chicagotribune--2020-12-04--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Dec. 3 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

This is also true in the performing arts , as in many other fields .
Any actor will tell you @ @ @ @ @ , say , eight shows a week at Chicago ’ s Steppenwolf Theatre Company not @ @ @ @ @ and body are trained to peak condition , but the sense memory of that constant @ @ @ @ @ mental acuity crucial to great acting .
Any orchestral musician will confirm that great classical @ @ @ @ @ time , enhancing artistic unity .
Those who sing or play rock , blues or @ @ @ @ @ regular basis usually will tell you that they end up knowing their bandmates almost like @ @ @ @

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CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
llinois health officials reported 10,959 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 192 additional fatalities on Thursday, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 759,562 since the start of the pandemic.
The new daily figures come as Illinois recorded 957 COVID-19 deaths over the last seven days, more than any other state. The seven-day average of fatalities in Illinois also climbed to a new high of 124 on Thursday.
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Meanwhile, health officials are investigating a large, mostly maskless gathering held at the Hilton Chicago/Northbrook Hotel Wednesday night — the same day Illinois passed the grim milestone.
Photos and videos of the event first reported by CBS 2 show crowded rooms full of people hugging, eating, drinking and talking in close proximity, the vast majority of whom were not wearing masks. The event was a wedding with a few hundred guests in attendance, according to officials.
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Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
6:50 p.m. (updated): Illinois’ COVID-19 death toll in the last seven days is highest in nation at 957
Illinois has recorded more COVID-19 deaths than any other state over the last seven days, and the seven-day average of COVID-19 deaths in Illinois climbed to a new high of 124 on Thursday.
The state has recorded 957 deaths over the last seven days, far more than Texas, which had 806 fatalities over the same period, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state’s seven-day average death toll surpassed the spring peak of 118, as state public health officials reported an additional 192 COVID-19 deaths. That number matches a record that was shattered a day earlier, when 238 deaths were recorded.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
5:40 p.m.: Religious leaders in Chicago urge devotees of Our Lady of Guadalupe to avoid pilgrimages to Des Plaines as image will be removed from shrine
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Catholics, devotees of Our Lady of Guadalupe, make a pilgrimage from across Chicago and other cities to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines to honor the mother of Jesus on her feast day, Dec. 12.
This year, the celebration, which brings together more than 200,000 from across the United States, second only to the massive celebration in Mexico City, will be canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions and concerns about a greater spread of the virus.
In a video message released Thursday, religious leaders, including Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich and the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector of the shrine, urged devotees to celebrate this year’s feast at their homes and discouraged individuals or group pilgrimages from visiting the shrine in Des Plaines from Dec. 11-12, as has been done annually for years.
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Sanchez said that the emblematic image of the Guadalupana will be removed from the hill of Tepeyac at the shrine and safeguarded in one of the chapels at the site from the evening of Dec. 11 until Dec. 13. The entrances to the shrine site will be blocked, the lights will be turned off and no parking will be available at the shrine starting the night of Dec 11.
Read more here. —Laura Rodríguez Presa
5:15 p.m.: Biden says he is keeping Fauci on as chief medical adviser
President-elect Joe Biden says he is keeping Dr. Anthony Fauci on as a chief medical adviser and a member of his COVID-19 advisory team.
Biden made the comments Thursday during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper. He said he spoke with Fauci earlier in the day about the need to instill confidence in any coronavirus vaccine and the fact that “you don’t have to close down the economy” to combat the virus.
Biden says he’d be “happy” to get a vaccine in public to prove its safety.
The president-elect also said he would ask the public to wear masks for 100 days to help drive down the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 275,000 Americans.
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Read more here. —Associated Press
3:40 p.m.: ‘We are taking the time that we need’: FDA head defends COVID-19 vaccine approval process
With Americans clamoring for a COVID-19 vaccine, all eyes will be on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration next week.
An FDA advisory committee will meet Dec. 10 to discuss a potential emergency use authorization for a vaccine produced by Pfizer. The committee is set to meet again a week later to consider a second vaccine made by Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine was 95% effective and the Moderna vaccine was 94.1% effective in clinical trials, and the FDA will make the final decisions about both.
Leading up to these historic meetings, the Tribune spoke with FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn Thursday about what happens next, concerns from some that the vaccines were rushed, and worries from others that the U.S. hasn’t moved quickly enough.
Read the interview here. —Lisa Schencker
3:15 p.m.: Inmates quarantined at Will County jail after 38 test postive for COVID-19
An entire pod of inmates at the Will County jail remained quarantined Thursday due to increasing COVID-19 cases after 38 inmates tested positive and three more reported symptoms, according to the Will County sheriff’s office.
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There were 51 inmates in the affected pod and 574 inmates at the Will County Adult Detention Facility as of Thursday, said Kathleen Hoffmeyer, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
The spread is thought to have began earlier in November when an inmate in that pod went to court for a sentencing hearing and returned the jail, Hoffmeyer said. The same inmate, who did not show any symptoms of the virus while at the jail, tested positive for the virus about five days after his sentencing hearing and his transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections, Hoffmeyer said.
Hoffmeyer said the inmate was at the courthouse Nov. 9, about the same time four corrections officers who worked in the courthouse inmate holding area came down with the virus. The sheriff’s office ended up sending 17 corrections officers who worked in that holding area home to quarantine, Hoffmeyer said.
It is unclear if the inmate was infected by one of the corrections officers or someone else he had contact with at the courthouse.
Read more here. —Alicia Fabbre, Daily Southtown
3:10 p.m.: Restaurants are a source of COVID-19 spread, experts say, but there are still ways to save them
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants have faced some of the biggest challenges compared to many other industries. From constantly changing regulations that affected their bottom line, to investing in expensive HVAC equipment only to have their dining rooms closed, restaurant owners have attempted to convince both themselves and others that they’re not the problem. After all, they’ve been held to strict health, safety and sanitation regulations to simply operate, even before the pandemic set in.
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But as time has gone on and research on COVID-19 has grown, scientists have learned more about the virus and they say that the verdict is clear: Restaurants are indeed a source of spread simply by the nature of what people do at a restaurant — eating and drinking, both of which require removal of a mask, not to mention talking to other people.
But there are still ways for restaurants and bars to operate while minimizing transmission, researchers say. Advocates emphasize the need for financial assistance and transparency on a policy level, should local and national leaders continue ordering restrictions.
Read more here. —Grace Wong
2:41 p.m.: DePaul women’s basketball is one of the few teams that wears masks during games
The complaining lasted a week.OK, it lasted a couple of weeks. All right, maybe it was a month.
Yet DePaul women’s basketball players have dutifully worn face masks during every practice since Aug. 7 and all three of their games this season.
”We’re pretty used to it,” senior guard Deja Church said. “We complained a lot about it. But like Coach (Doug) Bruno says, ‘We’re going to make adversity our best friend.’ With or without masks, we’ll play to the best of our abilities. We’re not going to make masks an excuse.”
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Seeing coaches and players wearing masks on sidelines has become routine as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic.But players competing in them? That’s rare.
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
2:40 p.m.: No fans at the United Center for the start of the Chicago Bulls’ 2020-21 NBA season
The Chicago Bulls will not have fans at the United Center when they return to the court for the 2020-21 NBA season, the team announced Thursday.
The decision does not come as a surprise as COVID-19 cases spike in major cities across the country, including the Chicagoland area.
The full schedule for the Bulls’ upcoming season has not been released, but the team did share their preseason schedule with games slated between Dec. 11 and 18. They will play a pair of home games at the United Center against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 11 and 13 and travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Dec. 16 and 18.
Read more here. —DeAntae Prince
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12:40 p.m.: Cook County health department investigating large wedding held at Hilton Chicago/Northbrook hotel on day state marked highest number of COVID-19 deaths
Health officials are investigating a large, mostly maskless gathering held at the Hilton Chicago/Northbrook Hotel Wednesday night — the same day Illinois passed a grim COVID-19 milestone.
Photos and videos of the event first reported by CBS 2 show crowded rooms full of people hugging, eating, drinking and talking in close proximity, the vast majority of whom were not wearing masks. The event was a wedding with a few hundred guests in attendance, according to officials.
Read more here. —Kaitlin Edquist
12:06 p.m.: 10,959 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 192 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Thursday announced 10,959 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 192 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 759,562 and the statewide death toll to 12,830 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 106,778 new tests in the last 24 hours.
The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 10.4% for the period ending Wednesday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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12:03 p.m.: With the pandemic posing a mass eviction threat, here’s what 11 housing experts say a Biden administration can do to help
Holiday wish lists might look a bit different this year, but when it comes to wishes for the housing industry on a grander scale, it’s little surprise what experts and local leaders hope to find under the metaphorical tree.
At the center of their concerns is a grim outlook at how the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic toll will affect housing insecurity. As job loss and economic hardship leave many unable to pay rent or mortgages, an August report found potential for the most severe housing crisis in U.S. history. If conditions do not change, up to 43% of renter households could be at risk of eviction by the end of the year.
But with the new year will also come a new administration. While Republican election challengers continue to fight in key battleground states won by President-elect Joe Biden, others are looking forward with hope to the incoming administration of Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris — from first-time voters to immigrants.
The Tribune reached out to area housing experts and advocates and asked what they’d like to see from the new administration when it comes to the housing industry.
This is what they had to say. —Darcel Rockett
10:36 a.m.: Facebook to remove COVID-19 vaccine-related misinformation
Facebook said Thursday it will start removing false claims about COVID-19 vaccines, in its latest move to counter a tide of coronavirus-related online misinformation.
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In the coming weeks, the social network will begin taking down any Facebook or Instagram posts with false information about the vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts.
Read more here. —Associated Press
10 a.m.: Northwestern-led researchers unveil data dashboard that aims to spot COVID-19 surges faster
A Northwestern University-based research team has unveiled an online COVID-19 data dashboard that aims to show more quickly where infections are surging in states and across the world.
The dashboard joins scores of others related to the pandemic that are hosted by governments, news media, nonprofits and universities. This one crunches the data in a new way that its creators say can flag surges faster and more precisely, before they become overwhelming.
“Basically the whole idea for this is like an early warning system. What we would hope to do with this is to ... be able to see when things are starting to stoke and an outbreak is occurring,” said Lori Post, the lead investigator and director of the Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“However, it’s really a difficult time just because all U.S. states are just like out of control right now in America,” said Post, a professor of emergency medicine and medical social sciences.
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Unveiled Thursday morning, the dashboard’s underlying programming code collects case data from other dashboards around the world, then converts it into metrics that Post says will provide an early signal of problems in roughly 200 countries.
Read more here. —Joe Mahr
9:31 a.m.: US COVID-19 deaths top 3,100 in a single day for the first time as new cases begin topping 200,000 a day
The U.S. recorded over 3,100 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, obliterating the record set last spring, while the number of Americans hospitalized with the virus has eclipsed 100,000 for the first time and new cases has begun topping 200,000 a day, according to figures released Thursday.
The three benchmarks altogether showed a country slipping deeper into crisis, with perhaps the worst yet to come, in part because of the delayed effects from Thanksgiving, when millions of Americans disregarded warnings to stay home and celebrate only with members of their household.
Across the U.S., the surge has swamped hospitals and left nurses and other health care workers shorthanded and burned out.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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8:12 a.m.: For museums, 2020 was an open-and-shut, up-and-mostly-down year
A museum on the end of a yo-yo string is not an easy image to conjure. The buildings are heavy, for one thing, and not particularly aerodynamic. Plus, there’s so much fragile stuff inside.
But that is precisely where Chicago’s museums found themselves this year as the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to close in the middle of March. Many of them cautiously re-opened in summer, and then the resurgent public-health crisis and the government attempting to manage it yanked the string again in mid-November and shut them all back down.
Meantime, as with almost everyone else in this nation’s oddly prioritized economy, there were federal relief funds available to help the not-for-profit sector through June. Since then, it’s been crickets or tumbleweeds or, more aptly, the heavy quiet of a big, empty, marble-floored hall.
Read more here. —Steve Johnson
6:13 a.m.: They volunteered for COVID-19 vaccine trials and got the placebo. Do they now deserve the real one?
In October, Judith Munz and her husband, Scott Petersen, volunteered for a coronavirus vaccine trial. At a clinic near their home in Phoenix, each got a jab in the arm.
Petersen, a retired physician, became a little fatigued after his shot, and developed redness and swelling on his arm. But Munz, a social worker, didn’t notice any change. “As much as I wanted it, I couldn’t find a darned thing,” she said. “It was a nothing burger.”
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She knew there was a 50-50 chance that she would get the vaccine, developed by Johnson & Johnson. Judging from her lack of symptoms, she guessed she had received the placebo.
At the time, MsMunz thought that anyone who had received the placebo would get the real vaccine as soon as the trial showed it was safe and effective. She looked forward to the peace of mind it would bring. But last month, she was asked to sign a modified consent form indicating that people who got the placebo might have to wait up to two years to get the vaccine, if they got one at all.
Munz found the form vague, confusing and, most of all, unfair. “You put yourself out there with that risk,” she said. “I am owed that vaccine.”
Read more here. —The New York Times
5:30 a.m.: Column: Recovery is coming in 2021. Will artists be off their games? Or will there be a rush of new talent and ideas?
On Monday, the Bloomberg News Service had a rather chilling headline: “Rusty Pilots Making Flying Errors Is Next Aviation Headache.”
The story set me wondering. Are we now in for a period of similarly rusty artists?
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Bloomberg’s piece probed a logical dilemma as the world recovers from the pandemic in 2021. Given that fewer pilots were flying during the months of reduced demand due to COVID-19, airlines now are starting to worry that even seasoned aviation professionals will need a lot of help to get back to the requisite peak performance. Sit around too long, the reasoning goes, and you aren’t as sharp as when you do something on a daily basis. And if you’ve got peoples’ lives in your hands, there’s no room for error.
This is also true in the performing arts, as in many other fields. Any actor will tell you that the discipline of doing, say, eight shows a week at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company not only ensures that the voice and body are trained to peak condition, but the sense memory of that constant focus ensures the level of mental acuity crucial to great acting. Any orchestral musician will confirm that great classical ensembles become near-singular organisms over time, enhancing artistic unity. Those who sing or play rock, blues or whatever with others on a regular basis usually will tell you that they end up knowing their bandmates almost like they know themselves.
Read more here. —Chris Jones
5 a.m.: Aurora city officials say they’re in a ‘Catch-22’ trying to enforce Tier 3 COVID-19 restrictions
A high-ranking Aurora city official this week used a tightrope, “Catch-22,” a tough spot and a mixed bag to describe the issue of enforcing coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Alex Alexandrou, Aurora’s chief management officer, said the city does not have jurisdiction to enforce the Tier 3 closing restrictions the state has forced on businesses, particularly restaurants, who are not allowed to have inside customers.
He said the city’s revenue situation is highly reliant on its restaurants, and it has “weighed heavily on us” how to keep those restaurants alive, while enforcing the restrictions. Some city restaurants are defying the state’s orders; meanwhile, the number of deaths, infections and hospital strain is high due to the pandemic.
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“It’s a horrible ‘Catch-22′ that we’re in,” Alexandrou said.
Read more here. — Steve Lord, Aurora Beacon-News
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chicagotribune--2020-12-03--Cook County health department investigating large wedding held at Hilton hotel on day state marked h

Cook County health department investigating large wedding held at Hilton hotel on day state marked highest number of COVID-19 deaths

“ When I found out about this situation , I subsequently contacted public health officials to determine the appropriate next @ @ @ @ @ that they must abide by the Tier 3 mitigations and safety protocols to ensure the @ @ @ @ @ guests , ” said Michael Jacobson , the organization ’ s president and CEO , @ @ @ @ @ In addition , we have reached out to our hotel membership across the state to @ @ @ @ @ of abiding by all health and safety guidelines .
”

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chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Lawndale chase, shooting and crash now a triple homicide

The pursuit continued south and then west on Roosevelt Road when someone in the Equinox began firing shots at the @ @ @ @ @ causing the Kia to hit a parked car near the intersection of Laramie Avenue and @ @ @ @ @ .

A third person has died from a horrific car crash and shooting on the West Side on Wednesday night.
An autopsy Friday determined Tatiana Baker, 25, died of multiple gunshot wounds and multiple injuries from a motor vehicle hitting a fixed object, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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Baker, of the 600 block of North Hamlin Avenue in the city’s East Garfield Park neighborhood, was shot in the lower back and was pronounced dead Thursday at 12:01 a.m. at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, the medical examiner’s office said.
Chicago police said the incident began about 8:30 p.m. near Kostner Avenue and the Eisenhower Expressway when a dark blue 2020 Chevrolet Equinox SUV began chasing a white 2015 four-door Kia Optima sedan occupied by Baker, Kiondria Richards, Nautica Banks and a male driver.
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The pursuit continued south and then west on Roosevelt Road when someone in the Equinox began firing shots at the Kia, hitting Baker and causing the Kia to hit a parked car near the intersection of Laramie Avenue and Roosevelt, according to police.
The Equinox kept going west on Roosevelt, plowing into multiple vehicles, both parked and in traffic, and ended up in the 5800 block of West Roosevelt Road, where its four occupants ran from the scene.
Richards, 21, of East 142nd Place in Dolton, and Banks, 23, of the 700 block of South Kenneth Avenue in Chicago, both died on the scene from injuries in the crash, officials said.
The deaths of Richards, who was in the front passenger seat, and Banks, who sat directly behind her, were also ruled homicides.
The Kia’s driver was not shot but was injured and survived the incident.
Police reported no arrests.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Striking workers reach agreement to go back to work at 11 Illinois nursing homes in ‘family reunion’

Striking workers reach agreement to go back to work at 11 Illinois nursing homes in ‘family reunion’ with residents

Most of the 11 homes that would be affected by a strike are in the Chicago area .
They include @ @ @ @ @ Cicero , which had 249 COVID-19 cases , and Niles Nursing & Rehabilitation in Niles @ @ @ @ @ deaths , both among the most at any long-term care facility in the state .

Striking nursing home workers and representatives of physicians and nurses organizations hold press conference calling on the facility's owners to 'return to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair contract' outside the City View Multicare Center in Cicero on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune) (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Workers on strike at 11 nursing homes in Illinois said they reached a tentative agreement Friday to go back to work with raises and increased pandemic pay.
Nearly 700 members of SEIU Illinois agreed on a new three-year contract with Infinity Healthcare Management, union President Greg Kelly said. Pending expected ratification Sunday, they will go back to work Monday for what leaders described as a “family reunion” with the residents for whom they care.
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The settlement calls for raises of at least $1 an hour for all workers, and average increases of about $2 an hour to $15.68, union officials said.
The workers had been on strike 12 days, and without a contract since May.
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Workers also won pandemic pay of $2.50 an hour, five sick days a year and an agreement to provide protective equipment against COVID-19.
“This means the world to me,” Lakeview Rehabilitation & Nursing Center worker Ros Reggans said. “It means we can go back to our residents and give them the care they deserve.”
Most of the 11 homes that would be affected by a strike are in the Chicago area. They include City View Multicare Center in Cicero, which had 249 COVID-19 cases, and Niles Nursing & Rehabilitation in Niles, which had 54 COVID-19-related deaths, both among the most at any long-term care facility in the state.
The other homes affected were Ambassador Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Continental Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Lakeview Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, Southpoint Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, all in Chicago, and Oak Lawn Respiratory & Rehabilitation Center, Forest View Rehabilitation in Itasca, Parker Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Streator, West Suburban Nursing & Rehabilitation in Bloomingdale and Momence Meadows Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--A deadly second surge: COVID-19 fatalities hit a new record in Illinois nursing homes

That rate dropped in the summer and then crept back up to nearly two long-term care deaths per 100,000 residents @ @ @ @ @ increases have been elsewhere , the Tribune found in its analysis of state data .
@ @ @ @ @ the rate for the southern region topped six deaths per 100,000 residents ; for the @ @ @ @ @ more than seven ; and for the north-central part of the state , more than @ @

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The new COVID-19 surge is hitting Illinois’ most vulnerable residents harder than ever, with a record 480 deaths recorded in the past week among people living in long-term care facilities.
A Tribune analysis found the surge in deaths was particularly steep outside the greater Chicago area, underscoring the challenges of keeping the virus out of nursing homes and assisted living facilities when infections are spreading in the surrounding communities.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker offered a deep sigh Friday when asked what more could be done to tamp down the surge in long-term care deaths.
“This is frankly the same challenge that exists in all the other populations, and even more so, when we’re at the highest levels of the pandemic,” he told reporters.
The latest weekly death tally was nearly double that recorded in the prior week, part of a sizable increase in deaths from earlier in the fall. The latest toll was slightly more than the number seen in the previous worst week for such deaths, during the spring surge, in early May.
The Illinois Department of Public Health culls the figures each Friday from a database that local health departments add to throughout the week, and at times there can be delays in reporting by local officials, particularly around weekends and holidays. The department did not immediately respond to questions Friday about whether lags connected to the Thanksgiving holiday affected the new number.
Regardless, it is clear that the second COVID-19 surge has been ripping through long-term care facilities again this fall. New case counts have risen dramatically for these facilities, with roughly 4,500 new infections noted among residents in the past week — another record. That’s about 500 more new cases uncovered than in the worst week of the spring surge.
Researchers have pointed out how difficult it can be to stop the virus from entering facilities when it’s raging in nearby communities, especially with a disease that can leave people infectious without showing symptoms. The virus can then wreak havoc not only on elderly and frail residents but also at times on the workers who care for them.
Early in the pandemic, state officials split Illinois into four regions for tracking purposes. The northeast region, which includes Chicago and its suburbs, initially had the highest rate of deaths relative to its population size; in the spring, the region saw nearly five weekly deaths of long-term care residents per 100,000 people in the general population.
That rate dropped in the summer and then crept back up to nearly two long-term care deaths per 100,000 residents. But the more massive increases have been elsewhere, the Tribune found in its analysis of state data. In the past week, the rate for the southern region topped six deaths per 100,000 residents; for the central region, it was more than seven; and for the north-central part of the state, more than eight.
While researchers and advocates blame much of the problem on the prevalence of the virus near these facilities, there are also questions about government oversight.
Those issues surfaced most recently with a state Senate committee hearing and a state investigation into an outbreak at the state-run veterans home in LaSalle last month, where as of Friday the virus had infected 209 veterans and staffers, and killed 30.
Some flags fly at half-staff at the Illinois Veterans Home in LaSalle on Dec. 3, 2020. The coronavirus has killed 30 at the state-run home. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
But the question of state oversight goes beyond state-run facilities; some nursing homes run by for-profit firms have also seen cases in the triple digits. At a dozen of these homes, the death toll exceeds the number seen at LaSalle, with one facility recording more than 50 COVID-19 deaths.
AARP Illinois, which has called for broader public hearings on what went wrong in those facilities, said Friday that not enough is being done to protect residents and staff.
“The loss of life is appalling and unacceptable. After nine months of dealing with COVID-19, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities should have been better prepared for this second wave,” Bob Gallo, AARP Illinois’ state director, said in a statement. “Seniors remain in grave danger as the virus reenters these facilities at an alarming pace.”
As the virus raced through facilities this spring, IDPH cut back inspections that are required by state law. Four months ago, IDPH forced out two top administrators and announced it had hired a consulting firm to conduct a “top to bottom review” of its oversight practices.
The agency has yet to release records related to that review. The Tribune filed a public records request for them Sept. 4. IDPH has yet to respond, and the Tribune has appealed to the attorney general’s office for assistance.
Asked what more the state could do now to limit the virus’s spread in long-term care facilities, Pritzker on Friday told reporters that the state had stopped allowing outdoor visits, that it is mandating more testing and “certainly infection control is better overall now than it was at the very beginning because there’s a greater understanding of what needs to be done.”
Representatives of long-term care facilities have said they need more government aid, while advocates and a union representing the largely low-wage workforce has portrayed the industry as focused more on profits than care.
The latter complaints became a flashpoint in a strike at 11 facilities that lasted 12 days until the workers reached a tentative deal Friday with the chain’s owner, Infinity Healthcare. Among the chain’s facilities is Niles Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, which leads the state in the number of COVID-19 deaths, with 54 during an earlier outbreak. The home is now enduring another outbreak with 12 cases, according to state data.
jmahr@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-06--Man, 53, fatally shot in Logan Square, police say

Around 1 p.m. , the man was in a vehicle stopped in the street in the 3100 block of North @ @ @ @ @ Side when a light-colored vehicle pulled up near him and someone inside fired shots , @ @ @

A 53-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday afternoon while he was driving in the Logan Square neighborhood, according to Chicago police.
Around 1 p.m., the man was in a vehicle stopped in the street in the 3100 block of North Sawyer Avenue on the Northwest Side when a light-colored vehicle pulled up near him and someone inside fired shots, police said.
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The man was shot in the head and back, police said. He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
No one is in custody.
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pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Maria Lopez, wife of beloved 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, also dies of COVID-related issues. ‘They fou

Maria Lopez, wife of beloved 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, also dies of COVID-related issues. ‘They fought to stay here with us,’ daughter says

“ I don ’ t know why this happened to my family .
My father was just going to a @ @ @ @ @ sick .
Now I have to explain to my 8-year-old that his grandmother won ’ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ They were so in love .
One could not be @ @ @ @

The adult children of 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, who died last month of COVID-19, thought their mother, Maria, 56, was going to pull through the virus and rejoin them at home. But overnight Saturday, she was pronounced dead at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, said daughter Erica.
“It’s a sad ending to a beautiful love story,” Erica Lopez said Saturday afternoon from her parents’ home. “I accepted it. I love God. I am not angry with him. I am angry at the selfish person who did not wear a mask and infected my father.”
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The couple first battled their COVID-19 infection together at home, until it worsened and they had to be hospitalized. Erica, who is the oldest of the couple’s three children, said they are cleaning up their parents’ home before they make arrangements for Maria’s funeral.
[ Beloved 911 dispatcher called a ‘voice of security’ by Chicago police loses life to coronavirus ]
“It looks like ground zero from the front to back. Medicine bottles everywhere, tissue. It really shows how hard they fought to stay here with us. My dad really fought to make sure my mother beat this virus,” Erica Lopez said.
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She talked about how her father would be so proud knowing he received full honors from the Chicago Police Department, and said that has never happened for a police dispatcher, mentioning the outpouring from his colleagues.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 8 The Rev. Dan Brandt, a Chicago police chaplain, hugs a Guadalupe "Lupe" Lopez family member during a prayer during a funeral procession stop at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Nov. 30, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Her mother, affectionately known by those in the Little Village neighborhood as “Lupita,” is getting the same amount of love.
Maria Lopez owned and operated a tax business in her neighborhood and would help immigrants fill out tax returns, day and night, her daughter said.
“She would get out her bed if necessary to help whomever needed her,” Erica Lopez said.
After her husband died last month of the virus, Maria Lopez seemed to be recovering, having been placed on dialysis when her kidneys became challenged due to the virus. Finally she was up and on oxygen, her daughter said.
But it seemed she just gave up at some point.
Family photo of 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, 58, and Maria Lopez, 56. Both passed away from COVID-19-related issues in November and December, respectively. (Family photo)
“My parents suffered at home, they suffered in the hospital, but now they are dancing in the sky together. They loved house music and Julian Jumpin’ Perez,” she said.
Last night, Erica Lopez said she screamed into her pillow so no one would hear her pain.
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“I don’t know why this happened to my family. My father was just going to a job he loved and got sick. Now I have to explain to my 8-year-old that his grandmother won’t be coming home,” she said. “They were so in love. One could not be without the other.
“The hardest part was telling my 85-year-old grandmother her daughter is dead,” Erica Lopez said, adding she requested an ambulance while she broke the news. “We are orphans at Christmastime. But I have big shoes to fill. I am the oldest so there’s no time to break down right now.”
dawilliams@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider says he’ll step down amid hard-liner push to replac

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider says he’ll step down amid hard-liner push to replace him

“ I believe the ILGOP is in a great position to take this momentum ( of 2020 ) and regain @ @ @ @ @ , win a U.S. Senate seat , win majority control of the Supreme Court for @ @ @ @ @ put up a strong fight in other races up and down the ballot in 2022 @ @ @ @ @

Tim Schneider told top Republicans on Saturday that he intends to step down as Illinois GOP chairman, setting up a search for a successor as early as next month.
Schneider, a former Cook County commissioner and Hanover Township trustee from Streamwood, was installed as chairman in May 2014 as the choice of then-governor candidate Bruce Rauner after the wealthy private equity investor secured the GOP nomination en route to serving one term as governor.
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“It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead this party for the past six years. The Illinois Republican Party is an important force for change in a state that so desperately needs it,” Schneider said in a statement.
“During my tenure, the ILGOP has stood for reform — term limits, fair maps, and the end to the rampant corruption plaguing our state. And we were united around our conservative values of smaller government, lower taxes, and personal responsibility.”
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Schneider’s announcement came during a virtual meeting of the Republican State Central Committee. It caught some members by surprise, given that the GOP avoided serious damage in the Nov. 3 general election while successfully pushing the defeat of Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated-rate income tax and preventing the retention of Democratic Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride.
But under Schneider, the state GOP also was not able to capitalize on the money Rauner used during his tenure to heavily subsidize the party and turn it into appreciable gains. Rauner’s 2018 loss to Pritzker left Illinois in one-party control.
Sources said Schneider, who embraced President Donald Trump’s reelection and weathered the controversial years of Rauner’s tenure, was facing opposition from more conservative hard-liners within the state GOP hierarchy.
The sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting, said a push was made to name Lake County GOP Chairman Mark Shaw to replace Schneider as chairman during Saturday’s meeting, but those efforts fell short.
Two years ago, Lake Forest’s Shaw sought to challenge Schneider for the party’s chairmanship. But in a compromise brokered by Rauner, Shaw backed off and accepted the newly created title of party co-chairman for “conservative and grassroots outreach.”
At the time, Rauner, who was seeking reelection, fell out of favor with party conservatives over his support of legislation that expanded abortion and LGBTQ rights. Those positions almost cost him renomination after narrowly defeating former state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton in the GOP primary.
Shaw has been a controversial figure. In September, his county GOP organization touted a Republican fundraiser on Facebook, saying, “An invigorated Republican electorate enjoyed a beautiful fundraiser ... ‘without fear and without masks!’” The posting included a video of the indoor and outdoor event, which featured few people wearing masks despite guidelines dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two weeks after the 2017 Las Vegas massacre of concertgoers that killed 58 people and wounded hundreds of others, Shaw’s county GOP organization held a fundraiser where at least a dozen firearms were raffled off. Shaw said some of the money raised at the event would be donated to Las Vegas first responders.
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With immediate support for Shaw lacking among top Republicans on Saturday, the party leaders agreed to form a search committee, which will present its recommendations for a new chairman on Jan. 9. Schneider’s term was to run through May 2022.
“I believe the ILGOP is in a great position to take this momentum (of 2020) and regain the governor’s mansion, win a U.S. Senate seat, win majority control of the Supreme Court for the first time, and put up a strong fight in other races up and down the ballot in 2022,” Schneider said.


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Man fatally shot on Eisenhower on Near West Side identified

The incident began about 1:30 p.m. on the inbound Ike at Canal Street , when shots were fired from an @ @ @ @ @ in the area of Canal Street on the inbound Ike , state police said .

A man who was shot in the head while on the Eisenhower Expressway and died after the Friday afternoon attack on the Near West Side has been identified.
The victim, a 21-year-old man identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Nshaune Johnson, died of multiple gunshot wounds, an autopsy on Saturday determined. The death of Johnson, who was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 2:03 p.m. on Friday, was ruled a homicide.
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The incident began about 1:30 p.m. on the inbound Ike at Canal Street, when shots were fired from an unknown vehicle, also traveling in the area of Canal Street on the inbound Ike, state police said.
State police offered no further details.
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At approximately 1:40 p.m., all inbound lanes were closed for the investigation, and traffic was diverted off at Racine Avenue. At approximately 5:44 p.m., all inbound lanes were opened.
Illinois state police investigate an incident on the the Eisenhower Expressway just west of the Old Post Office on Dec. 4, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Outbound traffic was not affected.
Anyone who witnessed the shooting or have any knowledge of the shooting is asked to contact the ISP at 847-294-4400. Callers can remain anonymous.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Ex-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty to political corruption, dies from COVID-19

“ We unexpectedly lost the center of our family today .
Marty was larger than life with an enormous heart @ @ @ @ @ us .
We ’ re proud of his legacy , miss him already and know @ @ @ @ @ and parents in a better place all too soon , ” according to a statement @ @ @ @ @ and children Angie , Jenny and Martin Jr .

Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty in January to political corruption and was cooperating with prosecutors in multiple ongoing investigations, died Saturday from COVID-19 complications.
Sandoval, 56, was in the hospital before his death, said attorney Dylan Smith.
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“While he may have strayed from the standard he set for himself, he was making a genuine effort to make amends for his mistakes through his cooperation with the government and its ongoing investigation,” Smith said.
The family released a statement late Saturday afternoon.
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“We unexpectedly lost the center of our family today. Marty was larger than life with an enormous heart and an endless devotion to us. We’re proud of his legacy, miss him already and know he joins his four siblings and parents in a better place all too soon,” according to a statement released by wife Marina Sandoval and children Angie, Jenny and Martin Jr.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed that Sandoval died about 10 a.m. Saturday at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
Sandoval, a Chicago Democrat and former Senate Transportation Committee chairman, pleaded guilty to bribery and tax charges, admitting in a 27-page plea agreement to taking more than a combined quarter of a million dollars in bribes in exchange for his political influence or official action.
At the heart of the investigation was at least $70,000 in government-supplied cash Sandoval took from a SafeSpeed representative who was working with authorities in return for Sandoval acting as its “protector” in the state Senate.
Then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval on the Senate floor at the State Capitol in Springfield in 2011. (E. Jason Wambsgans/ Chicago Tribune)
Sandoval, who resigned effective Jan. 1, 2020, faced up to about 12 ½ years in federal prison, but in exchange for his continued assistance, prosecutors agreed to recommend a reduced sentence of unspecified length.
In a court filing just before Thanksgiving, prosecutors said Sandoval had been providing “valuable cooperation that is expected to last at least several more months.” His next court date was postponed until April 1. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Lausch had no comment Saturday.
It was not immediately clear how Sandoval’s sudden death might affect the government’s ongoing corruption probes. In addition to the red-light camera sting, the Sandoval investigation involved a wide range of alleged political corruption within his Southwest Side and suburban power base, including the mayors of McCook, Lyons, Summit and Oakbrook Terrace as well as a handful of longtime Democratic political operatives.
Federal authorities also were looking at some of Sandoval’s top political boosters, including Michael Vondra, the so-called Asphalt King of Illinois who held an annual fundraiser for Sandoval at his west suburban golf course.
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Born in Chicago in 1964, Sandoval graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and worked 15 years in the federal government, including at the U.S. Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Environmental Protection Agency, according to his state biography. He also once served as a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
Sandoval’s ascension to the state Senate in 2003 was boosted by the now-defunct Hispanic Democratic Organization, a patronage operation formed under former Mayor Richard M. Daley.
In a harbinger of Sandoval’s legal troubles, a Tribune investigation in 2017 revealed the senator had interceded with the Illinois Department of Transportation on SafeSpeed’s behalf while also taking tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the company and its owner.
In September 2019, federal agents swooped into Sandoval’s offices in the state Capitol armed with a search warrant naming a who’s who of political power players.
The warrants sought information on construction magnates, transportation officials, lobbyists and power company bigwigs. Authorities also were interested in a member of the Tollway board, a swanky suburban cigar lounge and a businessman nicknamed “Shadow,” records showed.
And Sandoval’s connections to utility giant Commonwealth Edison — where his daughter, Angie, works as a senior account representative — also were being looked at by prosecutors.
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ComEd has since admitted to an elaborate bribery scheme to curry favor with House Speaker Michael Madigan. Last month, longtime Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, lobbyist John Hooker and consultant Jay Doherty were indicted on charges alleging they helped orchestrate the scheme. All four have pleaded not guilty.
Sandoval was never charged with any wrongdoing involving ComEd. His undoing proved to be the cooperation of SafeSpeed co-founder and executive Omar Maani, who wore a wire for the FBI and recorded Sandoval demanding money and other favors in exchange for his support.
Maani has been charged with bribery but entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office that means the case will eventually be dismissed if he continues to cooperate.
Meanwhile, SafeSpeed and its CEO, Nikki Zollar, have denied any wrongdoing, saying that any bribes offered by Maani occurred without the company’s knowledge.
After Sandoval pleaded guilty in January, SafeSpeed said it was “shocked and saddened” at Sandoval’s betrayal of public trust.
Sandoval told reporters after his hearing — the last time he appeared in a public courtroom — that he was “ashamed” and took “full responsibility” for his actions.
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“I apologize to the people of Illinois and most importantly the constituents that I’ve served over the last 17 years,” he said. “... I intend to fully cooperate with the government, and because of that, I can no longer provide any further comments.”
Sandoval served in the General Assembly from 2003 until his resignation. His annual golf fundraiser proved to be a must-attend event for interests seeking his help to advance or block legislation.
Sandoval’s Senate district included the House district represented by Madigan. Sandoval learned about much of the territory that he would represent by walking door to door with Madigan precinct captains.
Sandoval often joked that he wouldn’t let Madigan or his loyalists implant a computer chip in his head to control his thinking about politics. But when Madigan sought to defeat veteran Republican Rep. Angelo “Skip” Saviano of Elmwood Park in 2012, Sandoval joined the effort to support Democratic challenger Kathleen Willis in a very public way.
Sandoval interrupted a public forum between Saviano and Willis, shouting, standing up on chairs and sitting on the floor in protest, saying he wanted to ask questions.
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Willis won, and eventually made it onto Madigan’s leadership team. Now as Madigan struggles to maintain his speakership, Willis is one of 19 House Democrats who have vowed not to vote for Madigan next month when he tries for another two-year term as speaker.
Chicago Tribune’s Rick Pearson contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 9,887 new COVID-19 cases and 208 more fatalities reported, as state

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 9,887 new COVID-19 cases and 208 more fatalities reported, as state passes 13,000 deaths; ex-state Sen. Martin Sandoval dies from virus complications

“ If we don ’ t act now , the future will be very bleak , ” Biden said , @ @ @ @ @ , Delaware .
“ Americans need help and they need it now , and they @ @ @ @ @ come early next year .
But I must tell you , I am encouraged by @ @ @ @ @ Senate around a $ 900-billion package of relief .
”

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials on Sunday reported 7,598 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 76 additional deaths.
That brings the state’s total to 787,573 confirmed and probable cases and 13,255 fatalities since the pandemic began.
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A day earlier, Illinois officials reported 208 deaths and crossed the 13,000 mark for COVID-19 fatalities, a little more than a week after marking 12,000 deaths.
The numbers illustrate just how bad the pandemic has gotten here. Illinois has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other state in the seven days ending Saturday, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Illinois and Texas have more than 1,000 deaths in that timeframe.
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Additionally, former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty in January to political corruption, has died from COVID-19 complications, his attorney said Saturday.
Sandoval, who was cooperating with federal authorities, was in the hospital before his death, said attorney Dylan Smith, who added that he spoke with the former lawmaker’s family.
Meanwhile, Illinois plans to distribute its initial allocation of roughly 109,000 doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine to the 50 counties across the state with the highest death rates from the virus, the state’s top public health official said Friday.
In the Chicago area, that includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties. It also includes Kankakee County but not McHenry.
First, though, the Pfizer vaccine needs emergency use authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration, which could come as soon as Thursday. If that happens, Illinois expects to receive its first shipment sometime during the week of Dec. 13.
Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
7,598 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, 76 additional deaths reported
Illinois public health officials on Sunday reported 7,598 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 76 additional deaths.
That brings the state’s total to 787,573 confirmed and probable cases and 13,255 fatalities since the pandemic began.
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There were 79,538 tests performed in the previous 24 hours. The statewide positivity rate for the previous seven days is 11.8%.
Bulls’ Garrett Temple is quarantining in his hotel room after testing positive for COVID-19
Chicago Bulls guard Garrett Temple is quarantining in his hotel room in Chicago after testing positive for COVID-19 last Saturday.
Through contract tracing, Temple, a free-agent acquisition by the Bulls this offseason, said he believes he contracted the virus while in Louisiana during Thanksgiving. He does not usually get headaches, so once he started feeling one in the days after, he figured something might be up.
After testing positive and first beginning to quarantine, the 34-year-old also felt fatigued, had a congested nose, a cough and shortness of breath that he compared to feeling like he ran outside during a cold Chicago day. But as he spoke to reporters during a video call from his hotel room on Sunday morning, he said he felt much better and his symptoms were behind him.
He was hopeful to rejoin the Bulls for practice by Wednesday or sometime during the middle of the week once he records two negative results.
Read more here. —Jamal Collier
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Saturday
Maria Lopez, wife of beloved 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, also dies of COVID-related issues. ‘They fought to stay here with us,’ daughter says
The adult children of 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, who died last month of COVID-19, thought their mother, Maria, 56, was going to pull through the virus and rejoin them at home. But overnight Saturday, she was pronounced dead at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, said daughter Erica.
“It’s a sad ending to a beautiful love story,” Erica Lopez said Saturday afternoon from her parents’ home. “I accepted it. I love God. I am not angry with him. I am angry at the selfish person who did not wear a mask and infected my father.”
The couple first battled their COVID-19 infection together at home, until it worsened and they had to be hospitalized. Erica, who is the oldest of the couple’s three children, said they are cleaning up their parents’ home before they make arrangements for Maria’s funeral.
“It looks like ground zero from the front to back. Medicine bottles everywhere, tissue. It really shows how hard they fought to stay here with us. My dad really fought to make sure my mother beat this virus,” Erica Lopez said.
Read more here. —Deanese Williams-Harris
Report: Singer Jeremih released from Northwestern Memorial Hospital after undergoing COVID-19 treatment
Chicago singer Jeremih has been released from the hospital after undergoing treatment for COVID-19.
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According to ABC 7 Chicago, Jeremih was discharged from Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Friday night, accompanied by his mother.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank God and the incredible team of doctors and nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for saving my life,” Jeremih told ABC 7 Chicago. “I will be forever grateful.”
Read more here. —Variety
Testing bipartisanship, Biden urges Congress to compromise on COVID-19 pandemic relief bill
President-elect Joe Biden is trying to help break a monthslong deadlock in Congress over a new installment of pandemic relief, testing his aspiration to preside over a new era of bipartisan cooperation in Washington, even before he takes office.
Biden seized Friday on a grim new report on unemployment to amplify his call for Congress to act on a bipartisan $900-billion relief bill that emerged this week — half the size of a package that Democrats wanted but twice as much as Republicans have proposed.
“If we don’t act now, the future will be very bleak,” Biden said, speaking to reporters in Wilmington, Delaware. “Americans need help and they need it now, and they’ll need more to come early next year. But I must tell you, I am encouraged by the bipartisan efforts in the Senate around a $900-billion package of relief.”
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Read more here. —Los Angeles Times
Illinois surpasses 13,000 COVID-19 deaths, just eight days after reaching 12,000
Illinois moved past 13,000 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, just eight days after marking 12,000 deaths.
The numbers illustrate just how bad the pandemic has gotten here. Illinois has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other state in the last seven days, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Illinois and Texas have more than 1,000 deaths in last seven days.
Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
9,887 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 208 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Saturday announced 9,887 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 208 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 779,975 and the statewide death toll to 13,179 since the start of the pandemic.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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Ex-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty to political corruption, dies from COVID-19, attorney says
Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty in January to political corruption, has died from COVID-19 complications, his attorney said Saturday.
Sandoval, who was cooperating with federal authorities, was in the hospital before his death, said attorney Dylan Smith, who added that he spoke with the former lawmaker’s family.
“I was very proud to have represented Martin Sandoval. While he may have strayed from the standard he set for himself, he was making a genuine effort to make amends for his mistakes through his cooperation with the government and its ongoing investigation,” Smith said.
“(Sandoval) was someone of considerable ability who had done a great deal of good in his life,” Smith added.
Sandoval, the former Senate Transportation Committee chairman, pleaded guilty to bribery and tax charges in a 27-page plea agreement that laid bare a striking level of greed, even in a state accustomed to elected officials going off to prison for trading political power for cash.
Read more here. —Jason Meisner
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CDC says people should wear masks indoors as COVID-19 infections spread at record levels in United States
Americans should be wearing a mask indoors whenever they’re outside their own home, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending, as coronavirus infections continue to spread at record levels in the United States — reaching a new daily high of nearly 228,000 cases on Friday.
The 227,885 cases eclipse the previous high of more than 217,000 on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Read more here. —Bloomberg News


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Prosecutors: Men shot two people in separate carjacking incidents, and fired dozens of shots at 2 ch

Prosecutors: Men shot two people in separate carjacking incidents, and fired dozens of shots at 2 children

The arrests come as the city is experiencing a spike in carjackings , according to police data .
Through Oct. @ @ @ @ @ 914 carjackings in Chicago this year , more than double the number seen through the @ @ @ @ @ the most the city has seen in that period since 2003 .

A judge ordered two men held without bail after prosecutors accused them of shooting and injuring two people in two separate attempted carjackings in November, along with firing dozens of shots during the incidents, including at two small children.
Marcus Whatley, 22, and Javon Readus, 23, both of Chicago, are charged with multiple felonies, including attempted murder and vehicular hijacking, Cook County prosecutors said during a bond hearing Saturday before Judge Susana Ortiz.
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They are also facing felony charges of aggravated battery by discharging a firearm, and misdemeanor counts of resisting/obstructing the police and criminal trespass to a vehicle.
Prosecutors alleged that Whatley and Readus, with guns drawn, approached a man who was in his vehicle with his sister after grocery shopping on Nov. 25 in the 2300 block of West Madison Street and demanded the vehicle. The man, who holds a concealed carry license, fired at the two men, who returned fire with at least 17 shots.
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The victim was shot twice in the arm and grazed in the head, requiring surgery, prosecutors said. The defendants then returned to their car and drove away.
The second incident happened five days later in the 2800 block of West Chicago Avenue when, on Nov. 30, a man, his wife and their two children encountered the suspects while driving home from the airport, prosecutors said. Whatley and Readus pointed the gun and demanded the family turn over their vehicle, prosecutors alleged.
The man did not comply, and instead tried to drive away. Whatley and Readus then fired 27 shots at the family, striking and injuring the man, prosecutors alleged. The children were “miraculously not hit,” the prosecutor said.
Chicago police officers arrested the men on Thursday after finding them downtown with a stolen car, prosecutors said. Both victims identified the men.
Ortiz ordered them held without bail, saying she found that they posed a “clear and present danger.”
Whatley is on parole for a robbery conviction.
The arrests come as the city is experiencing a spike in carjackings, according to police data. Through Oct. 3, there had been 914 carjackings in Chicago this year, more than double the number seen through the same date in 2019 and the most the city has seen in that period since 2003.
Among recent incidents, a 65-year-old retired firefighter was shot and killed on Thursday during a carjacking attempt on the Far South Side.
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mabuckley@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--‘I just can’t believe it,’ owner says after missing black Labrador dog Lola reunited with family aft

‘I just can’t believe it,’ owner says after missing black Labrador dog Lola reunited with family after 3 years

When the Mejeurs return to Michigan on Saturday , Lola will have some time to get acquainted to her new @ @ @ @ @ the three were together , the Mejeurs lived in an apartment building .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ with a fenced-in yard .
Lola also will meet a few other new additions to @ @ @ @ @ Labrador named Maddox and two new cats named Prit and Dublin .
She ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ cats , Fifty and Archer , who lived with her before she went missing .

Debra Mejeur watches her dog Lola play outside DuPage County Animal Services in Wheaton on Dec. 5, 2020, as they reunite three years after Lola went missing. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Debra Mejeur had long given up hope that her black Labrador service dog, Lola, would ever be found.
The Michigan woman’s dog went missing a little more than three years ago on Oct. 21, 2017, when Mejeur and her husband, Steve, were visiting a friend in Elk Grove Village. Lola was in the fenced-in yard of the friend’s home and somehow got loose.
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The couple searched for about a month, making regular trips from their home in Michigan to Elk Grove Village to look for Lola. They put up flyers, searched with a team of volunteers and even hired a professional pet rescuer to aid in the search.
But Lola could not be found — until earlier this week.
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On Saturday, Lola and her family were reunited at the DuPage County Animal Services facility — three years after Lola’s disappearance.
Steve Mejeur hugs his dog Lola outside of DuPage County Animal Services in Wheaton on Dec. 5, 2020, as they reunite three years after Lola went missing. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Lola’s microchip helped locate her family, but how she survived for three years is unknown.
“I just can’t believe it,” Mejeur said.
At first, Lola was a bit tentative. But once she got a whiff of her old blanket and Mejeur took off her face mask, Lola’s tail started wagging, expressing the joy of the reunion.
“This is a good way to end 2020,” Mejeur said as she played with her dog on the lawn in front of the DuPage County Animal Services building.
“It gives us hope for 2021,” added Barbara Hanek, veterinarian administrator for DuPage County Animal Services.
Hanek’s office got a call earlier this week from a Glendale Heights couple who had found the dog. The couple had seen Lola throughout the last few years going into a forest preserve and had been leaving food out for Lola, to gain her trust. This week, they were able to bring Lola to animal services.
“This is a happy ending,” Mejeur said, her eyes expressing the smile beneath her face mask.
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Mejeur first got a text Thursday, saying it was about Lola, but Mejeur just ignored it, figuring it was from one of the pet clubs she signed up for years ago.
Then came a phone call. The message said Lola had been found and that Mejeur should check her text message for more details.
She read in shock that Lola had been located in DuPage County. The information on Lola’s microchip led to the Mejeurs. When she called DuPage County Animal Services, she simply asked if they had a dog named Lola.
“They responded with, ‘Are you Debra?’” she recalled. “I just lost it. I just started crying because it proved to me that it was her.”
When the Mejeurs return to Michigan on Saturday, Lola will have some time to get acquainted to her new home. The last time the three were together, the Mejeurs lived in an apartment building. They’ve since bought a home with a fenced-in yard. Lola also will meet a few other new additions to the family — another black Labrador named Maddox and two new cats named Prit and Dublin. She’ll also be reunited with two cats, Fifty and Archer, who lived with her before she went missing.
Lola, who was trained to help Mejeur whenever she would have a seizure, will go into retirement, Mejeur said.
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“She deserves it,” Mejeur said after Saturday’s reunion.
No one is quite sure why Lola got loose in the first place. Mejeur wonders if it was separation anxiety or just being in an unfamiliar place on that day that prompted Lola to escape. It’s also unclear where Lola stayed the last three years, how she survived or even how she got from that backyard in Elk Grove Village to Glendale Heights.
“If she could talk ...” Mejeur said with a laugh.
Hanek said Lola’s reunion highlights the need for pet owners to microchip their pets and to keep their information current. She also encouraged residents to call animal services when they see a stray pet.
But more importantly, Lola is a reminder to have hope, Hanek said.


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--‘If nobody knew ... no one would ever know,’ said Michigan woman charged with murder after newborn b

‘If nobody knew ... no one would ever know,’ said Michigan woman charged with murder after newborn boys found in Stickney garbage 17 years ago, according to prosecutors

According to Chicago Tribune reporting at the time , the garbage truck ’ s automated mechanism was dumping the contents @ @ @ @ @ the front trash receptacle when the two tiny male bodies tumbled out , said Marjorie @ @ @ @ @ the sheriff ’ s office , at the time .
The worker , who was @ @ @ @ @ from her cellphone .

A traffic stop in suburban Oak Lawn led to the arrest of a woman who was charged with murdering her newborn twin sons more than 17 years ago, Cook County sheriff’s police announced Saturday.
Antoinette Briley, 41, of Holland, Michigan, was charged Friday night with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of her sons, a Cook County sheriff’s office statement said.
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Judge Susana Ortiz ordered Briley held on $150,000 bond during a hearing Saturday afternoon from the Leighton Criminal Court Building, audio of which was broadcast live on YouTube.
“There was evidence of live birth,” Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Dominique Marshall told the court.
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On June 6, 2003, the victims were discovered by a Waste Management employee who was emptying trash bins in an alley in the 4800 block of South Latrobe Avenue in unincorporated Stickney Township.
As the remains were found in the trash, one of the babies’ placentas was attached to the baby and another was found near the other infant “inside a black shoebox,” Marshall said.
After Ortiz told Briley a public defender had been appointed to defend her, Briley said, “Yes, ma’am,” with an audible sniffle, her voice cracking.
According to Marshall, Briley began to bleed and feel pain and cramping while alone at her grandparents’ home, so she got into the shower to “ease the pain.”
Moments later, while in the waterless bathtub, she began giving birth to the babies, Marshall said.
They started whimpering.
“They were both crying when they were born, she said, but not crying so loud that neighbors could hear,” Marshall said, quoting Briley.
“Panicking,” Briley grabbed a duffle bag and, without wiping the babies off, she placed them in the bag, got in her car and decided to drive them to a hospital, but her mind raced, she had a change of heart.
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Briley told herself: “If nobody knew … no one would ever know” about their births, Marshall said.
She pulled into an alley, took the babies out of the bag, placed them into a garbage bin, drove back to her grandparents’ home and threw away the duffle bag.
After trashing the duffle bag, she took a shower, got into bed and watched television.
“She wishes she could take the whole day back,” Marshall said, quoting Briley, adding Briley wished she had “kept going to the hospital.”
The scene shortly after the discovery in 2003 in Stickey. (Cook County sheriff's office)
According to Chicago Tribune reporting at the time, the garbage truck’s automated mechanism was dumping the contents of the 75-gallon can into the front trash receptacle when the two tiny male bodies tumbled out, said Marjorie O’Dea, of the sheriff’s office, at the time. The worker, who was not named, called police from her cellphone.
“We’re talking to neighbors to see if anyone saw anything, and we’ve talked to several pregnant women in the area,” O’Dea said at the time.
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An autopsy the next day by the Cook County medical examiner’s office determined the victims were born alive and died of asphyxiation. Their deaths were ruled homicides.
The case remained unsolved until Thursday, when sheriff’s police received a lead that Briley was in Cook County and took her into custody after a traffic stop in Oak Lawn.
Antoinette Briley (Cook County Sheriff's Office)
In 2018, police reopened the case and used DNA from evidence taken from the scene in an effort to identify the birth mother using new developments in genetic genealogy, police said. A breakthrough from that research and later probes allowed detectives to eventually identify Briley as the victims’ potential birth mother.
On July 2, 2020, police detectives who traveled to Holland, Michigan, watched Briley drop a cigarette to the ground. Its butt was placed into evidence, and ended up being a match to the DNA found on the babies and was consistent with coming from Briley, Marshall said.
Briley’s public defender, Courtney Smallwood, said Briley lives with her 12-year-old daughter and has a full-time job, working 60 to 70 hours a week as an assembly worker. She had no criminal background, and there were no witnesses to the alleged incident, Smallwood added.
Briley has been “an active member of society,” Smallwood said. “She’s not a danger to society or flight risk.”
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Briley will be in court next week in Bridgeview.
Chief Leo Schmitz of the Cook County sheriff’s department held a news conference after the hearing, applauding the work of detectives on the case who used “genetic genealogy.”
“Two twins died 17 years ago ... we handled the case back then, we felt a void because we couldn’t find out who who did it,” Schmitz said. “We never gave up.”
“I am happy there is closure for the twins,” said Cook County sheriff’s detective Ginny Georgantas, one of the detectives on the case.
Check back for details.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Illinois surpasses 13,000 COVID-19 deaths, just eight days after reaching 12,000

The numbers illustrate just how bad the pandemic has gotten here .
Illinois has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any @ @ @ @ @ seven days , according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Only @ @ @ @ @ than 1,000 deaths in the last seven days .

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois moved past 13,000 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, just eight days after marking 12,000 deaths.
The numbers illustrate just how bad the pandemic has gotten here. Illinois has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other state in the last seven days, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Illinois and Texas have more than 1,000 deaths in the last seven days.
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Included in that total are the 208 deaths the Illinois Department of Public Health reported Saturday. That brings the state’s total to 13,179 deaths since the pandemic began in March. Illinois hit 10,000 deaths just a month ago.
Chicago and Cook County account for half of the state’s cumulative COVID-19 deaths, but 99 out of Illinois’ 102 counties have seen at least one fatality from the coronavirus.
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Also Saturday, Illinois health officials reported 9,887 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19. There were 102,678 tests reported, for a one-day positivity rate of 9.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity rate is 10.3%, state officials said.
The death toll is mounting as state officials have announced some details on how it plans to distribute roughly 109,000 doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine. The 50 counties across the state with the highest death rates from the virus will get the initial batch. In the Chicago area, that includes Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties. It also includes Kankakee County but not McHenry.
The Pfizer vaccine, which is not yet approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration, could arrive the week of Dec. 13. The vaccine requires two doses given three weeks apart, and the first doses would go to front-line health care workers and those in long-term care facilities.
“No single person will be fully vaccinated even by Christmas, and it will likely be months before people with low-risk factors for COVID-19 see their first dose,” Pritzker said at his Friday coronavirus briefing.


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ .
The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or @ @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 208 new deaths, 9,887 new confirmed and probable cases and 102,67

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 208 new deaths, 9,887 new confirmed and probable cases and 102,678 new test results

Illinois announced 9,887 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Saturday for a total of 779,975 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 13,179 and 102,678 new test results for a total of 11 million @

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Man taken into custody after SWAT responded to possible barricade situation in South Loop neighborho

Man taken into custody after SWAT responded to possible barricade situation in South Loop neighborhood

Shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday , SWAT responded to the 1100 block of South Michigan Avenue for a report of @ @ @ @ @ .
No injuries have been reported , police said .

A man has been taken into custody following a possible barricaded man in the South Loop neighborhood, Chicago police said.
Shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday, SWAT responded to the 1100 block of South Michigan Avenue for a report of someone barricaded inside a building. No injuries have been reported, police said.
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Shortly after 10:20 a.m., police said the barricade situation was over, and a man was placed in police custody.


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--At least 11 wounded in shootings since Friday evening, police say

The latest shooting happened about 3:45 a.m. Saturday in the 1900 block of South Oakley Avenue in the Heart of @ @ @ @ @ woman was shot in her arm by a person on foot while she was driving @ @ @ @ @ Mount Sinai Hospital , where she was listed in fair condition , police said .

At least 11 people were wounded in separate city shootings since 6 p.m. Friday on the South and West sides, Chicago police said.
The latest shooting happened about 3:45 a.m. Saturday in the 1900 block of South Oakley Avenue in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood. A 24-year-old woman was shot in her arm by a person on foot while she was driving. She got herself to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was listed in fair condition, police said.
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Shortly after 2:30 a.m. Saturday, a 27-year-old man told police he was shot after he arrived at Jackson Park Community Hospital in the 7500 block of South Stony Island Avenue, authorities said.
He was uncooperative with officers and would not tell them where the shooting occurred. He had suffered a wound to the leg and was listed in good condition, police said.
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In other shootings overnight:
Shortly after 2:10 a.m., a 41-year-old man was shot in the leg and chest in the South Shore neighborhood in the 7500 block of South Luella Avenue. Police said the man was shot during an argument with an unknown male outside who fled the scene in a dark-colored sedan. The victim was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.
Shortly before midnight Saturday, a 33-year-old man suffered three gunshot wounds to the back in the 600 block of North Spaulding Avenue in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition, police said.
Shortly before 11 p.m. Friday, four people were shot in the West Garfield Park neighborhood in the 4400 block of West Adams Street. The victims were standing outside a residential building when someone fired shots from the street in their direction. A 17-year-old girl suffered wounds to the leg and elbow, a 40-year-old man was shot in the leg and a 53-year-old man was shot twice in the leg. The three were taken to Stroger Hospital and listed in fair condition, police said. A 55-year-old man who suffered wounds to the face and arm attempted to drive himself to the hospital, but his car stopped in the 3300 block of West Congress Parkway, and paramedics took him to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition, police said.
Shortly before 8 p.m., two men were shot in the 6700 block of South Aberdeen Street in the Englewood neighborhood. The two victims heard shots and felt pain. One victim, 20, was struck in the thigh and was taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition. The other man, 24, was hit in the ankle and was taken to the same hospital in good condition, police said.
Shortly after 6 p.m., a 48-year-old man was shot near an alley in the 3100 block of West 54th Street in the Gage Park neighborhood. A gunman approached the man and shot him in the stomach area. He was taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said.
No one was in custody.


chicagotribune--2020-12-05--Man in custody after throwing object through Loop store window, attempting to steal: police

Shortly before 7 p.m. Friday , the man threw an object , breaking a window of a business in the @ @ @ @ @ Street in the Loop neighborhood .
He then entered the business and began placing items @ @ @ @ @ said .

A 30-year-old man was arrested Friday night after he threw an object through a window at a business in the Loop and attempted to place items into a bag, Chicago police said.
Shortly before 7 p.m. Friday, the man threw an object, breaking a window of a business in the 100 block of North State Street in the Loop neighborhood. He then entered the business and began placing items into a bag, police said.
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The man was taken into police custody, and charges were pending.