chicagotribune--2020-08-24--The Spin: After week of DNC, it’s Trump’s turn to deliver GOP message | Former Mayor Emanuel on how

The Spin: After week of DNC, it’s Trump’s turn to deliver GOP message | Former Mayor Emanuel on how Trump can go after Biden | Lightfoot promised $10M to looting-damaged businesses but paid out far less

So is it a vote against Trump ?
Or do you like Biden ?
“ It would have been hard @ @ @ @ @ Trump no matter who the Democrats would have ” nominated , Edgar tells The Spin @ @ @ @ @ around government .
Some people like that .
I think you need to understand the @ @ @ @ @ and the states .
You have to watch what you say .
What the president @ @ @ @ @ the president , it ’ s not in his DNA ” to edit himself .
@ @ @ @ @ all his policies ?
No , ” Edgar said of Biden .
“ But I @ @ @ @ @ a decent guy and he ’ ll steer a moderate course .
”

President Donald Trump stands on stage after speaking during the first day of the Republican National Committee convention Aug. 24, 2020, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Evan Vucci/AP)
The Republican National Convention is underway, with President Donald Trump officially getting his party’s nomination on Monday and delivering a speech that seemed aimed at casting doubt on the outcome of this fall’s election.
Trump took the stage in North Carolina after his nomination and told supporters that Democrats are using COVID-19 as a way to “defraud” the public via a push to expand mail-in voting amid the pandemic. It’s a baseless refrain he’s invoked to suggest Democrats are trying to steal the election from him.
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Trump and his GOP supporters are also expected to give haunting predictions of a Joe Biden presidency that would see crime and other social ills in major cities spill into the suburbs and portray the Democratic presidential nominee as bumbling and unable to shepherd the country through a post-pandemic recovery.
During the Democratic National Convention last week, Democrats were light on policy and heavy on platitudes, painting a picture of a second Trump term as one that would further exacerbate health and socioeconomic woes deepened by the COVID-19 outbreak and threaten democracy.
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For a moment this weekend, sports and politics collided in Chicago. Bruce Levine a contributor to both The Score and the Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network, posted a now deleted tweet that included an uncharacteristically political and vulgar image, the Tribune’s Phil Rosenthal reports. Specifically, it included some Cubs news with a photoshopped image of President Trump and a derogatory reference to Democratic challenger and former Vice President Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In a subsequent tweet, Levine wrote, “Apologies for a picture that was sent. I have zero political agenda.”
And just a fraction of the $10 million Mayor Lori Lightfoot promised to help looted businesses has been doled out.
Welcome to The Spin.
President Donald Trump stands on stage as he visits the Republican National Committee convention site Aug. 24, 2020, in Charlotte, North Carolina. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is at right. (Evan Vucci / AP)
“Be very ... careful,” President Trump warned earlier today after party delegates lined up to nominate him for a second term. Calling it one of the most important elections in the nation’s history, the president told those assembled in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Republican National Convention, “Don’t let them take it away from you.”
Trump’s early in-person appearance at the convention reinforces that Trump not only has the reins at the White House but also of the Republican Party.
It’s a prelude to what’s to come, as the president has vowed to speak each day of the convention, with the big acceptance speech coming Thursday from the White House lawn.
Unlike the Democratic convention, where states’ delegates were told to stay home as Biden was officially nominated for president, Republicans are allowing 336 delegates to attend in person, representing the 50 states, plus territories, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson reports. Read the full story here. And keep tabs on the convention here.
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Who’s in North Carolina: Illinois GOP state Chairman Tim Schneider and Richard Porter, the state’s Republican national committeeman, are attending, Pearson notes.
Who’s not: “Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington, an at-large delegate, said, ‘I’ll be getting together with some colleagues to watch the convention and we’ll talk and see. But I just have no idea what to expect out of this, given the framework.‘”
Perspective: Pearson writes, “Already political underdogs in a decidedly blue state, holding no statewide offices and serving as the minority party in a veto-proof Democratic legislature, the GOP had fears of seeing its ranks further diminished in legislative and congressional offices in November due to the controversial Trump.
“But Republicans in the state have gained a modicum of momentum in recent weeks when House Speaker Michael Madigan, who also is the state Democratic Party chairman, was implicated in an alleged federal bribery scandal involving ComEd and Democratic infighting began over Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s handling of looting and violent protests in Chicago amid racial strife.”
A tale of two LaHoods: Just as Trump didn’t lay low during the Democratic convention, the Biden camp sent out a news release at 6 a.m. today — hours before the GOP convention kicked off — offering a list of Republicans endorsing the Democratic nominee. Among them, as the State Journal-Register reported earlier this year, is Ray LaHood, who served as U.S. secretary of transportation in the Obama-Biden White House. He’s also a former Republican congressman from Peoria. His son, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, also a Peoria Republican, is among the honorary state chairs for Trump’s reelection campaign.
Former Republican Gov. Edgar isn’t supporting Trump either: Ray LaHood was among the prominent Illinois Republicans who said they wouldn’t vote for Trump in 2016. Another was former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican, who told The Spin this morning — as he told Politico — that he’ll be voting for Biden.
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“I had hoped when he got elected, he’d kind of grow into the job. I think it’s been a very unfortunate four years — there’s a lot more turmoil than there needed to be. He doesn’t act like a president — his character is lacking. The presidents of the past, none of them have been perfect, but this is unusual,” Edgar said in a phone interview.
So is it a vote against Trump? Or do you like Biden? “It would have been hard for me to vote for Trump no matter who the Democrats would have” nominated, Edgar tells The Spin. “He never was around government. Some people like that. I think you need to understand the relationship between the federal government and the states. You have to watch what you say. What the president says really matters, and the president, it’s not in his DNA” to edit himself. “Do I agree with all his policies? No,” Edgar said of Biden. “But I do think he’s a decent guy and he’ll steer a moderate course.”
U.S. Rep Adam Kinzinger: ‘I’ll vote for President Trump’: Viewed as one of the last Chicago-area Republicans, the Channahon congressman was asked on MSNBC over the weekend who he’ll vote for. He said without hesitation it will be Trump. Kinzinger has both found himself blasting Trump at times and supporting his policies, which may play well in the 16th congressional district whose mix of suburbs, exurbs and beyond stretches from the Indiana border to the Wisconsin line. “It doesn’t mean I have to embrace everything he says. It doesn’t mean I have to go along with everything he says.” Watch here.
Rahm Emanuel, moderate Dem, TV pundit, talks about how Trump can capitalize on Biden’s weaknesses: The former Chicago mayor, a regular on ABC’s “This Week” hosted by fellow Bill Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos was asked to switch hats and explain how Trump might capitalize on Biden’s weaknesses. Emanuel, who also worked in the Obama-Biden White House, said Trump could try portraying Biden as an establishment candidate while making himself out to be the anti-establishment incumbent.
Emanuel said “if I was Donald Trump, I’d say, ‘this is what (he) did, this is what he’s going to do, he’s part of that old mess both of the elite media, the elite financial community, the elite political class that have messed it up and go heavy on China, heavy on the fact that they (establishment politicians) have made a mess of your life and be the anti-establishment candidate.”
You can listen to Emanuel’s comments on “This Week” around the 36-minute mark, here.
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More than 5,000 mail-order prescriptions delayed at Cook County Health amid postal service changes - The Tribune’s Lisa Schencker writes: “Postmaster General Louis DeJoy implemented a series of policy changes that slowed down and delayed the mail, including canceling overtime and limiting mail transportation runs, according to the American Postal Workers Union. Those changes were met with criticism from Democrats who saw them as an attempt to make it more difficult for people to vote by mail in the November election.” Read the full story here.
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Anti-Vietnam War demonstrators march down Michigan Avenue in one of the peaceful events of the 1968 Democratic National Convention week, which attracted thousands of young protestors to the city. The group of "Yippies" marched outside the Conrad Hilton Hotel, one of two major convention hotels, on Aug. 25, 1968. (William Yates / Chicago Tribune)
“I was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968,” former Federal Communications Commission chairman and Chicagoan Newton Minow writes in a new piece for the Tribune. ”To this day, I still remember the acrid smell of tear gas around the Hilton Hotel. Back then I feared for the safety of my young children. Today, in my 95th year, my grandchildren fear for my safety.”
He notes: “In those riotous days of 1968 it sometimes felt like America was coming apart at the seams. America did not come apart, but many Americans have forgotten that 1968 even took place. Certainly they don’t remember the hard-earned lessons it taught both sides. As a result, both sides may have to pay the same heavy price to learn the same lessons all over again,” Read his perspective here.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at the Thompson Center on May 31, 2020. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s editorial board — separate from the news operation — writes that Larry Ivory, “president of the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce, was set to participate as a panelist in a state government webinar to celebrate August as National Black Business Month. Then his invitation was pulled. A few days earlier, he’d been quoted expressing opposition to Pritzker’s proposed switch from a flat-rate to a graduated-rate income tax. The tax increase, Ivory said, citing a study funded by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, would disproportionately hurt women and minorities.” Read the full editorial here.
Pritzker’s tax proposal will go before voters in November: The Tribune’s Verity Sturm offers a quick rundown of the measure here, including the opponents’ take and the implications if it passes or fails.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker steps up to speak during a news conference July 23, 2020, in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
My Tribune colleagues write: The ban on evictions in Illinois has been extended until late September as public health experts warn the state is among the areas of the country facing a “perfect storm” of risk factors for transmitting the highly contagious disease this fall.
The ban had been set to expire Saturday, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order over the weekend extending the moratorium to Sept. 22. It prohibits landlords from filing eviction cases.
The action came after public demonstrations and calls from public officials such as Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, whose office is responsible for evicting tenants. In a letter to Pritzker last week, he urged the ban be extended until all city and county rent relief grants are dispersed.
Trump announces plasma treatment authorized for COVID-19, a treatment that has had inconclusive results: Read the AP story here.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference at Olive Park on Aug. 14, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Earlier this summer, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the “Together Now” fund — $10 million in relief money that would go to shop owners who saw their businesses ransacked amid the unrest that followed the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
With just $232,760 in grants OK’d for 77 Chicago businesses, records show, Samir Mayekar, the deputy mayor for economic development, said the purpose of the fund morphed because there wasn’t enough demand for $10 million in looting relief that would have met the city’s stringent requirements, the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt and Alice Yin report. The city also distributed about $6 million from the fund to businesses that suffered losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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South Side Ald. Jeanette Taylor, 20th, said she felt hope standing at a South Side Jewel store with Lightfoot as the mayor announced the fund for looted businesses. In the weeks since, that hope has vanished, Taylor said. Read the full story here.
City picks sites in Austin, Auburn Gresham and Englewood for its Invest South/West program: The Tribune’s Ryan Ori writes: “The requests for proposals include property alongside the Whole Foods-anchored Englewood Square shopping center, the Laramie State Bank of Chicago building in Austin, and six land parcels in Auburn Gresham near 79th and Halsted streets. Those three development opportunities were chosen for the initial rollout because they’re in important locations at the ‘front door’ of neighborhoods, backed by active community groups that already have provided input on what they’d like plans to look like, said Maurice Cox, the city’s planning commissioner.” Read the full story and check out the renderings here.
Get out your calendar: Mayor to release 2021 budget forecast on August 31 - Amid the pandemic, the shortfall for next year could be more than $1 billion, the mayor said in June.
Other city news: Proportion of Black cops in Chicago Police Department likely to go down, watchdog says - The Tribune’s John Byrne has the details here.
Chicago Board of Ed could look at phasing out school resource officers, the target of ongoing protests: The Tribune’s Hannah Leone has the story here.
Related: 6 out-of-town protesters arrested near Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home where protesting has been effectively banned - Read Jessica Villagomez’s piece in the Tribune here.
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Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--2 Chicago restaurants among 4 businesses cited for coronavirus guideline violations

This weekend ’ s citations were part of the responsibilities of a task force created as a collaboration among the @ @ @ @ @ Fire Department and Chicago Police Department .
The task force aimed at shutting down large @ @ @ @ @ or residential locations before they start , and in total , conducted 29 investigations over @ @ @

In another weekend of enforcement, the City of Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection shut down four more businesses, including two restaurants, after investigators found them in violation of COVID-19 safety guidelines.
La Roccia (1909 N. Lincoln Ave.), a Lincoln Park pizzeria, was closed and issued two citations for operating after midnight, and violating social distancing and masking guidelines.
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Hyde Park Cigars (5220 S. Harper Ave.) was closed and issued two citations for operating over capacity outdoors, and violating social distancing and masking guidelines.
M and M Beauty Services (1629 E. 87th St.) was closed and issued two citations for violating social distancing and masking guidelines.
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Granero (2529 N. Milwaukee Ave.), a Logan square restaurant and bar, was closed and issued two citations for operating after midnight and violating masking guidelines.
All of the businesses were closed for one night and allowed to reopen the following day.
This weekend’s citations were part of the responsibilities of a task force created as a collaboration among the Department of Buildings, Chicago Fire Department and Chicago Police Department. The task force aimed at shutting down large, commercial gatherings at businesses or residential locations before they start, and in total, conducted 29 investigations over the weekend.
BACP’s enforcement team investigated 83 places and issued 12 citations this weekend. Since June 3, it has investigated 1,366 establishments and issued citations to 92 businesses.
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Two men charged with murdering a man whose body was found in a burned-out Dundee Township house

Both have been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated arson and concealment of @ @ @ @ @ first two charges are class X felonies and the third a class 3 felony .

The Kane County Sheriff's Office says they have arrested two men in connection with the 2017 death of a man whose body was found inside a Dundee Township house on Richardson Drive that was set on fire. ( Erin Sauder/The Courier-News )
Two west suburban men have been charged with the first-degree murder of a man whose gunshot body was found inside a Dundee Township home that went up in flames more than three years ago, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office said.
The body of Vesel Vejseli, 36, was found June 7, 2017, by East Dundee Fire Department personnel as they put out fire in the 15N300 block of Richardson Drive in unincorporated East Dundee, a sheriff’s office news release said.
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Mahmood Roohani, of West Chicago, has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated arson in connection with the 2017 death of Vesel Vejseli, whose body was found in a burned-out house in Dundee Township, the Kane County Sheriff's Office said. (Kane County Sheriffs Office / HANDOUT)
X-rays done by the Kane County Coroner’s Office determined Vejseli had been shot multiple times, the release said.
The homicide investigation was led by Kane County sheriff’s detectives and assisted by the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force, Elgin Police Department, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Kane County Coroner’s Office.
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Miguel Cruz-Tinajero, of Carpentersville, has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated arson in connection with the 2017 death of Vesel Vejseli, whose body was found in a burned-out house in Dundee Township, the Kane County Sheriff's Office said. (Kane County Sheriffs Office / HANDOUT)
No information was provided on what led investigators to the two men who were charged. They are Mahmood Roohani, 30, of West Chicago, and Miguel Cruz-Tinajero, 34, of Carpentersville.
Both have been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated arson and concealment of a homicidal death. The first two charges are class X felonies and the third a class 3 felony.
Cruz-Tinajero is being held in the Kane County jail in lieu of $1 million bail. Roohani is being held in the DuPage County jail on an unrelated charge. No information on his bail was available.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Bridgeview man dies after Aug. 16 incident on Portage Lakefront

Saleh was one of five swimmers who struggled and had to be rescued along the Portage Lakefront and Riverfront that @ @ @ @ @ other swimmers were transported to area hospitals .
The body of a fifth swimmer in @ @ @ @ @ , 16 , also of Bridgeview , was recovered the morning of Aug. 24 .

Portage dive team members search the waters at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk on Monday, August 17, 2020, for the body of a 16-year-old Chicago resident who went missing on Sunday. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)
A third victim from a spate of drownings and rescues on Aug. 16 along the Lake Michigan beachfront has died.
Yousef Saleh, 18, of Bridgeview, Illinois, died Friday at Porter Regional Hospital, according to the Porter County Coroner’s Office.
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Saleh was one of five swimmers who struggled and had to be rescued along the Portage Lakefront and Riverfront that day. He and three other swimmers were transported to area hospitals. The body of a fifth swimmer in the group, Mohamed Obeid, 16, also of Bridgeview, was recovered the morning of Aug. 24.
Moath Nagi, 21, of Rockford, Illinois, was swimming off Porter Beach the same day, He was transported to Porter Regional Hospital and died late that night.
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A beach hazard had been issued by the National Weather Service for Aug. 16, noting waves of 4 to 6 feet and strong rip currents.
--Amy Lavalley


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Proportion of Black cops in Chicago Police Department likely to go down, watchdog says

“ Because of the demographics , the racial makeup of the population approaching retirement age , over the coming years @ @ @ @ @ African American officers in the department is likely to go down substantially while the representation @ @ @ @ @ to increase proportionally over coming years , ” Witzburg said .
“ I think those @ @ @ @ @ think about hiring and recruiting in the department , and appropriate decisions about assignment and @ @ @ @

Chicago Police Department recruits stand at attention as the police superintendent leaves after welcoming them to the CPD Education and Training Academy on July 6, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The proportion of Black cops in the Chicago Police Department will likely go down as officers retire in coming years, the city’s public safety watchdog told aldermen on Monday.
During her annual report to the City Council Public Safety Committee, Deborah Witzburg, the city’s deputy inspector general for public safety, pointed to a “demographic cliff on the horizon” for the department at a time when the city has tried to increase its recruitment of Black police officers.
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“Because of the demographics, the racial makeup of the population approaching retirement age, over the coming years the representation of Black or African American officers in the department is likely to go down substantially while the representation of Latinx officers is likely to increase proportionally over coming years,” Witzburg said. “I think those are important considerations as we think about hiring and recruiting in the department, and appropriate decisions about assignment and so on.”
When Rahm Emanuel was mayor, he made attracting more Black officers a priority as he embarked on a police hiring surge, but African Americans remain underrepresented among the ranks in a city that’s almost one-third Black.
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Members of the City Council have long pushed for more Black officers, and on Monday they took the opportunity to make their case.
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Committee Chairman Ald. Chris Taliaferro, 29th, a former police officer, expressed concern with Inspector General’s Office data that shows several police districts that have high Black populations but relatively few Black cops.
“I’m just of the opinion that in areas that are predominantly African American, like these four (police districts) and probably others that I see, having a higher concentration of African American officers would serve to reduce complaints in that area and actually produce better police services,” Taliaferro said.
And Northwest Side Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, asked how the city “can possibly achieve” greater diversity when the majority of the people who sit for Police Department tests are white men.
“With the times going on today, the way people feel about policemen, the way our council feels about policemen, I think we’re going to have a lot of problems (increasing diversity),” Sposato said.
Witzburg acknowledged that’s “a hugely challenging piece of the problem here.”
The Inspector General’s Office is currently looking at the whole Police Department recruiting process “so that we can have a more informed conversation about where people are falling off,” to see where potential recruits are dropping out, she said.
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jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Chicago school resource officers could be phased  out under Board of Ed proposal amid ongoing protes

Chicago school resource officers could be phased  out under Board of Ed proposal amid ongoing protests

The letter called attention to recent protests attended by students and others in which police pepper-sprayed , kettled and arrested @ @ @ @ @ why youth say police do not make them feel safe in school .
The safest @ @ @ @ @ fully resourced and empowered , according to the letter , which notes that police have @ @ @ @ @ fill gaps at under-resourced schools .

Whitney Young Magnet High School freshman Amari Sails, 13, speaks Aug. 22, 2020, as activists prepare to march from the school to the Fraternal Order of Police building on West Washington Boulevard calling for a defunding of the Chicago Police Department, CPD school resource officers out of schools and a number of other things. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Board of Education could soon ask district leaders to come up with a plan to phase out school police.
On the agenda for the board meeting Wednesday is a resolution “to require that the CEO and district leaders, in consultation with school communities, identify and recommend an alternative plan to ensure safe and supportive school environments.”
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The resolution would require Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson to provide the board with a comprehensive plan by March 24 for schools with officers stationed on campus “to phase out their use.”
CPS was already planning to develop alternative safety plans involving emergency response agencies, families and community members for schools that won’t have police this upcoming school year. Over the summer, Local School Councils at 17 schools voted to remove their police officers, and 55 others voted to keep them.
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“It is the sense of the Board of Education that there are alternatives to the SRO program in CPS that will more effectively build positive community relationships, ensure a safe learning environment for students and address students’ social and emotional needs,” the resolution states.
Board members are asking the district to develop and implement alternative programs “as expeditiously as practicable,” according to the resolution.
In the meantime, with the district’s current $33 million agreement with the Chicago Police Department expiring this month, the seven-member Board of Education is also scheduled to vote Wednesday on a new one-year agreement. Though the terms are still being negotiated, it would not exceed $12.1 million.
Reforms already announced by CPS and Mayor Lori Lightfoot add more specific commitments around training, oversight and student involvement. Police Department computer terminals will be removed from schools, and school officers will be prohibited from entering student information into the Police Department’s “criminal enterprise information system,” the latest iteration of the gang database, officials said last week. Complaints against school officers will all be reviewed by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, a measure CPS officials said will also ensure they are tracked.
Education activists however, have rejected the proposed reforms, and are calling on the Board of Education to say no to another police contract.
On Monday, some of their concerns were laid out in a letter released by community groups, including Raise Your Hand For Illinois Public Education, the Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, United Working Families, Action Now, Action Now Institute, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago United for Equity, Chicago Veterans for Peace, CPS Alumni for Abolition, Illinois Families for Public Schools, Pilsen Alliance and Northside Action 4 Justice.
“The Chicago Board of Education has a moral, research-based obligation to vote to terminate the contract of fear, oppression, civil rights violations and school to prison pipeline impacting today’s youth,” the letter states. “We stand ready to work with the city and district to develop safety protocols and resources that do not involve police officers.”
The letter called attention to recent protests attended by students and others in which police pepper-sprayed, kettled and arrested demonstrators as an example of why youth say police do not make them feel safe in school. The safest schools are those that are fully resourced and empowered, according to the letter, which notes that police have at times been used to fill gaps at under-resourced schools.
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“On the recent LSC calls, we heard councils that serve predominantly Black, diverse learners and low income students, detail how they use police officers to fill roles traditionally held by teachers, deans and counselors,” the letter states. “We listened as principals said, ‘We can’t afford to lose these two bodies’ and ‘we can’t get rid of these resources without getting the money for an alternative.’”
Rather than another police contract, the letter seeks community involvement in creating new school safety plans, along with resources to resolve conflicts and keep students safe.
The groups also ask for CPS to make anti-racist policies and provide training for employees to understand the impact of race and racism on teaching and learning and “recognize differences between anti-racism and multiculturalism in pedagogy, curriculum, and educational advocacy.”
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Still no ID for toddler found in mobile home fire

Meanwhile , Carman is hosting an online funding page to raise money for the girl ’ s funeral .
Other @ @ @ @ @ money for all the families affected by the fire .
Clothing and donations are being @ @ @ @ @ park office .

Fire investigators returned Friday to the scene of a Thursday afternoon New Chicago mobile home fire that killed a 2-year-old girl and injured her mother, who was airlifted to the University of Chicago Hospital. The fire,at Ravinia Pines Mobile Home Park, also damaged adjacent mobile homes. (Carole Carlson / Post-Tribune)
A toddler, who was found dead inside a fire-ravaged mobile home in New Chicago on Thursday, still hasn’t been identified.
Authorities and family members said DNA from the girl’s father is being used to confirm her identity, but the results aren’t completed yet.
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The Lake County coroner’s office said Monday it still had not identified the girl, whose cause of death is also pending.
The fire, which destroyed three mobile homes in the Ravinia Pines Mobile Home Park, 534 E. 37th Ave., Hobart, erupted Thursday afternoon. The girls’ mother, who authorities haven’t identified, was found by Hobart and New Chicago firefighters in a bedroom. She was airlifted to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
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Her aunt, Jacqueline Carman, of Beecher, Illinois, said her niece underwent surgery on Monday and a faced a series of additional surgeries this week for burns.
State fire marshal investigator Phil Topor, of the Merrillville Fire Department, said Monday the fire’s origin was still under investigation, but there’s no indication of arson.
He said more information will be released Tuesday or Wednesday. Topar said firefighters also planned to launch a smoke alarm initiative for the mobile home park in memory of the young girl who lost her life.
Meanwhile, Carman is hosting an online funding page to raise money for the girl’s funeral. Other groups are collecting clothing and money for all the families affected by the fire. Clothing and donations are being accepted in the mobile home park office.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Gurnee man killed in motorcycle crash

Gurnee man killed in motorcycle crash

The man , 63 , was riding a 2014 Harley-Davidson south on Hunt Club Road in Old Mill Creek when @ @ @ @ @ for an unknown reason , deputies said .
The cyclist was ejected and was pronounced @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .

An investigation continues into a Saturday night motorcycle accident in which a Gurnee man was killed, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The man, 63, was riding a 2014 Harley-Davidson south on Hunt Club Road in Old Mill Creek when the motorcycle left the roadway for an unknown reason, deputies said. The cyclist was ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
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The accident took place south of the Milburn Road intersection. Deputies were dispatched at 8:05 p.m., and found the motorcycle on the west side of Hunt Club Road, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said.
The man’s name had yet to be released Monday.
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The Sheriff’s Office’s Technical Crash Investigation Unit is investigating the accident. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday at the Lake County Coroner’s Office.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Watch live: Kenosha mayor, activists hold news conference after police shooting

The mayor of Kenosha and civil rights activists hold a news conference after a police shooting was caught on video @ @ @ @ @ Get the latest updates here .

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chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Waukegan teen killed in crash after stealing car, police say

Police said the 14-year-old boy was the passenger in a Nissan Sentra , which police found crashed into the pole @ @ @ @ @ 100 block of North Jackson Street .
Officers who responded to the scene around 11:30 @ @ @ @ @ in the roadway with his friend trying to aid him , Waukegan police Commander Joe @ @ @

A Waukegan teenager died Sunday night after he and a 15-year-old friend allegedly stole a car but then crashed it into a utility pole, police said Monday.
Police said the 14-year-old boy was the passenger in a Nissan Sentra, which police found crashed into the pole and a fence in the 100 block of North Jackson Street. Officers who responded to the scene around 11:30 p.m. found the unresponsive youth in the roadway with his friend trying to aid him, Waukegan police Commander Joe Florip said.
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The 15-year-old Waukegan boy told police that he and his friend had been struck by the car, but police say the two youths saw the Sentra idling and unattended in a nearby driveway and took the car without permission.
As they drove off, the 15-year-old lost control of the vehicle before crashing it into the pole, and the other youth was ejected from the car at some point, police said.
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The 14-year-old was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries, police said. An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday at the Lake County Coroner’s office.
The second youth has been charged with reckless homicide, theft of a motor vehicle and criminal trespass to a motor vehicle, police said. He was being held at the Depke Juvenile Complex, police said.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Column: Trump’s narcissism seems effective. So I am now the greatest columnist in the world.

I am always spot on .
In fact , there has never been a time when I was spot off @ @ @ @ @ just have a very big brain and it works better than most people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ I LOVE talking to Joan Esposito on WCPT-820 AM , because she is a true @ @ @ @ @ Every time I ’ m on the show , the ratings are through the roof @ @ @ @ @ from people there , they call me up and they say , “ Rex , @ @ @ @ @ ratings like this .
How do you do this ?
People love you and you @ @ @ @ @ ” So great !

Regular readers of this column know that, from time to time, I receive emails that are not entirely flattering.
They generally involve helpful critiques like: “You (expletive) suck”; “Your a (expletive) idiot”; or “You stupid (expletive) (expletive), every (expletive) word you write is (expletive), go (expletive) yourself in the (expletive).”
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I’ve shared many of these missives in past Reader Fan Mail columns. I think it’s important that my critics be heard, and my already low self-esteem enjoys being publicly trod upon.
However, as an avid chronicler of our infallible president, Donald Trump, I’ve decided a new approach is in order — a more Rex-forward, utterly narcissistic approach.
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Let’s face it, Trump became president and could very well be reelected without ever acknowledging a single fault or turning down a compliment. The only reason he has not walked on water, I assume, is because water is involved in a Deep State plot to keep him from appearing messianic.
So if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
What follows are actual notes from highly respected and educated readers — truly some of the most impressive Americans — touting my greatness, which many are saying is the greatest greatness they’ve ever seen. I will honor each note with a response acknowledging how smart they are to praise me, and I will encourage each of them and all of you to visit one of my many resorts or just send me buckets of money.
Here we go:
“There are now two of us (one of which is you) who consider yourself America’s most-beloved columnist. … The biting humor nailed it. Flawless in presentation and relevance. Could literally not stop laughing.”
Thank you so much for being a REAL AMERICAN who recognizes TRUE TALENT. Unlike the losers and haters out there, you clearly see that my writing has MADE WORDS GREAT AGAIN. You’re welcome, America!
“Another, as usual, brilliant column. Right on the mark. I just keep waiting for some Republicans to stop supporting Trump. And I can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet. The solution to dealing with the coronavirus until there is a viable vaccine is so common sensical, and yet it’s like many politicians would prefer to stay on Trump’s good side rather than have him Tweet against them. I’m so sad that there seems to be such a lack of integrity in the world today. Please keep telling the truth.”
I will keep telling the truth. I LOVE TRUTH! In fact, many have said they don’t think a columnist has ever told as much truth as Huppke. I’m going to tell so much truth that you’ll be sick of truth! And thank you for calling my column “brilliant.” Cleary you have VERY GOOD TASTE!
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“Good morning Rex, Just a quick note to say thanks and tell you that your article in today’s Sunday Trib was spot on. I also hear you periodically on Joan Esposito’s radio show. Keep up the good fight and great work.”
I am always spot on. In fact, there has never been a time when I was spot off — ask anyone. I just have a very big brain and it works better than most people’s brains. And yes, I LOVE talking to Joan Esposito on WCPT-820 AM, because she is a true patriot who loves Huppke. Every time I’m on the show, the ratings are through the roof. I’ve heard from people there, they call me up and they say, “Rex, we’ve never had ratings like this. How do you do this? People love you and you are amazing and also handsome.” So great!
“Thank you for such a clever, engaging yet bittersweet column. You employed the apposite angle and portrayed our Imbecile-in-Chief and his misguided and moronic agenda so brilliantly.”
What’s truly amazing is that before I started writing columns, not a single columnist in America had ever been clever or engaging. Totally my idea. Now columnists everywhere are saying, “Thank you, Mr. Huppke!” They all followed my lead. SAD!
“Thank you for a great laugh. You never fail to entertain me with your witty, good-humored columns.”
MAKE WORDS GREAT AGAIN! Believe me, I will never let you down, and I will continue to fight against the DEEP NEWSPAPER losers who try to drag me down. I alone can fix it!
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“Thank you for another great column. You are so clever, and so sarcastic — and I’m always so happy when I’m reading the Trib and find your column. These are dark, dark days — you can’t make it less horrifying, but you do make me laugh and that helps a lot and means a lot. Thank you for all you do!”
You’re very welcome. I do so much. People who don’t think I’m clever are all dopes who don’t care about words. I USE ONLY THE BEST WORDS! So simple! Nobody thought to do that before Huppke. Now we are winning with words!
Covfefe.
rhuppke@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--Man shot on Eisenhower Expressway

Man shot on Eisenhower Expressway

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 10 Illinois State Police troopers investigate a shooting that occurred on the outbound Eisenhower Expressway near Ashland Avenue in the early hours of Aug. 24, 2020, in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
A man was seriously injured after a shooting on the Eisenhower Expressway early Aug. 24, 2020, according to Illinois State Police. The shooting happened about 2:15 a.m. on the outbound lanes near Ashland Avenue, according to police.


chicagotribune--2020-08-24--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--2020-08-24--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 @ @ @ @ @ state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer .

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.