chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--He went to the hospital in the morning. By mid-afternoon, he was dead from COVID-19.

He didn ’ t celebrate because he had been feeling sick .
But he went on Facebook the following day to thank everyone for wishing him well .
The next morning , having trouble breathing , he called 911 to take him to the hospital .
He was able to walk to the ambulance and waved to a neighbor .
A couple of hours later , he texted his sister from the emergency room , saying he was feeling better .
At 3:38 that afternoon , Sprinkle was dead from acute respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 .
Just like that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is mounting again , much like it was in the spring , and I ’ ve decided to return to what I was doing then : telling the stories of the victims .
John Sprinkle was a simple , good-natured soul .
He lived at home with his parents and worked at a gun shop in Crete .
He loved animals and target shooting .
But his main interest was his involvement with a pair of veterans service organizations : the American Veterans Motorcycle Riders Association for many years and more recently with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neither a veteran nor a motorcycle rider .
But his grandfather served in the Navy during World War II and inspired Sprinkle to believe in the importance of honoring military service .
The motorcycle groups gave Sprinkle the opportunity to take an active role in showing his respect .
He enjoyed carrying the flag in the AVMRA color guard at ceremonies and selling merchandise at events to raise money for veterans homes .
Nobody worked harder than Sprinkle to support the group ’ s efforts , said his friend Billy Neyen , 63 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He would dive into anything he could get his hands on to help veterans , ” Neyen said .
On holidays such as Veterans Day , Sprinkle typically would be at a commemoration somewhere , dressed in his color guard uniform .
His motorcycle vest bore his self-bestowed nickname : Bubba .
Between such engagements , Sprinkle was there to help everyone else , letting them borrow his truck , feeding his sister ’ s cat , babysitting Neyen ’ s dogs , driving a friend to a doctor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people right now , and they ’ d all say he had a heart of gold , ” said his sister Rose Sprinkle , a hospital administrator who used to work in Barack Obama ’ s Senate office .
“ It sounds so cliché , but he would do anything for anyone at any time , and he never had a bad thing to say about anybody.
” His aunt Christine Wollner marveled at his positive attitude .
“ He just didn ’ t seem to have a bad day , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blue , but the COVID diagnosis wasn ’ t .
Sprinkle ’ s 71-year-old father , also named John , tested positive days earlier , and Sprinkle had been tested .
It ’ s unclear whether he knew the results before heading to the hospital .
Sprinkle was seriously overweight , maybe 5-6 and 285 pounds .
That can put people at greater risk if they contract COVID-19 .
He had no other known health problems , emphasis on “ known ” because he didn ’ t have health insurance and didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his sister said .
The afternoon he died , she raced to the hospital to be with her younger brother .
She knew from her phone conversations that the situation was dire .
But , when she entered his room wearing full PPE , doctors already were trying to resuscitate him .
“ I held his hand .
I told him how much we loved him .
I said I was sorry I couldn ’ t take care of him and fix it.
” The doctors and nurses also were crying .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hearts , too , ” she said .
After he died , they left her alone with him .
“ I probably said the word ‘ no ’ two million times .
I said no , no , no… ” Rose Sprinkle doesn ’ t know how her family was exposed , and there ’ s no sense speculating .
Her father was hospitalized hours after her brother ’ s death and has been there since .
He seems to be holding his own .
Her mother Patricia , who also tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most people won ’ t die from COVID-19 .
But many families will feel its pain .

John Sprinkle of Evergreen Park observed his 36th birthday Nov. 4.
He didn’t celebrate because he had been feeling sick. But he went on Facebook the following day to thank everyone for wishing him well.
The next morning, having trouble breathing, he called 911 to take him to the hospital. He was able to walk to the ambulance and waved to a neighbor.
A couple of hours later, he texted his sister from the emergency room, saying he was feeling better.
At 3:38 that afternoon, Sprinkle was dead from acute respiratory failure caused by COVID-19.
Just like that.
The toll from the coronavirus pandemic is mounting again, much like it was in the spring, and I’ve decided to return to what I was doing then: telling the stories of the victims.
John Sprinkle was a simple, good-natured soul. He lived at home with his parents and worked at a gun shop in Crete. He loved animals and target shooting.
But his main interest was his involvement with a pair of veterans service organizations: the American Veterans Motorcycle Riders Association for many years and more recently with American Warriors Motorcycle Association.
Sprinkle was neither a veteran nor a motorcycle rider. But his grandfather served in the Navy during World War II and inspired Sprinkle to believe in the importance of honoring military service. The motorcycle groups gave Sprinkle the opportunity to take an active role in showing his respect.
He enjoyed carrying the flag in the AVMRA color guard at ceremonies and selling merchandise at events to raise money for veterans homes.
John Sprinkle in his motorcycle vest. Provided
Nobody worked harder than Sprinkle to support the group’s efforts, said his friend Billy Neyen, 63, of LaGrange, a Navy veteran.
“He would dive into anything he could get his hands on to help veterans,” Neyen said.
On holidays such as Veterans Day, Sprinkle typically would be at a commemoration somewhere, dressed in his color guard uniform. His motorcycle vest bore his self-bestowed nickname: Bubba.
Between such engagements, Sprinkle was there to help everyone else, letting them borrow his truck, feeding his sister’s cat, babysitting Neyen’s dogs, driving a friend to a doctor’s appointment.
“You could call 100 people right now, and they’d all say he had a heart of gold,” said his sister Rose Sprinkle, a hospital administrator who used to work in Barack Obama’s Senate office. “It sounds so cliché, but he would do anything for anyone at any time, and he never had a bad thing to say about anybody.”
John Sprinkle and his sister Rose Sprinkle. Provided
His aunt Christine Wollner marveled at his positive attitude.
“He just didn’t seem to have a bad day,” she said.
His death was out of the blue, but the COVID diagnosis wasn’t. Sprinkle’s 71-year-old father, also named John, tested positive days earlier, and Sprinkle had been tested. It’s unclear whether he knew the results before heading to the hospital.
Sprinkle was seriously overweight, maybe 5-6 and 285 pounds. That can put people at greater risk if they contract COVID-19.
He had no other known health problems, emphasis on “known” because he didn’t have health insurance and didn’t go to the doctor, his sister said.
The afternoon he died, she raced to the hospital to be with her younger brother. She knew from her phone conversations that the situation was dire. But, when she entered his room wearing full PPE, doctors already were trying to resuscitate him.
“I held his hand. I told him how much we loved him. I said I was sorry I couldn’t take care of him and fix it.”
The doctors and nurses also were crying.
“You could just see it was breaking their hearts, too,” she said.
After he died, they left her alone with him.
“I probably said the word ‘no’ two million times. I said no, no, no…”
Rose Sprinkle doesn’t know how her family was exposed, and there’s no sense speculating.
Her father was hospitalized hours after her brother’s death and has been there since. He seems to be holding his own. Her mother Patricia, who also tested positive, is isolating at home.
Most people won’t die from COVID-19. But many families will feel its pain.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--María Cerda, first Latina on Chicago Board of Education, dead of coronavirus at 86

In 1969 , when María Cerda became the first Latino member of the Chicago school board , some news stories called the University of Chicago-trained social worker a “ housewife ” who would advocate for “ Latin ” students .
Mrs. Cerda not only lobbied fiercely for the Latino community , but she also adroitly navigated City Hall with her strategic alliances and powerful speeches .
Mayor Richard J. Daley put her on the Board of Education .
She was an early supporter of Harold Washington and sometimes warmed up crowds before his speeches .
When he was elected mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor ’ s Office of Employment and Training .
Mrs. Cerda died Sunday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from the coronavirus , according to her children Marta and David Cerda .
She was 86 .
Her daughter and her husband of 60 years , David Cerda , 93 , who was the first Hispanic judge in Illinois and the first Hispanic judge on the Illinois Appellate Court , also have been infected .
“ I have COVID , my father has COVID , ” their daughter said .
“ So we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s very sad that we can ’ t have a memorial right now .
It is cruel.
” “ There ’ s going to be a great emptiness , ” Mrs. Cerda ’ s son said .
While on the school board , Mrs. Cerda was a strong advocate of bilingual education .
To make her point , during one Board of Ed meeting , she switched to Spanish , repeatedly addressing other board members in the language she spoke growing up in Lares , Puerto Rico .
“ The board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t understand you , ’ ’ ’ her daughter said .
“ And she said , ‘ That ’ s exactly the point .
How can you learn if you can ’ t understand ?
’ ’ ’ In 1974 , she delivered an impassioned speech to the board in which she said that , because of inadequate funding , thousands of Spanish-speaking students were “ sitting like vegetables in classrooms , ” unable to comprehend their lessons .
In response , the board immediately directed then-schools Supt .
James F. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the $ 2 million bilingual education budget .
He said he ’ d find the money .
That same year , she spoke during an interview with Studs Terkel on WFMT about the importance of fostering cultural pride among all schoolchildren , saying : “ To tell that child , everything you are is wrong , we have to make you over again into something , and your language is not right , the way you eat in the morning , the way your parent dresses and acts is not right , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is not what we would like to see .
.
.
.after we tell him all these negative things , we expect this child to open up and start learning something new .
And I think very few survive that.
” U.S. Rep. Jesus “ Chuy ” Garcia , D-Illinois , lauded Mrs. Cerda for her work to improve funding for bilingual education and called her “ a pioneer and trailblazer for the Latino community .
As the first Puerto Rican woman and first Latina appointed to the Chicago Board of Education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and addressing educational inequalities affecting the Latino community.
” “ She was absolutely inspiring , ” said Ald .
Roberto Maldonado ( 26th ) , who also grew up in Puerto Rico .
“ To come to Chicago and meet a woman with an accent just like the one I still have today — and she never lost it , either — and to be so influential , for a little guy coming from Puerto Rico , what else could I ask for ?
” After leaving the school board in 1974 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latino Institute , believed to have been the city ’ s oldest Hispanic research organization .
It lobbied for improved housing , business development and job training , the organization became an incubator for Latino talent , helping its staff go on to run other not-for-profit groups .
Mrs. Cerda jetted to New York to consult on Spanish-language issues for public television ’ s “ Sesame Street ” and “ The Electric Company ” as a member of a national bilingual advisory council for the Children ’ s Television Workshop .
President Jimmy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Educational Research .
At City Hall , while running Washington ’ s jobs office , she helped a young community organizer lobbying for an employment retraining center , according to Mrs. Cerda ’ s children — Barack Obama .
“ She was very loving and caring , ” her son said .
“ A lot of staff members ended up calling her ‘ Mom.
’ ” In 1985 , Mrs. Cerda — who , like all Puerto Ricans , was a U.S. citizen — reported that a U.S. immigration agent approached as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where she worked and asked where she came from .
Agents “ were stopping dark-skinned people and asking , ‘ Are you a U.S. citizen ?
What is the nature of your business here ?
’ ” ’ she said at the time .
“ I was shocked that that could happen in America , that they could question people who come to be served in a public building.
” “ I said , ‘ I think what you are doing is illegal , and what you are asking is none of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Sun-Times story .
“ And one of them said — and it was frighteningly like something on TV — ‘ I ’ m just doing my job.
’ ” Washington ’ s outrage over the incident contributed to Chicago ’ s continuing reputation as a sanctuary city .
He announced he would ban citizenship questions for city employment and , in most cases , prohibit City Hall from helping other government agencies to investigate citizenship status .
Taking note of that , Garcia said of Mrs. Cerda : “ While her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role she played in turning Chicago into a sanctuary city also deserves recognition.
” After Washington ’ s death , Mayor Eugene Sawyer fired her from her City Hall post , spreading word that he wanted to build his own team .
But the move angered some community leaders .
Mrs. Cerda also helped establish Aspira of Illinois , an organization to groom Hispanic children for college that has broadened its mission and now operates government-funded charter schools .
Born María Bacilisa , she was a studious child who grew up in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cousins .
Her mother Magdalena Rodriguez Gonzalez was the 10th of 20 siblings .
Her father Luis Rodriguez was the ninth of 17 children .
He ran a successful haberdashery that sold men ’ s shoes and clothing , which contributed to her pride in always being well turned-out , her son said : “ She never left the house unless she was well-dressed , with matching shoes and purse.
” After obtaining a psychology degree from the University of Puerto Rico , she came to Chicago in 1958 to work on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
She found friends at Holy Name Cathedral and through her work at Hull House , her daughter said , and was a public aid caseworker .
In 1966 , she marched with the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. in Marquette Park , according to her son .
In 1969 , she told the Sun-Times she met her future husband when she filed a complaint about the police harassing young people she ’ d been working with through Hull House .
David Cerda , who as an attorney had been hired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her about what happened .
“ She was beautiful , gorgeous , intelligent , good-natured , ” her husband said .
“ I wanted to get to know her.
” They raised their family at 90th and Bennett .
“ He loved playing ‘ Maria ’ for her from ‘ West Side Story , ’ ” their daughter said .
He ’ s of Mexican heritage , and the power couple sometimes marched together in the city ’ s Mexican and Puerto Rican parades .
“ She was an influence to both Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ She embraced both cultures.
” In 1979 , she worked with a DePaul University Hispanic alliance as the Blue Demons were about to go to college basketball ’ s men ’ s Final Four .
“ My mother , who had had no interest in sports , suddenly became an astute observer of basketball , ” her son said .
“ She would watch the game and say , ‘ That ’ s a foul , ’ or ‘ They should call a timeout.
’ ” Her other interest in sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of Roberto Clemente , their Puerto Rican superstar .
In addition to her daughter and son , she is survived by another son , Arthur , her sisters Carmen Bongiovanni and Hilda Irizarry and three grandchildren .

In 1969, when María Cerda became the first Latino member of the Chicago school board, some news stories called the University of Chicago-trained social worker a “housewife” who would advocate for “Latin” students.
Mrs. Cerda not only lobbied fiercely for the Latino community, but she also adroitly navigated City Hall with her strategic alliances and powerful speeches.
Mayor Richard J. Daley put her on the Board of Education.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
She was an early supporter of Harold Washington and sometimes warmed up crowds before his speeches. When he was elected mayor, he made her director of the Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training.
Mrs. Cerda died Sunday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from the coronavirus, according to her children Marta and David Cerda. She was 86.
Her daughter and her husband of 60 years, David Cerda, 93, who was the first Hispanic judge in Illinois and the first Hispanic judge on the Illinois Appellate Court, also have been infected.
“I have COVID, my father has COVID,” their daughter said. “So we have to do just an outside burial. It’s very sad that we can’t have a memorial right now. It is cruel.”
“There’s going to be a great emptiness,” Mrs. Cerda’s son said.
While on the school board, Mrs. Cerda was a strong advocate of bilingual education. To make her point, during one Board of Ed meeting, she switched to Spanish, repeatedly addressing other board members in the language she spoke growing up in Lares, Puerto Rico.
“The board members said, ‘María, we can’t understand you,’ ’’ her daughter said. “And she said, ‘That’s exactly the point. How can you learn if you can’t understand?’ ’’
María Cerda in 1972 during her time on the Chicago Board of Education. CST
In 1974, she delivered an impassioned speech to the board in which she said that, because of inadequate funding, thousands of Spanish-speaking students were “sitting like vegetables in classrooms,” unable to comprehend their lessons.
In response, the board immediately directed then-schools Supt. James F. Redmond to add $1 million to the $2 million bilingual education budget. He said he’d find the money.
That same year, she spoke during an interview with Studs Terkel on WFMT about the importance of fostering cultural pride among all schoolchildren, saying: “To tell that child, everything you are is wrong, we have to make you over again into something, and your language is not right, the way you eat in the morning, the way your parent dresses and acts is not right, the way he observes, goes to church, is not what we would like to see. . . .after we tell him all these negative things, we expect this child to open up and start learning something new. And I think very few survive that.”
U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, D-Illinois, lauded Mrs. Cerda for her work to improve funding for bilingual education and called her “a pioneer and trailblazer for the Latino community. As the first Puerto Rican woman and first Latina appointed to the Chicago Board of Education, Cerda was a pioneer in confronting and addressing educational inequalities affecting the Latino community.”
“She was absolutely inspiring,” said Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th), who also grew up in Puerto Rico. “To come to Chicago and meet a woman with an accent just like the one I still have today — and she never lost it, either — and to be so influential, for a little guy coming from Puerto Rico, what else could I ask for?”
After leaving the school board in 1974, Mrs. Cerda helped found and lead the Latino Institute, believed to have been the city’s oldest Hispanic research organization.
It lobbied for improved housing, business development and job training, the organization became an incubator for Latino talent, helping its staff go on to run other not-for-profit groups.
Mrs. Cerda jetted to New York to consult on Spanish-language issues for public television’s “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company” as a member of a national bilingual advisory council for the Children’s Television Workshop.
President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the National Center on Educational Research.
At City Hall, while running Washington’s jobs office, she helped a young community organizer lobbying for an employment retraining center, according to Mrs. Cerda’s children — Barack Obama.
“She was very loving and caring,” her son said. “A lot of staff members ended up calling her ‘Mom.’ ”
María Cerda (left) marching in a Mexican Independence Day parade with Mayor Harold Washington (wearing the sombrero). Her husband David Cerda (wearing the sash as the parade’s grand marshal) walked next to Washington. David Alberto Cerda
In 1985, Mrs. Cerda — who, like all Puerto Ricans, was a U.S. citizen — reported that a U.S. immigration agent approached as she prepared to enter the city building where she worked and asked where she came from.
Agents “were stopping dark-skinned people and asking, ‘Are you a U.S. citizen? What is the nature of your business here?’ ”’ she said at the time. “I was shocked that that could happen in America, that they could question people who come to be served in a public building.”
“I said, ‘I think what you are doing is illegal, and what you are asking is none of your business,’ ’’ she said in a Sun-Times story. “And one of them said — and it was frighteningly like something on TV — ‘I’m just doing my job.’ ”
Washington’s outrage over the incident contributed to Chicago’s continuing reputation as a sanctuary city. He announced he would ban citizenship questions for city employment and, in most cases, prohibit City Hall from helping other government agencies to investigate citizenship status.
Taking note of that, Garcia said of Mrs. Cerda: “While her professional accomplishments are well known, the role she played in turning Chicago into a sanctuary city also deserves recognition.”
After Washington’s death, Mayor Eugene Sawyer fired her from her City Hall post, spreading word that he wanted to build his own team. But the move angered some community leaders.
Mrs. Cerda also helped establish Aspira of Illinois, an organization to groom Hispanic children for college that has broadened its mission and now operates government-funded charter schools.
Born María Bacilisa, she was a studious child who grew up in a huge extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. Her mother Magdalena Rodriguez Gonzalez was the 10th of 20 siblings. Her father Luis Rodriguez was the ninth of 17 children.
He ran a successful haberdashery that sold men’s shoes and clothing, which contributed to her pride in always being well turned-out, her son said: “She never left the house unless she was well-dressed, with matching shoes and purse.”
After obtaining a psychology degree from the University of Puerto Rico, she came to Chicago in 1958 to work on her master’s degree in social work. She found friends at Holy Name Cathedral and through her work at Hull House, her daughter said, and was a public aid caseworker.
In 1966, she marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Marquette Park, according to her son.
María Cerda and her husband David Cerda. Sun-Times file
In 1969, she told the Sun-Times she met her future husband when she filed a complaint about the police harassing young people she’d been working with through Hull House. David Cerda, who as an attorney had been hired to represent one of them, interviewed her about what happened.
“She was beautiful, gorgeous, intelligent, good-natured,” her husband said. “I wanted to get to know her.”
They raised their family at 90th and Bennett.
“He loved playing ‘Maria’ for her from ‘West Side Story,’ ” their daughter said.
He’s of Mexican heritage, and the power couple sometimes marched together in the city’s Mexican and Puerto Rican parades.
“She was an influence to both Puerto Ricans and Mexicans,” Maldonado said. “She embraced both cultures.”
In 1979, she worked with a DePaul University Hispanic alliance as the Blue Demons were about to go to college basketball’s men’s Final Four.
“My mother, who had had no interest in sports, suddenly became an astute observer of basketball,” her son said. “She would watch the game and say, ‘That’s a foul,’ or ‘They should call a timeout.’ ”
Her other interest in sports was that she loved the Pittsburgh Pirates because of Roberto Clemente, their Puerto Rican superstar.
In addition to her daughter and son, she is survived by another son, Arthur, her sisters Carmen Bongiovanni and Hilda Irizarry and three grandchildren.
Contributing: Manny Ramos


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Now-closed McCormick Place COVID-19 hospital cost taxpayers $15M to staff, run

As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raced to build a $ 66 million emergency COVID-19 field hospital inside McCormick Place last spring , state and city officials scrambled to find the staff , equipment and supplies to run it .
The tab for all of that was another $ 20.3 million , records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show , though state officials say two vendors returned a total of $ 5.2 million of “ unspent funds.
” That brought the total cost of building and staffing the short-lived , makeshift coronavirus hospital to about $ 81.1 million .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of the costs for the McCormick Place hospital to be covered by the federal government .
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency spent $ 19 million to staff and operate the hospital .
City Hall put in another $ 1.3 million for materials and supplies .
The McCormick Place field hospital , built by Walsh Construction , one of Chicago ’ s most politically well-connected contractors , opened in mid-April .
It was shut down only weeks later , on May 8 , as the demand for hospital beds for coronavirus patients eased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and city officials to no longer be needed .
They created the emergency hospital as an outlet to ease what was feared could be overwhelming demand on hospitals caused by the pandemic .
Ultimately , though , hospitals ended up transferring just 38 patients there for treatment .
The temporary hospital at McCormick Place has since been dismantled , and state officials say there are no plans to rebuild the facility even though the number of COVID-19 cases is surging in Illinois as it is nationwide .
“ If the alternate-care facility is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a state expense , ” says Rebecca Clark , a spokeswoman for Illinois ’ emergency management agency .
“ In addition , the McCormick Place equipment has been prepositioned throughout the state to help hospitals and other congregate-care settings enhance surge capacities.
” It ’ s unclear just how many nurses and other medical personnel worked at McCormick Place .
State and city officials didn ’ t provide detailed breakdowns of the services , equipment and staff the $ 20.3 million paid for .
The records they released show the expenditures included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Healthcare Staff of Overland Park , Kansas , which charged the state for 254 employees , including overtime .
The state paid Favorite as much as $ 245 an hour for nurses and $ 315 an hour for physician assistants .
Favorite gave back $ 3.3 million , according to the Illinois comptroller ’ s office .
Under Favorite ’ s contract , the state paid its workers for 12-hour shifts even if they weren ’ t needed and were “ left idle.
” The state also paid a one-time fee of $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract is all-inclusive and includes everything the nurses will need , including insurance , lodging , travel reimbursement , food , etc.
, ” Clark says .
• A $ 3,030,000 retainer paid by the state to Alliance Health Services of Chicago to recruit doctors .
That covered six recruiters , an office manager , three office employees , malpractice insurance for any doctors placed at McCormick Place , their salaries , accounting services and legal services .
Alliance Health ended up returning $ 2.2 million in “ unspent funds , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many doctors Alliance provided .
• $ 1.3 million to Vizient , a Texas company hired by City Hall to buy and manage the inventory of medical supplies including pharmaceuticals .
• $ 1.1 million to Synoptek , a California company the state hired to provide information technology services , including computerized medical records .
The company provided a help desk along with staffing .
• $ 697,800 to Stratosphere Networks of Evanston , which the state hired to oversee the information technology system , including installation services for 800 iPhones , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • $ 607,672 to Ignyte , a Chicago company the state hired to provide Apple iPads , printers and other computer equipment .
Its bill included $ 15,000 for overnight delivery .
• $ 534,4700 to technology supply firm CDW of Vernon Hills for 800 Apple iPhones the state bought for use at the McCormick Place facility , including $ 6,570 for overnight delivery .
The phones were later assigned to MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island , which is now closed , and then “ inventoried , packaged and stored for quick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surge in cases , ” according to Clark .
• $ 420,697 to Trustwave , a Loop company the state hired to provide technology services , including security of medical records .
• $ 382,382 to Rush University Medical Center , hired by the state to install and support an electronic medical record system .

As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raced to build a $66 million emergency COVID-19 field hospital inside McCormick Place last spring, state and city officials scrambled to find the staff, equipment and supplies to run it.
The tab for all of that was another $20.3 million, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show, though state officials say two vendors returned a total of $5.2 million of “unspent funds.”
That brought the total cost of building and staffing the short-lived, makeshift coronavirus hospital to about $81.1 million.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
State and city officials say they expect most of the costs for the McCormick Place hospital to be covered by the federal government.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency spent $19 million to staff and operate the hospital. City Hall put in another $1.3 million for materials and supplies.
The McCormick Place field hospital, built by Walsh Construction, one of Chicago’s most politically well-connected contractors, opened in mid-April. It was shut down only weeks later, on May 8, as the demand for hospital beds for coronavirus patients eased, and it was deemed by state and city officials to no longer be needed.
They created the emergency hospital as an outlet to ease what was feared could be overwhelming demand on hospitals caused by the pandemic.
Ultimately, though, hospitals ended up transferring just 38 patients there for treatment.
The temporary hospital at McCormick Place has since been dismantled, and state officials say there are no plans to rebuild the facility even though the number of COVID-19 cases is surging in Illinois as it is nationwide.
“If the alternate-care facility is needed in the future, this would be a state expense,” says Rebecca Clark, a spokeswoman for Illinois’ emergency management agency. “In addition, the McCormick Place equipment has been prepositioned throughout the state to help hospitals and other congregate-care settings enhance surge capacities.”
It’s unclear just how many nurses and other medical personnel worked at McCormick Place. State and city officials didn’t provide detailed breakdowns of the services, equipment and staff the $20.3 million paid for.
The records they released show the expenditures included:
• $11 million to Favorite Healthcare Staff of Overland Park, Kansas, which charged the state for 254 employees, including overtime. The state paid Favorite as much as $245 an hour for nurses and $315 an hour for physician assistants. Favorite gave back $3.3 million, according to the Illinois comptroller’s office.
Under Favorite’s contract, the state paid its workers for 12-hour shifts even if they weren’t needed and were “left idle.” The state also paid a one-time fee of $500 for each worker.
“This contract is all-inclusive and includes everything the nurses will need, including insurance, lodging, travel reimbursement, food, etc.,” Clark says.
• A $3,030,000 retainer paid by the state to Alliance Health Services of Chicago to recruit doctors. That covered six recruiters, an office manager, three office employees, malpractice insurance for any doctors placed at McCormick Place, their salaries, accounting services and legal services. Alliance Health ended up returning $2.2 million in “unspent funds,” according to Clark. It’s unclear how many doctors Alliance provided.
• $1.3 million to Vizient, a Texas company hired by City Hall to buy and manage the inventory of medical supplies including pharmaceuticals.
Finished medical rooms at McCormick Place’s emergency coronavirus hospital as it was opening in April. Tyler LaRiviere / Sun-Times
• $1.1 million to Synoptek, a California company the state hired to provide information technology services, including computerized medical records. The company provided a help desk along with staffing.
• $697,800 to Stratosphere Networks of Evanston, which the state hired to oversee the information technology system, including installation services for 800 iPhones, 1,000 tablets and 50 desktop computers.
• $607,672 to Ignyte, a Chicago company the state hired to provide Apple iPads, printers and other computer equipment. Its bill included $15,000 for overnight delivery.
• $534,4700 to technology supply firm CDW of Vernon Hills for 800 Apple iPhones the state bought for use at the McCormick Place facility, including $6,570 for overnight delivery. The phones were later assigned to MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, which is now closed, and then “inventoried, packaged and stored for quick deployment should the need arise due to a surge in cases,” according to Clark.
• $420,697 to Trustwave, a Loop company the state hired to provide technology services, including security of medical records.
• $382,382 to Rush University Medical Center, hired by the state to install and support an electronic medical record system.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--‘Mank’: The entertaining life of the ‘Citizen Kane’ writer, all there in black and white

“ Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots.
” – New Hollywood arrival Herman Mankiewicz in telegram to Ben Hecht in 1927 .
Herman Mankiewicz arrived in Hollywood in the 1920s brimming with confidence and loaded with credentials as a bona fide writer , from his stints as the Berlin correspondent for the Chicago Tribune to penning pieces for the New York Times and the New Yorker and Vanity Fair and even having a seat at the famous Algonquin Round Table .
The movies ?
The movies were a lark , a well-paying gig @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star of every room he entered , even if that room was filled with real movie stars and moguls and influencers .
By 1940 , however , the joke was mostly on Mank .
His drinking and his self-destructive behavior and his whole Mank-first act had worn thin , and though he was only a couple of years past 40 , he was in danger of washing out entirely when he was given one last great opportunity , courtesy of the 24-year-old genius Orson Welles : to write the screenplay that would become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Filmed in silvery , silken tones of black and white , dripping in Hollywood lore and filled with strikingly beautiful shots , David Fincher ’ s “ Mank ” is a love letter to Old Hollywood and also a love letter to Fincher ’ s father , Jack , who began working on this screenplay decades ago and died in 2003 .
The prolific and greatly gifted Fincher ( “ Zodiac , ” “ The Social Network , ” “ Gone Girl ” ) has wanted to make this movie for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t rank with his finest efforts , it ’ s a richly layered and consistently entertaining tale , with robust performances by more than a half-dozen veteran actors playing real-life Hollywood legends .
Though at times dense and a bit difficult to track due to the almost frenetic time-hopping from the 1920s to 1940 to various points along the 1930s timeline , “ Mank ” is the kind of movie that makes you want to go back and re-watch not only “ Citizen Kane ” but the works of other characters featured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of our finest actors and he has some wonderful showcase moments throughout the film , but at 62 and looking every bit his age , he ’ s too old to be playing Mank in his 30s and early 40s .
Granted , by the time Mankiewicz started writing “ Citizen Kane , ” years of hard living had taken a toll on him , but still .
That quibble aside , Oldman is in peak over-the-top-Gary Oldman form , sometimes coming close to chewing up the screen as Mank roars in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollywood players , always leaving an indelible mark .
“ Mank ” is anchored with scenes at a secluded ranch in Victorville , Calif. , where the downtrodden Mankiewicz is recovering from a car accident and about to dive into a screenplay at the behest of Welles ( Tom Burke in a deft performance ) .
A German housekeeper , Fraulein Freda ( Monika Grossman ) , will tend to Mank ’ s health care , while a prim and proper young British secretary named Rita Alexander ( Lily Collins ) will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Welles ’ colleague John Houseman ( Sam Troughton ) will stop by to make sure Mank is writing and not drinking .
Good luck with that , old boy .
The byplay between Mank and Rita , who has a husband fighting in the war , yields some of the best exchanges in the film and allows us to see Mank ’ s human side — which is usually lacking in the flashback sequences to the 1920s and 1930s , where the talented but aggressively obnoxious writer alternates between charming and totally alienating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact .
We detour this way and that in those flashback sequences , as Mank always acts like the outsider on the inside in encounters with the likes of studio boss Louis B. Mayer ( Arliss Howard ) , MGM exec Irving Thalberg ( Ferdinand Kingsley ) and the powerful media mogul William Randolph Hearst ( Charles Dance ) , who would become the inspiration for the character of Charles Foster Kane .
Amanda Seyfried sparkles as Hearst ’ s mistress , Marion Davies , who longs to be taken seriously and finds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gathering at Hearst Castle in San Simeon in the 1930s , only Mank and Marion voice concerns over Hitler ’ s growing power , while the fat cats in the room are more concerned with quashing the California gubernatorial campaign of the writer and socialist Upton Sinclair , by any means necessary .
A scene in which Mank and Marion take a breather from the power cluster gathering and walk the grounds of Hearst ’ s private zoo is pure Hollywood magic .
Fincher regulars Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross turn in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfectly capturing the particular era and mood of any scene .
“ Mank ” is arguably the best-looking movie of the year , with Fincher paying homage to Welles and “ Citizen Kane ” in certain shots and conveying a vintage Hollywood vibe throughout .
This movie is sure to nab at least a half-dozen Oscar nomination , maybe even one for best screenplay .
But whereas Herman Mankiewicz had to fight to get a screenwriting credit on “ Citizen Kane , ” there ’ s only one writer credited with penning “ @ @ @

“Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots.” – New Hollywood arrival Herman Mankiewicz in telegram to Ben Hecht in 1927.
Herman Mankiewicz arrived in Hollywood in the 1920s brimming with confidence and loaded with credentials as a bona fide writer, from his stints as the Berlin correspondent for the Chicago Tribune to penning pieces for the New York Times and the New Yorker and Vanity Fair and even having a seat at the famous Algonquin Round Table. The movies? The movies were a lark, a well-paying gig for Mank, who loved being the star of every room he entered, even if that room was filled with real movie stars and moguls and influencers.
‘Mank’
Untitled Netflix presents a film directed by David Fincher and written by Jack Fincher. Rated R (for some language). Running time: 132 minutes. Now showing at Landmark Century Centre and available Dec. 4 on Netflix.
By 1940, however, the joke was mostly on Mank. His drinking and his self-destructive behavior and his whole Mank-first act had worn thin, and though he was only a couple of years past 40, he was in danger of washing out entirely when he was given one last great opportunity, courtesy of the 24-year-old genius Orson Welles: to write the screenplay that would become arguably the greatest movie of all time.
“Citizen Kane.”
Filmed in silvery, silken tones of black and white, dripping in Hollywood lore and filled with strikingly beautiful shots, David Fincher’s “Mank” is a love letter to Old Hollywood and also a love letter to Fincher’s father, Jack, who began working on this screenplay decades ago and died in 2003. The prolific and greatly gifted Fincher (“Zodiac,” “The Social Network,” “Gone Girl”) has wanted to make this movie for years, and while “Mank” doesn’t rank with his finest efforts, it’s a richly layered and consistently entertaining tale, with robust performances by more than a half-dozen veteran actors playing real-life Hollywood legends. Though at times dense and a bit difficult to track due to the almost frenetic time-hopping from the 1920s to 1940 to various points along the 1930s timeline, “Mank” is the kind of movie that makes you want to go back and re-watch not only “Citizen Kane” but the works of other characters featured in this story.
Gary Oldman is one of our finest actors and he has some wonderful showcase moments throughout the film, but at 62 and looking every bit his age, he’s too old to be playing Mank in his 30s and early 40s. Granted, by the time Mankiewicz started writing “Citizen Kane,” years of hard living had taken a toll on him, but still. That quibble aside, Oldman is in peak over-the-top-Gary Oldman form, sometimes coming close to chewing up the screen as Mank roars in and out of the lives of various Hollywood players, always leaving an indelible mark.
“Mank” is anchored with scenes at a secluded ranch in Victorville, Calif., where the downtrodden Mankiewicz is recovering from a car accident and about to dive into a screenplay at the behest of Welles (Tom Burke in a deft performance). A German housekeeper, Fraulein Freda (Monika Grossman), will tend to Mank’s health care, while a prim and proper young British secretary named Rita Alexander (Lily Collins) will take dictation. From time to time, Welles’ colleague John Houseman (Sam Troughton) will stop by to make sure Mank is writing and not drinking. Good luck with that, old boy. The byplay between Mank and Rita, who has a husband fighting in the war, yields some of the best exchanges in the film and allows us to see Mank’s human side — which is usually lacking in the flashback sequences to the 1920s and 1930s, where the talented but aggressively obnoxious writer alternates between charming and totally alienating just about everyone with whom he has contact.
Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried), the mistress of William Randolph Hearst, finds a kindred spirit in Herman Mankiewicz. NETFLIX
We detour this way and that in those flashback sequences, as Mank always acts like the outsider on the inside in encounters with the likes of studio boss Louis B. Mayer (Arliss Howard), MGM exec Irving Thalberg (Ferdinand Kingsley) and the powerful media mogul William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance), who would become the inspiration for the character of Charles Foster Kane. Amanda Seyfried sparkles as Hearst’s mistress, Marion Davies, who longs to be taken seriously and finds a kindred spirit in Mank. At a gathering at Hearst Castle in San Simeon in the 1930s, only Mank and Marion voice concerns over Hitler’s growing power, while the fat cats in the room are more concerned with quashing the California gubernatorial campaign of the writer and socialist Upton Sinclair, by any means necessary. A scene in which Mank and Marion take a breather from the power cluster gathering and walk the grounds of Hearst’s private zoo is pure Hollywood magic.
Fincher regulars Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross turn in another nomination-level score, with the music perfectly capturing the particular era and mood of any scene. “Mank” is arguably the best-looking movie of the year, with Fincher paying homage to Welles and “Citizen Kane” in certain shots and conveying a vintage Hollywood vibe throughout. This movie is sure to nab at least a half-dozen Oscar nomination, maybe even one for best screenplay. But whereas Herman Mankiewicz had to fight to get a screenwriting credit on “Citizen Kane,” there’s only one writer credited with penning “Mank.”
Jack Fincher.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--While Bears slog on, Philly pines for QB Nick Foles

As the Bears try for a seventh week to figure out their offense under veteran quarterback Nick Foles , another city is pining for him .
Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre — a friend of Eagles coach Doug Pederson dating back to their playing days — said Tuesday on ESPN that the Eagles should have kept Foles over Carson Wentz after the 2018 season .
Instead , they traded Foles to the Jaguars and , within six months , gave Wentz a four-year , $ 128 million contract extension .
Wentz ’ s 73.2 passer rating currently ranks 31st in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it three times Wednesday .
Sports radio stations spent two days relitigating the move .
Asked Thursday why the debate has endured , Foles launched a full-throated defense of Wentz .
“ I know it ’ s a topic of discussion , ” Foles said , “ but the guy ’ s one of the most outstanding players I ’ ve played with in my career .
.
.
.
The Eagles have a great quarterback in Carson Wentz.
” If Bears quarterback Mitch Tru-bisky — a No .
2 overall draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , Chicago might be having a similar debate .
That ’ s how bad the Bears ’ offense has been since installing Foles as the starter in Week 4 .
Fans are left to wonder if , except for the fourth quarter against the Falcons , Foles left all his magic dust somewhere on Broad Street .
His next opponents , the Vikings , were victims of that magic in the NFC title game in January 2018 .
They scored five minutes into the game , and then the Eagles scored the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 352 yards , three touchdowns and a 141.4 passer rating .
“ He played great that night , as did their team , ” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said .
“ He made some great deep-ball throws .
It seemed like he converted on all the key plays throughout the ballgame .
I think he did a great job of getting them in the right calls and plays and things like that as well .
And he did it under pressure.
” The pressure is on this year , albeit in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always been a sense of urgency since training camp , ” Foles said .
“ A lot of times , if you start holding tighter and tighter and tighter , it doesn ’ t get better , because then you can ’ t see everything clearly .
We just have to keep working.
” In that NFC title game , Foles said , the Eagles carried energy from practice to the locker room to the field .
“ That ’ s something that we can do is create energy to go out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be controlled , ” he said .
The ever-eager Foles has stressed the need to fix the offense with steady improvement in practice .
But with each dud , that stance rings more hollow .
Coach Matt Nagy — a fellow optimist by nature — appreciates him chipping away .
“ That ’ s one thing with Nick , I think you realize , is he ’ s not going to change a whole lot , ” Nagy said .
“ He keeps things in perspective , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What ] some of us have and some of us don ’ t have is staying positive and staying happy and understanding that sometimes we have challenges in life .
And sometimes when you have challenges , how do you respond to it ?
Do you go into the dumps ?
” Foles isn ’ t there yet .
But he ’ s human .
Asked if he ever goes home and screams into a pillow , he admitted to occasionally needing his wife to set him straight .
“ You ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you care , ” he said .
“ It ’ s your vocation , but you ’ re in there , you ’ re playing this game , you ’ re working .
“ Part of sports is sometimes you hit a little losing streak .
That ’ s part of it .
Everyone ’ s true colors come out , so then you ’ re working through that .
”

As the Bears try for a seventh week to figure out their offense under veteran quarterback Nick Foles, another city is pining for him.
Really, Philly?
Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre — a friend of Eagles coach Doug Pederson dating back to their playing days — said Tuesday on ESPN that the Eagles should have kept Foles over Carson Wentz after the 2018 season. Instead, they traded Foles to the Jaguars and, within six months, gave Wentz a four-year, $128 million contract extension. Wentz’s 73.2 passer rating currently ranks 31st in the NFL.
Eagles reporters asked Pederson about it three times Wednesday. Sports radio stations spent two days relitigating the move.
Asked Thursday why the debate has endured, Foles launched a full-throated defense of Wentz.
“I know it’s a topic of discussion,” Foles said, “but the guy’s one of the most outstanding players I’ve played with in my career. . . . The Eagles have a great quarterback in Carson Wentz.”
If Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky — a No. 2 overall draft pick like Wentz — were healthy this week, Chicago might be having a similar debate. That’s how bad the Bears’ offense has been since installing Foles as the starter in Week 4. Fans are left to wonder if, except for the fourth quarter against the Falcons, Foles left all his magic dust somewhere on Broad Street.
His next opponents, the Vikings, were victims of that magic in the NFC title game in January 2018. They scored five minutes into the game, and then the Eagles scored the last 38 points. Foles went 26-for-33 for 352 yards, three touchdowns and a 141.4 passer rating.
“He played great that night, as did their team,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “He made some great deep-ball throws. It seemed like he converted on all the key plays throughout the ballgame. I think he did a great job of getting them in the right calls and plays and things like that as well. And he did it under pressure.”
The pressure is on this year, albeit in a different way.
“There’s always been a sense of urgency since training camp,” Foles said. “A lot of times, if you start holding tighter and tighter and tighter, it doesn’t get better, because then you can’t see everything clearly. We just have to keep working.”
In that NFC title game, Foles said, the Eagles carried energy from practice to the locker room to the field.
“That’s something that we can do is create energy to go out there and play at a level that can’t be controlled,” he said.
The ever-eager Foles has stressed the need to fix the offense with steady improvement in practice. But with each dud, that stance rings more hollow.
Coach Matt Nagy — a fellow optimist by nature — appreciates him chipping away.
“That’s one thing with Nick, I think you realize, is he’s not going to change a whole lot,” Nagy said. “He keeps things in perspective, and that’s probably a strength, right? [What] some of us have and some of us don’t have is staying positive and staying happy and understanding that sometimes we have challenges in life. And sometimes when you have challenges, how do you respond to it? Do you go into the dumps?”
Foles isn’t there yet. But he’s human. Asked if he ever goes home and screams into a pillow, he admitted to occasionally needing his wife to set him straight.
“You’re going to put everything into it if you care,” he said. “It’s your vocation, but you’re in there, you’re playing this game, you’re working.
“Part of sports is sometimes you hit a little losing streak. That’s part of it. Everyone’s true colors come out, so then you’re working through that.”


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Man dies after Metra train strikes vehicle in Arlington Heights

A man died after a Metra train crashed into a vehicle Thursday in Arlington Heights .
The crash happened about @ @ @ @ @ of Northwest Highway and Euclid Avenue , Arlington Heights police said .
An 86-year-old man @ @ @ @ @ according to the Cook County medical examiner ’ s office .
Officials from Arlington Heights @ @ @ @ @ the incident .

A man died after a Metra train crashed into a vehicle Thursday in Arlington Heights.
The crash happened about 2:10 p.m. at the intersection of Northwest Highway and Euclid Avenue, Arlington Heights police said.
An 86-year-old man died in the collision, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Officials from Arlington Heights and Rolling Meadows responded to the incident.
Metra police are investigating.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--10 shot, 3 killed Thursday in Chicago

10 shot, 3 killed Thursday in Chicago

Ten people were shot , three fatally , Thursday in Chicago .
In the latest fatal shooting , a 32-year-old man was killed in Englewood on the South Side .
He driving about 11:20 p.m. in the 2000 block of West 63rd Street when someone fired shots , striking him in the left side of his torso , Chicago police said .
The 32-year-old crashed his vehicle into a pole and was transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , where he was later pronounced dead .
About 30 minutes earlier , a man was killed in a shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 28-year-old was on the sidewalk about 10:50 p.m. in the 11000 block of South Lowe Avenue when someone fired shots , striking him in the head , police said .
He was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital , where he was later pronounced dead .
A 26-year-old man was fatally shot in West Lawn on the Southwest Side .
He was on the sidewalk about 10 p.m. in the 4300 block of West 63rd Street when someone unleashed gunfire from a black SUV , police said .
The 26-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pronounced dead at the scene .
In nonfatal shootings , a 28-year-old man was injured in Englewood on the South Side .
He was driving at 11:36 p.m. in the 500 block of West Marquette Road when someone fired shots from a black sedan , according to police .
He was hit in the right hand and drove to Holy Cross Hospital , where he was listed in good condition .
About 9:05 p.m. two men were critically wounded in a shooting in Belmont Gardens on the Northwest Side .
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4000 block of West Fullerton Avenue when someone fired shots from a black SUV , police said .
A 34-year-old was struck in the head and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition .
The other man , 23 , was also struck in the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
A 26-year-old man was injured in a shooting in Fuller Park on the South Side .
About 7:35 p.m. , he opened the front door of his home in the 5300 block of South Wells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired shots , police said .
The man was grazed in the back and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition .
Minutes earlier , a man was shot and wounded in Fernwood on the South Side .
He was on the sidewalk about 7:30 p.m. in the 10500 block of South Wentworth Avenue when shots rang out , police said .
He was struck in the leg and took himself to Little Company of Mary Hospital , where he was in fair condition .
About 11:40 a.m. a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lawndale on the West Side .
The 35-year-old was on the sidewalk in the 3400 block of West Douglas Boulevard when a dark-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire , police said .
The man was struck in the face , neck and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
In Thursday ’ s first reported shooting , a 32-year-old woman was wounded during an attempted robbery in Rosemoor on the South Side .
About 1:40 a.m. , she was in the passenger seat of a car in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two males walked up with guns and announced a robbery , police said .
The driver fled , and the males fired shots , striking the woman twice in the abdomen and once in the lower backside .
The driver brought her to the 9200 block of South State Street , where Chicago Fire Department paramedics picked her up and took her to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , police said .
She was listed in fair condition .
Two people were killed and 7 wounded in shootings Wednesday across Chicago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s homicides .

Ten people were shot, three fatally, Thursday in Chicago, including a 32-year-old man killed in Englewood on the South Side.
Timothy D. Parham driving about 11:20 p.m. in the 2000 block of West 63rd Street when someone fired shots, striking him in the left side of his torso, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He crashed his vehicle into a pole and was transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was later pronounced dead.
About 30 minutes earlier, a man was killed in Roseland on the Far South Side. Daniel Joseph Deshawn Johnson, 28, was on the sidewalk about 10:50 p.m. in the 11300 block of South Lowe Avenue when someone fired shots, striking him in the head, authorities said. Johnson, who lived in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was pronounced at Little Company of Mary Hospital.
About 10 p.m, a 26-year-old man was fatally shot in West Lawn on the Southwest Side. Ricardo Barron was on the sidewalk in the 4300 block of West 63rd Street when someone unleashed gunfire from a black SUV, officials said. He was struck in the chest, head and pronounced dead at the scene.
No arrest has been announced by police in any of the three homicides.
In nonfatal shootings, a 28-year-old man was injured in Englewood on the South Side. He was driving at 11:36 p.m. in the 500 block of West Marquette Road when someone fired shots from a black sedan, according to police. He was hit in the right hand and drove to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.
About 9:05 p.m. two men were critically wounded in a shooting in Belmont Gardens on the Northwest Side. They were sitting in a parked vehicle in the 4000 block of West Fullerton Avenue when someone fired shots from a black SUV, police said. A 34-year-old was struck in the head and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition. The other man, 23, was also struck in the head and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
A 26-year-old man was injured in a shooting in Fuller Park on the South Side. About 7:35 p.m., he opened the front door of his home in the 5300 block of South Wells Street and two males on the sidewalk fired shots, police said. The man was grazed in the back and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
Minutes earlier, a man was shot and wounded in Fernwood on the South Side. He was on the sidewalk about 7:30 p.m. in the 10500 block of South Wentworth Avenue when shots rang out, police said. He was struck in the leg and took himself to Little Company of Mary Hospital, where he was in fair condition.
About 11:40 a.m. a man was wounded in a shooting in Lawndale on the West Side. The 35-year-old was on the sidewalk in the 3400 block of West Douglas Boulevard when a dark-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, police said. The man was struck in the face, neck and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
In Thursday’s first reported shooting, a 32-year-old woman was wounded during an attempted robbery in Rosemoor on the South Side. About 1:40 a.m., she was in the passenger seat of a car in the 9500 block of South Indiana Avenue when two males walked up with guns and announced a robbery, police said. The driver fled, and the males fired shots, striking the woman twice in the abdomen and once in the lower backside.
The driver brought her to the 9200 block of South State Street, where Chicago Fire Department paramedics picked her up and took her to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, police said. She was listed in fair condition.
On Wednesday, two people were killed and 7 wounded in shootings across Chicago.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Woman charged with DUI in March crash that killed man in Austin

A 46-year-old woman was allegedly under the influence of a cocktail of drugs when she fatally struck a man with her car in March while he was fixing a flat tire in Austin , according to prosecutors .
Lisa Torres-Binder , charged with aggravated DUI causing death , allegedly had heroin , codeine , fentanyl , morphine , norfentanyl and sertraline in her system as she drove a minivan March 28 in the 1300 block of North Laramie Avenue , Cook County prosecutors said .
About 6:50 p.m. that day , Jose Felix Sanchez Leon , 44 , had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his tires was flat , prosecutors said .
He parked his Mazda 3 on the west side of Laramie to change it .
As he worked on his tire , Torres-Binder crashed her mini-van into the back of the Mazda with such force that the minivan ’ s air bags deployed , prosecutors said .
She then struck Leon , throwing him 10 feet and onto a white van that was parked in front of his car .
Leon slammed into the back of the van and hit his head on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trauma to his head , prosecutors said .
Torres-Binder continued driving and struck five more vehicles before coming to a stop .
She stepped out of the minivan and paced beside the car before Cook County sheriff ’ s police arrived and took her to a hospital , where she allegedly admitted to snorting heroin and submitted a urine test which detected the other drugs , prosecutors said .
Leon died of multiple blunt force injuries from the collision .
Records show Torres-Binder was driving 37 mph in a 30 mph zone when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t apply the brakes at the time of the crash , prosecutors said .
Torres-Binder was interviewed again Aug. 3 and again admitted to using heroin the day of the incident and driving at the time , prosecutors said .
She doesn ’ t have a valid driver ’ s license or insurance .
She was ordered held on $ 100,000 bail and is expected to appear in court again Dec. 2 .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A 46-year-old woman was allegedly under the influence of a cocktail of drugs when she fatally struck a man with her car in March while he was fixing a flat tire in Austin, according to prosecutors.
Lisa Torres-Binder, charged with aggravated DUI causing death, allegedly had heroin, codeine, fentanyl, morphine, norfentanyl and sertraline in her system as she drove a minivan March 28 in the 1300 block of North Laramie Avenue, Cook County prosecutors said.
About 6:50 p.m. that day, Jose Felix Sanchez Leon, 44, had been delivering food when he noticed that one of his tires was flat, prosecutors said. He parked his Mazda 3 on the west side of Laramie to change it.
As he worked on his tire, Torres-Binder crashed her mini-van into the back of the Mazda with such force that the minivan’s air bags deployed, prosecutors said. She then struck Leon, throwing him 10 feet and onto a white van that was parked in front of his car.
Leon slammed into the back of the van and hit his head on the ground when he landed, causing massive trauma to his head, prosecutors said. Torres-Binder continued driving and struck five more vehicles before coming to a stop.
She stepped out of the minivan and paced beside the car before Cook County sheriff’s police arrived and took her to a hospital, where she allegedly admitted to snorting heroin and submitted a urine test which detected the other drugs, prosecutors said.
Leon died of multiple blunt force injuries from the collision. Records show Torres-Binder was driving 37 mph in a 30 mph zone when she slammed into his car and didn’t apply the brakes at the time of the crash, prosecutors said.
Torres-Binder was interviewed again Aug. 3 and again admitted to using heroin the day of the incident and driving at the time, prosecutors said. She doesn’t have a valid driver’s license or insurance.
She was ordered held on $100,000 bail and is expected to appear in court again Dec. 2.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Man fatally shot in Englewood

Man fatally shot in Englewood

A 32-year-old man was fatally shot late Thursday night in Englewood on the South Side .
He was driving about @ @ @ @ @ block of West 63rd Street when someone fired shots , striking him in the left @ @ @ @ @ Chicago police said .
The man , identified as Timothy D. Parham , crashed his @ @ @ @ @ was pronounced dead at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , according to police and @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office .
He lived in West Englewood .
No one is in custody @ @ @ @ @ .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A 32-year-old man was fatally shot late Thursday night in Englewood on the South Side.
He was driving about 11:20 p.m. in the 2000 block of West 63rd Street when someone fired shots, striking him in the left side of his torso, Chicago police said.
The man, identified as Timothy D. Parham, crashed his vehicle into a pole and was pronounced dead at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in West Englewood.
No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Every day Trump refuses to get out of the way he puts our country in danger

Russian submarines and bomber planes have been intruding lately into U.S. commercial waters off the coast of Alaska , much to the consternation of the Coast Guard and fishermen .
It ’ s the sort of mildly threatening development that , one would hope , the Pentagon is watching closely and drawing up plans to counter .
Given that the Trump administration will be out office in two more months , it ’ s also a matter on which President-elect Joe Biden should be briefed right now by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies .
As a matter of national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait until his inauguration , on Jan. 20 , before he can get the full skinny on Russia ’ s growing military presence off the coast of an American state .
As president , he should be up to speed on Day One .
President Donald Trump is throwing up every obstacle to a smooth transition to a Biden administration , in keeping with his refusal to accept that Biden won the Nov. 3 election , and the consequences of his petulance are more than politically unfortunate .
They are , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sea suggests , potentially dangerous .
Every Republican should be calling Trump out .
No more coddling the crybaby , giving him time to come around .
Our nation ’ s best interests can ’ t wait .
Equally urgent , Emily Murphy , the Trump appointee who runs the General Services Administration , should throw open the doors to a smooth transition by officially “ ascertaining ” that Biden was an “ apparent successful ” candidate in the election .
By law , this would allow the formal transition process to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be provided $ 6.3 million in funding , office space and — most importantly — access to classified materials , possibly including the president ’ s daily intelligence briefing .
Murphy can make that call right now .
Nothing in the law says she needs permission from Trump .
Nor is she required to wait until Biden ’ s election is certified by the Electoral College .
The law is designed to encourage an early launch of an orderly transition , our nation having learned from recent history the risks of delay .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Sept. 11 , 2001 , as a federal commission later reported , President George W. Bush ’ s national security team was not yet fully in place .
Though Bush had been in office for eight months , his ability to make key personnel appointments and obtain Senate confirmation had been “ hampered , ” according the commission , by a shortening of the transition period between presidential administrations .
The transition was delayed because there was no clear winner in the 2000 presidential election between Bush and Al Gore until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dec. 12 of that year .
In retrospect , it ’ s regrettable that the transition process for both candidates was not begun on time , even as the election was being contested .
But to Trump apologists who argue that this is all we ’ re seeing today — a president who understandably is reluctant to budge on anything until the winner of this year ’ s election is beyond dispute — spare us the false equivalencies .
The 2000 race truly was close .
The results were legitimately disputed .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida .
This year ’ s victory for Biden , though , is not in dispute .
Not unless you believe , based on nothing , that both Democratic and Republican election officials across multiple states engaged in widespread anti-Trump fraud .
On Friday , after the election was called in three final states , Biden had 306 Electoral College votes to Trump ’ s 232 .
If anybody can work around the Trump administration ’ s refusal to engage in the transition process , it would be Biden .
He knows who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s got the phone numbers of dozens of world leaders , many of whom he would call friends .
His team already is working those relationships informally , gathering information and making plans .
It remains unconscionable all the same — in this time of a raging pandemic and economic collapse — that so many Republicans continue to support , or say nothing about , Trump ’ s decision to roll up in a fetal position and cry foul .
Where are you Mitch McConnell ?
What oath did you take ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that another 169,000 people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus .
Eighteen states , including Illinois , have reported record numbers of hospitalizations .
More than 242,000 people have died of COVID-19 this year .
Then we turned to Twitter , naturally , to see what Trump is doing about all this .
We learned from the president that Fox News ’ “ daytime ratings have completely collapsed.
” We watched a video retweeted by the president of Jack Nicklaus teeing off at the Masters tournament .
And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Dominion Voting Systems , a “ horrible , inaccurate and anything but secure ” elections software used in many states , had lost millions of votes for Trump !
But you know how that ’ s going to shake out .
Later in the day , the federal government ’ s own top cybersecurity official , CISA Director Chris Krebs , retweeted a message from an election law expert warning against such “ wild and baseless ” claims .
Trump is nothing if not consistent .
He likes being president but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has spent the last four years watching Fox News , golfing , lashing out at MAGA rallies , making stuff up and tweeting .
If only he ’ d get out of the way and let somebody else get on with it .
Joe Biden will actually read those daily intelligence briefings .

Russian submarines and bomber planes have been intruding lately into U.S. commercial waters off the coast of Alaska, much to the consternation of the Coast Guard and fishermen.
It’s the sort of mildly threatening development that, one would hope, the Pentagon is watching closely and drawing up plans to counter. Given that the Trump administration will be out of office in two more months, it’s also a matter on which President-elect Joe Biden should be briefed right now by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies.
Editorials bug Editorials
As a matter of national security, Biden should not be made to wait until his inauguration, on Jan. 20, before he can get the full skinny on Russia’s growing military presence off the coast of an American state. As president, he should be up to speed on Day One.
President Donald Trump is throwing up every obstacle to a smooth transition to a Biden administration, in keeping with his refusal to accept that Biden won the Nov. 3 election, and the consequences of his petulance are more than politically unfortunate. They are, as the example of Russian agitation in the Bering Sea suggests, potentially dangerous.
Every Republican should be calling Trump out. No more coddling the crybaby, giving him time to come around. Our nation’s best interests can’t wait.
Throw open doors to Biden transition
Equally urgent, Emily Murphy, the Trump appointee who runs the General Services Administration, should throw open the doors to a smooth transition by officially “ascertaining” that Biden was an “apparent successful” candidate in the election. By law, this would allow the formal transition process to start. Biden and his transition team would be provided $6.3 million in funding, office space and — most importantly — access to classified materials, possibly including the president’s daily intelligence briefing.
Murphy can make that call right now. Nothing in the law says she needs permission from Trump. Nor is she required to wait until Biden’s election is certified by the Electoral College. The law is designed to encourage an early launch of an orderly transition, our nation having learned from recent history the risks of delay.
At the time of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as a federal commission later reported, President George W. Bush’s national security team was not yet fully in place. Though Bush had been in office for eight months, his ability to make key personnel appointments and obtain Senate confirmation had been “hampered,” according the commission, by a shortening of the transition period between presidential administrations.
The transition was delayed because there was no clear winner in the 2000 presidential election between Bush and Al Gore until the Supreme Court effectively decided the matter on Dec. 12 of that year. In retrospect, it’s regrettable that the transition process for both candidates was not begun on time, even as the election was being contested.
But to Trump apologists who argue that this is all we’re seeing today — a president who understandably is reluctant to budge on anything until the winner of this year’s election is beyond dispute — spare us the false equivalencies.
The 2000 race truly was close. The results were legitimately disputed. It all came down to 537 votes in Florida. This year’s victory for Biden, though, is not in dispute. Not unless you believe, based on nothing, that both Democratic and Republican election officials across multiple states engaged in widespread anti-Trump fraud.
On Friday, after the election was called in three final states, Biden had 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232.
Biden’s work-around
If anybody can work around the Trump administration’s refusal to engage in the transition process, it would be Biden. He knows who to call on Capitol Hill. He’s got the phone numbers of dozens of world leaders, many of whom he would call friends. His team already is working those relationships informally, gathering information and making plans.
It remains unconscionable all the same — in this time of a raging pandemic and economic collapse — that so many Republicans continue to support, or say nothing about, Trump’s decision to roll up in a fetal position and cry foul.
Where are you Mitch McConnell? What oath did you take?
On Friday, we read the news that another 169,000 people in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus. Eighteen states, including Illinois, have reported record numbers of hospitalizations. More than 242,000 people have died of COVID-19 this year.
Then we turned to Twitter, naturally, to see what Trump is doing about all this.
We learned from the president that Fox News’ “daytime ratings have completely collapsed.”
We watched a video retweeted by the president of Jack Nicklaus teeing off at the Masters tournament.
And we learned — Oh, no! — that Dominion Voting Systems, a “horrible, inaccurate and anything but secure” elections software used in many states, had lost millions of votes for Trump!
But you know how that’s going to shake out.
Later in the day, the federal government’s own top cybersecurity official, CISA Director Chris Krebs, retweeted a message from an election law expert warning against such “wild and baseless” claims.
Trump is nothing if not consistent. He likes being president but he’s never done the job. He has spent the last four years watching Fox News, golfing, lashing out at MAGA rallies, making stuff up and tweeting.
If only he’d get out of the way and let somebody else get on with it.
Joe Biden will actually read those daily intelligence briefings.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Off-duty Calumet Park police officer dies in Hazel Crest crash

An off-duty Calumet Park police officer died in a crash Thursday in south suburban Hazel Crest .
The crash happened @ @ @ @ @ 16700 block of Park Avenue , according to the Cook County medical examiner ’ s @ @ @ @ @ 24 , was pronounced dead at the scene , the medical examiner ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ officer for the Calumet Park Police Department and off-duty at the time , Hazel Crest @ @ @ @ @ said .

An off-duty Calumet Park police officer died in a crash Thursday in south suburban Hazel Crest.
The crash happened about 2:42 p.m. in the 16700 block of Park Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Shifa Vhora, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner’s office said.
She was an officer for the Calumet Park Police Department and off-duty at the time, Hazel Crest Police Chief Mitchell Davis III said.
“It was a tragic accident,” he added.
“In her short career with the Calumet Park Police Department she be became a valued member of our force, and an asset to our community,” Calumet Park Police Chief Gerard Corrigan said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and fellow officers in this time of loss. She will be missed by all.”
The South Suburban Major Accident Response team is investigating.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Nursing home workers give notice: if no deal reached, they strike Nov. 23

Workers at 11 nursing homes in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs announced their strike date Friday afternoon as contract negotiation for hazard pay and improved working conditions have stalled in recent weeks .
About 700 workers at Infinity Nursing Homes voted to strike and will do so on Nov. 23 if an agreement isn ’ t reached before then .
Union members say the nursing home operators have refused to offer hazard pay and protect employees during the coronavirus pandemic .
Workers gathered outside City View Multicare Center , 5825 W. Cermak Rd .
in Cicero , which has had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It is simply unacceptable for essential workers — who are serving on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic and risking our lives just by showing up to our jobs — to be asked to work for poverty wages , ” said Shantonia Jackson , a certified nursing assistant at City View .
“ Infinity continues to put our residents and coworkers at risk by inconsistent testing for COVID-19 or just not releasing testing results in a timely manner.
” Infinity Nursing Homes did not respond to a request for comment .
Jackson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demanding a pay raise to $ 15 an hour , plus more personal protective equipment to keep everyone in the facility safer .
SEIU Healthcare has an ownership stake in Sun-Times Media .
Jackson , who makes $ 14.30 an hour , said she shouldn ’ t have to fight for a decent wage .
The risk for Jackson is real ; a coworker , just weeks from retirement , died of COVID-19 .
“ She worked at the Alzheimer ’ s unit here at City View and cared for nursing home residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Shaba Andrich , vice president for nursing homes at SEIU Healthcare Illinois , said it ’ s frustrating that negotiations have been going on since June .
With COVID-19 cases rising , he said , it is even more important members are treated fairly .
“ It ’ s a shame that we are out here today during a global pandemic where we ’ ve seen over 200,000 deaths .
Over half of them have been facilities just like [ City View ] , ” Andrich said .
“ They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are just asking for the same that every other worker in Chicago has gotten .
”

Workers at 11 nursing homes in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs announced their strike date Friday afternoon as contract negotiation for hazard pay and improved working conditions have stalled in recent weeks.
About 700 workers at Infinity Nursing Homes voted to strike and will do so on Nov. 23 if an agreement isn’t reached before then.
Union members say the nursing home operators have refused to offer hazard pay and protect employees during the coronavirus pandemic. Workers gathered outside City View Multicare Center, 5825 W. Cermak Rd. in Cicero, which has had difficulties containing the spread of coronavirus.
“It is simply unacceptable for essential workers — who are serving on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic and risking our lives just by showing up to our jobs — to be asked to work for poverty wages,” said Shantonia Jackson, a certified nursing assistant at City View. “Infinity continues to put our residents and coworkers at risk by inconsistent testing for COVID-19 or just not releasing testing results in a timely manner.”
Infinity Nursing Homes did not respond to a request for comment.
Shantonia Jackson speaks Friday to reporters outside City View Multicare Center, along with other healthcare workers and SEIU Healthcare members. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Jackson and other SEIU Healthcare Illinois members are demanding a pay raise to $15 an hour, plus more personal protective equipment to keep everyone in the facility safer. SEIU Healthcare has an ownership stake in Sun-Times Media.
Jackson, who makes $14.30 an hour, said she shouldn’t have to fight for a decent wage. The risk for Jackson is real; a coworker, just weeks from retirement, died of COVID-19.
“She worked at the Alzheimer’s unit here at City View and cared for nursing home residents for over 30 years,” Jackson said.
Shaba Andrich, vice president for nursing homes at SEIU Healthcare Illinois, said it’s frustrating that negotiations have been going on since June. With COVID-19 cases rising, he said, it is even more important members are treated fairly.
“It’s a shame that we are out here today during a global pandemic where we’ve seen over 200,000 deaths. Over half of them have been facilities just like [City View],” Andrich said. “They are not asking for a lot; they are just asking for the same that every other worker in Chicago has gotten.”


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Time for the GOP to tell Trump it’s over

In a democracy , citizens don ’ t literally run the rascals out .
They hold elections .
Then , the loser packs up and moves out of the White House , and the winner cleans up any messes the previous administration leaves behind .
And while there is the occasional mishap , like the hanging chads in the George W. Bush vs. Al Gore presidential election , for the most part the system has worked .
Some people still insist Bush stole the election and to this day refuse to recognize him as the 43rd president of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the aid of his lackeys , is taking the role of sore loser to a new level .
In blocking government officials from cooperating with President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition , Trump basically is giving the middle finger to the entire nation .
After enduring four years of behavior unbecoming for a president , nothing Trump does surprises me .
If you could count on Trump for anything , it was to behave in a manner that most decent people find offensive .
But why are top-ranking Republicans helping him hang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump still hasn ’ t formally conceded — the first step toward healing the nation after a hard-fought campaign — should be an embarrassment to the party .
Instead of Republicans breathing a sigh of relief that the madness finally is over , they are hanging onto Trump ’ s coattails .
It reminds me of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “ The Emperor ’ s New Clothes.
” You know the story .
Two con artists , posing as weavers , manage to convince a pompous emperor that the outfit they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special that only the “ great and good ” in society could see it .
So while all of the emperor ’ s attendants and subjects let him parade around naked , pretending to see what wasn ’ t there , a young child shouted out the truth : “ He hasn ’ t got anything on.
” In “ The Emperor ’ s New Clothes : A Lesson for the 21st Century , ” author Greensleeves Hubs writes : “ The Emperor ’ s self-importance is boosted by having a whole bunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
None of these ‘ yes men ’ is prepared to question his judgment and none of them is prepared to say or do anything which might damage their standing in their ruler ’ s eyes.
” I don ’ t have to tell you who the emperor is in the present situation .
The GOP leadership has sacrificed the very soul of the party to cater to Trump .
These “ yes men ” and “ yes women ” allowed him to bash the news media , spread falsehoods on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public servants like Dr. Anthony Fauci , the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , who has navigated the nation through the pandemic .
Too vain to share the spotlight with anyone , Trump put down Fauci every chance he got , even though Fauci has advised six presidents .
Rather than follow the guidelines laid out by Fauci , Trump refused to wear a mask and held rallies that drew thousands of unmasked supporters .
And , now , with the numbers of COVID-19 infections skyrocketing , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to think that the folks who worry that our democracy is in peril were over-reacting .
But every day that Trump continues to spread rumors about voter fraud and to disrupt the transfer of power brings us closer to widespread unrest .
We can ’ t ignore that there are a lot of gullible and extremist Trump supporters that believe every lie that comes out of his mouth .
His refusal to admit defeat and graciously go away isn ’ t just ugly .
It could become a national security threat .

In a democracy, citizens don’t literally run the rascals out.
They hold elections. Then, the loser packs up and moves out of the White House, and the winner cleans up any messes the previous administration leaves behind.
And while there is the occasional mishap, like the hanging chads in the George W. Bush vs. Al Gore presidential election, for the most part the system has worked.
Are there hard feelings?
Of course.
Some people still insist Bush stole the election and to this day refuse to recognize him as the 43rd president of the United States.
But President Donald Trump, with the aid of his lackeys, is taking the role of sore loser to a new level. In blocking government officials from cooperating with President-elect Joe Biden’s transition, Trump basically is giving the middle finger to the entire nation.
After enduring four years of behavior unbecoming for a president, nothing Trump does surprises me.
If you could count on Trump for anything, it was to behave in a manner that most decent people find offensive.
But why are top-ranking Republicans helping him hang on now to false hope?
That Trump still hasn’t formally conceded — the first step toward healing the nation after a hard-fought campaign — should be an embarrassment to the party.
Instead of Republicans breathing a sigh of relief that the madness finally is over, they are hanging onto Trump’s coattails.
Sad.
It reminds me of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
You know the story. Two con artists, posing as weavers, manage to convince a pompous emperor that the outfit they’ve made for him is so special that only the “great and good” in society could see it.
So while all of the emperor’s attendants and subjects let him parade around naked, pretending to see what wasn’t there, a young child shouted out the truth: “He hasn’t got anything on.”
In “The Emperor’s New Clothes: A Lesson for the 21st Century,” author Greensleeves Hubs writes: “The Emperor’s self-importance is boosted by having a whole bunch of obsequious ‘yes men’ around him. None of these ‘yes men’ is prepared to question his judgment and none of them is prepared to say or do anything which might damage their standing in their ruler’s eyes.”
I don’t have to tell you who the emperor is in the present situation.
The GOP leadership has sacrificed the very soul of the party to cater to Trump.
These “yes men” and “yes women” allowed him to bash the news media, spread falsehoods on social media and tarnish the reputation of real public servants like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who has navigated the nation through the pandemic.
Too vain to share the spotlight with anyone, Trump put down Fauci every chance he got, even though Fauci has advised six presidents.
Rather than follow the guidelines laid out by Fauci, Trump refused to wear a mask and held rallies that drew thousands of unmasked supporters.
And, now, with the numbers of COVID-19 infections skyrocketing, Trump has been out playing golf.
I used to think that the folks who worry that our democracy is in peril were over-reacting.
But every day that Trump continues to spread rumors about voter fraud and to disrupt the transfer of power brings us closer to widespread unrest.
We can’t ignore that there are a lot of gullible and extremist Trump supporters that believe every lie that comes out of his mouth.
His refusal to admit defeat and graciously go away isn’t just ugly. It could become a national security threat.


chicagosun-times--2020-11-13--Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak tests positive for COVID-19

CARSON CITY , Nev. — Nevada Gov .
Steve Sisolak on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 as the virus surges to record levels in the state and across the U.S .
The 66-year-old Democrat is the fifth governor to report testing positive for the coronavirus this year .
Three governors , two Republicans in Missouri and Oklahoma , and one Democrat in Virginia contracted COVID-19 this year .
Ohio ’ s Republican Gov .
Mike DeWine tested positive in August but received a negative test a few hours later .
DeWine tested positive using a rapid test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using a more sensitive laboratory-developed test .
Sisolak said he was not experiencing any symptoms on a call with reporters and was swabbed for a rapid test on Friday morning as a matter of routine .
After it yielded a positive result , he also underwent molecular testing and his sample is still being processed .
“ I ’ m a little tired , but I ’ ve been tired since March when we started fighting COVID , ” Sisolak said .
“ I think this just puts a spotlight on the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are possible and you can still contract the virus .
I don ’ t know how I got it , but we ’ re going to quarantine and get through it.
” Sisolak is the third person in his office to test positive for the virus .
Last week , the governor ’ s office announced an unnamed Carson City-based staffer who had not been in close contact with Sisolak but had tested positive for the virus .
In early October , Sisolak ’ s COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage also tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a day that Nevada reported 1,857 additional coronavirus cases , the highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic .
Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 as the virus surges to record levels in the state and across the U.S.
The 66-year-old Democrat is the fifth governor to report testing positive for the coronavirus this year. Three governors, two Republicans in Missouri and Oklahoma, and one Democrat in Virginia contracted COVID-19 this year. Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine tested positive in August but received a negative test a few hours later. DeWine tested positive using a rapid test before testing negative later that day after using a more sensitive laboratory-developed test.
Sisolak said he was not experiencing any symptoms on a call with reporters and was swabbed for a rapid test on Friday morning as a matter of routine. After it yielded a positive result, he also underwent molecular testing and his sample is still being processed.
“I’m a little tired, but I’ve been tired since March when we started fighting COVID,” Sisolak said. “I think this just puts a spotlight on the fact that you can take all the precautions that are possible and you can still contract the virus. I don’t know how I got it, but we’re going to quarantine and get through it.”
Sisolak is the third person in his office to test positive for the virus. Last week, the governor’s office announced an unnamed Carson City-based staffer who had not been in close contact with Sisolak but had tested positive for the virus. In early October, Sisolak’s COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage also tested positive.
Sisolak’s announcement comes on a day that Nevada reported 1,857 additional coronavirus cases, the highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic.
___
Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.