chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 8,691 new COVID-19 cases and 90 additional deaths reported as Pritz

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 8,691 new COVID-19 cases and 90 additional deaths reported as Pritzker says state could be entering ‘most crucial month’ of pandemic

Illinois health officials on Monday announced 8,691 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 90 additional fatalities .
That brings the total number of known infections in Illinois to 796,264 and the statewide death toll to 13,343 since the start of the pandemic .
The news numbers come as Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Monday that Illinois is entering what could be “ the most crucial month of this entire pandemic , ” a period bookended by Thanksgiving and a string of December holidays traditionally marked by gatherings that carry the risk of spreading the coronavirus .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ann Sather restaurant got a visit from city inspectors Monday because the alderman has been allowing people to eat inside the establishment in violation of city and state rules designed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus .
Tunney acknowledged diners have been eating inside his Belmont Avenue restaurant and called it an “ error in judgment.
” Also on Monday , the administrator of the state-run veterans home in LaSalle was fired amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 32 veterans who lived there since early November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state agency placed the home ’ s nursing director on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation .
5:40 p.m. : Pritzker says next four weeks could be ‘ the most crucial month of this entire pandemic ’ Illinois is entering what could be “ the most crucial month of this entire pandemic , ” Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Monday , a period bookended by Thanksgiving and a string of December holidays traditionally marked by gatherings that carry the risk of spreading the coronavirus .
Though the state has recently seen a slight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , patients it ’ s still 14 % higher than the spring peak during the initial surge of the pandemic .
“ It ’ s likely too early for us to have yet seen the bulk of Thanksgiving-related hospitalizations .
We ’ re now in our 11th day since Thanksgiving and we are four days out from Hanukkah and 18 days from Christmas , 19 days from Kwanzaa , 24 from New Year ’ s Eve , ” Pritzker said Monday .
“ These next four weeks may be the most crucial month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally have very limited leeway in our hospital systems to manage another surge.
” 4:20 p.m. : Judge pointedly reminds Chicago police to wear masks as union accuses city of holding unsafe training sessions during pandemic A federal judge told Chicago ’ s main police union on Monday that it needs to ensure its member officers are wearing face masks and maintaining safe social distances while on the job , in keeping with public health guidelines around COVID-19 .
The pointed reminder from U.S. District Court Judge Robert Dow Jr. , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the Fraternal Order of Police filed a motion alleging the city was violating its own health guidelines .
Officers have been put at risk when the Chicago Police Department conducted training sessions that included up to 50 people , the union alleged .
The union also accused the city of failing to provide enough protective equipment during those department meetings .
In requesting a temporary restraining order , the FOP said that by allowing officers to become “ superspreaders , ” city officials were putting not only officers at risk , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dow instructed the city to respond by Thursday , outlining the precautions being taken to prevent the spread of the virus .
But the judge concluded his order by reminding the FOP to look inward regarding the rules , citing evidence that officers on patrol are already not adhering to COVID-19 guidelines .
3:25 p.m. : With thousands still on waitlist , additional $ 7 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to go toward Cook County ’ s in-demand cash assistance program Cook County officials on Monday reopened a cash assistance program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise suffered financially after demand for the one-time $ 600 payment far exceeded expectations during the ongoing pandemic-induced recession .
From Monday to Friday of this week , suburban residents can once again apply for the county ’ s COVID-19 Resident Cash Assistance Program , which will directly transfer $ 600 to those who are eligible .
Applications are available online at https : //www.cookcountyil.gov/recovery .
2:30 p.m. : Administrator fired , nursing director placed on leave amid deadly coronavirus outbreak at Illinois veterans home in LaSalle The administrator of the state-run veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deadly coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 32 veterans who lived there since early November .
Administrator Angela Mehlbrech was fired by the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and will be replaced on an interim basis by Anthony Vaughn , the agency ’ s acting assistant director and a 24-year Marine Corps veteran , the department said Monday .
Department Director Linda Chapa LaVia wrote in a letter to staff at the home that they should not have contact with Mehlbrech or Cook without Vaughn signing off first .
“ Staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact with Ms. Angela Mehlbrech or Ms. Jackie Cook without the director approval of Mr. Vaughn , ” Chapa LaVia wrote .
1:20 p.m. : Wrigleyville alderman allowed diners inside his restaurant in violation of COVID-19 rules , calls it an ‘ error in judgment ’ Wrigleyville Ald .
Tom Tunney ’ s Ann Sather restaurant got a visit from city inspectors Monday because the alderman has been allowing people to eat inside the establishment in violation of city and state rules designed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus .
Tunney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lightfoot ’ s City Council leadership team as her hand-picked chair of the Zoning Committee , acknowledged diners have been eating inside his Belmont Avenue restaurant and called it an “ error in judgment.
” “ We ’ ve been sporadically letting some people in , regulars at the restaurant , to accommodate them from time to time , ” Tunney said Monday .
“ It ’ s done .
It will not continue , as of today.
” 12:56 p.m. : Even before COVID-19 , more than 100 people a day were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people fleeing to their second homes or college students forced to move back in with their parents , the coronavirus has set off a great migration in the U.S. this year .
But in many cases , it ’ s just amplifying trends that were already there .
New York City , for example , was losing 376 residents per day to domestic migration in 2019 — an increase of more than 100 per day from the previous year — before it became the epicenter of the country ’ s virus outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Census Bureau ’ s latest survey of population shifts .
The shrinking of New York would be significantly faster without international arrivals .
Last year , almost 60,000 cross-border migrants moved there ( only Miami had more ) while 200,000 residents left .
Los Angeles and Chicago were among other cities to see daily departures in triple digits last year .
Both have been losing population since 2017 .
That ’ s at least somewhat at odds with a widespread COVID-19 narrative that portrays cities booming at the expense of small towns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials on Monday announced 8,691 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 90 additional fatalities , bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 796,264 and the statewide death toll to 13,343 since the start of the pandemic .
Officials also reported 77,569 new tests in the last 24 hours .
10:42 a.m. : Millions of hungry Americans turn to food banks for the 1st time : ‘ This is a hard thing to accept that you have to do this ’ The deadly pandemic that tore through the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crawford was in a moment of crisis .
He was looking for work , his wife needed surgery , then the virus began eating away at her work hours and her paycheck .
The Crawfords had no savings , mounting bills and a growing dread : What if they ran out of food ?
The couple had two boys , 5 and 10 , and boxes of macaroni and cheese from the dollar store could go only so far .
A 37-year-old Navy vet , Crawford saw himself as self-reliant .
Asking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt like I was a failure , ” he says .
“ It ’ s this whole stigma ... this mindset that you ’ re this guy who can ’ t provide for his family , that you ’ re a deadbeat.
” Hunger is a harsh reality in the richest country in the world .
Even during times of prosperity , schools hand out millions of hot meals a day to children , and desperate elderly Americans are sometimes forced to choose between medicine and food .
Now , in the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss and business closures , millions more Americans are worried about empty refrigerators and barren cupboards .
10 a.m. : Better order those gifts now .
Retailers are warning of shipping delays as millions shop online .
Here ’ s what to know .
Retailers are warning that orders could take longer than usual to arrive because consumers are increasingly buying everyday essentials and holiday gifts online .
Shipping companies like UPS and FedEx say they have been handling package volumes usually seen during the height of the holidays all year as people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
9:52 a.m. : CDC ’ s ‘ stay home ’ advice is more terrible news for airlines American Airlines says the rise in COVID-19 cases and a growing number of travel restrictions leading into the Thanksgiving holiday is slowing demand for travel and will push its daily losses to the higher end of previous expectations .
In an investor update released Friday morning , American said its daily cash burn will come in at the high end of its $ 25 million to $ 30 million day forecast for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that airlines had hoped would result in renewed confidence in the pandemic-weary sector .
But with new COVID-19 cases growing to more than 1.1 million in the U.S. in the last seven days , according to government data , airlines are warning that their financial recovery won ’ t be as robust heading into the winter months .
8:27 a.m. : ‘ What are we going to do when we lose the unemployment money ?
’ Millions fear cutoff of US jobless aid Tina Morton recently faced a choice : Pay bills — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child ?
Derrisa Green is falling further behind on rent .
Sylvia Soliz has had her electricity cut off .
Unemployment has forced aching decisions on millions of Americans and their families in the face of a rampaging viral pandemic that has closed shops and restaurants , paralyzed travel and left millions jobless for months .
Now , their predicaments stand to grow bleaker yet if Congress fails to extend two unemployment programs that are set to expire the day after Christmas .
If no agreement is reached in negotiations taking place on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will lose federal jobless aid that averages about $ 320 a week and that typically serves as their only source of income .
7:45 a.m. : Lawmakers say COVID-19 relief bill won ’ t offer $ 1,200 checks direct payments to most Americans With time running out , lawmakers on Sunday closed in on a proposed COVID-19 relief bill that would provide roughly $ 300 in extra federal weekly unemployment benefits but not another round of $ 1,200 in direct payments to most Americans , leaving that issue for President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next year .
The $ 908 billion aid package to be released Monday would be attached to a larger year-end spending bill needed to avert a government shutdown this coming weekend .
The cash payments were popular when they were first distributed after the pandemic hit , and Biden on Friday had expressed hope that a second wave might come after weekend negotiations .
But senators involved in the talks said the checks won ’ t be included as part of the compromise , even as Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppose the measure .
The Red Cross and other blood donation organizations often have difficulty bringing in enough blood donations during the winter holidays , but as coronavirus cases surge , the Red Cross says this year , it ’ s even more crucial people to donate blood and platelets .
The Red Cross is appealing to anyone who feels well enough to do so to donate blood .
“ Between Thanksgiving and Christmas , more than 1 million blood transfusions will be given in the United States .
Donations of all blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain stocked to meet patient blood needs.
” The need for what ’ s known as convalescent plasma from people who have recovered from the coronavirus , used to treat people with COVID-19 , is especially high now , according to the Red Cross .
So the agency is testing all blood donations for coronavirus antibodies , to see if donors “ may now help current coronavirus patients in need of convalescent plasma transfusions , ” according to the agency .
People can arrange to donate blood , plasma or platelets by making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donor App , on the website RedCrossBlood.org , by calling 1-800-RED CROSS ( 1-800-733-2767 ) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device , according to the release .
The COVID-19 Resident Cash Assistance Program , announced in November , originally included $ 2.1 million in federal coronavirus funds to give suburban Cook County residents one-time cash payments of $ 600 .
The original program had been expected to serve about 3,000 people .
Officials were scheduled to discuss the program at a news conference Monday afternoon at the Cook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortages have led to theft , smuggling and doses going to the famous instead of the needy .
Will it happen again with COVID-19 ?
Sixteen years ago , in the middle of a wretched Chicago Bears season , a scandal erupted at Halas Hall that had nothing to do with inept quarterbacking or sketchy play calling — but like the Bears ’ misery , it remains relevant today .
An acute shortage of influenza vaccine gripped the country in the fall of 2004 , forcing the elderly to wait in hourslong lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The scarcity became such a hot political issue that both President Bush and his election challenger , John Kerry , forswore flu shots until the crisis eased .
But even as Illinois flu clinics closed for want of the vaccine , the Bears obtained shots through their prescribing physician and offered them to players — young men in superb physical condition who fell far outside the rationing guidelines established by federal health officials .
The uproar in Lake Forest was just one small part of a national ruckus over the vaccine that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unfairness came reports of more sinister matters such as theft , smuggling and price gouging .
As America prepares to distribute another scarce vaccine , some are wary that history could repeat .
Interpol is warning that criminals are scheming to intercept COVID-19 vaccines , and federal officials have raised concerns about counterfeit doses — the scenario that most worries Dr. Georges Benjamin , executive director of the American Public Health Association .
“ My biggest fear is not so much that too many celebrities will get it first , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to happen .
I just hope there ’ s not a lot of it .
My biggest fear is the black market and the false market .
I ’ m concerned about people fraudulently selling vaccine and people being defrauded by ( phony promises ) .
” 6 a.m. : It ’ s not just COVID-19 that ’ s closing schools — it ’ s a lack of substitute teachers .
The shortage has reached crisis levels in some districts .
A nationwide shortage of substitute teachers was a chronic problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But now , a dearth of available subs across the Chicago area has reached a crisis level at many school districts , where the roster of educators available to step in when teachers are absent has dwindled precipitously at a time of unprecedented need for their services .
Indeed , the prospect of working as a substitute as the virus continues to rage has discouraged the squad of loyal retired teachers and part-timers who often fill the ranks .
Many have told school district officials that the potential health risks are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s happened as the number of teachers and other school employees in quarantine is spiking alongside the latest surge of the virus , only pushing the demand higher .
In response , some districts are stepping up their substitute recruitment efforts to preserve in-person instruction .
But others are concluding that remote learning , with all of its flaws , is perhaps the best option , at least until early 2021 .
Here are some recent stories related to COVID-19 .

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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)
Illinois health officials on Monday announced 8,691 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 90 additional fatalities. That brings the total number of known infections in Illinois to 796,264 and the statewide death toll to 13,343 since the start of the pandemic.
The new numbers come as Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday that Illinois is entering what could be “the most crucial month of this entire pandemic,” a period bookended by Thanksgiving and a string of December holidays traditionally marked by gatherings that carry the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
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Meanwhile, Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney’s Ann Sather restaurant got a visit from city inspectors Monday because the alderman has been allowing people to eat inside the establishment in violation of city and state rules designed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Tunney acknowledged diners have been eating inside his Belmont Avenue restaurant and called it an “error in judgment.”
Also on Monday, the administrator of the state-run veterans home in LaSalle was fired amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 32 veterans who lived there since early November. In addition to the firing, the state agency placed the home’s nursing director on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation.
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Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8 p.m.: CTU seeks legal action to stop ‘arbitrary’ CPS reopening plan
On decision day for parents and teachers of Chicago Public Schools students tapped to return for in-person classes in the new year, the Chicago Teachers Union announced it had filed a legal action seeking to prevent the district from moving forward with its reopening plan.
The plan would have students in prekindergarten and moderate to severe special education cluster programs return Jan. 11. Other students in kindergarten through eighth grade who are enrolled in elementary schools would return in a hybrid model Feb. 1.
Union leaders on Monday filed a motion for an injunction with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board against what they think are “arbitrary” reopening dates and are accusing CPS officials of “manipulating statistics to justify their decision.” The motion aims to prevent CPS from requiring in-person learning “until they have bargained in good faith” about that decision.
The labor relations board rejected a similar request last month, before CPS came out with hard reopening dates. During that hearing, board members discussed the possibility of reconsidering the case if the district set a date.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
7:55 p.m.: Illinois to expand testing of prison workers as inmate deaths, infections surge
As the new COVID-19 surge continues racing through Illinois prisons, with a disturbing rise in inmate deaths in November plus the state’s first staff fatality, corrections officials said they will start to test all prison employees for the virus regardless of whether the workers have symptoms.
The testing will be rolled out in phases across the state, state officials said. The frequency will depend on the positivity rate of the county where the corrections facility is located but will be at least once a month, they said.
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Advocates for prisoners rights, who have campaigned for more robust testing since August, are calling for a specific, expedited timeline for the testing to be implemented. They argue that the state’s delays have led to avoidable infections, noting that the latest data shows that COVID-19 has infiltrated prisons across Illinois, killing at least 50 inmates since March. Half of them have died since mid-October.
In addition to the statewide testing, the Illinois Department of Corrections said that beginning this week, it will test workers and inmates every three days at three downstate prisons where infections are on the rise: two men’s prisons in Dixon and Vandalia and Logan Correctional Center, a women’s prison in Lincoln.
About 100 inmates and 20 staff members at Logan are positive for the virus, with many others having recovered. The testing is expected to continue until no new cases are identified for two weeks.
Similar testing will occur at other prisons when an outbreak inside the facility is identified, officials said. The rest of the state’s nearly 30,000 prisoners will be tested only if they have symptoms or had a known exposure to the virus.
Read more here. —Christy Gutowski
5:40 p.m.: Pritzker says next four weeks could be ‘the most crucial month of this entire pandemic’
Illinois is entering what could be “the most crucial month of this entire pandemic,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday, a period bookended by Thanksgiving and a string of December holidays traditionally marked by gatherings that carry the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
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Though the state has recently seen a slight decrease in the hospitalization rate for COVID-19, patients it’s still 14% higher than the spring peak during the initial surge of the pandemic.
“It’s likely too early for us to have yet seen the bulk of Thanksgiving-related hospitalizations. We’re now in our 11th day since Thanksgiving and we are four days out from Hanukkah and 18 days from Christmas, 19 days from Kwanzaa, 24 from New Year’s Eve,” Pritzker said Monday. “These next four weeks may be the most crucial month of this entire pandemic. We quite literally have very limited leeway in our hospital systems to manage another surge.”
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
4:35 p.m.: Waukegan stages COVID-conscious Christmas events: ‘We’re all in this together’
Surrounding and flanking the base of Waukegan’s municipal Christmas tree at Jack Benny Plaza Saturday were at least two dozen luminarias already aglow as local officials prepared for the annual tree-lighting festivities.
“They’re at City Hall too,” City Clerk Janet Kilkelly said of the luminarias.
By Sunday afternoon, in an event that was not virtual, there were more than 6,300 similar luminarias spread over 11 square blocks of southeast Waukegan by Beacon Place volunteers to give people hope as they celebrate the holidays during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Mayor Sam Cunningham lit the 15-foot Douglas fir Saturday at a decorated Jack Benny Plaza in downtown Waukegan to officially start the holiday season in the city, with a few socially distanced onlookers as others watched it virtually on their electronic devices.
In an event which usually attracts hundreds, Josh Beadle, the executive director of Waukegan Main Street -- who helped to organize the event -- said it was necessary to make the event virtual this year. Cunningham said he hopes this will be the last time.
Read more here. —Steve Sadin, Lake County News-Sun
4:20 p.m.: Judge pointedly reminds Chicago police to wear masks as union accuses city of holding unsafe training sessions during pandemic
A federal judge told Chicago’s main police union on Monday that it needs to ensure its member officers are wearing face masks and maintaining safe social distances while on the job, in keeping with public health guidelines around COVID-19.
The pointed reminder from U.S. District Court Judge Robert Dow Jr., who is overseeing sweeping mandated department reforms, came after the Fraternal Order of Police filed a motion alleging the city was violating its own health guidelines. Officers have been put at risk when the Chicago Police Department conducted training sessions that included up to 50 people, the union alleged.
The union also accused the city of failing to provide enough protective equipment during those department meetings. In requesting a temporary restraining order, the FOP said that by allowing officers to become “superspreaders,” city officials were putting not only officers at risk, but also their families and residents of Chicago.
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Dow instructed the city to respond by Thursday, outlining the precautions being taken to prevent the spread of the virus. But the judge concluded his order by reminding the FOP to look inward regarding the rules, citing evidence that officers on patrol are already not adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.
Read more here. —Annie Sweeney and Jason Meisner
3:25 p.m.: With thousands still on waitlist, additional $7 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to go toward Cook County’s in-demand cash assistance program
Cook County officials on Monday reopened a cash assistance program for people who have lost wages or otherwise suffered financially after demand for the one-time $600 payment far exceeded expectations during the ongoing pandemic-induced recession.
From Monday to Friday of this week, suburban residents can once again apply for the county’s COVID-19 Resident Cash Assistance Program, which will directly transfer $600 to those who are eligible. Applications are available online at https://www.cookcountyil.gov/recovery.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
2:30 p.m.: Administrator fired, nursing director placed on leave amid deadly coronavirus outbreak at Illinois veterans home in LaSalle
The administrator of the state-run veterans home in LaSalle was fired Monday amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 32 veterans who lived there since early November.
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Administrator Angela Mehlbrech was fired by the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and will be replaced on an interim basis by Anthony Vaughn, the agency’s acting assistant director and a 24-year Marine Corps veteran, the department said Monday.
In addition to firing Mehlbrech, the state agency placed the home’s nursing director, Jackie Cook, on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation.
Department Director Linda Chapa LaVia wrote in a letter to staff at the home that they should not have contact with Mehlbrech or Cook without Vaughn signing off first.
“Staff are directed to not have any work-related contact with Ms. Angela Mehlbrech or Ms. Jackie Cook without the director approval of Mr. Vaughn,” Chapa LaVia wrote.
Read more here. —Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
1:20 p.m.: Wrigleyville alderman allowed diners inside his restaurant in violation of COVID-19 rules, calls it an ‘error in judgment’
Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney’s Ann Sather restaurant got a visit from city inspectors Monday because the alderman has been allowing people to eat inside the establishment in violation of city and state rules designed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
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Tunney, a key member of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s City Council leadership team as her hand-picked chair of the Zoning Committee, acknowledged diners have been eating inside his Belmont Avenue restaurant and called it an “error in judgment.”
“We’ve been sporadically letting some people in, regulars at the restaurant, to accommodate them from time to time,” Tunney said Monday. “It’s done. It will not continue, as of today.”
Read more here. —John Byrne and Gregory Pratt
12:56 p.m.: Even before COVID-19, more than 100 people a day were leaving Chicago
Whether it’s wealthy people fleeing to their second homes or college students forced to move back in with their parents, the coronavirus has set off a great migration in the U.S. this year. But in many cases, it’s just amplifying trends that were already there.
New York City, for example, was losing 376 residents per day to domestic migration in 2019 — an increase of more than 100 per day from the previous year — before it became the epicenter of the country’s virus outbreak in March this year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest survey of population shifts.
The shrinking of New York would be significantly faster without international arrivals. Last year, almost 60,000 cross-border migrants moved there (only Miami had more) while 200,000 residents left.
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Los Angeles and Chicago were among other cities to see daily departures in triple digits last year. Both have been losing population since 2017. That’s at least somewhat at odds with a widespread COVID-19 narrative that portrays cities booming at the expense of small towns until the pandemic struck.
Read more here. —Bloomberg News
12:03 p.m.: 8,691 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 90 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Monday announced 8,691 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 90 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 796,264 and the statewide death toll to 13,343 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 77,569 new tests in the last 24 hours.
The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 10.3% for the period ending Sunday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
10:42 a.m.: Millions of hungry Americans turn to food banks for the 1st time: ‘This is a hard thing to accept that you have to do this’
The deadly pandemic that tore through the nation’s heartland struck just as Aaron Crawford was in a moment of crisis. He was looking for work, his wife needed surgery, then the virus began eating away at her work hours and her paycheck.
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The Crawfords had no savings, mounting bills and a growing dread: What if they ran out of food? The couple had two boys, 5 and 10, and boxes of macaroni and cheese from the dollar store could go only so far.
A 37-year-old Navy vet, Crawford saw himself as self-reliant. Asking for food made him uncomfortable. “I felt like I was a failure,” he says. “It’s this whole stigma ... this mindset that you’re this guy who can’t provide for his family, that you’re a deadbeat.”
Hunger is a harsh reality in the richest country in the world. Even during times of prosperity, schools hand out millions of hot meals a day to children, and desperate elderly Americans are sometimes forced to choose between medicine and food.
Now, in the pandemic of 2020, with illness, job loss and business closures, millions more Americans are worried about empty refrigerators and barren cupboards.
Read more here. —Associated Press
10 a.m.: Better order those gifts now. Retailers are warning of shipping delays as millions shop online. Here’s what to know.
This isn’t the year to procrastinate on your online holiday shopping.
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Retailers are warning that orders could take longer than usual to arrive because consumers are increasingly buying everyday essentials and holiday gifts online.
Shipping companies like UPS and FedEx say they have been handling package volumes usually seen during the height of the holidays all year as people shop online to avoid trips to stores during the pandemic.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
9:52 a.m.: CDC’s ‘stay home’ advice is more terrible news for airlines
American Airlines says the rise in COVID-19 cases and a growing number of travel restrictions leading into the Thanksgiving holiday is slowing demand for travel and will push its daily losses to the higher end of previous expectations.
In an investor update released Friday morning, American said its daily cash burn will come in at the high end of its $25 million to $30 million day forecast for the fourth quarter, a time period that airlines had hoped would result in renewed confidence in the pandemic-weary sector.
But with new COVID-19 cases growing to more than 1.1 million in the U.S. in the last seven days, according to government data, airlines are warning that their financial recovery won’t be as robust heading into the winter months.
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Read more here. —The Dallas Morning News
8:27 a.m.: ‘What are we going to do when we lose the unemployment money?’ Millions fear cutoff of US jobless aid
Tina Morton recently faced a choice: Pay bills — or buy a birthday gift for a child? Derrisa Green is falling further behind on rent. Sylvia Soliz has had her electricity cut off.
Unemployment has forced aching decisions on millions of Americans and their families in the face of a rampaging viral pandemic that has closed shops and restaurants, paralyzed travel and left millions jobless for months. Now, their predicaments stand to grow bleaker yet if Congress fails to extend two unemployment programs that are set to expire the day after Christmas.
If no agreement is reached in negotiations taking place on Capitol Hill, more than 9 million people will lose federal jobless aid that averages about $320 a week and that typically serves as their only source of income.
Read more here. —Associated Press
7:45 a.m.: Lawmakers say COVID-19 relief bill won’t offer $1,200 checks direct payments to most Americans
With time running out, lawmakers on Sunday closed in on a proposed COVID-19 relief bill that would provide roughly $300 in extra federal weekly unemployment benefits but not another round of $1,200 in direct payments to most Americans, leaving that issue for President-elect Joe Biden to wrestle over with a new Congress next year.
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The $908 billion aid package to be released Monday would be attached to a larger year-end spending bill needed to avert a government shutdown this coming weekend.
The cash payments were popular when they were first distributed after the pandemic hit, and Biden on Friday had expressed hope that a second wave might come after weekend negotiations.
But senators involved in the talks said the checks won’t be included as part of the compromise, even as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and others said that could cause them to oppose the measure.
Read more here. —Associated Press
7:05 a.m.: Red Cross appeals for blood donations as COVID-19 cases surge
The Red Cross and other blood donation organizations often have difficulty bringing in enough blood donations during the winter holidays, but as coronavirus cases surge, the Red Cross says this year, it’s even more crucial people to donate blood and platelets.
The Red Cross is appealing to anyone who feels well enough to do so to donate blood.
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“Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, more than 1 million blood transfusions will be given in the United States. Donations of all blood types are needed to ensure hospital shelves remain stocked to meet patient blood needs.”
The need for what’s known as convalescent plasma from people who have recovered from the coronavirus, used to treat people with COVID-19, is especially high now, according to the Red Cross. So the agency is testing all blood donations for coronavirus antibodies, to see if donors “may now help current coronavirus patients in need of convalescent plasma transfusions,” according to the agency.
People can arrange to donate blood, plasma or platelets by making an appointment through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, on the website RedCrossBlood.org, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device, according to the release.
For a list of blood drives, check the agency’s website.
Anyone who donates between Dec. and Jan. 4 will receive a free long-sleeve Red Cross T-shirt, “while supplies last,” according to the Red Cross.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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6:55 a.m.: Cook County to announce extension of resident cash assistance program
Cook County Board President Preckwinkle, other county officials and representatives from restaurant and retail groups were scheduled to announce Monday an extension of the county’s coronavirus cash assistance program.
The COVID-19 Resident Cash Assistance Program, announced in November, originally included $2.1 million in federal coronavirus funds to give suburban Cook County residents one-time cash payments of $600. The original program had been expected to serve about 3,000 people.
Officials were scheduled to discuss the program at a news conference Monday afternoon at the Cook County Building.
—Chicago Tribune staff
6 a.m.: Vaccine shortages have led to theft, smuggling and doses going to the famous instead of the needy. Will it happen again with COVID-19?
Sixteen years ago, in the middle of a wretched Chicago Bears season, a scandal erupted at Halas Hall that had nothing to do with inept quarterbacking or sketchy play calling — but like the Bears’ misery, it remains relevant today.
An acute shortage of influenza vaccine gripped the country in the fall of 2004, forcing the elderly to wait in hourslong lines for a dose, often without success. The scarcity became such a hot political issue that both President Bush and his election challenger, John Kerry, forswore flu shots until the crisis eased.
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But even as Illinois flu clinics closed for want of the vaccine, the Bears obtained shots through their prescribing physician and offered them to players — young men in superb physical condition who fell far outside the rationing guidelines established by federal health officials.
The uproar in Lake Forest was just one small part of a national ruckus over the vaccine that lasted for months. Along with cries of unfairness came reports of more sinister matters such as theft, smuggling and price gouging.
As America prepares to distribute another scarce vaccine, some are wary that history could repeat. Interpol is warning that criminals are scheming to intercept COVID-19 vaccines, and federal officials have raised concerns about counterfeit doses — the scenario that most worries Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
“My biggest fear is not so much that too many celebrities will get it first,” he said. “Tragically, that’s going to happen. I just hope there’s not a lot of it. My biggest fear is the black market and the false market. I’m concerned about people fraudulently selling vaccine and people being defrauded by (phony promises).”
Read more here. —John Keilman
6 a.m.: It’s not just COVID-19 that’s closing schools — it’s a lack of substitute teachers. The shortage has reached crisis levels in some districts.
A nationwide shortage of substitute teachers was a chronic problem long before the arrival of the pandemic. But now, a dearth of available subs across the Chicago area has reached a crisis level at many school districts, where the roster of educators available to step in when teachers are absent has dwindled precipitously at a time of unprecedented need for their services.
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Indeed, the prospect of working as a substitute as the virus continues to rage has discouraged the squad of loyal retired teachers and part-timers who often fill the ranks. Many have told school district officials that the potential health risks are not worth the extra income. That’s happened as the number of teachers and other school employees in quarantine is spiking alongside the latest surge of the virus, only pushing the demand higher.
In response, some districts are stepping up their substitute recruitment efforts to preserve in-person instruction. But others are concluding that remote learning, with all of its flaws, is perhaps the best option, at least until early 2021.
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
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chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Teen charged with two shootings months apart in Gage Park. In one of them, a man was killed while wa

Teen charged with two shootings months apart in Gage Park. In one of them, a man was killed while waiting for his girlfriend

A person in the Lincoln was later arrested and told authorities that Reyes was the driver and that he tossed @ @ @ @ @ on Lake Shore Drive during the chase .
A handgun with a laser sight was @ @ @ @ @ a median and ballistics tests showed it had a “ high correlation ” with shell @ @ @ @ @ of the slaying , Deboni said .

Cook County prosecutors told a judge Monday they have amassed a pile of evidence tying a 17-year-old father and reputed gang member to shootings in the Gage Park neighborhood this year, including the killing of a man who was waiting for his girlfriend.
Antonio Reyes has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the June 24 shooting death of Luis Davalos Garcia, as well as attempted murder and aggravated battery for a Nov. 26 shooting in the 5800 block of South Central Park Avenue, authorities said. The victim in that shooting, a 27-year-old man who said he’d never seen Reyes before, suffered a graze wound to the top of his head.
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Reyes appeared Monday before Judge David Navarro by video from the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, during a bail hearing broadcast on YouTube.
For the murder charge, prosecutors presented video of a distinctive getaway car, a silver Lincoln MKZ with a temporary license plate and a “Baby On Board” placard later found abandoned in Gary. Video captured the Lincoln before, during and after the attack on Davalos Garcia, 26, who was shot in the head while double parked in the 5800 block of South Rockwell Street just after 3 a.m., according to Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Deboni.
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The video showed a laser pointing into the victim’s car, followed by several muzzle flashes before the Lincoln sped off, Deboni said. Officers in the Chicago Lawn police district on the Southwest Side later encountered the Lincoln twice, with the sedan fleeing traffic stops each time, including a July 8 chase that involved the Chicago police helicopter.
A person in the Lincoln was later arrested and told authorities that Reyes was the driver and that he tossed a handgun out the window on Lake Shore Drive during the chase. A handgun with a laser sight was recovered seven days later on a median and ballistics tests showed it had a “high correlation” with shell casings found at the scene of the slaying, Deboni said.
Authorities also produced social media messages between a Facebook account believed to be Reyes’ and the mother of his child. Following the couple’s breakup, officials said Reyes posted a video telling the woman that he was so upset that he was “going to go kill a King right now,” showing a handgun with a laser sight and the inside of a car minutes before Davalos Garcia was shot, Deboni said.
Authorities did not identify Davalos Garcia as a gang member.
As for the November shooting, prosecutors said Reyes and a passenger in a rented Jeep stared down the 27-year-old man outside a convenience store before following his car to Central Park Avenue. A masked gunman in the car fired four or five shots at the man, grazing his head, prosecutors said.
The Jeep, found abandoned two days later, was tied to Reyes’ grandmother who had rented it and later reported it stolen. When interviewed by police, she denied knowing her own grandson, Deboni said. In 2018, the woman had filed a domestic battery report against Reyes, authorities said.
The Lincoln was also connected to a third shooting where both victims survived, but no criminal charges have yet been filed, Deboni said. Reyes has three juvenile delinquency adjudications dating back to 2017 and four pending juvenile cases, including an armed robbery case, authorities said.
Reyes’ attorney denied the allegations, saying there were no direct witnesses to the homicide, no video of the shooter’s face and no way of knowing if the gun on video with Reyes was the same murder weapon. He also cast doubt on the second victim’s positive identification of Reyes, noting the gunman was wearing a face mask during the shooting.
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Navarro expressed doubts whether Reyes, who was 16 at the time of the homicide, could face natural life in prison without further court findings, but ordered him held without bail for the murder charge, as well as a $500,000 bail for the attempt murder case.
Reyes is scheduled to return to court Dec. 28.
wlee@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MidNoirCowboy


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--The Spin: Tunney cops to violating ban on indoor dining at his Ann Sather restaurant | Lightfoot on

The Spin: Tunney cops to violating ban on indoor dining at his Ann Sather restaurant | Lightfoot on vaccines, equity | Durbin on compromise COVID-19 relief package

Lightfoot told show host Margaret Brennan : “ Well , we really get no discretion because part of the agreement @ @ @ @ @ is that we agreed to the specific prioritization protocol that they put forward .
But @ @ @ @ @ about that for a city like Chicago is obviously our front-line health care workers are @ @ @ @ @ They are very diverse .
Our essential workers will be next in the queue .
@ @ @ @ @ really lean towards people of color .
So there will be an equity lens as @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine here in Chicago.
” Watch the full interview here .

Despite city and state COVID-19 rules banning indoor dining in Chicago, Ald. Tom Tunney said some of the regular customers at his Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in the Lakeview neighborhood were allowed to enjoy the famous cinnamon rolls as they always have: inside the eatery, my Tribune colleagues, along with Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times, are reporting. The North Side alderman told the Sun-Times it was “a mistake” and then hung up on a reporter when pressed about just how many customers had been served.
My weekend holiday “lightseeing” road trip through Lake and McHenry counties suggests there are plenty of restaurants — and customers — defying the ban on indoor dining and drinking.
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Working against a deadline, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators — including Illinois’ senior senator, Dick Durbin — are trying to put together yet another COVID-19 relief bill. This one’s expected to extend soon-to-expire unemployment benefits, provide $300 per week in federal bonus unemployment payments and deliver a new round of Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses, Durbin said in a news release. But the package will forgo another batch of $1,200 direct payments to most Americans.
Durbin, the second ranking Democrat in the chamber, says the $900 billion package — part of a spending plan to avert a government shutdown this week — was as high as the Republicans were willing to go, and the popular direct payments would have added $300 billion to the price tag, The Associated Press reports. While one Republican said he thought Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump might green-light the deal, Reuters is reporting there’s no agreement yet on “Democratic demands for assistance to state and local governments and Republican calls for businesses to receive liability protection.”
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Stay tuned.
As soon as tomorrow, the United Kingdom could begin COVID-19 vaccinations, giving the rest of the globe a chance to see how they’re rolled out. It will be a few weeks until Illinois launch vaccinations, officials say.
And Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, is taking the reins as interim president of the Obama Foundation from Wally Adeyemo, whom President-elect Joe Biden has chosen to nominate as deputy treasury secretary. My Tribune colleague Alice Yin has the details here.
Welcome to The Spin.
Ald. Tom Tunney poses inside his main Ann Sather restaurant Sept. 1, 2020, in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
The Tribune’s John Byrne and Gregory Pratt report that Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney’s Ann Sather restaurant got a visit from city inspectors Monday because the alderman has been allowing people to eat inside the establishment in violation of city and state rules designed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Tunney, a key member of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s City Council leadership team as her hand-picked chair of the Zoning Committee, acknowledged diners have been eating inside his Belmont Avenue restaurant and called it an “error in judgment.” Full story here.
He copped to the “error” after a local police blog reported on it. We’ll see if the city cites Tunney as it has other businesses violating shutdown orders.
During Gov. Pritzker’s daily COVID-19 news briefing,he was asked about fellow Democrat Tunney’s transgression and said “I agree it was an error in judgment. I also will say that, elected officials should be setting an example.”
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But the governor blasted Illinois State Rep. Brad Halbrook, a Downstate Republican, who reportedly held a Christmas party with 100 supporters in attendance last week.
“I would just say, shame on him, shame on him for having people in a room packed together, not wearing a mask. He knows better he should know better if he doesn’t, maybe shouldn’t be in the General assembly,” Pritzker said when asked about Halbrook during today’s news conference.
Asked why he was taking a tougher stance with Halbrook than Tunney, Pritzker sounded irritated: “I took a hard line with both” adding “I’ll tell you what the differences were - the way the alderman admitted that he shouldn’t have done it ... but Brad Halbrook - he’s been caught. You think he’s admitting it? No.”
Federal judge pointedly reminds Chicago police to wear masks themselves as union accuses city of holding unsafe training sessions during pandemic, the Tribune’s Annie Sweeney and Jason Meisner report.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot gets ready to speak at a news conference Nov. 24, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
With the U.K. expected to begin COVID-19 inoculations this week, the whole world will be watching, including elected leaders eyeballing the logistics of it all.
Over the weekend, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” about distribution of the vaccine here, after a discussion about the disproportionate number of African Americans in Chicago dying from the disease.
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Lightfoot told show host Margaret Brennan: “Well, we really get no discretion because part of the agreement with ... the federal government is that we agreed to the specific prioritization protocol that they put forward. But I think the good news about that for a city like Chicago is obviously our front-line health care workers are going to get it. They are very diverse. Our essential workers will be next in the queue. They are extraordinarily diverse and really lean towards people of color. So there will be an equity lens as it applies to distribution of the vaccine here in Chicago.” Watch the full interview here.
There’s a potential for disconnect between leaders who want to shore up inequities and the community itself: Consider the Pew Research Center’s report on a survey that shows “Black Americans continue to stand out as less inclined to get vaccinated than other racial and ethnic groups: 42% would do so, compared with 63% of Hispanic and 61% of White adults.” Pew points to “long-standing differences across racial and ethnic groups when it comes to trust in scientists and medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public.” Read more about the COVID-19 vaccination survey here.
The mayor said during the interview and previously that she’s working on a variety of initiatives to build up public trust in the vaccine.
Most don’t want to go first: “Regardless of people’s intention to get vaccinated, 62% of Americans report they would be uncomfortable being among the first to do so,” Pew reports.
Reminder: Chicago-area vaccination sites will be at hospitals, clinics, pharmacies — but also drive-thrus at schools, parks and maybe Six Flags: Read Tribune reporter Robert McCoppin’s story, which details the delivery of the vaccines at the state and local levels, here.
With thousands still on waitlist, additional $7 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to go toward Cook County’s in-demand cash assistance program, the Tribune’s Alice Yin reports.
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Mayor Lighfoot is calling on residents to take part in a citywide racial healing initiative before the year is out, WBEZ’s Becky Vevea reports. The “Together We Heal” will culminate in a virtual healing summit at the end of January, Vevea notes. Read the full story, which details how residents can join in, here.
Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services announced the formation of the Illinois Commission on Poverty Elimination and Economic Security: The commission, created under a state law that passed this year, will be co-chaired by Evelyn Diaz, President of the anti-poverty nonprofit Heartland Alliance and Amy Susan Brown, Chief Executive Officer of central Illinois social services agency CRIS Healthy-Aging Center and CRIS Transit, according to a news release from the state.
Commission goals outlined in state law include reducing poverty in Illinois by 50% by 2026, eliminating child poverty by 2031 and eliminating all poverty by 2036. The state’s human services department will work closely with commission. More details on the makeup of the commission here.
Then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval, shown in 2014. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Jason Meisner and Ray Long write: Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty in January to political corruption and was cooperating with prosecutors in multiple ongoing investigations, died Saturday of COVID-19 complications.
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.
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. Read the full story here.
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Data points: Gov. J.B. Pritzker today says that it’s too soon to know whether Thanksgiving turned into a series of superspreader events, but that the number of cases remains high and he’s concerned as the winter holidays, traditionally marked by gatherings of friends and family, loom. Illinois reported 8,691 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours along with 90 additional deaths.
The administrator of the state-run veterans home in LaSalle fired amid deadly coronavirus outbreak: At least 32 veterans at the facility have died since early November, the Tribune’s Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks report.
Maria Lopez, wife of beloved 911 dispatcher Lupe Lopez, dies of COVID-related issues, the Tribune’s Deanese Williams-Harris reports.
It’s not just COVID-19 that’s closing schools — it’s a lack of substitute teachers: The shortage has reached crisis levels in some districts, the Tribune’s Karen Ann Cullotta reports.
Related: Even before COVID-19, more than 100 people a day were leaving Chicago, Bloomberg News reports.
Illinois GOP Chairman Tim Schneider in 2017 at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois Republican Party Chair Tim Schneider caught some fellow GOPers by surprise with his weekend announcement that he’s stepping down, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson reports.
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“(T)he 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 (former Illinois Gov. Bruce) 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.
It sounds like the more conservative wing of the party wanted their own guy. Lake County GOP Chairman Mark Shaw, no stranger to controversy, has been floated as a replacement. Read more here.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is sworn in to second term: It wasn’t guaranteed given the controversy swirling over her handling of the Jussie Smollett case. Today, she’s moving beyond that, vowing to fight soaring violent crime and “fix” the broken criminal justice system — a nod to the office’s history of wrongful convictions and the county’s disproportionately Black jail population, the Tribune’s Alice Yin reports.
World Business Chicago CEO Andrea Zopp, shown March 1, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Robert Channick writes that Andrea Zopp is stepping down as CEO of World Business Chicago after three years at the helm of the city’s economic development arm.
She’s joining Cleveland Avenue, a privately held Chicago venture capital firm focused on the food and beverage industry.
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Last year, then-newly elected Mayor Lightfoot appointed Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, as vice chair of World Business Chicago, as part of a shift in the city’s economic vision to focus more on neighborhood investment and small companies than previous administrations. Read the full story, which has more details on a search for Zopp’s replacement, here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


Corrections and clarifications

Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune ’ s news responsibility and a value @ @ @ @ @ .
Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards .
Everyone in @ @ @ @ @ live up to this code of conduct .
Download the file .

· An editorial on Sunday listing House Democrats who opposed Speaker Michael Madigan’s reelection should have included Rep. Jonathan Carroll of Northbrook.
· An op-ed in Saturday’s editions misidentified the Chicago radio station where “King B” Ron Britain gained fame. He was a member of the on-air talent at WCFL-AM 1000.
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The Tribune regrets the errors.
Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune’s news responsibility and a value shared in all our publications. Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards. Everyone in our newsroom must agree to live up to this code of conduct. Download the file.
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chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Former Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett tapped as interim head of his foundation

Jarrett ’ s parents moved abroad after getting married but returned to South Kenwood when she was a young girl @ @ @ @ @ work for Mayor Harold Washington ’ s administration , the start of a political career @ @ @ @ @ White House , where she would remain for two terms as one of Obama ’ @ @ @ @

Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, was appointed Monday to lead his foundation.
Jarrett takes over as interim president of the Obama Foundation from Wally Adeyemo, whom President-elect Joe Biden has chosen to nominate as deputy treasury secretary. Jarrett was previously a senior adviser to the foundation and will remain as president until a permanent replacement is found, the foundation announced in a news release.
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“Valerie is not just our dear friend and longtime advisor, she’s a daughter of Chicago who cares deeply about our hometown,” Obama wrote in a statement. “Her command of policy and organizational leadership will serve the Foundation well, and her demonstrated commitment to mentorship and developing young people will be a guiding light as we move forward.”
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Like the former president, Jarrett has roots in Chicago’s South Side, where Obama’s presidential center is slated for construction after a number of federal reviews are complete.
Valerie Jarrett, former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, speaks at the City Club luncheon at Maggiano's in Chicago on April 3, 2017. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Her mother’s family migrated to Chicago from the South, and her maternal grandfather was the first Black chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority. The public housing complex Robert Taylor Homes bore his name for decades.
Jarrett’s parents moved abroad after getting married but returned to South Kenwood when she was a young girl. She went on to work for Mayor Harold Washington’s administration, the start of a political career that propelled her to the White House, where she would remain for two terms as one of Obama’s closest confidants.
“When President Obama asked me to help lead this organization, I was thrilled to accept and continue my efforts to build a world-class Presidential Center just a few miles from the neighborhood where I grew up and where I raised my daughter,” Jarrett said in a statement.
Adeyemo, who stepped down, awaits his confirmation to the new Cabinet post after the presidential transition. Obama said in his statement that he is “heartened” by Biden’s selection.
“Michelle and I couldn’t be more proud of what Wally has accomplished over the past year,” Obama wrote. “He’s driven our strategy of developing and connecting the next generation of young leaders.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Police looking for driver in fatal East Garfield Park hit-and-run

According to an accident report , a witness told police that a black Chevy Trailblazer struck the man , who @ @ @ @ @ side of the street from behind , and quickly swerved to the right , then @ @ @ @ @ , not stopping .
The man was knocked out of his shoes by the force @ @ @ @ @ to the report .

Police are asking for help in identifying the driver of an SUV who fled after striking and fatally injuring a man in the East Garfield Park neighborhood earlier this fall.
On Oct. 14, a 54-year-old man was walking on the 2600 block of West Van Buren Street just after 7:45 p.m. when he was hit from behind by a black SUV, according to police.
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According to an accident report, a witness told police that a black Chevy Trailblazer struck the man, who was walking on the left side of the street from behind, and quickly swerved to the right, then continued west on Van Buren, not stopping. The man was knocked out of his shoes by the force of the crash, according to the report.
The man was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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The Cook County medical examiner’s office did not immediately respond to a request for information on the man’s identity.
Police have not yet located the driver of the vehicle.
Police are asking anyone with information to call the major accidents investigation unit at 312-745-4521.


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Federal judge pointedly reminds Chicago police to wear masks themselves as union accuses city of hol

Federal judge pointedly reminds Chicago police to wear masks themselves as union accuses city of holding unsafe training sessions during pandemic

“ ( T ) he Court reiterates the importance of the moving party continuing to monitor and insist upon compliance @ @ @ @ @ own membership , which is a concern given the number of photographs and videos that @ @ @ @ @ Monitor ( overseeing the reforms ) have seen during the pandemic showing CPD patrol officers @ @ @ @ @ and social distancing requirements , ” Dow wrote .

A federal judge told Chicago’s main police union on Monday that it needs to ensure its member officers are wearing face masks and maintaining safe social distances while on the job, in keeping with public health guidelines around COVID-19.
The pointed reminder from U.S. District Court Judge Robert Dow Jr., who is overseeing sweeping mandated department reforms, came after the Fraternal Order of Police filed a motion alleging the city was violating its own health guidelines. Officers have been put at risk when the Chicago Police Department conducted training sessions that included up to 50 people, the union alleged.
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The union also accused the city of failing to provide enough protective equipment during those department meetings. In requesting a temporary restraining order, the FOP said that by allowing officers to become “superspreaders,” city officials were putting not only officers at risk, but also their families and residents of Chicago.
Dow instructed the city to respond by Thursday, outlining the precautions being taken to prevent the spread of the virus. But the judge concluded his order by reminding the FOP to look inward regarding the rules, citing evidence that officers on patrol are already not adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.
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Chicago police officers walk past the UNIQLO store on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago on on Black Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
“(T)he Court reiterates the importance of the moving party continuing to monitor and insist upon compliance with the guidelines by its own membership, which is a concern given the number of photographs and videos that the Court and the Independent Monitor (overseeing the reforms) have seen during the pandemic showing CPD patrol officers out of compliance with masking and social distancing requirements,” Dow wrote.
Dow then cited case law to emphasize his point.
“Litigants who invoke equity ‘must come with clean hands,’” the judge wrote, referencing language from a noted case, “and during this pandemic, with masked faces as well.”
The president of the Fraternal Order of Police could not be immediately reached for comment. The Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to a message asking about the dispute.
According to the FOP filing, union representatives had tried to meet with police officials over the size of the training sessions in question, as well as the lack of mask-wearing requirements and a lack of masks and sanitizers. It also included affidavits from officers who said they had attended training meetings in November that included dozens of people.
The motion noted that three Chicago officers died of COVID-19 in April, and said the current national surge of cases was increasing the risk. According to the motion, as of early November , there were 1,243 confirmed cases in the department and that 1,100 people have returned to work.
The filing also included a reference to a news report, also in November, about a campaign to encourage officers to wear masks.
Chicago Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--New Vivian Maier color photo trove donated to Chicago History Museum

After Maier died in 2009 , her photographs were discovered in an abandoned storage locker and came to public attention @ @ @ @ @ Goldstein and collector John Maloof .
Since then , they have been the subject of @ @ @ @ @ given the Maier estate significant control over her works .

Another cache of Vivian Maier photographs has been donated to a public-facing institution, this time to the Chicago History Museum, the museum announced Monday.
The gift comprises 1800 images, mostly color slides and transparencies, by the North Shore nanny who became famous posthumously, and was made by Maier collector Jeff Goldstein along with the Vivian Maier Estate, said the museum.
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“Maier’s photographs bring Chicago and its residents to life, drawing striking parallels to today’s social and political landscape. We are honored to have her work in our collection,” said museum President Gary T. Johnson in a statement.
Pedestrians walk pass by a Vivian Maier mural painted by revered Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra in the 1600 block of west North Ave., Monday, July 17, 2017. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The North Side museum plans to present highlights from the new collection in an exhibition slated for spring 2021. Chicago History Museum hosted one of the first exhibitions to bring Maier’s work to the broader public, “Vivian Maier’s Chicago,” which ran from 2012 to 2017.
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After Maier died in 2009, her photographs were discovered in an abandoned storage locker and came to public attention primarily throughout the efforts of Goldstein and collector John Maloof. Since then, they have been the subject of complex legal wrangling that has given the Maier estate significant control over her works.
In August 2019, Maloof, working with the estate, gave a significant Maier trove to the University of Chicago.
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Veteran Calumet City officer suffers medical emergency, dies on duty, officials say

Officer Adam Zieminski , who has been with department for nearly 22 years , had been transporting a detainee to @ @ @ @ @ Markham when he suffered an unspecified medical emergency , according to a news release .
@ @ @ @ @ was suffering some type of medical issue , the detainee was able to get the @ @ @ @ @ enforcement officers .
They raced to the officer but weren ’ t able to revive @ @

A veteran of the Calumet City Police Department died on duty early Monday, after apparently suffering a medical emergency, city officials said.
Officer Adam Zieminski, who has been with department for nearly 22 years, had been transporting a detainee to the Cook County courthouse in Markham when he suffered an unspecified medical emergency, according to a news release. When it was clear Zieminski was suffering some type of medical issue, the detainee was able to get the attention of other nearby law enforcement officers. They raced to the officer but weren’t able to revive him.
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Zieminski, 49, was taken to Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest and pronounced dead at 12:48 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy Monday did not lead to an immediate determination of a cause of death.
Zieminski had twice been honored as the city’s officer of the year award, according to the release. He was honored after saving a 6-month-old from a burning home in May 2014. The next year, he confronted several dogs that were attacking a man and fired his gun at the dogs to disperse them, according to the release.
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Calumet City police Officer Adam Zieminski with one of his awards. Zieminski died while on duty early Dec. 7, 2020. (Family photo / HANDOUT)
“Calumet City Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush and police Chief Christopher Fletcher, together with the city administration and the entire Calumet City Police Department, are deeply saddened that police Officer Adam Zieminski died while on duty early this morning,” the statement read.
Zieminski began his career as a police officer with the village of Burnham in 1997, according to the release. Both his father and his uncle were Chicago police officers.
Survivors include two daughters. Services were pending.
“We were all fortunate to have had him in our lives,” the news release said.
Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--With thousands still on waitlist, additional $7 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to go

With thousands still on waitlist, additional $7 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to go toward Cook County’s in-demand cash assistance program

“ The people who are impacted are all around us , ” she said .
“ They are the receptionist @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office , the stage technician or performer from an arts organization or the @ @ @ @ @ been reduced or has been laid off due to closures .
”

Cook County officials on Monday reopened a cash assistance program for people who have lost wages or otherwise suffered financially after demand for the one-time $600 payment far exceeded expectations during the ongoing pandemic-induced recession.
From Monday to Friday of this week, suburban residents can once again apply for the county’s COVID-19 Resident Cash Assistance Program, which will directly transfer $600 to those who are eligible. Applications are available online at https://www.cookcountyil.gov/recovery.
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The first round of applications opened up for about a week in late October and paid out $2.1 million in federal coronavirus relief allocated to Cook County to a little more than 3,000 people.
An additional $2 million was later made available, and the program’s resurrection on Monday was made possible by $7 million more, all from federal coronavirus relief bill money, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said during a news conference Monday.
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Preckwinkle touted the program as one of the few in the nation offering direct cash assistance during the pandemic.
“The people who are impacted are all around us,” she said. “They are the receptionist at your dental or optometrist’s office, the stage technician or performer from an arts organization or the hospitality worker whose hours have been reduced or has been laid off due to closures.”
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As of Monday, about 6,500 more who applied over a month ago are still waiting for their payments, said Xochitl Flores, the county’s bureau chief of economic development. The majority of applicants from the first round were women and/or people of color, and most of their median incomes fell under $25,000.
Preckwinkle said she expects more than 18,000 eligible people from the second round of applications will receive the cash. Those 6,500 in the queue do not need to reapply, as the additional $7 million will support them as well.
During the late spring, qualifying households received money transfers of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child through the coronavirus relief bill, a rare instance of bipartisan support for direct cash payments during a crisis.
But talks for more relief have stalled for several months in Washington, even though passing a second bill with similar relief checks could keep millions out of poverty, according to the Urban Institute.
Illinois Restaurant Association CEO Sam Toia said amid the indoor dining closures, the federal government failed to rescue the workers he represents.
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“We were the first industry shut down, and we’re probably one of the last industries to reopen fully,” Toia said. “As we all know, the hospitality industry is absolutely devastated by this. … The outlook looks very bleak over the next few months.”
To be eligible for the suburban Cook County program, residents must have made no more than 250% of the federal poverty level before March 1, or $65,500 for a family of four. They need to show documents proving they suffered unpaid leave, cared for sick or vulnerable relatives or lost wages from closures during the pandemic.
The application also requires either a government-issued identification with the applicant’s address or two alternative IDs. Money will be deposited into a bank, CashApp, PayPal or Chime account, or it will be delivered in a prepaid card, depending on the applicant’s preference.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives a COVID-19 update

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker will give an update on the state ’ s response to the coronavirus in a briefing @ @ @ @ @ the latest updates on COVID-19 in Illinois here .

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chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Administrator fired, nursing director placed on leave amid deadly coronavirus outbreak at Illinois v

Administrator fired, nursing director placed on leave amid deadly coronavirus outbreak at Illinois veterans home in LaSalle

Mehlbrech was one a handful of staff members who met with officials from the Department of Public Health and the @ @ @ @ @ 13 visit , according to the reports .
Through an interview with Mehlbrech and the @ @ @ @ @ infection prevention , officials learned that possible transmission among staff may have occurred due to @ @ @ @ @ distancing both during breaks and outside work hours .

The administrator of the state-run veterans home in LaSalle was fired Monday amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak that since early November has killed 32 veterans who lived there.
Administrator Angela Mehlbrech was fired by the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and will be replaced on an interim basis by Anthony Vaughn, the agency’s acting assistant director and a 24-year Marine Corps veteran, the department said Monday.
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In addition to firing Mehlbrech, the state agency placed the home’s nursing director, Jackie Cook, on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation.
Department Director Linda Chapa LaVia told the home’s staff that they should not have contact with Mehlbrech or Cook without Vaughn signing off first.
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“Staff are directed to not have any work-related contact with Ms. Angela Mehlbrech or Ms. Jackie Cook without the director approval of Mr. Vaughn,” Chapa LaVia wrote in a letter.
Some flags fly at half-staff at the Illinois Veterans Home in LaSalle on Dec. 3, 2020. The coronavirus has killed 32 at the state-run home. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Last month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration announced that it was initiating an inspector general investigation of the deadly outbreak. The announcement came hours before the state Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing on the matter. A state House committee has scheduled a hearing on the issue for Dec. 15.
As of Monday morning, 39 of the 96 residents of the facility have had their most recent COVID-19 test come back positive, along with 21 staff members, Pritzker said at his daily coronavirus briefing in Chicago.
In all, 109 residents and 102 staff members the home, located just a few miles from Starved Rock State Park, had tested positive for the virus during the pandemic, according to the state. Only one resident and five staff members tested positive prior to the current outbreak, all of whom recovered.
“This virus preys on the elderly and it looks for a carrier to bring it inside the home even when significant efforts are made to follow mitigations, but it should never have been this bad,” Pritzker said.
The inspector general’s investigation into the actions of leaders and staff at the facility will continue, as well as ongoing work with federal experts “to ensure that all of our veterans homes are fully in compliance with all required health and safety measures,” Pritzker said.
Mehlbrech, who’d been with the state since April 2019, had an annual salary of $94,500 and didn’t work for the state long enough to qualify for a pension. Cook, who is on paid leave, has been a state employee since 2008 and earns $86,376 a year.
Just ahead of the Senate committee hearing Nov. 24, the state VA released reports on reviews conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the state Department of Public Health.
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Among the findings: Wall-mounted dispensers at the home were filled with an alcohol-free hand sanitizer that has been found ineffective against the new coronavirus, and staff members were seen wearing full personal protective equipment in administrative areas, not changing gloves after touching patients and other surfaces, and not maintaining proper social distance while eating in a staff kitchen.
Mehlbrech was one a handful of staff members who met with officials from the Department of Public Health and the federal VA during a Nov. 13 visit, according to the reports. Through an interview with Mehlbrech and the staff member in charge of infection prevention, officials learned that possible transmission among staff may have occurred due to lax mask use and social distancing both during breaks and outside work hours.
The reports say LaSalle and the state’s three other veterans homes have instituted recommendations put forth in the reports, including better screening, testing, sanitation and social distancing, according to the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
The exact reason for Mehlbrech’s termination remains unclear. Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
State Sen. Sue Rezin, a Morris Republican whose district includes the facility, called the decision “a step toward bringing accountability to the deadliest outbreak at a state-run facility in Illinois state history.”
But Rezin also said in a statement that Pritzker needs to be “transparent about what information led to this decision.”
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“What does the governor’s office know about their conduct that we don’t” she said.
Rezin also questioned why it took until Nov. 13 — 12 days after the outbreak began — for the Department of Public Health to visit the facility.
During his 2018 run for governor, Pritzker was highly critical of former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s handling of a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at the state veterans home in Quincy.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--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--2020-12-07--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--2020-12-07--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 90 new deaths, 8,691 new confirmed and probable cases and 77,569

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 90 new deaths, 8,691 new confirmed and probable cases and 77,569 new test results

Illinois announced 8,691 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 796,264 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 13,343 and 77,569 new test results for a total of 11.18 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--2020-12-07--As she’s sworn in for a second term, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx vows to repair ‘broken cr

As she’s sworn in for a second term, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx vows to repair ‘broken criminal justice system’

The office will also try to collaborate more with other elements of law enforcement , some of which have not @ @ @ @ @ .
That includes ongoing discussions with officials outside of Cook County to stem the “ @ @ @ @ @ guns flowing into the region from states as close as Indiana and as far as @ @ @ @ @ said .

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx was sworn in for a second term Monday, promising to tackle this year’s surge in violent crime while defending the reform-minded approach to criminal justice that prevailed with voters last month.
During a virtual ceremony in her downtown office, Foxx touched on the sharp rise in gun violence amid a pandemic, and the fight for racial justice in the wake of police killings across America.
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She said her second term will address the crises by prioritizing issues involving substance abuse and mental health as well as the office’s gun crimes strategies unit and initiatives to divert people from the criminal justice system.
“We will work to continue to fix the broken criminal justice system,” Foxx said in a nod to the office’s history of wrongful convictions and the county’s disproportionately Black jail population.
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One task will be to meet with community members who have suffered from violence or were previously incarcerated to begin a “partnership,” Foxx said. In a phone interview later, she said that the effort will entail an advisory council for her office in the coming weeks.
“The influence will be significant,” Foxx said. “I don’t want people to come to our advisory council to do performative work.”
The office will also try to collaborate more with other elements of law enforcement, some of which have not always agreed with her approach. That includes ongoing discussions with officials outside of Cook County to stem the “iron pipeline” of illegal guns flowing into the region from states as close as Indiana and as far as Mississippi and Alabama, Foxx said.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx in her office after a virtual swearing-in ceremony for her second term, Dec. 7, 2020. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Foxx also touched on the history she made four years ago as the first Black woman elected Cook County state’s attorney. The city at the time was at a crossroads with swelling gun violence and the Chicago police slaying of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
She noted that many of those same challenges still exist. Chicago this year is on pace for more homicides than in 2016, when the total was the highest since the 1990s. And along with the rest of the nation, Chicago grappled with unrest following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man who gasped “I can’t breathe” as an officer knelt on his neck.
Tackling the dual crises begins with understanding the nuance that many perpetrators of crime are also victims, locked in a cycle of trauma that doesn’t necessarily delineate between “good guys and bad guys,” Foxx said.
She said in neighborhoods with pervasive violence, some people “feel it’s safer to have a gun than to not have one. And so not everyone who carries a gun is out there trying to cause harm, but that for some they believe it’s a means for survival.”
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Among other reform moves, Foxx’s office had raised the bar on felony shoplifting charges and pushed for the pretrial release of more detainees on bail.
Foxx is also set to announce a replacement for her first assistant, Joe Magats, who retired last month.
Foxx handily won a second term during her Nov. 3 race against former Cook County Judge Patrick O’Brien, who offered a tough-on-crime message and argued Foxx endangered public safety with her progressive policies.
O’Brien sought to capitalize on voters’ concerns about crime and also highlighted Foxx’s controversial decision to drop 16 felony counts against former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett, who had been charged with faking a hate crime. Special prosecutor Dan Webb concluded in August that there was no evidence prosecutors committed any crime but that they misled the public about the extraordinary deal Smollett received.
Foxx won with 54% of the vote to O’Brien’s 39%.
On Monday Foxx added she hopes the former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden’s incoming presidential administration will help the nation heal from the political polarization that has dogged Republican President Donald Trump’s tenure.
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During her campaign, Foxx accused O’Brien of deploying Trump-style rhetoric to criticize her progressive agenda, to which O’Brien responded that he has never met the president.
“With the new administration coming in and with the hardships that this community, the county has endured it feels like as we navigate our way out of this, there won’t be as much of a divide about how these issues impact one community versus another, that this will be unifying,” she said. “That’s my hope.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Our Lady of Guadalupe devotion during pandemic

Treja Kelley had been hesitant to come forward after witnessing the murder of her 17-year-old cousin .
But she found @ @ @ @ @ stand last year and helped secure a guilty verdict .
Her testimony , though , @ @ @ @ @ head , prosecutors said .
Just a few months after testifying , Kelley was shot @ @ @ @ @ not far from where her cousin had been slain .
She was 18 and pregnant @

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 21 The Rev. Manuel Padilla, left, and the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez carry the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe after it was removed from the the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Dec. 11, 2020. Religious leaders have urged devotees to avoid pilgrimages to the site. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is removed from the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Dec. 11, 2020 as religious leaders in Chicago have urged devotees to avoid pilgrimages to the site. Some churches are finding ways to ways to show their devotion and are celebrating with small Masses and novenas in the streets.


chicagotribune--2020-12-07--Black Michigan lawmaker gets lynching threat from male caller, threatening call possibly from Wheeli

Black Michigan lawmaker gets lynching threat from male caller, threatening call possibly from Wheeling woman after voter fraud hearing

The voicemails are the latest in threats Democrats and Republicans have said they ’ ve received after a contentious election @ @ @ @ @ Republican member of the state Board of Canvassers reported “ quite a few ” threats @ @ @ @ @ validate Michigan ’ s Nov. 3 vote .
Monica Palmer , chairwoman of the Wayne @ @ @ @ @ said she was threatened after first voting not to certify the county ’ s election @ @ @ @ @ her vote to support certification and requested an audit of the count .

A state representative said Sunday she received threatening phone calls after she heard testimony claiming voter fraud following President-elect’s Joseph Biden Jr.’s 154,000-vote win over President Trump in Michigan.
State Rep. Cynthia Johnson, a Detroit Democrat, posted the messages on her Facebook page Sunday following a House Oversight Committee meeting Wednesday in Lansing.
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The voicemails were from a woman from Wheeling, Illinois, based on the number associated with the call, which Johnson posted, and two men. The woman criticized how Johnson questioned a witness and told Johnson she was going to share the lawmaker’s phone number with “a million people.”
A message from one of the men threatened the state representative, including using vile language to describe women and threatened Johnson, who is Black, with being lynched, telling her: “Your time is coming ...from the (expletive) gallows you’ll be hanging.”
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The calls were received Saturday, according to the post.
The voicemails are the latest in threats Democrats and Republicans have said they’ve received after a contentious election and its aftermath. A Republican member of the state Board of Canvassers reported “quite a few” threats as he considered whether to validate Michigan’s Nov. 3 vote. Monica Palmer, chairwoman of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, said she was threatened after first voting not to certify the county’s election results. She later changed her vote to support certification and requested an audit of the count.
Johnson was among the state lawmakers who questioned Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday during a hearing called by Giuliani in an effort to get lawmakers to intervene in the results of the election. He relied on claims of fraud that remain unsubstantiated or rejected by experts and some top-ranking Republicans.
During the hearing, Johnson admonished a GOP member of the House who allowed Giuliani the unusual procedure of questioning witnesses.
“You’re allowing people to come in here and lie. And I know they’re lying,” Johnson told House Oversight Chairman Matt Hall, R-Marshall, who allowed Giuliani to ask questions, including those directed at a former Detroit city employee and Detroit election worker, Jessy Jacob.
Jacob claimed ballots were counted without proper verification, but election officials have said that Jacob and other witnesses didn’t understand what they were seeing at TCF Center.
Normally, Michigan House lawmakers ask questions of witnesses appearing before their committees.
Johnson objected to witnesses not being sworn in before they gave their accounts of what they say they saw at TCF Center during absentee ballot counting after the election.
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Efforts to reach Johnson were not immediately successful Sunday.