chicagotribune--2020-07-13--Returning South: A family revisits a double lynching that forced them to flee to Chicago 100 years a

Returning South: A family revisits a double lynching that forced them to flee to Chicago 100 years ago

“ I have lived a lifetime of always receiving the benefit of the doubt .
I have never had someone @ @ @ @ @ walked by in a store due to the color of my skin .
When I @ @ @ @ @ a speeding violation , I have always been able to expect that I would likely @ @ @ @ @ , a ‘ have a good day ’ — never the possibility that I would @ @ @ @ @ or lose my life , ” she wrote .

Scott and Violet Arthur arrive with their family at Chicago's Polk Street Depot on Aug. 30, 1920, two months after their two sons were lynched in Paris, Texas. The picture has become an iconic symbol of the Great Migration. (Chicago History Museum)
A century has passed since Scott and Violet Arthur fled Paris, Texas, with their family and headed to Chicago.
Far away from the cotton fields of Northeast Texas, generations of the Arthur descendants were allowed to prosper in the Midwest, free of the burden of a lynching that ripped the family apart and threatened its survival.
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The photograph of the Arthurs’ arrival at Chicago’s Polk Street Depot on Aug. 30, 1920, eight weeks after their sons, Irving and Herman, were burned alive became an iconic symbol of the Great Migration. The finely dressed family, with their tattered suitcases, personified the mass movement of African Americans to the North and West in the 1900s to escape the perils of the South.
In Paris, the Arthur brothers’ legacy still looms large. This town, like many in America, has never come to terms with its racist past. It was easier to bury this defining moment in history than reconcile it by bringing it into the open.
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Recently, a small group of people with ties to Paris decided it was time to acknowledge the travesty, apologize to the Arthur family and begin moving the town forward. A week ago, they gathered at the regional war memorial to observe the 100th anniversary of the lynching. More than 20 descendants of Scott and Violet Arthur attended.
This was a small step toward bridging the divide that has long separated Black and white people in this semirural town of 25,000 just over an hour’s drive from Dallas. It occurred as many Americans are reexamining the role racism plays in sustaining social injustices that have unfairly burdened Black people for centuries.
Only a handful of Paris residents attended, largely because of social distancing restrictions imposed by COVID-19. But for 87-year-old Rufus Sims, the nephew of the Arthur brothers, the remembrance was momentous.
From left, Ralph Sims, Evelyn Sims, Ryan Cooper, 5, Rufus Sims, Rameria Sims, 10, and Roshaunda Sims, photographed on Friday. Rufus Sims, 87, is the nephew of Herman and Irving Arthur, who were lynched in Paris, Texas, in 1920. His grandparents and mother fled to Chicago two months later and the picture of their family at Chicago's Polk Street Depot became an iconic symbol of the Great Migration. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
As one of three surviving grandchildren of Scott and Violet Arthur, along with Dorothy Williams, 93, of Country Club Hills, and Annie Sims, 84, of Atlanta, Sims finds this chapter of his family’s story particularly painful. But he is pleased that it is being told.
“It was a beautiful thing to bring everything out, especially with the way things are going (in America) at this particular time,” said Sims, who was unable to travel to Texas from his home on Chicago’s West Side.
“My uncles were burned up, burned alive in a field because they fought back. A lot of people lost their lives for fighting back. It’s important for the younger generation to understand that.”
The Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization that founded the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, documented 6,500 racial terror lynchings of African Americans across the South between 1865 and 1950. The first lynching in Paris happened in 1893, when Henry Smith was burned alive after being accused of killing a 3-year-old white girl.
Though lynching has been the most terrorizing hate crime against African Americans throughout history, it is not a federal crime in the United States. Nearly 200 anti-lynching bills were introduced in Congress during the first half of the 20th century, yet none made it into law. In February, the House passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, named after the Chicago teen murdered while on a visit to Mississippi. But Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky blocked it in the Senate.
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As America engages in perhaps the most honest conversation about race since the end of slavery, Paris could offer a guide for communities wishing to discard antiquated social codes that victimize Black people while giving white people an advantage.
The event to mark the lynching of the Arthur brothers was not organized or sanctioned by the city. Most residents were unaware of it beforehand but were invited to watch a livestream on Facebook. The remembrance was the work of a handful of people who decided to take the first step at the risk of being ostracized by some residents who remain reluctant to change.
It was the idea of Melinda Watters, the great-great granddaughter of John H. Hodges, the white landowner whose refusal to release Irving and Herman from sharecropping on his farm precipitated the series of events that led to the lynching.
Watters, 43, said the story of her relatives’ involvement has haunted her since childhood. Though her family maintains that their ancestors were not supportive of the lynching, Watters said, they bear some responsibility.
“They participated and upheld a white culture and system that exploited and oppressed Black people and even questioned their full humanity. I have benefited from that system as well,” said Watters, who grew up in Paris and now lives in Fort Worth. Her parents are still in Paris.
“I don’t know what my great-great-grandfather’s views of the world were or what his views on the Black community were, but my family was part of a perpetuating system of white supremacy. They were trying to keep the family there and used terrorist methods to do it,” she said.
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Herman Arthur, 28, returned to Paris on July 5, 1919, after serving in World War I. In the Army, he traveled to parts of the world that others who had spent their lives tending farms in Texas could not imagine. After a year back home, he was no longer content earning near slave wages on the Hodge family farm.
So he convinced his family to leave the farm, where Hodges furnished the tools and mule, and at harvest time, took more than half the crop.
But Hodges, 61, wouldn’t agree to let the family leave. He insisted that the Arthurs owed him money. According to 1920 newspaper reports, he ransacked the Arthurs’ home, while his son, William, 34, held a gun on the family. Days later, as the Arthurs loaded their truck to leave, Hodges returned and began throwing the furniture off the truck.
One of the Arthur brothers went inside, got a shotgun and killed both men. The brothers knew the fate that awaited them, so they fled to Oklahoma, only to be captured and brought back to Texas four days later.
Within hours of their arrival, a mob of 3,000 white people formed and placed signs throughout town announcing that a lynching would take place that evening.
The brothers were taken from the jail to the fairground, where they were chained to a flagpole, tortured, saturated with oil and set on fire. Afterward, the mob chained their charred, smoking bodies to a truck and dragged them for hours though the street.
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Meanwhile, their three sisters, while being held in “protective custody” in jail, were beaten and raped by 20 white men, news reports said at the time. Afterward, the women were given a bucket of molasses, a sack of flour and some bacon and told to “hit the road.” They wandered for two nights before reuniting with their family.
Fearing for their lives, the entire family hid in the woods for weeks until the Black Masons lodge raised enough money to get them safely out of town. They boarded a train for Chicago and never looked back.
Janese Walton-Roberts, a descendant of the victims of a 1920 lynching in Paris, Texas, speaks with Melinda Watters at a memorial event in Paris on July 5. Watters is a descendant of John H. Hodges, the landlord whose actions set in place event leading to the lynching of the Arthur brothers. (Klark Byrd/The Paris News)
Janese Walton-Roberts, 47, Scott and Violet Arthur’s great-granddaughter, said the story has been passed down in her family for generations. She spoke at the commemoration on her family’s behalf.
No one ever wanted to go to Paris, she said. But after the recent civil unrest across the country, it seemed like the right time.
“If anything comes out of this, then it was worth it to go back,” said Walton-Roberts, who grew up in Chicago and now lives in Killeen, Texas.
Though they had been in contact with Watters for weeks, the family was unaware that she was a descendant of the Hodgeses until she read a letter apologizing for her family’s role.
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“The city never offered any type of apology,” Walton-Roberts said. “I appreciate it because her letter was something that needed to happen.”
In the letter addressed to the Arthur family descendants, Watters did not seek to explain her family’s actions, even though her own relatives had been killed by the Arthur brothers. She acknowledged what her family did and asked for the Arthur family’s forgiveness.
Then she went a step further and described the privilege she experiences by being born to the Hodges family.
“I have lived a lifetime of always receiving the benefit of the doubt. I have never had someone clutch her purse when I walked by in a store due to the color of my skin. When I have been pulled over for a speeding violation, I have always been able to expect that I would likely get off with a warning, a ‘have a good day’ — never the possibility that I would be harmed or unjustly charged or lose my life,” she wrote.
“I am writing you 100 years belated to say that I lament the monstrous lynching and murder of Herman and Irving Arthur. … I admire Herman and Irving’s courage to remove their family from an unjust labor system and sacrificing their lives to do so. I am sorry for the ways the white community, my family and myself have been complicit in both my biases against black people and in accordance with a system that continues to disproportionately allow violence upon their bodies.”
Rufus Sims, 87, is the nephew of Herman and Irving Arthur, who were lynched in Paris, Texas, in 1920. “My uncles were burned alive in a field because they fought back," Sims said. "A lot of people lost their lives for fighting back. It’s important for the younger generation to understand that.” (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Watters hopes that the event to mark the lynching will start a conversation in Paris, where racial tensions have risen in the aftermath of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. Many young African Americans are frustrated by the lack of advancement in the town and the determination by many white residents to maintain the status quo.
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Westley Martin, 29, an African American freelance videographer who organized a Peace and Power rally the day before the Arthur event, described his hometown as a place where many people still have Confederate flags waving on their home or the back of their truck.
There have been three Black Lives Matter protests since Floyd’s death, he said, and each time, white people countered with a Blue Lives Matter event.
“Black people don’t have many opportunities here. It’s like you stay over there and we’ll stay over here,” he said. “But something crazy is happening right now, and people are very vocal and don’t care. It’s like ‘Mississippi Burning’ with a 2020 spin without the Ku Klux Klan.”
Several racial incidents recently put the town on edge. The Rev. Gary Savage, pastor of predominantly Black Mount Pisgah Baptist Church and one of the organizers of the Arthur event, described the climate in Paris right now as “chaotic turmoil.”
Days before the event, a video of an incident in town involving three white adult men and two Black teenagers began circulating. The teens, ages 16 and 17, were walking along when they noticed a man fueling his truck staring at them.
A fight ensued between the man and the 16-year-old. Two other white men approached and ordered the teens to the ground. One had a handgun and the other had an AR-15 rifle. One of the men, who was later found to be a felon, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
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African Americans are demanding charges be brought against the others as well, but officials say they aren’t warranted.
“Race relations are terrible here,” said Brenda Cherry, 62, a local activist. “But it’s silent and unspoken. Most of the Black people won’t complain openly, so there’s always racial tension.”
But there has been a bright spot, she said. At least half the participants in the Black Lives Matter protests she organized since the Floyd killing have been young white people, unlike previous marches, she said.
Savage said the Arthur event could not have been held at a better time.
“Every time there is racial tension in Paris — and that’s what we’re known for nationwide — the lynchings come up,” Savage said. “It’s a perfect time for healing, and that’s what we’re trying to promote.”
The Rev. Rob Spencer, pastor of the First United Methodist Church, believes that many white people in Paris are ready for change, but they don’t know how to accomplish it.
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“We have a lot of work to do on the racial reconciliation front. Much of it is work that most of us are unaware even needs to be done,” said Spencer, who also helped organize the Arthur event.
“Part of the reason people in this area don’t stand up is they don’t believe there are enough willing to stand together. We are hopeful that what we’re doing will allow more people to say, ‘Look, we’ve got to go at this differently and work on these things together.’”
His church, which is 99% white, has a long history in Paris. The Rev. Bob Shuler, the pastor in 1920, is said to have gone to the courthouse and attempted to stop the mob from breaking the Arthur brothers out of jail.
Spencer is hopeful that spirit exists today. It is a good sign, he said, that the group organizing the event was able to raise $10,000 in donations to pay the Arthur family’s travel expenses.
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Watters, an artist, presented the family a painting she adapted from the photograph of the Arthurs arriving in Chicago. She also tracked down Herman Arthur’s military records and obtained an official paver commemorating his service. But she has bigger plans.
Her goal over the next six months is to engage residents in the required race and justice dialogue needed to obtain a historical marker from the Equal Justice Initiative, to be placed at the site of the lynching.
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It will not be easy.
“It was a shameful thing in Paris and nobody wants to talk about it. They want to leave it there and never bring it up again,” Watters said. “For us to experience healing, we have to acknowledge what happened and lament the fact that it happened and move forward as a community.
“The story of Paris is the story of our nation. Future generations should have the true version.”
dglanton@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @dahleeng


chicagotribune--2020-07-13--Woman shot on Dan Ryan Expressway, driver and girl in rear seat not injured

A woman was dropped off at the University of Chicago Medical Center with an injury not considered life-threatening , state @ @ @ @ @ with the woman , as well as a man and a girl who were also @ @ @ @ @ were not injured , investigators learned the woman had been shot just after 2:35 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ their vehicle along the outbound lanes of I-94 near 51st Street .

Illinois State Police were investigating a shooting on the Dan Ryan Expressway early Monday.
A woman was dropped off at the University of Chicago Medical Center with an injury not considered life-threatening, state police said. While speaking with the woman, as well as a man and a girl who were also in the vehicle but who were not injured, investigators learned the woman had been shot just after 2:35 a.m. as the trio traveled in their vehicle along the outbound lanes of I-94 near 51st Street.
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“Preliminary reports indicate the shots were fired from an unknown vehicle also traveling on Interstate 94 southbound at 51st Street,” state police said in a statement.
State police investigators had been at the hospital for an earlier, unrelated crash when they learned about the woman who had been shot on the expressway, Trooper Omoayena Williams said in an email.
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As of 3:47 a.m., all southbound local lanes on Interstate 94 were closed at 47th Street, which also was where traffic was being diverted off the interstate.
“The public is advised to please slow down, if in the area or seek alternate routes before entering the area. Please avoid using entrance ramps to exit the expressway,” said the statement from state police.
All lanes were reopened about 8 a.m., Williams said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether any arrests have been made.
Anyone who witnessed or has information about the shooting is asked to call state police at 847-294-4400. Callers can remain anonymous.


chicagotribune--2020-07-13--COVID-19 mobile testing site in Lake Zurich this week following spike in youth cases

Testing is free and open to all , regardless of symptoms .
You do not need to be a student @ @ @ @ @ family member of anyone associated with the school to be tested .
A phone number @ @ @ @ @ order to receive testing results .
The site accommodates walk-up individuals and those doing drive-thru @

While the state tries to balance reopening with steadying the number of coronavirus cases, the Lake County Health Department is seeing an uptick of cases among its younger residents.
The result: a mobile COVID-19 testing site stationed at Lake Zurich High School’s Performing Arts Center parking lot at 300 Church St. Sunday until 5 p.m. and again on July 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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“Time is of the essence. We are recommending that any Lake Zurich community members who may have been exposed, regardless of age, get tested,” Dr. Sana Ahmed, medical epidemiologist at the Lake County Health Department, said in a statement.
The Lake County Health Department reported a rise in new COVID-19 cases since June 25 among Lake County residents under age 30, while cases in the general population have remained steady. Citing multiple cases of COVID-19 identified among participants attending the first day of sports camp at Lake Zurich High School and other recent social gatherings, public health officials recommended camp participants self-quarantine for 14 days and the school suspend athletic camps until further notice.
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The testing site will be run and managed by the Illinois Department of Public Health, and results are provided by phone in four to seven days. The county Health Department also is working with Vernon Hills High School after an individual participating in athletic activities tested positive for COVID-19.
Testing is free and open to all, regardless of symptoms. You do not need to be a student, faculty, staff or family member of anyone associated with the school to be tested. A phone number and name are required in order to receive testing results. The site accommodates walk-up individuals and those doing drive-thru.
“Youth are just as likely as adults to get and spread this virus,” Ahmed said. “We ask that everyone continue to take these risks seriously and contact the Health Department if you think you have been exposed.”
The Lake County Health Department reported Lake County’s first COVID-19 case on March 11. As of July 9, 10,185 Lake County residents have tested positive for the disease, including 408 deaths.
drockett@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-13--Daywatch: State breaks testing record, teachers union has demands for CPS and find out the names of

Daywatch: State breaks testing record, teachers union has demands for CPS and find out the names of the fledged piping plovers

Before they return to classrooms during a rapidly evolving pandemic , Chicago Public Schools educators have a list of demands @ @ @ @ @ small enough class sizes to a nurse and social worker or counselor in every school @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not yet certain if in-person classes will resume this fall , the district @ @ @ @ @ measures on CTU ’ s list in the event that they do .

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Illinois announced 954 new coronavirus cases Sunday, following three straight days with numbers in the 1,000s. This comes as the number of cases across the country continues to surge.
The positivity rate for the state’s Northeast region — which includes Chicago and its suburbs — is now 4.1%. Here’s where each region stands on key COVID-19 metrics.
Want to know how many COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in your neighborhood? Search our database by ZIP code.
Justin Reyes carries a sample after administering a COVID-19 test outside of Heartland Health Center in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood on July 10, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois announced 954 new coronavirus cases Sunday, following three straight days with numbers in the 1,000s. This comes as the number of cases across the country continues to surge.
In a tweet Sunday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he was concerned by the rising number of cases in Illinois, as this past week recorded the highest seven-day average since June 5.
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Florida shatters US record for largest, single-day increase in COVID-19 cases
Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey, left, and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, center, speak on Oct. 3, 2019, during last year's teachers strike. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Before they return to classrooms during a rapidly evolving pandemic, Chicago Public Schools educators have a list of demands they want met — from small enough class sizes to a nurse and social worker or counselor in every school every day. While it’s not yet certain if in-person classes will resume this fall, the district already has committed to some measures on CTU’s list in the event that they do.
Holy Name Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Chicago, on Friday, July 10, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Roman Catholic parishes and organizations in the Archdiocese of Chicago received between $24.4 million and $63.6 million in loans through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program that was designed to save jobs amid the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to federal records.
Dr. David Mayer, center, a retired anesthesiologist, and CEO of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, greets a friend after finishing his 7.2 mile walk from Northwestern University in Evanston to Wrigley Field as he continues his walk across the country to raise awareness about patient safety in America on Saturday, July 11, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Wearing a Chicago Cubs cap, T-shirt and shorts, Dr. David Mayer finished a 7.2-mile morning walk from Northwestern University behind a group of supporters holding a “Patient Safety Movement” sign Saturday morning under the Wrigley Field marquee. Mayer, a Cubs season ticket holder who grew up in Chicago, is more than 1,000 miles since February into a walk to every Major League Baseball park and spring training fields, hoping to raise awareness about preventable deaths that occur in health-care settings.
A piping plover chick checks out its surroundings at a Montrose beach in Chicago, June 24, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Welcome to the world Hazel, Esperanza and Nish. The Chicago Audubon Society this weekend unveiled the names of Monty and Rose’s three fledged piping plover chicks.


chicagotribune--2020-07-13--Tracking Chicago homicide victims

Tracking Chicago homicide victims

Though there are homicides recorded throughout the city they are most concentrated in the South and West sides .

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chicagotribune--2020-07-12--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened July 11-12 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

For the second time in its history , the Chicago Marathon has been canceled before runners cross the starting line .
Organizers Monday announced the 43rd running of the race , scheduled for Oct. 11 , will not proceed because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Also on Monday , Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s administration closed a West Loop bar and cited a handful of other venues over the weekend for flouting COVID-19 capacity or social distancing rules , part of her promised crackdown on violators aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus cases throughout the city .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday , as well as 6 additional fatalities .
The tally brought the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois to 154,799 and the death toll to 7,193 since the beginning of the pandemic .
Meanwhile , debate over the risks the virus poses , and how best to fight it , were spotlighted in Florida after it shattered the record among U.S. states for the largest single-day increase , with more than 15,000 newly confirmed cases .
A southern Illinois lawyer who has tangled with Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Illinois High School Association , claiming the group exceeded its authority by placing new limits on sports participation .
Thomas DeVore , who practices in the St. Louis area , sued on behalf of his two children , athletes who will be seniors in Hillsboro Community School District No .
3 .
He claims they will be irreparably harmed by participation rules the IHSA introduced this month .
The organization announced July 3 that athletes could return to summer practice and competition if schools followed a detailed plan of social distancing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , it announced drastic changes it said the Pritzker administration had required , including an end to scrimmages in basketball , football , lacrosse , soccer , volleyball , water polo and wrestling .
According to a July 7 email included in the filing , the school saw positive tests among 10 students who participated in Lake Zurich sports camps , along with one parent who was hospitalized .
Jesse Ruiz , Pritzker ’ s deputy governor for education , sent IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson a note the next day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would now require all sports participants to wear masks — it was later clarified that the measure doesn ’ t apply to people outside following social distancing — and would ban any physical contact among athletes .
5:35 p.m. : Why the pandemic might be an opportune time for millennials to buy a home Hayk Ghazaryanwas eager to purchase his first rental property and start his real estate portfolio .
The 28-year-old senior mortgage broker began his house hunt in February , and a month later , he bought a diamond-in-the-rough studio in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to “ fix it up ” and lease the unit .
He put down $ 5,000 in earnest money , a percentage of his 25 % down payment that solidified he would follow through with the purchase , he said .
“ What if I lose my job security ?
What if I get furloughed ?
What if I don ’ t have income coming in ?
” he said he thought at the time .
“ And then I also bought this to make it a rental .
So my next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I going to find a tenant , and how am I going to look for a tenant ?
How do I know their job is going to be secure in the coming months ?
” It was too late to back out .
He went through with the purchase , renovated the unit and put it back on the market .
It sold on June 30 , he said .
He didn ’ t make a profit .
Ghazaryan , who owns the apartment he lives in , is among the group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property during the coronavirus pandemic .
But unlike many of his peers , Ghazaryan didn ’ t receive help for the biggest hurdle facing millennials in property purchasing : a down payment .
He emptied his savings instead .
4:35 p.m. : OPRF to offer e-learning this fall , with more rigorous classes than last spring When students “ return ” to Oak Park and River Forest High School next month , they will again be engaged in virtual learning .
However , administrators are promising a much different curriculum this time around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school abruptly shifted to online learning for students in mid-March to finish out the school year .
Administrators said during the July 9 school board meeting that virtual courses and interaction will continue when classes resume Aug. 17 .
“ We know people are looking at how remote learning was in the spring when we were thrust into that , ” superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams said .
“ We learned from that and this is an entirely different plan .
The remote instruction we propose for this fall will be very different from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed for the fall 2020 e-learning curriculum include a set schedule of class periods , mandatory student attendance , weekly minimum and maximum time requirements for courses to meet online , issuing letter grades and providing academic support services .
3:45 p.m. : Alinea ’ s rooftop popup cancels two dinners after employee tests positive for COVID-19 ; plans to reopen Wednesday “ We are sorry to inform you that AIR — Alinea in Residence — will be closed for service on July 11th and 12th , ” the email read .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the standard of service we require and you respect.
” The email went on to detail rebooking or refund options , and apologized for the short notice .
In a letter on her 34th Ward Website , Austin said she has been “ stricken by COVID-19″ and is “ currently progressing toward full recovery.
” Austin , who then-Mayor Richard Daley appointed to the City Council in 1994 to succeed her husband after his death , did not return calls seeking comment about her diagnosis .
Currently the council ’ s longest-serving Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the City Council meeting last month .
She is the first city elected official to announce having gotten the virus .
FBI agents raided Austin ’ s Far South Side ward office in June .
According to a subpoena obtained by the Chicago Tribune , federal agents had been looking into the circumstances surrounding the construction and sale of a West Pullman home to Austin by a developer in the ward .
For years under Daley and Mayor Rahm Emanuel , Austin chaired the powerful City Council Budget Committee .
Mayor Lori @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she took office last year , but created a new Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity and put her in charge of that .
Read more here .
— John Byrne 3:33 p.m. ( updated at 5:51 p.m. ) : Illinois health officials report 883 new known COVID-19 cases , 6 more fatalities State health officials reported 883 new known cases of the coronavirus Monday , the first time in six days that fewer than 900 cases were confirmed .
Officials also reported six additional fatalities , bringing the death toll from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In all , there have been 154,799 known cases across all 102 counties in Illinois .
The daily figures for new cases and deaths tend to be lower on Mondays because of how the data are reported , officials have said .
Last week , Illinois saw the daily number of new cases surpass 1,000 for three straight days for the first time since late May , when the state was coming off a peak of virus transmission .
Illinois officials have noted that many more tests for the virus are being conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with more than 2 million screenings conducted overall , including more than 30,000 reported Monday .
But officials they say they are watching the data closely as other states grapple with new surges .
Florida , for example , reported 15,300 new cases in a single day on Sunday , far surpassing the previous record of 12,274 cases reported on April 4 in New York .
California on Monday rolled back major portions of its reopening statewide as cases there continue to rise .
” We remain concerned that cases are rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker wrote on Twitter on Sunday .
“ Now more than ever , we must rely on what the science is telling us .
Wearing a face covering is an effective tool in the fight against # covid19 .
Join me.
” Indeed , the positivity rate — the percentage of tests that detect the presence of the new coronavirus — has been creeping up in recent days .
The seven-day average for the period ending Sunday was 3 % , up from 2.5 % a week earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low as 2 % as recently as the week ending June 22 .
The rolling seven-day average of new cases in Illinois , which officials say is a more reliable indicator than the daily total because it smooths out day-to-day fluctuations , also is on the rise , hitting 991 on Monday , up from 772 a week earlier , according to an analysis of preliminary Illinois Department of Public Health data .
The measure hit a post-peak low point of 596 for the week ending June 18 .
Illinois moved into phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Restore Illinois ” reopening plan on June 26 , which allowed limited indoor services to resume at restaurants and bars , among other loosened restrictions .
Pritzker has said would tighten restrictions once again if the virus resurges .
— Dan Petrella 3:06 p.m. : Respiratory health is vital to fight off COVID-19 .
Here ’ s how to keep your lungs healthy on low-quality air days .
In the midst of a pandemic that affects the respiratory system , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified Chicago ’ s air quality for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unhealthy ” or “ unhealthy for sensitive groups.
” With more days of poor air quality on the horizon , experts say it ’ s important to remember that healthy lungs can help fend off COVID-19 .
“ If your respiratory system — your nose , esophagus , lungs — aren ’ t healthy , you can ’ t fight against the pandemic .
And you need everything you have to fight against COVID-19 , ” said Angela Tin , national senior director of the American Lung Association .
Read more here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney general , universities challenge new visa rule on foreign students that could keep them out of the U.S. Several Illinois-based universities are joining dozens of others from across the country in a legal challenge of a new immigration rule they say could keep international students from attending their schools .
They cite a DePaul University student who they say was denied entry into the U.S. from South Korea last week .
Separately , Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has announced he is joining another lawsuit that also takes aim at the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University Chicago will be mostly online this fall , school announces A few exceptions will be made for classes , labs and research that require face-to-face interaction , according to a letter from released Monday by President Jo Ann Rooney and Provost Norberto Grzywacz .
The announcement comes as the daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Illinois has seen a recent uptick , with 954 new confirmed cases reported Sunday .
Loyola had previously announced a plan for both on-campus and virtual instruction depending on a student ’ s preference , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers of students on campus down .
University officials also announced students on campus would be housed under a single-occupancy plan , and officials were creating lists of students who would need to quarantine when arriving on campus in the fall .
With its change of plans made public Monday , the university also said both domestic and international students would be taught in-person if necessary , an announcement that comes on the heels of ICE ’ s new policy requiring international students taking online courses to leave America and banning visas for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent COVID-19 exposure , the university plans to implement precautionary measures including frequent testing for the virus , contact tracing , staggered work schedules , reduced class sizes , restricted gathering spaces and mask and social distancing requirements .
School officials launched a Return to Campus website Monday delineating more guidelines for community members returning to campus .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s administration closed a West Loop bar and cited a handful of other venues over the weekend for flouting COVID-19 capacity or social distancing rules , part of her promised crackdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus cases throughout the city .
Wise Owl Drinkery & Cookhouse was shut down because it was over capacity and groups of patrons weren ’ t at least 6 feet away from each other , wearing masks or seated , according to the city Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection .
In all , six businesses were issued citations for failing to meet the city ’ s current guidelines to operate during the pandemic .
New York & Company could close many — if not all — stores in bankruptcy Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Company expects to close many , if not all , of its stores after parent company RTW Retailwinds filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday .
RTW Retailwinds has started a store closing and liquidation process and is “ evaluating any and all strategic alternatives , ” including selling its online business , the company said in a news release Monday .
New York & Company has 16 stores in Illinois and one in Merrillville , Indiana .
Stores will continue to operate as usual in the short term , and some stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen , the company said .
1 p.m. : The Chicago Marathon , scheduled for Oct. 11 , is canceled for just the 2nd time in its history For the second time in its history , the Chicago Marathon has been canceled before runners cross the starting line .
Organizers Monday announced the 43rd running of the race , scheduled for Oct. 11 , will not proceed because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon typically draws about 45,000 runners and wheelchair athletes to the city , with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 100 countries in 2019 .
Organizers estimate about 1.7 million spectators annually line the 26.2-mile course that starts and ends near Grant Park and travels as far north as Wrigleyville and as far south as Bridgeport .
Registered participants can receive a refund for their race entry or defer their place and entry fee to a Chicago Marathon in 2021 , 2022 or 2023 .
Registered runners for the International Chicago 5K will have the same options .
11:50 a.m. : Millennials and boomers : Coronavirus pandemic has smacked America ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in their lives Sometimes at odds , America 's two largest generations now have something to agree on : The coronavirus pandemic has smacked many of them at a pivotal time in their lives .
For baby boomers , named for the post-World War II surge of births , that means those who are retired or are nearing retirement are seeing their 401 ( k ) accounts and IRAs looking unreliable while their health is at high risk .
Millennials , who became young adults in this century , are getting socked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recover after what a Census researcher found were the Great Recession ’ s hardest hits to jobs and pay .
“ The long-lasting effects of the Great Recession on millennials , that was kind of scarring , ” said Gray Kimbrough , a millennial and an economist at American University in Washington .
“ And now when the economy had finally clawed back to where we were before the Great Recession , then this hit at a particularly bad time as well for millennials in particular.
” In a memo to distributors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Marketing Officer Michelle St. Jacques said “ the effects of the coronavirus on our industry caused an immediate loss of momentum for the brand.
” At the same time , the company said it is increasing investment in hard seltzer brands like Vizzy and its Blue Moon LightSky ale .
Molson Coors also is focusing on the national launch of its Coors Seltzer brand later this year .
Molson Coors , the nation ’ s second largest beer company , began introducing Saint Archer Gold to other markets earlier this year to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after initially launching in four test markets last year .
10:13 a.m. : Black mental health patients hit hard by COVID-19 , social injustice : ‘ We were already at a breaking point ’ Dr. Brandi Jackson , a psychiatrist at Rush University Medical Center , said the COVID-19 pandemic has been her most difficult period as a psychiatrist .
With an uptick in anxiety and depression in her primarily Black clientele , she ’ s seeing patients who have been clean for years relapsing on drugs — and citing the coronavirus as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparities were prevalent in the Black community before COVID-19 .
Life expectancy for residents on the North Shore was 30 years longer , on average , than that for residents of Englewood .
Suicide attempts that were self-reported by Black teens have spiked since 1991 , even as their peers in other groups have experienced a downward trend or remained unchanged , according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics .
Another study found that Black teens experience several forms of racial discrimination each day , which can lead to short-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the pandemic .
Now with COVID-19 hitting Black communities extra hard and the added stressor of social injustice ( George Floyd , police brutality , et al . )
, Jackson believes we ’ re only seeing a small fraction of what the real mental health fallout will be , especially in the Black community .
7:30 a.m. : As COVID-19 cases surge nationwide , we asked Chicagoans : Why are you getting tested ?
Some patients felt sick , nervously ticking off potential COVID-19 symptoms .
Some cited possible exposure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there out of an abundance of caution .
All had made an appointment for a test Friday at Heartland Health Centers on Devon Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood .
In interviews , they expressed common fears of becoming ill or unwittingly spreading the new coronavirus , which has already sickened more than 150,000 and killed more than 7,000 statewide .
Illinois on Sunday set a new daily testing record , with 38,894 COVID-19 tests performed .
7:30 a.m. : The NBA is considering a 2nd bubble in Chicago for its bottom 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor ’ s office is on board — but Illinois ’ recent COVID-19 uptick is only 1 potential hurdle .
During a conference call with reporters shortly after the Chicago Bulls ’ 2019-20 season ended abruptly last month , executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas expressed both concern about his new team facing a near nine-month layoff between games and confidence that the NBA would find a way for the eight teams not invited to Orlando , Fla. , to participate in some sort of basketball activities .
That idea began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports surfaced that the league was in advanced considerations about creating a “ second bubble ” in Chicago for those eight teams , with Wintrust Arena emerging as the favorite to host the event because it is connected to a hotel .
It would allow the teams left out of the league ’ s official restart to create a summer-league-style environment with training camps and scrimmages against other teams .
7:15 a.m. : A neighborhood photographer gives a voice to Latino essential workers during the pandemic : ‘ We need to tell our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago area , Mateo Zapata was worried .
Not necessarily for himself , but for the people in his community .
He knew “ that Black and brown people would be left behind.
” For many Latinos , staying home was never an option .
Some live paycheck to paycheck and many more have jobs that are considered essential .
But Zapata saw a lack of focus from the government and mainstream media on Latinos ’ stories , even after COVID-19 cases began to spike in majority-Latino neighborhoods throughout the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood near Pilsen , wanted to make sure the lives of his neighbors and fellow Latinos become a part of history by being “ genuinely ” documented , allowing their voices to be elevated , he said .
So he put on his face mask and gloves , grabbed his camera and began to document “ the experience of Latinos during the pandemic .
”

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The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois announced 954 new coronavirus cases Sunday, a slight decrease following three straight days of more than 1,000 new cases. Sunday’s announcement brings the number of total cases statewide to 153,916.
There were 20 new COVID-19 deaths reported Sunday, a relatively low number for the state, although it is noted that deaths are an indicator which lags behind cases. The number of total confirmed deaths in Illinois is now 7,187.
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The uptick in case counts in Illinois comes as many states are struggling keeping the virus under control while allowing more businesses and activities to reopening. Illinois loosened its rules, moving to phase four of its plan, on June 26.
On Friday, Chicago said it was tightening hours for any establishments that serve alcohol, requiring them to close at midnight to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, as officials announced 17 businesses have been cited for violating restrictions since June 3.
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The city has restricted alcohol sales in restaurants and bars, requiring them to stop serving at 11 p.m., with stores that sell alcohol for offsite consumption required to end sales at 9 p.m.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ Illinois is in phase 4 of its reopening plan. Here’s a guide to what’s allowed. ]
[ 20 questions about assessing your COVID-19 risk at restaurants, gyms, the office and more ]
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Here’s what’s happening this weekend regarding COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
2:01 p.m.: Illinois reports 954 new coronavirus cases, a slight drop from previous days
Illinois announced 954 new coronavirus cases Sunday, a slight decrease following three straight days of more than 1,000 new cases. Sunday’s announcement brings the number of total cases statewide to 153,916.
There were 20 new COVID-19 deaths reported Sunday, a relatively low number for the state, although it is noted that deaths are an indicator which lags behind cases. The number of total confirmed deaths in Illinois is now 7,187.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced 38,849 tests performed Sunday, the highest reported number since the state began collecting data in early March. — Sophie Sherry
12:08 p.m.: Spike in cases in Lake Zurich prompts new testing site
In response to a spike in youth cases of COVID-19 that was traced to a single sports camp in Lake Zurich, a new mobile testing site will be available in the northwest suburb.
The mobile testing site, which will take drive-thru and walk-up patients, will operate until 5 p.m. Sunday and then again next weekend at Lake Zurich High School’s Performing Arts Center, 300 Church Street.
Testing is free and open to all, regardless of symptoms. The testing site will be run and managed by the Illinois Department of Public Health and results are provided by phone in four to seven days. Read more here. — Darcel Rockett
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9:00 a.m.: South suburban schools to start a new school year like no other amid COVID-19 concerns
Monitored bathroom breaks, backpacks instead of lockers, lunch eaten in the classroom instead of the cafeteria.
As south and southwest suburban school districts prep for what will certainly be a dramatically different return to the classroom next month, uncertainties loom over how to accommodate social distancing, and activities such as physical education and music will be altered.
Many districts are surveying families and staff to gauge their comfort level about resuming in-person teaching, and extensive planning sessions aimed at getting schools ready for the first day have been ongoing.
Read more. - Mike Nolan, Daily Southtown
Sunday, 8:30 a.m.: Here’s a look at what several US school districts are planning for fall
With little more than a month before millions of U.S. schoolchildren go back to class, much is still up in the air - and not just because of the surging number of coronavirus cases nationwide.
Last week, President Donald Trump and his administration demanded schools fully reopen right away, calling for new guidance from federal health officials and slamming schools that want to bring students back for only a few days a week.
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At the same time, some states are just now issuing their own directives, and school district leaders say they expect those guidelines to be revised again before the classroom bells ring.
While there's no indication school administrators are changing their plans yet because of the latest word from the White House, they are working on multiple reopening scenarios. Those cover everything from where students will eat lunch to navigating online learning.
Here is a look at what several school districts are planning and discussing.
Saturday, 6:34 p.m.: Doctor walks to Wrigley Field during his journey to hit every MLB ballpark, raising awareness about preventable deaths in health care settings
Wearing a Chicago Cubs cap, T-shirt and shorts, Dr. David Mayer finished a 7.2-mile morning walk from Northwestern University behind a group of supporters holding a “Patient Safety Movement” sign Saturday morning under the Wrigley Field marquee.
Mayer, a Cubs season ticket holder who grew up in Chicago, is more than 1,000 miles since February into a walk to every Major League Baseball park and spring training fields, hoping to raise awareness about preventable deaths that occur in health-care settings.
It’s a cause he has been advocating for two decades, noting preventable medical harm is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart disease and cancer. And he’s hoping the healthcare and hospital issues highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic help increase awareness.
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“We’ve got to do better,” Mayer said. “I think the pandemic has brought more of this out and exposed more gaps in the healthcare industry. There’s over 700 nurses, therapists who died because they didn’t have the right equipment and training to fight this pandemic. It’s a shame. We could have done better.”
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
5:23 p.m.: Trump wears mask in public for first time
President Donald Trump wore a mask during a visit to a military hospital on Saturday, the first time the president has been seen in public with the type of facial covering recommended by health officials as a precaution against spreading or becoming infected by the novel coronavirus.
Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Washington to meet wounded servicemembers and health care providers caring for COVID-19 patients. As he left the White House, he told reporters: “When you’re in a hospital, especially ... I think it’s expected to wear a mask.”
President Donald Trump wears a mask during his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on July 11, 2020. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
Trump was wearing a mask in Walter Reed's hallway as he began his visit. He was not wearing one when he stepped off the helicopter at the facility.
The president was a latecomer to wearing a mask during the pandemic, which has raged across the U.S. since March and infected more than 3.2 million and killed at least 134,000. Most prominent Republicans, including Vice President Mike Pence, endorsed wearing masks as the coronavirus gained ground this summer.
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Trump, however, has declined to wear a mask at news conferences, coronavirus task force updates, rallies and other public events. People close to him have told The Associated Press that the president feared a mask would make him look weak and was concerned that it shifted focus to the public health crisis rather than the economic recovery. They spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private matters.
Read more here. —Associated Press
3:47 p.m.: How to reopen schools: What science and other countries teach us
As school districts across the United States consider whether and how to restart in-person classes, their challenge is complicated by a pair of fundamental uncertainties: No nation has tried to send children back to school with the virus raging at levels like America’s, and the scientific research about transmission in classrooms is limited.
The World Health Organization has now concluded that the virus is airborne in crowded, indoor spaces with poor ventilation, a description that fits many American schools. But there is enormous pressure to bring students back — from parents, from pediatricians and child development specialists, and from President Donald Trump.
“I’m just going to say it: It feels like we’re playing Russian roulette with our kids and our staff,” said Robin Cogan, a nurse at the Yorkship School in Camden, New Jersey, who serves on the state’s committee on reopening schools.
Data from around the world clearly shows that children are far less likely to become seriously ill from the coronavirus than adults. But there are big unanswered questions, including how often children become infected and what role they play in transmitting the virus. Some research suggests younger children are less likely to infect other people than teenagers are, which would make opening elementary schools less risky than high schools, but the evidence is not conclusive.
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The experience abroad has shown that measures such as physical distancing and wearing masks in schools can make a difference. Another important variable is how widespread the virus is in the community overall, because that will affect how many people potentially bring it into a school.
For most districts, the solution won’t be an all-or-nothing approach. Many systems, including the nation’s largest, New York City, are devising hybrids that involve spending some days in classrooms and other days online.
“You have to do a lot more than just waving your hands and say make it so,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a professor of the practice at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “First you have to control the community spread and then you have to open schools thoughtfully.”
Read more here. —The New York Times
2:40 p.m.: 1,195 new known COVID-19 cases, 24 additional deaths
Illinois announced 1,195 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, the third day in a row with more than 1,000 cases. The tally brought the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois to 152,962.
Officials also reported 24 additional fatalities, bringing the death toll since the start of the pandemic to 7,168.
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1:49 p.m.: Coronavirus deaths in US take a long-expected turn for the worse
A long-expected upturn in U.S. coronavirus deaths has begun, driven by fatalities in states in the South and West, according to data on the pandemic.
The number of deaths per day from the virus had been falling for months, and even remained down as states like Florida and Texas saw explosions in cases and hospitalizations — and reported daily U.S. infections broke records several times in recent days.
Scientists warned it wouldn't last. A coronavirus death, when it occurs, typically comes several weeks after a person is first infected. And experts predicted states that saw increases in cases and hospitalizations would, at some point, see deaths rise too. Now that's happening.
“It’s consistently picking up. And it’s picking up at the time you’d expect it to,” said William Hanage, a Harvard University infectious diseases researcher.
According to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average for daily reported deaths in the U.S. has increased from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on July 10 — still well below the heights hit in April. Daily reported deaths increased in 27 states over that time period, but the majority of those states are averaging under 15 new deaths per day. A smaller group of states has been driving the nationwide increase in deaths.
California is averaging 91 reported deaths per day while Texas is close behind with 66, but Florida, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey and South Carolina also saw sizable rises. New Jersey’s recent jump is thought to be partially attributable to its less frequent reporting of probable deaths.
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Read more here. —Associated Press
5 a.m.: 25 years after deadly heat wave, COVID-19 gives Chicago a new summer foe
The summer of 2020 has trapped Chicago between two scourges. In one corner, a deadly virus that can be easily transmitted in crowded indoor settings, especially when cooling systems are just recirculating virus-pocked air. In the other, a heat wave with the potential to kill.
Government officials have learned many lessons since 1995, and with preventive measures now in place, Cook County usually sees just a handful of heat-related deaths each year. But some worry COVID-19 could upset that progress.
The pandemic has forced people to stay home to prevent the spread of the virus, and some experts say fear of contracting the disease could keep them there even as their houses and apartments grow dangerously hot.
Read more here. —Madeline Buckley, Kelli Smith and John Keilman
5 a.m.: To open Chicago Public Schools, teachers union has demands — but does the city have to meet them?
Before they return to classrooms during a rapidly evolving pandemic, Chicago Public Schools educators have a list of demands they want met — from small enough class sizes to a nurse and social worker or counselor in every school every day.
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Most Chicago Teachers Union members who responded to a recent survey said they “should not or might not” return to classrooms in the fall without a detailed plan and certain resources in place, including remote learning options for vulnerable students and staff members; an indoor mask requirement; a student transportation plan that includes Chicago Transit Authority buses and trains; and computers and internet for every pupil.
While it’s not yet certain if in-person classes will resume this fall, the district already has committed to some measures on CTU’s list in the event that they do. That includes mandatory face coverings, providing a limited set to students and staff members, daily temperature checks, making hand sanitizer available throughout buildings, and cleaning and disinfection protocols.
But class size and flexibility for vulnerable students and school employees are especially pressing demands, said Michelle Gunderson, a first grade teacher at Nettelhorst Elementary.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
Friday: Illinois’ daily new coronavirus case count tops 1,000 for second day in a row; Chicago orders bars and restaurants that sell booze to close by midnight
Two weeks after Illinois reopened a bit more under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase plan, the state’s reported tally of newly confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday again climbed to a level not seen since early June.
State officials on Friday announced 1,317 new known cases, and 25 deaths, raising the known case count to 151,767 and the statewide death toll to 7,144 since the pandemic began.
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It was the third consecutive day newly confirmed daily cases stood near or above 1,000. Until Thursday, when 1,018 new cases were reported, the last time new case numbers reached over 1,000 was June 5. The highest case count earlier this week had been 639 on Monday, although the four days prior to that daily new cases hovered between 800 and 900.
Weekend and early weekday numbers are sometimes lower, due to testing result lags over the weekend.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks


chicagotribune--2020-07-14--Column: Not wearing a mask is as dumb as not wearing a condom — in the coronavirus age, practice saf

Column: Not wearing a mask is as dumb as not wearing a condom — in the coronavirus age, practice safe living

I don ’ t have the virus , so I don ’ t need to wear a mask !
( @ @ @ @ @ all arguments .
Unless you were just tested and have had no contact with other @ @ @ @ @ t know whether you ’ re infected or not .
Period .
Please stop saying @ @ @ @ @ you don ’ t have the virus , not wearing a mask increases the chances @ @ @ @ @ and unwittingly spread it to others . )

Air travelers with and without face masks use a moving walkway toward their gates at Midway International Airport in Chicago on April 19, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
To the mask-wearing and socially distanced few, the ones dutifully doing their part to slow the spread of the coronavirus here in Chicago and across the country, this is for you.
Share it with the mask-less. Hand it to the stubborn, the uninformed and those who think they’re invincible. Give it to the liberty fetishists who believe the world revolves around a right to keep their mugs exposed.
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Read this, and know you’re not alone in your frustration:
I live in a state (Illinois) that has taken coronavirus seriously and in a metropolitan area (Chicago) that implemented serious and smart restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. But as those restrictions have slowly lifted, what I see is confounding.
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I drove past a baseball field this weekend and there was a little league game starting. None of the kids were wearing masks. They were huddled around each other making no effort to distance. None of the coaches were wearing masks or distancing. None of the parents either.
In parks and front yards in the city and suburbs, I see kids congregating, the vast majority not wearing masks or social distancing. There are adults going into shops, bars and restaurants with masks covering only their mouths, not their noses. Or no masks at all.
What do people not understand about our current situation? It’s very simple: Whether you’re an adult or a kid, healthy or high-risk, if you can’t socially distance, you wear a damn mask, and ideally you do both.
There were questions about whether masks were necessary or effective in the early stages of the pandemic, but as knowledge of the virus has grown, the importance of masks has become clear.
A new model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington predicts that if 95% of people wear masks, it could save more than 45,000 American lives between now and Nov. 1.
If you feel your right to not wear a mask outweighs other people’s right to stay healthy, maybe money will move you. Countries with widespread mask mandates have avoided additional lockdowns and kept their economies going. A recent report by Goldman Sachs determined that “a national face mask mandate could potentially substitute for renewed lockdowns that would otherwise subtract nearly 5% from GDP.”
Coronavirus cases in stubbornly mask-averse Southern and Southwestern states are surging now, and the numbers in Illinois have started trending up as restrictions have relaxed. Again, it’s simple: If we don’t wear masks, we’ll be locked down again.
Those who can’t see that often lean on ridiculous arguments.
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Kids don’t get the virus! (That’s patently false. The Bradenton Herald last week cited Florida Department of Health data showing that 468 children in Manatee County had tested positive, an increase of 136 kids over the previous week.)
The death rate has dropped! (That’s true, but it’s a misleading statistic. First, deaths are a lagging indicator, and U.S. infections have skyrocketed over the past month. Also, people getting the virus are trending younger, meaning they’re more likely to survive. But surviving COVID-19 doesn’t put you in the clear. Researchers see growing evidence of damage the disease does to the body, so the long-term impact of having COVID-19 is unclear.)
If other people are wearing masks, I don’t need one. (Wrong. If two people come in contact, the risk of virus spread is highest if there are no masks, lower if one person is wearing a mask and, logically, lowest if both people are wearing masks. Nobody wants their risk increased.)
I don’t have the virus, so I don’t need to wear a mask! (This is the dumbest of all arguments. Unless you were just tested and have had no contact with other people, you don’t know whether you’re infected or not. Period. Please stop saying that. And even if you don’t have the virus, not wearing a mask increases the chances you’ll get it and unwittingly spread it to others.)
The bottom line is this: If I’m being smart and wearing a mask and you aren’t, you’re putting me at risk. You’re putting my family at risk. You’re putting your family at risk. You’re putting every person you or any member of your family comes into contact with at risk, and those people might put others at risk, and on and on and on.
Think of it like the push for condom use during the AIDS epidemic, when public service announcements noted that when you have sex with someone, you’re having sex with every person that person has slept with.
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It’s the same idea, though transmission of the coronavirus is far easier. If you’re unprotected (mask-less) around someone, you’re effectively around anyone that person has been near. You have to assume the worst.
But like putting on a condom, the steps to protect yourself from this virus are not onerous. Wear a mask. Keep your distance. Wash your hands.
I hear endless howling about schools reopening. But if people can’t handle THE MOST BASIC STEPS of slowing the spread of this virus, schools aren’t going to open for long, if at all. And businesses, parks and beaches will close again as well.
Those wearing masks properly and making sure their kids are staying masked and socially distanced want things to get back to some form of normal as much as anyone.
But this virus has two best friends: ignorance and arrogance. And those two seem to be everywhere.
Please put on a mask. Practice safe living.
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Anything less is selfish.
Anything less should be straight-up embarrassing.
rhuppke@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-14--Lawsuit aims to lift IHSA’s pandemic-related restrictions on high school sports

DeVore did not return a request for comment .
Anderson declined to comment on the lawsuit but said : “ @ @ @ @ @ focused on working with the top medical professionals in the state to try and provide @ @ @ @ @ the return of our students to IHSA sports and activities in 2020-21 .
”

Stray soccer nets go unused on a practice field at Lake Zurich High School on April 21, 2020, after the Illinois High School Association canceled all spring sports for the 2020 season. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
A southern Illinois lawyer who has tangled with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration over pandemic-related shutdown measures is suing the Illinois High School Association, claiming the group exceeded its authority by placing new limits on sports participation.
Thomas DeVore, who practices in the St. Louis area, sued on behalf of his two children, athletes who will be seniors in Hillsboro Community School District No. 3. He claims they will be irreparably harmed by participation rules the IHSA introduced this month.
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The organization announced July 3 that athletes could return to summer practice and competition if schools followed a detailed plan of social distancing and sanitizing. But less than a week later, it announced drastic changes it said the Pritzker administration had required, including an end to scrimmages in basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
The lawsuit claims that change came after a COVID-19 outbreak at Lake Zurich High School. According to a July 7 email included in the filing, the school saw positive tests among 10 students who participated in Lake Zurich sports camps, along with one parent who was hospitalized.
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Jesse Ruiz, Pritzker’s deputy governor for education, sent IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson a note the next day, saying the Illinois Department of Public Health would now require all sports participants to wear masks — it was later clarified that the measure doesn’t apply to people outside following social distancing — and would ban any physical contact among athletes.
“I know that changing recently-released guidance is difficult, but I know you appreciate the changes necessitated by ever-changing public health conditions,” Ruiz wrote in an email included in the filing.
The lawsuit claims the rules are “the illegal product of collusion between state agencies, Anderson and the IHSA,” and that the IHSA went beyond its authority in following the state’s directives.
DeVore, who has sued the Pritzker administration on behalf of business owners chafing against stay-at-home rules, is asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order that would prevent the IHSA from enforcing the new restrictions.
DeVore did not return a request for comment. Anderson declined to comment on the lawsuit but said: “All of our efforts remain focused on working with the top medical professionals in the state to try and provide the safest framework possible for the return of our students to IHSA sports and activities in 2020-21.”
jkeilman@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JohnKeilman


chicagotribune--2020-07-14--On 25th anniversary of Chicago heat wave, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle vows 100% ren

On 25th anniversary of Chicago heat wave, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle vows 100% renewable energy in county facilities by 2030

Cook County ’ s chief sustainability officer , Deborah Stone , said the goal of curtailing carbon emissions by 45 @ @ @ @ @ already has been in the works , with the county touting that one-third of greenhouse @ @ @ @ @ Preckwinkle took office a decade ago .
In addition , solar panels are being designed @ @ @ @ @ courthouses and the Cicero Records Center , with 25 total facilities currently under consideration for @ @ @ @

Cook County-owned buildings will rely solely on clean energy by 2030, board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Monday while warning of the dire climate change that could re-create the conditions of Chicago’s deadly heat wave 25 years ago.
The clean energy plan will require all county facilities to run on 100% renewable electricity and achieve a 45% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 as well as be carbon neutral by 2050, Preckwinkle said at a news conference. The goals stem from a Cook County Board resolution passed in 2019 amid mounting fears about global warming.
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Preckwinkle began her message with a moment of silence for the estimated 739 people who died after sweltering temperatures seized the city in 1995. She blamed the fatalities, which were disproportionately in Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides, on the structural inequalities that continue to cause disparities in coronavirus deaths today.
“Climate change didn’t cause these inequities, but it made viable a set of conditions that were always present but unacknowledged,” Preckwinkle said. “We collectively created the conditions that made it possible for so many residents to die in 1995. And if we’re aware of these conditions, we can and should change them.”
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Officials did not name a price tag for the initiative, but Jamie Meyers, energy manager for Cook County’s Bureau of Asset Management, said the upfront costs will be financed from bonds as part of the county’s capital improvement program. The current budget also allots money for energy efficiency projects, so no money will come out of the operating budget to finance the plan, Meyers said.
Cook County’s chief sustainability officer, Deborah Stone, said the goal of curtailing carbon emissions by 45% from its 2010 baseline already has been in the works, with the county touting that one-third of greenhouse gas emissions were reduced since Preckwinkle took office a decade ago. In addition, solar panels are being designed for the Skokie and Markham courthouses and the Cicero Records Center, with 25 total facilities currently under consideration for solar energy use.
“It’s a steep target to meet,” Stone said. “But it’s important because we’re already feeling the effects of climate change. And climate change is now projected to have worse impacts than we thought even a few years ago.”
Becoming carbon-neutral by 2050 means that all carbon emissions are not only lowered but that the remaining discharges must be offset by clean energy. As for the 100% clean energy bench mark, energy from wind, solar and geothermal sources will be tapped into for all county buildings — a feat Stone hopes other local governments can follow.
“We think they’re reasonable and achievable,” Stone said. “As you’ll see, the plan relies on commonsense actions and on technologies that exist today.”
The goals will be accomplished by four pillars of sustainability: reduce, maintain, renew and support, Meyers said. “Reduce” aims to make up 62% of the county’s 2050 goal of greenhouse gas reductions through building upgrades such as energy-efficient lighting, and “maintain” hopes to monitor energy use to account for another 25% of needed decreases.
“Renew” means the county will create clean energy by seeking out solar and wind energy contracts, with a focus on local projects that create jobs, Meyers said. This step would lead to 12% of the 2050 standard for greenhouse gas reductions.
Lastly, the “support” pillar will enact incentives for departments to save energy as well as prioritize energy efficiency for new building standards, Meyer said. He vowed those initiatives will be “fiscally responsible” and actually “provide the best return” for taxpayer dollars.
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Joining the county officials were Fenell Doremus, producer of the “Cooked: Survival by Zip Code” documentary, which explores the 1995 Chicago heat wave, and Ayesha Jaco, executive director of West Side United Team.
After highlighting how the heat wave 25 years ago devastated “our most underserved communities,” Jaco noted the enduring difference between the Loop and West Side’s life expectancies — one that her organization aims to halve by 2030.
“We, too, name structural racism and historical disinvestment as key pillars that aid to this gap,” Jaco said.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--HHS Secretary Alex Azar says Dr. Fauci remains  a ‘trusted adviser’ and blames spike in cases on per

HHS Secretary Alex Azar says Dr. Fauci remains  a ‘trusted adviser’ and blames spike in cases on personal  behavior, particularly among younger people

“ It is a credible goal to have high tens of millions of doses before the end of the year @ @ @ @ @ of doses at the beginning of the year .
So that would be a transitional @ @ @ @ @ not going to wait until you have stored up vaccine .
You ’ ll want @ @ @ @ @ can be of the most value and provide the most efficacy in the safest way @ @ @ @ @ said .

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the Department of Education building July 8, 2020, in Washington. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Tuesday that Americans should not be concerned that infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci will leave the Trump administration, saying he remains a “trusted adviser” of himself and the administration
Azar also said he believes there is a “credible” chance for tens of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine to be distributed as part of phased trials this fall, with hundreds of millions of doses available by the start of the year.
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Azar, a former pharmaceutical executive who had previous stints in the federal health care agency, said pandemic spikes in the South and West, and increased cases in 37 states were not a result of efforts to reopen economies too early but of a failure in personal behavior, particularly among younger people, to adhere to public health guidelines.
Azar was in Chicago to visit with health care professionals at Rush University Medical Center as well as Haymarket Center as part of an effort to encourage people to resume medical procedures, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. Azar said such procedures fell 90% during the recent peak of the pandemic in the Chicago area.
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The Trump administration’s efforts in dealing with the pandemic have become a major issue in a presidential election season.
Trump this week retweeted former game show host Chuck Woolery’s baseless claim that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was “lying” about the coronavirus. Additionally, over the weekend, the White House sought to cast doubt about the credibility of Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Fauci, who has served under six presidents, has found his public visibility sidetracked by the White House over his comments warning of the need to control COVID-19 that conflict with Trump’s efforts to seek a reopened economy. Polls have found Fauci to have a greater trust factor than Trump over issues involving the pandemic.
“I’ve known Dr. Fauci and worked with him for close to 20 years now as a friend and colleague. He is a very trusted adviser of the president and myself and the vice president. He contributes his ideas. He’ll continue to contribute his ideas and views,” Azar said.
“The president builds teams where each of us provide our inputs from our perspective, and his job as president is to take those inputs and the different perspectives, de-conflict them and come about with what he believes in the direction he’s going to provide for the country,” he said.
“But Dr. Fauci, as the president has made clear, is one of his trusted advisers and will remain so. Nobody should be concerned. Dr. Fauci is and will remain a trusted adviser of the president and myself.”
Appearing at a forum at Georgetown University in Washington on Tuesday, Fauci was asked about White House attempts to discredit him. “You can trust respected medical authorities. I believe I’m one of them, so I think you can trust me,” he said, citing a “track record of telling the truth” and using “scientific and good data.”
In an interview with the Tribune, Azar said the spike in coronavirus cases in the South was not a question of “open-reopen” but an issue of personal responsibility and failure to follow public health guidelines of wearing a facial covering, physical distancing and personal hygiene — particularly among younger people as indoor serving in bars and restaurants opened up.
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That has prompted several governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, to backtrack on opening bars, and indoor dining and restrictions on gatherings of more than 10 people.
Illinois, which has seen its rolling positive testing rate increase to 3% in recent days, has limited indoor bar and restaurant capacity, and gatherings of no more than 50 people. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday again said he has been reviewing case numbers in Illinois but expressed concern over the potential for transmission among young people in bars.
Azar said the capacity of the health system in the South is not about facilities, such as availability of intensive care beds, but about the personnel to operate them. Efforts, he said, are being made to increase health care staff in those areas.
But he said reverting back to a widespread economic shutdown can be avoided.
“We’ve actually done modeling that if those (public health) steps are executed well with discipline — if we as individuals will take those measures — we can actually turn around the rate of infection and get to negative infection growth in ways that are not quite as much but comparable to shutdown-type approaches,” he said.
“Quite clearly, people went from being locked down to ... behaviors that were not consistent with our recommendations,” he said.
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“We’ve got to act responsibly as individuals. If we don’t do that, then you do see that change is needed like in the South where we recommended closing bars, restricting indoor dining or in California, pulling back on elements of reopening. Because if we don’t act responsibly as individuals, that freedom gets taken away from us,” he said.
Azar said he expects it is possible that a rollout of various vaccines in which the U.S. government has invested could begin in late fall with widespread distribution by the beginning of the new year. Even if a vaccine is developed in which the government has not invested, he said “money will not be a barrier to access to vaccines for any individual.”
“It is a credible goal to have high tens of millions of doses before the end of the year and then hundreds of millions of doses at the beginning of the year. So that would be a transitional rollout. You’re not going to wait until you have stored up vaccine. You’ll want to use it where it can be of the most value and provide the most efficacy in the safest way for people,” he said.
Azar acknowledged with the development of a successful vaccine, there will be a need to “tackle that movement” against vaccinations, saying development and testing will be “transparent with the data” and engaging in an education campaign with the public.
The Cabinet secretary also said the health care industry is much better prepared now than it was during the initial stages of the pandemic regarding training, treatment and personal protective gear.
“Where we are today thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the work of our governors and our whole-of-economy approach, we are in a dramatically better place today than we were two or three months ago,” he said.
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chicagotribune--2020-07-14--‘We are drilling down’: As Chicago lags in U.S. census response, outreach groups use current crises

‘We are drilling down’: As Chicago lags in U.S. census response, outreach groups use current crises to show importance of being counted

“ Encouraging people to participate in a way that feels close to home for them is something that we feel @ @ @ @ @ most payoff in the end and get the most people to respond , ” Kareem @ @ @ @ @ for the Chicago Urban League , said during a conference call with census officials Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ time like this when there ’ s a lot of uncertainty .
”

Silvia Trejo, left, and Magdelena Perales tape census reminders on food boxes that will go to families in need at New Life Centers in Chicago's Little Village on July 2, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Hoping to get more minorities in Chicago to participate in the U.S. census, outreach groups say they are using the coronavirus pandemic and the fallout from the police killing of George Floyd to impress the importance of being included in the national count.
“Encouraging people to participate in a way that feels close to home for them is something that we feel is going to have the most payoff in the end and get the most people to respond,” Kareem Butler, a policy coordinator for the Chicago Urban League, said during a conference call with census officials Tuesday. “Especially at a time like this when there’s a lot of uncertainty.”
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Chicago is lagging other large cities in census response rates, with only about 55% of residents recorded compared with the national rate of 62%. The response rate among Hispanic and Black people in Chicago is about 51%, compared with 69.6% among whites and 64.1% among Asians, according to Marilyn Sanders, regional director for the U.S. census in Chicago.
Neighborhoods with the lowest response rates are on the West and South sides: West Garfield Park, 38.22%; Woodlawn, 45.8%; Englewood, 38.77%; and Washington Park 40.18%.
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“We have reached a point where now, in some neighborhoods we are drilling down,” Sanders said during the call. “These are the areas where we need to take this important message that the census is easy, it’s safe and it’s important.”
Groups have held virtual and live events emphasizing how both the pandemic and issues raised by Floyd’s killing affect minority communities, Butler said.
“We initially had a lot of plans to directly interact with people face-to-face to provide technology on-site for people to be able to complete the census,” he said. “But once COVID-19 really hit, we had to rely more heavily on strategic partnerships, we had to rely on partnerships downstate and locally.”
Outreach groups also have been working to raise awareness on how participating in the census benefits programs people care about most, said Austin Patrick, a strategist for Team Y&R, a marketing company helping to advertise the census. This includes schools, health care, public transportation, housing assistance and child and food programs.
The census is conducted every 10 years to help determine how many congressional seats each state gets. It is also used in the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal spending.
“The census is something that benefits a community over a decade — it’s a long time,” Patrick said. “And sometimes it’s hard to see the actual benefit, which becomes another impediment.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot had the same message Monday, citing the same numbers and the same warnings. “We need everyone to step up. Five minutes of time, that’s all we need, and we can change this thing entirely around.”
Chicago is set to transition to its next outreach phase on Aug. 11 when census takers will travel to households that haven’t yet completed the census. Census takers will wear personal protective equipment and practice social distancing, Sanders said.
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The city has so far focused on getting people to respond to the census forms. “It’s never been easier to take the census, (and by) taking the census online, by phone or by mail, you can avoid not having a census taker come to your home,” Sanders said.
Census data will stop being collected Oct. 31.