chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Playing the role of a cancer patient in a Disney+ film hits home for Chicago area native

When actor Fin Argus took on the role of a teen told his time was limited due to a cancer diagnosis , he didn ’ t have to go far for inspiration .
An aunt “ had been battling cancer herself for basically my entire life growing up , ” said Argus .
“ For that reason , we [ in Argus ’ family ] have always been really in tune with anyone ’ s battle with cancer that was on the news or any inspiring individuals , and Zach was certainly one of those inspiring individuals.
” Argus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maine West High School , plays Zach Sobiech , a 17-year-old Minnesota musician who deals with normal teenage trials and tribulations while living with osteosarcoma — a rare form of bone cancer — in the film “ Clouds , ” which premieres Friday on Disney+ .
The movie is based on “ Fly a Little Higher : How God Answered a Mom ’ s Small Prayer in a Big Way , ” the memoir written by Laura Sobiech , Zach ’ s mother .
“ I got really close with the Sobiechs prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it felt like meeting an old friend , ” said Argus .
“ Although we had never met , we had a lot in common emotionally and in terms of dealing with that specific struggle and learning how to come through it in a positive way .
We were able to open up with each other and we had to be able to tell Zach ’ s story in an honest way to do his story justice.
” The song “ Clouds , ” which Zach wrote in 2012 , charted on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international hit .
The song went to No .
1 on iTunes and has about 14 million YouTube views to date .
After Zach ’ s death ( on May 20 , 2013 ) , his family founded The Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund via Children ’ s Cancer Research Fund .
Argus says his aunt often pushed him to pursue his own passion : singing and songwriting .
“ She was always encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone and perform and write music , ” said Argus .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to film ‘ Clouds ’ last year , and I even got to share some of the movie with my aunt before she passed , which is also very special and this movie means a lot to all of us .
I feel very very lucky to have been a part of it , and have had so much support throughout the entire process from not only my own family but also the Sobiechs.
” While filming “ Clouds , ” Argus enjoyed working with fellow Chicago area native Lil Rel Howery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Weaver , one of Zach ’ s teachers .
“ Having him there and being able to bond over Chicago was really nice , ” said Argus .
“ It felt like a little piece of home there , and everything that I got to shoot with him was so much fun .
He ’ s [ Howery ] is an incredibly talented actor , super funny and grounded .
… I was talking about how I ’ m a big Cubs fan and would always go to games and just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I think he was in the midst of filming a couple of projects.
” Argus , who previously appeared in the Fox series “ The Gifted , ” expects people who stream “ Clouds ” will get a lot out of it .
“ The big takeaway from not only filming but also , I ’ d imagine , from watching the movie is that Zack had a terminal diagnosis , ” said Argus .
“ It really brings to light the fact that we all have limited time and we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can , and that means holding the people you love just that much tighter and telling people you love them .
“ I think listening to Zach ’ s music and seeing how he used his art as a way to bring people together and stay connected to himself and his loved ones through such a difficult time is a really inspiring thing to see how you can take something so difficult like what everyone ’ s experiencing right now .
”

When actor Fin Argus took on the role of a teen told his time was limited due to a cancer diagnosis, he didn’t have to go far for inspiration.
An aunt “had been battling cancer herself for basically my entire life growing up,” said Argus. “For that reason, we [in Argus’ family] have always been really in tune with anyone’s battle with cancer that was on the news or any inspiring individuals, and Zach was certainly one of those inspiring individuals.”
Argus, a Des Plaines native who briefly attended Maine West High School, plays Zach Sobiech, a 17-year-old Minnesota musician who deals with normal teenage trials and tribulations while living with osteosarcoma — a rare form of bone cancer — in the film “Clouds,” which premieres Friday on Disney+.
Fin Argus stars with Sabrina Carpenter (“Work It”) in “Clouds.” Disney+
The movie is based on “Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom’s Small Prayer in a Big Way,” the memoir written by Laura Sobiech, Zach’s mother.
“I got really close with the Sobiechs prior to filming and throughout filming, so it felt like meeting an old friend,” said Argus. “Although we had never met, we had a lot in common emotionally and in terms of dealing with that specific struggle and learning how to come through it in a positive way. We were able to open up with each other and we had to be able to tell Zach’s story in an honest way to do his story justice.”
The song “Clouds,” which Zach wrote in 2012, charted on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually becoming an international hit. The song went to No. 1 on iTunes and has about 14 million YouTube views to date. After Zach’s death (on May 20, 2013), his family founded The Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund via Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
Argus says his aunt often pushed him to pursue his own passion: singing and songwriting.
“She was always encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone and perform and write music,” said Argus. “It was a beautiful full-circle moment to be able to film ‘Clouds’ last year, and I even got to share some of the movie with my aunt before she passed, which is also very special and this movie means a lot to all of us. I feel very very lucky to have been a part of it, and have had so much support throughout the entire process from not only my own family but also the Sobiechs.”
While filming “Clouds,” Argus enjoyed working with fellow Chicago area native Lil Rel Howery — a West Sider — who plays Mr. Weaver, one of Zach’s teachers.
“Having him there and being able to bond over Chicago was really nice,” said Argus. “It felt like a little piece of home there, and everything that I got to shoot with him was so much fun. He’s [Howery] is an incredibly talented actor, super funny and grounded. … I was talking about how I’m a big Cubs fan and would always go to games and just the fact that we were missing Chicago life because I think he was in the midst of filming a couple of projects.”
West Sider Lil Rel Howery plays a teacher in “Clouds” alongside fellow local native Fin Argus. Disney+
Argus, who previously appeared in the Fox series “The Gifted,” expects people who stream “Clouds” will get a lot out of it.
“The big takeaway from not only filming but also, I’d imagine, from watching the movie is that Zack had a terminal diagnosis,” said Argus. “It really brings to light the fact that we all have limited time and we need to make the most of it while we can, and that means holding the people you love just that much tighter and telling people you love them.
“I think listening to Zach’s music and seeing how he used his art as a way to bring people together and stay connected to himself and his loved ones through such a difficult time is a really inspiring thing to see how you can take something so difficult like what everyone’s experiencing right now.”


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Facing a shortage of educators of color, CPS looks to groom its own students for teaching jobs

Walking around Mollison Elementary in Bronzeville growing up , Daniel Jackson didn ’ t see many adults who looked like him .
“ There were not many Black male teachers in my school when I was a student , ” Jackson recalls .
“ And we already know that schools have many more women than men .
Then there ’ s more white men than Black men in the school buildings.
” Jackson , who grew up in Englewood and Bronzeville , set out to help his community by filling a void .
So he went to Illinois State University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right back to Chicago Public Schools for a year as a student teacher .
He then landed his dream job as a second grade teacher at a CPS school , Dixon Elementary , in Chatham .
Looking to confront a dire shortage of teachers of color that ’ s years in the making , CPS officials are now unveiling their latest effort that would put more students on the same path Jackson took .
The district is launching an initiative called “ Teach Chicago Tomorrow ” to create a pipeline of homegrown educators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Colleges for general education coursework and an associate degree , then Illinois State University for a bachelor ’ s degree .
ISU classes will be held in Chicago at the university ’ s National Center for Urban Education in Garfield Park .
After a year-long student teaching gig , grads will get priority access to jobs at CPS .
“ The goal is to build a network of new teachers who look like Chicago kids , come from Chicago communities , are invested in Chicago ’ s neighborhoods , because ultimately they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matt Lyons , CPS ’ chief talent officer .
Only about 11 % of the district ’ s 350,000 students are white , but half of its 22,000-strong teaching force is white .
Meanwhile , about 10 % of CPS ’ 100,000 high schoolers indicate on career surveys that teaching is a career they ’ re interested in , Lyons said .
Yet only about 140 CPS grads are among the 1,200 to 1,600 teachers hired by the district each year .
The goal is to get closer to 500 homegrown teachers every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re going to reach far more students than are navigating the system on their own right now , ” Lyons said .
“ There ’ s a set of students already interested in teaching , and not as many as could be are finding their way through the process.
” Despite the interest , studies have shown nearly half as many Black and Latino students are graduating Illinois colleges with education degrees as a decade ago .
Jackson said several barriers have created that issue : College is too expensive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available .
Teachers also don ’ t make enough money for a lot of folks to be willing to take on the responsibilities society asks them to shoulder , he said .
To start , CPS ’ goal is to put together a cohort of 100 students for the 2021-2022 academic year .
Lyons said the district is mindful not to cannibalize from other initiatives that feed the same target while it recruits students for this program .
Though it ’ ll take four years for the first cohort to make a dent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the district hopes this initiative can grow into a piece of the long-term solution .
The program doesn ’ t grant any direct financial support for students ; it includes career , academic and financial advising and a summer bridge program before freshman year of college .
Most students who would be interested , however , would likely be eligible for federal student aid , Lyons said .
This isn ’ t CPS ’ first effort to address this problem , and it likely won ’ t be the last .
In December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting to listen to the concerns and suggestions of stakeholders who said there weren ’ t enough teachers of color in the district , and some remained skeptical anything would change .
Jackson said teachers who come from the communities they serve are better able to connect with their students because their familiar experiences growing up form bonds that strengthen kids ’ education , he said .
“ I encounter my students and their families in the store or the bank or just traveling across the community because I ’ m a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Jackson said .
“ They see me shopping for groceries for class because sometimes I go get them food and snacks .
And they ’ re like , ‘ Oh my goodness , he ’ s a real person.
’ And they get to see me in the community .
“ Being raised on the South Side , teaching on the South Side , there ’ s a strong connection and bond that I can relate to them on outside of the academic setting .
”

Walking around Mollison Elementary in Bronzeville growing up, Daniel Jackson didn’t see many adults who looked like him.
“There were not many Black male teachers in my school when I was a student,” Jackson recalls. “And we already know that schools have many more women than men. Then there’s more white men than Black men in the school buildings.”
Jackson, who grew up in Englewood and Bronzeville, set out to help his community by filling a void. So he went to Illinois State University, earned a teaching degree and came right back to Chicago Public Schools for a year as a student teacher. He then landed his dream job as a second grade teacher at a CPS school, Dixon Elementary, in Chatham.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
Looking to confront a dire shortage of teachers of color that’s years in the making, CPS officials are now unveiling their latest effort that would put more students on the same path Jackson took.
The district is launching an initiative called “Teach Chicago Tomorrow” to create a pipeline of homegrown educators. Interested CPS students will go to City Colleges for general education coursework and an associate degree, then Illinois State University for a bachelor’s degree. ISU classes will be held in Chicago at the university’s National Center for Urban Education in Garfield Park.
After a year-long student teaching gig, grads will get priority access to jobs at CPS.
“The goal is to build a network of new teachers who look like Chicago kids, come from Chicago communities, are invested in Chicago’s neighborhoods, because ultimately they’re CPS graduates,” said Matt Lyons, CPS’ chief talent officer.
Only about 11% of the district’s 350,000 students are white, but half of its 22,000-strong teaching force is white.
Meanwhile, about 10% of CPS’ 100,000 high schoolers indicate on career surveys that teaching is a career they’re interested in, Lyons said. Yet only about 140 CPS grads are among the 1,200 to 1,600 teachers hired by the district each year. The goal is to get closer to 500 homegrown teachers every year.
“We’re positive we’re going to reach far more students than are navigating the system on their own right now,” Lyons said. “There’s a set of students already interested in teaching, and not as many as could be are finding their way through the process.”
Despite the interest, studies have shown nearly half as many Black and Latino students are graduating Illinois colleges with education degrees as a decade ago.
Jackson said several barriers have created that issue: College is too expensive, and mentorship opportunities aren’t readily available. Teachers also don’t make enough money for a lot of folks to be willing to take on the responsibilities society asks them to shoulder, he said.
To start, CPS’ goal is to put together a cohort of 100 students for the 2021-2022 academic year. Lyons said the district is mindful not to cannibalize from other initiatives that feed the same target while it recruits students for this program. Though it’ll take four years for the first cohort to make a dent in the teaching shortage, Lyons said the district hopes this initiative can grow into a piece of the long-term solution.
The program doesn’t grant any direct financial support for students; it includes career, academic and financial advising and a summer bridge program before freshman year of college. Most students who would be interested, however, would likely be eligible for federal student aid, Lyons said.
This isn’t CPS’ first effort to address this problem, and it likely won’t be the last. In December, the school board called a community meeting to listen to the concerns and suggestions of stakeholders who said there weren’t enough teachers of color in the district, and some remained skeptical anything would change.
Jackson said teachers who come from the communities they serve are better able to connect with their students because their familiar experiences growing up form bonds that strengthen kids’ education, he said.
“I encounter my students and their families in the store or the bank or just traveling across the community because I’m a person who wants to connect with my community,” Jackson said. “They see me shopping for groceries for class because sometimes I go get them food and snacks. And they’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, he’s a real person.’ And they get to see me in the community.
“Being raised on the South Side, teaching on the South Side, there’s a strong connection and bond that I can relate to them on outside of the academic setting.”


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--11 shot, 1 fatally, Monday in Chicago

11 shot, 1 fatally, Monday in Chicago

Eleven people were shot , one of them fatally , Monday in Chicago .
The day ’ s lone reported fatal shooting killed a ride-share passenger in Humboldt Park on the Northwest Side .
About 11:15 p.m. a male was entering a ride-share vehicle in the 3300 block of West Beach Avenue , and moments later the driver heard multiple gunshots , Chicago police said .
The driver realized the male had been struck in the head and immediately called police , police said .
The male , whose age is unknown , was rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cook County medical examiner ’ s office has not released the male ’ s name .
In non-fatal shootings , a man was shot in West Elsdon on Southwest Side .
He was on the sidewalk about 11:10 p.m. in the 3700 block of West 55th Street when two males approached and one of them fired shots , police said .
The 29-year-old was struck in the ankle and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition , police said .
Less than thirty minutes prior a 16-year-old boy was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the South Side .
About 10:45 p.m. he was walking on the sidewalk in the 8700 block of South South Chicago Avenue , when someone inside a passing dark sedan fired shots at him , police said .
He was taken to Trinity Hospital by his parents and is in good condition , police said .
A 26-year-old woman was shot while she was driving in Portage Park on the Northwest Side .
About 10:25 p.m. she was the driver of a vehicle in the 4600 block of West Belmont Avenue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police said .
She was struck three times in the left arm and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition , police said .
The woman was being very uncooperative with police and would not answer questions about the incident .
About ten minutes prior , a person was wounded in a shooting on the South Side .
Officers responded about 10:13 p.m. to the 4300 block of South Greenwood Avenue and found a male in an alley with gunshot wounds to his arm and leg , police said .
He was taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good condition , police said .
Two people were wounded in a shooting in Humboldt Park on the West Side .
They were on the sidewalk about 7 p.m. in the 2900 block of West Walton Street when a dark-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire , Chicago police said .
A 58-year-old man was struck in the torso , buttocks and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , where his condition was stabilized , said .
A 24-year-old man was shot in the ankle Monday morning in the West Garfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was in an alley in the 3900 block of West Gladys when someone fired shots , police said .
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition , police said .
No arrests have been made .
Area Four detectives are investigating .
The day ’ s first reported shooting wounded three men in a shooting in Kenwood on the South Side .
Several people were inside a home about 2:40 a.m. in the 4600 block of South Drexel Boulevard when someone opened fire after an argument , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hip and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition , police said .
A 20-year-old man was shot in the hand and forearm and was taken to the same hospital in good condition .
A third man , 24 , suffered a graze wound to the head and declined medical treatment , police said .
No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate .
Fifty-three people were shot , five of them fatally , last weekend in Chicago .
Read more on crime , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Eleven people were shot, one of them fatally, Monday in Chicago.
The day’s lone reported fatal shooting killed a ride-share passenger in Humboldt Park on the Northwest Side.
About 11:15 p.m. a male was entering a ride-share vehicle in the 3300 block of West Beach Avenue, and moments later the driver heard multiple gunshots, Chicago police said.
The driver realized the male had been struck in the head and immediately called police, police said. The male, whose age is unknown, was rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, but later died.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not released the male’s name.
In non-fatal shootings, a man was shot in West Elsdon on Southwest Side.
He was on the sidewalk about 11:10 p.m. in the 3700 block of West 55th Street when two males approached and one of them fired shots, police said.
The 29-year-old was struck in the ankle and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition, police said.
Less than thirty minutes prior a 16-year-old boy was wounded in a drive-by in South Chicago on the South Side.
About 10:45 p.m. he was walking on the sidewalk in the 8700 block of South South Chicago Avenue, when someone inside a passing dark sedan fired shots at him, police said.
He was taken to Trinity Hospital by his parents and is in good condition, police said.
A 26-year-old woman was shot while she was driving in Portage Park on the Northwest Side.
About 10:25 p.m. she was the driver of a vehicle in the 4600 block of West Belmont Avenue, when someone fired shots at her, police said.
She was struck three times in the left arm and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said. The woman was being very uncooperative with police and would not answer questions about the incident.
About ten minutes prior, a person was wounded in a shooting on the South Side.
Officers responded about 10:13 p.m. to the 4300 block of South Greenwood Avenue and found a male in an alley with gunshot wounds to his arm and leg, police said.
He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said.
Two people were wounded in a shooting in Humboldt Park on the West Side.
They were on the sidewalk about 7 p.m. in the 2900 block of West Walton Street when a dark-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, Chicago police said.
A 58-year-old man was struck in the torso, buttocks and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, said.
A woman, 30, suffered a graze wound and refused medical attention, police said.
A 24-year-old man was shot in the ankle Monday morning in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.
About 9 a.m., he was in an alley in the 3900 block of West Gladys when someone fired shots, police said.
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said.
No arrests have been made. Area Four detectives are investigating.
The day’s first reported shooting wounded three men in a shooting in Kenwood on the South Side.
Several people were inside a home about 2:40 a.m. in the 4600 block of South Drexel Boulevard when someone opened fire after an argument, according to police.
A 21-year-old man was shot in the hip and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said. A 20-year-old man was shot in the hand and forearm and was taken to the same hospital in good condition.
A third man, 24, suffered a graze wound to the head and declined medical treatment, police said.
No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate.
Fifty-three people were shot, five of them fatally, last weekend in Chicago.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Baby delivered after pregnant woman fatally shot in Jeffery Manor: police

A 35-year-old pregnant woman was found fatally shot early Tuesday morning in Jeffery Manor on the South Side .
Doctors @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center were able to deliver her baby , who remains in critical condition , @ @ @ @ @ About 12:06 a.m. officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert in the 2100 block of East @ @ @ @ @ woman laying on a porch , unresponsive , with two gunshot wounds to her back @ @ @ @ @ She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but later died , police said @ @ @ @ @ months pregnant and doctors were able to deliver her baby , who remains in critical @ @ @ @ @ s Hospital .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office has not yet released @ @ @ @ @ .
No one is in custody as Area Two detectives investigate .
Read more on @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s homicides .

A newborn was in critical condition Tuesday afternoon after the baby’s pregnant mother was gunned down on her South Side porch.
The shooting occurred early Tuesday in the 2100 block of East 95th Place, in a leafy neighborhood of brick Georgian-style homes on the South Side. The woman, identified as Stacey Jones, 35, was found lying unresponsive with two gunshots in her back, Chicago police said.
Jones was taken to the University of Chicago Medial Center in critical condition but later died, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Jones was eight months pregnant, and doctors were able to deliver the baby, who was being cared for at Comer Children’s Hospital, police said.
Jones was a probation officer with the adult probation department, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans said in a memo to court employees.
“Our thoughts go out to her family, colleagues and friends at this difficult time,” Evans said.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
Police had no one in custody Tuesday afternoon, and the case remained under investigation. Police said the shooting didn’t appear to be random.
Several neighbors reported hearing three gunshots, including Allen Jones, who lives next door and is not related to the victim. Jones said he was in bed when he heard the crackle of gunfire.
“When you hear gunshots, you don’t go to the window,” he said.
He said the woman had been his next door neighbor for about a year and she had two grade-school children who liked to play on the small patch of grass out front. On Tuesday afternoon, a child’s scooter and a Super Soaker squirt gun lay amid the fallen leaves.
Theother Sykes, another neighbor, said his grandson sometimes played with the woman’s children. Sykes also said he and other neighbors have had to call the police on occasion because of arguments that erupted between a man staying in Stacey Jones’ home and another woman who would come to the home. Every other week during the past summer, the other woman would drive up to the home and begin yelling for the man to come out, Sykes said.
“If he didn’t respond, she would knock on the door to get him to come out,” Sykes said, noting the episodes stopped in August.
A racial slur and the letters “KKK” had been spray-painted in white on the side of Stacey Jones’ home, but it was unclear how long they had been there. One neighbor said Tuesday he’d not seen them until a reporter pointed them out. The neighborhood’s regular mail career said she’d not seen the graffiti before either.
Police said there was no indication that race was a factor in Stacey Jones’ killing.
“At this time, based on information and additional evidence gathered by detectives, we do not believe this crime was racially motivated or a random act,” CPD spokesman Thomas Ahern said.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Teen boy wounded in drive-by in South Chicago

A 16-year-old boy was wounded in a drive-by Monday in South Chicago on the South Side .
About 10:45 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ sidewalk in the 8700 block of South South Chicago Avenue , when someone inside a @ @ @ @ @ at him , Chicago police said .
He was taken to Trinity Hospital by his @ @ @ @ @ condition , police said .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ @ @ @

A 16-year-old boy was wounded in a drive-by Monday in South Chicago on the South Side.
About 10:45 p.m. he was walking on the sidewalk in the 8700 block of South South Chicago Avenue, when someone inside a passing dark sedan fired shots at him, Chicago police said.
He was taken to Trinity Hospital by his parents and is in good condition, police said.
Area Two detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Ride-share passenger fatally shot in Humboldt Park: police

A ride-share passenger was fatally shot Monday night in Humboldt Park on the Northwest Side .
About 11:15 p.m. a @ @ @ @ @ vehicle in the 3300 block of West Beach Avenue , and moments later the driver @ @ @ @ @ police said .
The driver realized the male had been struck in the head and @ @ @ @ @ said .
The male , whose age is unknown , was rushed to Stroger Hospital @ @ @ @ @ later died .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office has not released the @ @ @ @ @ Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A ride-share passenger was fatally shot Monday night in Humboldt Park on the Northwest Side.
About 11:15 p.m. a man was entering a ride-share vehicle in the 3300 block of West Beach Avenue, and moments later the driver heard multiple gunshots, Chicago police said.
The driver realized the man had been struck in the head and immediately called police, police said. The 19-year-old was rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, but later died.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as Cody Lucas Rodolfo Davis. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide.
Area Five detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Chicago COVID researchers get $7.4 million in private funding

A Skokie foundation pledged $ 7.4 million in funding to provide more widespread free COVID-19 testing , study risks among children , find ways to predict virus outbreaks and related research .
Eight programs , mostly led by researchers at some of Chicago ’ s leading teaching hospitals , are working in collaboration with state and local health departments with money provided by the 2-year-old Walder Foundation .
The programs are designed to address immediate needs during the pandemic and to explore how to detect early warning signs and try to mitigate future virus outbreaks .
Findings are expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevention and racial health disparities , said Sandra Laney , Walder Foundation ’ s senior director of science innovation .
“ We really landed on a portfolio of projects that were driven by health departments ’ needs , ” Laney said .
The one-year grants range from $ 300,000 to $ 1.25 million each .
The winners were selected from more than 20 applications , Laney said .
In one program , Rush University Medical Center will work with 13 churches to provide free testing on the West Side .
Rush doctors hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said project leader Dr. Elizabeth Lynch .
In another program aimed at areas of the city lacking testing sites , University of Illinois at Chicago aims to collect 7,000 COVID-19 saliva samples from residents who conduct the tests themselves at their homes or elsewhere over the next year , said Dr. Renee Tayor of UIC .
The University of Chicago also received funding to develop a new COVID test that can be completed at home and would yield rapid results .
Another UIC study will research if wastewater can be analyzed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a potential viral outbreak .
In another program , a doctor at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children ’ s Hospital of Chicago will lead a dozen researchers to study virus risks for children .
The project will assess virus spread among school children , and researchers will report back to the city by the end of the year , said Dr. Larry Kociolek , a pediatrics infectious disease specialist .
The other projects include a Loyola University testing program and study in Black and Latino communities ; research by Rush doctors to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and genetic analysis led by Center for Computational Science Research in Chicago .
Elizabeth and Joseph Walder formed the Walder Foundation in 2018 to fund scientific innovation and other programs and quickly shifted the focus to the pandemic this year .
“ One of the special attributes of philanthropy is it is uniquely positioned to respond to a crisis , ” said Elizabeth Walder , executive director of the foundation .
Brett Chase ’ s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community @ @

A Skokie foundation pledged $7.4 million in funding to provide more widespread free COVID-19 testing, study risks among children, find ways to predict virus outbreaks and related research.
Eight programs, mostly led by researchers at some of Chicago’s leading teaching hospitals, are working in collaboration with state and local health departments with money provided by the 2-year-old Walder Foundation.
The programs are designed to address immediate needs during the pandemic and to explore how to detect early warning signs and try to mitigate future virus outbreaks. Findings are expected to inform public health policy on testing, prevention and racial health disparities, said Sandra Laney, Walder Foundation’s senior director of science innovation.
“We really landed on a portfolio of projects that were driven by health departments’ needs,” Laney said.
The one-year grants range from $300,000 to $1.25 million each. The winners were selected from more than 20 applications, Laney said.
In one program, Rush University Medical Center will work with 13 churches to provide free testing on the West Side. Rush doctors hope to test 8,000 people through next summer, said project leader Dr. Elizabeth Lynch.
In another program aimed at areas of the city lacking testing sites, University of Illinois at Chicago aims to collect 7,000 COVID-19 saliva samples from residents who conduct the tests themselves at their homes or elsewhere over the next year, said Dr. Renee Tayor of UIC.
The University of Chicago also received funding to develop a new COVID test that can be completed at home and would yield rapid results.
Another UIC study will research if wastewater can be analyzed to give public health officials advance warnings of a potential viral outbreak.
In another program, a doctor at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago will lead a dozen researchers to study virus risks for children. The project will assess virus spread among school children, and researchers will report back to the city by the end of the year, said Dr. Larry Kociolek, a pediatrics infectious disease specialist.
The other projects include a Loyola University testing program and study in Black and Latino communities; research by Rush doctors to analyze the virus and the immune system; and genetic analysis led by Center for Computational Science Research in Chicago.
Elizabeth and Joseph Walder formed the Walder Foundation in 2018 to fund scientific innovation and other programs and quickly shifted the focus to the pandemic this year.
“One of the special attributes of philanthropy is it is uniquely positioned to respond to a crisis,” said Elizabeth Walder, executive director of the foundation.
Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Cook County commissioner — an ex-pot regulator — admits ownership in cannabis firm

After serving as one of Illinois ’ top cannabis regulators , Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen confirmed Tuesday she has an ownership stake in a company vying for the right to open multiple pot shops across the state .
A spokeswoman for Degnen told the Sun-Times Tuesday the commissioner is part owner of Americanna Dream and was paid a stipend to write dispensary applications for the company .
The Highland Park-based firm submitted 17 perfect applications , beating out hundreds of other applicants to become a finalist in the state competition for the next round of dispensary licenses .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lottery that will determine the winners of the 75 new licenses , each of which will likely be worth millions of dollars .
But Degnen ’ s ownership stake isn ’ t worth anything unless the company wins a license , according to her spokeswoman , who wouldn ’ t confirm how much Degnen ’ s been paid so far or what percentage of the company she owns .
The Chicago Democrat — who represents the county ’ s 12th District and campaigned on a promise to serve as a “ full-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday defending her work for the “ majority Black-owned social equity dispensary applicant.
” However , she didn ’ t reveal the names of any other owners .
State records show Americanna Dream ’ s only listed manager is a white real estate professional with ties to the state ’ s legal cannabis industry .
“ I ensured I complied with all applicable laws governing transparency with respect to my involvement with this project , including completing a statement of economic interest form as required by Cook County , and exceeding any applicable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Degnen said after initially dodging questions the Sun-Times posed over the last few weeks .
The Sun-Times previously reported Degnen pitched herself as an expert last summer as she offered to write applications for another group seeking dispensary licenses .
One of those applicants said it seemed like Degnen “ knew what the application looked like before anyone else did.
” Before running for office in 2017 , Degnen worked for four years as the deputy director of medical cannabis at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ licenses .
Years later , she still has deep connections to Illinois ’ weed industry .
Companies and individuals tied to the booming business have flooded Degnen ’ s campaign coffers with nearly $ 20,000 in donations , according to a Sun-Times analysis .
Another $ 25,000 has come from a political action committee tied to attorney Brendan Shiller , who ’ s working on behalf of some of the other lottery contestants .
Shiller has also represented Perry Mandera , the former strip club proprietor who now owns The Herbal Care Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mandera leases the dope shop from a real estate company that has included Degnen ’ s husband , the chief financial officer for the Cinespace film studio .
Company ’ s manager also has ties to weed biz Records maintained by the Illinois secretary of state ’ s office show Americanna Dream ’ s only registered manager is Adam Saffro , who also has connections to Illinois ’ cannabis industry .
Saffro currently serves as managing director of New Era Chicago , a real estate firm with offices in Logan Square .
Sammy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major North Center-based cannabis firm Verano Holdings , previously worked for nearly seven years as a real estate broker for New Era Chicago , according to his LinkedIn profile .
Saffro is also the co-owner of an old bank building in Logan Square where the Loop-based pot giant PharmaCann hopes to set up a weed store .
He didn ’ t respond to repeated requests for comment .
The revelation about Degnen ’ s work for Americanna Dream comes as the rollout of recreational weed remains mired in controversy .
Amid a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were attached to some of the groups already tapped for the lottery , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced that more than 900 groups initially left out would be given a second chance to make the cut .
Last week , jilted applicants held a demonstration outside the Cook County Building to raise concerns about the grading process and call for a formal investigation into Degnen ’ s pot-related ties .
“ Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen is said to be aligned with Americanna Dream , which is turning out to be a nightmare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Rickey Hendon , a former Democratic state senator and dispensary applicant .
After a spokesman for Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle rebuffed the calls for a probe , Commissioner Scott Britton said he wouldn ’ t be opposed to broadly addressing the issue during a meeting of the county ’ s Cannabis Commission .
“ I do think that having a further discussion of the issue , not necessarily just her involvement but I think the issue generally , is what the purpose of the commission is , ” Britton @ @

After serving as one of Illinois’ top cannabis regulators, Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen confirmed Tuesday she has an ownership stake in a company vying for the right to open multiple pot shops across the state.
A spokeswoman for Degnen told the Sun-Times Tuesday the commissioner is part owner of Americanna Dream and was paid a stipend to write dispensary applications for the company.
The Highland Park-based firm submitted 36 perfect applications, beating out hundreds of other applicants to become a finalist in the state competition for the next round of dispensary licenses. The company has the maximum 10 spots in a lottery that will determine the winners of the 75 new licenses, each of which will likely be worth millions of dollars.
But Degnen’s ownership stake isn’t worth anything unless the company wins a license, according to her spokeswoman, who wouldn’t confirm how much Degnen’s been paid so far or what percentage of the company she owns.
The Chicago Democrat — who represents the county’s 12th District and campaigned on a promise to serve as a “full-time” commissioner — also issued a statement Tuesday defending her work for the “majority Black-owned social equity dispensary applicant.”
However, she didn’t reveal the names of any other owners. State records show Americanna Dream’s only listed manager is a white real estate professional with ties to the state’s legal cannabis industry.
“I ensured I complied with all applicable laws governing transparency with respect to my involvement with this project, including completing a statement of economic interest form as required by Cook County, and exceeding any applicable state revolving door requirements by several years,” Degnen said after initially dodging questions the Sun-Times posed over the last few weeks.
The Sun-Times previously reported Degnen pitched herself as an expert last summer as she offered to write applications for another group seeking dispensary licenses. One of those applicants said it seemed like Degnen “knew what the application looked like before anyone else did.”
Before running for office in 2017, Degnen worked for four years as the deputy director of medical cannabis at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the state agency that will issue the dispensary licenses. Years later, she still has deep connections to Illinois’ weed industry.
Companies and individuals tied to the booming business have flooded Degnen’s campaign coffers with nearly $20,000 in donations, according to a Sun-Times analysis. Another $25,000 has come from a political action committee tied to attorney Brendan Shiller, who’s working on behalf of some of the other lottery contestants.
Shiller has also represented Perry Mandera, the former strip club proprietor who now owns The Herbal Care Center dispensary on the Near West Side. Mandera leases the dope shop from a real estate company that has included Degnen’s husband, the chief financial officer for the Cinespace film studio.
Long lines formed outside of The Herbal Care Center on the first day of legal recreational weed sales on Jan. 1. Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Company’s manager also has ties to weed biz
Records maintained by the Illinois secretary of state’s office show Americanna Dream’s only registered manager is Adam Saffro, who also has connections to Illinois’ cannabis industry.
Saffro currently serves as managing director of New Era Chicago, a real estate firm with offices in Logan Square. Sammy Dorf, co-founder and president of the major North Center-based cannabis firm Verano Holdings, previously worked for nearly seven years as a real estate broker for New Era Chicago, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Saffro is also the co-owner of an old bank building in Logan Square where the Loop-based pot giant PharmaCann hopes to set up a weed store.
He didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.
‘American nightmare’
The revelation about Degnen’s work for Americanna Dream comes as the rollout of recreational weed remains mired in controversy.
Amid a series of lawsuits and revelations that clouted figures were attached to some of the groups already tapped for the lottery, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that more than 900 groups initially left out would be given a second chance to make the cut.
Last week, jilted applicants held a demonstration outside the Cook County Building to raise concerns about the grading process and call for a formal investigation into Degnen’s pot-related ties.
“Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen is said to be aligned with Americanna Dream, which is turning out to be a nightmare — American nightmare — for Black people,” said Rickey Hendon, a former Democratic state senator and dispensary applicant.
After a spokesman for Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle rebuffed the calls for a probe, Commissioner Scott Britton said he wouldn’t be opposed to broadly addressing the issue during a meeting of the county’s Cannabis Commission.
“I do think that having a further discussion of the issue, not necessarily just her involvement but I think the issue generally, is what the purpose of the commission is,” Britton said.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Amy Coney Barrett on George Floyd: With two Black children, ‘that was very, very personal for my fam

Amy Coney Barrett on George Floyd: With two Black children, ‘that was very, very personal for my family’

WASHINGTON - Bringing it to the real world , Sen. Dick Durbin , D-Ill. , plowed new ground at Amy Coney Barrett ’ s Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Tuesday when he asked the mother of two Black children about the impact of George Floyd ’ s death .
Barrett , guarded in her answers until this point , gave a candid reply .
In May , Floyd , a Black man , died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him down with a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes .
His death sparked a new chapter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Durbin after Floyd died she discussed with daughter Vivian , who is Black , “ that there would be a risk to her brother or the sons she might have one day , of , that kind of brutality.
” Democrats know they are powerless to block the confirmation of Barrett , who President Donald Trump tapped for the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017 .
Three years later , days after the death of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Trump nominated Barrett , the ideological opposite of Ginsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durbin has been doing at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings - and in a private call last week - is to talk to Barrett about the impact Supreme Court decisions have on real people , bringing up race , guns used for crimes in Chicago traced to Indiana and Mississippi , and the crucial need for health care coverage .
Barrett , a former Notre Dame Law School professor , is known for her conservatism .
She shared with her mentor , the late Justice Antonin Scalia , her belief in originalism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , interpreting the Constitution with the meaning the writers had when it was ratified and analyzing a statute using only the text .
Barrett mainly works and lives in South Bend , Ind.
, with her husband Jesse and seven children .
When she commutes to Chicago for court business , she stays at the Union League Club , she said in her Senate questionnaire , because it is near the Dirksen Federal Building in the Loop .
Two of her children are adopted ; Vivian and John Peter are natives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry about being stopped for driving while Black or suffer other race-based indignities never experienced by their white parents and siblings .
If Barrett is confirmed , her family will visit her in a building where , in the entire history of our nation , only two Black justices served , Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas ; one Hispanic , Sonia Sotomayor ; and so far , only four women , Ginsburg , Sotomayor , Elena Kagan and Sandra Day O ’ Connor .
If confirmed , Barrett will be only the fifth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she saw the Floyd video and what impact it had on her .
Barrett replied : “ Senator , as you might imagine , given that I have two Black children , that was very , very personal for my family .
“ Jesse was with the boys on a camping trip out in South Dakota , so I was there , and my 17-year-old daughter Vivian , who was adopted from Haiti , all of this was erupting .
It was very difficult for her .
We wept together in my room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Juliet , who is 10 .
I had to try to explain some of this to them .
“ My children , to this point in their lives , have had the benefit of growing up in a cocoon where they have not yet experienced hatred or violence .
“ And for Vivian , to understand that there would be a risk to her brother or the sons she might have one day , of that kind of brutality , has been an ongoing conversation .
It ’ s a difficult one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans all over the country.
” Durbin then asked : “ As an originalist who obviously has a passion for history - I can ’ t imagine that you could separate the two - to reflect on the history of this country .
Where are we today , when it comes to the issue of race ?
” She snapped back into being guarded .
What to do to “ make things better ” are , she said , “ policy questions .
They ’ re hotly contested policy questions that have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” While she was “ happy to discuss that the reaction our family had to the George Floyd video , ” giving “ broader statements ” or “ broader diagnoses about the problem of racism is kind of beyond what I ’ m capable of doing as a judge.
” “ I would doubt that , ” Durbin said .
New ground plowed , he moved on .

WASHINGTON - Bringing it to the real world, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., plowed new ground at Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Tuesday when he asked the mother of two Black children about the impact of George Floyd’s death.
Barrett, guarded in her answers until this point, gave a candid reply.
In May, Floyd, a Black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him down with a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes. His death sparked a new chapter of racial reckoning in the U.S.
Barrett told Durbin after Floyd died she discussed with daughter Vivian, who is Black, “that there would be a risk to her brother or the sons she might have one day, of, that kind of brutality.”
Democrats know they are powerless to block the confirmation of Barrett, who President Donald Trump tapped for the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017. Three years later, days after the death of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Trump nominated Barrett, the ideological opposite of Ginsburg, to fill her seat.
What Durbin has been doing at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings - and in a private call last week - is to talk to Barrett about the impact Supreme Court decisions have on real people, bringing up race, guns used for crimes in Chicago traced to Indiana and Mississippi, and the crucial need for health care coverage.
Barrett, a former Notre Dame Law School professor, is known for her conservatism. She shared with her mentor, the late Justice Antonin Scalia, her belief in originalism and textualism.
That is, she explained on Tuesday, interpreting the Constitution with the meaning the writers had when it was ratified and analyzing a statute using only the text.
Barrett mainly works and lives in South Bend, Ind., with her husband Jesse and seven children. When she commutes to Chicago for court business, she stays at the Union League Club, she said in her Senate questionnaire, because it is near the Dirksen Federal Building in the Loop.
Two of her children are adopted; Vivian and John Peter are natives of Haiti.
They will have to worry about being stopped for driving while Black or suffer other race-based indignities never experienced by their white parents and siblings.
If Barrett is confirmed, her family will visit her in a building where, in the entire history of our nation, only two Black justices served, Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas; one Hispanic, Sonia Sotomayor; and so far, only four women, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Sandra Day O’Connor. If confirmed, Barrett will be only the fifth female justice.
Durbin asked Barrett if she saw the Floyd video and what impact it had on her.
Barrett replied: “Senator, as you might imagine, given that I have two Black children, that was very, very personal for my family.
“Jesse was with the boys on a camping trip out in South Dakota, so I was there, and my 17-year-old daughter Vivian, who was adopted from Haiti, all of this was erupting. It was very difficult for her. We wept together in my room. And then it was also difficult for Juliet, who is 10. I had to try to explain some of this to them.
“My children, to this point in their lives, have had the benefit of growing up in a cocoon where they have not yet experienced hatred or violence.
“And for Vivian, to understand that there would be a risk to her brother or the sons she might have one day, of that kind of brutality, has been an ongoing conversation. It’s a difficult one for us, like it is for Americans all over the country.”
Durbin then asked: “As an originalist who obviously has a passion for history - I can’t imagine that you could separate the two - to reflect on the history of this country. Where are we today, when it comes to the issue of race?”
Barrett replied “Racism persists in our country.”
She snapped back into being guarded.
What to do to “make things better” are, she said, “policy questions. They’re hotly contested policy questions that have been in the news and discussed all summer.”
While she was “happy to discuss that the reaction our family had to the George Floyd video,” giving “broader statements” or “broader diagnoses about the problem of racism is kind of beyond what I’m capable of doing as a judge.”
“I would doubt that,” Durbin said. New ground plowed, he moved on.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Illinois documents seven straight days of 2,000-plus confirmed COVID-19 cases (LIVE UPDATES)

Illinois health officials reported 2,851 new confirmed coronavirus cases while the state ’ s average positivity rate has continued to grow over the last week .
Illinois also recorded 29 additional COVID-19 related deaths in 102 counties , pushing the state ’ s death tally past the 9,000 .
As of Tuesday , the Illinois Department of Public Health was reporting 9.026 victims of COVID-19 .
All 29 of the most recently recorded deaths were people over age 40 .
As of last night , 1,848 people in Illinois were in the hospital with COVID-19 , 406 of those patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on ventilators .
The most recent confirmed cases were among 55,993 tests conducted over the last 24 hours .
The state ’ s seven-day positivity rate continued to rise , reaching 4.5 % — a full percentage point higher than last week .
The state has documented seven straight days of 2,000-plus confirmed cases .
“ More than 9,000 Illinoisans — our mothers and fathers , brothers and sisters , family , friends , and neighbors — have had their lives cut short by COVID-19 , leaving tens of thousands more to grieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said in a statement .
“ My heart breaks for all those who have lost a loved one in this battle we never asked to fight — may their memories be for a blessing.
” Read the full story from Manny Ramos here .
7:15 p.m. ‘ Totally Under Control ’ : A no-nonsense look at how COVID-19 ran amok in the U.S .
The doctors and the science and the irrefutable timeline carry the day in Alex Gibney ’ s how-did-we-get-here pandemic documentary “ Totally Under Control , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Man and the Volunteer are equally valuable , equally infuriating , equally … ARE YOU KIDDING ME ?
The Mask Man is Michael Bowen , a onetime Donald Trump supporter and the owner of Prestige Ameritech , a large medical supply company in Texas , who last January began sending out e-mails to top administrators offering to ramp up production on N95 masks in anticipation of demand that would occur with the inevitable spread of COVID-19 .
The response : crickets .
Day after day , time after time , Bowen tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health and Human Services to listen to him , but his overtures were ignored .
Read the full review by Richard Roeper here .
4:04 p.m. NFL not ready to add Week 18 or a bubble , vows to remain flexible The NFL isn ’ t ready to add an 18th week to the regular season to account for coronavirus makeup games , nor is it ready to implement a bubble or move the Super Bowl back .
But the league wouldn ’ t rule it out , either .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our season it ’ s flexibility and adapting … ” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday after the second day of virtual owners meetings .
“ Flexibility is going to be critical .
… “ We will have flexibility to be able to complete our season for the Super Bowl .
That ’ s the goal .
We ’ re all focused on that .
And to do it safely.
” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said his focus is on playing the complete season slate in 17 weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week could still be an option .
A Skokie foundation pledged $ 7.4 million in funding to provide more widespread free COVID-19 testing , study risks among children , find ways to predict virus outbreaks and related research .
Eight programs , mostly led by researchers at some of Chicago ’ s leading teaching hospitals , are working in collaboration with state and local health departments with money provided by the 2-year-old Walder Foundation .
Findings are expected to inform public health policy on testing , prevention and racial health disparities , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior director of science innovation .
“ We really landed on a portfolio of projects that were driven by health departments ’ needs , ” Laney said .
The one-year grants range from $ 300,000 to $ 1.25 million each .
The winners were selected from more than 20 applications , Laney said .
12:35 p.m. 10 to see at the 2020 Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival , now in its 56th year , makes a novel move online thanks to the novel coronavirus .
The 11-day showcase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentaries and 56 shorts via the internet .
Seven features are world premieres .
Audiences can interact with filmmakers in livestream Q & A sessions .
“ We can reach new audiences , ” says artistic director Mimi Plauché .
“ The festival is more accessible to people who live anywhere in the U.S. ” Some titles , however , are limited to Chicago audiences ; other films are limited to Midwesterners living in Illinois and five other states .
The global pandemic forced international festivals to go virtual , so Plauché and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s entries through the internet .
She says she is partial to “ the films you watch and you can ’ t stop thinking about them.
” Three are dramas in this year ’ s downsized lineup : “ Any Crybabies Around ?
, ” “ Dear Comrades !
” and “ Memory House.
” A year after admitting a botched rollout led to quality issues with new SUVs produced in Chicago , Ford executives said the problems are in the past and production lines here are working three shifts per day to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plant at 12600 S. Torrence Ave. and the Chicago Heights stamping plant now employ about 7,100 workers , the company said .
That ’ s about 1,000 more than a year ago .
John Savona , Ford ’ s vice president of North American manufacturing , said the plants are busy around the clock fulfilling orders for the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator mid-size SUVs .
The automaker ’ s sales summary for the third quarter said the Explorer registered a 74 % gain compared with the prior quarter , while the Aviator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle , saw a 222 % increase in volume .
Chicago also produces the Police Interceptor SUV .
Ford is expected to issue its third-quarter earnings Oct. 28 .
“ We ’ re really proud of the vehicles we are building in Chicago , ” Savona said .
“ The quality by all available measures has been terrific.
” He said the Chicago operations , which resumed May 18 after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus , are integral to Ford ’ s identity as the “ most American ” of domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sourced anywhere .
LISBON , Portugal — Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for the coronavirus , the Portuguese soccer federation said Tuesday .
The federation said Ronaldo was doing well and had no symptoms .
It did not say when he tested positive .
Ronaldo played in the 0-0 draw at France in the Nations League on Sunday , and also in the 0-0 draw against Spain in a friendly last week .
Ronaldo is in isolation and has been dropped from the country ’ s Nations League match against Sweden on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juventus forward posted a photo on Twitter showing him and the rest of the Portugal squad having a meal together .
The players were all close to each other at a table , with Ronaldo apparently taking the photo himself at the front end .
Along with the tweet , Ronaldo wrote , in Portuguese , “ United on and off the field !
” 8:53 a.m .
Confidential coronavirus outbreak data shows thousands of undisclosed incidents across Illinois Like many Midwestern states , Illinois has struggled with rising coronavirus cases and death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month and recording its highest daily death count since late June on Friday .
Public health officials issued a “ warning list ” for 28 Illinois counties at risk for coronavirus surges and blamed , in part , businesses who were “ blatantly disregarding mitigation measures , people not social distancing , gathering in large groups and not using face coverings.
” Now , confidential statewide coronavirus outbreak data , obtained by the Documenting COVID-19 project at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation as part of a collaboration with the Midwest Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school and prison outbreaks are driving the increases – and that many of these outbreaks have never been made public .
• Illinois ’ seven-day positivity rate — the metric by which health experts measure the virus ’ spread — increased Monday , this time to 4.3 % , the highest it ’ s been in a month .
On Oct. 3 , the state ’ positivity rate was 3.3 % .
• State health officials announced Monday another 2,742 people in Illinois had tested positive for COVID-19 , with 13 more dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to imagine , but I try to premeditate my columns , to consider possible ramifications before clicking on the “ Submit for Approval ” button .
Is everything spelled right ?
Are my facts all in a row , quacking happily ?
Will I be frog-walked sobbing away from my career and into early retirement ?
But when I rolled out “ Mr .
Covid Answer Man ” early this month , there was one response I never imagined : that readers actually would , as requested , send in questions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ So even though I like to flit nimbly from one topic to another , with this crisis reaching whatever nightmare crescendo we ’ re heading toward , I feel duty bound to address a few .
Dear Mr. COVID Answer Man : What is the polite way to say to your brother who you are very close to that his girlfriend is acting recklessly in regards to the virus and is putting his and anyone he sees lives at risk ?
Read the more questions and answers by columnist Neil Steinberg here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastated by COVID-19 It is no secret that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact .
Young people have been especially crushed , since schools and youth programs were among the first places to close , and the last to reopen .
For our whole lives , young people have been told to look forward to certain experiences — prom , sports events , graduation , college — that we may now never get the chance to have .
These are pivotal milestones .
You are only a teen for so long , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be one again .
Young people have also had to deal with terrible mental health outcomes , social isolation , lost jobs , even lost parents , and heartbreaking pessimism as we realize that the adults we rely on have failed us .
Yet despite this disproportionate impact , young people have been sidelined in crucial conversations about the pandemic .
Read this and more letters to the Sun-Times editors here .

On Tuesday, Illinois documented seven straight days of 2,000-plus confirmed cases. The state’s seven-day positivity rate continued to rise, reaching 4.5% — a full percentage point higher than last week.
Also, Chicago added the state of Indiana to its travel advisory list. Though there is no formal enforcement of the quarantine, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady urged residents to follow the order, especially those living near the Indiana border on the Southeast Side. She said Indiana’s loosening of “science-based” restrictions should concern everyone.
Here’s what happened today in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago, the state and the nation.
News
9 p.m. Illinois records 2,851 new coronavirus cases, 29 deaths
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Illinois health officials reported 2,851 new confirmed coronavirus cases while the state’s average positivity rate has continued to grow over the last week.
Illinois also recorded 29 additional COVID-19 related deaths in 102 counties, pushing the state’s death tally past the 9,000. As of Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health was reporting 9.026 victims of COVID-19.
All 29 of the most recently recorded deaths were people over age 40. As of last night, 1,848 people in Illinois were in the hospital with COVID-19, 406 of those patients were in ICU and 160 patients were on ventilators.
The most recent confirmed cases were among 55,993 tests conducted over the last 24 hours. The state’s seven-day positivity rate continued to rise, reaching 4.5% — a full percentage point higher than last week.
The state has documented seven straight days of 2,000-plus confirmed cases.
“More than 9,000 Illinoisans — our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, family, friends, and neighbors — have had their lives cut short by COVID-19, leaving tens of thousands more to grieve loved ones lost too soon,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “My heart breaks for all those who have lost a loved one in this battle we never asked to fight — may their memories be for a blessing.”
Read the full story from Manny Ramos here.
8:30 p.m. ‘It’s scary’ — Bears take precautions after COVID-19 case
Two days after practice-squad offensive lineman Badara Traore tested positive for the coronavirus, coach Matt Nagy said he’s trying to go “above and beyond” to ensure the Bears don’t become the NFL’s next outbreak epicenter.
By changing Monday’s practice to a walkthrough, Nagy was able to leave his entire 15-man practice squad — whose role is to mimic the upcoming opponent in full practices — at home. He expects the practice-squad players to return Wednesday, provided the team doesn’t have another positive test by then.
No Bear has tested positive since Traore, whose sample was collected Friday.
Read the full story by Patrick Finley here.
7:15 p.m. ‘Totally Under Control’: A no-nonsense look at how COVID-19 ran amok in the U.S.
The doctors and the science and the irrefutable timeline carry the day in Alex Gibney’s how-did-we-get-here pandemic documentary “Totally Under Control,” but the stories of the Mask Man and the Volunteer are equally valuable, equally infuriating, equally … ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
The Mask Man is Michael Bowen, a onetime Donald Trump supporter and the owner of Prestige Ameritech, a large medical supply company in Texas, who last January began sending out e-mails to top administrators offering to ramp up production on N95 masks in anticipation of demand that would occur with the inevitable spread of COVID-19. The response: crickets. Day after day, time after time, Bowen tried to find SOMEBODY at the Dept. of Health and Human Services to listen to him, but his overtures were ignored.
Read the full review by Richard Roeper here.
4:04 p.m. NFL not ready to add Week 18 or a bubble, vows to remain flexible
The NFL isn’t ready to add an 18th week to the regular season to account for coronavirus makeup games, nor is it ready to implement a bubble or move the Super Bowl back. But the league wouldn’t rule it out, either.
“I think if there was one consistent theme to our season it’s flexibility and adapting …” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday after the second day of virtual owners meetings. “Flexibility is going to be critical. …
“We will have flexibility to be able to complete our season for the Super Bowl. That’s the goal. We’re all focused on that. And to do it safely.”
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said his focus is on playing the complete season slate in 17 weeks — but he knows that an 18th week could still be an option.
Read the full story here.
2:03 p.m. Chicago COVID researchers get $7.4 million in private funding
A Skokie foundation pledged $7.4 million in funding to provide more widespread free COVID-19 testing, study risks among children, find ways to predict virus outbreaks and related research.
Eight programs, mostly led by researchers at some of Chicago’s leading teaching hospitals, are working in collaboration with state and local health departments with money provided by the 2-year-old Walder Foundation.
Findings are expected to inform public health policy on testing, prevention and racial health disparities, said Sandra Laney, Walder Foundation’s senior director of science innovation.
“We really landed on a portfolio of projects that were driven by health departments’ needs,” Laney said.
The one-year grants range from $300,000 to $1.25 million each. The winners were selected from more than 20 applications, Laney said.
Read the full story here.
12:35 p.m. 10 to see at the 2020 Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival, now in its 56th year, makes a novel move online thanks to the novel coronavirus. The 11-day showcase of world cinema offers 39 dramas, 19 documentaries and 56 shorts via the internet. Seven features are world premieres. Audiences can interact with filmmakers in livestream Q&A sessions.
“We can reach new audiences,” says artistic director Mimi Plauché. “The festival is more accessible to people who live anywhere in the U.S.” Some titles, however, are limited to Chicago audiences; other films are limited to Midwesterners living in Illinois and five other states.
The global pandemic forced international festivals to go virtual, so Plauché and her programming team scouted this year’s entries through the internet. She says she is partial to “the films you watch and you can’t stop thinking about them.” Three are dramas in this year’s downsized lineup: “Any Crybabies Around?,” “Dear Comrades!” and “Memory House.”
Read the full story here.
12:27 p.m. Ford says problems solved in Chicago production
A year after admitting a botched rollout led to quality issues with new SUVs produced in Chicago, Ford executives said the problems are in the past and production lines here are working three shifts per day to meet increasing demand.
The Chicago Assembly Plant at 12600 S. Torrence Ave. and the Chicago Heights stamping plant now employ about 7,100 workers, the company said. That’s about 1,000 more than a year ago.
John Savona, Ford’s vice president of North American manufacturing, said the plants are busy around the clock fulfilling orders for the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator mid-size SUVs. The automaker’s sales summary for the third quarter said the Explorer registered a 74% gain compared with the prior quarter, while the Aviator, a lower volume but higher priced vehicle, saw a 222% increase in volume. Chicago also produces the Police Interceptor SUV.
Ford is expected to issue its third-quarter earnings Oct. 28.
“We’re really proud of the vehicles we are building in Chicago,” Savona said. “The quality by all available measures has been terrific.” He said the Chicago operations, which resumed May 18 after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus, are integral to Ford’s identity as the “most American” of domestic vehicle makers, although parts can be sourced anywhere.
Read the full story here.
11:39 a.m Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive for COVID-19
LISBON, Portugal — Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Portuguese soccer federation said Tuesday.
The federation said Ronaldo was doing well and had no symptoms. It did not say when he tested positive.
Ronaldo played in the 0-0 draw at France in the Nations League on Sunday, and also in the 0-0 draw against Spain in a friendly last week.
Ronaldo is in isolation and has been dropped from the country’s Nations League match against Sweden on Wednesday in Lisbon.
On Monday, the Juventus forward posted a photo on Twitter showing him and the rest of the Portugal squad having a meal together. The players were all close to each other at a table, with Ronaldo apparently taking the photo himself at the front end.
Along with the tweet, Ronaldo wrote, in Portuguese, “United on and off the field!”
Read the full story here.
8:53 a.m. Confidential coronavirus outbreak data shows thousands of undisclosed incidents across Illinois
Like many Midwestern states, Illinois has struggled with rising coronavirus cases and death counts recently, surpassing 300,000 confirmed cases this month and recording its highest daily death count since late June on Friday.
Public health officials issued a “warning list” for 28 Illinois counties at risk for coronavirus surges and blamed, in part, businesses who were “blatantly disregarding mitigation measures, people not social distancing, gathering in large groups and not using face coverings.”
Now, confidential statewide coronavirus outbreak data, obtained by the Documenting COVID-19 project at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation as part of a collaboration with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, shows workplace, school and prison outbreaks are driving the increases – and that many of these outbreaks have never been made public.
Read the full story here.
New cases
Illinois’ seven-day positivity rate — the metric by which health experts measure the virus’ spread — increased Monday, this time to 4.3%, the highest it’s been in a month. On Oct. 3, the state’ positivity rate was 3.3%.
State health officials announced Monday another 2,742 people in Illinois had tested positive for COVID-19, with 13 more dying of the virus.
Analysis & Commentary
7:10 p.m. Like illness, Mr. COVID Answer Man lingers
It might be hard to imagine, but I try to premeditate my columns, to consider possible ramifications before clicking on the “Submit for Approval” button. Is everything spelled right? Are my facts all in a row, quacking happily? Will I be frog-walked sobbing away from my career and into early retirement? But when I rolled out “Mr. Covid Answer Man” early this month, there was one response I never imagined: that readers actually would, as requested, send in questions. Sincere questions, some of them. So even though I like to flit nimbly from one topic to another, with this crisis reaching whatever nightmare crescendo we’re heading toward, I feel duty bound to address a few.
Dear Mr. COVID Answer Man: What is the polite way to say to your brother who you are very close to that his girlfriend is acting recklessly in regards to the virus and is putting his and anyone he sees lives at risk?
Read the more questions and answers by columnist Neil Steinberg here.
8:58 a.m. We young people have been devastated by COVID-19
Tova Kaplan of Lincoln Park writes:
It is no secret that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact. Young people have been especially crushed, since schools and youth programs were among the first places to close, and the last to reopen.
For our whole lives, young people have been told to look forward to certain experiences — prom, sports events, graduation, college — that we may now never get the chance to have. These are pivotal milestones. You are only a teen for so long, and then you never have the chance to be one again.
Young people have also had to deal with terrible mental health outcomes, social isolation, lost jobs, even lost parents, and heartbreaking pessimism as we realize that the adults we rely on have failed us.
Yet despite this disproportionate impact, young people have been sidelined in crucial conversations about the pandemic.
Read this and more letters to the Sun-Times editors here.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Three Cook County state’s attorney rivals agree much needs to change — but part ways on what and how

Four years after she routed Cook County State ’ s Attorney Anita Alvarez in the Democratic primary , Kim Foxx is locked in a reelection battle of her own , fending off a vocal Republican opponent who says the events of her tenure would “ surprise and astonish ” any other prosecutor .
Foxx casts Republican Pat O ’ Brien as a Cook County version of Donald Trump — and a source of many of the problems she ’ s focused on fixing the past four years .
In her fight for a second term , Foxx faces the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian Dennehy .
O ’ Brien and Foxx have traded barbs in editorial board meetings .
She ’ s knocked him for a “ history of wrongful convictions , ” and he ’ s needled her for her handling of former “ Empire ” actor Jussie Smollett ’ s case and a tenure he says has only led to “ more crime and more fear.
” Dennehy steers clear of attacks on his major party rivals , saying he is running because “ things are going wrong in the country , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race and criminal justice reform.
” Foxx rode in on the # ByeAnita wave that swept out Alvarez in the aftermath of the police shooting of Laquan McDonald .
The Flossmoor Democrat points to her work on criminal justice reform since taking office as reason enough for a second term .
“ What I know for sure is that over the first three years of my tenure , before we got to 2019 , as we worked on criminal justice reform , violent crime in the city of Chicago had continued to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Foxx said .
The “ unacceptable , horrible levels ” of violence the city and county — and nation — are currently experiencing are the result of “ extraordinary times , ” she said .
“ That is not the result of addressing the systemic issues , ” Foxx said .
“ It is the result of being in really extraordinary times with a global pandemic , a financial collapse and civil unrest threats related to racial injustice .
And so , there ’ s work that we ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have been able to do both at the same time — address public safety and criminal justice.
” She says O ’ Brien is an example of the work she ’ s had to undo , pointing to his time as a prosecutor in charge of the criminal prosecutions bureau where he “ oversaw at least 27 cases where people were convicted and those convictions were later exonerated.
” The county ’ s top prosecutor has also accused the former judge of “ Trump-like name calling and fear mongering ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of that rhetoric .
O ’ Brien said Foxx has a history of “ doing the kinds of things that would surprise and astonish every other prosecutor , and every other state ’ s attorney , that I ’ ve ever had contact with .
“ Just the idea of how many cases she doesn ’ t approve for charges , how many cases , once they ’ re approved , she dismisses , her record on trying cases , I mean all of that is … those stand out as being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been unmatched , ” O ’ Brien said , adding that he hadn ’ t looked closely yet at New York or Los Angeles .
If O ’ Brien beats Foxx , the Edgewater neighborhood resident said he ’ d balance digging into “ crime and its roots ” since there ’ s much more to crime than prosecution , he said .
In his campaign to unseat Foxx , O ’ Brien received the endorsement of the city ’ s Fraternal Order of Police and a $ 57,800 donation — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group .
Foxx argues O ’ Brien wouldn ’ t be able to stand on his own , saying the police union had “ found a candidate that has been aligned with their values and their beliefs.
” “ I think that where he ’ s getting his support tells you where his values lie , ” Foxx said .
In an endorsement interview with the Sun-Times Editorial Board last month , O ’ Brien said the donation doesn ’ t make him “ somehow beholden to them ” and turned the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms. Foxx about Ed Burke , Martin Sandoval , Commonwealth Edison ...
They ’ ve been investigated , and , in some cases , charged by the FBI.
” Foxx kept nearly $ 30,000 in campaign contributions from a 2016 fundraiser hosted by now-indicted 14th Ward Ald .
Edward Burke — a departure from the approach taken by her political mentor , Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle .
Foxx said O ’ Brien has “ aligned with the mission and the vision and the values of Donald Trump ” and others who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ political punching bag.
” “ It should trouble all of us as the person who is running for state ’ s attorney right now feels that that is where he is aligned — with this Republican Party under Donald Trump , ” Foxx said .
The Libertarian disagrees with how his opponents have characterized each other .
He doesn ’ t think Foxx is “ incompetent ” and says O ’ Brien “ was a fair and honest judge.
” “ My position is that I would do a better job than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Uptown resident pledges to end the office ’ s participation in the “ war on drugs.
” “ My focus is strictly on violent crimes , crimes where someone has harmed another person or is at an imminent risk of harming another person .
Those are the people who should be prosecuted , and those are the people who should be put in a cage and held in cages .
Other , non-violent crimes … I don ’ t really see how the police or the prosecutor ’ s office should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Four years after she routed Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez in the Democratic primary, Kim Foxx is locked in a reelection battle of her own, fending off a vocal Republican opponent who says the events of her tenure would “surprise and astonish” any other prosecutor.
Foxx casts Republican Pat O’Brien as a Cook County version of Donald Trump — and a source of many of the problems she’s focused on fixing the past four years.
In her fight for a second term, Foxx faces the former Cook County judge and also Libertarian candidate Brian Dennehy.
O’Brien and Foxx have traded barbs in editorial board meetings. She’s knocked him for a “history of wrongful convictions,” and he’s needled her for her handling of former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s case and a tenure he says has only led to “more crime and more fear.”
Dennehy steers clear of attacks on his major party rivals, saying he is running because “things are going wrong in the country, and there’s a lot of polarization around race and criminal justice reform.”
Foxx rode in on the #ByeAnita wave that swept out Alvarez in the aftermath of the police shooting of Laquan McDonald.
The Flossmoor Democrat points to her work on criminal justice reform since taking office as reason enough for a second term.
“What I know for sure is that over the first three years of my tenure, before we got to 2019, as we worked on criminal justice reform, violent crime in the city of Chicago had continued to go down year over year over year,” Foxx said.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx during a campaign stop in Pilsen in March. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file
The “unacceptable, horrible levels” of violence the city and county — and nation — are currently experiencing are the result of “extraordinary times,” she said.
“That is not the result of addressing the systemic issues,” Foxx said. “It is the result of being in really extraordinary times with a global pandemic, a financial collapse and civil unrest threats related to racial injustice. And so, there’s work that we’re going to have to do, but history dictates that we have been able to do both at the same time — address public safety and criminal justice.”
She says O’Brien is an example of the work she’s had to undo, pointing to his time as a prosecutor in charge of the criminal prosecutions bureau where he “oversaw at least 27 cases where people were convicted and those convictions were later exonerated.”
The county’s top prosecutor has also accused the former judge of “Trump-like name calling and fear mongering” and she’s refused to debate him because of that rhetoric.
O’Brien said Foxx has a history of “doing the kinds of things that would surprise and astonish every other prosecutor, and every other state’s attorney, that I’ve ever had contact with.
Cook County State’s Attorney candidate Pat O’Brien speaks during a news conference in the North Austin neighborhood earlier this month. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file
“Just the idea of how many cases she doesn’t approve for charges, how many cases, once they’re approved, she dismisses, her record on trying cases, I mean all of that is … those stand out as being activities and a lack of activity that’s been unmatched,” O’Brien said, adding that he hadn’t looked closely yet at New York or Los Angeles.
If O’Brien beats Foxx, the Edgewater neighborhood resident said he’d balance digging into “crime and its roots” since there’s much more to crime than prosecution, he said.
In his campaign to unseat Foxx, O’Brien received the endorsement of the city’s Fraternal Order of Police and a $57,800 donation — the maximum legal donation — from the group.
Foxx argues O’Brien wouldn’t be able to stand on his own, saying the police union had “found a candidate that has been aligned with their values and their beliefs.”
“I think that where he’s getting his support tells you where his values lie,” Foxx said.
In an endorsement interview with the Sun-Times Editorial Board last month, O’Brien said the donation doesn’t make him “somehow beholden to them” and turned the problem back on Foxx, saying “ask Ms. Foxx about Ed Burke, Martin Sandoval, Commonwealth Edison ... They’ve been investigated, and, in some cases, charged by the FBI.”
Foxx kept nearly $30,000 in campaign contributions from a 2016 fundraiser hosted by now-indicted 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke — a departure from the approach taken by her political mentor, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Foxx said O’Brien has “aligned with the mission and the vision and the values of Donald Trump” and others who’ve used the city as a “political punching bag.”
“It should trouble all of us as the person who is running for state’s attorney right now feels that that is where he is aligned — with this Republican Party under Donald Trump,” Foxx said.
Libertarian candidate for Cook County state’s attorney Brian Dennehy in September. From Facebook.
The Libertarian disagrees with how his opponents have characterized each other. He doesn’t think Foxx is “incompetent” and says O’Brien “was a fair and honest judge.”
“My position is that I would do a better job than they would,” Dennehy said.
The Uptown resident pledges to end the office’s participation in the “war on drugs.”
“My focus is strictly on violent crimes, crimes where someone has harmed another person or is at an imminent risk of harming another person. Those are the people who should be prosecuted, and those are the people who should be put in a cage and held in cages. Other, non-violent crimes … I don’t really see how the police or the prosecutor’s office should have anything to do with them really.”


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Let’s finally put Chicago — not self-serving aldermen — first in redrawing the city’s wards

With all the talk these days about what ’ s needed to build a more equitable Chicago , here 's a reform that can ’ t be left off the list : A fair and proper remap of the city ’ s 50 wards .
The City Council is legally required to come up with a remap ordinance by December 2021 .
An equitable ward remap would help assure that all corners of Chicago are equally heard and represented in City Hall .
The decennial remapping process , unfortunately , is handled by aldermen and political powerhouses who historically have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and punish their political enemies , rather than look out for the rest of us .
Going back to Chicago ’ s earliest days , drawing the city ’ s ward map has been a game of insider deal-making , rather than an exercise in creating a more responsive and democratic City Council for all .
But with many of the old guard aldermen who for many years held sway over the mapping process now either retired ( such as former Ald .
Richard Mell ) , or politically sidelined ( paging Ald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands its best chance in generations to draw a fair , sensible and inclusive ward map .
The time has come to fix this once and for all .
An example of how the city ’ s wards are badly drawn : The reasonably compact Englewood neighborhood has a population of fewer than 15,000 people across just 3 square miles .
But that single neighborhood is carved up among six different wards .
In fact , a mile-and-half drive straight down 63rd Street from Halsted Street to Damen Avenue will take you from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15th — and back to 16th again .
One the other hand , there ’ s the 2nd Ward , which bobs and weaves across seven North Side neighborhoods from Streeterville to Bucktown .
All of this leaves many residents wondering what ward in which they live , and who represents them in the City Council .
In some wards , those remote , politically tacked-on areas also receive less attention from their alderman — and can ’ t do much to vote the alderman out .
“ Chicago stands at a precipice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the systemic racism that has left people out and held our city back , ” said Madeleine Doubek , executive director of CHANGE Illinois , a non-partisan group that advocates for the reform of elections and government .
“ Ending ward gerrymandering and giving residents their power and voices is critical to this process .
We need a map that puts the people first , ” she said .
Fixing this mess will be a big challenge and require a thoughtful approach , particularly this go-round .
For instance , how will the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss of more than 200,000 residents from Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides ?
Or that there are no aldermen of Asian heritage despite the distinct and growing presence of Asian Americans in at least two areas : Chinatown/Bridgeport on the Near South Side and the West Argyle Street community on the North Side .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot last year supported forming an independent citizens ’ commission to remap ward boundaries .
“ I live in the 35th Ward , and the ward has no relationship to neighborhood boundaries , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We can ’ t afford to keep carving up communities that isn ’ t fair to them or doesn ’ t give them fair representation.
” We ’ d like to see more about how the commission would work — and , most importantly , who would be on it — before taking sides on that idea .
The devil , just as in when drawing ward boundaries , is in the details .
But we ’ re firmly behind the spirit of the idea , which is that there has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ward boundaries every 10 years than to leave the job solely in the hands of those — aldermen with turf to protect — who got us in this mess in the first place .

With all the talk these days about what’s needed to build a more equitable Chicago, here's a reform that can’t be left off the list: A fair and proper remap of the city’s 50 wards.
The City Council is legally required to come up with a remap ordinance by December 2021. An equitable ward remap would help assure that all corners of Chicago are equally heard and represented in City Hall.
Editorials bug Editorials
The decennial remapping process, unfortunately, is handled by aldermen and political powerhouses who historically have redrawn war boundaries to protect their seats and punish their political enemies, rather than look out for the rest of us.
Going back to Chicago’s earliest days, drawing the city’s ward map has been a game of insider deal-making, rather than an exercise in creating a more responsive and democratic City Council for all.
But with many of the old guard aldermen who for many years held sway over the mapping process now either retired (such as former Ald. Richard Mell), or politically sidelined (paging Ald. Edward Burke), the city stands its best chance in generations to draw a fair, sensible and inclusive ward map.
The time has come to fix this once and for all.
Ending gerrymandering ‘critical’
An example of how the city’s wards are badly drawn:
The reasonably compact Englewood neighborhood has a population of fewer than 15,000 people across just 3 square miles. But that single neighborhood is carved up among six different wards.
In fact, a mile-and-half drive straight down 63rd Street from Halsted Street to Damen Avenue will take you from the 20th Ward through the 16th and 15th — and back to 16th again.
One the other hand, there’s the 2nd Ward, which bobs and weaves across seven North Side neighborhoods from Streeterville to Bucktown.
All of this leaves many residents wondering what ward in which they live, and who represents them in the City Council. In some wards, those remote, politically tacked-on areas also receive less attention from their alderman — and can’t do much to vote the alderman out.
“Chicago stands at a precipice right now as we seek to fix the systemic racism that has left people out and held our city back,” said Madeleine Doubek, executive director of CHANGE Illinois, a non-partisan group that advocates for the reform of elections and government.
“Ending ward gerrymandering and giving residents their power and voices is critical to this process. We need a map that puts the people first,” she said.
An independent commission?
Fixing this mess will be a big challenge and require a thoughtful approach, particularly this go-round.
For instance, how will the remap process address the ongoing historic population loss of more than 200,000 residents from Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides?
Or that there are no aldermen of Asian heritage despite the distinct and growing presence of Asian Americans in at least two areas: Chinatown/Bridgeport on the Near South Side and the West Argyle Street community on the North Side.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot last year supported forming an independent citizens’ commission to remap ward boundaries.
“I live in the 35th Ward, and the ward has no relationship to neighborhood boundaries,” Lightfoot said in a WTTW interview then. “We can’t afford to keep carving up communities that isn’t fair to them or doesn’t give them fair representation.”
We’d like to see more about how the commission would work — and, most importantly, who would be on it — before taking sides on that idea. The devil, just as in when drawing ward boundaries, is in the details.
But we’re firmly behind the spirit of the idea, which is that there has to be a better way to redraw ward boundaries every 10 years than to leave the job solely in the hands of those — aldermen with turf to protect — who got us in this mess in the first place.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.