story here.
2:45 p.m. With COVID-19 worsening, Biden scraps plan to accept Democratic convention nomination in Milwaukee
Former Vice President Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept his Democratic nomination on Aug. 20 because the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening and instead will deliver his acceptance speech from his home state of Delaware, the Democratic National Committee announced Wednesday.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday he is considering accepting the Republican nomination from the White House, raising a legal question of whether a political speech could be made from a government building.
“I’ll probably do mine live from the White House,” he said.
The few other speakers and activities that were going to be in Milwaukee during the Democratic National Convention have also been scrapped, even after extensive daily testing and other preventative measures had been planned.
Read the full story by Lynn Sweet here.
2:20 p.m. Here’s what a virtual school day will look like for CPS students this fall
When school starts next month for more than 300,000 CPS students, all classes will be held remotely, the district announced Wednesday.
Officials promised fall learning will be different from the spring, when remote learning systems were put into place virtually overnight, and CPS had trouble getting many students to log on for a very limited amount of live instruction.
“We learned a lot from our remote learning experience last spring,” CPS said in an Instagram post. “This fall, we are prepared to provide your children with a robust, high-quality education aligned to guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education.”
While CPS plans to release more details later this week, the district provided an overall structure that students working from home will follow.
Read the full story here.
11:55 p.m. CPS guidance unclear on fall sports
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson held a press conference Wednesday morning to announce that CPS schools would go to all remote learning in the school year’s first quarter, which begins on Sept. 8.
Fall sports are scheduled to start almost a full month earlier. The Illinois High School Association allows practices to begin on Aug. 10. Under the IHSA’s revised sports calendar fall sports include boys and girls golf, girls tennis, boys and girls cross country and girls swimming and diving.
The IHSA allows schools that are remote learning to participate in sports. The final decision rests with each school district. It appears that CPS is going to opt out of fall sports, but the announcement wasn’t exactly definitive.
Read the full report from Michael O’Brien here.
11:18 a.m. Spike in Illinois coronavirus deaths may be weeks away, experts say
As Gov. J.B. Pritzker and health officials sound the alarm on a rise in coronavirus cases, one look at a graph of the state’s COVID-19 deaths reported per day could easily give the false impression that Illinois’ pandemic curve has flattened.
Don’t be fooled, experts say — more deaths are looming.
“In the next two to four weeks, we’re really going to start seeing the effects,” University of Chicago epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon said. “We just started seeing an increase in patients in the hospital in the last week and a half. Deaths come into the picture a couple of weeks after that.”
That means the worst could be yet to come, as the Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported the latest 1,471 cases of the disease, marking two straight weeks with four-digit daily caseloads.
Illinois has averaged about 1,500 new cases per day over those two weeks — almost double the daily case average in June — but the 19 latest COVID-19 deaths reported Tuesday are just slightly above the average of 17 deaths per day during that time frame.
It takes some time for deaths to catch up to case trends in either direction. When Illinois’ coronavirus curve hit a valley with just 473 new cases reported June 15, the state still averaged about 42 deaths per day for the following two weeks, including 84 on June 17.
Read the full report here.
9:56 a.m. Chicago Public Schools staying closed due to worsening COVID-19 conditions, Lightfoot says
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday cited worsening public health conditions and parent concerns about in-person schooling in backing off a proposal to return to classrooms in the fall and deciding to move Chicago Public Schools to fully remote learning next month.
Beginning Sept. 8, the previously scheduled start to the school year, the city will hold remote learning for CPS’ 355,000 students through the end of the first quarter Nov. 5. In the next month, the district will work to develop and unveil a more comprehensive at-home plan than the makeshift one used in the spring when the pandemic forced surprise school closures.
The mayor held a morning news conference with CPS CEO Janice Jackson and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady to discuss the decision.
The mayor said the decision to keep kids home had little to do with the Chicago Teachers Union’s increasing pressure and threats to strike.
Read the full report from Nader Issa and Fran Spielman here.
8:24 a.m. Going South: Pritzker says southern Illinois coronavirus surge ‘worse than in Chicago’
Some southern Illinois politicians have spent months hammering Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 measures for bringing the downstate economy to a halt to solve what they have called a Chicago-area problem.
Now, southern Illinois is the problem, the Democratic governor said Tuesday.
“I’m here today because the COVID-19 pandemic, which once seemed tame in Carbondale and throughout the entire region, is surging here,” Pritzker said at Southern Illinois University. “It’s worse than in Chicago.
“And I’ll be frank, if we don’t see some change here, the virus will cause some businesses to close, and an increasing percentage of people to get sick, and some will even die.”
Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
8:20 p.m. Vote with your face? Masks one more thing voters will get to decide on Election Day
Chicago election officials plan to “strongly encourage” but will not require voters to wear face masks to their polling places this fall.
They say their decision was made in accordance with current COVID-19 guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health — neither of which mandate the use of face coverings for voting.
Election officials in suburban Cook, DuPage and Lake counties told me they are awaiting updated guidance from the state before finalizing their own face mask policies.
Read the full column by Mark Brown here.
7:45 p.m. Five ways you can help small businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic
For millions of small businesses in the United States, the coronavirus has been a kick to the gut. Many fear they may never recover.
You can help them.
We all have favorite restaurants and other small businesses we frequent, and we all want to do what we can to make sure they’re still standing after the worst of this pandemic passes. We might not be able to walk through their doors right now, as we practice social distancing.
But we can support them in other ways.
Read the full list by the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board here.
7:15 p.m. When will Chicago’s schools reopen? When Chicago parents think it’s safe
Chicago kids aren’t going back to school, not in brick-and-mortar school buildings, until enough parents think it’s safe.
It’s as simple as that.
And right now, parents just are not there.
Nothing else — no technological challenges, COVID-19 data or reluctance on the part of teachers — better explains why the Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday abandoned plans for a hybrid reopening of the schools in September. Fully 41% of elementary school parents and 38% of high school parents, according to a CPS survey, said they would refuse to send their children back to school that soon.
5:10 p.m. Real games, big-league escapism, shots at Joe Maddon — life is good!
After a prolonged dryness, we now find ourselves awash in live sports. Yes, the presence of COVID-19 means that the whole thing is tenuous. Yes, it’s disorienting — NHL playoff games in August? Isn’t that like ice cream truck music in January?
But it’s also glorious.
We’ve gone from nothing to baseball, basketball and hockey in what feels like the blink of an eye. The virus can take it all away from us just as quickly. That can’t be emphasized too much. Actually, yes it can. I certainly have done it. Let’s put the pessimism on pause for a moment and enjoy the opportunity to watch great athletes do their thing. Did we take that for granted, pre-pandemic? The way we take oxygen for granted.
Read the full column by Rick Morrissey here.
2:30 p.m. A lesson from hospital workers and two hair stylists: Wear the mask and we’ll all be safer
As we begin to see another uptick in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, I’d like to share some of what we’ve learned at Edward-Elmhurst Health in the past six months.
Most people who contract the coronavirus (85%) have no symptoms or mild-to-moderate symptoms.
Some people have more severe symptoms and need to be hospitalized. Those individuals are more likely to be older, immunocompromised, or have chronic conditions such as diabetes, respiratory disease, heart conditions or obesity. But not always.
Read the full Letter to the Editor by Mary Lou Mastro here.
8:30 a.m. Illinois has all it needs for a banner season — except for the one thing it can’t control
The team’s best player in 15 years, 2019-20 All-Big Ten guard Ayo Dosunmu, revealed Friday that he’s out of the NBA Draft and heading back to school for his junior season. The team’s best big man in longer than that, 2019-20 Big Ten freshman of the year Kofi Cockburn, announced the same a day later.
It’s just plain awful to think that Dosunmu’s and Cockburn’s championship dreams, Illini fans’ fervent hopes and a potentially glorious time of winning at a basketball-mad school might all be rolled into a ball and shot into a trash can by a virus that shows up whenever and wherever it can and hasn’t the slightest sense of sentimentality.
Nobody deserves this insidious brand of worry, but it surrounds and envelops sports these days and has a place in any honest discussion of any game, any season, any team, any goal.
For a supposed refuge from the harsh realities of life, sports is having a hard time holding up its end of the bargain. The Cubs are getting ready for a road trip through Missouri, home to a Cardinals team that is upside-down with COVID-19 cases and a quarantining process in Milwaukee that just won’t quit. The White Sox’ much-anticipated “Field of Dreams” game, scheduled for Aug. 13 in the cornfields of Dyersville, Iowa, has been called off.
Read the full column from Steve Greenberg here.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--The Mix: Dance for Life and more cool things to do in Chicago Aug. 6-12

Chicago Dancers United presents its annual event , this year titled , “ Dance for Life 2020 : United as One.
” Over six days beginning Aug. 10 , a dozen companies — including Giordano Dance Chicago , Hubbard Street Dance Chicago , The Joffrey Ballet , Chicago Dance Crash and Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theater — are featured via free video streaming in performances from past years .
The celebration concludes Aug. 15 with a virtual event featuring a world premiere choreographed by Hanna Brictson in response to the pandemic , and performed by dancers from Chicago companies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minimum donation of $ 20 .
Visit chicagodancersunited.org .
The documentary “ The Center of Nowhere ( The Spirit and Sounds of Springfield , Missouri ) , ” the brainchild of former Sun-Times writer Dave Hoekstra , was released digitally this week on Amazon , Vimeo and cable on-demand networks .
The film examines what Hoekstra calls “ America ’ s most overlooked music scene ” via an exploration of how the city ’ s culture and community created a fiercely independent sound that influenced artists around the country .
Included are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dan Penn , Dave Alvin , Robbie Fulks , Jonathan Richman and Springfield ’ s own Lou Whitney , a beloved musician , producer and frontman for The Skeletons .
For more information , visit facebook.com/SpringfieldDoc2018/ The Chicago Jazz Orchestra is putting the band back together with a 40th anniversary tribute to the film “ The Blues Brothers ” at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at Navy Pier , Grand and Lake Michigan .
The free concert features the orchestra plus saxophonist Blue Lou Marini from the original Blues Brothers Band and Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Franklin ’ s signature songs including “ Think ” and “ Respect.
” For more information , visit navypier.org .
The Lyric Opera ’ s Ryan Opera Center presents “ Lawrence Brownlee and Friends : The Next Chapter , ” a free virtual concert celebrating Black artists performing their favorite repertoire including arias and spirituals .
In addition to host Brownlee , the performers are soprano Whitney Morrison , mezzo-soprano J ’ Nai Bridges , baritone Will Liverman and three current Ryan ensemble members : tenors Martin Luther Clark and Lunga Eric Hallam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stream is available through Aug. 26 at lyricopera.org .
Vermont ’ s Weston Playhouse , a member of the National New Plays Network , has asked 14 playwrights , many familiar to Chicago theatergoers , to pen short plays for “ One Room , ” a virtual presentation that explores the events of this year by looking at how home is a space of possibility and creativity .
The playwrights are David Cale , Andy Bragen , Torrey Townsend , Vichet Chum , Will Eno , Melissa Li , Dael Orlandersmith , Jen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith , Noelle Vinas , Else Went , Josh Wilder and Kit Yan .
Among the actors performing in the recorded , one-person plays are Marin Ireland , Josh Hamilton , Alfre Woodard and Dana Delany .
The free stream begins at 6 p.m. Aug. 7 with a live pre-show discussion with Weston artistic director Susanna Gellert followed by the performances .
For more information , visit westonplayhouse.org .
The Museum of Science and Industry has reopened with new attractions including “ Superpower Dogs , ” a film narrated by Chris Evans about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And while there is always a lot to see at MSI , tours of the Coal Mine and the U-505 Submarine are suspended ( the U-505 exhibit remains open ) , and the Idea Factory and Future Energy Chicago exhibits are closed .
Avengers fans will have to wait a bit longer for the highly anticipated exhibit “ Marvel : Universe of Super Heroes , ” which has been postponed to March 4 , 2021 .
MSI ’ s iconic north doors will be open for entry for the first time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and drink available on the front lawn , where people can picnic .
The museum is open 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday ; admission is free through Aug. 14 with admission after that date $ 12.95 ( ages 3-11 ) and $ 21.95 .
Tickets must be reserved in advance and face masks are required .
Visit msichicago.org .
The ongoing concert series Live from the Lot turns the live concert experience into a drive-in concert experience this weekend at Schaumburg Boomers Stadium , 1999 Springinsguth , Schaumburg .
Kicking it off is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. Aug. 6 ) followed by glam-metal cover band Hairbanger ’ s Ball ( 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7 ) and alt-rock duo Local H ( 5 and 8:30 p.m. Aug. 8 ) .
Tickets are $ 50- $ 90 a car ( limit 6 people per car ) and must be purchased in advance .
Visit ticketweb.com .

Dance for all
Chicago Dancers United presents its annual event, this year titled, “Dance for Life 2020: United as One.” Over six days beginning Aug. 10, a dozen companies — including Giordano Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Dance Crash and Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theater — are featured via free video streaming in performances from past years. The celebration concludes Aug. 15 with a virtual event featuring a world premiere choreographed by Hanna Brictson in response to the pandemic, and performed by dancers from Chicago companies. Tickets for the Aug. 15 stream require a minimum donation of $20. Visit chicagodancersunited.org.
Animated renderings of Dave Alvin and Lou Whitney in “The Center of Nowhere.”
Shaping a sound
The documentary “The Center of Nowhere (The Spirit and Sounds of Springfield, Missouri),” the brainchild of former Sun-Times writer Dave Hoekstra, was released digitally this week on Amazon, Vimeo and cable on-demand networks. The film examines what Hoekstra calls “America’s most overlooked music scene” via an exploration of how the city’s culture and community created a fiercely independent sound that influenced artists around the country. Included are interviews with Brenda Lee, Merle Haggard, Dan Penn, Dave Alvin, Robbie Fulks, Jonathan Richman and Springfield’s own Lou Whitney, a beloved musician, producer and frontman for The Skeletons. For more information, visit facebook.com/SpringfieldDoc2018/
Blue Lou Marini Provided
Blues Brothers fun
The Chicago Jazz Orchestra is putting the band back together with a 40th anniversary tribute to the film “The Blues Brothers” at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at Navy Pier, Grand and Lake Michigan. The free concert features the orchestra plus saxophonist Blue Lou Marini from the original Blues Brothers Band and Chicago singer Opal Staples, who performs Aretha Franklin’s signature songs including “Think” and “Respect.” For more information, visit navypier.org.
Lawrence Brownlee Lyric Opera of Chicago
Operatic voices
The Lyric Opera’s Ryan Opera Center presents “Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: The Next Chapter,” a free virtual concert celebrating Black artists performing their favorite repertoire including arias and spirituals. In addition to host Brownlee, the performers are soprano Whitney Morrison, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, baritone Will Liverman and three current Ryan ensemble members: tenors Martin Luther Clark and Lunga Eric Hallam and baritone Leroy Davis. The 90-minute stream is available through Aug. 26 at lyricopera.org.
David Cale Sun-Times file
Home as inspiration
Vermont’s Weston Playhouse, a member of the National New Plays Network, has asked 14 playwrights, many familiar to Chicago theatergoers, to pen short plays for “One Room,” a virtual presentation that explores the events of this year by looking at how home is a space of possibility and creativity. The playwrights are David Cale, Andy Bragen, Torrey Townsend, Vichet Chum, Will Eno, Melissa Li, Dael Orlandersmith, Jen Silverman, Charly Evon Simpson, Alena Smith, Noelle Vinas, Else Went, Josh Wilder and Kit Yan. Among the actors performing in the recorded, one-person plays are Marin Ireland, Josh Hamilton, Alfre Woodard and Dana Delany. The free stream begins at 6 p.m. Aug. 7 with a live pre-show discussion with Weston artistic director Susanna Gellert followed by the performances. For more information, visit westonplayhouse.org.
The U-505 Submarine exhibit. Museum of Science and Industry
Science and more
The Museum of Science and Industry has reopened with new attractions including “Superpower Dogs,” a film narrated by Chris Evans about dogs that fight crime and save lives. And while there is always a lot to see at MSI, tours of the Coal Mine and the U-505 Submarine are suspended (the U-505 exhibit remains open), and the Idea Factory and Future Energy Chicago exhibits are closed. Avengers fans will have to wait a bit longer for the highly anticipated exhibit “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes,” which has been postponed to March 4, 2021. MSI’s iconic north doors will be open for entry for the first time in 15 years and there will be food and drink available on the front lawn, where people can picnic. The museum is open 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; admission is free through Aug. 14 with admission after that date $12.95 (ages 3-11) and $21.95. Tickets must be reserved in advance and face masks are required. Visit msichicago.org.
Local H Julia Simone Paul
Drive-in music
The ongoing concert series Live from the Lot turns the live concert experience into a drive-in concert experience this weekend at Schaumburg Boomers Stadium, 1999 Springinsguth, Schaumburg. Kicking it off is the tribute band Smells Like Nirvana (7:30 p.m. Aug. 6) followed by glam-metal cover band Hairbanger’s Ball (7:30 p.m. Aug. 7) and alt-rock duo Local H (5 and 8:30 p.m. Aug. 8). Tickets are $50-$90 a car (limit 6 people per car) and must be purchased in advance. Visit ticketweb.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--When will Chicago’s schools reopen? When Chicago parents think it’s safe

Chicago kids aren ’ t going back to school , not in brick-and-mortar school buildings , until enough parents think it ’ s safe .
It ’ s as simple as that .
And right now , parents just are not there .
Nothing else — no technological challenges , COVID-19 data or reluctance on the part of teachers — better explains why the Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday abandoned plans for a hybrid reopening of the schools in September .
In all , 41 % of elementary school parents and 38 % of high school parents , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to send their children back to school that soon .
Remote learning , with no in-class instruction at all , will continue at least until November — when all the dynamics of this difficult decision are sure to play out again .
Chicago ’ s best hope then is that the daily numbers of new COVID-19 cases will be down , safety measures for kids in classrooms will be more trusted , and the Chicago Teachers Union will get on board with at least a partial reopening .
In the meantime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No one can have much confidence in the quality of remote learning .
We saw last spring how second-rate it can be .
But we also appreciate — and we want to stress this — the positions being taken by everybody involved .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the leadership of CPS had no choice but to back off hybrid instruction , which would have been part online and part in classrooms .
Local COVID-case numbers have been on the rise and parents , as we say , are wary .
We understand why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are reluctant to risk their physical safety .
And they are not , as some CTU critics have insisted , “ essential workers ” during the pandemic in the same way as police officers , doctors and nurses .
As for those reluctant parents ?
Moms and dads will always put their kids ’ safety first .
A growing number of suburban Chicago districts , for the exact same reasons , are making the same move .
“ In a perfect world , students would be in school more , not less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press conference on Wednesday .
“ We remain committed to getting kids back in school as quickly as possible .
I hope the health conditions allow us to do that on November 6.
” As Chicago Public Health Commissioner Alison Arwady explained , the city is now in a “ yellow zone ” of caution when it comes to levels of COVID-19 , seeing more than 200 new cases a day although fewer than 400 .
The city ’ s COVID-19 dashboard shows a 7-day average of 277 new cases per day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
Should the city succeed in pushing that number below 200 , Arwady said , she would urge that the schools be fully reopened .
“ I would have zero concerns about reopening , ” she said .
But on a number of days in recent weeks , the daily new count in Chicago has approached 400 , the threshold of a more dangerous zone .
Many states are attempting to bar entry for people from other states that have per-capita COVID-19 rates that high .
Chicago has a lot of work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better , and much of the pressure will be on CPS teachers .
We believe they are at least partially the reason Lightfoot decided this week , rather than wait until later this month , to stick solely with remote learning for now , though the mayor denies that .
There ’ s no way the mayor failed to factor in the threat of a teachers ’ strike .
So now Chicago will be looking to those CPS teachers to lead the way in making remote learning really work .
For its part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of much-needed remote-learning improvements , including daily virtual classes , small-group instruction and more office hours for teachers to be available for students .
Letter grades will be the norm again .
Attendance will be monitored .
We urge CPS and CTU to begin planning ways now to help kids down the road make up for lost learning during the pandemic .
Several recent studies have estimated that the average student has already fallen months behind in their education because of remote learning during these times .
For Black and Hispanic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse , the studies found .
The longer children in Chicago , as well as across the country , don ’ t get traditional in-class instruction , the worse it will be for them .
Chicago should be looking at a longer school year to help kids catch up .
There could be individual learning plans that reflect each child ’ s increased needs .
As for right now , we encourage parents to get deeply involved in their child ’ s remote learning , as much as their work schedules permit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices for families that qualify financially .
More than ever , parents must be the partners of their children ’ s teachers .
And the rest of us can do our part by wearing masks , keeping that six feet of social distancing and avoiding crowds .
The best thing we can do for our children is slow the spread of COVID-19 , making it possible for city and suburban schools to open sooner , fully and safely .
“ Turn the curve the other way , ” Arwady said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do it again .
”

Chicago kids aren’t going back to school, not in brick-and-mortar school buildings, until enough parents think it’s safe.
It’s as simple as that.
And right now, parents just are not there.
Editorials bug Editorials
Nothing else — no technological challenges, COVID-19 data or reluctance on the part of teachers — better explains why the Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday abandoned plans for a hybrid reopening of the schools in September. In all, 41% of elementary school parents and 38% of high school parents, according to a CPS survey, said they would refuse to send their children back to school that soon.
Remote learning, with no in-class instruction at all, will continue at least until November — when all the dynamics of this difficult decision are sure to play out again. Chicago’s best hope then is that the daily numbers of new COVID-19 cases will be down, safety measures for kids in classrooms will be more trusted, and the Chicago Teachers Union will get on board with at least a partial reopening.
Blame the virus
In the meantime, no, this is not great.
No one can have much confidence in the quality of remote learning. We saw last spring how second-rate it can be.
But we also appreciate — and we want to stress this — the positions being taken by everybody involved.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the leadership of CPS had no choice but to back off hybrid instruction, which would have been part online and part in classrooms. Local COVID-case numbers have been on the rise and parents, as we say, are wary.
We understand why teachers, especially those who are older, are reluctant to risk their physical safety. And they are not, as some CTU critics have insisted, “essential workers” during the pandemic in the same way as police officers, doctors and nurses.
As for those reluctant parents? Moms and dads will always put their kids’ safety first.
A growing number of suburban Chicago districts, for the exact same reasons, are making the same move.
“In a perfect world, students would be in school more, not less,” CEO Janice Jackson said at a press conference on Wednesday. “We remain committed to getting kids back in school as quickly as possible. I hope the health conditions allow us to do that on November 6.”
COVID-19 creeping back
As Chicago Public Health Commissioner Alison Arwady explained, the city is now in a “yellow zone” of caution when it comes to levels of COVID-19, seeing more than 200 new cases a day although fewer than 400. The city’s COVID-19 dashboard shows a 7-day average of 277 new cases per day plus a test positivity rate of 4.8%.
Should the city succeed in pushing that number below 200, Arwady said, she would urge that the schools be fully reopened. “I would have zero concerns about reopening,” she said.
But on a number of days in recent weeks, the daily new count in Chicago has approached 400, the threshold of a more dangerous zone. Many states are attempting to bar entry for people from other states that have per-capita COVID-19 rates that high.
A challenge for teachers
Chicago has a lot of work to do to make remote learning work better, and much of the pressure will be on CPS teachers. We believe they are at least partially the reason Lightfoot decided this week, rather than wait until later this month, to stick solely with remote learning for now, though the mayor denies that. There’s no way the mayor failed to factor in the threat of a teachers’ strike.
So now Chicago will be looking to those CPS teachers to lead the way in making remote learning really work.
For its part, the administration of CPS has announced a number of much-needed remote-learning improvements, including daily virtual classes, small-group instruction and more office hours for teachers to be available for students. Letter grades will be the norm again. Attendance will be monitored.
Making up for lost time
We urge CPS and CTU to begin planning ways now to help kids down the road make up for lost learning during the pandemic. Several recent studies have estimated that the average student has already fallen months behind in their education because of remote learning during these times. For Black and Hispanic children, the learning loss is likely worse, the studies found.
The longer children in Chicago, as well as across the country, don’t get traditional in-class instruction, the worse it will be for them. Chicago should be looking at a longer school year to help kids catch up. There could be individual learning plans that reflect each child’s increased needs.
As for right now, we encourage parents to get deeply involved in their child’s remote learning, as much as their work schedules permit. CPS is providing free internet and digital devices for families that qualify financially. More than ever, parents must be the partners of their children’s teachers.
And the rest of us can do our part by wearing masks, keeping that six feet of social distancing and avoiding crowds.
The best thing we can do for our children is slow the spread of COVID-19, making it possible for city and suburban schools to open sooner, fully and safely.
“Turn the curve the other way,” Arwady said. “We’ve done it before. We can do it again.”
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--Ren, Stimpy will make their TV comeback in new Comedy Central show

LOS ANGELES — The brazen humor of “ The Ren & Stimpy Show ” will be revisited in a new @ @ @ @ @ animated series .
The original program that was a hit for Nickelodeon will be reimagined @ @ @ @ @ Studio , Comedy Central said Wednesday .
Ren , a psychologically challenged Chihuahua , and @ @ @ @ @ your average cat , were created by John Kricfalusi and debuted on Nickelodon in 1991 @ @ @ @ @ Stimpy Show ” drew criticism from observers who deemed it unsuitable for children , citing @ @ @ @ @ innuendo .
It aired for five seasons .
On Comedy Central , the show will @ @ @ @ @ “ South Park ” and a revamped version of “ Beavis and Butt-Head , ” @ @ @ @ @ , a documentary about the series , “ Happy Happy Joy Joy , ” is @ @ @ @ @ release on demand .
It focuses on the show ’ s creation and early success @ @ @ @ @ against Kricfalusi .

LOS ANGELES — The brazen humor of “The Ren & Stimpy Show” will be revisited in a new Comedy Central version of the animated series.
The original program that was a hit for Nickelodeon will be reimagined in partnership with Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Comedy Central said Wednesday.
Ren, a psychologically challenged Chihuahua, and Stimpy, less intelligent than your average cat, were created by John Kricfalusi and debuted on Nickelodon in 1991. “The Ren & Stimpy Show” drew criticism from observers who deemed it unsuitable for children, citing its crass jokes and sexual innuendo. It aired for five seasons.
On Comedy Central, the show will join other adult-animation series including “South Park” and a revamped version of “Beavis and Butt-Head,” the channel said.
A debut date was not announced.
Meanwhile, a documentary about the series, “Happy Happy Joy Joy,” is scheduled for an Aug. 14 release on demand. It focuses on the show’s creation and early success as well as disturbing allegations against Kricfalusi.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--‘She Dies Tomorrow’: A haunting gem about knowing your expiration date

Amy is going to die tomorrow .
She ’ s sure of it .
She doesn ’ t appear to be sick and she ’ s not planning on committing suicide — but Amy is absolutely , positively , 100 % sure she is doing to die tomorrow .
And whatever it is that ’ s afflicting Amy appears to be contagious .
Director Amy Seimetz ’ s haunting and striking and unnerving “ She Dies Tomorrow ” was conceived and filmed long before COVID-19 , but it ’ s a particularly disturbing and resonant piece of work in these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another becomes infected with a mysterious and powerful … something that convinces them they ’ re going to die tomorrow , polite societal conventions give way to an almost surreal kind of forthrightness ; why mince words or suppress your impulses when you ’ re convinced you ’ re going to be gone tomorrow anyway ?
Kate Lyn Sheil delivers a nomination-worthy performance as Amy , a recovering alcoholic who has recently endured a romantic breakup and is spiraling into despair .
Inebriated and desperate , Amy calls her best friend Jane ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to die tomorrow , but Jane is initially more concerned with babbling on about how it ’ s her brother ’ s birthday and she ’ s supposed to bring salad to the party and why should she even bother to go because her brother ’ s wife hates her ?
Eventually , though , Jane comes calling on her friend .
Later that night , Jane shows up at the home of her brother Jason ( Chris Messina ) and his wife Susan ( Katie Aselton ) , wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling everyone she ’ s going to die tomorrow .
Katie Aselton is a force as Susan , who only wants to talk about the mating habits of dolphins and drink wine and enjoy her birthday cake .
Why does Jane always have to make everything about her ?
What ’ s with this narcissistic , self-pitying B.S .
about her dying tomorrow ?
Ah , but then Jason is mesmerized by a burst of pulsating lights emanating from an unknown source , and he , too , becomes convinced he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short while later Susan has been “ infected ” as well .
And so it goes , with various characters falling prey to the same disease , or delusion , or hallucination , or whatever it is .
“ She Dies Tomorrow ” is an exercise in contagious paranoia , with writer-director Seimetz wisely opting not to explain too much yet managing to provide enough information and plot development to somehow make all of this seem plausible .
We don ’ t know what ’ s gotten into these people , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and their behavior once they ’ re convinced they have at most 24 hours to live ranges from the bizarre to the brutally honest to zombie-like to strange and even funny .
For Amy et al.
, there ’ s something simultaneously horrifying and liberating about knowing your life is about to end .
“ She Dies Tomorrow ” is a well-crafted , beautifully acted , minimalist gem for our times .

Amy is going to die tomorrow. She’s sure of it.
She doesn’t appear to be sick and she’s not planning on committing suicide — but Amy is absolutely, positively, 100% sure she is doing to die tomorrow.
And whatever it is that’s afflicting Amy appears to be contagious.
Director Amy Seimetz’s haunting and striking and unnerving “She Dies Tomorrow” was conceived and filmed long before COVID-19, but it’s a particularly disturbing and resonant piece of work in these Quarantine Times. As one character after another becomes infected with a mysterious and powerful … something that convinces them they’re going to die tomorrow, polite societal conventions give way to an almost surreal kind of forthrightness; why mince words or suppress your impulses when you’re convinced you’re going to be gone tomorrow anyway?
‘She Dies Tomorrow’
Untitled Neon presents a film written and directed by Amy Seimetz. Rated R (for language, some sexual references, drug use and bloody images). Running time: 84 minutes. Available Friday on demand.
Kate Lyn Sheil delivers a nomination-worthy performance as Amy, a recovering alcoholic who has recently endured a romantic breakup and is spiraling into despair. Inebriated and desperate, Amy calls her best friend Jane (Jane Adams) and tells her she’s going to die tomorrow, but Jane is initially more concerned with babbling on about how it’s her brother’s birthday and she’s supposed to bring salad to the party and why should she even bother to go because her brother’s wife hates her? Eventually, though, Jane comes calling on her friend. Later that night, Jane shows up at the home of her brother Jason (Chris Messina) and his wife Susan (Katie Aselton), wearing her pajamas and looking dazed — and telling everyone she’s going to die tomorrow.
Katie Aselton is a force as Susan, who only wants to talk about the mating habits of dolphins and drink wine and enjoy her birthday cake. Why does Jane always have to make everything about her? What’s with this narcissistic, self-pitying B.S. about her dying tomorrow?
Ah, but then Jason is mesmerized by a burst of pulsating lights emanating from an unknown source, and he, too, becomes convinced he’s going to die tomorrow, and a short while later Susan has been “infected” as well.
And so it goes, with various characters falling prey to the same disease, or delusion, or hallucination, or whatever it is. “She Dies Tomorrow” is an exercise in contagious paranoia, with writer-director Seimetz wisely opting not to explain too much yet managing to provide enough information and plot development to somehow make all of this seem plausible. We don’t know what’s gotten into these people, but we know THEY believe it’s real, and their behavior once they’re convinced they have at most 24 hours to live ranges from the bizarre to the brutally honest to zombie-like to strange and even funny.
For Amy et al., there’s something simultaneously horrifying and liberating about knowing your life is about to end. “She Dies Tomorrow” is a well-crafted, beautifully acted, minimalist gem for our times.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--Activists propose $100 million more for housing the homeless during vigil for man stabbed in Grant P

Activists propose $100 million more for housing the homeless during vigil for man stabbed in Grant Park

Activists Wednesday said the city should spend $ 100 million more on creating housing for the homeless during a virtual vigil honoring Aaron Curry , who was found stabbed to death last month in Grant Park .
The funds are desperately needed following recent attacks around the city on homeless encampments and residents like Curry , organizers of Wednesday ’ s Zoom call said .
RauQuaia Hale-Wallace , a Chicago Coalition for the Homeless organizer , spoke of the need for “ safety for homeless people ” and to “ significantly increase money dedicated to housing.
” Vigil participants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also highlighted recent fires at encampments on the Northwest Side that some suspect were arson .
“ Homeless people are being shot .
... Our tents are being burned .
And no one seems to care , ” said Tom Gordon , a resident of the Uptown Tent City .
Many in the homeless community choose not to stay in shelters because “ we have to worry about bugs [ and ] our stuff being stolen , ” Gordon said .
Permanent supportive housing is the only way to “ guarantee safety for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To raise the $ 100 million , Mary Tarullo , the associate director of policy at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless , proposed “ tax [ ing ] the wealthy by altering the real estate transfer tax.
” But Tarullo said that the coalition is “ open to talking with [ Mayor Lori Lightfoot ] about other ways to create a dedicated revenue stream to address homelessness .
The group has introduced proposals to the city in the past and is currently discussing “ plans for a renewed campaign , ” Tarullo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an increase in unemployment and evictions , more homelessness is expected , Ald .
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa ( 35th ) said during the vigil .
“ If we don ’ t see any type of real relief to renters , we know that we ’ re going to see an avalanche of evictions , ” the alderman said .
Others who organized and spoke at the vigil included members of Heartland Health Outreach , Logan Square Ecumenical Association and Logan Square Neighborhood Association .
As for Curry , Jill Keiser , of the social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 58-year-old frequently brought others with him to the non-profit .
“ I considered him our best PR person , ” she said .

Activists Wednesday said the city should spend $100 million more on creating housing for the homeless during a virtual vigil honoring Aaron Curry, who was found stabbed to death last month in Grant Park.
The funds are desperately needed following recent attacks around the city on homeless encampments and residents like Curry, organizers of Wednesday’s Zoom call said.
RauQuaia Hale-Wallace, a Chicago Coalition for the Homeless organizer, spoke of the need for “safety for homeless people” and to “significantly increase money dedicated to housing.”
Vigil participants, who lit candles during the call, also highlighted recent fires at encampments on the Northwest Side that some suspect were arson.
“Homeless people are being shot. ... Our tents are being burned. And no one seems to care,” said Tom Gordon, a resident of the Uptown Tent City.
Many in the homeless community choose not to stay in shelters because “we have to worry about bugs [and] our stuff being stolen,” Gordon said.
Permanent supportive housing is the only way to “guarantee safety for all Chicagoans,” Hale-Wallace said.
To raise the $100 million, Mary Tarullo, the associate director of policy at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, proposed “tax[ing] the wealthy by altering the real estate transfer tax.”
But Tarullo said that the coalition is “open to talking with [Mayor Lori Lightfoot] about other ways to create a dedicated revenue stream to address homelessness. The group has introduced proposals to the city in the past and is currently discussing “plans for a renewed campaign,” Tarullo added.
With the coronavirus pandemic causing an increase in unemployment and evictions, more homelessness is expected, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) said during the vigil.
“If we don’t see any type of real relief to renters, we know that we’re going to see an avalanche of evictions,” the alderman said.
Others who organized and spoke at the vigil included members of Heartland Health Outreach, Logan Square Ecumenical Association and Logan Square Neighborhood Association.
As for Curry, Jill Keiser, of the social service organization Chicago Lights, said the 58-year-old frequently brought others with him to the non-profit.
“I considered him our best PR person,” she said.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-05--Vote with your face? Masks one more thing voters will get to decide on Election Day

Chicago election officials plan to “ strongly encourage ” but will not require voters to wear face masks to their polling places this fall .
They say their decision was made in accordance with current COVID-19 guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health — neither of which mandate the use of face coverings for voting .
Election officials in suburban Cook , DuPage and Lake counties told me they are awaiting updated guidance from the state before finalizing their own face mask policies .
But a statement Wednesday from Gov .
J.B. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will recommend any further restrictions before early voting begins in October .
“ Under the Governor ’ s executive order , face coverings are required any time a person is unable to maintain social distance of six feet .
The administration encourages local election officials to plan for and ensure as much social distancing as possible during the voting process and also encourages those voting on election day to ensure they use a face covering , ” said press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh .
Please note the operative word is “ encourages ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ plans .
It ’ s the strength of that encouragement that could lead to problems .
Although Illinois requires face coverings in public indoor spaces , such as grocery or drug stores , mandating their use in the voting booth would raise some sticky legal issues of possible voter suppression .
A face mask requirement could be viewed as creating an illegal barrier to voting for those who might refuse to wear them — on whatever grounds .
Election officials throughout the state are urging voters to cast their ballots by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks associated with voting in person .
They ’ re also making it easier than ever to do so , and while I appreciate the opportunity , I ’ d rather vote in person , probably during early voting .
Somehow , I had assumed that would be a less dicey proposition than it was during the March primary when we were still in the early stages of dealing with the coronavirus and mask-wearing had yet to catch on .
But as much as I would prefer from a health standpoint seeing my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t really see any way around the legal entanglements that would arise from requiring them to do so .
It was pointed out to me that we don ’ t allow voters to come to the polls naked , or in a perhaps more practical example , we don ’ t permit them to wear T-shirts advertising which candidate they support .
If we can do that , why can ’ t we make them wear a mask during a public health crisis ?
That ’ s the argument .
Unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear a mask has become a political statement of its own in 2020 , which some people would defend as stridently as the right to vote for the candidate of their choice .
Election officials in Chicago , Lake County and DuPage County all say they will require election judges to wear masks for the fall election and promise to supply the masks .
The state is also expected to provide local election officials with masks to be given to voters who need them .
I ’ d say the problems will start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it a rule .
In their defense , they will be the ones putting their own health at greatest risk by sitting in crowded polling places all day breathing in others ’ germs .
“ Obviously , there must be mask exceptions for people who have health issues that are so serious that wearing a mask creates a problem .
But we anticipate that generally , our in-person voters will embrace social distancing and wearing masks , ” said Marisel A. Hernandez , chairwoman on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state holiday in Illinois , which election officials believe will allow them to spread out in schools and other government facilities being used as polling places .
That should make social distancing easier to accomplish .
Many privately owned buildings that have traditionally served as polling places have instituted mask requirements during the pandemic , which may preclude them from hosting voters this year .
Lake County Clerk Robin O ’ Connor said some private facilities sought to go further and require voters to submit to temperature checks before admittance to the building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative voting sites for those locations , O ’ Connor said .
You can certainly see how this could become the next great battleground in the COVID-19 culture wars .
They tell me that those who are worried about the face mask situation , one way or another , should just vote by mail .
That way you could even vote naked .

Chicago election officials plan to “strongly encourage” but will not require voters to wear face masks to their polling places this fall.
They say their decision was made in accordance with current COVID-19 guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health — neither of which mandate the use of face coverings for voting.
Election officials in suburban Cook, DuPage and Lake counties told me they are awaiting updated guidance from the state before finalizing their own face mask policies.
Opinion bug Opinion
But a statement Wednesday from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office gave no indication he will recommend any further restrictions before early voting begins in October.
“Under the Governor’s executive order, face coverings are required any time a person is unable to maintain social distance of six feet. The administration encourages local election officials to plan for and ensure as much social distancing as possible during the voting process and also encourages those voting on election day to ensure they use a face covering,” said press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh.
Please note the operative word is “encourages” — same as in Chicago election officials’ plans.
It’s the strength of that encouragement that could lead to problems.
Although Illinois requires face coverings in public indoor spaces, such as grocery or drug stores, mandating their use in the voting booth would raise some sticky legal issues of possible voter suppression.
A face mask requirement could be viewed as creating an illegal barrier to voting for those who might refuse to wear them — on whatever grounds.
Election officials throughout the state are urging voters to cast their ballots by mail this fall to avoid any potential health risks associated with voting in person.
They’re also making it easier than ever to do so, and while I appreciate the opportunity, I’d rather vote in person, probably during early voting.
Somehow, I had assumed that would be a less dicey proposition than it was during the March primary when we were still in the early stages of dealing with the coronavirus and mask-wearing had yet to catch on.
Election judges and poll workers at Old St. Mary’s Church, 1500 S. Michigan, on March 17. Andy Grimm/Sun-Times file
But as much as I would prefer from a health standpoint seeing my fellow voters wear a mask, I can’t really see any way around the legal entanglements that would arise from requiring them to do so.
It was pointed out to me that we don’t allow voters to come to the polls naked, or in a perhaps more practical example, we don’t permit them to wear T-shirts advertising which candidate they support. If we can do that, why can’t we make them wear a mask during a public health crisis? That’s the argument.
Unfortunately, as we know, refusal to wear a mask has become a political statement of its own in 2020, which some people would defend as stridently as the right to vote for the candidate of their choice.
Election officials in Chicago, Lake County and DuPage County all say they will require election judges to wear masks for the fall election and promise to supply the masks.
A person protests against the passage of a mail-in voting bill during a Nevada Republican Party demonstration in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The state is also expected to provide local election officials with masks to be given to voters who need them. I’d say the problems will start if individual election judges try to make it a rule. In their defense, they will be the ones putting their own health at greatest risk by sitting in crowded polling places all day breathing in others’ germs.
“Obviously, there must be mask exceptions for people who have health issues that are so serious that wearing a mask creates a problem. But we anticipate that generally, our in-person voters will embrace social distancing and wearing masks,” said Marisel A. Hernandez, chairwoman on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
A new state law makes Election Day a state holiday in Illinois, which election officials believe will allow them to spread out in schools and other government facilities being used as polling places. That should make social distancing easier to accomplish.
Presidential candidate Joe Biden puts on a mask after a campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware, last week. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Many privately owned buildings that have traditionally served as polling places have instituted mask requirements during the pandemic, which may preclude them from hosting voters this year.
Lake County Clerk Robin O’Connor said some private facilities sought to go further and require voters to submit to temperature checks before admittance to the building. Instead, the county will seek alternative voting sites for those locations, O’Connor said.
You can certainly see how this could become the next great battleground in the COVID-19 culture wars.
They tell me that those who are worried about the face mask situation, one way or another, should just vote by mail.
That way you could even vote naked.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-06--Lakefront restaurants to reopen this week, but beaches remain closed

Chicagoans will soon be able to enjoy a chilled beverage and delicious meal at their favorite beachfront restaurants .
Though the beaches remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic , city officials gave lakefront restaurants and cafes the green light this week to reopen for business after months of being shut down due to the pandemic .
That was welcome news for Reggie ’ s on the Beach , one of at least five beachfront eateries that have announced plans to open their doors for the first time this summer .
“ We already lost half the season , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Reggie on the Beach ’ s owner Robby Glick said .
“ And we ’ re just grateful that they listened to us and are letting us open.
” Reggie ’ s on the Beach , located near the Jackson Park Harbor , will be the first restaurant to return to business when it opens its doors Thursday .
The other four restaurants — The Dock on Montrose , Caffe Oliva , Castaways and Shore Club — plan to reopen Friday , according to the businesses ’ Facebook pages .
Beachfront restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s order that closed the lakefront as coronavirus cases surged in March .
Lightfoot loosened the restrictions in June , reopening the Lakefront Trail for people to use for exercise and transit , though beaches remain off limits .
The city told restaurant owners that they will be partially responsible for keeping their clientele off the sand , Glick said .
Glick doesn ’ t think it ’ ll be a problem to keep patrons off the beaches .
However , he ’ s concerned about beachgoers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district-employed lifeguards are off duty .
“ People get that we are just getting open , we already missed two-thirds of our season , they ’ re happy that we ’ re getting open , they know what we ’ ve been through , and they ’ ll abide by these new regulations , ” said Glick , who ’ s hiring extra in-house security to help patrol the 63rd Street Beach as a precautionary measure .
“ It ’ s the other people , the non-Reggie ’ s on the Beach crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Along with the beaches , lakefront parking lots also remain closed , which Glick fears might deter some customers from coming .
“ Our parking lots aren ’ t going to be open , so it ’ s going to be a challenge for people to get here , but I think we ’ ll still do good , ” he said .
“ I think people will still find a way and it is really beautiful at our spot , so it ’ ll be worth the trek.
” Reggie ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Loop location to the beach to help ease the burden on some Chicagoans .
He also said people can ride their bikes on the Lakeshore Trail or park in the lot on the west side of Lake Shore Drive and then walk to the beach .
Glick said it was frustrating to see other restaurants reopen for sit-down dining , while his beach bar couldn ’ t .
“ It seemed like a double standard in a way , ” Glick said .
“ The riverwalk is open , the harbors are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the beach is closed and anything on the beach is closed .
“ Our restaurant is right across the street from a harbor , other harbor bars are open yet we weren ’ t allowed to open because we were technically on the beach.
” Glick is planning to make the most of the next six or eight weeks left of summer .
He believes the city made the right call in letting patrons return to lakefront restaurants .
“ People , they need some positivity right now , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Chicagoans will soon be able to enjoy a chilled beverage and delicious meal at their favorite beachfront restaurants.
Though the beaches remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, city officials gave lakefront restaurants and cafes the green light this week to reopen for business after months of being shut down due to the pandemic.
That was welcome news for Reggie’s on the Beach, one of at least five beachfront eateries that have announced plans to open their doors for the first time this summer.
“We already lost half the season, so it’s better than nothing,” Reggie on the Beach’s owner Robby Glick said. “And we’re just grateful that they listened to us and are letting us open.”
Reggie’s on the Beach, located near the Jackson Park Harbor, will be the first restaurant to return to business when it opens its doors Thursday. The other four restaurants — The Dock on Montrose, Caffe Oliva, Castaways and Shore Club — plan to reopen Friday, according to the businesses’ Facebook pages.
Beachfront restaurants previously were not able to open under the Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s order that closed the lakefront as coronavirus cases surged in March. Lightfoot loosened the restrictions in June, reopening the Lakefront Trail for people to use for exercise and transit, though beaches remain off limits.
The city told restaurant owners that they will be partially responsible for keeping their clientele off the sand, Glick said.
Glick doesn’t think it’ll be a problem to keep patrons off the beaches. However, he’s concerned about beachgoers who take advantage of the lakefront when park district-employed lifeguards are off duty.
“People get that we are just getting open, we already missed two-thirds of our season, they’re happy that we’re getting open, they know what we’ve been through, and they’ll abide by these new regulations,” said Glick, who’s hiring extra in-house security to help patrol the 63rd Street Beach as a precautionary measure. “It’s the other people, the non-Reggie’s on the Beach crowd, I’m worried about.”
A notice on the The Shore Club’s window lets customers know it’ll be reopening on Friday at 11:00 A.M., Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Along with the beaches, lakefront parking lots also remain closed, which Glick fears might deter some customers from coming.
“Our parking lots aren’t going to be open, so it’s going to be a challenge for people to get here, but I think we’ll still do good,” he said. “I think people will still find a way and it is really beautiful at our spot, so it’ll be worth the trek.”
Reggie’s is offering a shuttle service from its South Loop location to the beach to help ease the burden on some Chicagoans. He also said people can ride their bikes on the Lakeshore Trail or park in the lot on the west side of Lake Shore Drive and then walk to the beach.
Glick said it was frustrating to see other restaurants reopen for sit-down dining, while his beach bar couldn’t.
“It seemed like a double standard in a way,” Glick said. “The riverwalk is open, the harbors are open, the harbor bars are open, but the beach is closed and anything on the beach is closed.
“Our restaurant is right across the street from a harbor, other harbor bars are open yet we weren’t allowed to open because we were technically on the beach.”
Glick is planning to make the most of the next six or eight weeks left of summer. He believes the city made the right call in letting patrons return to lakefront restaurants.
“People, they need some positivity right now,” he said, “and this will help.”