chicagosun-times--2020-08-22--Blackhawks offseason preview: NHL draft, Corey Crawford contract top Hawks’ to-do list

In his 11 years as Blackhawks general manager , Stan Bowman has never seen an NHL offseason like the one that lies ahead .
In fact , he ’ s practically viewing it as a new era altogether .
“ In the past , the system we had was — even if not official — based on the concept of a rising [ salary ] cap , ” Bowman said during his end-of-year media availability Friday .
“ The comparable contracts were based on that .
Now , we ’ ll have a different phenomenon.
” With the salary cap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next two years , Bowman foresees an inevitable market correction coming .
Few teams will have money to spend , few teams will be able to meet free agents ’ contract demands , and values will be driven down .
And the stagnant cap is just the biggest of numerous changes this offseason .
All the action that normally happens in June and July has been pushed to October .
The draft will be held entirely online .
And no one knows exactly when , or how , the 2020-21 season will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the Hawks front office still have a packed to-do list .
Here ’ s an overview of all the storylines and events coming this offseason : The draft is set to take place online Oct. 9 and 10 , and the Hawks will have their usual array of picks .
Their first-round selection will be roughly in the middle of the order — 17th .
They also hold not their own second-round pick but the Penguins ’ , and both their own and the Flames ’ third-round picks , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sixth-round picks .
Unlike last year , when the Hawks ’ selection of center Kirby Dach third overall set the tone for the rest of the first round , the Hawks ’ options will be more affected by other teams this year .
They need prospect depth at forward , and an abundance of solid players are projected go between picks 10 and 25 .
Names to watch include Seth Jarvis , an undersized but high-scoring wing from the WHL ; Connor Zary , a well-rounded center also from the Western Hockey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing from Sweden ; and Dylan Holloway , a strong-framed center who played with recent Hawks signee Wyatt Kalynuk this past season at Wisconsin .
Other forwards such as Dawson Mercer , Hendrix Lapierre , Rodion Amirov and Jan Mysak could also be in the mix .
The Hawks could also make a splash by picking Russian goaltender Yaroslav Askarov , who will take years to develop but is seen by some as a potential once-in-a-generation goalie .
The Hawks ’ list of restricted free agents — who will only stay restricted if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long this year : forwards Dylan Strome , Dominik Kubalik and Drake Caggiula ; defenseman Slater Koekkoek and goalie Malcolm Subban .
The flat cap will make it difficult for Bowman to re-sign all of those players and also keep unrestricted-free-agent goalie Corey Crawford ( more on him below ) .
“ We do have some decisions to make , ” Bowman said .
“ We have some ideas on what we ’ re going to do .
That process is starting right now .
[ I ’ ve ] had a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we ’ ll have more over the coming weeks .
It ’ s our job to figure out how we ’ ll have flexibility , as well as making sure we keep the players we need to keep.
” Kubalik ’ s 30-goal rookie season cranked up his value .
He and the Hawks may be best served by negotiating a two-year bridge deal at around $ 4 million annually , which would give Kubalik the chance to prove he ’ s not a one-hit wonder — setting himself up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hawks financially in the short term .
Strome , meanwhile , saw his stock fall during an up-and-down season .
His inability to click on the wing , and Dach ’ s emergence as the permanent No .
2 center , bumped him to the third line in the playoffs .
His next cap hit may be around $ 3 million .
Caggiula and Koekkoek were both solid role players this year , and Bowman had especially complimentary words for Koekkoek on Friday , but the cap crunch makes their futures in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one at the NHL level , but he ’ s a huge one .
Finding a way to keep Crawford , or solving the goalie conundrum through another method , is agenda item No .
1 for Bowman this fall .
“ That ’ s a top priority , getting goaltending situated for next year , ” he said .
“ But I don ’ t have that mapped out right now.
” Crawford ’ s expiring contract carried a $ 6 million cap hit ; the Hawks probably can ’ t afford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a career-long Hawk — would take a discount in the $ 3- to $ 4 million range , but he has no obligation to do so .
Theoretically , the Hawks could promote Subban — if they re-sign him — or AHL starter Collin Delia to be their starting NHL goalie next year , but that would be risky .
Bowman also could look to bring in another unrestricted free agent if Crawford leaves , but money will be just as big an issue then .
The top unrestricted goalies — Robin Lehner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will probably be too pricey .
Islanders co-starter Thomas Greiss , Stars ace backup Anton Khudobin or Flames journeyman Cam Talbot could be viable options .
The Hawks could , and likely will , use buyouts to give themselves more cap space— at least enough to have a fighting chance of re-signing Crawford , Strome and Kubalik without a salary-dump trade .
The obvious candidates are defenseman Olli Maatta , although his strangely fantastic postseason complicates the decision , and forward Zack Smith .
Bowman also could try to trade Maatta .
Buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of the next two seasons .
Buying out Smith would save $ 2.2 million next season .
If either defenseman Brent Seabrook ( $ 6.9 million cap hit ) or winger Andrew Shaw ( $ 3.9 million ) isn ’ t ready for next season and goes back on long-term injured reserve , that also would free up more cap space , but both veterans have said they plan to be ready for 2020-21 .
The salary crunch , no matter how it affects personnel changes this offseason , means the Hawks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be too different from the 2019-20 one .
“ We ’ ll have a similar group , not the same group , ” Bowman said .
“ There ’ ll be some new faces .
But there ’ ll be fewer brand new faces to the Blackhawks.
” That last sentence implies many of the Hawks ’ additions will be internal .
Top defensive prospect Ian Mitchell is finally coming in ; sought-after European import forward Pius Suter also recently signed .
Forward prospects Brandon Hagel and Philipp Kurashev and defensemen Lucas Carlsson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too .
One noticeably missing part of this preview is the “ free-agent signings ” category .
That ’ s because the Hawks are unlikely to make any substantial out-of-town free-agent additions , outside of maybe a goaltender .
While unrestricted free agents Taylor Hall , Alex Pietrangelo , Mike Hoffman and Torey Krug will make headlines , the Hawks will not be involved in those sweepstakes .
Instead , their offseason activity will be less dramatic and more cautious , largely shuffling around their own puzzle pieces .

In his 11 years as Blackhawks general manager, Stan Bowman has never seen an NHL offseason like the one that lies ahead.
In fact, he’s practically viewing it as a new era altogether.
“In the past, the system we had was — even if not official — based on the concept of a rising [salary] cap,” Bowman said during his end-of-year media availability Friday. “The comparable contracts were based on that. Now, we’ll have a different phenomenon.”
With the salary cap staying flat at $81.5 million for the next two years, Bowman foresees an inevitable market correction coming. Few teams will have money to spend, few teams will be able to meet free agents’ contract demands, and values will be driven down.
And the stagnant cap is just the biggest of numerous changes this offseason.
All the action that normally happens in June and July has been pushed to October. The draft will be held entirely online. And no one knows exactly when, or how, the 2020-21 season will happen.
That said, Bowman and the rest of the Hawks front office still have a packed to-do list. Here’s an overview of all the storylines and events coming this offseason:
The draft
The draft is set to take place online Oct. 9 and 10, and the Hawks will have their usual array of picks. Their first-round selection will be roughly in the middle of the order — 17th. They also hold not their own second-round pick but the Penguins’, and both their own and the Flames’ third-round picks, in addition to their own fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks.
Unlike last year, when the Hawks’ selection of center Kirby Dach third overall set the tone for the rest of the first round, the Hawks’ options will be more affected by other teams this year.
They need prospect depth at forward, and an abundance of solid players are projected go between picks 10 and 25.
Names to watch include Seth Jarvis, an undersized but high-scoring wing from the WHL; Connor Zary, a well-rounded center also from the Western Hockey League; Noel Gunler, an offensive-minded wing from Sweden; and Dylan Holloway, a strong-framed center who played with recent Hawks signee Wyatt Kalynuk this past season at Wisconsin.
Other forwards such as Dawson Mercer, Hendrix Lapierre, Rodion Amirov and Jan Mysak could also be in the mix.
The Hawks could also make a splash by picking Russian goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, who will take years to develop but is seen by some as a potential once-in-a-generation goalie.
The Blackhawks’ first-round pick in this year’s all-online NHL draft won’t get the same photoshoot that Kirby Dach enjoyed last year. AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
Restricted free agents
The Hawks’ list of restricted free agents — who will only stay restricted if they are tendered qualifying offers — is long this year: forwards Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik and Drake Caggiula; defenseman Slater Koekkoek and goalie Malcolm Subban.
The flat cap will make it difficult for Bowman to re-sign all of those players and also keep unrestricted-free-agent goalie Corey Crawford (more on him below).
“We do have some decisions to make,” Bowman said. “We have some ideas on what we’re going to do. That process is starting right now. [I’ve] had a couple of meetings since we finished the season, and we’ll have more over the coming weeks. It’s our job to figure out how we’ll have flexibility, as well as making sure we keep the players we need to keep.”
Kubalik’s 30-goal rookie season cranked up his value. He and the Hawks may be best served by negotiating a two-year bridge deal at around $4 million annually, which would give Kubalik the chance to prove he’s not a one-hit wonder — setting himself up for a huge 2022 payday — without swamping the Hawks financially in the short term.
Strome, meanwhile, saw his stock fall during an up-and-down season. His inability to click on the wing, and Dach’s emergence as the permanent No. 2 center, bumped him to the third line in the playoffs. His next cap hit may be around $3 million.
Caggiula and Koekkoek were both solid role players this year, and Bowman had especially complimentary words for Koekkoek on Friday, but the cap crunch makes their futures in Chicago uncertain.
Dylan Strome’s next contract is one of the Hawks’ top priorities this offseason. Getty
Unrestricted free agents
The Hawks only have one at the NHL level, but he’s a huge one. Finding a way to keep Crawford, or solving the goalie conundrum through another method, is agenda item No. 1 for Bowman this fall.
“That’s a top priority, getting goaltending situated for next year,” he said. “But I don’t have that mapped out right now.”
Crawford’s expiring contract carried a $6 million cap hit; the Hawks probably can’t afford that anymore. Ideally, Crawford — a career-long Hawk — would take a discount in the $3- to $4 million range, but he has no obligation to do so.
Theoretically, the Hawks could promote Subban — if they re-sign him — or AHL starter Collin Delia to be their starting NHL goalie next year, but that would be risky.
Bowman also could look to bring in another unrestricted free agent if Crawford leaves, but money will be just as big an issue then. The top unrestricted goalies — Robin Lehner, Braden Holtby and Jacob Markstrom — will probably be too pricey.
Islanders co-starter Thomas Greiss, Stars ace backup Anton Khudobin or Flames journeyman Cam Talbot could be viable options.
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman has a tough task ahead of him. AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski
Buyouts
The Hawks could, and likely will, use buyouts to give themselves more cap space— at least enough to have a fighting chance of re-signing Crawford, Strome and Kubalik without a salary-dump trade.
The obvious candidates are defenseman Olli Maatta, although his strangely fantastic postseason complicates the decision, and forward Zack Smith. Bowman also could try to trade Maatta.
Buying out Maatta would save $3.4 million each of the next two seasons. Buying out Smith would save $2.2 million next season.
If either defenseman Brent Seabrook ($6.9 million cap hit) or winger Andrew Shaw ($3.9 million) isn’t ready for next season and goes back on long-term injured reserve, that also would free up more cap space, but both veterans have said they plan to be ready for 2020-21.
Next year’s team
The salary crunch, no matter how it affects personnel changes this offseason, means the Hawks’ 2020-21 roster probably won’t be too different from the 2019-20 one.
“We’ll have a similar group, not the same group,” Bowman said. “There’ll be some new faces. But there’ll be fewer brand new faces to the Blackhawks.”
That last sentence implies many of the Hawks’ additions will be internal. Top defensive prospect Ian Mitchell is finally coming in; sought-after European import forward Pius Suter also recently signed. Forward prospects Brandon Hagel and Philipp Kurashev and defensemen Lucas Carlsson and Nicolas Beaudin will contend for jobs, too.
One noticeably missing part of this preview is the “free-agent signings” category. That’s because the Hawks are unlikely to make any substantial out-of-town free-agent additions, outside of maybe a goaltender.
While unrestricted free agents Taylor Hall, Alex Pietrangelo, Mike Hoffman and Torey Krug will make headlines, the Hawks will not be involved in those sweepstakes.
Instead, their offseason activity will be less dramatic and more cautious, largely shuffling around their own puzzle pieces.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-22--3 hurt in Lawndale shooting

3 hurt in Lawndale shooting

Three people were shot and wounded , one of them critically , Saturday in Lawndale on the West Side .
@ @ @ @ @ a.m. in the 1100 block of South Albany Avenue , Chicago police said .
A @ @ @ @ @ with a gunshot wound to her leg and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical @ @ @ @ @ A 20-year-old man shot in the arm and leg was taken to the same hospital @ @ @ @ @ 32-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to his foot and was taken to Stroger Hospital @ @ @ @ @ said .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Three people were shot and wounded, one of them critically, Saturday in Lawndale on the West Side.
The shooting happened at 2:53 a.m. in the 1100 block of South Albany Avenue, Chicago police said.
A 37-year-old woman was found outside with a gunshot wound to her leg and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, police said. A 20-year-old man shot in the arm and leg was taken to the same hospital in good condition.
A 32-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to his foot and was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said.
Area Four detectives are investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-22--Some of Chicago’s top athletes spent $500K to raze a liquor store

Motivated by the police killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests , some of Chicago ’ s most prominent athletes took a bus tour of the South Austin neighborhood in early June .
They found a food desert — one grocery store and 10 liquor stores .
They made a promise before they stepped off the bus .
A half-million dollars and less than 11 weeks later , they delivered .
Led by former Bears linebacker Sam Acho , who first recruited them for the bus tour , the athletes purchased Belmonte Cut Rate Liquor at 423 N. Laramie Ave. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hand Club for Kids .
They knocked down the building and on Wednesday replaced it with a pop-up grocery store , Austin Harvest , run by kids from the club ’ s after-school program .
“ It started with that vision , ” Acho said .
“ We just had the vision of using all our sadness and our anger and channeling it into the right direction.
” Others had tried to buy the liquor store before to help make the neighborhood safer from customers who lingered outside and engaged in “ tomfoolery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the owner refused to budge until the coronavirus pandemic and looting changed his mind .
It cost $ 500,000 to buy the building , raze it and replace it with a temporary structure .
Donations from $ 1,000 to $ 100,000 came from a who ’ s who of local athletes : the Blackhawks ’ Jonathan Toews and Malcolm Subban ; the Bears ’ Mitch Trubisky , Charles Leno , Isaiah Irving and Sherrick McManis ; the Bulls ’ Ryan Arcidiacono and Max Strus ; the White Sox ’ Lucas Giolito ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kipnis ; the Sky ’ s Diamond DeShields ; Northwestern alums Austin Carr and Tyler Lancaster ; Jets center Jimmy Murray , a Loyola Academy graduate ; and former Bears Chase Daniel ( now with the Lions ) and Israel Idonije .
Even Cardinals star Paul Goldschmidt donated .
So did Bears general manager Ryan Pace .
“ I think it ’ s important , just getting a bunch of athletes together , especially in the Chicago area , to come together for a positive cause , ” Trubisky said .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social media — it ’ s actually getting together with the community to try to make a positive difference .
And this is something we felt is very important : to get down into one of the neighborhoods that needed help .
They weren ’ t getting any groceries , let alone fresh food .
.
.
.
Hopefully it ’ s a trickle effect throughout the city that we can get going.
” Giolito said last month he hopes to do more of the same across Chicago — and beyond .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ model going forward we can apply to a lot of communities around Chicago , ” he said .
“ And even expand across the United States.
” A nine-year NFL veteran who played for the Bears from 2015 to 2018 and the Buccaneers last year , Acho is still working out in hopes of landing on a team this season .
As a vice president of the NFL Players Association , he has been encouraged by protocols the union helped negotiate to prevent coronavirus outbreaks and play a full season .
“ Originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no way they ’ d be able to pull it off , ” Acho said .
“ But now , for the first time I believe the season can happen , and it can happen safely.
” Whether he plays or not , Acho never stays stagnant .
He has been active in community work since joining his parents on a medical mission to Nigeria at age 15 .
He wrote a book , “ Let the World See You , ” that comes out Oct. 13 .
And his work isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It will be open Mondays , Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. — but only for 12 weeks .
By then , he hopes to find a way to have a more permanent structure on the property .
“ The pop-up thing is temporary , ” he said .
“ When it gets cold , we ’ ve got to figure something out .
”

Motivated by the police killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests, some of Chicago’s most prominent athletes took a bus tour of the South Austin neighborhood in early June. They found a food desert — one grocery store and 10 liquor stores.
They made a promise before they stepped off the bus.
A half-million dollars and less than 11 weeks later, they delivered.
Led by former Bears linebacker Sam Acho, who first recruited them for the bus tour, the athletes purchased Belmonte Cut Rate Liquor at 423 N. Laramie Ave., next door to the By the Hand Club for Kids. They knocked down the building and on Wednesday replaced it with a pop-up grocery store, Austin Harvest, run by kids from the club’s after-school program.
“It started with that vision,” Acho said. “We just had the vision of using all our sadness and our anger and channeling it into the right direction.”
Others had tried to buy the liquor store before to help make the neighborhood safer from customers who lingered outside and engaged in “tomfoolery,” as Acho put it. But the owner refused to budge until the coronavirus pandemic and looting changed his mind.
It cost $500,000 to buy the building, raze it and replace it with a temporary structure. Donations from $1,000 to $100,000 came from a who’s who of local athletes: the Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews and Malcolm Subban; the Bears’ Mitch Trubisky, Charles Leno, Isaiah Irving and Sherrick McManis; the Bulls’ Ryan Arcidiacono and Max Strus; the White Sox’ Lucas Giolito; the Cubs’ Jason Heyward and Jason Kipnis; the Sky’s Diamond DeShields; Northwestern alums Austin Carr and Tyler Lancaster; Jets center Jimmy Murray, a Loyola Academy graduate; and former Bears Chase Daniel (now with the Lions) and Israel Idonije.
Even Cardinals star Paul Goldschmidt donated. So did Bears general manager Ryan Pace.
“I think it’s important, just getting a bunch of athletes together, especially in the Chicago area, to come together for a positive cause,” Trubisky said. “And it’s not just doing stuff on social media — it’s actually getting together with the community to try to make a positive difference. And this is something we felt is very important: to get down into one of the neighborhoods that needed help. They weren’t getting any groceries, let alone fresh food. . . . Hopefully it’s a trickle effect throughout the city that we can get going.”
Giolito said last month he hopes to do more of the same across Chicago — and beyond.
“This is, like, the model going forward we can apply to a lot of communities around Chicago,” he said. “And even expand across the United States.”
A nine-year NFL veteran who played for the Bears from 2015 to 2018 and the Buccaneers last year, Acho is still working out in hopes of landing on a team this season. As a vice president of the NFL Players Association, he has been encouraged by protocols the union helped negotiate to prevent coronavirus outbreaks and play a full season.
“Originally, I thought there’d be no way they’d be able to pull it off,” Acho said. “But now, for the first time I believe the season can happen, and it can happen safely.”
Whether he plays or not, Acho never stays stagnant. He has been active in community work since joining his parents on a medical mission to Nigeria at age 15. He wrote a book, “Let the World See You,” that comes out Oct. 13.
And his work isn’t done with the grocery store. It will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. — but only for 12 weeks. By then, he hopes to find a way to have a more permanent structure on the property.
“The pop-up thing is temporary,” he said. “When it gets cold, we’ve got to figure something out.”


chicagosun-times--2020-08-22--Woman beaten, robbed in Lincoln Park: police

Three minors were arrested after allegedly punching and robbing a woman Friday in Lincoln Park on the North Side .
@ @ @ @ @ before 10:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of North Sheffield Avenue when the three boys @ @ @ @ @ her purse , Chicago police said .
When they were unsuccessful , they punched the @ @ @ @ @ threw her to the ground , police said .
They ran off with her purse @ @ @ @ @ suspects were taken into custody about half an hour later at the CTA Armitage Brown @ @ @ @ @ Armitage Ave. , police said .
Charges are pending .
The victim declined medical treatment @ @ @ @ @ said .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Three minors were arrested after allegedly punching and robbing a woman Friday in Lincoln Park on the North Side.
The 23-year-old was walking shortly before 10:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of North Sheffield Avenue when the three boys approached and tried to grab her purse, Chicago police said.
When they were unsuccessful, they punched the woman in the face and threw her to the ground, police said. They ran off with her purse and other items.
The suspects were taken into custody about half an hour later at the CTA Armitage Brown Line station, 944 W. Armitage Ave., police said. Charges are pending.
The victim declined medical treatment for her injuries, police said.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-22--Keep on marching for justice — the way heroes of the civil rights movement showed us how

The following suggestions for how to protest are based on my experiences as a civil rights activist and photographer , in marches in the South and North , with civil rights heroes past and present .
1 .
Marches must be peaceful and designed to change laws ; rid the country of illegal , oppressive or harmful practices ; remove from office bigoted and hateful politicians ; educate and inspire .
2 .
Marchers never destroy , tear down , vandalize , taunt , set fires , damage or injure people or property .
Period .
3 .
Limit marchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better control .
Marches often delay traffic , but that should never be the goal .
4 .
Experienced and trusted protesters should be in the front line of all marches .
They know what should and should not be done when confronted by police , infiltrators or groups with opposing objectives .
5 .
If you march , leave your bicycles , skateboards and roller skates at home .
Bicycles and skateboards have been used as weapons .
6 .
Absolutely no umbrellas allowed .
Let the “ umbrella babies ” be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do : infiltrate peaceful protests to vandalize and engage in violent action .
Marchers must not give unwitting cover to those who come to sow discord and create an atmosphere of violence and hate .
7 .
Marchers with anger management issues must stay home .
Any violence by protesters will play a starring role in Trump campaign ads shown repeatedly around the country .
8 .
Find creative ways to march peacefully and respectfully , in small groups in neighborhoods , on issues important to families living there .
9 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don ’ t get distracted by issues of little immediate importance .
Marches should focus on issues that make revolution unnecessary .
10 .
Before marching , watch news clips of men and women like Dr. Martin Luther King , Rosa Parks , John Lewis and others .
They marched , stood and knelt with dignity .
These actions spoke to the heart and soul of America and changed our country forever .
We must do no less .
While I photographed Dr. King in Soldier Field on July 10 , 1966 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I am still convinced that there is nothing more powerful to dramatize and expose a social evil than the tramp , tramp , tramp of marching feet.
” So , let ’ s keep on marching .
It ’ s always helpful to puzzle through statistics as Mona Charen did in her column on Aug 21 .
Charen pointed out that “ there are many more single adult households than in times past .
So ‘ household income ’ can appear lower , when the income of individuals has actually increased.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ also helpful to keep questioning the interpretations of statistics .
Earlier in the article , Charen argued that middle class wages have not stagnated over the past 30 years because “ since 1990 , the wages of typical workers ( not managers or supervisors ) have increased by 33 % .
Maybe that ’ s not enough , but it ’ s not stagnation.
” Seems worse than stagnation to me since , due to inflation , prices have increased by 98 % over those 30 years .
Every day , Trump takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Americans are expected to vote by mail in record numbers this fall .
Trump appointed a postmaster general who immediately began to remove mail-sorting machines and mail boxes , and to cancel overtime , guaranteeing that mail delivery would slow down .
Trump ’ s campaign is now suing several states to impede voters casting ballots by mail , claiming widespread fraud despite a lack of evidence .
Now he says he will send cops as “ poll watchers ” on Election Day .
This is pure intimidation .
We are seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy , our precious right to vote .
Speakers at the Democratic Convention were absolutely right when they said our nation is facing one of its most crucial elections , Our democracy is at a crossroads .
In one direction is a continuation of our basic institutions , in the other is the destruction of our way of life by the rise of a dictator .
It is essential that all Americans have the opportunity to cast their votes in a timely and safe manner .
We can ’ t let Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Nov. 3 , it will be the end of the United States of America ’ s ” Grand Experiment .
”

The following suggestions for how to protest are based on my experiences as a civil rights activist and photographer, in marches in the South and North, with civil rights heroes past and present.
1. Marches must be peaceful and designed to change laws; rid the country of illegal, oppressive or harmful practices; remove from office bigoted and hateful politicians; educate and inspire.
2. Marchers never destroy, tear down, vandalize, taunt, set fires, damage or injure people or property. Period.
3. Limit marchers from six to eight people across for better control. Marches often delay traffic, but that should never be the goal.
4. Experienced and trusted protesters should be in the front line of all marches. They know what should and should not be done when confronted by police, infiltrators or groups with opposing objectives.
5. If you march, leave your bicycles, skateboards and roller skates at home. Bicycles and skateboards have been used as weapons.
6. Absolutely no umbrellas allowed. Let the “umbrella babies” be exposed for who they are and what they do: infiltrate peaceful protests to vandalize and engage in violent action. Marchers must not give unwitting cover to those who come to sow discord and create an atmosphere of violence and hate.
7. Marchers with anger management issues must stay home. Any violence by protesters will play a starring role in Trump campaign ads shown repeatedly around the country.
8. Find creative ways to march peacefully and respectfully, in small groups in neighborhoods, on issues important to families living there.
SEND LETTERS TO: letters@suntimes.com. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be approximately 350 words or less.
9. Choose your civil rights marches wisely. Don’t get distracted by issues of little immediate importance. Marches should focus on issues that make revolution unnecessary.
10. Before marching, watch news clips of men and women like Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, John Lewis and others. They marched, stood and knelt with dignity. These actions spoke to the heart and soul of America and changed our country forever. We must do no less.
While I photographed Dr. King in Soldier Field on July 10, 1966, he spoke these words from the podium: “I am still convinced that there is nothing more powerful to dramatize and expose a social evil than the tramp, tramp, tramp of marching feet.”
So, let’s keep on marching.
Bernard Kleina, Wheaton
Income inequality is reality, not myth
It’s always helpful to puzzle through statistics as Mona Charen did in her column on Aug 21.
Charen pointed out that “there are many more single adult households than in times past. So ‘household income’ can appear lower, when the income of individuals has actually increased.” Makes sense.
It’s also helpful to keep questioning the interpretations of statistics. Earlier in the article, Charen argued that middle class wages have not stagnated over the past 30 years because “since 1990, the wages of typical workers (not managers or supervisors) have increased by 33%. Maybe that’s not enough, but it’s not stagnation.”
Seems worse than stagnation to me since, due to inflation, prices have increased by 98% over those 30 years.
Kevin Coughlin, Evanston
Save democracy on Nov. 3
Every day, Donald Trump takes another action to compromise our upcoming election. Americans are expected to vote by mail in record numbers this fall. Trump appointed a postmaster general who immediately began to remove mail-sorting machines and mail boxes, and to cancel overtime, guaranteeing that mail delivery would slow down. Trump’s campaign is now suing several states to impede voters casting ballots by mail, claiming widespread fraud despite a lack of evidence.
Now he says he will send cops as “poll watchers” on Election Day. This is pure intimidation.
We are seeing the destruction of the cornerstone of our democracy, our precious right to vote. Speakers at the Democratic convention were absolutely right when they said our nation is facing one of its most crucial elections, Our democracy is at a crossroads. In one direction is a continuation of our basic institutions, in the other is the destruction of our way of life by the rise of a dictator.
It is essential that all Americans have the opportunity to cast their votes in a timely and safe manner. We can’t let Trump destroy that opportunity. If he wins on Nov. 3, it will be the end of the United States of America’s “Grand Experiment.”
Karen Wagner, Rolling Meadows


chicagosun-times--2020-08-22--Man killed, 2 hurt in Austin shooting: police

A man was shot to death and two other people were injured Saturday in Austin on the West Side .
@ @ @ @ @ 12:13 a.m. in the 800 block of North Lorel Avenue when someone got out of @ @ @ @ @ opened fire , according to Chicago police .
A 26-year-old man was shot in the @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , where he was @ @ @ @ @ County medical examiner ’ s office has not released details about the fatality .
A @ @ @ @ @ woman were each hit in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition @ @ @ @ @ one is in custody as Area Four detectives investigate .
Read more on crime , @ @ @ @ @ s homicides .

A man was shot to death and two other people were injured Saturday in Austin on the West Side.
They were standing outside at 12:13 a.m. in the 800 block of North Lorel Avenue when someone got out of a black Jeep Cherokee and opened fire, according to Chicago police.
A 26-year-old man was shot in the neck, chest and leg, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as Ronald J. Boyd, of Austin. Autopsy results found he died from his gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide.
A 37-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were each hit in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition, police said.
No one is in custody as Area Four detectives investigate.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-21--Horoscope for Saturday, August 22, 2020

Horoscope for Saturday, August 22, 2020

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions until 11:15 Chicago time .
The moon is in Libra .
You will swing into work mode for the next four weeks , which is why you will be efficient , effective and productive in everything you do .
You will set the bar so high , you will even want to become healthier as you color-code your closet .
( Gasp . )
Yeehaw !
It ’ s play city for you for the next four weeks !
Accept invitations to party .
Enjoy sports events , fun activities with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barbecues , picnics and social distancing .
Pretend your mask is a fan , which means it ’ s all about the eyes .
Home , family and your private world will be your main focus for the next four weeks .
Grab every chance to cocoon at home among familiar surroundings .
Admittedly , you might focus on home repairs and family discussions .
Oh well .
The pace of your days will accelerate in the next four weeks , because you ’ re busy !
Short trips , increased reading , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plus time spent with siblings , relatives and neighbors will give you a jam-packed schedule .
“ Show me the money !
” For the next four weeks , you ’ ll be focused on money , earnings and cash flow .
You might also contemplate a major purchase .
Some of this is because you want to expand your world and explore new ideas .
The sun is in your sign for the next four weeks giving you a chance to recharge your batteries for the rest of year .
Do whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
People and favorable situations will be attracted to you .
Today the Moon is in your sign ; however , the sun is now hiding .
It will continue to hide in your chart for the next four weeks , which gives you a perfect opportunity to contemplate your navel and think about what you want for your new year ahead — birthday to birthday .
Write down some goals .
You ’ re entering a lovely , popular time for the next four weeks .
Everyone wants to see your face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you will grab every chance to travel or learn something new because you want to expand your universe .
Midst all this , you ’ re still busting your buns !
For the next four weeks , the sun will be at the top of your chart .
This happens only once a year and it shines ( symbolically ) a spotlight on you that is flattering .
Everyone will be impressed even though it ’ s all smoke and mirrors .
More than ever , in the next four weeks , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to expand your world .
You want to travel .
You want to learn something new .
( You get the idea . )
In these difficult times of isolation and restriction , do what you can .
The next four weeks might be more intense than usual for two reasons : One is that you ’ re focused on financial matters , shared property , taxes and debt .
The other is because your sex drive will be hot !
Money and sex — a deadly combo .
( The word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in your vocabulary . )
You will need more sleep in the next four weeks because the sun will be opposite your sign , which means that symbolically speaking , in your chart , it is as far away from you as it gets all year .
( The sun is your source of energy . )
Go to bed .
Your focus will be on partnership !
Big time .
If Your Birthday Is Today Actor Ty Burrell ( 1967 ) shares your birthday .
You are sensitive to the feelings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a natural leader .
This year you will learn something that sets you in a new direction , which could be crucial for your success next year .
It ’ s a time of learning and teaching .
Explore meditation , yoga or any discipline that helps you get a better understanding of who you are .
Invest in your future self .

Moon Alert
There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions until 11:15 Chicago time. The moon is in Libra.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
You will swing into work mode for the next four weeks, which is why you will be efficient, effective and productive in everything you do. You will set the bar so high, you will even want to become healthier as you color-code your closet. (Gasp.)
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Yeehaw! It’s play city for you for the next four weeks! Accept invitations to party. Enjoy sports events, fun activities with kids, romance, social outings, barbecues, picnics and social distancing. Pretend your mask is a fan, which means it’s all about the eyes.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Home, family and your private world will be your main focus for the next four weeks. Grab every chance to cocoon at home among familiar surroundings. Admittedly, you might focus on home repairs and family discussions. Oh well.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
The pace of your days will accelerate in the next four weeks, because you’re busy! Short trips, increased reading, writing and studying, errands and appointments plus time spent with siblings, relatives and neighbors will give you a jam-packed schedule.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
“Show me the money!” For the next four weeks, you’ll be focused on money, earnings and cash flow. You might also contemplate a major purchase. Some of this is because you want to expand your world and explore new ideas.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
The sun is in your sign for the next four weeks giving you a chance to recharge your batteries for the rest of year. Do whatever you can to replenish and restore yourself! People and favorable situations will be attracted to you.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Today the Moon is in your sign; however, the sun is now hiding. It will continue to hide in your chart for the next four weeks, which gives you a perfect opportunity to contemplate your navel and think about what you want for your new year ahead — birthday to birthday. Write down some goals.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
You’re entering a lovely, popular time for the next four weeks. Everyone wants to see your face, especially younger people. Meanwhile, you will grab every chance to travel or learn something new because you want to expand your universe. Midst all this, you’re still busting your buns!
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
For the next four weeks, the sun will be at the top of your chart. This happens only once a year and it shines (symbolically) a spotlight on you that is flattering. Everyone will be impressed even though it’s all smoke and mirrors.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
More than ever, in the next four weeks, you want to get outta Dodge. You want to expand your world. You want to travel. You want to learn something new. (You get the idea.) In these difficult times of isolation and restriction, do what you can.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
The next four weeks might be more intense than usual for two reasons: One is that you’re focused on financial matters, shared property, taxes and debt. The other is because your sex drive will be hot! Money and sex — a deadly combo. (The word “casual” won’t even be in your vocabulary.)
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You will need more sleep in the next four weeks because the sun will be opposite your sign, which means that symbolically speaking, in your chart, it is as far away from you as it gets all year. (The sun is your source of energy.) Go to bed. Your focus will be on partnership! Big time.
If Your Birthday Is Today
Actor Ty Burrell (1967) shares your birthday. You are sensitive to the feelings of others, which helps make you a natural leader. This year you will learn something that sets you in a new direction, which could be crucial for your success next year. It’s a time of learning and teaching. Explore meditation, yoga or any discipline that helps you get a better understanding of who you are. Invest in your future self.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-21--Jon Lester rocked as White Sox power past Cubs

Jon Lester ’ s first three starts this season were masterful as he avoided both damage and hard contact , but the longtime ace ’ s latest two outings have been ones to forget .
On Friday night , Lester faced a White Sox lineup that came in as MLB ’ s best against left-handed pitching , with a .943 team OPS against southpaws .
“ They ’ re good .
They ’ re swinging the bats well , ” Cubs manager David Ross said before the Cubs lost 10-1 .
“ They have a ton of slug up and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re ] the big-swing home run team that can burn you at any minute.
” Lester felt that power early and often as the Sox slugged four homers off him .
There was a lot of loud contact against Lester starting in the second inning as young Sox phenom Luis Robert crushed a two-run shot to left field , giving the Sox the early lead .
He also allowed homers to Jose Abreu , Danny Mendick and Yasmani Grandal in the third and fourth innings before being removed .
Nine balls put in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 95 mph .
“ They have some damaging power throughout their whole lineup , ” Lester said .
“ Then you mix in guys like Grandal , Abreu and Edwin [ Encarnacion ] that are going to work more of the counts .
“ I feel like some of their younger guys are looking for that mistake , and they ’ re not missing it right now .
They ’ re confident against lefties — they ’ re swinging the bat well against them .
If you ’ re in there for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executing 99 of them , they ’ re gon na make you pay.
” Lester allowed eight runs and nine hits over 3 ⅔ innings , striking out three .
It was his second consecutive start in which he allowed five or more runs .
“ I feel like the hits leading up to that point have been hits that I can deal with , ” he said .
“ [ But if ] you ’ re giving up two- and three-run homers , it ’ s hard to come back from those.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ third consecutive game as he continues to get treatment on his jammed left wrist .
He received an injection Wednesday .
Ross said the Cubs waiting to see how the wrist responds .
“ He ’ s still progressing in the right direction , ” Ross said .
“ [ We ’ ll ] see how things feel after treatment [ Friday ] , if he ’ s able to hit in the cage or on the field .
Taking it day-to-day from here on out.
” Bryant is slashing .177/.271/.323 with two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games this season .
Meanwhile , right-hander Tyler Chatwood saw a specialist earlier this week after he was put on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a mid-back strain .
The visit confirmed the Cubs ’ original diagnosis .
Chatwood played long toss Friday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday .

Jon Lester’s first three starts this season were masterful as he avoided both damage and hard contact, but the longtime ace’s latest two outings have been ones to forget.
On Friday night, Lester faced a White Sox lineup that came in as MLB’s best against left-handed pitching, with a .943 team OPS against southpaws.
“They’re good. They’re swinging the bats well,” Cubs manager David Ross said before the Cubs lost 10-1. “They have a ton of slug up and down the lineup. [They’re] the big-swing home run team that can burn you at any minute.”
Lester felt that power early and often as the Sox slugged four homers off him. There was a lot of loud contact against Lester starting in the second inning as young Sox phenom Luis Robert crushed a two-run shot to left field, giving the Sox the early lead.
“Too many hard-hit balls,” Lester said.
He also allowed homers to Jose Abreu, Danny Mendick and Yasmani Grandal in the third and fourth innings before being removed. Nine balls put in play against Lester were hit at more than 95 mph.
“They have some damaging power throughout their whole lineup,” Lester said. “Then you mix in guys like Grandal, Abreu and Edwin [Encarnacion] that are going to work more of the counts.
“I feel like some of their younger guys are looking for that mistake, and they’re not missing it right now. They’re confident against lefties — they’re swinging the bat well against them. If you’re in there for 100 pitches and you’re not executing 99 of them, they’re gonna make you pay.”
Lester allowed eight runs and nine hits over 3 ⅔ innings, striking out three. It was his second consecutive start in which he allowed five or more runs.
“I feel like the hits leading up to that point have been hits that I can deal with,” he said. “[But if] you’re giving up two- and three-run homers, it’s hard to come back from those.”
Bryant, Chatwood updates
Third baseman Kris Bryant missed his third consecutive game as he continues to get treatment on his jammed left wrist. He received an injection Wednesday. Ross said the Cubs waiting to see how the wrist responds.
“He’s still progressing in the right direction,” Ross said. “[We’ll] see how things feel after treatment [Friday], if he’s able to hit in the cage or on the field. Taking it day-to-day from here on out.”
Bryant is slashing .177/.271/.323 with two home runs and four RBI in 16 games this season.
Meanwhile, right-hander Tyler Chatwood saw a specialist earlier this week after he was put on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a mid-back strain. The visit confirmed the Cubs’ original diagnosis.
Chatwood played long toss Friday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-21--Cubs looking to get creative with Aug. 31 trade deadline looming

Don ’ t look now , but MLB ’ s trade deadline is now nine days away .
The Cubs are almost halfway through their 60-game schedule and find themselves in the driver ’ s seat in the National League Central and in a great position to make a trip to the postseason .
While they fight toward a spot in October , the trade market for possible reinforcements is still starting to take shape .
“ Still too early to be able to characterize the whole market with any certainty , but there ’ s certainly a handful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their standing , ” Cubs team president Theo Epstein said .
“ [ There are ] probably fewer sellers than typical for 10 days away , but we ’ ll see how that evolves .
I still think this is the number of teams weighing more factors than usual with some of the uncertainty.
” Epstein noted that because of this year ’ s expanded playoff format , more teams are in holding patterns and trying to make a run .
The Cubs ’ bullpen has found its footing in the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into their roles after a rocky first two weeks .
A stabilized pen helps , but it still will be the Cubs ’ biggest need at the deadline .
“ I think we have an idea of what we ’ d like to do and different areas we ’ d like to address and the different ways that we could go about that , ” Epstein said .
“ I think a number of teams know that resources or financial flexibility is gon na be a factor , and that has to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing we ’ d like to do , with Brad Wieck being hurt almost the entire year and Kyle Ryan being the only lefty , [ is ] if we can get some help .
Doesn ’ t have to necessarily be a left-handed reliever , but someone who can get lefties out that would help us stabilize the pen some more .
But certainly [ I ’ m ] encouraged by the way it ’ s trending.
” Bullpen help will be on several teams ’ to-do lists , so as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider a few solutions within the organization .
Hard-throwing left-handed prospects Brailyn Marquez and 2020 second-rounder Burl Carraway are both in the team ’ s 60-man player pool and could be possible reinforcements .
The Cubs haven ’ t been afraid to pull the trigger at the trade deadline in the past , most recently acquiring Nick Castellanos from the Tigers last July .
Castellanos was the Cubs ’ best player after the trade , slashing .321/.356/.646 with 16 homers and 36 RBI in 51 games before he signed with the Reds in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different , with a significant drop in revenues because of the four-month shutdown .
That could affect the market .
“ There are a lot of years when we know we have an impactful move or two in us , ” Epstein said .
“ It ’ s just a matter of finding it and executing on it .
This year , the moves might be more complimentary , and there might be more internal solutions .
In the game overall , you might still see those big moves .
If there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s long-term needs complement another team ’ s short-term needs , you may see a big trade .
But there ’ s certainly obstacles to that industrywide and in our situation .
“ We ’ re not limiting ourselves to dreaming about big names .
We ’ re certainly open to it , if it were to happen .
We ’ ve done pretty big trades at the deadline most years , but the smaller moves where you get incrementally better in a couple of different areas , especially to address certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
”

Don’t look now, but MLB’s trade deadline is now nine days away.
The Cubs are almost halfway through their 60-game schedule and find themselves in the driver’s seat in the National League Central and in a great position to make a trip to the postseason.
While they fight toward a spot in October, the trade market for possible reinforcements is still starting to take shape.
“Still too early to be able to characterize the whole market with any certainty, but there’s certainly a handful of teams that have picked the direction based on their standing,” Cubs team president Theo Epstein said. “[There are] probably fewer sellers than typical for 10 days away, but we’ll see how that evolves. I still think this is the number of teams weighing more factors than usual with some of the uncertainty.”
Epstein noted that because of this year’s expanded playoff format, more teams are in holding patterns and trying to make a run.
The Cubs’ bullpen has found its footing in the last few weeks as several relievers have settled into their roles after a rocky first two weeks. A stabilized pen helps, but it still will be the Cubs’ biggest need at the deadline.
“I think we have an idea of what we’d like to do and different areas we’d like to address and the different ways that we could go about that,” Epstein said. “I think a number of teams know that resources or financial flexibility is gonna be a factor, and that has to be weighed into the picture.
“One thing we’d like to do, with Brad Wieck being hurt almost the entire year and Kyle Ryan being the only lefty, [is] if we can get some help. Doesn’t have to necessarily be a left-handed reliever, but someone who can get lefties out that would help us stabilize the pen some more. But certainly [I’m] encouraged by the way it’s trending.”
Bullpen help will be on several teams’ to-do lists, so as the Cubs look outside, they might also consider a few solutions within the organization. Hard-throwing left-handed prospects Brailyn Marquez and 2020 second-rounder Burl Carraway are both in the team’s 60-man player pool and could be possible reinforcements.
The Cubs haven’t been afraid to pull the trigger at the trade deadline in the past, most recently acquiring Nick Castellanos from the Tigers last July. Castellanos was the Cubs’ best player after the trade, slashing .321/.356/.646 with 16 homers and 36 RBI in 51 games before he signed with the Reds in the offseason.
But this year is different, with a significant drop in revenues because of the four-month shutdown. That could affect the market.
“There are a lot of years when we know we have an impactful move or two in us,” Epstein said. “It’s just a matter of finding it and executing on it. This year, the moves might be more complimentary, and there might be more internal solutions. In the game overall, you might still see those big moves. If there’s a perfect match and one team’s long-term needs complement another team’s short-term needs, you may see a big trade. But there’s certainly obstacles to that industrywide and in our situation.
“We’re not limiting ourselves to dreaming about big names. We’re certainly open to it, if it were to happen. We’ve done pretty big trades at the deadline most years, but the smaller moves where you get incrementally better in a couple of different areas, especially to address certain needs, can make a big difference as well.”


chicagosun-times--2020-08-22--How does coronavirus spread at a concert? Germans do a test  (LIVE UPDATES)

How does coronavirus spread at a concert ?
Germans do a test Germany held a pop concert Saturday to see how those attending could spread coronavirus if they had it .
German researchers studying COVID-19 packed part of a Leipzig arena with volunteers , collecting data in a “ real life ” simulation of a pop concert but one with strict health and safety controls .
About 1,500 people took part in the experiment run by the University Hospital in Halle , each taking a coronavirus test ahead of time , testing negative , and having to wear protective masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Researchers equipped each volunteer with contact tracers to record their routes in the arena and track the path of the aerosols — the small particles that could carry the virus — they emitted as they mingled and talked .
Fluorescent disinfectants were used to highlight which surfaces at the mock concert were touched most frequently .
7:35 p.m .
Dozens of WWII veterans to gather in Hawaii amid coronavirus pandemic Several dozen aging U.S. veterans , including some who were in Tokyo Bay as swarms of warplanes buzzed overhead and nations converged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a battleship in Pearl Harbor next month to mark the 75th anniversary of Japan ’ s surrender , even if it means the vulnerable group may be risking their lives again amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The 75th anniversary was meant to be a blockbuster event , and the veterans have been looking forward to it for years .
There were to be thousands of people watching in Hawaii as parades marched through Waikiki , vintage warbirds flying overhead , and gala dinners to honor the veterans .
Now , most in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus could infect the veterans , who range from 90 to 101 .
But about 200 people , mostly veterans , their families and government officials , will still commemorate the milestone on the USS Missouri , which hosted the surrender on Sept. 2 , 1945 , in Tokyo Bay .
University of Illinois officials expect confirmed cases of the coronavirus to rise as classes begin Monday in Champaign-Urbana but they hope routine testing and other precautions can keep spread of the virus under control on campus .
Models developed by the university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 cases during the first weeks of the fall semester , officials said in a statement this week .
Saliva testing developed at the school has already been used to test 60,000 staff and students since July .
3:05 p.m. St. Rita switches to remote learning after 2 students test positive for COVID-19 St. Rita of Cascia High School on the Southwest Side made it only a few days before it was forced to temporarily shift classes online after two students tested positive for the coronavirus .
After classes started Monday , St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families that two students had contracted the contagious respiratory virus , and several others had been in close contact with them outside of school .
School officials said they don ’ t think the virus was contracted on campus , and that exposure would ’ ve been minimal due to the safety precautions set in place .
They ’ ll revert to e-learning until at least Sept. 8 .
“ As we move on we will continue to adjust to make this the safest and most productive experience possible , ” officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have worked hard throughout the summer to improve the quality of our remote learning.
” St. Rita is thought to be the first Catholic school in Chicago to switch solely to online learning .
Read the full story by Madeline Kenney here .
2:30 p.m. Five miles away , but a different world : There was high school football in Indiana Friday night Lake Central high school is just five miles from the Illinois state line and only 20 miles from Gately Stadium , but on Friday night it felt like a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the midst of a global pandemic , while all the high school stadiums in Illinois sat silent .
Led Zeppelin and country music blared during the pregame warm-ups an hour before kick off against visiting rival Munster .
Athletic secretary Cheryl Fulk was busy setting up the gate to allow visiting fans inside and check in media members .
There was a sign that said masks were required , but no temperature checks .
“ Ticket sales were decent , ” Fulk said .
“ There are people that want to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be no game .
Everyone has an opinion .
We ’ re just trying to do it the right way.
” It was a late-arriving crowd but there wound up being a large Lake Central student section .
Even visiting Munster ’ s side had a student section , although only a few dozen adults .
There were plenty of parents in the Lake Central stands .
It was senior night , which is odd for the first game of the season .
“ We want to play the whole year but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is our last so we wanted to get that in , ” Lake Central football coach Tony Bartolomeo said .
Read the full story by Michael O ’ Brien here .
Illinois ’ monthlong coronavirus case rise took another step up Saturday — but so did the state ’ s soaring testing capacity .
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 2,356 new cases of COVID-19 , the state ’ s largest caseload in three months and the sixth day so far in August reporting 2,000 or more cases .
Previously , Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 24 , when the state logged more than 2,500 cases during the initial peak of the pandemic .
But the new cases were confirmed among a record-high 56,766 tests submitted to the state , the fourth straight day Illinois set a new testing record .
Earlier this week , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said he ’ s hopeful a “ game-changing ” new rapid , saliva-based COVID-19 test in development at the University of Illinois could soon take testing to more dramatic heights .
That ’ ll be key to lowering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has inched upward from 2.5 % in early July to 4.3 % Saturday .
Experts say that shows the virus is spreading more rapidly .
Read the full story by Mitchell Arementrout here .
1:15 p.m. A fifth of state at COVID-19 ‘ warning level ’ due to bare faces , failure to social distance — and indifference : ‘ What ’ s in it for me ?
’ As public health officials announced nearly a fifth of all Illinois counties are at a coronavirus “ warning level , ” the state on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the fifth time in the last two weeks that Illinois has amassed 2,000 cases or more in a single day .
Illinois hadn ’ t seen such a cluster of high coronavirus caseloads since its initial peak month of May — and it follows a 33-day stretch from June to July in which Illinois never surpassed more than a thousand new diagnoses in a day .
More than 37,000 people have been diagnosed with the virus over the first three weeks of August , compared to 22,925 in all of June .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ averaged more than 1,800 new cases per day over the last two weeks , almost triple the state ’ s running rate at the end of June .
Still , Illinois ’ latest cases were confirmed among 51,736 tests submitted to the state , marking a third straight day of record-high testing numbers for the state and lowering the statewide testing positivity rate over the last week to 4.3 % .
But positivity rates have increased in seven of the state ’ s 11 regions over the last week , including the downstate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9.4 % positivity — after Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s health team forced officials there to scale back capacities and operating hours at bars and restaurants .
Read the full story from Mitchell Armentrout here .
Schools across the United States are facing shortages and long delays , of up to several months , in getting this year ’ s most crucial back-to-school supplies : the laptops and other equipment needed for online learning , an Associated Press investigation has found .
The world ’ s three biggest computer companies , Lenovo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school districts they have a shortage of nearly 5 million laptops , in some cases exacerbated by Trump administration sanctions on Chinese suppliers , according to interviews with over two dozen U.S. schools , districts in 15 states , suppliers , computer companies and industry analysts .
As the school year begins virtually in many places because of the coronavirus , educators nationwide worry that computer shortfalls will compound the inequities — and the headaches for students , families and teachers .
“ This is going to be like asking an artist to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t have a kid do distance learning without a computer , ” said Tom Baumgarten , superintendent of the Morongo County School District in California ’ s Mojave Desert , where all 8,000 students qualify for free lunch and most need computers for distance learning .
Baumgarten was set to order 5,000 Lenovo Chromebooks in July when his vendor called him off , saying Lenovos were getting “ stopped by a government agency because of a component from China that ’ s not allowed here , ” he said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would arrive in time for the first day of school Aug. 26 .
The delivery date then changed to September , then October .
The district has about 4,000 old laptops that can serve roughly half of students , but what about the rest , Baumgarten asks rhetorically .
“ I ’ m very concerned that I ’ m not going to be able to get everyone a computer.
” 11:37 a.m. College students demand tuition cuts amid plans to keep classes virtual As more universities abandon plans to reopen and decide instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s leading to conflict between students who say they deserve tuition discounts and college leaders who insist remote learning is worth the full cost .
Disputes are flaring both at colleges that announced weeks ago they would stick with virtual instruction and at those that only recently lost hope of reopening their campuses .
Among the latest schools facing pressure to lower tuition are Michigan State University and Ithaca College , which scrapped plans to reopen after seeing other colleges struggle to contain coronavirus outbreaks .
The scourge has killed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Worldwide , the confirmed death toll hit 800,000 on Saturday , according to data from Johns Hopkins University , and cases were nearing 23 million .
In petitions started at dozens of universities , students arguing for reduced tuition say online classes fail to deliver the same experience they get on campus .
Video lectures are stilted and awkward , they say , and there ’ s little personal connection with professors or classmates .
NEW YORK — The world hit a grim coronavirus milestone Saturday with 800,000 confirmed deaths and close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University .
Governments have been attempting to balance public health with economic health .
Officials believe the true numbers are far higher because of a lack of testing and reporting .
In the U.S. , the nation with the most infections , health officials believe there may be 10 times more cases than the confirmed 5.6 million .
The U.S. also leads the world in deaths , with more than 175,000 .
Illinois ’ first high school sports season in the COVID-19 era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sports , including football , have been postponed till spring .
Relays in swimming are out .
Big invitationals in cross-country won ’ t happen .
Paper scorecards in golf have been replaced by a virtual equivalent .
But given the alternatives , the prevailing attitude is the glass is half-full rather than half-empty .
“ We ’ re really lucky we get to compete again , ” Evanston senior swimmer Erin Long said .
“ In the summer , a lot of people were thinking we weren ’ t going to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re grateful that we ’ re getting what we get.
” Six sports will go on this fall : boys and girls cross-country , boys and girls golf , girls tennis and girls swimming .
Some will look much the same as before the pandemic .
Other than marking balls to limit contact with opponents , tennis will proceed pretty much as usual .
Golf , socially distanced by its nature , also requires few adjustments .
One is an IHSA requirement that players wear masks except when playing a shot , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a scoring app that replaces manual scorecards .
That means no more huddling around a scoreboard post-match , waiting for results to be posted .
Slightly more than five months after it was supposed to happen , the Fire are scheduled to play a home game at Soldier Field .
And like so much else in 2020 , this event will have another COVID-19 subplot .
The Fire announced Friday night that a first-team player has tested positive for COVID-19 .
Per a statement , all other players and club members have returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lakefront debut against FC Cincinnati is still scheduled .
Previously , the Fire had no positive tests .
According to the Fire , the player is asymptomatic and self-isolated under a “ strict and detailed ” protocol .
The unnamed player did not travel with the Fire for Thursday ’ s game at Columbus , and will stay in isolation until being cleared .
The Fire medical staff is monitoring the player , who is being tested daily .
LOUISVILLE , Ky. — For five months , no rum has flowed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Maryland , drying up a crucial part of her revenue stream .
Windon ’ s tasting room remains shuttered by the coronavirus , another victim of the pandemic ’ s devastating impact on the world economy .
Like other craft distillers , Windon Distilling relied heavily on sales from people who ventured in to learn a bit about making spirits , sample the products and take home a bottle or two .
But small , independent producers — who have carved out a sizable niche in the country ’ s spirits sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 outbreak , according to a new study .
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States found that nationally , craft distillers will see an estimated 41 % of their sales — worth more than $ 700 million — evaporate because of the pandemic .
The distillers furloughed nearly one-third of their employees , its study estimated .
• Health officials announce Friday nearly a fifth of Illinois is at a “ warning level ” after 2,208 new COVID-19 cases are reported .
• More than 37,000 people have been diagnosed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of August , compared to 22,925 in all of June .
7:29 a.m. Fun and flavor of political conventions fade amid pandemic The big top is different , not gone .
But the traditional political grub fests once held outside our national political conventions have disappeared , jettisoned by a pandemic .
What fun they were ... if the pickings were good .
Outside the political wigwam was the juicy steak of journalism : private venues feeding a press hungry for news not available under the convention tent .
Party havens for hustlers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leakers , hustlers and hucksters — they were delicious .
These coveted private , invitation-only “ after-parties , ” tossed by celebs , charities , pols , major firms , and media groups , once buzzed with deals and appeals — where drinks flowed and handshakes were under the table or in a quiet corner of the room .
To a journalist , an invite to an after-party was creme ; a place where scoops were netted , scores were settled ; and new sources formed .
No more .
For now .

On Saturday. the Illinois Department of Public Health announced 2,356 new cases of COVID-19, the state’s largest caseload in three months and the sixth day so far in August reporting 2,000 or more cases. Previously, Illinois hadn’t topped that mark since May 24, when the state logged more than 2,500 cases during the initial peak of the pandemic.
Here’s what happened today in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago, the state and the nation.
News
9 p.m. How does coronavirus spread at a concert? Germans do a test
Participants wearing FFP2 protective face masks take part in the RESTART-19 Covid transmission risk assessment study in a concert setting during a break for concessions at an indoor arena during the coronavirus pandemic on August 22, 2020 in Leipzig, Germany. The study, organized by the University Hospital of Halle (Saale), simulates a live concert venue with several thousand audience members in three different scenarios in order to develop risk reduction measures for large events. Participants wear tracer devices to track their movements and sensors measure aerosol currents in the arena. All participants had to undergo a Covid-19 test within the last 48 hours and test negative in order to take part. Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Germany held a pop concert Saturday to see how those attending could spread coronavirus if they had it.
German researchers studying COVID-19 packed part of a Leipzig arena with volunteers, collecting data in a “real life” simulation of a pop concert but one with strict health and safety controls.
About 1,500 people took part in the experiment run by the University Hospital in Halle, each taking a coronavirus test ahead of time, testing negative, and having to wear protective masks throughout the day’s testing.
Researchers equipped each volunteer with contact tracers to record their routes in the arena and track the path of the aerosols — the small particles that could carry the virus — they emitted as they mingled and talked. Fluorescent disinfectants were used to highlight which surfaces at the mock concert were touched most frequently.
Read the full story here.
7:35 p.m. Dozens of WWII veterans to gather in Hawaii amid coronavirus pandemic
Several dozen aging U.S. veterans, including some who were in Tokyo Bay as swarms of warplanes buzzed overhead and nations converged to end World War II, will gather on a battleship in Pearl Harbor next month to mark the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender, even if it means the vulnerable group may be risking their lives again amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 75th anniversary was meant to be a blockbuster event, and the veterans have been looking forward to it for years. There were to be thousands of people watching in Hawaii as parades marched through Waikiki, vintage warbirds flying overhead, and gala dinners to honor the veterans.
Now, most in-person celebrations have been canceled over fears the virus could infect the veterans, who range from 90 to 101. But about 200 people, mostly veterans, their families and government officials, will still commemorate the milestone on the USS Missouri, which hosted the surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay.
Read the full story here.
5:30 p.m. Illinois officials hope testing can control coronavirus on campus
University of Illinois officials expect confirmed cases of the coronavirus to rise as classes begin Monday in Champaign-Urbana but they hope routine testing and other precautions can keep spread of the virus under control on campus.
Models developed by the university predict a few hundred confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases during the first weeks of the fall semester, officials said in a statement this week.
Saliva testing developed at the school has already been used to test 60,000 staff and students since July.
Read the full story here.
3:05 p.m. St. Rita switches to remote learning after 2 students test positive for COVID-19
St. Rita of Cascia High School on the Southwest Side made it only a few days before it was forced to temporarily shift classes online after two students tested positive for the coronavirus.
After classes started Monday, St. Rita administrators sent an email Thursday informing families that two students had contracted the contagious respiratory virus, and several others had been in close contact with them outside of school.
School officials said they don’t think the virus was contracted on campus, and that exposure would’ve been minimal due to the safety precautions set in place. They’ll revert to e-learning until at least Sept. 8.
“As we move on we will continue to adjust to make this the safest and most productive experience possible,” officials said in the email. “Our teachers have worked hard throughout the summer to improve the quality of our remote learning.”
St. Rita is thought to be the first Catholic school in Chicago to switch solely to online learning.
Read the full story by Madeline Kenney here.
2:15 p.m. Five miles away, but a different world: There was high school football in Indiana Friday night
Lake Central high school is just five miles from the Illinois state line and only 20 miles from Gately Stadium, but on Friday night it felt like a different world.
There was high school football in the midst of a global pandemic, while all the high school stadiums in Illinois sat silent.
Led Zeppelin and country music blared during the pregame warm-ups an hour before kick off against visiting rival Munster. Athletic secretary Cheryl Fulk was busy setting up the gate to allow visiting fans inside and check in media members. There was a sign that said masks were required, but no temperature checks.
“Ticket sales were decent,” Fulk said. “There are people that want to come and people that are fighting for there to be no game. Everyone has an opinion. We’re just trying to do it the right way.”
It was a late-arriving crowd but there wound up being a large Lake Central student section. Even visiting Munster’s side had a student section, although only a few dozen adults.
There were plenty of parents in the Lake Central stands. It was senior night, which is odd for the first game of the season.
“We want to play the whole year but we are playing each day like it is our last so we wanted to get that in,” Lake Central football coach Tony Bartolomeo said.
Read the full story by Michael O’Brien here.
1:20 p.m. 2,356 new Illinois coronavirus cases after record testing day
Illinois’ monthlong coronavirus case rise took another step up Saturday — but so did the state’s soaring testing capacity.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 2,356 new cases of COVID-19, the state’s largest caseload in three months and the sixth day so far in August reporting 2,000 or more cases. Previously, Illinois hadn’t topped that mark since May 24, when the state logged more than 2,500 cases during the initial peak of the pandemic.
But the new cases were confirmed among a record-high 56,766 tests submitted to the state, the fourth straight day Illinois set a new testing record. Earlier this week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he’s hopeful a “game-changing” new rapid, saliva-based COVID-19 test in development at the University of Illinois could soon take testing to more dramatic heights.
That’ll be key to lowering the statewide seven-day testing positivity rate, which has inched upward from 2.5% in early July to 4.3% Saturday. Experts say that shows the virus is spreading more rapidly.
Read the full story by Mitchell Arementrout here.
1:15 p.m. A fifth of state at COVID-19 ‘warning level’ due to bare faces, failure to social distance — and indifference: ‘What’s in it for me?’
As public health officials announced nearly a fifth of all Illinois counties are at a coronavirus “warning level,” the state on Friday reported 2,208 new cases of COVID-19 — the fifth time in the last two weeks that Illinois has amassed 2,000 cases or more in a single day.
Illinois hadn’t seen such a cluster of high coronavirus caseloads since its initial peak month of May — and it follows a 33-day stretch from June to July in which Illinois never surpassed more than a thousand new diagnoses in a day.
More than 37,000 people have been diagnosed with the virus over the first three weeks of August, compared to 22,925 in all of June. That’s as the state has averaged more than 1,800 new cases per day over the last two weeks, almost triple the state’s running rate at the end of June.
Still, Illinois’ latest cases were confirmed among 51,736 tests submitted to the state, marking a third straight day of record-high testing numbers for the state and lowering the statewide testing positivity rate over the last week to 4.3%.
But positivity rates have increased in seven of the state’s 11 regions over the last week, including the downstate Metro East region which is now at 9.4% positivity — after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s health team forced officials there to scale back capacities and operating hours at bars and restaurants.
Read the full story from Mitchell Armentrout here.
12:55 p.m. Schools face shortages on critical supplies needed for online learning
Schools across the United States are facing shortages and long delays, of up to several months, in getting this year’s most crucial back-to-school supplies: the laptops and other equipment needed for online learning, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The world’s three biggest computer companies, Lenovo, HP and Dell, have told school districts they have a shortage of nearly 5 million laptops, in some cases exacerbated by Trump administration sanctions on Chinese suppliers, according to interviews with over two dozen U.S. schools, districts in 15 states, suppliers, computer companies and industry analysts.
As the school year begins virtually in many places because of the coronavirus, educators nationwide worry that computer shortfalls will compound the inequities — and the headaches for students, families and teachers.
“This is going to be like asking an artist to paint a picture without paint. You can’t have a kid do distance learning without a computer,” said Tom Baumgarten, superintendent of the Morongo County School District in California’s Mojave Desert, where all 8,000 students qualify for free lunch and most need computers for distance learning.
Baumgarten was set to order 5,000 Lenovo Chromebooks in July when his vendor called him off, saying Lenovos were getting “stopped by a government agency because of a component from China that’s not allowed here,” he said. He switched to HPs and was told they would arrive in time for the first day of school Aug. 26. The delivery date then changed to September, then October. The district has about 4,000 old laptops that can serve roughly half of students, but what about the rest, Baumgarten asks rhetorically. “I’m very concerned that I’m not going to be able to get everyone a computer.”
Read the full story here.
11:37 a.m. College students demand tuition cuts amid plans to keep classes virtual
As more universities abandon plans to reopen and decide instead to keep classes online this fall, it’s leading to conflict between students who say they deserve tuition discounts and college leaders who insist remote learning is worth the full cost.
Disputes are flaring both at colleges that announced weeks ago they would stick with virtual instruction and at those that only recently lost hope of reopening their campuses. Among the latest schools facing pressure to lower tuition are Michigan State University and Ithaca College, which scrapped plans to reopen after seeing other colleges struggle to contain coronavirus outbreaks.
The scourge has killed more than 175,000 people in the United States. Worldwide, the confirmed death toll hit 800,000 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and cases were nearing 23 million.
In petitions started at dozens of universities, students arguing for reduced tuition say online classes fail to deliver the same experience they get on campus. Video lectures are stilted and awkward, they say, and there’s little personal connection with professors or classmates.
Read the full story here.
10:32 a.m. World hits 800,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, nearly 23 million confirmed cases
NEW YORK — The world hit a grim coronavirus milestone Saturday with 800,000 confirmed deaths and close to 23 million confirmed cases.
That’s according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Governments have been attempting to balance public health with economic health.
Officials believe the true numbers are far higher because of a lack of testing and reporting. In the U.S., the nation with the most infections, health officials believe there may be 10 times more cases than the confirmed 5.6 million. The U.S. also leads the world in deaths, with more than 175,000.
Read the full story here.
10:07 a.m. High school swimming, cross-country alter competitions due to COVID-19
Illinois’ first high school sports season in the COVID-19 era will be missing a lot.
Several sports, including football, have been postponed till spring. Relays in swimming are out. Big invitationals in cross-country won’t happen. Paper scorecards in golf have been replaced by a virtual equivalent.
But given the alternatives, the prevailing attitude is the glass is half-full rather than half-empty.
“We’re really lucky we get to compete again,” Evanston senior swimmer Erin Long said. “In the summer, a lot of people were thinking we weren’t going to get a season at all. We’re grateful that we’re getting what we get.”
Six sports will go on this fall: boys and girls cross-country, boys and girls golf, girls tennis and girls swimming.
Some will look much the same as before the pandemic. Other than marking balls to limit contact with opponents, tennis will proceed pretty much as usual.
Golf, socially distanced by its nature, also requires few adjustments. One is an IHSA requirement that players wear masks except when playing a shot, and another is the switch to iWanamaker, a scoring app that replaces manual scorecards.
That means no more huddling around a scoreboard post-match, waiting for results to be posted.
Read the full story here.
8:19 a.m. COVID-19 hanging over Fire home debut
Slightly more than five months after it was supposed to happen, the Fire are scheduled to play a home game at Soldier Field. And like so much else in 2020, this event will have another COVID-19 subplot.
The Fire announced Friday night that a first-team player has tested positive for COVID-19. Per a statement, all other players and club members have returned consecutive negative tests. Tuesday night’s lakefront debut against FC Cincinnati is still scheduled.
Previously, the Fire had no positive tests.
According to the Fire, the player is asymptomatic and self-isolated under a “strict and detailed” protocol. The unnamed player did not travel with the Fire for Thursday’s game at Columbus, and will stay in isolation until being cleared. The Fire medical staff is monitoring the player, who is being tested daily.
Read the full story here.
7:27 a.m. Craft distillers see sales evaporate amid pandemic
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For five months, no rum has flowed for visitors at Jaime Windon’s distillery in Maryland, drying up a crucial part of her revenue stream. Windon’s tasting room remains shuttered by the coronavirus, another victim of the pandemic’s devastating impact on the world economy.
Like other craft distillers, Windon Distilling relied heavily on sales from people who ventured in to learn a bit about making spirits, sample the products and take home a bottle or two. But small, independent producers — who have carved out a sizable niche in the country’s spirits sector — have been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a new study.
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States found that nationally, craft distillers will see an estimated 41% of their sales — worth more than $700 million — evaporate because of the pandemic.
The distillers furloughed nearly one-third of their employees, its study estimated.
Read the full story here.
New Cases
Health officials announce Friday nearly a fifth of Illinois is at a “warning level” after 2,208 new COVID-19 cases are reported.
after 2,208 new COVID-19 cases are reported. Chicago Fire player tests positive for COVID-19
More than 37,000 people have been diagnosed with the virus over the first three weeks of August, compared to 22,925 in all of June.
Five Notre Dame football players test positive for COVID-19.
Analysis & Commentary
7:29 a.m. Fun and flavor of political conventions fade amid pandemic
It’s no longer a circus.
The big top is different, not gone. But the traditional political grub fests once held outside our national political conventions have disappeared, jettisoned by a pandemic.
What fun they were ... if the pickings were good.
Outside the political wigwam was the juicy steak of journalism: private venues feeding a press hungry for news not available under the convention tent. Party havens for hustlers, glad handers, gadflies, lugubrious leakers, hustlers and hucksters — they were delicious.
These coveted private, invitation-only “after-parties,” tossed by celebs, charities, pols, major firms, and media groups, once buzzed with deals and appeals — where drinks flowed and handshakes were under the table or in a quiet corner of the room.
To a journalist, an invite to an after-party was creme; a place where scoops were netted, scores were settled; and new sources formed.
No more. For now.
Read more of Michael Sneed’s pre-pandemic convention memories.


chicagosun-times--2020-08-22--Dozens of WWII veterans to gather in Hawaii amid coronavirus pandemic

PEARL HARBOR , Hawaii — Several dozen aging U.S. veterans , including some who were in Tokyo Bay as swarms of warplanes buzzed overhead and nations converged to end World War II , will gather on a battleship in Pearl Harbor next month to mark the 75th anniversary of Japan ’ s surrender , even if it means the vulnerable group may be risking their lives again amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The 75th anniversary was meant to be a blockbuster event , and the veterans have been looking forward to it for years .
There were to be thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marched through Waikiki , vintage warbirds flying overhead , and gala dinners to honor the veterans .
Now , most in-person celebrations have been canceled over fears the virus could infect the veterans , who range from 90 to 101 .
But about 200 people , mostly veterans , their families and government officials , will still commemorate the milestone on the USS Missouri , which hosted the surrender on Sept. 2 , 1945 , in Tokyo Bay .
It comes as Oahu — Hawaii ’ s most populated island and the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alarming spike in coronavirus cases in the past two weeks , forcing many restrictions to be reinstated , including a ban on gatherings of more than five people and the closure of all beaches .
“ I ’ ve been told what I need to do in order to be responsible for myself but also toward others , ” said WWII veteran Jerry Pedersen , who was aboard the USS Missouri and watched the Japanese surrender .
“ I can ’ t hug the people that I ’ d like to hug.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sacramento , California , for the commemoration , turned 95 on Wednesday .
“ No , I ’ m not concerned particularly , ” he said .
“ If we would do in life everything the way we ’ ve been told to handle this pandemic , we ’ d come through it pretty good.
” Officials plan to keep the veterans socially distanced while they are honored in front of livestreaming cameras instead of live crowds of thousands , as was first planned .
“ I want to go back because that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , what happened , why we were there , the fact that it was the end of the realities of war and killing and all , it was the first day that I had to start answering , ‘ What am I going to do with the rest of my life ?
’ ” Pedersen said .
He said he reflects on Gen. Douglas MacArthur ’ s words “ that we ’ ve got to pursue in peace what we won in war .
And I made a decision that day that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And my life has been that.
” Pedersen became a pastor after the war .
But as cities and states see new waves of COVID-19 , some medical experts are questioning the safety of having dozens of vulnerable war heroes flying to Hawaii from all over the United States .
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong , who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of California , San Francisco , said older people are more at risk from COVID-19 , especially if they have illnesses like lung or heart disease or diabetes .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very pronounced , ” Chin-Hong said .
“ I continue to be concerned about … the impacts of infection on the elderly , not only on acquiring it , but mainly on progressing from infection to disease and being in the ICU and then dying.
” The veterans will board a flight reserved just for them from Oakland to Honolulu .
That flight will be about half full , but they need to get to Oakland before the jet shuttles them across the Pacific .
Chin-Hong says that segment of the trip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s more unpredictable .
He said that ensuring the veterans know the risk is important .
“ As long as people have the information … that ’ s all I can really hope for.
” But taking into account the human element of why these men want to attend the ceremony is also important , he said .
“ For somebody who may not live to see the next anniversary … the risk benefit calculus becomes a little bit different , ” Chin-Hong said of the aging group .
“ I feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about risk and benefit in different ways.
” Once in Hawaii , the veterans will be isolated in hotels except when attending mostly outdoor events with health screenings and social distancing .
The public is not invited , and workers will be continuously screened .
WWII veteran Art Albert , who had come to Hawaii for every commemoration , had promised loved ones that he would make it to the 75th anniversary .
But he died in June .
“ Somehow , he and the Missouri just connected .
Every year as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill with tears as he saw what he called his ‘ first home , ’ ” Albert ’ s wife , Sherry , said by email , referring to the USS Missouri .
Michael Carr , president and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association , which operates the museum the battleship has become , was friends with Albert .
Of the veterans , he said that “ despite the travel restrictions , despite the pandemic dangers , they are determined to be here.
” As of Wednesday , about 60 veterans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attend , but the number has fluctuated as some who wanted to come have died and others have requested to participate last minute .
Hawaii is expected to grant modified quarantine orders for those traveling for the anniversary , allowing them to attend the official ceremony and other events .
Otherwise , people coming to the islands are required to quarantine for two weeks .
Gov .
David Ige ’ s office said this week that the details are still under review but that the state will do everything possible to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Mark Esper and other senior U.S. officials plan to attend the events at Pearl Harbor .
John Supple , a Defense Department spokeman , said Esper is aware of the recent spike of COVID-19 cases on Oahu and everyone in his entourage will be tested for coronavirus before they arrive in Hawaii .
Pedersen , the veteran , says that while the enemy was more defined in 1945 , the globe is still at war in many ways .
“ We had an enemy that we could see , and we knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today are injustice .
It ’ s the lack of respecting the dignity and freedom of every single individual , ” Pedersen said .

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Several dozen aging U.S. veterans, including some who were in Tokyo Bay as swarms of warplanes buzzed overhead and nations converged to end World War II, will gather on a battleship in Pearl Harbor next month to mark the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender, even if it means the vulnerable group may be risking their lives again amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 75th anniversary was meant to be a blockbuster event, and the veterans have been looking forward to it for years. There were to be thousands of people watching in Hawaii as parades marched through Waikiki, vintage warbirds flying overhead, and gala dinners to honor the veterans.
Now, most in-person celebrations have been canceled over fears the virus could infect the veterans, who range from 90 to 101. But about 200 people, mostly veterans, their families and government officials, will still commemorate the milestone on the USS Missouri, which hosted the surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay.
It comes as Oahu — Hawaii’s most populated island and the home of Pearl Harbor — has seen an alarming spike in coronavirus cases in the past two weeks, forcing many restrictions to be reinstated, including a ban on gatherings of more than five people and the closure of all beaches.
“I’ve been told what I need to do in order to be responsible for myself but also toward others,” said WWII veteran Jerry Pedersen, who was aboard the USS Missouri and watched the Japanese surrender. “I can’t hug the people that I’d like to hug.”
Pedersen, who will be coming from Sacramento, California, for the commemoration, turned 95 on Wednesday.
“No, I’m not concerned particularly,” he said. “If we would do in life everything the way we’ve been told to handle this pandemic, we’d come through it pretty good.”
Officials plan to keep the veterans socially distanced while they are honored in front of livestreaming cameras instead of live crowds of thousands, as was first planned.
“I want to go back because that day, as much as I remember it, what happened, why we were there, the fact that it was the end of the realities of war and killing and all, it was the first day that I had to start answering, ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my life?’” Pedersen said.
He said he reflects on Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s words “that we’ve got to pursue in peace what we won in war. And I made a decision that day that I wanted to be a peace worker. And my life has been that.” Pedersen became a pastor after the war.
But as cities and states see new waves of COVID-19, some medical experts are questioning the safety of having dozens of vulnerable war heroes flying to Hawaii from all over the United States.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco, said older people are more at risk from COVID-19, especially if they have illnesses like lung or heart disease or diabetes.
“The impact of COVID-19 on the elderly is very pronounced,” Chin-Hong said. “I continue to be concerned about … the impacts of infection on the elderly, not only on acquiring it, but mainly on progressing from infection to disease and being in the ICU and then dying.”
The veterans will board a flight reserved just for them from Oakland to Honolulu. That flight will be about half full, but they need to get to Oakland before the jet shuttles them across the Pacific. Chin-Hong says that segment of the trip is of greater concern because it’s more unpredictable.
He said that ensuring the veterans know the risk is important. “As long as people have the information … that’s all I can really hope for.”
But taking into account the human element of why these men want to attend the ceremony is also important, he said.
“For somebody who may not live to see the next anniversary … the risk benefit calculus becomes a little bit different,” Chin-Hong said of the aging group. “I feel like sometimes in these settings, you think about risk and benefit in different ways.”
Once in Hawaii, the veterans will be isolated in hotels except when attending mostly outdoor events with health screenings and social distancing. The public is not invited, and workers will be continuously screened.
WWII veteran Art Albert, who had come to Hawaii for every commemoration, had promised loved ones that he would make it to the 75th anniversary. But he died in June.
“Somehow, he and the Missouri just connected. Every year as we neared Ford Island, his eyes would fill with tears as he saw what he called his ‘first home,’” Albert’s wife, Sherry, said by email, referring to the USS Missouri.
Michael Carr, president and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, which operates the museum the battleship has become, was friends with Albert. Of the veterans, he said that “despite the travel restrictions, despite the pandemic dangers, they are determined to be here.”
As of Wednesday, about 60 veterans, each with one companion, were set to attend, but the number has fluctuated as some who wanted to come have died and others have requested to participate last minute.
Hawaii is expected to grant modified quarantine orders for those traveling for the anniversary, allowing them to attend the official ceremony and other events. Otherwise, people coming to the islands are required to quarantine for two weeks.
Gov. David Ige’s office said this week that the details are still under review but that the state will do everything possible to ensure the veterans are safely honored.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other senior U.S. officials plan to attend the events at Pearl Harbor. John Supple, a Defense Department spokeman, said Esper is aware of the recent spike of COVID-19 cases on Oahu and everyone in his entourage will be tested for coronavirus before they arrive in Hawaii.
Pedersen, the veteran, says that while the enemy was more defined in 1945, the globe is still at war in many ways.
“We had an enemy that we could see, and we knew how to handle it. Our enemies today are injustice. It’s the lack of respecting the dignity and freedom of every single individual,” Pedersen said.