chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--Horoscope for Saturday, May 16, 2020

Horoscope for Saturday, May 16, 2020

We have the all clear to shop and do business .
The moon is in Pisces .
Although money and cash flow are a strong focus now , today you want to play it low-key from behind the scenes .
Seek out some solitude in beautiful surroundings so that you can catch your breath and make some plans .
Because the sun is in your sign for four more days , you are empowered !
Use this to your advantage !
Go after what you want .
Today you might be involved with a female friend or acquaintance , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day to think about goals .
For the next four days , you will continue to play things low-key until the sun enters your sign .
Nevertheless , because the moon is at the top of your chart , you ’ re high visibility .
In fact , personal details about your private life are public for some reason .
This continues to be a popular time for you , which means you will enjoy talking to people in person or online , especially groups and organizations .
It ’ s an excellent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in particular , you are restless to do something different .
( You ’ re hungry for a change of scenery . )
Bosses , parents and VIPs are impressed with you at this time , which means this is your chance to make your pitch or do what you can to advance your agenda because doors will open for you .
Your involvement with younger , artistic people is positive .
Check out financial details .
Remember to be patient with partners and close friends while Mars is opposite your sign because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mars will stay there until the end of June , which means you need to exercise patience .
Fortunately , relations with bosses and parents are excellent .
You are on top of things because you ’ re focused on debt , taxes , shared property and all that stuff you sometimes ignore .
Because you would love to travel and have a change of scenery , explore what you can online .
Learn something new .
Set aside 15 minutes today to get better organized in some messy area of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue for the next few days and then you will feel rested .
( It ’ s been a struggle this month — no question . )
Today you feel playful and lighthearted .
Enjoy the company of children or romantic partners .
Do something that makes you happy .
You are still in an industrious mode , keen to organize the world around you .
You enjoy working hard !
Likewise , you ’ re also enthusiastic to improve your health .
Relations with partners and close friends are excellent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cocooning at home .
Reach out to others today because you ’ re in a fun-loving mood .
You need the contact and stimulation of others in person or online .
Relations with coworkers are positive , but today you want to play !
A short trip or a drive will really appeal .
Continue to enjoy your focus on home and family for the next few days .
Today in particular , you have an interest in financial matters , perhaps shopping ?
Keep your receipts because it ’ s easy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re restless .
( Aggh ! )
Get some physical exercise because with Mars in your sign , you need to release some pent-up energy that might build up within you .
Look for opportunities to communicate to others because you want to enlighten someone about something .
You have something to say !
If Your Birthday Is Today Singer Janet Jackson ( 1966 ) shares your birthday .
You have a strong personality and seek harmony of balance in your emotions .
Because this is a year of teaching and learning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a new direction , which could be crucial for your success next year .
Why not explore meditation , yoga or any discipline that will help you to get a better understanding of who you are ?

Moon Alert
We have the all clear to shop and do business. The moon is in Pisces.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Although money and cash flow are a strong focus now, today you want to play it low-key from behind the scenes. Seek out some solitude in beautiful surroundings so that you can catch your breath and make some plans.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Because the sun is in your sign for four more days, you are empowered! Use this to your advantage! Go after what you want. Today you might be involved with a female friend or acquaintance, or a member of a group. Good day to think about goals.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
For the next four days, you will continue to play things low-key until the sun enters your sign. Nevertheless, because the moon is at the top of your chart, you’re high visibility. In fact, personal details about your private life are public for some reason.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
This continues to be a popular time for you, which means you will enjoy talking to people in person or online, especially groups and organizations. It’s an excellent time to think about goals. Today in particular, you are restless to do something different. (You’re hungry for a change of scenery.)
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Bosses, parents and VIPs are impressed with you at this time, which means this is your chance to make your pitch or do what you can to advance your agenda because doors will open for you. Your involvement with younger, artistic people is positive. Check out financial details.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Remember to be patient with partners and close friends while Mars is opposite your sign because Mars makes you easily annoyed! Unfortunately, Mars will stay there until the end of June, which means you need to exercise patience. Fortunately, relations with bosses and parents are excellent.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
You are on top of things because you’re focused on debt, taxes, shared property and all that stuff you sometimes ignore. Because you would love to travel and have a change of scenery, explore what you can online. Learn something new. Set aside 15 minutes today to get better organized in some messy area of your life.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Your need for more sleep will continue for the next few days and then you will feel rested. (It’s been a struggle this month — no question.) Today you feel playful and lighthearted. Enjoy the company of children or romantic partners. Do something that makes you happy.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
You are still in an industrious mode, keen to organize the world around you. You enjoy working hard! Likewise, you’re also enthusiastic to improve your health. Relations with partners and close friends are excellent. Today you will enjoy some down time cocooning at home.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Reach out to others today because you’re in a fun-loving mood. You need the contact and stimulation of others in person or online. Relations with coworkers are positive, but today you want to play! A short trip or a drive will really appeal.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Continue to enjoy your focus on home and family for the next few days. Today in particular, you have an interest in financial matters, perhaps shopping? Keep your receipts because it’s easy to go overboard shopping online when you’re restless. (Aggh!)
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Get some physical exercise because with Mars in your sign, you need to release some pent-up energy that might build up within you. Look for opportunities to communicate to others because you want to enlighten someone about something. You have something to say!
If Your Birthday Is Today
Singer Janet Jackson (1966) shares your birthday. You have a strong personality and seek harmony of balance in your emotions. Because this is a year of teaching and learning, you will learn something that sets you in a new direction, which could be crucial for your success next year. Why not explore meditation, yoga or any discipline that will help you to get a better understanding of who you are?


chicagosun-times--2020-05-15--Democrats push new $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through House

WASHINGTON — Democrats powered a massive $ 3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House on Friday , an election-year measure designed to brace a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country .
The 208-199 vote , with all but one Republican opposed , advances what boils down to a campaign-season display of Democratic economic and health-care priorities .
It has no chance of becoming law as written , but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans .
Any product would probably be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November ’ s presidential and congressional elections .
The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined .
It would deliver almost $ 1 trillion for state and local governments , another round of $ 1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed , renters and homeowners , college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service .
“ Not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way , it is irresponsible because it ’ s only going to cost more , ” warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More in terms of lives , livelihood , cost to the budget , cost to our democracy.
” Republicans mocked the bill as a bloated Democratic wish-list that was dead on arrival in the GOP-led Senate and , for good measure , faced a White House veto threat .
Party leaders say they want to assess how $ 3 trillion approved earlier is working and see if some states ’ partial business re-openings would spark an economic revival that would ease the need for more safety net programs .
Republicans are also sorting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from President Donald Trump about what he will support .
“ Phase Four is going to happen , ” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office , using Washington insider-speak for the measure .
“ But it ’ s going to happen in a much better way for the American people.
” Trump and top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , are insisting the next measure should protect reopening businesses from liability lawsuits .
The president is also demanding a cut to payroll taxes , but GOP leaders are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate painted a Capitol scene that ’ s become common in the era of coronavirus , even as it remains disconcerting .
The sparsely populated House floor was dotted with lawmakers and aides wearing protective masks and even gloves , though some Republicans lacked them .
Many members looked shaggier and sported beards they had not worn weeks ago .
Roll call votes lasted over an hour each because lawmakers were voting in small groups to limit crowding .
To enhance the bill ’ s political impact , Democrats named their measure “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would provide front-line emergency workers .
With more than 86,000 Americans dead , 1.4 million confirmed infections and 36 million filing unemployment claims in an frozen economy , Democrats saw GOP opposition as an easy campaign-season target .
“ Are you kidding me ?
” said Rep. Tim Ryan , D-Ohio , of Republican assertions that it was time to stop spending more money .
“ Where do you guys live ?
Food lines at our food banks around the block ?
In the United States of America ?
” Republicans saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They said overly generous unemployment benefits discouraged people from returning to work , and attacked language helping immigrants in the U.S. illegally get federal benefits .
They also singled out provisions helping states set up voting by mail and easing the marijuana industry ’ s access to banks .
“ It may help the cannabis industry , but it won ’ t help Main Street , ” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. Pelosi pushed the measure through after overcoming party divisions aggravated by election pressures .
Some moderate Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and politically fraught provisions like assisting marijuana businesses .
A few progressive Democrats were upset because it did not do more , such as guaranteeing workers ’ salaries and bolstering their health insurance coverage .
Fourteen Democrats voted against the measure .
Nearly all are centrists and number among the party ’ s most vulnerable lawmakers in November ’ s elections : freshmen from districts Trump won in 2016 .
Among them was Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa , who labeled the measure “ bloated.
” Another , Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far beyond delivering relief or responding to an urgent crisis , & it has no chance at becoming law.
” Republicans were already planning to use the day ’ s votes against other moderate Democrats who backed Friday ’ s legislation and face competitive reelection races .
Clearly , the bipartisan consensus that produced four previous coronavirus bills was crumbling quickly .
Polls show GOP voters are satisfied with the federal response and aren ’ t agitating for more .
Self-branded deficit hawks are citing the massive increase in the spiraling $ 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Democratic bill ’ s real price tag could breach $ 3.5 trillion .
A partial estimate of tax provisions alone revealed eye-popping costs : $ 412 billion to renew $ 1,200 cash payments to individuals , more than $ 100 billion to pay health insurance premiums for the unemployed and $ 164 billion to make an “ employee retention ” tax credit for businesses more generous .
Republicans leaders faced disunity between conservatives who feel enough has been done and pragmatists who back rescuing the Postal Service from looming insolvency and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments .
The huge price tag and a lack of consultation with Republicans by Pelosi cemented GOP opposition .
“ This bill is nothing more than the Democratic policy agenda masquerading as a response to the coronavirus crisis , ” said Rep. Tom Cole , R-Okla .
He said the bill is “ going nowhere , and is going nowhere fast.
” Liberal Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash. , also opposed the bill .
She told reporters that if constituents ask her if the bill would put money in their pockets or preserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t tell them yes.
” The lone Republican backing the legislation was Rep. Peter King of New York , who is retiring .

WASHINGTON — Democrats powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House on Friday, an election-year measure designed to brace a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country.
The 208-199 vote, with all but one Republican opposed, advances what boils down to a campaign-season display of Democratic economic and health-care priorities. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. Any product would probably be the last major COVID-19 response bill before November’s presidential and congressional elections.
The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. It would deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service.
“Not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way, it is irresponsible because it’s only going to cost more,” warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “More in terms of lives, livelihood, cost to the budget, cost to our democracy.”
Republicans mocked the bill as a bloated Democratic wish-list that was dead on arrival in the GOP-led Senate and, for good measure, faced a White House veto threat. Party leaders say they want to assess how $3 trillion approved earlier is working and see if some states’ partial business re-openings would spark an economic revival that would ease the need for more safety net programs.
Republicans are also sorting through internal divisions and awaiting stronger signals from President Donald Trump about what he will support.
“Phase Four is going to happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, using Washington insider-speak for the measure. “But it’s going to happen in a much better way for the American people.”
Trump and top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are insisting the next measure should protect reopening businesses from liability lawsuits. The president is also demanding a cut to payroll taxes, but GOP leaders are not yet on board.
The daylong debate painted a Capitol scene that’s become common in the era of coronavirus, even as it remains disconcerting. The sparsely populated House floor was dotted with lawmakers and aides wearing protective masks and even gloves, though some Republicans lacked them.
Many members looked shaggier and sported beards they had not worn weeks ago. Roll call votes lasted over an hour each because lawmakers were voting in small groups to limit crowding.
To enhance the bill’s political impact, Democrats named their measure “The Heroes Act” for the payments it would provide front-line emergency workers. With more than 86,000 Americans dead, 1.4 million confirmed infections and 36 million filing unemployment claims in an frozen economy, Democrats saw GOP opposition as an easy campaign-season target.
“Are you kidding me?” said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, of Republican assertions that it was time to stop spending more money. “Where do you guys live? Food lines at our food banks around the block? In the United States of America?”
Republicans saw the bill as a Democratic political blunder. They said overly generous unemployment benefits discouraged people from returning to work, and attacked language helping immigrants in the U.S. illegally get federal benefits. They also singled out provisions helping states set up voting by mail and easing the marijuana industry’s access to banks.
“It may help the cannabis industry, but it won’t help Main Street,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Pelosi pushed the measure through after overcoming party divisions aggravated by election pressures. Some moderate Democrats opposed the package for its price tag and politically fraught provisions like assisting marijuana businesses. A few progressive Democrats were upset because it did not do more, such as guaranteeing workers’ salaries and bolstering their health insurance coverage.
Fourteen Democrats voted against the measure. Nearly all are centrists and number among the party’s most vulnerable lawmakers in November’s elections: freshmen from districts Trump won in 2016.
Among them was Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa, who labeled the measure “bloated.” Another, Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, tweeted, “This bill strays far beyond delivering relief or responding to an urgent crisis, & it has no chance at becoming law.”
Republicans were already planning to use the day’s votes against other moderate Democrats who backed Friday’s legislation and face competitive reelection races.
Clearly, the bipartisan consensus that produced four previous coronavirus bills was crumbling quickly. Polls show GOP voters are satisfied with the federal response and aren’t agitating for more. Self-branded deficit hawks are citing the massive increase in the spiraling $25 trillion national debt.
Some congressional aides said the Democratic bill’s real price tag could breach $3.5 trillion. A partial estimate of tax provisions alone revealed eye-popping costs: $412 billion to renew $1,200 cash payments to individuals, more than $100 billion to pay health insurance premiums for the unemployed and $164 billion to make an “employee retention” tax credit for businesses more generous.
Republicans leaders faced disunity between conservatives who feel enough has been done and pragmatists who back rescuing the Postal Service from looming insolvency and delivering cash to revenue-starved state and local governments. The huge price tag and a lack of consultation with Republicans by Pelosi cemented GOP opposition.
“This bill is nothing more than the Democratic policy agenda masquerading as a response to the coronavirus crisis,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. He said the bill is “going nowhere, and is going nowhere fast.”
Liberal Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also opposed the bill. She told reporters that if constituents ask her if the bill would put money in their pockets or preserve their health care, “I can’t tell them yes.”
The lone Republican backing the legislation was Rep. Peter King of New York, who is retiring.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Obama criticizes U.S. leaders’ virus response in online graduation speech  (LIVE UPDATES)

WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nation ’ s response to the coronavirus , telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials “ aren ’ t even pretending to be in charge.
” Obama spoke on “ Show Me Your Walk , HBCU Edition , ” a two-hour event for students graduating from historically black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube , Facebook and Twitter .
His remarks were unexpectedly political , given the venue , and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything , this pandemic has fully , finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they ’ re doing , ” Obama said .
“ A lot them aren ’ t even pretending to be in charge.
” Read the full story by The Associated Press here .
5:55 p.m .
Bittersweet e-ceremony for UIC grad : ‘ I didn ’ t really get to say goodbye ’ Edith Mendez watched a slideshow of photos from her college experience , read a Spanish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and listened to a speech delivered by her college dean Saturday .
But the 2020 graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago did so from the backyard of her family ’ s Berwyn home , not on campus with the momentous ceremony she ’ d always imagined .
“ It was a little bit strange — maybe , in some ways , disappointing , ” said Mendez , a first-generation college grad .
“ Just because I didn ’ t get to walk across the stage.
” She joined more than 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more at other Illinois schools — left with no choice but to celebrate their graduation with an online ceremony in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic .
UIC still plans to hold an in-person commencement for their 2020 class sometime later this year , but with the state ’ s stay-at-home order banning large gatherings , the virtual stand-in will have to do for now .
Read the full story by Ben Pope here .
4:38 p.m. ‘ Steady decrease ’ in coronavirus cases at Cook County Jail , officials say Fewer people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past month at Cook County Jail , officials announced Friday .
The rate of positive COVID-19 tests has gone from 97 % to less than 10 % since March , Cook County Health officials said in a statement .
Since May 8 , most of the new cases have come from detainees entering the jail , rather than people who were already in custody , officials said .
They credited the decline to interventions implemented since the beginning of the year , including opening unused divisions to accommodate social distancing , converting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Read the full story by Carly Behm here .
State health officials on Saturday announced the latest 74 deaths attributed to the coronavirus as several hundred protesters rallied in Chicago and Springfield , calling on Gov .
J.B. Pritzker to roll back his executive stay-at-home order .
The Illinois Department of Public Health also said an additional 2,088 people have tested positive for COVID-19 , raising the statewide case tally to 92,457 .
The death toll stands at 4,129 .
And for the third straight day , the Northeast region of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritzker ’ s administration to advance to the third phase of his reopening plan when his stay-at-home expires at the end of the month .
That would mean many non-essential businesses including salons and barbershops could reopen with health precautions in place .
Those Phase 3 reopening requirements include holding the coronavirus testing positivity rate under 20 % for two weeks .
The Northeast region , which includes Chicago and the collar counties , was at 18.8 % Saturday .
But even as plans are laid to gear the economy into motion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peak of the pandemic could extend well into the summer .
The virus has been confirmed in all but one Illinois county , while Cook County is registering the most confirmed cases of any county in the nation .
More than 1,800 coronavirus deaths have been reported in the state this month alone .
Despite the grim figures , a vocal contingent of demonstrators rallied again outside the Thompson Center in the Loop and the State Capitol Building in Springfield demanding Pritzker reopen the state immediately .
Read the full report from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2:09 p.m. Nurse says she regrets going to packed Wisconsin bar without mask A nurse says she regrets not taking better safety precautions after she was criticized this week for appearing without a mask in a local television interview at a packed Wisconsin bar .
Katie Koutsky , a nurse with the Downers Grove-based Advocate Aurora Health system , says she was helping her sister reopen her suburban Milwaukee bar Wednesday evening when the news crew approached her .
“ I have a toddler at home and I ’ m a full-time nurse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressful and hard to not be able to go out and be with my friends and family at the bars , ” Koutsky said in an interview aired by Milwaukee station WTMJ-TV .
Asked if she was worried about getting the virus from being in a bar without social distancing , she said , “ No , I don ’ t think that the risk presents any higher than me going to a grocery store.
” 11:43 a.m. Coronavirus masks a boon for crooks who hide their faces The way the FBI tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surgical mask and walked into the Connecticut convenience store looking to the world like a typical pandemic-era shopper as he picked up plastic wrap , fruit snacks and a few other items .
Then , when the only other customer left , he went to the counter , pulled out a small pistol , pointed it at the clerk and demanded that he open the cash register .
The scene , the FBI contends in a court document , was repeated by Lopez in four other gas station stores over eight days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underscores a troubling new reality for law enforcement : Masks that have made criminals stand apart long before bandanna-wearing robbers knocked over stagecoaches in the Old West and ski-masked bandits held up banks now allow them to blend in like concerned accountants , nurses and store clerks trying to avoid a deadly virus .
“ Criminals , they ’ re smart and this is a perfect opportunity for them to conceal themselves and blend right in , ” said Richard Bell , police chief in the tiny Pennsylvania community of Frackville .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robberies in the region where every suspect wore a mask .
Across the United States , masks have become more and more prevalent , first as a voluntary precaution and then as a requirement imposed by governmental agencies and businesses .
And people with masks — as well as latex gloves — have found their way into more and more crime reports .
Just how many criminals are taking advantage of the pandemic to commit crimes is impossible to estimate , but law enforcement officials have no doubt the numbers are climbing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ : How will world remember pandemic ?
Artist Obi Uwakwe was driving through Chicago ’ s empty streets , camera on his lap to document life during COVID-19 , when he saw something that made him stop : a casket being carried out of a church while a few mourners stood by , their faces covered .
The 43-year-old raised his camera and took a photograph .
Later , it would become one of the images Uwakwe used to create paintings inspired by the pandemic .
“ To see maybe six people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said , “ it brought everything together.
” Around the world , people like Uwakwe are creating photographs , paintings , emails , journals and social media posts that will shape how the world remembers the coronavirus pandemic for years and centuries to come .
Museums and historical societies already are collecting materials , often with help from people accustomed to capturing and sharing even the most mundane moments around them .
The result , historians say , will be a collective memory more personal than perhaps any other moment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through House Democrats powered a massive $ 3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House on Friday , an election-year measure designed to brace a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country .
The 208-199 vote , with all but one Republican opposed , advances what boils down to a campaign-season display of Democratic economic and health-care priorities .
It has no chance of becoming law as written , but will likely spark difficult negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Any product would probably be the last major COVID-19 response bill before November ’ s presidential and congressional elections .
The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined .
It would deliver almost $ 1 trillion for state and local governments , another round of $ 1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed , renters and homeowners , college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service .
“ Not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cost more , ” warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. “ More in terms of lives , livelihood , cost to the budget , cost to our democracy.
” 10:00 a.m. Illinois nears 2,000 nursing home deaths as coronavirus continues to spread Illinois is nearing 2,000 coronavirus deaths at long-term care facilities as new , confirmed cases continue to roll in at hundreds of nursing homes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic .
State totals now stand at 1,975 deaths and 13,218 confirmed cases in nursing homes , according to a count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities account for 48.7 % of all coronavirus deaths in Illinois , records show .
The state ’ s long-term care facilities reported 455 new deaths and 2,405 new cases this week , according to data released Friday by state health officials .
New deaths were reported at 180 facilities this week , and 259 homes said they had at least one new confirmed case .
A total of 86 homes have seen double-digit deaths tallies , up from 50 last week .
There are now 27 facilities reporting at least 100 confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nader Issa here .
9:04 a.m. Last fans standing : Recounting the Sharks-Blackhawks game on March 11 , the last game in town before sports shut down Brandon Saad cut to the front of the net , took a pass and scored through Aaron Dell ’ s legs in the second period to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead over the Sharks .
It was 8:34 p.m. on March 11 .
He celebrated in characteristic fashion , with a yell and double fist-pump , as “ Chelsea Dagger ” blared .
He had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would say later they didn ’ t receive any outside information at either intermission — that the world in which he scored his 21st goal of the season was quickly looking a lot different than the world in which he scored his first 20 .
Unlike other disasters of this generation , the coronavirus pandemic did not arrive in an instant .
John Lennon ’ s 1980 death stunned a live television audience on ABC ’ s “ Monday Night Football ” ; Osama Bin Laden ’ s 2011 death earned an announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The emergence of COVID-19 was not nearly as sudden or surprising in any given moment .
But if the pandemic did have a specific arrival point , it was the night of March 11 .
In a span of roughly two hours , the NBA went from postponing a game due to a player — Jazz center Rudy Gobert — testing positive for the virus to indefinitely suspending the season .
President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented European travel ban .
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson became the first American celebrities to test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced it would play without fans .
And during those same two hours , the Hawks and Sharks played a regular-season NHL game like nothing was happening at all .
We take a look back — through the eye of fans — at the last major sports event in Chicago .
As coronavirus cases continue to increase statewide , two Chicago universities are planning to have students on campus this fall .
DePaul University and Loyola University of Chicago have consulted with public health experts and state and local officials to devise their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects to have limited in-person learning and reduced occupancy in the dorms this fall .
Meanwhile , Loyola hopes to offer both on-campus and online classes .
Both universities said they ’ ll share more details about the fall semester in the coming weeks .
Loyola also announced its “ Loyola Commitment , ” a new financial aid program , funded by the university and its donors , which will help students who have been affected by the economic downturn amid the pandemic .
“ As unemployment rises along with uncertainty about our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharp increase in students and families whose plans about attending Loyola might be hindered .
Dreams are being crushed by diminished family finances , ” Loyola provost Norberto Grzywacz wrote in an email to students .
“ The scale of this crisis and its financial impact on families will have a profound effect on many students from various backgrounds .
In particular , it is expected to impact enrollment and our desire for a vibrant and diverse community as a place of growth , experience , and opportunity.
” • Health officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Illinois Friday , raising the state ’ s death toll to 4,058 .
• As of Thursday , the county assumed the ominous moniker of having the most COVID-19 cases of any county in the United States .
• Chicago police announced Friday six more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the department to 514 .
• Seven more employees of Cook County ’ s Juvenile Temporary Detention Center have tested positive for COVID-19 .
My heart will break for older teens if they don ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or maybe this fall , because of the coronavirus .
Most are nearing the end of their competitive sports days , and you hate to see them robbed .
For younger kids , I see a silver lining .
It ’ s a chance for them to do more bike riding .
They can learn to rollerblade or skateboard .
Maybe they can join their parents for runs or walks .
They could get a much-needed break from an over-scheduled life , especially when it comes to sports .
Or , maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth baseball tournament was held last weekend by GameTime Tournaments .
You won ’ t see this in Illinois right now because of the stay-at-home order to curb the spread of the virus .
But , at least one Illinois team , the Black Sox from central Illinois , made the trip , the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported .
GameTime instituted social distancing guidelines , including no high-fives , and sanitized the ball often .
But some things can ’ t be helped in baseball : The catcher always will be positioned behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other on some plays .
Out of habit , coaches are bound to get close to players to give instruction .
After being at home for weeks , the games had to be a relief for the players and parents who watched .
But 40 teams ?
That ’ s downright irresponsible , even if permissible by Missouri ’ s looser restrictions related to the virus .
Fewer games , or no games for a year , could be a very good thing for kids .
Read the full column from Marlen Garcia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the table as city , state fight back from financial devastation Washington to cities and states : You ’ re on your own .
For months , the Trump administration has failed to take the lead in fighting the coronavirus pandemic , punting responsibility to the states .
Now the president and his Republican Party are looking to do the same when it comes to helping states and cities survive the pandemic ’ s financial devastation .
A $ 3 trillion stimulus package expected to be approved by the Democratic-controlled House looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and President Donald Trump is making clear he would never sign such a bill .
Why ?
Because the package to rescue drowning cities , suburbs , states , small businesses and unemployed Americans would be fiscally imprudent , they claim .
We couldn ’ t disagree more .
And , yes , this is the same Senate and president who rewrote the federal tax code in 2017 to give billions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthiest one percent of Americans , ballooning the federal deficit .
So what does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as for towns and counties statewide ?
Read the full editorial from the CST Editorial Board here .

Hundreds of people rallied against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order at the Thompson Center and at the State Capitol in Springfield. But if the numbers hold, that order could be changed by the end of the month. The Northeast region of the state met the medical criteria set to advance to the third phase of his reopening plan. That would mean many non-essential businesses including salons and barbershops could reopen with health precautions in place.
Here’s what happened in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago and around the state.
News
7:20 p.m. Obama criticizes U.S. leaders’ virus response in online graduation speech
Jason DeCrow/AP
WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nation’s response to the coronavirus, telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials “aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
Obama spoke on “Show Me Your Walk, HBCU Edition,” a two-hour event for students graduating from historically black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. His remarks were unexpectedly political, given the venue, and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social and economic impacts.
“More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing,” Obama said. “A lot them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
Read the full story by The Associated Press here.
5:55 p.m. Bittersweet e-ceremony for UIC grad: ‘I didn’t really get to say goodbye’
Edith Mendez watched a slideshow of photos from her college experience, read a Spanish quote she handpicked to thank her family and listened to a speech delivered by her college dean Saturday.
But the 2020 graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago did so from the backyard of her family’s Berwyn home, not on campus with the momentous ceremony she’d always imagined.
“It was a little bit strange — maybe, in some ways, disappointing,” said Mendez, a first-generation college grad. “Just because I didn’t get to walk across the stage.”
She joined more than 5,000 UIC students — and tens of thousands more at other Illinois schools — left with no choice but to celebrate their graduation with an online ceremony in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
UIC still plans to hold an in-person commencement for their 2020 class sometime later this year, but with the state’s stay-at-home order banning large gatherings, the virtual stand-in will have to do for now.
Read the full story by Ben Pope here.
4:38 p.m. ‘Steady decrease’ in coronavirus cases at Cook County Jail, officials say
Fewer people have tested positive for the coronavirus over the past month at Cook County Jail, officials announced Friday.
The rate of positive COVID-19 tests has gone from 97% to less than 10% since March, Cook County Health officials said in a statement.
Since May 8, most of the new cases have come from detainees entering the jail, rather than people who were already in custody, officials said.
They credited the decline to interventions implemented since the beginning of the year, including opening unused divisions to accommodate social distancing, converting available cells to single-occupancy and enhanced testing.
Read the full story by Carly Behm here.
2:45 p.m. Reopen Illinois rallies draw hundreds to Thompson Center, State Capitol
State health officials on Saturday announced the latest 74 deaths attributed to the coronavirus as several hundred protesters rallied in Chicago and Springfield, calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to roll back his executive stay-at-home order.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also said an additional 2,088 people have tested positive for COVID-19, raising the statewide case tally to 92,457. The death toll stands at 4,129.
And for the third straight day, the Northeast region of the state met the medical criteria set by Pritzker’s administration to advance to the third phase of his reopening plan when his stay-at-home expires at the end of the month. That would mean many non-essential businesses including salons and barbershops could reopen with health precautions in place.
Those Phase 3 reopening requirements include holding the coronavirus testing positivity rate under 20% for two weeks. The Northeast region, which includes Chicago and the collar counties, was at 18.8% Saturday.
But even as plans are laid to gear the economy into motion, the governor’s office has said the peak of the pandemic could extend well into the summer.
The virus has been confirmed in all but one Illinois county, while Cook County is registering the most confirmed cases of any county in the nation. More than 1,800 coronavirus deaths have been reported in the state this month alone.
Despite the grim figures, a vocal contingent of demonstrators rallied again outside the Thompson Center in the Loop and the State Capitol Building in Springfield demanding Pritzker reopen the state immediately.
Read the full report from Mitchell Armentrout and Tyler LaRiviere here.
2:09 p.m. Nurse says she regrets going to packed Wisconsin bar without mask
A nurse says she regrets not taking better safety precautions after she was criticized this week for appearing without a mask in a local television interview at a packed Wisconsin bar.
Katie Koutsky, a nurse with the Downers Grove-based Advocate Aurora Health system, says she was helping her sister reopen her suburban Milwaukee bar Wednesday evening when the news crew approached her.
“I have a toddler at home and I’m a full-time nurse, so it’s been very stressful and hard to not be able to go out and be with my friends and family at the bars,” Koutsky said in an interview aired by Milwaukee station WTMJ-TV.
Asked if she was worried about getting the virus from being in a bar without social distancing, she said, “No, I don’t think that the risk presents any higher than me going to a grocery store.”
Reporter Nader Issa has the full story.
11:43 a.m. Coronavirus masks a boon for crooks who hide their faces
The way the FBI tells it, William Rosario Lopez put on a surgical mask and walked into the Connecticut convenience store looking to the world like a typical pandemic-era shopper as he picked up plastic wrap, fruit snacks and a few other items. Then, when the only other customer left, he went to the counter, pulled out a small pistol, pointed it at the clerk and demanded that he open the cash register.
The scene, the FBI contends in a court document, was repeated by Lopez in four other gas station stores over eight days before his April 9 arrest. It underscores a troubling new reality for law enforcement: Masks that have made criminals stand apart long before bandanna-wearing robbers knocked over stagecoaches in the Old West and ski-masked bandits held up banks now allow them to blend in like concerned accountants, nurses and store clerks trying to avoid a deadly virus.
“Criminals, they’re smart and this is a perfect opportunity for them to conceal themselves and blend right in,” said Richard Bell, police chief in the tiny Pennsylvania community of Frackville. He said he knows of seven recent armed robberies in the region where every suspect wore a mask.
Across the United States, masks have become more and more prevalent, first as a voluntary precaution and then as a requirement imposed by governmental agencies and businesses. And people with masks — as well as latex gloves — have found their way into more and more crime reports.
Just how many criminals are taking advantage of the pandemic to commit crimes is impossible to estimate, but law enforcement officials have no doubt the numbers are climbing.
Read the full report here.
11:17 a.m. ‘Everyone has a story’: How will world remember pandemic?
Artist Obi Uwakwe was driving through Chicago’s empty streets, camera on his lap to document life during COVID-19, when he saw something that made him stop: a casket being carried out of a church while a few mourners stood by, their faces covered.
The 43-year-old raised his camera and took a photograph. Later, it would become one of the images Uwakwe used to create paintings inspired by the pandemic.
“To see maybe six people there, everyone wearing a mask,” he said, “it brought everything together.”
Around the world, people like Uwakwe are creating photographs, paintings, emails, journals and social media posts that will shape how the world remembers the coronavirus pandemic for years and centuries to come. Museums and historical societies already are collecting materials, often with help from people accustomed to capturing and sharing even the most mundane moments around them.
The result, historians say, will be a collective memory more personal than perhaps any other moment in history.
Read the full report here.
10:46 a.m. Democrats push new $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through House
Democrats powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House on Friday, an election-year measure designed to brace a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country.
The 208-199 vote, with all but one Republican opposed, advances what boils down to a campaign-season display of Democratic economic and health-care priorities. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. Any product would probably be the last major COVID-19 response bill before November’s presidential and congressional elections.
The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. It would deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service.
“Not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way, it is irresponsible because it’s only going to cost more,” warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “More in terms of lives, livelihood, cost to the budget, cost to our democracy.”
Read the full report here.
10:00 a.m. Illinois nears 2,000 nursing home deaths as coronavirus continues to spread
Illinois is nearing 2,000 coronavirus deaths at long-term care facilities as new, confirmed cases continue to roll in at hundreds of nursing homes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
State totals now stand at 1,975 deaths and 13,218 confirmed cases in nursing homes, according to a count by the Chicago Sun-Times. Long-term care facilities account for 48.7% of all coronavirus deaths in Illinois, records show.
The state’s long-term care facilities reported 455 new deaths and 2,405 new cases this week, according to data released Friday by state health officials.
New deaths were reported at 180 facilities this week, and 259 homes said they had at least one new confirmed case.
A total of 86 homes have seen double-digit deaths tallies, up from 50 last week. There are now 27 facilities reporting at least 100 confirmed cases.
Read the full story from Nader Issa here.
9:04 a.m. Last fans standing: Recounting the Sharks-Blackhawks game on March 11, the last game in town before sports shut down
Brandon Saad cut to the front of the net, took a pass and scored through Aaron Dell’s legs in the second period to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead over the Sharks.
It was 8:34 p.m. on March 11.
He celebrated in characteristic fashion, with a yell and double fist-pump, as “Chelsea Dagger” blared.
He had no way of knowing — Hawks teammates would say later they didn’t receive any outside information at either intermission — that the world in which he scored his 21st goal of the season was quickly looking a lot different than the world in which he scored his first 20.
Unlike other disasters of this generation, the coronavirus pandemic did not arrive in an instant. John Lennon’s 1980 death stunned a live television audience on ABC’s “Monday Night Football”; Osama Bin Laden’s 2011 death earned an announcement during an MLB game on ESPN. The emergence of COVID-19 was not nearly as sudden or surprising in any given moment.
But if the pandemic did have a specific arrival point, it was the night of March 11.
In a span of roughly two hours, the NBA went from postponing a game due to a player — Jazz center Rudy Gobert — testing positive for the virus to indefinitely suspending the season.
President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented European travel ban. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson became the first American celebrities to test positive. The ill-fated 2020 NCAA Tournament announced it would play without fans.
And during those same two hours, the Hawks and Sharks played a regular-season NHL game like nothing was happening at all.
We take a look back — through the eye of fans — at the last major sports event in Chicago.
7:00 a.m. DePaul, Loyola releases plans for fall semester
As coronavirus cases continue to increase statewide, two Chicago universities are planning to have students on campus this fall.
DePaul University and Loyola University of Chicago have consulted with public health experts and state and local officials to devise their plans for the fall semester.
DePaul expects to have limited in-person learning and reduced occupancy in the dorms this fall. Meanwhile, Loyola hopes to offer both on-campus and online classes.
Both universities said they’ll share more details about the fall semester in the coming weeks.
Loyola also announced its “Loyola Commitment,” a new financial aid program, funded by the university and its donors, which will help students who have been affected by the economic downturn amid the pandemic.
“As unemployment rises along with uncertainty about our economic outlook, we will see a sharp increase in students and families whose plans about attending Loyola might be hindered. Dreams are being crushed by diminished family finances,” Loyola provost Norberto Grzywacz wrote in an email to students. “The scale of this crisis and its financial impact on families will have a profound effect on many students from various backgrounds. In particular, it is expected to impact enrollment and our desire for a vibrant and diverse community as a place of growth, experience, and opportunity.”
— Madeline Kenney
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
12:33 p.m. COVID-19 scales back youth sports. That’s a win for many kids
My heart will break for older teens if they don’t get to play sports in Illinois this summer, or maybe this fall, because of the coronavirus. Most are nearing the end of their competitive sports days, and you hate to see them robbed.
For younger kids, I see a silver lining. It’s a chance for them to do more bike riding. They can learn to rollerblade or skateboard. Maybe they can join their parents for runs or walks.
They could get a much-needed break from an over-scheduled life, especially when it comes to sports.
Or, maybe not. In Missouri, a 40-team youth baseball tournament was held last weekend by GameTime Tournaments. You won’t see this in Illinois right now because of the stay-at-home order to curb the spread of the virus. But, at least one Illinois team, the Black Sox from central Illinois, made the trip, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
GameTime instituted social distancing guidelines, including no high-fives, and sanitized the ball often. But some things can’t be helped in baseball: The catcher always will be positioned behind the batter. Players bump into each other on some plays. Out of habit, coaches are bound to get close to players to give instruction.
After being at home for weeks, the games had to be a relief for the players and parents who watched. But 40 teams? That’s downright irresponsible, even if permissible by Missouri’s looser restrictions related to the virus.
Fewer games, or no games for a year, could be a very good thing for kids.
Read the full column from Marlen Garcia here.
7:00 a.m. Everything must be on the table as city, state fight back from financial devastation
Washington to cities and states: You’re on your own.
For months, the Trump administration has failed to take the lead in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, punting responsibility to the states. Now the president and his Republican Party are looking to do the same when it comes to helping states and cities survive the pandemic’s financial devastation.
A $3 trillion stimulus package expected to be approved by the Democratic-controlled House looks dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate, and President Donald Trump is making clear he would never sign such a bill.
Why? Because the package to rescue drowning cities, suburbs, states, small businesses and unemployed Americans would be fiscally imprudent, they claim.
We couldn’t disagree more. And, yes, this is the same Senate and president who rewrote the federal tax code in 2017 to give billions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthiest one percent of Americans, ballooning the federal deficit.
So what does all this mean for Illinois and Chicago, as well as for towns and counties statewide?
Read the full editorial from the CST Editorial Board here.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Phyllis George, former Miss America who broke barriers for women in sports television, dies at 70

LOUISVILLE , Ky. – Phyllis George , a former Miss America , television personality and ex-wife of Kentucky Gov .
John Y .
Brown Jr. has died in Lexington after an illness .
George , who had been hospitalized at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler hospital , was 70 .
She died Thursday from complications from a blood disorder she had developed in her mid-30s but had managed for many years , Brown told The ( Louisville ) Courier-Journal on Saturday .
“ Phyllis was a great asset to Kentucky , ” said Brown , who said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ex-wife .
He said he especially valued their four years as governor and first lady .
“ We had a great partnership , ” he said .
“ I think we enjoyed every single day.
” Brown said the couple ’ s two children had been with George in recent weeks providing care and support .
“ We ’ re sorry to lose her , ” he said .
“ She ’ s been a big part of our lives.
” A native of Denton , Texas , George was a student at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1971 , she won the Miss America title that would change her life , leading to dozens of national appearances during her one-year reign before she settled in New York to try to break into television .
In 1972 , she joined the cast of The NFL Today , co-hosting pregame shows with Brent Musburger , Irv Cross and Jimmy “ The Greek ” ( Snyder ) for four seasons .
She was one of the first women to have a national role in sports television .
“ Phyllis didn ’ t receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcasting door for the dozens of talented women who took her lead and soared , ” Musburger said Saturday on Twitter .
“ Folks — men and women — were comfortable with Phyllis talking about their favorite sport.
” In early 1985 , after her four years as Kentucky ’ s first lady , she became a co-host with Bill Kurtis of CBS Morning News , a disappointing run for George that lasted only eight months .
After taking off about 10 years to raise the couple ’ s two young children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to television and cable work , hosting interviews , shopping shows and promoting crafts .
In an 1998 interview with The Courier-Journal she said was happy with the new roles and her new life in New York , where she lived in an apartment overlooking Central Park .
“ I ’ ve gone through a lot , ” she said .
“ I ’ ve had a lot of life experiences .
... From here on out , I want every day to count.
” She once said that her favorite place on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and had moved back to Kentucky in recent years , settling in Lexington , where John Y .
Brown Jr. and their son , Lincoln Brown , a technology entrepreneur , also live .
Their daughter , Pamela Brown , a CNN news reporter , lives in the Washington , D.C. , area .

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Phyllis George, a former Miss America, television personality and ex-wife of Kentucky Gov. John Y. Brown Jr. has died in Lexington after an illness.
George, who had been hospitalized at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler hospital, was 70.
She died Thursday from complications from a blood disorder she had developed in her mid-30s but had managed for many years, Brown told The (Louisville) Courier-Journal on Saturday.
“Phyllis was a great asset to Kentucky,” said Brown, who said he had maintained an amicable relationship with his ex-wife. He said he especially valued their four years as governor and first lady.
“We had a great partnership,” he said. “I think we enjoyed every single day.”
Brown said the couple’s two children had been with George in recent weeks providing care and support.
“We’re sorry to lose her,” he said. “She’s been a big part of our lives.”
A native of Denton, Texas, George was a student at North Texas State University when, in 1971, she won the Miss America title that would change her life, leading to dozens of national appearances during her one-year reign before she settled in New York to try to break into television.
In 1972, she joined the cast of The NFL Today, co-hosting pregame shows with Brent Musburger, Irv Cross and Jimmy “The Greek” (Snyder) for four seasons. She was one of the first women to have a national role in sports television.
“Phyllis didn’t receive nearly enough credit for opening the sports broadcasting door for the dozens of talented women who took her lead and soared,” Musburger said Saturday on Twitter. “Folks — men and women — were comfortable with Phyllis talking about their favorite sport.”
In early 1985, after her four years as Kentucky’s first lady, she became a co-host with Bill Kurtis of CBS Morning News, a disappointing run for George that lasted only eight months.
CBS Morning News anchor Phyllis George and cohost Bill Kurtis in March 1985 Sun-Times
After taking off about 10 years to raise the couple’s two young children, Lincoln and Pamela, Brown would return to television and cable work, hosting interviews, shopping shows and promoting crafts.
In an 1998 interview with The Courier-Journal she said was happy with the new roles and her new life in New York, where she lived in an apartment overlooking Central Park.
“I’ve gone through a lot,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of life experiences. ... From here on out, I want every day to count.”
She once said that her favorite place on Earth was “Kentucky in the fall” and had moved back to Kentucky in recent years, settling in Lexington, where John Y. Brown Jr. and their son, Lincoln Brown, a technology entrepreneur, also live. Their daughter, Pamela Brown, a CNN news reporter, lives in the Washington, D.C., area.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Former Bears exec Michael McCaskey dies at 76

Michael McCaskey , the oldest of 11 children who succeeded George S. Halas as the Bears ’ president/CEO and held the position until 1999 , died Saturday of cancer at age 76 .
“ Mike was already successful in every sense of the word when he took over for George S. Halas after the passing of ‘ Papa Bear ’ in 1983 , ” the McCaskey family said in a statement .
“ We are grateful to Mike for overseeing arguably the greatest team in NFL history , and for his many years of service to the Bears and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has many duties thrust upon him , not all of them pleasant , yet Mike handled them all with grace and patience.
” He was the oldest child of Ed and Virginia McCaskey .
The latter remains the Bears ’ matriarch at 97 .
“ Although Mike ’ s passing was not brought on by the novel coronavirus , our family , like so many people , is not able to gather and grieve together at this time , ” the McCaskeys said in a statement .
“ Our hearts go out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
Our focus in the coming days will be to celebrate Mike ’ s life , and be whatever source of support we can be to [ children ] John and Kathryn and those they love.
” A 1965 Yale grad , McCaskey spent two years teaching as a member of the Peace Corps and later taught at UCLA and , for seven years , Harvard Business School .
He took over for Halas in 1983 and was named NFL Executive of the Year after the Bears ’ Super Bowl win in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dave McGinnis to be the Bears ’ new head coach , only for him to back out of the job .
The Bears then hired Dick Jauron .
A month later , McCaskey was removed as president/CEO and replaced by then-vice president of operations Ted Phillips .
Virginia McCaskey made the decision to instead send him upstairs to replace his father Ed as chairman of the board .
He served in that role from 1999-2011 .
“ I will be forever grateful for the many opportunities for growth that he provided me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support , ” Phillips said in a statement .
“ Michael always strived to do things the right way with high character and with the Bears best interests always paramount .
Michael was a good man , gone much too soon .
He presided over the only Super Bowl Championship Chicago Bears team in 1985 , and I know he is still smiling about that magical season.
” McCaskey “ played an instrumental role in the success and popularity of the Bears , ” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season and their Super Bowl XX victory helped further propel the NFL onto a global stage , ” he said .
“ Michael was a driving force in growing the NFL ’ s international footprint with the first American Bowl game in London featuring the Bears and the Dallas Cowboys in 1986 .
He was also dedicated to serving his community and helped create Bears Care , which became a model foundation in supporting charities throughout the Chicago area .
“ Michael was a calm and sound voice in league meetings , befitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming Bears ’ president .
We extend our deepest sympathies to Michael ’ s children Kathryn and John , his mother Virginia and the entire McCaskey family , and the Bears organization .
”

Though he grew up a part of Chicago royalty as the eldest grandson of Bears founder George Halas, the timing of Michael McCaskey’s ascension to the Bears’ throne was a blessing and a curse.
McCaskey, who died at 76 on Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer, had the unenviable task of following the ultimate National Football League giant when he became the Bears’ president and CEO after Halas’ death in 1983.
The massive shoes of one of the NFL’s founding fathers would be impossible to fill — McCaskey wasn’t groomed for the job; he owned a management consultant business outside of Boston when he took over the Bears in 1983. But at the same time, two of Halas’ best moves in his 60-plus years as the Bears’ owner — hiring Jim Finks as general manager in 1974 and hiring Mike Ditka as coach in 1982 — were bearing fruit that would put McCaskey in position to reap the franchise’s greatest reward of the post-merger era.
In 1985, the Bears ran roughshod over the NFL with a team that was the antithesis of the Yale-educated McCaskey — brash and loud, with a love of the spotlight and an insatiable appetite for recognition. The Bears went 15-1 in the regular season and dominated the postseason, including a 46-10 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
And the Lombardi Trophy went to -McCaskey, who relished the moment. It would prove to be his highlight as Bears president and CEO, along with winning the NFL’s Executive of the Year Award that season.
Unfortunately for McCaskey, sustaining that level of excellence would be elusive. Without Finks, who had resigned in August 1983, the Bears struggled to replenish talent, the Ditka era petered out and McCaskey, despite his business acumen, lacked the football intuition to stem the downward spiral.
It came to a head in 1999, after Dave Wannstedt, Ditka’s successor, was fired after six seasons following a 4-12 record in 1998. In January, McCaskey called a news conference to announce the hiring of former Bears assistant coach Dave McGinnis to replace Wannstedt. But McCaskey had jumped the gun, announcing McGinnis’ -hiring before the sides had agreed on a contract.
McGinnis balked at terms of the deal, was miffed about the irregular process and turned down the job, forcing the Bears to cancel the news conference. The Bears scrambled to hire Dick Jauron the next day, but the embarrassment of the McGinnis episode would have repercussions.
Three weeks later, Virginia Halas McCaskey replaced her eldest son as president and CEO with Ted Phillips, the Bears’ vice president of operations, who previously handled contract negotiations. McCaskey was named the chairman of the board, replacing his father, Ed McCaskey. Michael served in that role until 2011, co-founding Bears Care — the team’s charitable foundation — in 2005 among his accomplishments.
As the McCaskey family noted in a statement released by the team, Michael McCaskey “was already successful in every sense of the word when he took over for George S. Halas after the passing of ‘Papa Bear’ in 1983.” He spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer. He earned a doctorate in business from Case Western Reserve. He taught at UCLA and was an associate professor at the Harvard Business School. And he was active in several philanthropic ventures in Chicago.
“We are grateful to Mike for overseeing arguably the greatest team in NFL history and for his many years of service to the Bears and to us,” the McCaskey family said. “The oldest of 11 siblings has many duties thrust upon him, not all of them pleasant, yet Mike handled them all with grace and patience.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was among those who paid tribute to McCaskey, calling him “a calm and sound voice in league meetings” and crediting him as “a driving force in growing the NFL’s international footprint with the first American Bowl game in London featuring the Bears and Dallas Cowboy in 1986.’’
“Michael McCaskey proudly carried forth the legacy of his grandfather and NFL pioneer George Halas as team president and chairman and played an instrumental role in the success and popularity of the Bears,” Goodell said in his statement. “The Bears’ memorable 1985 season and their Super Bowl XX victory helped further propel the NFL onto a global stage. . . . We extend our deepest sympathies to Michael’s children, Kathryn and John; his mother, Virginia, and the entire McCaskey family; and the Bears organization.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Democrats probe Trump firing of State Dept. watchdog

WASHINGTON — Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to President Donald Trump ’ s latest firing of a federal watchdog , this time at the State Department , and they suggested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was responsible , in what “ may be an illegal act of retaliation.
” “ We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President ’ s gutting of these critical positions , ” the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general , Steve Linick , an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Department ’ s management .
The ouster was one more move by the president against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with his administration .
New York Rep. Eliot Engel and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez sent letters to the White House , the State Department and the inspector general ’ s office asking that administration officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s dismissal and provide them to the committees by this coming Friday .
They promised to “ look deeply into this matter ” and said they would seek to interview White House officials .
They said they “ trust that the White House will cooperate fully with our investigation.
” A senior department official said Trump removed Linick from his job on Friday but gave no reason for the action .
In a letter to Congress , Trump said Linick , who had held the job since 2013 , no longer had his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take effect in 30 days .
Trump did not mention Linick by name in his letter .
Democrats soon cried foul .
Engel suggested Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Pompeo .
Engel offered no details .
Two congressional aides said it involved allegations that Pompeo may have improperly treated staff .
Linick ’ s office has issued several reports critical of the department ’ s handling of personnel matters during the Trump administration , including accusing some political appointees of retaliating against career officials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their understanding ” that Pompeo recommended that Linick be fired because the watchdog was investigating “ wrongdoing ” by the Cabinet officer .
They gave no specifics , but said such a move “ may be an illegal act of retaliation.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said Linick was “ punished for honorably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security.
” She said Trump ” must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Linick , whose office also took issue with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ’ s use of a private email server while she served as America ’ s top diplomat , played a minor role in the Ukraine impeachment investigation into Trump .
In October , Linick turned over documents to House investigators that he had received from State Department Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl , a close Pompeo associate , which contained information from debunked conspiracy theories about Ukraine ’ s role in the 2016 election .
In the Senate , Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the role of the inspector general in the federal government and noted that Congress requires written reasons to justify removal .
“ A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress , ” Grassley said in a statement that did not mention Trump or Pompeo .
Sen. Jack Reed , a Rhode Island Democrat , cited both the president and a possible investigation of the secretary of state in his broadside against the firing .
“ I hope Republicans will join us in standing up for taxpayers and getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be a bipartisan commitment to upholding our system of checks and balances and ensuring accountability and oversight at the highest levels , ” Reed said in a statement .
Linick will replaced by Stephen Akard , a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice President Mike Pence , said the official , who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Akard currently runs the department ’ s Office of Foreign Missions .
He had been nominated to be the director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after objections he wasn ’ t experienced enough .
The lawmakers ’ request for information from the White House includes any evaluations of Linick ’ s job performance and any assessment of Akard ’ s job qualifications .
Linick , a former assistant U.S. attorney in California and Virginia , had overseen inspector general reports that were highly critical of the department ’ s management policies during the Trump administration .
His office had criticized several Trump appointees for their treatment of career staff for apparently being insufficiently supportive of Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department ’ s inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ’ s hiring freeze and attempts to streamline the agency by slashing its funding and personnel .
Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general .
In April , he fired Michael Atkinson , the inspector general for the intelligence community , for his role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
Then Trump removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defense Department .
The move stripped him of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Response Accountability Committee , which is among those overseeing the vast economic relief law pass in response to the coronavirus .
During a White House briefing on COVID-19 , Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals .
Trump has since moved to replace the HHS official , Christi A. Grimm .
She is a career person who has held the position in an acting capacity , but now Trump @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON — Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to President Donald Trump’s latest firing of a federal watchdog, this time at the State Department, and they suggested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was responsible, in what “may be an illegal act of retaliation.”
“We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President’s gutting of these critical positions,” the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote in a letter to the administration announcing their investigation.
Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general, Steve Linick, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Department’s management. The ouster was one more move by the president against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with his administration.
New York Rep. Eliot Engel and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez sent letters to the White House, the State Department and the inspector general’s office asking that administration officials preserve all records related to Linick’s dismissal and provide them to the committees by this coming Friday. They promised to “look deeply into this matter” and said they would seek to interview White House officials. They said they “trust that the White House will cooperate fully with our investigation.”
A senior department official said Trump removed Linick from his job on Friday but gave no reason for the action. In a letter to Congress, Trump said Linick, who had held the job since 2013, no longer had his full confidence and that his removal would take effect in 30 days. Trump did not mention Linick by name in his letter.
Democrats soon cried foul. Engel suggested Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Pompeo.
Engel offered no details. Two congressional aides said it involved allegations that Pompeo may have improperly treated staff. Linick’s office has issued several reports critical of the department’s handling of personnel matters during the Trump administration, including accusing some political appointees of retaliating against career officials.
Engel and Menendez said it was ”their understanding” that Pompeo recommended that Linick be fired because the watchdog was investigating “wrongdoing” by the Cabinet officer. They gave no specifics, but said such a move “may be an illegal act of retaliation.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Linick was “punished for honorably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security.” She said Trump ”must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe, particularly during this time of global emergency.”
Linick, whose office also took issue with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she served as America’s top diplomat, played a minor role in the Ukraine impeachment investigation into Trump.
In October, Linick turned over documents to House investigators that he had received from State Department Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl, a close Pompeo associate, which contained information from debunked conspiracy theories about Ukraine’s role in the 2016 election.
In the Senate, Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa on Saturday defended the role of the inspector general in the federal government and noted that Congress requires written reasons to justify removal. “A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress,” Grassley said in a statement that did not mention Trump or Pompeo.
Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, cited both the president and a possible investigation of the secretary of state in his broadside against the firing. “I hope Republicans will join us in standing up for taxpayers and getting to the bottom of this. There must be a bipartisan commitment to upholding our system of checks and balances and ensuring accountability and oversight at the highest levels,” Reed said in a statement.
Linick will replaced by Stephen Akard, a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice President Mike Pence, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Akard currently runs the department’s Office of Foreign Missions. He had been nominated to be the director general of the foreign service but withdrew after objections he wasn’t experienced enough.
The lawmakers’ request for information from the White House includes any evaluations of Linick’s job performance and any assessment of Akard’s job qualifications.
Linick, a former assistant U.S. attorney in California and Virginia, had overseen inspector general reports that were highly critical of the department’s management policies during the Trump administration. His office had criticized several Trump appointees for their treatment of career staff for apparently being insufficiently supportive of Trump and his policies.
Under Linick, the State Department’s inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s hiring freeze and attempts to streamline the agency by slashing its funding and personnel.
Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general.
In April, he fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community, for his role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump’s impeachment.
Then Trump removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defense Department. The move stripped him of his post as chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which is among those overseeing the vast economic relief law pass in response to the coronavirus.
During a White House briefing on COVID-19, Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals. Trump has since moved to replace the HHS official, Christi A. Grimm. She is a career person who has held the position in an acting capacity, but now Trump has nominated a permanent replacement.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Obama criticizes U.S. leaders’ virus response in online graduation speech

WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nation ’ s response to the coronavirus , telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials “ aren ’ t even pretending to be in charge.
” Obama spoke on “ Show Me Your Walk , HBCU Edition , ” a two-hour event for students graduating from historically black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube , Facebook and Twitter .
His remarks were unexpectedly political , given the venue , and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything , this pandemic has fully , finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they ’ re doing , ” Obama said .
“ A lot them aren ’ t even pretending to be in charge.
” Obama did not name President Donald Trump or any other federal or state officials in his comments .
But last Friday , he harshly criticized Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic as an “ absolute chaotic disaster ” in a call with 3,000 members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The commencement remarks were the latest sign that Obama intends to play an increasingly active role in the coming election .
He has generally kept a low profile in the years since he left office , even as Trump has disparaged him .
Obama told supporters on the call that he would be “ spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can ” for Joe Biden , who served as his vice president .
As he congratulated the graduates Saturday and commiserated over the enormous challenges they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus has wrought , the former president noted the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery , 25 , who was killed while jogging on a residential street in Georgia .
“ Let ’ s be honest : A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country , ” Obama said .
“ We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities , just as we see it when a black man goes for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn ’ t submit to their questioning.
” “ Injustice like this isn ’ t new , ” Obama went on to say .
“ What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing , that the old ways of doing things don ’ t work.
” In the face of a void in leadership , he said , it would be up to the graduates to shape the future .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get better , it ’ s going to be up to you , ” he said .
It is a perilous time for the nation ’ s historically black colleges and universities , which have long struggled with less funding and smaller endowments than their predominantly white peers and are now dealing with the financial challenges of the coronavirus .
Even at the better-endowed HBCUs , officials are bracing for a tough few years .
Obama will also deliver a televised prime-time commencement address later Saturday for the high school Class of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James , Malala Yousafzai and Ben Platt , among others .

WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nation’s response to the coronavirus, telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials “aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
Obama spoke on “Show Me Your Walk, HBCU Edition,” a two-hour event for students graduating from historically black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. His remarks were unexpectedly political, given the venue, and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social and economic impacts.
“More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing,” Obama said. “A lot them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
Later Saturday, during a second televised commencement address for high school seniors, Obama panned “so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs” who do “what feels good, what’s convenient, what’s easy.”
“Which is why things are so screwed up,” he said.
Obama did not name President Donald Trump or any other federal or state officials in either of his appearances. But earlier this month, he harshly criticized Trump’s handling of the pandemic as an “absolute chaotic disaster” in a call with 3,000 members of his administrations obtained by Yahoo News.
The commencement remarks were the latest sign that Obama intends to play an increasingly active role in the coming election. He has generally kept a low profile in the years since he left office, even as Trump has disparaged him. Obama told supporters on the call that he would be “spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can” for Joe Biden, who served as his vice president.
As he congratulated the college graduates Saturday and commiserated over the enormous challenges they face given the devastation and economic turmoil the virus has wrought, the former president noted the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, 25, who was killed while jogging on a residential street in Georgia.
“Let’s be honest: A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country,” Obama said. “We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn’t submit to their questioning.”
“Injustice like this isn’t new,” Obama went on to say. “What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing, that the old ways of doing things don’t work.” In the face of a void in leadership, he said, it would be up to the graduates to shape the future.
“If the world’s going to get better, it’s going to be up to you,” he said.
It is a perilous time for the nation’s historically black colleges and universities, which have long struggled with less funding and smaller endowments than their predominantly white peers and are now dealing with the financial challenges of the coronavirus. Even at the better-endowed HBCUs, officials are bracing for a tough few years.
Obama’s message to high school students came at the end of an hourlong television special featuring celebrities, including LeBron James, Yara Shahidi and Ben Platt, and was less sharp-edged than his speech to the college graduates. He urged the young graduates to be unafraid despite the current challenges facing the nation and to strive to be part of a diverse community.
“Leave behind all the old ways of thinking that divide us — sexism, racial prejudice, status, greed — and set the world on a different path,” Obama said.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--U.S. Rep. Justin Amash ends his Libertarian bid for White House

WASHINGTON — Michigan Rep. Justin Amash , a high-profile critic of President Donald Trump who quit the GOP and became an independent , announced Saturday he would not seek the Libertarian nomination for the White House , weeks after saying he was running because voters wanted an “ alternative ” to the two major parties .
In deciding to drop out , he cited the challenges of trying to campaign as a third-party candidate during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ After much reflection , I ’ ve concluded that circumstances don ’ t lend themselves to my success as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therefore I will not be a candidate , ” he said in one in a series of tweets explaining his decision .
He said “ the new reality of social distancing levels the playing field among the candidates in many respects , but it also means lesser known candidates are more dependent on adequate media opportunities to reach people.
” Amash said he still thinks such a candidacy could prove successful in the future .
“ I continue to believe that a candidate from outside the old parties , offering a vision of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can break through in the right environment , ” he tweeted .
“ But this environment presents extraordinary challenges.
” Amash would have faced nearly impossible odds of winning the presidency .
But third-party campaigns can have unpredictable consequences for the Democratic and Republican candidates in the race .
In 2000 , Ralph Nader ’ s Green Party presidential bid cost Democrat Al Gore crucial support and was a contributing factor in Republican George W. Bush ’ s narrow victory .
Democrat Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 loss to Trump has been blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party candidate Jill Stein picked up in states such as Pennsylvania .
Amash left the Republican Party last year and later supported Trump ’ s impeachment in the Democratic-led House .
In announcing his intention in late April to seek the Libertarian nomination , Amash said he wanted to represent the millions of Americans who do not feel well represented by either major party .

WASHINGTON — Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, a high-profile critic of President Donald Trump who quit the GOP and became an independent, announced Saturday he would not seek the Libertarian nomination for the White House, weeks after saying he was running because voters wanted an “alternative” to the two major parties.
In deciding to drop out, he cited the challenges of trying to campaign as a third-party candidate during the coronavirus pandemic.
“After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate,” he said in one in a series of tweets explaining his decision. He said “the new reality of social distancing levels the playing field among the candidates in many respects, but it also means lesser known candidates are more dependent on adequate media opportunities to reach people.”
Amash said he still thinks such a candidacy could prove successful in the future.
“I continue to believe that a candidate from outside the old parties, offering a vision of government grounded in liberty and equality, can break through in the right environment,” he tweeted. “But this environment presents extraordinary challenges.”
Amash would have faced nearly impossible odds of winning the presidency. But third-party campaigns can have unpredictable consequences for the Democratic and Republican candidates in the race.
In 2000, Ralph Nader’s Green Party presidential bid cost Democrat Al Gore crucial support and was a contributing factor in Republican George W. Bush’s narrow victory. Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss to Trump has been blamed in part on the support that Green Party candidate Jill Stein picked up in states such as Pennsylvania.
Amash left the Republican Party last year and later supported Trump’s impeachment in the Democratic-led House.
In announcing his intention in late April to seek the Libertarian nomination, Amash said he wanted to represent the millions of Americans who do not feel well represented by either major party.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-16--Bittersweet e-ceremony for UIC grad: ‘I didn’t really get to say goodbye’

Edith Mendez watched a slideshow of photos from her college experience , read a Spanish quote she handpicked to thank her family and listened to a speech delivered by her college dean Saturday .
But the 2020 graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago did so from the backyard of her family ’ s Berwyn home , not on campus with the momentous ceremony she ’ d always imagined .
“ It was a little bit strange — maybe , in some ways , disappointing , ” said Mendez , a first-generation college grad .
“ Just because I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stage.
” She joined more than 5,000 UIC students — and tens of thousands more at other Illinois schools — left with no choice but to celebrate their graduation with an online ceremony in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic .
UIC still plans to hold an in-person commencement for their 2020 class sometime later this year , but with the state ’ s stay-at-home order banning large gatherings , the virtual stand-in will have to do for now .
And for Mendez , like millions of students nationwide , the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduation .
Mendez and two of her classmates were the first to come out of UIC ’ s revamped Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education program , which resumed in 2017 after a long hiatus .
The culmination of Mendez ’ s UIC experience — a student-teaching tenure at Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen , where she mentored sophomores and seniors in art classes — was nonetheless cut short by the pandemic .
“ I didn ’ t really get to say goodbye , ” she said .
“ I knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we also got to learn from each other .
I feel like maybe they could see themselves in me , just because there ’ s not a lot of teachers of color or women of color that teach in Chicago Public Schools.
” Mendez entered UIC eyeing a career in medicine , but an elective art class she opened her eyes to a field that fulfilled her creativity , her desire to create positive change and her struggles with her own identity .
“ I wanted to ... give younger students the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t have when I was in high school , ” she said .
“ It ’ s really therapeutic to do so , [ because ] art is a way to figure out or reflect on your experiences and find your identity and go back to your roots .
Because when you are a first-generation [ college student ] and a Latina , it ’ s hard to connect when you have these two sides of yourself.
” Her career passion as an art teacher cemented , Mendez has already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer program , which guarantees her a job somewhere within the district next school year .
She ’ s still applying for specific positions , ranging from elementary to high-school level , while planning out how to earn a master ’ s degree in Latino Studies at some point down the road .
While her final months as an undergraduate might not have gone as planned , Mendez says she finds positives even in that inconvenience .
First , experiencing online classes as a student could help her teach them in the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no guarantee on when in-person classes will be able to resume anywhere in the state as the pandemic unfolds .
And second , “ if this wasn ’ t happening , my dad is constantly working , so he probably wouldn ’ t have been able to make it [ to my graduation ] , ” she said .
“ But because of this virus happening , he was able to be here , and friends and family were able to congratulate me.
” Mendez is also going to order a cap and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not ever get to wear them onstage .
Because those tangible symbols , as thousands of other 2020 college graduates are discovering , are sometimes the only things making the accomplishment feel real these days .
“ This all feels surreal because it ’ s not in-person and it ’ s not in the traditional way , but it ’ ll be really exciting , ” Mendez said .
“ That ’ s finally when it ’ s going to hit me that I graduated .
”

Edith Mendez watched a slideshow of photos from her college experience, read a Spanish quote she handpicked to thank her family and listened to a speech delivered by her college dean Saturday.
But the 2020 graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago did so from the backyard of her family’s Berwyn home, not on campus with the momentous ceremony she’d always imagined.
“It was a little bit strange — maybe, in some ways, disappointing,” said Mendez, a first-generation college grad. “Just because I didn’t get to walk across the stage.”
She joined more than 5,000 UIC students — and tens of thousands more at other Illinois schools — left with no choice but to celebrate their graduation with an online ceremony in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
UIC still plans to hold an in-person commencement for their 2020 class sometime later this year, but with the state’s stay-at-home order banning large gatherings, the virtual stand-in will have to do for now.
And for Mendez, like millions of students nationwide, the COVID-19 shutdown has disrupted far more than just graduation.
The Mendez family stands in their backyard watching UIC’s prerecorded commencement ceremony Saturday. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Mendez and two of her classmates were the first to come out of UIC’s revamped Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education program, which resumed in 2017 after a long hiatus.
The culmination of Mendez’s UIC experience — a student-teaching tenure at Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen, where she mentored sophomores and seniors in art classes — was nonetheless cut short by the pandemic.
“I didn’t really get to say goodbye,” she said. “I knew things that they were going through, but we also got to learn from each other. I feel like maybe they could see themselves in me, just because there’s not a lot of teachers of color or women of color that teach in Chicago Public Schools.”
Mendez entered UIC eyeing a career in medicine, but an elective art class she opened her eyes to a field that fulfilled her creativity, her desire to create positive change and her struggles with her own identity.
“I wanted to... give younger students the opportunity of taking art courses that I didn’t have when I was in high school,” she said. “It’s really therapeutic to do so, [because] art is a way to figure out or reflect on your experiences and find your identity and go back to your roots. Because when you are a first-generation [college student] and a Latina, it’s hard to connect when you have these two sides of yourself.”
Her career passion as an art teacher cemented, Mendez has already been accepted into Chicago Public Schools’ early offer program, which guarantees her a job somewhere within the district next school year.
She’s still applying for specific positions, ranging from elementary to high-school level, while planning out how to earn a master’s degree in Latino Studies at some point down the road.
While her final months as an undergraduate might not have gone as planned, Mendez says she finds positives even in that inconvenience.
University of Illinois System President Timothy Killeen delivers a pre-recorded commencement speech issued to UIC grads Saturday. Provided
First, experiencing online classes as a student could help her teach them in the future — perhaps from the get-go, with no guarantee on when in-person classes will be able to resume anywhere in the state as the pandemic unfolds.
And second, “if this wasn’t happening, my dad is constantly working, so he probably wouldn’t have been able to make it [to my graduation],” she said. “But because of this virus happening, he was able to be here, and friends and family were able to congratulate me.”
Mendez is also going to order a cap and gown soon, despite knowing she might not ever get to wear them onstage.
Because those tangible symbols, as thousands of other 2020 college graduates are discovering, are sometimes the only things making the accomplishment feel real these days.
“This all feels surreal because it’s not in-person and it’s not in the traditional way, but it’ll be really exciting,” Mendez said. “That’s finally when it’s going to hit me that I graduated.”