chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Billionaire Ken Griffin gives $20 million to stop graduated-rate tax amendment group

“ People aren ’ t waiting until November to vote against the economic hardship created by Springfield ’ s spending @ @ @ @ @ been voting with their feet for the past decade as Illinois has lost more residents @ @ @ @ @ the nation , ” Griffin said in a written statement .
“ In that time @ @ @ @ @ already failed to improve our situation , and what ’ s now being marketed to @ @ @ @ @ a ‘ fair tax ’ is nothing more than a graduated tax scheme engineered to @ @ @ @ @ money possible from all Illinois taxpayers .
As we ’ ve seen in other states @ @ @ @ @ , everyone inevitably pays a higher rate .
”

Ken Griffin, Illinois’ richest person and the founder and CEO of the Citadel investment firm, has donated $20 million to a business group fighting Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s push for voters to approve a proposed state constitutional amendment that would shift Illinois’ flat-rate income tax to a graduated-rate system.
The move by Griffin, estimated by Forbes to be worth $15 billion, sets up a battle among billionaires over the fate of the proposed tax amendment with Pritzker, who Forbes says is worth $3.4 billion as an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune.
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Pritzker has pumped $56.5 million into the Vote Yes for Fairness political fund, which is promoting passage of the amendment, which is before voters on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Griffin — a close political and financial ally of Pritzker’s predecessor, former one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner — contributed the $20 million to the Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike Amendment on Aug. 27.
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Prior to Griffin’s contribution, which was reported Thursday, the anti-amendment coalition had received $950,000 in donations. They included $100,000 apiece from Jay Bergman, president of Hinsdale-based Petco Petroleum Corp; Craig Duchossois, who runs the diversified Duchossois Group; MacNeil Automotive Products of Bolingbrook, which produces WeatherTech products; Richard Uihlein, a nationally conservative megadonor from Lake Forest who owns the Uline office supply company; and a trust run by real estate mogul Sam Zell.
“People aren’t waiting until November to vote against the economic hardship created by Springfield’s spending addiction — they’ve been voting with their feet for the past decade as Illinois has lost more residents than any other state in the nation,” Griffin said in a written statement. “In that time, two tax increases have already failed to improve our situation, and what’s now being marketed to voters under the guise of a ‘fair tax’ is nothing more than a graduated tax scheme engineered to extract the greatest amount of money possible from all Illinois taxpayers. As we’ve seen in other states with a graduated tax scheme, everyone inevitably pays a higher rate.”
The Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike Amendment also released a statement saying Pritzker’s proposed amendment would hurt small businesses, family farmers and large employers.
“We are encouraged that people from throughout Illinois, especially bipartisan small business owners, are responding positively to our message that this is the worst possible time to raise taxes,” the group said in a statement. “The coalition welcomes support from anyone who believes we must stop Springfield politicians from having new power to increase income taxes on every group of taxpayers, whenever they want.”
In a statement, Vote Yes for Fair Tax chairman John Bouman countered that it’s wrong for rich people, such as the billionaire Griffin, to pay the same income tax rate as those who work as grocery store clerks, teachers or nurses, for example.
“That’s wrong and it’s exactly why Illinois needs the Fair Tax amendment,” Bouman said in a release. “To end the sweet deals for the super-rich, cut taxes for everyone under $250,000 a year, make the wealthy pay their fair share and invest in shared priorities like education and health care, it’s time to Vote Yes for Fair Tax.”
Both the pro- and anti-amendment forces are on the airwaves across the state. It is expected to be the most expensive ballot proposition debate in Illinois history and the costliest race on the fall ballot.
The state GOP touted Griffin’s donation in an appeal to supporters to combat the amendment’s ratification.
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“While the coalition now has the resources to battle Pritzker on the airwaves, we must do our part to support them on the ground at the grassroots level. Especially on social media,” according to the email.
Meanwhile the pro-tax group Vote Yes For Fairness, whose chairman Quentin Fulks was Pritzker’s deputy campaign manager in the 2018 election, already had begun airing ads pointing out the wealthy donors to the anti-amendment group even before Griffin’s contribution. “If Mr. Griffin would like to explain why he thinks it’s fair that he pays the same tax rate as our nurses and grocery store clerks, that’s a conversation we welcome having,” Fulks said in a written statement.
Illinois’ constitution currently mandates a flat-rate income tax, which now carries a personal rate of 4.95%. Pritzker and Democrats put on the ballot the proposed change in the state constitution, which would allow for a graduated-rate tax structure that increases along with income, similar to the federal income tax.
A law adopted if voters ratify the proposed constitutional amendment would increase taxes on those making more than $250,000, meaning 97% of taxpayers would pay no more or less than they do now, supporters say.
But opponents contend that the graduated tax would unfairly hit businesses and business people who pay taxes through personal income tax rates. They also contend that higher tax rates eventually would creep down into lower tax brackets.
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Pritzker has said he believes Illinois needs the tax change now more than ever because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on state tax revenues. Pritzker has forecast that for a full year of revenue during normal times, the tax change would generate an additional $3.4 billion for the state.
But opponents point to a history of fiscal mismanagement, including the nation’s worst underfunded public employee pension system, in asking voters whether they trust Springfield with more money.
That question has been exacerbated by issues surrounding veteran Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was implicated in an alleged federal bribery and influence scheme involving ComEd.
The state’s largest utility has agreed to pay a $200 million fine and cooperate with investigators for three years in what prosecutors allege was a near-decadelong scheme to provide Madigan allies with jobs and contracts to win the speaker’s favor.
Madigan has not been charged with any wrongdoing and has denied ever making a legislative decision with improper motives.
Some Democrats have called for Madigan to step down from his government post as well as from his chairmanship of the state Democratic Party, contending the controversy surrounding him could hurt party candidates on the ballot as well as the proposed constitutional amendment.
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chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Boka Restaurant Group, owner of Girl & the Goat, GT Prime and more, explains reports of ‘mass layoff

Boka Restaurant Group, owner of Girl & the Goat, GT Prime and more, explains reports of ‘mass layoff’ in Chicago

“ PPP only works when there are sales generated , ” Boehm said .
“ You have to get up @ @ @ @ @ full-time equivalency to turn it from a loan to a grant , so you just @ @ @ @ @ more debt .
That ’ s why PPP is not perfect and why we ’ @ @ @ @ @ into the RESTAURANTS Act , which is an actual grant .
”

One of the top restaurant groups in Chicago notified employees, as well as state and city officials, that it may need to cut nearly one-third of its workforce by the end of September, as COVID-19 restrictions and the end of warm weather worsen the financial toll on the hospitality industry.
Boka Restaurant Group, owner and operator of Girl & the Goat, GT Prime Steakhouse, and other notable bars and restaurants, gave 516 employees notice in July of a possible mass layoff, according to an Illinois Department of Labor report.
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But as of early September, “five hundred people have not been laid off,” said group co-founder and co-CEO Kevin Boehm on Friday. The number stands at “about 275 people” who were laid off in August, Boehm said.
While it’s possible about 241 more people might be laid off, the company did not file a notification last month increasing that number. Before July, the company had 1,842 employees, Boehm said.
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The Illinois WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act requires employers with 75 or more full-time employees to give workers — as well as state and local government officials — 60 days advance notice of events like a plant closing or mass layoff, according to the Department of Labor.
Under the act, a mass layoff is defined as a reduction of at least one-third of an employer’s full-time employees at a single site, or 250 or more full-time employees, during a 30-day or, in some cases, 90-day period.
Boka’s notice was filed in July. The newly released August report does not show much promise for the hospitality industry as a whole.
Boehm and his business partner remain hopeful that government-supported grants can help restaurants recover.
Chef Stephanie Izard’s restaurant, Girl & the Goat in the West Loop, is perhaps the best-known of the Boka group’s 18 establishments. It also includes GT Fish & Oyster, Momotaro and Boka, the company’s first restaurant, which Boehm opened in Lincoln Park in 2003 with group co-founder Rob Katz.
The front patio area at Boka restaurant on July 9, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
“When we shut down the restaurants in March, then calculated how much paid time off was going to be, extended a week for everybody to close down properly, paid that next payroll and accounts payable, plus extended everyone’s insurance for the next six months, that put us in a hole that was $4 million deep,” Boehm said. “Even with patios right now, we are 65% down.”
The company took on Paycheck Protection Program loans for some restaurants, and it was helpful, but not for others, he said.
“PPP only works when there are sales generated,” Boehm said. “You have to get up to a certain amount of full-time equivalency to turn it from a loan to a grant, so you just end up being saddled with more debt. That’s why PPP is not perfect and why we’d like to change it into the RESTAURANTS Act, which is an actual grant.”
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The Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed To Survive Act would establish a $120 billion restaurant revitalization fund, according to the Independent Restaurant Coalition. Boehm has been a part of the IRC since it formed at the start of the pandemic to save local restaurants and bars affected by COVID-19 and the economic fallout.
“I am appreciative that (U.S.) Sens. (Tammy) Duckworth and (Dick) Durbin have signed on to the RESTAURANTS Act,” he added. “A lot of our representatives in Illinois have.”
Despite the setbacks, Boehm and his business partner are still planning ahead for their company.
“Rob and I are both optimists by nature,” he said. “We certainly hope and think that, in a post-vaccine therapeutic world, we’re going to have the ability to hire every single one of our people back, and we think that’s hopefully by May of next year.”


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 5,368 new known COVID-19 cases reported as state catches up followi

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 5,368 new known COVID-19 cases reported as state catches up following significant slowdown in data processing; Lake County now on warning list

“ Frankly , we ’ ve had enough of it , ” the messages read .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ we actually love dogs and each day we make it a priority to send each @ @ @ @ @ safe about their visit — simple as that .
You may have different thoughts on @ @ @ @ @ s fine , but while you ’ re here , it ’ s our rules @ @ @ @ @ got our backs turned , you can help us by politely addressing your fellow humans @ @ @ @ @ and then reaching out to us if things escalate ) .
”

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday there was significant slowdown in the agency’s test reporting earlier this week that it is just catching up with. That resulted in a unusually high daily count of both newly diagnosed cases, 5,368, and tests, 149,273.
State public health officials said the slowdown in data processing was due to the “large volume of COVID-19 testing.” The slowdown only affected the number of tests the state reported having been conducted, and did not affect the reporting of results to people who had been tested, officials said.
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The state also reported 29 additional deaths of people with COVID-19 on Friday.
Additionally, Lake County landed on the Illinois Department of Public Health weekly coronavirus warning list on Friday, one of 29 counties the state put on alert leading into Labor Day weekend.
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Suburban Cook County was not on the weekly list, though it had been a week earlier.
Meanwhile, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview this week that Illinois and a half-dozen other states with increasing COVID-19 numbers are at risk for a surge in cases over Labor Day weekend, according to Bloomberg.
Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
3:53 p.m.: Illinois employers warn of another round of mass layoffs as some companies make temporary furloughs permanent
An airline catering company and travel plaza operator were among employers warning of layoffs and furloughs in August that will affect 1,980 employees, according to a report by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
That number is down from the prior month’s report, which warned of over 17,000 layoffs in Illinois. The July report included notification of pending layoffs of thousands of United Airlines workers in Illinois Oct. 1. Earlier this week, the Chicago-based airline said it planned to furlough more than 16,000 employees nationally Oct. 1 unless it receives more federal aid.
Sky Chefs, Inc., which provides catering for airlines, said it will lay off 335 workers in Cook County beginning Oct. 1. The announcement is part of a spate of mass layoffs made by travel and hospitality companies.
Read more here. —Katie Surma
2:43 p.m.: With work and school remote, people are moving into Midwestern vacation homes full-time — and paying top dollar for pandemic-friendly features
Home sales and prices are skyrocketing in popular drive-to weekend destinations within a 300-mile radius of Chicago. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves from crisis to chronic, the appeal of a remote, off-the-grid vacation place for getting away from it all has been replaced by homebuyers’ determination to transplant work and school to an airier locale — complete with broadband access.
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Read more here. —Joanne Cleaver
2:33 p.m.: Bus contractors, uniform suppliers, trophy makers: Many Chicago-area companies feel the pain as students start the year from home
With students largely beginning the year from home, school districts are cutting back and canceling services from photographers, bus companies, trophy makers and food service providers. Some vendors have shifted operations, taking first-day pictures outside and creating boxed meals for students attending class remotely this fall in order to weather the financial challenges.
But if remote learning creeps into next year, it might send some companies to the brink of closure.
Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
1:46 p.m.: Fauci warns that Illinois and six other states are at higher risk for a COVID-19 surge over Labor Day weekend, report says
The nation’s top infectious disease expert warned that Illinois and a half-dozen other states with increasing COVID-19 numbers are at risk for a surge in cases over Labor Day weekend, according to Bloomberg.
“There are several states that are at risk for surging, namely North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview this week, Bloomberg reported. “Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there’s going to be a problem.”
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Read more here. —Angie Leventis Lourgos
1:01 p.m.: Lake County among 29 counties now on Illinois COVID-19 warning list
Lake County landed on the Illinois Department of Public Health weekly coronavirus warning list on Friday, one of 29 counties the state put on alert leading into Labor Day weekend.
Suburban Cook County was not on the weekly list, though it had been a week earlier.
State public health officials attributed a rise in cases and outbreaks in the warning list counties to college parties, bars and clubs, weddings, schools and a lack of physical distancing and mask-wearing in public places.
This week’s list also included Boone, Bureau, Clinton, Coles, Cumberland, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Henry, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Lawrence, Madison, McLean, Monroe, Pulaski, Randolph, Rock Island, Shelby, Stark, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Warren, Williamson and Will counties.
Public health officials also said some people are refusing to participate in contact tracing efforts to identify those who may have come into contact with an infected person by not providing information on their close contacts or not answering the phone, while others have attributed symptoms to allergies or another cause and have delayed getting tested.
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The Illinois Department of Public Health has been putting counties at a warning level when two or more measurements showing a possible resurgence in coronavirus surpass state thresholds, such as clusters of cases, hospital admissions and deaths.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
12:15 p.m.: 5,368 new known COVID-19 cases reported after significant slowdown in test reporting
The Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday there was significant slowdown in the agency’s test reporting earlier this week that it is just catching up with. That resulted in a unusually high daily count of both newly diagnosed cases, 5,368, and tests, 149,273.
State public health officials said the slowdown in data processing was due to the “large volume of COVID-19 testing.” The slowdown only affected the number of tests the state reported having been conducted, and did not affect the reporting of results to people who had been tested, officials said.
Officials said it became clear there was a slowdown on Tuesday, when 22,961 daily tests were reported statewide, which is significantly lower than recently reported daily numbers.
Derek Lindblom, the head of the Illinois Department of Public Health testing team, said he’s not concerned about another slowdown because of system upgrades made Thursday.”
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This became clear we needed to do an upgrade to the system, the upgrades that occurred yesterday should give us room to process significantly more tests into the future as we continue to raise the number of tests per day we’re doing in Illinois,” Lindblom said.
There were 47,379 tests reported by the state Monday from the previous 24-hour period, and daily testing numbers have surpassed 50,000 in recent weeks.
The state also reported 29 additional deaths of people with COVID-19 on Friday.
The numbers reported Friday raise the totals the state is reporting to 245,371 known cases and 8,143 deaths throughout the course of the pandemic. More than 4.3 million tests have been reported in the state to date.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
12:04 p.m.: Minnesota man who attended Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is first COVID-19 death tied to the South Dakota event
A Minnesota man is the first person known to have died of COVID-19 after attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota last month. Health officials worried that the 10-day rally could become a superspreader event because it brought together hundreds of thousands of people, many showing little attention to social distancing or mask wearing.
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State health officials in Minnesota confirmed the death, saying the man was in his 60s and had underlying health conditions; he had been hospitalized for several weeks, they said.
South Dakota has seen sharp increases in coronavirus cases since the rally in Sturgis, a small town north of Rapid City in the western part of the state. And cases linked to the rally have been reported in as many as 12 other states; Minnesota alone has confirmed more than 50 cases traced back to the Sturgis rally, officials said.
Read more here. —The New York Times
12:01 p.m.: CPS touts record high graduation rates despite pandemic school shutdown
With Latino students driving the trend, Chicago Public Schools students have reached a record-high five-year graduation rate of 82.5%, district leaders announced Friday.
The rate got a boost in part from a new method used to calculate the percentage of graduates. Under the old methodology, it would have been 80.8%.
”Our charge now is to keep this success going as we embark on this unprecedented school year,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday in announcing the new rates “To every CPS student and parent, I promise you this: We are not sitting this year out. No matter the obstacles ahead, we will continue our march forward until every one of Chicago’s young people finishes high school with a diploma in hand and a plan on what they’re going to do next.”
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The district also announced the 10 high school with the high rates.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
11:44 a.m.: Working from home or out of work? Here’s what you need to know now for next year’s tax season.
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, next year’s tax season could bring some unpleasant surprises for people whose work life has been upended by office closures and job loss.
Whether working from home or unemployed, experts say taxpayers should take steps now to avoid confusion come tax day.
“It’s kind of a mess,” said Mark Mazur, the director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “The [tax] rules that have been in place for a long time didn’t contemplate the current situation.”
Here’s what to know in order to avoid headaches later on.
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Read more here. —Katie Surma
11:38 a.m.: As CPS begins virtual learning, back-to-school events provide school supplies, even amid burglary setback
On Saturday, Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings in the Englewood area (MASK) and Hyde Park-based Brown Books and Paintbrushes are holding back-to-school events in Chicago. Katie Miller , a volunteer with MASK, said its effort is necessary at a time when so many families are struggling.
The story took a twist now that MASK is also working to recoup losses from a burglary discovered on September 3, which resulted in damaged property and missing school supplies.
Read more here. —Milan Polk
10:51 a.m.: Refrigerated van offers local nonprofit a way to tackle food insecurity worsened by COVID-19
In just the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, food and clothing pantry Care for Real registered more new clients than it did in all of 2019 — and those numbers are not declining, said Nancy Meyerson, board chair of the nonprofit. Almost six months in, she said lines to get food are still up to an hour long. And with dozens of neighborhood food pantries closing, Care for Real has had to pick up the slack, expanding beyond its home base in Edgewater to serve Rogers Park residents through pop-up locations.
“The need right now has grown so quickly,” Meyerson said.
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According to a Feeding America projection, up to 54 million people may be food insecure this year due to the effects of COVID-19, with one in seven Cook County residents experiencing food insecurity at least once in 2020.
Read more here. —Lauren Leazenby
10:19 a.m.: Lake County officials fear holiday gatherings could bring back coronavirus restrictions
As Labor Day approached, Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister worried northeastern Illinois could see some restrictions used to combat the coronavirus pandemic reimposed if this weekend is anything like the days surrounding the July 4 holiday.
With Lake County’s positivity rate sitting at 5.9 percent Wednesday because people are gathering in larger groups without wearing masks or socially distancing, Pfister fears a lack of thoughtful behavior over the Labor Day weekend could bring restrictions not seen since May.
”We were doing well in June, but we had an increase of cases over the Fourth of July weekend,” he said. “With Labor Day coming, people really need to follow three Ws so we don’t have to roll back what we’ve opened up.”
Wearing a mask or face covering, washing hands and watching the distance between others are the “three Ws” Pfister said he continually suggests to people as the universal response to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
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Should there be a significant increase in the positivity rate, the number of deaths, the number of cases per 100,000 persons or some combination of those metrics, he said Lake County could be placed on alert. Grundy, Will and suburban Cook counties already are.
Read more here. —Steve Sadin
9:07 a.m.: Chicago ‘Tamale Guy’ Claudio Velez’s COVID-19 condition is improving, family says his restaurant will reopen soon
Claudio Velez, owner of the namesake new restaurant, Tamale Guy Chicago, remains hospitalized with COVID-19. While his condition cautiously improves, a GoFundMe created for medical expenses will end, and the business will reopen soon.
“My dad has made some positive improvement,” said Osmar Abad, Velez’s oldest son, Thursday night. “He’s still in ICU and still connected to a ventilator, but he made a milestone improvement today. We’re hoping that those continue, and that he’s out of the red zone officially soon.”
Velez sold warm tamales from a familiar red cooler at neighborhood bars on the North Side of the city for roughly 20 years. After the statewide coronavirus stay-at-home order forced the closure of bars and restaurants in March, the city shut down Velez’s continued tamale deliveries due to lack of licensing in May.
Fans raised more than $36,000 through a GoFundMe support campaign that stated, “I don’t know about you, but when life gets back to some kind of normal, I would really like for Claudio and his tamales to be there.”
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Read more here. —Louisa Chu
8:26 a.m.: US unemployment rate falls to 8.4%, though hiring slowing and recovery incomplete
The U.S. unemployment rate fell sharply in August to 8.4% from 10.2% even as hiring slowed, with employers adding the fewest jobs since the pandemic began.
Employers added 1.4 million jobs, the Labor Department said, down from 1.7 million in July. The U.S. economy has recovered about half the 22 million jobs lost to the pandemic.
Friday’s report added to evidence that nearly six months after the coronavirus paralyzed the country, the economy is mounting only a fitful recovery. From small businesses to hotels, restaurants, airlines and entertainment venues, a wide spectrum of companies are struggling to survive the loss of customers with confirmed viral cases still high.
After an epic collapse in the spring, when the economy shrank at a roughly 30% annual rate, growth has been rebounding as states have reopened at least parts of their economies. Yet the recovery remains far from complete.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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7:47 a.m.: ‘We are preparing for the worst’: Chicago-area hospitals brace for flu and COVID-19 to collide
With a new flu season approaching, Chicago-area hospitals are bracing for a possible onslaught of both flu and COVID-19 patients.
Hospital leaders hope this flu season will be mild, especially because many people are keeping their distance from others, washing their hands more often and wearing masks.
Another hopeful sign: Experts often look to the Southern Hemisphere, which has an earlier flu season than the U.S., for clues about what to expect, and the flu season there has been light.
Still, there are no guarantees.
If cases of the flu and COVID-19 rise simultaneously, there are worries that resources at area hospitals could be squeezed.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
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6:49 a.m.: Park Ridge business owner closes doors for staff ‘mental health day’ after incidents of confrontational customers: ‘We’re not the mask police’
The owner of two Uptown Park Ridge businesses says he was driven to briefly close his doors so employees could take a “mental health day” following a week of issues involving confrontational customers.
Beer on the Wall and Off the Wall Cafe, both located on Main Street, posted messages to customers on Facebook stating that the businesses would be closed on Sept. 1 following what was described as a “rough” week. According to owner Ryan Tracy, the week included two threats against servers who were trying to enforce a no-dog policy on the outdoor patio, a man who wanted to fight the host of a trivia night who had disqualified one of the teams, and confrontations between angry customers.
“Frankly, we’ve had enough of it,” the messages read. “We’re not the mask police, we actually love dogs and each day we make it a priority to send each and every customer home feeling safe about their visit — simple as that. You may have different thoughts on our procedures and that’s fine, but while you’re here, it’s our rules and if we’ve got our backs turned, you can help us by politely addressing your fellow humans if you feel uncomfortable (and then reaching out to us if things escalate).”
Read more here. —Jennifer Johnson
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Thursday related to COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Native American activists call on City Council to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day

“ Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day symbolizes retelling history to highlight the voices of survivors not colonizers , @ @ @ @ @ Chi-Nations Youth Council .
“ This is a time of change , we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ve seen it in the streets .
People across the United States @ @ @ @ @ for next generations and right now Columbus stands in the way of that .
”

Naomi Harvey-Turner, of Chi-Nations Youth Council, holds a news conference with Chicago aldermen on replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day outside the Thompson Center on Sept. 4, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Young Native American activists pressed Chicago aldermen to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day during a City Council committee meeting Friday.
“Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day symbolizes retelling history to highlight the voices of survivors not colonizers,” said Naomi Harvey-Turner of Chi-Nations Youth Council. “This is a time of change, we’ve seen it on the news, we’ve seen it in the streets. People across the United States are demanding a better world for next generations and right now Columbus stands in the way of that.”
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While Friday’s discussion was only a subject matter hearing and involved no formal vote, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, said it was an important step toward advancing the matter before the full council.
At a news conference Friday, Ramirez-Rosa pointed out that a number of large cities have made the switch from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day, adding that Chicago’s own public school district made the change earlier this year.
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“Stop celebrating someone who did not discover this land and instead let us celebrate the first peoples of this land who continue to host us on this land today,” Ramirez-Rosa said. “Native people were here, they’re still here and we need to recognize that.”
During Friday’s Health and Human Services Committee meeting, members of various Italian American groups expressed opposition for the suggested change. Pasquale Gianni of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Italian American Human Relations Foundation said the Columbus holiday is “a day of great ethnic pride and celebration.”
He said replacing the holiday would not help to uplift marginalized communities in a meaningful way but would only “create a deep wound in the heart and soul of Chicago’s Italian American community.”
But Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, said as an Italian American he is “disgusted and consistently disheartened” that his heritage has to be attached to Columbus.
“I am glad to stand here and say we need to get rid of Christopher Columbus Day,” La Spata said. “I would love to march in a parade that celebrates Italian heritage but I can’t do that as long as the name at the front of that banner is for Christopher Columbus.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in February that she had no plans to eliminate Columbus Day at the citywide level. This summer, the mayor ordered the removal of three Christopher Columbus statues in Chicago and announced the formation of a committee to review the city’s monuments as part of “a racial healing and historical reckoning project.”
Adrien Pochel of Chi-Nations Youth Council believes their group is focused on building coalitions across communities and “addressing racist narratives that assimilate Native people and our sovereignty.”
“The time for reconciliation is over, we are here for the revolution and we are coming for it all,” Pochel said.
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ssherry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Column: Show some love. Be good to each other. A Park Ridge cafe owner inspires us on Labor Day

The stresses run the gamut .
Many people struggle with the stress of working in isolation .
Others , many @ @ @ @ @ “ essential , ” bear the stress of working around people .
They include grocery @ @ @ @ @ medical personnel and restaurant employees who not only have to fear the virus but have @ @ @ @ @ that is testy at best , traumatized at worst , and as a result too @ @ @

Ryan Tracy, owner of Beer on the Wall, takes a swig of German beer during Main Street Oktoberfest in Park Ridge in 2017. (Mark Kodiak Ukena/For the Pioneer Press)
Last Tuesday, in a move that should inspire bosses everywhere, Ryan Tracy closed his two businesses in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge to give his staff a mental health day after a rough week.
“We need a break,” he posted on Facebook.
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Tracy owns Beer on the Wall, a liquor store and beer cafe on the town’s Main Street, along with Off the Wall Cafe, which the website notes exists because “You can’t drink beer ALL the time, can you?”
The rough week, as Jennifer Johnson reported in Tribune Publishing’s Pioneer Press, included “two threats against servers who were trying to enforce a no-dog policy on the outdoor patio, a man who wanted to fight the host of a trivia night who had disqualified one of the teams, and confrontations between angry customers.”
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There had been three complaints that the COVID-19 protection procedures were too strict, and one that they weren’t strict enough.
“Frankly,” Tracy wrote on Facebook, “we’ve had enough of it. We’re not the mask police, we actually love dogs, and each day we make it a priority to send each and every customer home feeling safe about their visit — simple as that.”
The tone of Tracy’s post was affable, but he sounded tired. “Send us some love,” he wrote when he announced the mental health day, promising the staff would be back, refreshed, on Wednesday. He concluded: “Be good to each other.”
It’s an important message for this Labor Day in the fraught Pandemic Year of 2020: Send some love to the people whose work you rely on. Let’s be good to each other.
This pandemic has shone the harsh light of truth on the nature and meaning of work in our country. The past few months have illuminated how dependent we are on the work of others, jobs that are often poorly paid and otherwise undervalued.
It has also shown how fragile work is for many people. As the novel coronavirus has stalked the land — killing 187,000 Americans so far, infecting more than 6 million — it has forced legions of businesses to cut back or close. Millions of Americans have been furloughed or laid off. Those fortunate enough to have jobs are working with unaccustomed stresses.
The stresses run the gamut. Many people struggle with the stress of working in isolation. Others, many of them the workers deemed “essential,” bear the stress of working around people. They include grocery cashiers, bus drivers, medical personnel and restaurant employees who not only have to fear the virus but have to cope with a public that is testy at best, traumatized at worst, and as a result too often rude.
If ever there was a Labor Day to pause and appreciate the work of others, this is it. So here’s an idea for how to celebrate Labor Day: Sometime in the course of the weekend, thank three people for the work they do.
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Here are a few who deserve my thanks:
Thank you to the technician who was working last week when I went for a mammogram. I asked her how it felt to always work in a mask. She said she wore it so much that even when she took it off she thought she had it on.
Thank you to the overwhelmed but cheerful woman who answered when I called to complain about my spotty Internet.
Thanks to the masked Peet’s barista who brightens my day by greeting me by name, and to the grocery store clerks who from behind their masks and plastic shield cheerfully say, “So how’s your day going?”
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Thank you to the Instacart shoppers who select the groceries I order online for my housebound sister. They’re under huge stress to move fast, which is why they deserve good tips.
Thank you to all the journalists who have exhausted themselves during months of pandemics and public protests, trying to get the facts right while also getting them fast.
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There are different ways to say thank you. One way is with words. Another is with money. Let’s let Labor Day be a reminder to tip well whenever possible and to support businesses we like, especially local ones, so that they’ll still be around when the pandemic is over.
In short, think of Ryan Tracy’s words: Send some love. Be good to each other.
And a special thanks to any boss anywhere who understands that the workers need a mental health day.
mschmich@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MarySchmich


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Illinois election officials respond to President Trump’s suggestion to vote twice this November: ‘It

Illinois election officials respond to President Trump’s suggestion to vote twice this November: ‘It’s not going to happen’

Some experts say the focus should not be on potential voter fraud — a frequent boogeyman floated by Trump during @ @ @ @ @ mail — but on reaching voters who are confused by the bureaucratic process .
Ami @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights , said in her experience , voters @ @ @ @ @ right thing , and election judges are there to help should there be hiccups .

Illinois election officials have one response to those mulling President Donald Trump’s recommendation to vote twice in the November election: Don’t bother.
The latest controversy surrounding the president’s opposition to widespread mail-in voting began Wednesday, when Trump told reporters that people in North Carolina should cast an absentee ballot and then vote in person.
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“Let them send it in and let them go vote, and if their system’s as good as they say it is, then obviously they won’t be able to vote,” Trump said. “If it isn’t tabulated, they’ll be able to vote.”
He took to Twitter the next morning and said that in order to ensure their votes are counted, people should mail in their ballot and then go to the polls to see if they can vote again. That resulted in the social media company flagging his posts for violating its rules on “civic and election integrity.”
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Based on the massive number of Unsolicited & Solicited Ballots that will be sent to potential Voters for the upcoming 2020 Election, & in order for you to MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS & IS COUNTED, SIGN & MAIL IN your Ballot as EARLY as possible. On Election Day, or Early Voting,.. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2020
Voting twice is illegal. And, state and local election officials say those following the president’s advice would run up against numerous safeguards.
If a voter shows up to the polls after applying for a vote-by-mail application, election judges would be able to see that status in their electronic poll books, Cook County clerk’s office election attorney James Nally said. The voter can then turn that ballot in to be marked void and vote in person or, if they don’t have it, they can cast a provisional ballot to be held until officials determine the mail ballot was not counted.
That applies to voters who applied to vote by mail but changed their minds; they can bring their mail-in ballot to the polls to be voided or cast a provisional ballot, Nally said.
The electronic poll books ensure election judges can flag voters who already have mail-in ballots “on the spot,” Nally said.
“We have a process that would prevent anybody from voting twice,” Nally said. “It’s not going to happen, that’s the first thing. It just isn’t, because the system has these safeguards built into it.”
Nally said he doesn’t suspect Trump’s comments will unduly hold up the polls because voter fraud is rare and “most people are not going to attempt to do anything like that.” Still, he said the president promoting such actions is concerning.
“I certainly was very surprised to hear that,” Nally said. “We have a very efficient system of democracy in our country, and anybody who calls that into question or would suggest that somebody do something that would be contrary to the law is very questionable in my opinion.”
Chicago election board chairwoman Marisel Hernandez reiterated the notion that voting by mail is a proven system and said that an influx of people heeding Trump’s advice, though unlikely, “would not contribute to a smooth election.”
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“The system has been tested with very close election contests that have been decided by a handful of votes — both mailed and in-person — and the results have stood up to post-election reviews and recounts,” Hernandez wrote in a statement.
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In Illinois, knowingly voting more than once or attempting to do so is a Class 3 felony. As for encouraging people to do that, attorneys at the state election board say there are routes to prosecute such cases, although they are not directly addressed by election law, said Matt Dietrich from the Illinois State Board of Elections.
“It is not lawful to instruct others to commit a felony,” Dietrich said.
Some experts say the focus should not be on potential voter fraud — a frequent boogeyman floated by Trump during his attacks on voting by mail — but on reaching voters who are confused by the bureaucratic process. Ami Gandhi, senior counsel for the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, said in her experience, voters are looking to do the right thing, and election judges are there to help should there be hiccups.
“We urge voters to not let the administration’s confusing misinformation stop anyone from exercising their fundamental right to vote,” Gandhi said. “We urge voters to stick with it and to please not be scared away by misinformation scare tactics or confusion coming from government leaders. It’s very natural and common for troubleshooting to happen at the polls and not any indication of an election security problem.”
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Illinois likely will break a record for voting by mail during the Nov. 3 general election, with more than 1.3 million voters requesting mail-in ballots as of Friday, according to state election officials. Chicago made up 339,347 of those applications, after already topping the number for the March 17 primary and November 1944 election, when U.S. troops were overseas during World War II. As of Friday, suburban Cook County received 286,038 vote-by-mail ballots, Nally said.
The surge of mail-in ballots comes as a new state law requires Illinois’ 108 local election authorities to send vote-by-mail applications to previous voters. Chicago-area voters concerned about U.S. Postal Service delivery can place their mail-in ballots in special drop-off boxes.
ayin@chicagotribune.com
ldonovan@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Southbound Dan Ryan lanes closed after shooting at 63rd Street, fatal motorcycle crash near 47th

In the shooting , a car was headed south on the Dan Ryan near the Skyway 63rd Street ramp about @ @ @ @ @ were fired from another car , state police said .
One of the two people @ @ @ @ @ to Trinity Hospital , then to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition @

Southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway were closed Friday morning after a shooting near 63rd Street around the same time as a fatal motorcycle crash near 47th Street, according to the Illinois State Police.
In the shooting, a car was headed south on the Dan Ryan near the Skyway 63rd Street ramp about 12:30 a.m. when several shots were fired from another car, state police said. One of the two people in the car was taken to Trinity Hospital, then to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition.
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The southbound Dan Ryan was closed from 63rd to 67th while state police investigated. Lanes were reopened by 7 a.m.
About the same time, a motorcycle struck a median near 47th Street, killing a 55-year-old woman and seriously injuring a 40-year-old man, state police said. Both the driver and passenger were from Country Club Hills.
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The man, who was driving the motorcycle, had veered onto the left shoulder, causing the bike to hit the concrete median and throwing both of them onto the CTA tracks, according to a news release.
CTA service was suspended between 35th and 69th streets, and restarted by about 7:30 a.m., although trains were not stopping at 47th. For updates on CTA service, check the agency’s website.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--High Lake Ontario water and its coastal wetlands

Each year , the U.S. spends an astounding $ 100 billion on beer .
Between pints over brunch and after-work sessions , beer holds a prominent place in the American lifestyle , comprising 85 % of the country ’ s alcoholic beverage market .
But the obsession with beer does n't stop with the average consumer , as sharing a round of brews has come to epitomize comradery , celebration , or just simple enjoyment across the worlds of entertainment , politics , sports , and business .
Over the last few decades , the beer landscape has evolved considerably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the consolidation of major brands .
In 2018 , America had over 7,000 breweries producing almost 195 million barrels of beer .
This wasn ’ t always the case .
In fact , as recently as the 1970s , many beer lovers feared that big brewers would completely dominate the industry with their cheap , flavorless lagers and that America ’ s best beer-making days were long behind it .
Those little producers , the craft and microbreweries , saved the industry and made America ’ s beer industry the largest and most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a craft brewery is defined as making less than 6 million barrels per year and a microbrewery produces less than 15,000 barrels annually .
To help understand how these changes impact average beer drinks , Stacker analyzed average price data for 16-ounce malt beverages from 1995 to 2020 along with CPI changes from 1952 to 1995 for at-home consumption of beer , ale , and other malt beverages , both provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS ) .
The national CPI was used to adjust for inflation , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of breweries each year from the Brewer 's Association was added in to complete the analysis .
Read on to rediscover a time where you could get a refreshing pint for under a quarter—and you had to work a little harder to find a brewery to call your own .

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A barrier beach is shown on Lake Ontario at Braddock Bay in Greece, New York, on July 28, 2020. The stone, sand and vegetation barrier was designed to block storm surges, reduce wave action in the back bay, and protect the vegetation and animal species that thrive in the coastal wetlands. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Car found flipped over near Lake Shore Drive in Lakeview; 2 women seriously hurt

The first happened Wednesday when two cars crashed about 6:40 a.m. in the 3200 block of North Lake Shore Drive @ @ @ @ @ Four men in good condition were taken to local hospitals , two to Illinois Masonic @ @ @ @ @ Hospital .

A car found flipped over on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, near Lake Shore Drive in Lakeview. (Gary Marx / Chicago Tribune)
A car with four people in it flipped over Friday morning and landed near Lake Shore Drive in Lakeview, injuring two women, according to officials.
Police said they were called about the car at 5:05 a.m. and learned it had possibly landed on the Lakefront Trail near Lake Shore Drive just south of Belmont Harbor.
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Two women who were in the car were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, while two others refused medical services, according to Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.
It was not clear what caused the car to flip over. The car had come to rest near the Lake Shore Drive bridge over Belmont Avenue.
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Just now, on lakefront trail, just south of Belmont #ChicagoScanner pic.twitter.com/YS19ipfm1b — Scott Henke (@scott_henke) September 4, 2020
As police investigated and waited for the car to be towed, several police vehicles were at the scene about 7 a.m., blocking off the Lakefront Trail.
The car crash was at least the second on Lake Shore Drive in Lakeview that resulted in multiple injuries this week.
The first happened Wednesday when two cars crashed about 6:40 a.m. in the 3200 block of North Lake Shore Drive, according to police. Four men in good condition were taken to local hospitals, two to Illinois Masonic and two to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--UPDATE: Death of 3-year-old girl on West Side ruled homicide

She was discovered in bed by Chicago Fire Department paramedics and police who were called to a home in the @ @ @ @ @ Avenue at 12:36 a.m. , according to Chicago police .

The death of a 3-year-old girl who was found unresponsive in bed early Friday in the South Austin neighborhood has been ruled a homicide, officials said.
An autopsy Friday determined that Lehlani Edwards died of multiple injuries from child abuse, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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She was discovered in bed by Chicago Fire Department paramedics and police who were called to a home in the 1000 block of North Lockwood Avenue at 12:36 a.m., according to Chicago police.
According to police, Lehlani, who was being cared for by her mother’s friend, suffered bruising and scratches “throughout” her body.
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Lehlani was pronounced dead at 1:21 a.m. at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, according to the medical examiner.
Jassen Strokosch, of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, said they are investigating as well but did not have further information immediately.
Area Four detectives are investigating.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Former red-light camera executive who wore FBI wire could see bribery charges dismissed in deal with

Former red-light camera executive who wore FBI wire could see bribery charges dismissed in deal with prosecutors

Eventually , it was decided that payments were going to be doled out to the relative in $ 500 installments @ @ @ @ @ weeks , according to the indictment filed against Doherty earlier this year .
To hide @ @ @ @ @ , the money would come from a company where Doherty was a manager , the @ @ @

A former executive for a red-light camera company who wore a wire for the FBI as part of a sprawling public corruption investigation could see bribery conspiracy charges against him dismissed in a deal cut with federal prosecutors, attorneys revealed in court Friday.
Omar Maani, who was co-owner of SafeSpeed LLC, could see bribery conspiracy charges against him dismissed as part of a deal cut with federal prosecutors, attorneys revealed in court on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. (Provided to the Tribune)
Omar Maani, who was co-owner of clout-heavy SafeSpeed LLC, was charged in a one-count information on Monday alleging he conspired with longtime political operative Patrick Doherty and another sales agent for the company to pay $4,000 in bribes in exchange for the official support of an Oak Lawn trustee to add red light cameras at additional intersections.
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At Maani’s first court appearance Friday before U.S. District Judge Robert Blakey, prosecutors revealed Maani has entered what’s known as a deferred prosecution agreement due to his extensive cooperation in the case.
The deal would place him under court supervision for two years, and if he continues to assist the government and stay out of trouble, the case against him ultimately would be dismissed.
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In addition to the Oak Lawn scheme, Maani admitted in his agreement with the government that he’d provided other benefits — including campaign contributions, meals, money, and sporting-event tickets — to other public officials in exchange for official actions favorable to SafeSpeed and another company in which he had a financial interest.
The charges unveiled last week marked the first official identification of Maani, a Burr Ridge businessman who was one of SafeSpeed’s founders and biggest rainmakers, as the FBI’s cooperating source, though the Tribune and other media outlets previously had identified him.
Maani’s cooperation with federal authorities already has led to charges against a number of Democratic politicians and power players, including Doherty, Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta, and then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval.
The deferred prosecution agreement is at least the third such deal negotiated by U.S. Attorney John Lausch’s office in separate public corruption investigations.
Last month, prosecutors filed a deferred prosecution against ComEd in a massive bribery case alleging the company paid a cadre of lobbyists and consultants to curry favor with House Speaker Michael Madigan.
It also was recently revealed in court filings that prosecutors in 2019 entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with former 25th Ward Ald. Daniel Solis, whose cooperation with federal investigators led to racketeering charges against longtime 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke.
Maani’s agreement with prosecutors offered new details the scheme with Doherty and another SafeSpeed sales representative, identified only as Individual B, to renew the company’s camera contract in Oak Lawn and increase the number of intersections the deal covered.
They also allegedly hoped the trustee would support a measure to have the suburb “use more-lenient standards in approving proposed traffic violations” submitted by SafeSpeed, since they got a cut of every dollar the company took in from approved violations.
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In a recorded phone call on May 23, 2017, Doherty told Maani that the Oak Lawn trustee was “looking for a job for his kid,” to which Maani asked whether he would want to be a violations reviewer for SafeSpeed, according to the agreement.
“I don’t know,” Doherty allegedly replied. “I think he’s looking to make as much money as he can because he’s going to college. ... I pay him out of my LLC. Something like that. I don’t know. Something for him to do.”
In another call two days later, Doherty again brought up the idea of paying the trustee’s son, saying he was willing put in “a couple grand” of his own money if it guaranteed them getting the other red light camera locations, according to Maani’s agreement.
“Honestly, let me think about it,” Maani replied. “I’ll come up with something. I’ll think of something.”
Eventually, it was decided that payments were going to be doled out to the relative in $500 installments over a period of eight weeks, according to the indictment filed against Doherty earlier this year. To hide the purpose of the bribes, the money would come from a company where Doherty was a manager, the indictment stated.
“I’ll just pay it,” Doherty allegedly said on one call with Individual B. “Just make sure we get the, make sure we get the f------ thing, the contract.”
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In early June 2017, Maani paid for a ticket for the trustee “to come to an event at a cigar lounge” because Maani wanted to gain the trustee’s favor, according to his agreement. The agreement does not name the lounge, but other court records show Maani was associated with the Casa De Montecristo in west suburban Countryside.
About a week after that cigar lounge event, the FBI recorded Doherty telling the trustee’s son, “It’s not like I need ya,” but that he’d pay the money anyway, according to the indictment against Doherty.
Doherty then cut the relative a $500 check for the first installment, the indictment alleged. The charges do not state whether the rest of the money was ever paid.
Maani’s name first surfaced in the ongoing federal investigation last fall when the FBI executed search warrants on Sandoval’s office as well as village buildings in Lyons and McCook. Records showed agents seized evidence on Maani and his development firm, Presidio Capital, which has built government-subsidized housing in nearby Summit and Cicero.
Sandoval was charged last year and pleaded guilty in late January to bribery and tax charges. He admitted to taking at least $70,000 in government-supplied cash from Maani in return for acting as SafeSpeed’s “protector” in the state Senate.
Sandoval also admitted in the plea agreement that he first agreed in 2016 to receive $20,000 in annual campaign contributions from SafeSpeed in exchange for his official support in Springfield. Campaign finance records show that in September 2016, Sandoval’s campaign fund got a $10,000 donation from Triad Consulting Services, a firm run by SafeSpeed CEO Nikki Zollar, followed three weeks later by a $10,000 donation made by SafeSpeed itself.
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Zollar and SafeSpeed have denied any wrongdoing, saying the $20,000 in donations were legal campaign contributions. They also said Doherty and Maani were acting without the company’s knowledge.
Doherty, 64, also served as chief of staff to former Cook County Commissioner and ex-McCook Mayor Jeff Tobolski, who pleaded guilty this week to extortion and filing a false tax return in a separate scheme to shake down a restaurant owner who needed permission to serve liquor at events.
Tobolski is also cooperating with prosecutors in hopes of a more lenient sentence.
Presta, meanwhile, is charged with taking bribes from Maani in exchange for his support for SafeSpeed cameras at several intersections in Crestwood. Presta has pleaded not guilty.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--The Spin: Duckworth blasts Trump over reported insults of war dead | Ken Griffin vs. Gov. Pritzker o

The Spin: Duckworth blasts Trump over reported insults of war dead | Ken Griffin vs. Gov. Pritzker on November ballot issue | RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel to headline Illinois GOP fundraiser

In a statement , Griffin said : “ People aren ’ t waiting until November to vote against the economic @ @ @ @ @ s spending addiction — they ’ ve been voting with their feet for the past @ @ @ @ @ more residents than any other state in the nation .
In that time , two @ @ @ @ @ to improve our situation , and what ’ s now being marketed to voters under @ @ @ @ @ fair tax ’ is nothing more than a graduated tax scheme engineered to extract the @ @ @ @ @ from all Illinois taxpayers .
As we ’ ve seen in other states with a @ @ @ @ @ inevitably pays a higher rate .
It ’ s time the governor and Illinois legislature @ @ @ @ @ and wasting hard-earned taxpayer dollars .
It ’ s time for the governor and the @ @ @ @ @ our money wisely to provide for better schools , better public safely , better infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ our citizens .
”

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth speaks to the media before faith leaders and politicians participate in a Juneteenth march on Columbus Drive in Grant Park on June 19, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
President Donald Trump is denying reports he made disparaging remarks about U.S. military personnel who have been captured or killed, including referring to the American war dead at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France in 2018 as “losers” and “suckers.”
But Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient who lost both legs in combat, said in a morning news conference — called by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign — she believes it’s true and is one reason voters should oust the Republican incumbent this fall.
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Meanwhile, the November ballot is now pitting billionaire Gov. J.B. Pritzker vs. the even wealthier founder and CEO of the Citadel investment firm, Ken Griffin, Illinois’ richest person. Griffin kicked in $20 million to an effort to defeat the Pritzker-backed proposal on the ballot that would shift Illinois’ flat-rate income tax to a graduated-rate system. Pritzker, a Hyatt Hotel heir, has kicked in a little over $56.5 million.
And the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is warning that Illinois and a handful of other states seeing increasing COVID-19 numbers are at risk for a surge in cases over Labor Day weekend, Bloomberg is reporting.
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Welcome to The Spin.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth travels with staff members between meetings on June 20, 2017, at the U.S. Capitol. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
President Donald Trump referred to the 1,800 Marines who died in the World War I battle of Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed, The Atlantic reported yesterday.
Trump has emphatically denied the Atlantic report, calling it “a disgraceful situation” by a “terrible magazine.” He also suggested that whoever they were talking to were fired White House staffers making up stories to retaliate against him.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Hoffman Estates Democrat and military veteran, said this morning she’s “not shocked, but I am appalled” by reported comments Trump made about the military and war dead. The Atlantic was first to report the news, but The Associated Press and Washington Post are out with dispatches of their own about the comments. You can read about it here.
“You know, a couple of weeks ago I said at the Democratic National Convention that Donald Trump does not deserve to be the commander in chief for four more minutes, let alone, another four years,” Duckworth said in a news conference the Biden campaign hosted this morning.
“He has insulted war heroes. He’s attacked Gold Star families,” she said in a nod to Gold Star father Khizr Khan, who traded barbs with Trump in the 2016 election, made appearances during two Democratic National Conventions and also participated in the morning news conference.
Duckworth, who was among the finalists to be Biden’s running mate before he picked California U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, continues to be a loyal surrogate. Her military background has raised questions about whether she might end up as a Cabinet member if Biden wins.
“I’m ready to replace Donald Trump with Joe Biden because we need a president who will actually show our soldiers and Marines and airmen and Coast Guardsmen and sailors the respect that they deserve, a president who understands the risks they face ... who will respect the men and women of our military, not insult them.”
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Known for her zingers where Trump’s concerned, she contrasted her own injuries while suggesting the president was a draft dodger who came up with a foot injury to avoid serving in the Vietnam War.
“(I’ll) take my wheelchair and my titanium legs over Donald Trump’s supposed bone spurs any day,” she said.
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Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel, on Nov. 5, 2014. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Successful hedge fund founder and philanthropist Ken Griffin has contributed $20 million to the Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike Amendment as we enter the final stretch of the 2020 campaign season.
Background: “Illinois’ constitution currently mandates a flat-rate income tax, which now carries a personal rate of 4.95%. Pritzker and Democrats put on the ballot the proposed change in the state constitution, which would allow for a graduated-rate tax structure that increases along with income, similar to the federal income tax,” the Tribune’s Rick Pearson and I explain in a new story out today.
“(O)pponents contend that the graduated tax would unfairly hit businesses and business people who pay taxes through personal income tax rates. They also contend that higher tax rates eventually would creep down into lower tax brackets.” Read the full story here.
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In a written statement, Quentin Fulks, the Vote Yes for Fairness chair who served as Pritzker’s deputy campaign manager in the 2018 election, said: “Griffin reportedly made $1.5 billion last year, and under the Fair Tax, he would have had to pay $45 million more in taxes while 97% of Illinoisans would have seen their taxes go down or stay the same. It’s no surprise he’s now doing everything he can to protect the special deal he gets under Illinois’ current tax system.”
In a statement, Griffin said: “People aren’t waiting until November to vote against the economic hardship created by Springfield’s spending addiction — they’ve been voting with their feet for the past decade as Illinois has lost more residents than any other state in the nation. In that time, two tax increases have already failed to improve our situation, and what’s now being marketed to voters under the guise of a ’fair tax’ is nothing more than a graduated tax scheme engineered to extract the greatest amount of money possible from all Illinois taxpayers. As we’ve seen in other states with a graduated tax scheme, everyone inevitably pays a higher rate. It’s time the governor and Illinois legislature stop taking advantage of constituents and wasting hard-earned taxpayer dollars. It’s time for the governor and the legislature to focus on spending our money wisely to provide for better schools, better public safely, better infrastructure and greater opportunities for all our citizens.”
Griffin’s not the only deep-pocketed businessman in the state opposing the measure. Donations rolled in at $100,000 apiece from Jay Bergman, president of Hinsdale-based Petco Petroleum Corp; Craig Duchossois, who runs the diversified Duchossois Group; MacNeil Automotive Products of Bolingbrook, which produces WeatherTech products; Richard Uihlein, a nationally conservative megadonor from Lake Forest who owns the Uline office supply company; and a trust run by real estate mogul Sam Zell.
The money’s rolling in as both the pro- and anti-amendment forces are on the airwaves across the state. It is expected to be the most expensive ballot proposition debate in Illinois history and the costliest race on the fall ballot.
Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.
Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel speaks at a Dec. 2, 2017, fundraiser at Cipriani in New York, alongside President Donald Trump. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel will be the featured guest at a Sept. 18 fundraising reception in Lake Forest benefiting the Illinois Republican Party along with the Lake County GOP.
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It comes as Republicans fight to take back two seats in what had been traditional suburban and exurban strongholds that they lost to Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections.
The event hosts include Illinois GOP Chair Tim Schneider and co-chair Mark Shaw, along with Demetra DeMonte, a Lake Forest resident and Republican national committeewoman, and Richard Porter, a Republican national committeeman from Illinois. Tickets range from $150 to $5,000. Details here.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a House subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 31, 2020. (KEVIN DIETSCH/AFP / TNS)
The nation’s top infectious disease expert warned that Illinois and a half-dozen other states with increasing COVID-19 numbers are at risk for a surge in cases over Labor Day weekend, according to Bloomberg.
“There are several states that are at risk for surging, namely North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview this week, Bloomberg reported. “Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there’s going to be a problem.”
My Tribune colleague Angie Leventis Lourgos writes: “Illinois on Friday reported more than 5,368 new cases — an atypically high number, which state officials said was due to a slowdown in data processing attributed to a large number of tests conducted recently. The state also reported 29 new COVID-19 deaths on Friday.”
Earlier this week, the governor expressed concern about rising positivity rates in large swaths of Illinois, including Chicago, suburban Cook County and the collar counties. Read the full story here.
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot “deeply” concerned over the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s talking up a vaccine by Election Day: “I’m very concerned about the fact that the CDC is now talking about vaccines in connection with elections,” Lightfoot said yesterday during a news conference, echoing concerns raised by others that health officials may be feeling the pinch to deliver a vaccine in time for the presidential election. “That should not be happening. We should always be focused, particularly when it comes to response to COVID-19, on what the science tells us.” WMAQ-Channel 5 Chicago has the story here.
Chicago-area hospitals brace for flu and COVID-19 to collide: The Tribune’s Lisa Schencker has the details here.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot arrives for the first-ever virtual City Council meeting on April 15, 2020, at City Hall. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago City Council holds its next virtual meeting on Wednesday. A look at some of the issues they’ll like take up:
Aldermen advance ban on sale of flavored vaping products in city: The plan moves to the full City Council, the Tribune’s John Byrne reports here.
City Council panel approves $2.25 million to family of Black teen fatally shot by Chicago police: Byrne has the details here.
Other Chicago news: Aldermen stall O’Hare cargo expansion project over lack of diversity: Byrne has the details here.
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Emmett Till house takes first step toward landmark status as questions are raised about its future: Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin writes about it 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


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--The Rev. Leon Finney, longtime South Side activist and developer, dies at 82

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 21 Ald. Jeanette Taylor, 20th, is greeted by the Rev. Leon Finney Jr., right, during a community barbecue in support of the Obama Presidential Center, at Leon's BBQ and Grill on June 14, 2019, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The Rev. Leon Finney Jr., a longtime South Side pastor, activist and developer, died Friday, a longtime friend said. Finney, 82, died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to Hermene Hartman, publisher of N’DIGO, and a longtime friend of Finney. Founder of the Woodlawn Organization, Finney made his name opposing the encroachment of the University of Chicago on areas south of the Midway Plaisance.


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--State catches up after data processing slowdown, reports 5,368 new cases; 29 counties, including Lak

State catches up after data processing slowdown, reports 5,368 new cases; 29 counties, including Lake, put on warning list

Public health officials also said some people are refusing to participate in contact tracing efforts to identify those who may @ @ @ @ @ an infected person by not providing information on their close contacts or not answering the @ @ @ @ @ attributed symptoms to allergies or another cause and have delayed getting tested .

Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday there was significant slowdown in the agency’s test reporting earlier this week that it is just catching up with, resulting in an unusually high daily count of both newly diagnosed cases, 5,368, and tests, 149,273.
The state on Friday also put 29 of Illinois’ 102 counties on its warning list for a potential COVID-19 resurgence, including Lake and Will counties in the Chicago area. Cook County was taken off the list after one week.
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Officials said the data processing slowdown was due to the “large volume of COVID-19 testing.” The processing delay only affected the number of tests the state reported having been conducted, and did not affect the reporting of results to people who had been tested, officials said.
It became clear there was a slowdown on Tuesday, when 22,961 daily tests were reported statewide, which is significantly lower than recently reported daily numbers, the state said.
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Derek Lindblom, the head of the Illinois Department of Public Health testing team, said he’s not concerned about another slowdown because of system upgrades made Thursday.
“This became clear we needed to do an upgrade to the system, the upgrades that occurred yesterday should give us room to process significantly more tests into the future as we continue to raise the number of tests per day we’re doing in Illinois,” Lindblom said.
The state reported a seven-day rolling statewide positivity rate of 4.1% on Friday.
The state also reported 29 additional deaths of people with COVID-19 on Friday.
The numbers reported Friday raise the totals reported by the state to 245,371 known cases and 8,143 deaths throughout the course of the pandemic. More than 4.3 million tests have been reported in the state to date.
Officials attributed a rise in cases and outbreaks in the counties on the state’s latest warning list to college parties, bars and clubs, weddings, schools and a lack of physical distancing and mask-wearing in public places.
This week’s list also included Boone, Bureau, Clinton, Coles, Cumberland, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Henry, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Lawrence, Madison, McLean, Monroe, Pulaski, Randolph, Rock Island, Shelby, Stark, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Warren and Williamson counties.
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Last week, 30 counties were on the list.
Public health officials also said some people are refusing to participate in contact tracing efforts to identify those who may have come into contact with an infected person by not providing information on their close contacts or not answering the phone, while others have attributed symptoms to allergies or another cause and have delayed getting tested.
The state has been putting counties at a warning level when two or more measurements showing a possible resurgence in coronavirus surpass state thresholds, such as clusters of cases, hospital admissions and deaths.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Facing $2 billion budget shortfall, Lightfoot says she has to work better with others. ‘Hallelujah,’

Facing $2 billion budget shortfall, Lightfoot says she has to work better with others. ‘Hallelujah,’ says one  alderman.

Given that , Vallas last week was among those who wondered whether Lightfoot ’ s outreach to critics is really @ @ @ @ @ realpolitik .
“ Maybe she doesn ’ t feel she has to be civil with @ @ @ @ @ t have the power to vote against her in City Council .
”

An abandoned desk chair at Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street during the 5 p.m. evening rush hour on March 17, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot embroidered her doom-and-gloom forecast for Chicago’s COVID-era finances last week with a promise to turn over a new leaf as the city’s leader, acknowledging she needs “to push myself harder to work with people with whom I do not agree and who do not agree with me.”
Facing an estimated $1.2 billion deficit in the 2021 budget that could require her to try to find 26 aldermen to vote for politically life-threatening property tax increases or widespread city worker furloughs or layoffs, the pointedly uncompromising mayor was suddenly promising to play nice.
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The one-sentence pledge deep in a speech where the mayor also outlined a nearly $800 million deficit for this year was received optimistically by some, but also with more than a few arched eyebrows from skeptics who figure the she’s just looking for allies in a crisis.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot leaves after discussing a $1.2 billion shortfall with the media Aug. 31, 2020, at the Chicago Cultural Center. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“When you’re faced with a $2 billion deficit, you need all the friends you can get,” said Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, a mayoral critic.
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Beale said Mayor Rahm Emanuel “had a very hard time passing a $500 million property tax, so $2 billion (over two years) — and I question $2 billion, I think it’s going to be bigger than that — would be extremely tough.”
Lightfoot has repeatedly vowed not to wheel and deal to increase City Council support for her initiatives, and has regularly sparred with critics, from aldermen to President Donald Trump.
That no-holds-barred style has endeared her to many residents who see Lightfoot as a refreshing break from Chicago’s history of insider political quid pro quo. But it has also prompted grumbling, particularly from aldermen who complain that she won’t even consider their ideas for improving the neighborhoods they represent.
The mayor’s approach has worked so far, at least legislatively. There have been some close City Council votes, but she hasn’t seen any of her major initiatives fail. And unlike Emanuel, who would make compromises to achieve landslide vote totals, Lightfoot insists she doesn’t care about margins as long as her proposals pass.
A news ticker announces new COVID-19 cases on Sept. 3, 2020, in Chicago's Loop. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Still, her nod toward diplomacy in her budget speech was sweet music to Northwest Side Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, Lightfoot’s City Council floor leader who will be tasked with selling her 2021 spending package to his colleagues.
“Hallelujah,” Villegas said. “I’ve been telling her people for over a year, ’You’ve got to meet with people, listen to their concerns about their neighborhoods. It will help.’”
A majority of aldermen have for decades followed the mayor’s lead, especially on annual budgets that have to be at least nominally balanced. If aldermen don’t like the mayor’s plan for increasing revenue or cutting costs, they have to come up with their own plans.
At a Friday news conference, Lightfoot declined to specify which services may be cut or where the city will get extra cash, saying it’s too early in the process.
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When she unveiled the $800 million shortfall for 2020 and the $1.2 billion hole for 2021, the mayor called for a federal relief package for cities, saying that’s the best way for Chicago and other municipalities to avoid big tax hikes or service cuts due to the economic crisis driven by the coronavirus pandemic.
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But the administration has to move forward with a budget plan using the tools at its disposal. If a federal package materializes, Lightfoot can pivot later to reduce or eliminate any cuts or tax increases.
In the meantime, aldermen are wondering whether Lightfoot’s need for their support in the search for revenue will lead to a more collaborative budget process this fall.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, said he wants budget talks to include a range of business leaders and advocacy groups who are concerned about police accountability and mental health clinics. But he said the city can’t cut its way out of its deficit without potentially causing more problems.
“We don’t need austerity measures that can worsen the situation of unemployment, of violence, of lack of access to mental health care,” said Sigcho-Lopez, who was one of the 11 aldermen to vote against Lightfoot’s 2020 budget.
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He said a corporate head tax should also be on the table for companies like Amazon, Target and Walmart that he said have a big advantage over local businesses, an idea Lightfoot has opposed.
Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, Lightfoot’s hand-picked Budget Committee chair, who will play a major role in ushering the 2021 budget through the City Council, said the mayor’s reputation for being uncooperative isn’t fair.
Dowell pointed to increases in spending on mental health services and anti-violence programming that aldermen asked for and got in the 2020 budget as evidence of Lightfoot’s willingness to listen.
“Can the mayor do things better, reach out more? Sure,” Dowell said. “But I think she’s absolutely been collaborative, and it’s a work in progress. Aldermen are getting their sea legs with her, she’s getting her sea legs with us, and the relationships will continue to evolve.”
Others hinted at potential pushback to come if the city goes forward with cuts.
“Public employees continue to provide critical services to Chicagoans, and we must ensure that we do not jeopardize those essential programs,” Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter said in a statement.
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Democratic socialist Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, agreed that the mayor hasn’t done enough to work with aldermen but said her comments are a welcome “reset button.”
He pointed back to a website Lightfoot’s political action committee launched last year, shaming aldermen who voted against her first budget. The move was seen by many council members as petty and vindictive after the mayor’s 2020 plan passed easily.
“While we were told this was a new mayor and there’d be no retaliation or retribution, in return for voting no, there was a website the mayor published (criticizing alderman),” Ramirez-Rosa said.
Hours after Lightfoot called for more civility last week, she was asked on WTTW-11′s “Chicago Tonight” newscast about comments she made in April trashing former Chicago Public Schools head Paul Vallas for predicting COVID would blow a major hole in the budget.
Vallas, who ran Mayor Richard M. Daley’s budget office, wrote a commentary saying the city was in a “code red” financial emergency due to COVID. Asked about the piece at a news conference, Lightfoot responded at the time that “some people are desperate to be relevant” and claimed Vallas “probably hasn’t touched a city budget, doesn’t know the nuances, in two decades.”
Lightfoot last week didn’t apologize for the remarks but said nobody could’ve predicted the fallout from COVID in April even though Vallas’s op-ed proved prescient.
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Given that, Vallas last week was among those who wondered whether Lightfoot’s outreach to critics is really just a lesson in Chicago-style realpolitik. “Maybe she doesn’t feel she has to be civil with me because I don’t have the power to vote against her in City Council.”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Illinois employers warn of another round of mass layoffs as some companies make temporary furloughs

Illinois employers warn of another round of mass layoffs as some companies make temporary furloughs permanent

That number is down from the prior month ’ s report , which warned of over 17,000 layoffs in Illinois @ @ @ @ @ notification of pending layoffs of thousands of United Airlines workers in Illinois Oct. 1 .
@ @ @ @ @ Chicago-based airline said it planned to furlough more than 16,000 employees nationally Oct. 1 unless @ @ @ @ @ .

Exterior of the closed Illinois Department of Employment Services office at 2444 W. Lawrence Ave. in Chicago on July 14, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
An airline catering company and travel plaza operator were among employers warning of layoffs and furloughs in August that will affect 1,980 employees, according to a report by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
That number is down from the prior month’s report, which warned of over 17,000 layoffs in Illinois. The July report included notification of pending layoffs of thousands of United Airlines workers in Illinois. Earlier this week, the Chicago-based airline said it planned to furlough more than 16,000 employees nationally Oct. 1 unless it receives more federal aid.
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Sky Chefs, which provides catering for airlines, said it will lay off 335 workers in Cook County beginning Oct. 1. The announcement is part of a spate of mass layoffs made by travel and hospitality companies.
As the U.S. works to control the spread of the coronavirus, airlines have cut flights, and ancillary industries that depend on travel have suffered. In July, Illinois’ leisure and hospitality jobs were down almost 45% from a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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In a sign the economic impact from the pandemic is lasting longer than many employers expected, some companies are making temporary layoffs permanent. HMS Host, a highway and airport food service company with stores in O’Hare International Airport, notified the state that 1,470 of its furloughed workers would be permanently let go beginning Oct. 15.
Hotels have been hit particularly hard. The Lincolnshire Marriott in Lake County announced it would begin laying off 240 workers Oct. 30 and the Drake Hotel told the state it would increase its number of temporary furloughs lasting over six months from 210 to 305.
Close to a dozen other hotels that had previously reported mass layoffs gave notice that they were laying off or furloughing additional workers.
Businesses with more than 75 workers are required to give the state 60 days’ notice when closing a plant or laying off more than a third of their workforce.
Other companies reporting layoffs and furloughs were:


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Man with a shotgun tried to rob gas station, using woman as shield.  A patron shot and killed him.

Tyrone Smith , 55 , walked into the Citgo Food Mart in the 6700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue @ @ @ @ @ a shotgun , he screamed , “ Give me the money ” several times and @ @ @ @ @ of him , police said .

A man with a shotgun tried to rob a South Side gas station, using a woman as a shield, but was shot dead by another man who then ran off Thursday night, according to Chicago police.
Tyrone Smith, 55, walked into the Citgo Food Mart in the 6700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue at about 9:50 p.m. Holding a shotgun, he screamed, “Give me the money” several times and grabbed a woman in front of him, police said.
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A man standing near the door pulled his own gun and shot Smith at least three times and then fled, police said.
Smith, who lived around the block, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 10:16 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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The man who shot Smith has not been located, and police were trying to obtain video surveillance.
Four other people were fatally shot during a 4 ½-hour period late Thursday and early Friday:
Around 11:35 p.m., a man in his 20s was shot in the 1000 block of West Winona Avenue in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m., a 17-year-old boy was fatally shot in the 3200 block of West 38th Place in the Brighton Park neighborhood.
About 9:15 p.m., an 18-year-old man was slain in the 1600 block of East 76th Street in South Shore.
Shortly after 8 p.m., another 17-year-old was fatally shot in the 4400 block of West Jackson Boulevard in West Garfield Park.
Police reported no arrests.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Fauci warns that Illinois and six other states are at higher risk for a COVID-19 surge over Labor Da

Fauci warns that Illinois and six other states are at higher risk for a COVID-19 surge over Labor Day weekend, report says

“ There are several states that are at risk for surging , namely North Dakota , South Dakota , Iowa @ @ @ @ @ Indiana , Illinois , ” Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy @ @ @ @ @ in an interview this week , Bloomberg reported .
“ Those states are starting to @ @ @ @ @ percent positive of their testing ; that is generally predictive that there ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ ”

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a House subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 31, 2020. (KEVIN DIETSCH/AFP / TNS)
The nation’s top infectious disease expert warned that Illinois and a half-dozen other states with increasing COVID-19 numbers are at risk for a surge in cases over Labor Day weekend, according to Bloomberg.
“There are several states that are at risk for surging, namely North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview this week, Bloomberg reported. “Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there’s going to be a problem.”
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Illinois on Friday reported more than 5,368 new cases — an atypically high number, which state officials said was due to a slowdown in data processing attributed to a large number of tests conducted recently. The state also reported 29 new COVID-19 deaths on Friday.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday said 29 counties were at warning level for coronavirus, including Will and Lake counties. A county enters warning level for the virus when two or more risk indicators are present; those metrics include death numbers, weekly test positivity rates, weekly hospital admissions, intensive care unit availability, weekly emergency department visits and the number of new cases per 100,000 people.
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“Public health officials are observing people not social distancing, gathering in large groups, and not using face coverings,” state health officials said in a news release. “In some counties, local law enforcement and states’ attorneys are not enforcing important mitigation measures like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. Additionally, some people refuse to participate in contact tracing and are not providing information on close contacts or answering the phone.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday expressed concern about rising positivity rates in large swaths of the state.
“If the data shows that the virus is spreading at a high rate, we won’t hesitate to take action to protect the people of Illinois,” Pritzker said at a news conference.
eleventis@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--17-year-old motorcyclist dies after being struck by another driver in Skokie

The accident happened in the 3500 block of Howard Street about 9:45 a.m. Thursday , according to a Skokie Police @ @ @ @ @ 65-year old Skokie resident was driving the sedan and was taken to Skokie Hospital with @ @ @ @ @ .

A 17-year-old Skokie motorcyclist died Thursday after a man driving a sedan pulled out of a parking lot in front of him, Skokie police said Thursday.
The teen was identified as Olt Carkaxhiu, of the7900 block of Keystone Ave., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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The accident happened in the 3500 block of Howard Street about 9:45 a.m. Thursday, according to a Skokie Police Department news release. A 65-year old Skokie resident was driving the sedan and was taken to Skokie Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The motorcyclist was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he died, according to the release.
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Anyone with information should call Skokie police at 847-982-5900, the crime tip hotline at 847-933-TIPS or contact Text-a-Tip by texting “Skokie” and your tip info to 847411.


chicagotribune--2020-09-04--Man shot by Cook County sheriff’s deputy charged with assault, gun possession

Body camera footage from the scene shows the man running with what appears to be a gun , then falling @ @ @ @ @ front yard after four shots are heard .
The man then rolls onto his back @ @ @ @ @ be his bag away from him before lying back on the grass with his arms @ @ @ @ @ yell at him to get down .

A man who allegedly pulled a gun on Cook County sheriff’s deputies this week was shot by one of those deputies — then got up, tried to get into a nearby house, and was only subdued after a deputy Tased him, prosecutors said Friday.
Durell Foster, 28, was ordered held without bail on charges of aggravated assault, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver.
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The shooting happened Wednesday evening after an officer patrolling near Stickney tried to stop a speeding car that didn’t have a front license plate and had “illegally tinted windows,” according to a news release.
Prosecutors said Friday that when the officer curbed the car, Foster got out and approached “aggressively,” then got back in the driver’s seat and drove to a nearby parking lot. He got back out and began to run after the car appeared to be malfunctioning, Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin DeBoni said.
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The officer ran after Foster as a second officer, responding to a call for backup, approached from the opposite direction, according to prosecutors and the news release.
When Foster got to the 4600 block of South Laramie Avenue, he reached into a bag and pulled out a gun, pointing it at both officers, prosecutors said. The initial officer in the chase then fired four shots in return, striking Foster in the shoulder and buttocks.
Body camera footage from the scene shows the man running with what appears to be a gun, then falling onto the grass in a front yard after four shots are heard. The man then rolls onto his back and throws what appears to be his bag away from him before lying back on the grass with his arms above his head as officers yell at him to get down.
Foster got “agitated” as police tried to handcuff him, and he yelled at them to kill him, prosecutors said. He got away from officers, ran to a nearby house and tried to open the door; police then used a Taser on him and “eventually placed him under arrest,” DeBoni said in court.
Police said they rendered first aid to the man until paramedics arrived. They found a silver and black handgun near the man, along with “suspected bags of crack cocaine.”
Prosecutors said the street value of the cocaine was about $1,500.
Foster was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, but apparently was discharged in time for his bond hearing Thursday. His court-appointed attorney said Foster is a part-time carpenter with an 8-year-old child, and said he does suffer from mental health issues.
Foster in 2018 pleaded guilty to aggravated battery to a police officer, records show.
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Chicago Tribune’s Rosemary Sobol contributed.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com