chicagosun-times--2020-05-02--Horoscope for Sunday, May 3, 2020

Horoscope for Sunday, May 3, 2020

Avoid shopping or making important decisions after 9 p.m. Chicago time .
The moon is in Virgo .
Sleep late this morning and enjoy a second coffee .
Relax in your robe reading a newspaper .
However , later this afternoon you can be a dynamo !
Your productivity will be stellar !
( Even you will be impressed with how much you get done . )
This includes improving your health .
Although this morning is laid back , later this afternoon , you ’ re full of creative ideas , especially about new ways to improve creative or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids .
There ’ s no stopping you !
Your smart ideas keep rolling in !
Even though you might hunker down at home today , late this afternoon , you will look around you to see what needs to be improved .
And you will take action !
Oh yes , you will do something to improve your home and perhaps your family relationships .
( Impressive . )
This afternoon , late in the day , you might have an epiphany that deals with your ordinary , everyday surroundings .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
Suddenly , you see how you can make your life flow more easily and efficiently — and with less effort !
Why not do it ?
This afternoon you might see a new income stream or a way to make money , especially on the side .
Perhaps it ’ s a new job , but more likely , it ’ s an improved spin on something that you are already doing .
You will take something that already exists — and improve it !
( Drip dry , wrinkle free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign , which makes you a bit more emotional than usual .
Nevertheless , as the day wears on , you will see — with greater insight — how you can improve the impression that you create on your world .
This might be in your communicating style or your appearance — or both .
You are a social sign .
But sometimes you know that things can be done better from behind the scenes .
Like the puppet master .
Today you see ways that something can be trained , shaped and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes .
A conversation with a female friend might be powerful .
Hopefully , the tenor of the talk will be about how to improve something or improve someone — maybe you ?
It never hurts to listen because you might hear a good idea .
A message from a parent , boss or someone in position of authority will encourage you to be the best you can be .
You realize that you want to clean up your act because others notice you now .
Since this is a case , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not ?
A conversation about politics , religion or something profound might change how you think .
It ’ s good to have an open mind so that you can change according to new information .
How ridiculous to be stuck in a rut .
Far better to be cutting-edge !
( The world is changing so fast . )
Your clever mind might see a better way of dealing with shared property , insurance issues or something to do with an inheritance .
Likewise , a discussion with someone at home might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do something ?
You might attract someone powerful to you , or you might have a powerful exchange with someone in a group or on Facebook .
Whatever happens might shift your point of view about something or you might shift someone else ’ s point of view .
If Your Birthday Is Today Actress Christina Hendricks ( 1975 ) shares your birthday .
You have strong values , which is why truthfulness and fair play matter to you .
You are good-humored and compassionate .
A fun-loving year !
Expect to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year you will be more grateful for your life and will appreciate the happiness and beauty around you in a daily way .
It might be time for an important choice .
Choose wisely .

Moon Alert
Avoid shopping or making important decisions after 9 p.m. Chicago time. The moon is in Virgo.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Sleep late this morning and enjoy a second coffee. Relax in your robe reading a newspaper. However, later this afternoon you can be a dynamo! Your productivity will be stellar! (Even you will be impressed with how much you get done.) This includes improving your health.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Although this morning is laid back, later this afternoon, you’re full of creative ideas, especially about new ways to improve creative or sports techniques as well as dealing with kids. There’s no stopping you! Your smart ideas keep rolling in!
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Even though you might hunker down at home today, late this afternoon, you will look around you to see what needs to be improved. And you will take action! Oh yes, you will do something to improve your home and perhaps your family relationships. (Impressive.)
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
This afternoon, late in the day, you might have an epiphany that deals with your ordinary, everyday surroundings. (This is the best kind of reveal.) Suddenly, you see how you can make your life flow more easily and efficiently — and with less effort! Why not do it?
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
This afternoon you might see a new income stream or a way to make money, especially on the side. Perhaps it’s a new job, but more likely, it’s an improved spin on something that you are already doing. You will take something that already exists — and improve it! (Drip dry, wrinkle free.)
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
The moon is in your sign, which makes you a bit more emotional than usual. Nevertheless, as the day wears on, you will see — with greater insight — how you can improve the impression that you create on your world. This might be in your communicating style or your appearance — or both.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
You are a social sign. But sometimes you know that things can be done better from behind the scenes. Like the puppet master. Today you see ways that something can be trained, shaped and encouraged from behind the scenes. Oh yes.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
A conversation with a female friend might be powerful. Hopefully, the tenor of the talk will be about how to improve something or improve someone — maybe you? It never hurts to listen because you might hear a good idea.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
A message from a parent, boss or someone in position of authority will encourage you to be the best you can be. You realize that you want to clean up your act because others notice you now. Since this is a case, you might as well look good? Why not?
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
A conversation about politics, religion or something profound might change how you think. It’s good to have an open mind so that you can change according to new information. How ridiculous to be stuck in a rut. Far better to be cutting-edge! (The world is changing so fast.)
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Your clever mind might see a better way of dealing with shared property, insurance issues or something to do with an inheritance. Likewise, a discussion with someone at home might result in better ideas about how to do something?
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You might attract someone powerful to you, or you might have a powerful exchange with someone in a group or on Facebook. Whatever happens might shift your point of view about something or you might shift someone else’s point of view.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actress Christina Hendricks (1975) shares your birthday. You have strong values, which is why truthfulness and fair play matter to you. You are good-humored and compassionate. A fun-loving year! Expect to be popular and enjoy warm friendships. This year you will be more grateful for your life and will appreciate the happiness and beauty around you in a daily way. It might be time for an important choice. Choose wisely.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-02--South Korea says troops exchange fire along North Korean border

SEOUL , South Korea — South Korea says its troops have exchanged fire with North Korea along their tense land @ @ @ @ @ of Staff in Seoul says North Korean troops fired several bullets at a South Korean @ @ @ @ @ fortified border between the countries on Sunday .
The military says in a statement South @ @ @ @ @ response after issuing a warning broadcast .
It says South Korea suffered no casualties .
@ @ @ @ @ took place a day after North Korea reported its leader Kim Jong Un ’ s @ @ @ @ @ 20 days amid intense speculation about his health .

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea says its troops have exchanged fire with North Korea along their tense land border.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul says North Korean troops fired several bullets at a South Korean guard post inside the heavily fortified border between the countries on Sunday.
The military says in a statement South Korea fired two rounds in response after issuing a warning broadcast.
It says South Korea suffered no casualties.
Sunday’s fire exchange took place a day after North Korea reported its leader Kim Jong Un’s first public appearance in about 20 days amid intense speculation about his health.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-02--Coronavirus live blog, May 2, 2020: Ald. Gardiner hands out face masks in Jefferson Park to combat s

Coronavirus live blog, May 2, 2020: Ald. Gardiner hands out face masks in Jefferson Park to combat spread of coronavirus

The first Saturday in May brought beautiful weather for Chicago .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wasn ’ t about to let warm temperatures cause Chicagoans forget about the necessary measures they should continue to take to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
She warned against large gatherings and threatened to shut them down .
Ald .
Jim Gardiner pitched in by helping out by handing out face masks in Jefferson Park and 105 new deaths were reported in Illinois .
Here ’ s what happened in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago and around the state .
8:35 p.m. Ald .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park to combat spread of coronavirus In an effort to help city residents protect themselves and others Saturday from the new coronavirus , Ald .
Jim Gardiner ( 45th ) and a team of volunteers were in Jefferson Park handing out face masks .
The giveaway began shortly after noon at a Hoyne Savings Bank branch drive-thru at 4786 N. Milwaukee Ave. and continued until about 4 p.m. During the first half of the giveaway , the masks were being given to seniors and other residents who were at “ high risk ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to giving masks to anyone who drove up .
OMAHA , Neb .
— Billionaire investor Warren Buffett doesn ’ t know how the economy will recover from the coronavirus outbreak shutdown , but he remains optimistic in the long-term future of the United States .
Buffett said Saturday at Berkshire Hathaway ’ s online annual meeting that there ’ s no way to predict the economic future right now because the possibilities are still too varied .
Berkshire ’ s meeting was held without any of the roughly 40,000 shareholders who typically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what happens when you voluntarily shut down a substantial portion of your society , ” Buffett said because it has never been done .
He said it may take several years to understand all the economic implications of the coronavirus outbreak , but it hasn ’ t changed his long-term view because the country has endured wars and depressions before .
“ I remain convinced … that nothing can basically stop America , ” Buffett said .
Read the full story by Josh Funk , of the Associated Press .
6:25 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest as state reports 105 new coronavirus deaths A visibly angered Mayor Lori Lightfoot scolded partygoers for their “ foolish , reckless behavior ” during an her appearance Saturday in a West Side block where authorities had learned of a planned party — one of six that had been tipped off to police .
Those tips came after Chicago police shut down numerous parties Friday night , some with as many as 150 attendees .
The mayor scolded those hosting or promoting the events for ignoring social distancing guidelines , and said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Brown to advise all police districts to give “ special attention ” to identifying and breaking up parties in the city .
3:05 p.m. 105 more Illinois coronavirus deaths as officials confirm 2,450 new cases Another 105 people have died of the coronavirus in Illinois , health officials said Saturday , raising the state ’ s pandemic death toll to 2,559 .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said 2,450 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 .
That brings the state ’ s case total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus test results Friday , and about 300,000 people have been tested overall .
The virus has been confirmed in 97 of the state ’ s 102 counties .
Despite the lofty numbers — daily case counts have topped 2,100 for a week — Illinois officials nonetheless say the state is flattening the curve .
Read the full report from Ben Pope here .
2:27 p.m. Coronavirus deaths double in one week at Illinois nursing homes ; have surged past 1,000 , data show The number of reported coronavirus deaths at Illinois nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for the first time surpassed 1,000 , as new cases and deaths blew by their previous one-week highs , according to data released Friday by state health officials .
But the numbers , published weekly , have inconsistencies from week to week and , because of lags in reporting , appear to be lower than the real-time toll the virus is taking on those facilities .
In all , 3,229 new cases were reported this week along with 456 new deaths , according to a count by the Chicago Sun-Times .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deaths to 1,081 .
Last week , the state saw one-week increases of 2,438 cases and 339 deaths .
Those tallies mean elderly care facilities have accounted for 44 % of the state ’ s coronavirus deaths and nearly one in seven confirmed cases .
Read the full report from Nader Issa here .
1:28 p.m. One silver lining of Illinois stay-at-home order ?
Endangered piping plovers return to deserted Montrose Beach A pair of endangered piping plovers whose Montrose Beach nest sparked fierce debate last year between conservationists and music fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular lakefront festival , have returned to nest once again .
This time , though , the rare birds have found the beach completely empty , thanks to Chicago ’ s lakefront closure during to the coronavirus pandemic .
The plover couple — nicknamed Monty and Rose — were spotted Friday by Chicago Park District staff , according to Louise Clemency , field supervisor for the Chicago office of the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service .
It seems their romance has already resumed , with each exhibiting “ courtship behavior , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sand , Clemency said in a statement .
10:40 a.m. Former Chicago bartender — now a high-stakes gambler based in Nevada — details how virus has blindsided his profession Van ’ s successes enabled him to bump his initial bankroll from $ 100,000 to $ 200,000 after his first 12 months in Nevada .
Today it ’ s $ 300,000 .
His average wager ( or unit ) is 1 percent of that bankroll — staple terms for the cutthroat industry ’ s disciplined participants — from which he rarely deviates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered the sporting world .
Las Vegas casinos began closing March 18 .
In fact , money wagered in state sportsbooks in March dropped 76 % year-over-year , according to the Nevada Gaming Control .
About $ 141.2 million was wagered , down from a record $ 596.7 million last March .
Some sportsbook apps are open , but two-legged events are scant .
He taps into the Costa Rica-based BetUS app on his smartphone and calls out Taiwanese baseball , short-league hockey in Russia , soccer in Nicaragua @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ ‘ And a cricket Quarantine Cup , ’ ’ he says .
‘ ‘ The more they offer , the better off they are .
I ’ m sure they ’ re limiting wager amounts because , in Russia and other places , if you want to fix something , you probably could.
’ ’ He drives his South American girlfriend of a few years to work most mornings .
She rents a home in the foothills of Henderson , to the southeast .
A mother with grandchildren , she rings twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anger and frustration were palpable in the Loop and in Springfield Friday as hundreds of people rallied and railed against statewide restrictions that have left scores of people across the state out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic .
In Chicago , at the Thompson Center , the crowd was small early in the day but grew to about 300 people — still a far cry from the crowd of 5,000 organizers had anticipated .
Street closures were minimal , and the group stayed put at the northwest corner of Randolph and Clark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are still the land of the free .
There are still independent people who can think for themselves and who can protect their own self-interest as they see fit , ” former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica told reporters .
With car horns — both in support and in opposition to the rally-goers — and motorcycle engines echoing throughout the largely empty downtown area , the attendees laid bare their mounting frustrations , with some calling for Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot to be removed from office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , ” “ F -- - your face masks , ” and “ Ban vaccines ” were some of the slogans written on the hundreds of homemade signs and flags that dotted the rally .
The Springfield rally drew several hundred people .
The crowd filled the steps and spilled onto the lawn on the east side of the Illinois State Capitol .
Many expressed frustration with the Chicago-dominated state government they believe has ignored Downstate .
Much of the anger was directed at Pritzker .
“ He ’ s not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Ben Hamilton , an industrial tool shop owner from Peoria .
Read the full report by Sam Charles and Neal Earley here .
9:00 a.m. On National Decision Day , CPS seniors look forward to the future , but worry about missing another milestone After a difficult senior year upended by forces outside of their control , Chicago Public Schools students are being cautiously optimistic about heading off to college .
As National Decision Day arrived Friday , traditionally the deadline to commit to a school , the students said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those of uncertainty .
On social media accounts , students proudly shared photos of themselves with their school choice , and friends and family cheered them on and congratulated them in the comments section .
“ I know you ’ ll work hard and be successful !
” one wrote to Rami Assaf , 18 , a Jones College Prep student who plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , on an Instagram account dedicated to his fellow seniors .
“ Congrats , Diego ” another wrote to Lane Tech College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attend DePaul .
“ A legend , ” wrote another .
Still , the day , like other milestones this year , was bittersweet for many seniors .
Read the full report from Matthew Hendrickson here .
7:18 a.m. Surge in coronavirus cases continues at Chicago ’ s federal jail A quick rise in the number of coronavirus cases among inmates held in Chicago ’ s downtown federal jail continued Friday , with the Bureau of Prisons reporting 74 inmates had tested positive , up from 48 on Thursday .
The sudden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metropolitan Correctional Center by the Bureau of Prisons follows questions about how the agency has been counting cases there .
As recently as Wednesday , the Bureau of Prisons said only seven of the more than 600 people being held at the MCC had tested positive .
Read the full report from Jon Seidel here .
• One of Mexico ’ s best-known protest singers , Oscar Chávez , has died at age 85 , apparently after being infected with the coronavirus .
• Officials reported Friday a record-high daily count of 3,137 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the daily confirmed cases , officials said another 105 people died from COVID-19 , bringing the state ’ s toll to 2,457 .
• The CTA announced the death of a fourth employee from COVID-19 .
The employee worked in the CTA ’ s technology department for over 20 years .
• Chicago police announced Tuesday seven more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the department to 421 .
• Eighteen employees at a Tootsie Roll manufacturing plant in Chicago have tested positive for COVID-19 since the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this virus has passed , I will remember freedoms stolen like a thief in the night When this storm has finally passed , I will shake another brother ’ s hand , slap hard fives , skin to skin , embrace like the best of friends .
The way we used to .
Before the arrival of coronavirus ’ cold winds .
When this storm finally has been vanquished and it is safe to come out again , to break the barrier of personal space , to converse in intimate human circles over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will .
And I will stroll slowly across golden sands for miles of beach .
No city code to breach .
I will speak to everyone I pass .
Lie blissfully upon emerald blades of park grass .
Watch daylight pass as the orange-red sun sinks from a purplish evening sky and children ’ s voices blend with the crickets ’ song while fireflies twinkle before their widened eyes .
And though I no longer have a head of hair , I just might plop down in a barber ’ s chair .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself to trim my beard .
To rub my face with lilac tonic after lining me with a straight edge from ear to ear .
When this storm is over , I will remember when freedoms taken for granted were stolen like a thief in the night .
And at the end of the tunnel we could see no sure sign of light .
7:23 a.m. Michelle Abernathy wasn ’ t just another COVID-19 victim .
She made a difference .
Torrence Jones remembers the day his girlfriend Michelle Abernathy learned a developmentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they worked , had become the first person there to test positive for COVID-19 .
It was March 28 , a Saturday .
Abernathy had stopped by the Park Forest campus to catch up on work .
She was informed the stricken man lived in a housing unit under her supervision .
Abernathy , 52 , made sure the resident was receiving proper care and that her staff had personal protective equipment , Jones said .
By the next night , Abernathy had a fever .
Fifteen days later , she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Illinois Department of Human Services revealed this past week that the death toll at Ludeman has reached six — three staff members and three residents .
The latest to die : Jose Velez and Cephus Lee .
They worked in Ludeman ’ s dietary department , delivering meals from a central kitchen to the 38 residential homes that comprise the facility .
Read the full column from Mark Brown here .

The first Saturday in May brought beautiful weather for Chicago. Mayor Lori Lightfoot wasn’t about to let warm temperatures cause Chicagoans forget about the necessary measures they should continue to take to combat the coronavirus pandemic. She warned against large gatherings and threatened to shut them down.
Ald. Jim Gardiner pitched in by helping out by handing out face masks in Jefferson Park and 105 new deaths were reported in Illinois.
Here’s what happened in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago and around the state.
News
8:35 p.m. Ald. Gardiner hands out face masks in Jefferson Park to combat spread of coronavirus
Jim Gardiner Alderman of the 45th Ward hands a packet of four face masks to a man, during the 45th Wards first drive up give away of face mask, at a Hoyne Savings Bank drive-thru in the 4700 block of North Milwaukee, Saturday, May 2, 2020. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times 1 of 6 Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times 2 of 6 Wayne Przyby a volunteer for 45th Ward Alderman Jim Gardiner, hands a packet of four face masks to a man, during the 45th Wards first drive up give away of face masks, at a Hoyne Savings Bank drive-thru in the 4700 block of North Milwaukee, Saturday, May 2, 2020. The face masks were provided by Dr. Willie Wilson and by 2:15 p.m. the alderman estimated he and his volunteers gave face masks to 1000 people. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times 3 of 6 Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times 4 of 6 Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times 5 of 6 Joyce Schraeder, a volunteer for 45th Ward Alderman Jim Gardiner, hands a packet of four face masks to a man, during the 45th Wards first drive up give away of face mask, at a Hoyne Savings Bank drive-thru in the 4700 block of North Milwaukee, Saturday, May 2, 2020. The face masks were provided by Dr. Willie Wilson and by 2:15 p.m. the alderman estimated he and his volunteers gave face masks to 1,000 people. 6 of 6
In an effort to help city residents protect themselves and others Saturday from the new coronavirus, Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) and a team of volunteers were in Jefferson Park handing out face masks.
The giveaway began shortly after noon at a Hoyne Savings Bank branch drive-thru at 4786 N. Milwaukee Ave. and continued until about 4 p.m.
During the first half of the giveaway, the masks were being given to seniors and other residents who were at “high risk” of contracting the COVID-19 virus before switching to giving masks to anyone who drove up.
Read the full recap by Tyler LaRiviere.
7:03 p.m. Warren Buffett confident in future despite coronavirus uncertainty
OMAHA, Neb. — Billionaire investor Warren Buffett doesn’t know how the economy will recover from the coronavirus outbreak shutdown, but he remains optimistic in the long-term future of the United States.
Buffett said Saturday at Berkshire Hathaway’s online annual meeting that there’s no way to predict the economic future right now because the possibilities are still too varied. Berkshire’s meeting was held without any of the roughly 40,000 shareholders who typically attend.
“We do not know exactly what happens when you voluntarily shut down a substantial portion of your society,” Buffett said because it has never been done. He said it may take several years to understand all the economic implications of the coronavirus outbreak, but it hasn’t changed his long-term view because the country has endured wars and depressions before.
“I remain convinced … that nothing can basically stop America,” Buffett said.
Read the full story by Josh Funk, of the Associated Press.
6:25 p.m. Lightfoot warns partygoers they face citations, arrest as state reports 105 new coronavirus deaths
A visibly angered Mayor Lori Lightfoot scolded partygoers for their “foolish, reckless behavior” during an her appearance Saturday in a West Side block where authorities had learned of a planned party — one of six that had been tipped off to police.
Those tips came after Chicago police shut down numerous parties Friday night, some with as many as 150 attendees.
The mayor scolded those hosting or promoting the events for ignoring social distancing guidelines, and said she’d instructed Chicago Police Supt. David Brown to advise all police districts to give “special attention” to identifying and breaking up parties in the city.
Ben Pope has the full story.
3:05 p.m. 105 more Illinois coronavirus deaths as officials confirm 2,450 new cases
Another 105 people have died of the coronavirus in Illinois, health officials said Saturday, raising the state’s pandemic death toll to 2,559.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said 2,450 more people have tested positive for COVID-19. That brings the state’s case total to 58,505.
The state received 15,208 coronavirus test results Friday, and about 300,000 people have been tested overall. The virus has been confirmed in 97 of the state’s 102 counties.
Despite the lofty numbers — daily case counts have topped 2,100 for a week — Illinois officials nonetheless say the state is flattening the curve.
Read the full report from Ben Pope here.
2:27 p.m. Coronavirus deaths double in one week at Illinois nursing homes; have surged past 1,000, data show
The number of reported coronavirus deaths at Illinois nursing homes nearly doubled in the past week and for the first time surpassed 1,000, as new cases and deaths blew by their previous one-week highs, according to data released Friday by state health officials.
But the numbers, published weekly, have inconsistencies from week to week and, because of lags in reporting, appear to be lower than the real-time toll the virus is taking on those facilities.
In all, 3,229 new cases were reported this week along with 456 new deaths, according to a count by the Chicago Sun-Times. That brings state nursing home cases to 7,527 and deaths to 1,081. Last week, the state saw one-week increases of 2,438 cases and 339 deaths.
Those tallies mean elderly care facilities have accounted for 44% of the state’s coronavirus deaths and nearly one in seven confirmed cases.
Read the full report from Nader Issa here.
1:28 p.m. One silver lining of Illinois stay-at-home order? Endangered piping plovers return to deserted Montrose Beach
A pair of endangered piping plovers whose Montrose Beach nest sparked fierce debate last year between conservationists and music fans, leading to the cancellation of a popular lakefront festival, have returned to nest once again.
This time, though, the rare birds have found the beach completely empty, thanks to Chicago’s lakefront closure during to the coronavirus pandemic.
The plover couple — nicknamed Monty and Rose — were spotted Friday by Chicago Park District staff, according to Louise Clemency, field supervisor for the Chicago office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
It seems their romance has already resumed, with each exhibiting “courtship behavior,” like scraping out potential nesting spots in the sand, Clemency said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
10:40 a.m. Former Chicago bartender — now a high-stakes gambler based in Nevada — details how virus has blindsided his profession
Van’s successes enabled him to bump his initial bankroll from $100,000 to $200,000 after his first 12 months in Nevada. Today it’s $300,000. His average wager (or unit) is 1 percent of that bankroll — staple terms for the cutthroat industry’s disciplined participants — from which he rarely deviates.
His options are few these days because the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered the sporting world. Las Vegas casinos began closing March 18. In fact, money wagered in state sportsbooks in March dropped 76% year-over-year, according to the Nevada Gaming Control. About $141.2 million was wagered, down from a record $596.7 million last March.
Some sportsbook apps are open, but two-legged events are scant. He taps into the Costa Rica-based BetUS app on his smartphone and calls out Taiwanese baseball, short-league hockey in Russia, soccer in Nicaragua and English darts as far-away options.
‘‘And a cricket Quarantine Cup,’’ he says. ‘‘The more they offer, the better off they are. I’m sure they’re limiting wager amounts because, in Russia and other places, if you want to fix something, you probably could.’’
He drives his South American girlfriend of a few years to work most mornings. She rents a home in the foothills of Henderson, to the southeast. A mother with grandchildren, she rings twice a day to check on him.
Read the full Sports Saturday cover story here.
9:47 a.m. ICYMI: Reopen Illinois rally draws hundreds to Loop, Springfield
Anger and frustration were palpable in the Loop and in Springfield Friday as hundreds of people rallied and railed against statewide restrictions that have left scores of people across the state out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Chicago, at the Thompson Center, the crowd was small early in the day but grew to about 300 people — still a far cry from the crowd of 5,000 organizers had anticipated. Street closures were minimal, and the group stayed put at the northwest corner of Randolph and Clark streets throughout the morning and afternoon.
“We are still the land of the free. There are still independent people who can think for themselves and who can protect their own self-interest as they see fit,” former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica told reporters.
With car horns — both in support and in opposition to the rally-goers — and motorcycle engines echoing throughout the largely empty downtown area, the attendees laid bare their mounting frustrations, with some calling for Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot to be removed from office.
“Give me liberty or give me COVID-19,” “F--- your face masks,” and “Ban vaccines” were some of the slogans written on the hundreds of homemade signs and flags that dotted the rally.
The Springfield rally drew several hundred people. The crowd filled the steps and spilled onto the lawn on the east side of the Illinois State Capitol.
Many expressed frustration with the Chicago-dominated state government they believe has ignored Downstate. Much of the anger was directed at Pritzker.
“He’s not in touch with the people who elected him,” said Ben Hamilton, an industrial tool shop owner from Peoria.
Read the full report by Sam Charles and Neal Earley here.
9:00 a.m. On National Decision Day, CPS seniors look forward to the future, but worry about missing another milestone
After a difficult senior year upended by forces outside of their control, Chicago Public Schools students are being cautiously optimistic about heading off to college.
As National Decision Day arrived Friday, traditionally the deadline to commit to a school, the students said they were juggling feelings of excitement with those of uncertainty.
On social media accounts, students proudly shared photos of themselves with their school choice, and friends and family cheered them on and congratulated them in the comments section.
“I know you’ll work hard and be successful!” one wrote to Rami Assaf, 18, a Jones College Prep student who plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, on an Instagram account dedicated to his fellow seniors.
“Congrats, Diego” another wrote to Lane Tech College Prep student Diego Lucero, who plans to attend DePaul. “A legend,” wrote another.
Still, the day, like other milestones this year, was bittersweet for many seniors.
Read the full report from Matthew Hendrickson here.
7:18 a.m. Surge in coronavirus cases continues at Chicago’s federal jail
A quick rise in the number of coronavirus cases among inmates held in Chicago’s downtown federal jail continued Friday, with the Bureau of Prisons reporting 74 inmates had tested positive, up from 48 on Thursday.
The sudden rise in numbers reported at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center by the Bureau of Prisons follows questions about how the agency has been counting cases there. As recently as Wednesday, the Bureau of Prisons said only seven of the more than 600 people being held at the MCC had tested positive.
Read the full report from Jon Seidel here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
11:42 a.m. When this virus has passed, I will remember freedoms stolen like a thief in the night
When this storm has finally passed, I will shake another brother’s hand, slap hard fives, skin to skin, embrace like the best of friends. The way we used to.
Before the arrival of coronavirus’ cold winds.
When this storm finally has been vanquished and it is safe to come out again, to break the barrier of personal space, to converse in intimate human circles over coffee or tea and chill, I will.
And I will stroll slowly across golden sands for miles of beach. No city code to breach. I will speak to everyone I pass. Lie blissfully upon emerald blades of park grass.
Watch daylight pass as the orange-red sun sinks from a purplish evening sky and children’s voices blend with the crickets’ song while fireflies twinkle before their widened eyes.
And though I no longer have a head of hair, I just might plop down in a barber’s chair. Break my vow to allow someone beside myself to trim my beard. To rub my face with lilac tonic after lining me with a straight edge from ear to ear.
When this storm is over, I will remember when freedoms taken for granted were stolen like a thief in the night. And at the end of the tunnel we could see no sure sign of light.
Read the full column here.
7:23 a.m. Michelle Abernathy wasn’t just another COVID-19 victim. She made a difference.
Torrence Jones remembers the day his girlfriend Michelle Abernathy learned a developmentally disabled resident of Ludeman Developmental Center, where they worked, had become the first person there to test positive for COVID-19.
It was March 28, a Saturday. Abernathy had stopped by the Park Forest campus to catch up on work. She was informed the stricken man lived in a housing unit under her supervision.
Abernathy, 52, made sure the resident was receiving proper care and that her staff had personal protective equipment, Jones said.
By the next night, Abernathy had a fever. Fifteen days later, she was dead, a victim of the coronavirus.
The Illinois Department of Human Services revealed this past week that the death toll at Ludeman has reached six — three staff members and three residents.
The latest to die: Jose Velez and Cephus Lee. They worked in Ludeman’s dietary department, delivering meals from a central kitchen to the 38 residential homes that comprise the facility.
Read the full column from Mark Brown here.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--Illinois stay-at-home order upheld by U.S. district court (LIVE UPDATES)

A U.S. district judge issued a ruling Sunday upholding Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order for Illinois as constitutional .
The Beloved Church of Lena , an Evangelical church located about 50 miles west of Rockford , had filed a complaint Thursday seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction in order to resume worship services with its 80 congregants .
Although the church and its pastor , Stephen Cassell , still held in-person service Sunday without intervention from police , its lawsuit was promptly denied by Judge John Lee .
“ Given the continuing threat posed by COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively robust avenues for praise , prayer and fellowship and passes constitutional muster , ” Lee wrote in a 37-page decision .
Lee cited two historical cases — Jacobson v. Massachusetts ( 1905 ) and Prince v. Massachusetts ( 1944 ) — which ruled that “ a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease ” and “ the right to practice religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community ... to communicable disease.
” Read the full story from reporter Ben Pope here .
5:30 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 20K coronavirus tests , finding 2,994 new cases Illinois processed a new daily record of 19,417 coronavirus tests Saturday and 2,994 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed , health officials announced Sunday .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Illinois also suffered another 63 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday , bringing the state ’ s coronavirus death toll to 2,618 and total case count to 61,499 .
The 63 deaths mark only the third time since April 21 that the state has recorded fewer than 70 deaths in a given day , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record of 16,316 set on April 24 .
The 15.4 percent infection rate — the percentage of tests that came back positive — is also lower than normal .
A total of 4,701 Illinoisans are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 , with 1,232 occupying ICU beds .
Ninety-seven of the state ’ s 102 counties have recorded cases .
Read the full story by Tom Schuba and Ben Pope here .
2:30 p.m. Illinois ‘ getting ready for point where we can begin to reopen the economy , ’ Pritzker says Two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Springfield protested a statewide stay-at-home order that has rendered hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans jobless in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said the state is now “ getting ready for a point where we can begin to reopen the economy.
” During an appearance on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation , ” Pritzker said Sunday that Illinois has “ really bent the curve significantly ” while noting that hospitalizations have only been “ increasing barely.
” On Friday , the Illinois Department of Public Health reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care units across the state were open , although some regions of the state had more limited capacity .
At hospitals in northeast Illinois , only 28 of 220 beds were available .
“ We ’ re not through this yet , there ’ s no doubt , and we ’ ve been looking to see those numbers flatten , ” Pritzker said of the number of hospitalizations .
“ We are seeing them flatten now.
” Read the full story by Tom Schuba here .
NEW YORK — Faced with 19,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nursing homes are pushing back against a potential flood of lawsuits with a sweeping lobbying effort to get states to grant them emergency protection from claims of inadequate care .
At least 15 states — including Illinois — have enacted laws or governors ’ orders that explicitly or apparently provide nursing homes and long-term care facilities some protection from lawsuits arising from the crisis .
And in the case of New York , which leads the nation in deaths in such facilities , a lobbying group wrote the first draft of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only state with specific protection from both civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution .
Now the industry is forging ahead with a campaign to get other states on board with a simple argument : This was an unprecedented crisis and nursing homes should not be liable for events beyond their control , such as shortages of protective equipment and testing , shifting directives from authorities , and sicknesses that have decimated staffs .
“ As our care providers make these difficult decisions , they need to know they will not be prosecuted or persecuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month from several major hospital and nursing home groups to their next big goal , California , where Gov .
Gavin Newsom has yet to make a decision .
Other states in their sights include Florida , Pennsylvania and Missouri .
11:45 a.m. Highland Park teen , mom teach ‘ virtual ’ Zumba , connecting people across the country amid pandemic When Illinois schools started to shut down in mid-March because of COVID-19 , Highland Park High School freshman Julia Kerpel didn ’ t want to stop teaching Zumba .
So with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Melissa Kerpel , the 15-year-old turned their unfinished basement into a fitness studio and has kept offering classes twice a week thanks to a laptop and the internet .
“ We ’ ve had our old familiar faces and some new people from all around the country who have joined us , ” said Julia , who ’ s believed to be one of the youngest instructors in the country licensed to teach Zumba .
Before the pandemic hit , Julia and her mom taught at Highland Park High School and the Lutz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Working Together , a non-profit that supports low-income families in Highwood and Highland Park .
Just a few days after their last face-to-face class , the mother-daughter duo decided to give online teaching a try .
The class went off without a hitch ; participants receive instructions on how to join the class via Zoom .
“ Everyone loved it , ” Julia said .
“ We got some positive messages , and we thought , ‘ Let ’ s keep doing it.
’ ” Read the full story by Suzanne McBride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor says protesters “ depicted some of the worst racism ” in U.S. history WASHINGTON — Michigan ’ s governor says gun-carrying protesters who demonstrated inside her state ’ s Capitol “ depicted some of the worst racism ” and “ awful parts ” of U.S. history .
Democrat Gretchen Whitmer tells CNN that the protests featured “ Confederate Flags , and nooses , ” as well as swastikas .
Members of the Michigan Liberty Militia protested the state ’ s stay-at-home orders this week , some with weapons and tactical gear and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside the Capitol , where being armed is allowed , then demanded access to the House floor , which is prohibited .
Some went to the Senate gallery , where a senator said armed men shouted at her .
Michigan ’ s Republican-controlled Legislature has questioned Whitmer ’ s authority to extend stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic .
But the governor used an executive order to extend a state of emergency declaration and has directed most businesses statewide to remain closed .
Mentioned as a possible running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ This isn ’ t something we just negotiate ourselves out of and it ’ s a political matter.
” “ This is a public health crisis , ” she said .
9:42 a.m. Local artists to takeover Mayor Lightfoot ’ s Instagram each Sunday in May Mayor Lori Lightfoot will once again host live performances by local artists on her Instagram in an attempt to help raise awareness and support of the Art for Illinois Relief Fund .
The performances , which will take place each Sunday in May , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , Lightfoot ’ s Instagram will broadcast performances by Luciano Antonio ( 10am ) , Opal Staples ( Noon ) and DJ Ayana Contreras ( 5-7pm ) .
All donations made Sunday to the Art for Illinois Relief Fund , which benefits artists and cultural organizations who have been financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic , will be matched by an anonymous donor .
As of Sunday morning , the fund has raised more than $ 5 million .
That money goes directly to artists and arts organizations through the grantmaking partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. Chicago area companies getting COVID-19 loans include railcar maker that paid CEO $ 2.1M Faced with the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic , quickly rolled out the Paycheck Protection Program , aiming to keep workers on the payroll at small businesses as business dwindled because of the COVID-19 shutdowns .
Among the Chicago-area companies to benefit , records show , were : • A railcar manufacturer — which secured the maximum $ 10 million — that closed a factory in Virginia last year and opened a new one in Mexico while paying its CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • A clean-energy company in Cicero that told shareholders when it announced its $ 9.5 million loan that COVID-19 hadn ’ t harmed its business .
• Two companies that employ thousands of workers — well over the program ’ s usual 500-employee limit , though businesses also can qualify based on net worth or net income .
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said this past week that the rules that had allowed publicly traded corporations and other big companies to quickly deplete the initial $ 349 billion pot — shutting out many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned publicly held companies that got more than $ 2 million through the coronavirus stimulus program that they would be audited .
And he has asked large enterprises to voluntarily give back the money or possiblly face criminal charges if found to have cheated .
The U.S. Small Business Administration , which is overseeing the program , requires that “ borrowers still must certify in good faith that their PPP loan request is necessary , ” taking into account access to cash and credit .
“ For example , it is unlikely that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith , ” the Trump administration said April 23 .
The SBA won ’ t disclose who got the bailout money .
But some large national franchises have said they ’ ll give back the money they got after reports disclosed that .
Among them : Potbelly , the Chicago-based sandwich giant .
Read the full Watchdogs report from Tim Novak and Lauren Fitzpatrick here .
7:23 a.m. Warren Buffett confident in future despite coronavirus uncertainty OMAHA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t know how the economy will recover from the coronavirus outbreak shutdown , but he remains optimistic in the long-term future of the United States .
Buffett said Saturday at Berkshire Hathaway ’ s online annual meeting that there ’ s no way to predict the economic future right now because the possibilities are still too varied .
Berkshire ’ s meeting was held without any of the roughly 40,000 shareholders who typically attend .
“ We do not know exactly what happens when you voluntarily shut down a substantial portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it has never been done .
He said it may take several years to understand all the economic implications of the coronavirus outbreak , but it hasn ’ t changed his long-term view because the country has endured wars and depressions before .
“ I remain convinced … that nothing can basically stop America , ” Buffett said .
• Health officials announced another 105 people died of complications from the new coronavirus since Friday across Illinois , raising the state ’ s pandemic death toll to 2,559 .
Gov .
J.B. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ngozi Ezike also said Saturday that 2,450 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the state ’ s case total to 58,505 .
• A quick rise in the number of coronavirus cases among inmates held in Chicago ’ s downtown federal jail continued Friday , with the Bureau of Prisons reporting 74 inmates had tested positive , up from 48 on Thursday .
• Chicago police announced five more cases of COVID-19 Friday , bringing the number of confirmed cases in the department to 441 .
4:30 p.m. Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for stimulus checks : A note on White House letterhead President Donald Trump hijacked what should have been a routine IRS confirmation letter into a taxpayer-paid election-year messaging tool sent to millions of potential voters in Illinois and across the nation .
Folks who received their COVID-19 economic stimulus cash via direct deposit in mid-April last week received a note on White House letterhead with Trump ’ s grandiose Sharpie signature .
There ’ s a Spanish language version on the other side that Trump also signed .
The top of the letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the word Washington underneath .
The return address on the letters is from the Department of the Treasury , Internal Revenue Service , and it includes the warning , “ Official Business , ” with the penalty for private use $ 300 .
The letters , worth mentioning , were mailed through the U.S .
Postal Service , the cash-short agency Trump is angry at because of his grievances against Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos .
Trump wants to deny the USPS emergency COVID-19 aid .
2:08 p.m. Stay-at-home orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors of the church are always open Everyone has the right to church , says a federal lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of the Beloved Church , a small evangelical congregation outside of Rockford .
It is fighting Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s extension of the COVID-19 stay-at-home executive order .
The plaintiffs argue that by classifying sacred worship as “ non-essential , ” Pritzker and other public officials demonstrate “ illegal and discriminatory hostility to religious practice , churches , and people of faith ” and are “ relegating them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed by the Thomas More Society , a public interest law firm in Chicago .
“ Most faith leaders have found new ways to connect with parishioners ” via Zoom and other online outlets during the pandemic , Pritzker responded .
The governor also tweaked his executive order , to classify religious gatherings as “ essential activities.
” Illinois residents can now “ engage in the free exercise of religion , provided that such exercise must comply with social distancing requirements and the limit on gatherings of more than 10 people in keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health.
” Religious institutions are encouraged to “ use online or drive-in services to protect the health and safety of their congregants , ” Pritzker ’ s order now states .
To God , nothing is more sacred than life .
In this pandemic , I am staying home to save them .
Read Laura Washington ’ s column in its entirety here .
1:02 p.m. Mayor Lightfoot ’ s ‘ solidarity pledge ’ is a slap in the face to Chicago renters The “ Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge ” unveiled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press conference attended by bankers and real estate lobbyists but no tenants or tenants ’ unions — is a slap in the face to Chicago ’ s renters .
This non-binding and totally unenforceable pledge allows landlords to say they ’ ll go easy on tenants , for example , by eliminating late fees while providing no substantive , universal relief to struggling renters .
If Lightfoot truly cared about renters , who comprise more than half of her constituents , she ’ d use her platform to urge Gov .
J.B. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rent control through executive action and institute a rent and mortgage freeze .
She ’ d listen to the tenants and advocacy groups who have been fighting for this , to those of us warning that once the eviction moratorium is lifted , families with several months ’ of rent debt will be on the streets .
Instead , Lightfoot is listening to the deep-pocketed developers who funded her campaign and whose sole interest is protecting their profit .
Shame on her .
Read Sunday ’ s Letters to the Editor here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Suburban voters give Pritzker high marks on handling COVID-19 A recent poll shows Illinoisans strongly approve of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in Illinois and an even higher number supports his stay-at-home order .
The We Ask America/Capitol Fax poll of 800 registered voters taken April 23-24 found that 71 % approve of Pritzker ’ s handling of the state ’ s response to the outbreak , while just 23 % disapprove .
A whopping 77 % support the stay-at-home order , while only 18 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know .
And 59 % say they strongly support the order , while just 8 % strongly oppose it .
Meanwhile , the state is split on President Donald Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic .
While 48 % support his response , 49 % disapprove ; 3 % percent didn ’ t know .
A strong plurality of 48 % say they worry that states might lift their stay-at-home orders too soon , while 29 % say they worry states might be too slow ; 23 % don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news for suburban Republicans , who already appeared headed for yet another harsh November before COVID-19 .

The Latest
U.S. district judge rules Pritzker’s stay-at-home order constitutional, denies Illinois church’s lawsuit
Millennium Park sits empty in Chicago amid the stay-at-home order. Scott Olson/Getty Images
A U.S. district judge issued a ruling Sunday upholding Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order for Illinois as constitutional.
The Beloved Church of Lena, an Evangelical church located about 50 miles west of Rockford, had filed a complaint Thursday seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction in order to resume worship services with its 80 congregants.
The church and its pastor, Stephen Cassell, still held in-person service Sunday without intervention from police, though the temporary restraining order was denied.
“Given the continuing threat posed by COVID-19, the [stay-at-home] Order preserves relatively robust avenues for praise, prayer and fellowship and passes constitutional muster,” Judge John Z. Lee wrote in a 37-page decision.
Lee cited two historical cases — Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905) and Prince v. Massachusetts (1944) — which ruled that “a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease” and “the right to practice religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community...to communicable disease.”
Read the full story from reporter Ben Pope here.
News
5:30 p.m. Illinois sets new daily record by processing nearly 20K coronavirus tests, finding 2,994 new cases
Illinois processed a new daily record of 19,417 coronavirus tests Saturday and 2,994 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, health officials announced Sunday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois also suffered another 63 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the state’s coronavirus death toll to 2,618 and total case count to 61,499.
The 63 deaths mark only the third time since April 21 that the state has recorded fewer than 70 deaths in a given day, and the 19,417 tests processed shatters the previous record of 16,316 set on April 24.
The 15.4 percent infection rate — the percentage of tests that came back positive — is also lower than normal.
A total of 4,701 Illinoisans are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 1,232 occupying ICU beds. Ninety-seven of the state’s 102 counties have recorded cases.
Read the full story by Tom Schuba and Ben Pope here.
2:30 p.m. Illinois ‘getting ready for point where we can begin to reopen the economy,’ Pritzker says
Two days after hundreds of demonstrators in Chicago and Springfield protested a statewide stay-at-home order that has rendered hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans jobless in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state is now “getting ready for a point where we can begin to reopen the economy.”
During an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Pritzker said Sunday that Illinois has “really bent the curve significantly” while noting that hospitalizations have only been “increasing barely.”
On Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 977 of the 3,687 beds available in intensive care units across the state were open, although some regions of the state had more limited capacity. At hospitals in northeast Illinois, only 28 of 220 beds were available.
“We’re not through this yet, there’s no doubt, and we’ve been looking to see those numbers flatten,” Pritzker said of the number of hospitalizations. “We are seeing them flatten now.”
Read the full story by Tom Schuba here.
1:00 p.m. Faced with 19,000 dead, care homes seek shield from lawsuits
NEW YORK — Faced with 19,000 coronavirus deaths and counting, the nation’s nursing homes are pushing back against a potential flood of lawsuits with a sweeping lobbying effort to get states to grant them emergency protection from claims of inadequate care.
At least 15 states — including Illinois — have enacted laws or governors’ orders that explicitly or apparently provide nursing homes and long-term care facilities some protection from lawsuits arising from the crisis. And in the case of New York, which leads the nation in deaths in such facilities, a lobbying group wrote the first draft of a measure that apparently makes it the only state with specific protection from both civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution.
Now the industry is forging ahead with a campaign to get other states on board with a simple argument: This was an unprecedented crisis and nursing homes should not be liable for events beyond their control, such as shortages of protective equipment and testing, shifting directives from authorities, and sicknesses that have decimated staffs.
“As our care providers make these difficult decisions, they need to know they will not be prosecuted or persecuted,” read a letter sent this month from several major hospital and nursing home groups to their next big goal, California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to make a decision. Other states in their sights include Florida, Pennsylvania and Missouri.
Read the full report here.
11:45 a.m. Highland Park teen, mom teach ‘virtual’ Zumba, connecting people across the country amid pandemic
When Illinois schools started to shut down in mid-March because of COVID-19, Highland Park High School freshman Julia Kerpel didn’t want to stop teaching Zumba.
So with the help of her mom and fellow instructor Melissa Kerpel, the 15-year-old turned their unfinished basement into a fitness studio and has kept offering classes twice a week thanks to a laptop and the internet.
“We’ve had our old familiar faces and some new people from all around the country who have joined us,” said Julia, who’s believed to be one of the youngest instructors in the country licensed to teach Zumba.
Before the pandemic hit, Julia and her mom taught at Highland Park High School and the Lutz Family Center, with many participants coming from Working Together, a non-profit that supports low-income families in Highwood and Highland Park.
Just a few days after their last face-to-face class, the mother-daughter duo decided to give online teaching a try. The class went off without a hitch; participants receive instructions on how to join the class via Zoom.
“Everyone loved it,” Julia said. “We got some positive messages, and we thought, ‘Let’s keep doing it.’”
Read the full story by Suzanne McBride here.
11:13 a.m. Michigan’s governor says protesters “depicted some of the worst racism” in U.S. history
WASHINGTON — Michigan’s governor says gun-carrying protesters who demonstrated inside her state’s Capitol “depicted some of the worst racism” and “awful parts” of U.S. history.
Democrat Gretchen Whitmer tells CNN that the protests featured “Confederate Flags, and nooses,” as well as swastikas.
Members of the Michigan Liberty Militia protested the state’s stay-at-home orders this week, some with weapons and tactical gear and their faces partially covered. They went inside the Capitol, where being armed is allowed, then demanded access to the House floor, which is prohibited.
Some went to the Senate gallery, where a senator said armed men shouted at her.
Michigan’s Republican-controlled Legislature has questioned Whitmer’s authority to extend stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic. But the governor used an executive order to extend a state of emergency declaration and has directed most businesses statewide to remain closed.
Mentioned as a possible running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Whitmer said Sunday, “This isn’t something we just negotiate ourselves out of and it’s a political matter.”
“This is a public health crisis,” she said.
— Associated Press
9:42 a.m. Local artists to takeover Mayor Lightfoot’s Instagram each Sunday in May
Mayor Lori Lightfoot will once again host live performances by local artists on her Instagram in an attempt to help raise awareness and support of the Art for Illinois Relief Fund.
The performances, which will take place each Sunday in May, will feature a variety of genres. This Sunday, Lightfoot’s Instagram will broadcast performances by Luciano Antonio (10am), Opal Staples (Noon) and DJ Ayana Contreras (5-7pm).
All donations made Sunday to the Art for Illinois Relief Fund, which benefits artists and cultural organizations who have been financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic, will be matched by an anonymous donor.
As of Sunday morning, the fund has raised more than $5 million. That money goes directly to artists and arts organizations through the grantmaking partners 3Arts and Arts Work Fund.
For details, visit ArtsForIllinois.org.
— Madeline Kenney
8:45 a.m. Chicago area companies getting COVID-19 loans include railcar maker that paid CEO $2.1M
Faced with the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic, quickly rolled out the Paycheck Protection Program, aiming to keep workers on the payroll at small businesses as business dwindled because of the COVID-19 shutdowns.
Among the Chicago-area companies to benefit, records show, were:
A railcar manufacturer — which secured the maximum $10 million — that closed a factory in Virginia last year and opened a new one in Mexico while paying its CEO $2.1 million in total compensation.
A clean-energy company in Cicero that told shareholders when it announced its $9.5 million loan that COVID-19 hadn’t harmed its business.
Two companies that employ thousands of workers — well over the program’s usual 500-employee limit, though businesses also can qualify based on net worth or net income.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said this past week that the rules that had allowed publicly traded corporations and other big companies to quickly deplete the initial $349 billion pot — shutting out many mom-and-pop operations — needed tightening. He warned publicly held companies that got more than $2 million through the coronavirus stimulus program that they would be audited. And he has asked large enterprises to voluntarily give back the money or possiblly face criminal charges if found to have cheated.
The U.S. Small Business Administration, which is overseeing the program, requires that “borrowers still must certify in good faith that their PPP loan request is necessary,” taking into account access to cash and credit. “For example, it is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith,” the Trump administration said April 23.
The SBA won’t disclose who got the bailout money. But some large national franchises have said they’ll give back the money they got after reports disclosed that. Among them: Potbelly, the Chicago-based sandwich giant.
Read the full Watchdogs report from Tim Novak and Lauren Fitzpatrick here.
7:23 a.m. Warren Buffett confident in future despite coronavirus uncertainty
OMAHA, Neb. — Billionaire investor Warren Buffett doesn’t know how the economy will recover from the coronavirus outbreak shutdown, but he remains optimistic in the long-term future of the United States.
Buffett said Saturday at Berkshire Hathaway’s online annual meeting that there’s no way to predict the economic future right now because the possibilities are still too varied. Berkshire’s meeting was held without any of the roughly 40,000 shareholders who typically attend.
“We do not know exactly what happens when you voluntarily shut down a substantial portion of your society,” Buffett said because it has never been done. He said it may take several years to understand all the economic implications of the coronavirus outbreak, but it hasn’t changed his long-term view because the country has endured wars and depressions before.
“I remain convinced … that nothing can basically stop America,” Buffett said.
Read the full report here.
New cases
Health officials announced another 105 people died of complications from the new coronavirus since Friday across Illinois, raising the state’s pandemic death toll to 2,559. Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike also said Saturday that 2,450 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the state’s case total to 58,505.
A quick rise in the number of coronavirus cases among inmates held in Chicago’s downtown federal jail continued Friday, with the Bureau of Prisons reporting 74 inmates had tested positive, up from 48 on Thursday.
Chicago police announced five more cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the department to 441.
Analysis & Commentary
4:30 p.m. Trump’s blatant taxpayer-paid ploy to grab credit for stimulus checks: A note on White House letterhead
President Donald Trump hijacked what should have been a routine IRS confirmation letter into a taxpayer-paid election-year messaging tool sent to millions of potential voters in Illinois and across the nation.
Folks who received their COVID-19 economic stimulus cash via direct deposit in mid-April last week received a note on White House letterhead with Trump’s grandiose Sharpie signature.
There’s a Spanish language version on the other side that Trump also signed. The top of the letter says “The White House” with the word Washington underneath.
The return address on the letters is from the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and it includes the warning, “Official Business,” with the penalty for private use $300.
The letters, worth mentioning, were mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, the cash-short agency Trump is angry at because of his grievances against Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. Trump wants to deny the USPS emergency COVID-19 aid.
Read the full commentary from Washington bureau chief Lynn Sweet.
2:08 p.m. Stay-at-home orders or not, with technology, the doors of the church are always open
Everyone has the right to church, says a federal lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of the Beloved Church, a small evangelical congregation outside of Rockford. It is fighting Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s extension of the COVID-19 stay-at-home executive order.
The plaintiffs argue that by classifying sacred worship as “non-essential,” Pritzker and other public officials demonstrate “illegal and discriminatory hostility to religious practice, churches, and people of faith” and are “relegating them to second-class citizenship.” The lawsuit was filed by the Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm in Chicago.
“Most faith leaders have found new ways to connect with parishioners” via Zoom and other online outlets during the pandemic, Pritzker responded.
The governor also tweaked his executive order, to classify religious gatherings as “essential activities.” Illinois residents can now “engage in the free exercise of religion, provided that such exercise must comply with social distancing requirements and the limit on gatherings of more than 10 people in keeping with CDC guidelines for the protection of public health.”
Religious institutions are encouraged to “use online or drive-in services to protect the health and safety of their congregants,” Pritzker’s order now states.
To God, nothing is more sacred than life. In this pandemic, I am staying home to save them.
Read Laura Washington’s column in its entirety here.
1:02 p.m. Mayor Lightfoot’s ‘solidarity pledge’ is a slap in the face to Chicago renters
The “Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge” unveiled by Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday — at a press conference attended by bankers and real estate lobbyists but no tenants or tenants’ unions — is a slap in the face to Chicago’s renters.
This non-binding and totally unenforceable pledge allows landlords to say they’ll go easy on tenants, for example, by eliminating late fees while providing no substantive, universal relief to struggling renters.
If Lightfoot truly cared about renters, who comprise more than half of her constituents, she’d use her platform to urge Gov. J.B. Pritzker to repeal a statewide ban on rent control through executive action and institute a rent and mortgage freeze.
She’d listen to the tenants and advocacy groups who have been fighting for this, to those of us warning that once the eviction moratorium is lifted, families with several months’ of rent debt will be on the streets.
Instead, Lightfoot is listening to the deep-pocketed developers who funded her campaign and whose sole interest is protecting their profit. Shame on her.
Read Sunday’s Letters to the Editor here.
7:30 a.m. Warning for Illinois GOP: Suburban voters give Pritzker high marks on handling COVID-19
A recent poll shows Illinoisans strongly approve of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in Illinois and an even higher number supports his stay-at-home order.
The We Ask America/Capitol Fax poll of 800 registered voters taken April 23-24 found that 71% approve of Pritzker’s handling of the state’s response to the outbreak, while just 23% disapprove.
A whopping 77% support the stay-at-home order, while only 18% oppose it and 4% don’t know. And 59% say they strongly support the order, while just 8% strongly oppose it.
Meanwhile, the state is split on President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic. While 48% support his response, 49% disapprove; 3% percent didn’t know.
A strong plurality of 48% say they worry that states might lift their stay-at-home orders too soon, while 29% say they worry states might be too slow; 23% don’t know.
The results included really bad news for suburban Republicans, who already appeared headed for yet another harsh November before COVID-19.
Read Rich Miller’s full column here.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--U.S. district judge rules Pritzker’s stay-at-home order constitutional

A U.S. district judge issued a ruling Sunday upholding Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order for Illinois as constitutional .
The Beloved Church of Lena , an Evangelical church located about 50 miles west of Rockford , had filed a complaint Thursday seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction in order to resume worship services with its 80 congregants .
The church and its pastor , Stephen Cassell , still held in-person service Sunday without intervention from police , though the temporary restraining order was denied .
“ Given the continuing threat posed by COVID-19 , the [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for praise , prayer and fellowship and passes constitutional muster , ” Judge John Z. Lee wrote in a 37-page decision .
Lee cited two historical cases — Jacobson v. Massachusetts ( 1905 ) and Prince v. Massachusetts ( 1944 ) — which ruled that “ a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease ” and “ the right to practice religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community ... to communicable disease.
” The ruling comes as a major victory for Pritzker and other Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines during the remainder of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Thursday lawsuit , filed by the Thomas More Society on behalf of The Beloved Church , had been the first significant legal challenge to Illinois ’ stay-at-home order in federal court .
The church , which had continued holding services during the pandemic until being given a cease-and-desist order by Stephenson County officials on March 31 , had accused Pritzker of “ hostility to religious exercise.
” It claimed the stay-at-home order violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments , as well as several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , determined the case ’ s claims to be rendered partially moot by the order revision that went into place Friday , allowing religious gatherings with no more than 10 people to begin taking place .
He still considered the church ’ s claims in regards to prior damages , though , but ultimately also denied those complaints .
Lee opined that the stay-at-home order does not target religious organizations because churches are more comparable to ( similarly closed ) schools and movie theaters — in their educational purpose and architectural layout — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the lawsuit had given as examples of secular establishments allowed to remain open .
Although Lee admitted the “ broader societal and political debate ” about balancing health and economic interests during the pandemic is beyond the court ’ s scope , he nonetheless declared the stay-at-home order “ satisfies minimal constitutional requirements as they pertain to religious organizations .
”

A U.S. district judge issued a ruling Sunday upholding Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order for Illinois as constitutional.
The Beloved Church of Lena, an Evangelical church located about 50 miles west of Rockford, had filed a complaint Thursday seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction in order to resume worship services with its 80 congregants.
The church and its pastor, Stephen Cassell, still held in-person service Sunday without intervention from police, though the temporary restraining order was denied.
“Given the continuing threat posed by COVID-19, the [stay-at-home] Order preserves relatively robust avenues for praise, prayer and fellowship and passes constitutional muster,” Judge John Z. Lee wrote in a 37-page decision.
Lee cited two historical cases — Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905) and Prince v. Massachusetts (1944) — which ruled that “a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease” and “the right to practice religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community...to communicable disease.”
The ruling comes as a major victory for Pritzker and other Illinois officials hoping to continue strict social distancing guidelines during the remainder of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Thursday lawsuit, filed by the Thomas More Society on behalf of The Beloved Church, had been the first significant legal challenge to Illinois’ stay-at-home order in federal court.
The church, which had continued holding services during the pandemic until being given a cease-and-desist order by Stephenson County officials on March 31, had accused Pritzker of “hostility to religious exercise.” It claimed the stay-at-home order violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as several Illinois state laws.
Lee, however, determined the case’s claims to be rendered partially moot by the order revision that went into place Friday, allowing religious gatherings with no more than 10 people to begin taking place.
He still considered the church’s claims in regards to prior damages, though, but ultimately also denied those complaints.
Lee opined that the stay-at-home order does not target religious organizations because churches are more comparable to (similarly closed) schools and movie theaters — in their educational purpose and architectural layout — than grocery stores and manufacturing plants, which the lawsuit had given as examples of secular establishments allowed to remain open.
Although Lee admitted the “broader societal and political debate” about balancing health and economic interests during the pandemic is beyond the court’s scope, he nonetheless declared the stay-at-home order “satisfies minimal constitutional requirements as they pertain to religious organizations.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--42 shot — 4 fatally — in Chicago weekend shootings so far

Four people were killed and 38 others were wounded in shootings across Chicago so far over the first weekend of May .
The most recent fatal attack happened early Sunday in Gage Park on the Southwest Side .
Two men , 35 and 36 , were shot by someone wearing all black at 1:13 a.m. in a yard in the 5200 block of South Troy Street , according to Chicago police .
The 35-year-old was hit multiple times and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
The other man was shot twice in each leg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good condition .
Another man was killed late Saturday in Brainerd on the South Side .
The 27-year-old was found with gunshot wounds to the chest , back and legs at 11:05 p.m. on the front steps of a home in the 9200 block of South Eggleston Avenue , police said .
He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , where he was pronounced dead , police said .
Earlier that morning , a 30-year-old man was shot to death in McKinley Park on the South Side .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. in the 1600 block of West 35th Street when a male pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest , according to police .
He was taken to Stroger Hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
Another man was fatally shot Friday night in West Englewood on the South Side .
The 35-year-old was dropped off at Holy Cross Hospital about 11:45 p.m. with a gunshot wound to the chest , police said .
He was pronounced dead .
Detectives later learned he was shot during an argument in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office has not released details about the fatalities .
Twenty-one of the weekend ’ s victims were shot in a seven-hour period from Saturday night to Sunday morning , including five teenagers wounded in a drive-by in Lawndale on the West Side .
Someone in a gray , four-door sedan fired shots at a “ large gathering ” about 3:35 a.m. Sunday on 13th Street , according to police .
All five victims were hit in their legs .
A 15-year-old boy , a 17-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Stroger Hospital in fair condition .
Two other men , 18 and 19 , were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , also in fair condition , police said .
Less than half an hour before that , a 20-year-old man was shot at a gas station in the same neighborhood .
He had just exited the station and was walking to a vehicle when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in the hip at 3:10 a.m. in the 4400 block of West Roosevelt Road , police said .
A friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he was transferred to Stroger Hospital in good condition .
About 10 minutes earlier , a man was critically wounded in Heart of Chicago on the Lower West Side .
The 32-year-old was found on the street at 2:59 a.m. with gunshot wounds to his arm , abdomen and leg in the 2100 block of West 23rd Street , according to police .
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
Minutes before that , another man was critically wounded in Englewood on the South Side .
The 35-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2:50 a.m. in the 6700 block of South Loomis Boulevard , police said .
A friend drove him to Holy Cross Hospital and he was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
About 45 minutes earlier , another person was shot on the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side .
The male was riding in the back seat of a vehicle at 2:06 a.m. when he was shot on northbound I-94 near 75th Street , according to Illinois State Police .
He later walked into a hospital and was treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midnight , a man was shot on Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park on the North Side .
He was a passenger in a vehicle about 12:10 a.m. in the 1600 block of North Lake Shore Drive when he was shot in the abdomen , police said .
He didn ’ t see who shot him .
He was driven to Weiss Memorial Hospital and was transferred to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition .
About 20 minutes before that , another man was shot while driving in Lawndale .
The 23-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 3200 block of West Douglas Boulevard when someone shot at him from a passing dark-colored vehicle , according to police .
He was hit in the leg and arm and drove himself to Saint Anthony Hospital , where he was listed in fair condition .
Minutes earlier , a woman was shot while riding in a vehicle in the same neighborhood .
The 26-year-old was riding in the back seat of a vehicle at 11:43 p.m. in the 1200 block of South Christiana Avenue when she heard shots and realized she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mount Sinai Medical Center on her own and was listed in good condition .
Less than 15 minutes before that , another woman was shot in Englewood .
The 33-year-old was standing with a group near a vehicle about 11:30 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Ada Street when someone fired shots , possibly from a gray Chevrolet Impala , police said .
She was struck in the chest and wrist .
A friend drove her to St. Bernard Hospital , and she was transferred to Stroger Hospital in fair condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand just over half an hour earlier in West Pullman on the Far South Side .
Officers responding to a ShotSpotter report of gunfire at 10:54 p.m. found the 19-year-old shot in the index finger in the 11800 block of South Yale Avenue , according to police .
He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital in good condition .
About 20 minutes before that , a 19-year-old man was wounded in Brainerd .
The man was shot about 10:35 p.m. in the 9200 block of South Normal Avenue , police said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition .
Just over 30 minutes earlier , a man was shot on the Near West Side .
The 18-year-old was on the sidewalk about 10 p.m. in the 1100 block of South Laflin Street when someone shot him in the calf , police said .
He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition .
Another man was shot a minute earlier in McKinley Park on the South Side .
The 32-year-old was standing in an alley at 9:59 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pain in the 3700 block of South Damen Avenue , according to police .
He told investigators he didn ’ t know where the shots came from .
He was hit in both legs and driven by a friend to Stroger Hospital , where he was listed in serious condition .
Earlier Saturday night , a 36-year-old woman was shot in Logan Square on the Northwest Side .
She was driving about 8:35 p.m. in the 1800 block of North Sawyer Avenue when someone in a gray sedan shot her in the finger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norwegian-American Hospital and was listed in good condition .
On Saturday afternoon , three people were injured in a single shooting in South Shore .
They were in a parking lot about 4:10 p.m. in the 1900 block of East 79th Street when someone walked up and opened fire , police said .
A woman , 22 , was struck in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center .
A 28-year-old man who was shot in the calf and a 29-year-old man who was shot in the foot showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later .
All three were in fair condition .
At least 16 other people have been shot across the city since 5 p.m. Friday .
Last weekend , three people were killed and 16 others were wounded in shootings across the city .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Chicago saw a dramatic uptick in gun violence over the first weekend of May, with four people killed and 42 others wounded.
The most recent fatal attack happened early Sunday in Gage Park on the Southwest Side.
Two men, 35 and 36, were shot by someone wearing all black at 1:13 a.m. in a yard in the 5200 block of South Troy Street, according to Chicago police.
The 35-year-old, Gabriel Perez, was hit multiple times and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. The other man was shot twice in each leg and was taken to the same hospital in good condition.
Another man was killed late Saturday in Brainerd on the South Side.
The 27-year-old was found with gunshot wounds to the chest, back and legs at 11:05 p.m. on the front steps of a home in the 9200 block of South Eggleston Avenue, police said. Khalil T. Porter was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and pronounced dead, according to the medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled a homicide.
Earlier that morning, a 30-year-old man was shot to death in McKinley Park on the South Side.
Eric Chapman Jr. was involved in an argument about 2:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of West 35th Street when a male pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest, authorities said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead.
Another man was fatally shot Friday night in West Englewood on the South Side.
The 35-year-old was dropped off at Holy Cross Hospital about 11:45 p.m. with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said. He was pronounced dead. Detectives later learned he was shot during an argument in the 1900 block of West 61st Street.
Twenty-one of the weekend’s victims were shot in a seven-hour period from Saturday night to Sunday morning, including five teenagers wounded in a drive-by in Lawndale on the West Side.
Someone in a gray, four-door sedan fired shots at a “large gathering” about 3:35 a.m. Sunday on 13th Street, according to police. All five victims were hit in their legs. A 15-year-old boy, a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition. Two other men, 18 and 19, were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, also in fair condition, police said.
Less than half an hour before that, a 20-year-old man was shot at a gas station in the same neighborhood.
He had just exited the station and was walking to a vehicle when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in the hip at 3:10 a.m. in the 4400 block of West Roosevelt Road, police said. A friend drove him to Rush University Medical Center and he was transferred to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
About 10 minutes earlier, a man was critically wounded in Heart of Chicago on the Lower West Side.
The 32-year-old was found on the street at 2:59 a.m. with gunshot wounds to his arm, abdomen and leg in the 2100 block of West 23rd Street, according to police. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
Minutes before that, another man was critically wounded in Englewood on the South Side.
The 35-year-old was shot twice in the leg about 2:50 a.m. in the 6700 block of South Loomis Boulevard, police said. A friend drove him to Holy Cross Hospital and he was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
About 45 minutes earlier, another person was shot on the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side.
The male was riding in the back seat of a vehicle at 2:06 a.m. when he was shot on northbound I-94 near 75th Street, according to Illinois State Police. He later walked into a hospital and was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Shortly after midnight, a man was shot on Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park on the North Side.
He was a passenger in a vehicle about 12:10 a.m. in the 1600 block of North Lake Shore Drive when he was shot in the abdomen, police said. He didn’t see who shot him. He was driven to Weiss Memorial Hospital and was transferred to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition.
About 20 minutes before that, another man was shot while driving in Lawndale.
The 23-year-old was driving about 11:50 p.m. Saturday in the 3200 block of West Douglas Boulevard when someone shot at him from a passing dark-colored vehicle, according to police. He was hit in the leg and arm and drove himself to Saint Anthony Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition.
Minutes earlier, a woman was shot while riding in a vehicle in the same neighborhood.
The 26-year-old was riding in the back seat of a vehicle at 11:43 p.m. in the 1200 block of South Christiana Avenue when she heard shots and realized she was hit, police said. She went to Mount Sinai Medical Center on her own and was listed in good condition.
Less than 15 minutes before that, another woman was shot in Englewood.
The 33-year-old was standing with a group near a vehicle about 11:30 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Ada Street when someone fired shots, possibly from a gray Chevrolet Impala, police said. She was struck in the chest and wrist. A friend drove her to St. Bernard Hospital, and she was transferred to Stroger Hospital in fair condition.
A man was shot in the hand just over half an hour earlier in West Pullman on the Far South Side.
Officers responding to a ShotSpotter report of gunfire at 10:54 p.m. found the 19-year-old shot in the index finger in the 11800 block of South Yale Avenue, according to police. He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital in good condition.
About 20 minutes before that, a 19-year-old man was wounded in Brainerd.
The man was shot about 10:35 p.m. in the 9200 block of South Normal Avenue, police said. He was hit multiple times in the lower body and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition.
Just over 30 minutes earlier, a man was shot on the Near West Side.
The 18-year-old was on the sidewalk about 10 p.m. in the 1100 block of South Laflin Street when someone shot him in the calf, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
Another man was shot a minute earlier in McKinley Park on the South Side.
The 32-year-old was standing in an alley at 9:59 p.m. when he heard gunshots and felt pain in the 3700 block of South Damen Avenue, according to police. He told investigators he didn’t know where the shots came from. He was hit in both legs and driven by a friend to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition.
Earlier Saturday night, a 36-year-old woman was shot in Logan Square on the Northwest Side.
She was driving about 8:35 p.m. in the 1800 block of North Sawyer Avenue when someone in a gray sedan shot her in the finger, police said. She went to Norwegian-American Hospital and was listed in good condition.
On Saturday afternoon, three people were injured in a single shooting in South Shore.
They were in a parking lot about 4:10 p.m. in the 1900 block of East 79th Street when someone walked up and opened fire, police said. A woman, 22, was struck in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. A 28-year-old man who was shot in the calf and a 29-year-old man who was shot in the foot showed up at Trinity Hospital a short while later. All three were in fair condition.
At least 20 other people were shot across the city between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
The tally is more than double the reported shootings from the weekend before, when three people were killed and 16 others were wounded — although temperatures were considerably lower then.
The last weekend that had highs both days in the 60s — Easter weekend — tallied 21 shot, three fatally.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--3 wounded in Gresham shooting

3 wounded in Gresham shooting

Three men were shot Sunday in Gresham on the South Side .
The trio were outside about 5:25 p.m. in @ @ @ @ @ Paulina Street when someone in a light-colored vehicle pulled up and opened fire , Chicago @ @ @ @ @ , 29 , was struck in the foot and taken to Holy Cross Hospital , @ @ @ @ @ police said .
Another 29-year-old was struck in the in the buttocks , and a @ @ @ @ @ lower back , police said .
Both were stabilized at Christ Medical Center in Oak @ @ @ @ @ crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Three men were shot Sunday in Gresham on the South Side.
The trio were outside about 5:25 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Paulina Street when someone in a light-colored vehicle pulled up and opened fire, Chicago police said.
One man, 29, was struck in the foot and taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was stabilized, police said.
Another 29-year-old was struck in the in the buttocks, and a 23-year-old was shot in the lower back, police said. Both were stabilized at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
Area Two detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--Person critically wounded in River North stabbing

A person is in critical condition after being stabbed Sunday in River North .
He got into a fight with @ @ @ @ @ outside a store in the 600 block of North Clark Street , Chicago police said @ @ @ @ @ a knife and stabbed him in the torso .
The male was taken to Northwestern @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s @ @

A person is in critical condition after being stabbed Sunday in River North.
He got into a fight with a female about 3:40 p.m. outside a store in the 600 block of North Clark Street, Chicago police said. The female pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the torso.
The male was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, police said.
Area Three detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--Armed robberies reported in Englewood: police

Police are warning Englewood residents about three armed robberies last month in the South Side neighborhood .
In each incident @ @ @ @ @ approached someone on the street , threatened them with a gun and took their property @ @ @ @ @ said .
· About 2:10 a.m. April 9 in the 7400 block of South Halsted @ @ @ @ @ p.m. and 4:20 p.m. April 24 in the 6900 block of South Halsted Street ; @ @ @ @ @ April 28 in the 7400 block of South Halsted Street .
Anyone with information is @ @ @ @ @ detectives at 312-7470-8382 .

Police are warning Englewood residents about three armed robberies last month in the South Side neighborhood.
In each incident, two or three men approached someone on the street, threatened them with a gun and took their property or vehicle, Chicago police said.
The robberies happened:
· About 2:10 a.m. April 9 in the 7400 block of South Halsted Street;
· Between 4 p.m. and 4:20 p.m. April 24 in the 6900 block of South Halsted Street; and
· About 7:45 p.m. April 28 in the 7400 block of South Halsted Street.
Anyone with information is asked to call Area Central detectives at 312-7470-8382.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--WATCH: Gatorade releases new ‘Be Like Mike’ ad with Zion Williamson, Elena Delle Donne and Jayson Ta

WATCH: Gatorade releases new ‘Be Like Mike’ ad with Zion Williamson, Elena Delle Donne and Jayson Tatum

Gatorade on Sunday released a refreshed version of its classic “ Be Like Mike ” commercial , with appearances from Pelican ’ s Zion Williamson , the Mystics ’ Elena Delle Donne and the Celtics ’ Jayson Tatum .
The 30-second spot , which debuted on Twitter shortly before ESPN aired the fifth and sixth episodes of “ The Last Dance , ” intertwined clips from the original ad with home videos of Williamson , Delle Donne and Tatum playing basketball in their driveways .
The three players , who are rare , exceptional athletes in their own rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Tatum are signed to the Jordan brand .
Meanwhile , Delle Donne — possibly the only player of the trio who can remember watching Jordan soar live — looked up to MJ growing up .
The original “ Be Like Mike ” campaign , which debuted in 1992 , inspired a generation of basketball players to emulate Michael Jordan ’ s greatness both on and off the court .
The hope is that Delle Donne , Williamson and Tatum will do the same for the next generation .
Gatorade also created GIFs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ad , which can be found on GIPHY and used on Twitter , and added the “ Be Like Mike ” jingle to TikTok and Instagram stories .
Watch the first “ Be Like Mike ” ad from 1992

Gatorade on Sunday released a refreshed version of its classic “Be Like Mike” commercial, with appearances from Pelican’s Zion Williamson, the Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne and the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum.
The 30-second spot, which debuted on Twitter shortly before ESPN aired the fifth and sixth episodes of “The Last Dance,” intertwined clips from the original ad with home videos of Williamson, Delle Donne and Tatum playing basketball in their driveways.
The three players, who are rare, exceptional athletes in their own rights, have ties to Michael Jordan.
Williamson and Tatum are signed to the Jordan brand. Meanwhile, Delle Donne — possibly the only player of the trio who can remember watching Jordan soar live — looked up to MJ growing up.
The original “Be Like Mike” campaign, which debuted in 1992, inspired a generation of basketball players to emulate Michael Jordan’s greatness both on and off the court. The hope is that Delle Donne, Williamson and Tatum will do the same for the next generation.
Gatorade also created GIFs from the first “Be Like Mike” ad, which can be found on GIPHY and used on Twitter, and added the “Be Like Mike” jingle to TikTok and Instagram stories.
Watch the first “Be Like Mike” ad from 1992