chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Have a question about coronavirus testing? Submit it here and local health experts will provide the

Have a question about coronavirus testing? Submit it here and local health experts will provide the answer.

What are some of your lingering questions about COVID-19 testing ?
The Tribune will be talking to scientists and physicians @ @ @ @ @ types of coronavirus tests to various reasons for getting tested to the impact testing has @ @ @ @ @ What would you like to ask experts ?

What are some of your lingering questions about COVID-19 testing? The Tribune will be talking to scientists and physicians about everything from the different types of coronavirus tests to various reasons for getting tested to the impact testing has on fighting the virus. What would you like to ask experts?
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chicagotribune--2020-08-14--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Running list: Chicago-area restaurants closed permanently due to coronavirus pandemic economic woes

La Sardine , which has been a fixture in the West Loop for nearly 22 years , has closed for good .
“ It ’ s sad , ” said partner and executive chef Oliver Poilevey about closing La Sardine , founded by his parents , along with Le Bouchon in Bucktown .
“ A month , month and a half ago , I thought we were going to make it.
” La Sardine has no outdoor space in which to set up tables , but had eked by with meals-to-go and , eventually , indoor dining with the 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned warm and the unthinkable happened : The air conditioning broke down .
Looking at $ 80,000 in repairs , Poilevey asked the building ’ s landlord to fix it .
After a month of negotiations , the answer was no .
And Poilevey knew he could not risk taking on the cost .
“ There ’ s no way we could pay for that , heading into the fall with no rent abatement , ” Poilevey said .
“ Throwing 80K at something and then having to close — that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains open for pickup and indoor dining , though space inside is limited .
For the full story , go here .
— Phil Vettel

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chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,721 deaths, 202,691 confirmed cases and 3.29 million tests

• How are Illinois regions doing ?
Check our daily charts on where each region stands on positivity rate and @ @ @ @ @ .

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


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Facing a no-visitor hospital policy, Lakeview woman begs to see her terminally ill husband

This policy notes “ with few exceptions , ” something Jeras said is confusing to patients and their families .
@ @ @ @ @ but Jeras said her husband ’ s situation didn ’ t seem to fall squarely @ @ @ @ @ she could say goodbye if they had to intubate him , she said , but @ @ @ @ @ the days before ?
With his terminal illness , she said , “ We don @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to be two days , two months , or he turns a @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Christine Jeras just wanted to hold her terminally ill husband’s hand.
Kevin Jeras has been fighting pancreatic cancer, which is now at stage 4, for almost two years. On Monday, after he experienced trouble breathing, he was hospitalized at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Lakeview.
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The hospital has a no-visitor policy because of the coronavirus pandemic. Christine Jeras felt helpless Monday, she said, because she wasn’t permitted to see her husband. She spent the whole day pleading with anyone she could get on the phone.
“He didn’t survive 22 months to go out in a hospital by himself,” she said.
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Jaimie Oh, a spokeswoman for Advocate hospitals, said the hospital is continuously updating its visitor policies. In an emailed statement, Advocate said: “Our hearts and prayers go out to families struggling during these difficult times. ... Our team is committed to providing the highest quality, safest care for patients, as well as support for families.”
On Tuesday, Jeras was able to spend six hours in her husband’s room. The time together was upbeat, she said, filled with texts from friends and videos they sent, and Dave Matthews’ music.
“We know that makes a difference,” she said. “My husband is a people person, and he needs to be surrounded by the people that he knows and loves.”
But on Wednesday, again, she was not permitted to visit him. Securing an exception to the no-visitor rule has been an “inhumane” process, she said. She took the day off work to make calls, all while trying to pack up her children to stay with relatives and figure out how she would be with her husband.
Wednesday night, she begged his doctors. Her husband was spending his own time and energy worrying about how to get her in. “I can’t take the stress,” he told her.
Christine and Kevin Jeras together in the hospital in August 2020. (Christine Jeras)
She asked the doctors to promise her that she would be permitted to see him if he didn’t seem like he would make it. They did.
“Having to watch on video, while he can’t talk to me, him not being able to breathe, gasp for air, coughing, and I can’t touch his arm or give him a hug,” has been distressing, she said.
On Thursday morning, she found out Advocate would make an exception. She rushed to the hospital.
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Jeras said she knows hospitals have visitor policies for a reason — to protect people during the pandemic. But her husband is not being treated for COVID-19.
The Lakeview resident said she wants others to know how area hospitals’ visitor policies differ.
At Northwestern, where Jeras said her husband is usually treated but was unable to reach because of Monday’s unrest, all patients except COVID-19 patients are allowed visitors. Advocate hospitals have varying guidelines; some have limited-visitor policies but others, including Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, allow no visitors.
This policy notes “with few exceptions,” something Jeras said is confusing to patients and their families. It lists end-of-life situations, but Jeras said her husband’s situation didn’t seem to fall squarely into that. Doctors said she could say goodbye if they had to intubate him, she said, but what about being with him the days before? With his terminal illness, she said, “We don’t know if that’s going to be two days, two months, or he turns a corner and something else happens.”
On Friday, Jeras said she was told she could begin visiting him regularly between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Even this feels cruel, she said. She had to leave her husband Thursday after a conversation about palliative care for pain management. “It felt terrible leaving him there alone, scared and with strangers.”
On Friday morning, they FaceTimed. She said she couldn’t sleep, feeling “dumbfounded” at the thought she had to wait hours to hold his hand. “It’s heart-wrenching seeing him so uncomfortable and not be there.”
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Ultimately, she is grateful to be allowed an exception to see her terminally ill husband, but said the days of stress it causes are awful.
“I’ve got two little kids that can’t see me stressed out right now,” she said, her voice breaking, “because I don’t know what to tell them about what’s going to happen to their dad the next couple of days.”
She wonders what other families in similar painful situations are facing. After she posted about their situation on Facebook, many people responded they, too, had been unable to see family members.
“I am an advocate. I’m a fighter,” she said. “Somebody who doesn’t know how to do this for themselves doesn’t deserve to be put in this position.”
For now, she was rushing to his hospital room, hoping his health turns a good corner. She is sure holding his hand will help.
On one of the days they couldn’t be together, her husband cried.
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She had told him not to worry. “I’m going to get to you,” she said.
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Watch live: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to announce new measures to protect commercial corridors an

Watch live: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to announce new measures to protect commercial corridors and neighborhoods

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will join law enforcement as well as community leaders to announce new measures to protect Chicago @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods at 12 p.m .


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Three shot at bar in Leyden Township, police say

Around 10:55 p.m. , a fight broke out at the bar between the shooter and another person , a spokesman @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Office said .
The man , who was wearing a dark-colored Chicago Bulls @ @ @ @ @ gun from his waistband and shot at the bar patrons , authorities said .

Three people were shot last week at Junior’s Place, a bar in unincorporated Leyden Township, authorities say.
Around 10:55 p.m., a fight broke out at the bar between the shooter and another person, a spokesman for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said. The man, who was wearing a dark-colored Chicago Bulls jersey, pulled out a gun from his waistband and shot at the bar patrons, authorities said.
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The shooter then left the bar, which is at 115 E. Grand Ave., on foot, headed south on LaPorte Avenue, police say.
When Cook County sheriff’s officers arrived, they found three men with gunshot wounds, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Matthew Walberg. The men are 43, 45 and 29 years old, the sheriff’s office said in an email. One man was taken to Loyola University Medical Center and two were taken to Elmhurst Hospital, Walberg said.
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As of last week, one man was expected to receive a second surgery. The two others had non-life threatening gunshot wounds and are in good condition, according to sheriff’s office spokeswoman Allison Peters.
Peters said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
Junior’s Place could not be reached for comment.
akim@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--‘I just wish I could have done more.’ Good Samaritan describes trying to save woman killed by SUV dr

‘I just wish I could have done more.’ Good Samaritan describes trying to save woman killed by SUV driver who circled block and hit her a second time.

Several people gathered to help , and one of them noticed him coming back yet again .
“ He came @ @ @ @ @ ’ ' Taylor said .
“ He was circling around .
We were screaming , @ @ @ @ @ help out .
One good Samaritan moved his car to block him , but the @ @ @ @ @ turned around again and began starting at them .

Adonnis Taylor was an eyewitness to a man driving his SUV toward a mother and daughter in downtown Chicago on Monday night. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Adonnis Taylor saw the Ford Explorer parked near a 7-Eleven on State Street and thought, “Must be the police.”
Far from it. Behind the wheel was a man who, for reasons yet explained, aimed his speeding SUV at a woman and her 20-year-old daughter, hitting them and then circling back and racing at them again on the Near North Side Monday night, according to police.
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As the Explorer closed in, Taylor said he was able to pull the daughter to the sidewalk in time but not her mother. “I keep replaying it in my head,” he said. “He ran over her. He dragged her.”
Zoraleigh Ryan, 55, wasn’t breathing when Taylor and the daughter reached her. “I just wish I could have done more.‘'
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The driver of the SUV, Edgar Roman, eluded police and ditched the Explorer about a mile from his home in Albany Park, according to prosecutors. Then he went to a police station and claimed he was carjacked at gunpoint and the SUV was stolen.
[ Prosecutors offer no motive for SUV driver accused of striking woman and her daughter, then circling back and hitting mother again, killing her ]
But Taylor had snapped photos of the SUV and the license plate. Roman, 25, eventually admitted hitting the women and was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, according to prosecutors. They gave no motive for the attack.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Taylor said. “It was random but it was so incredible.”
Taylor, who co-manages a demolition firm, said he was spending a few days downtown and was walking back to his hotel when he first spotted the SUV. It suddenly took off as Ryan and her daughter were walking across Hubbard Street toward the Courtyard Marriott.
“He started to make a U-turn, the car turned wide. He hit them,’' Taylor said. Both women were thrown several feet toward the curb and he rushed over to check on them. “I wanted to make sure they were OK. … The mom said her hip was hurting and her side.”
As he tended to them, the daughter glanced up and noticed Roman had parked his SUV in the middle of the street and had stepped out. “He started walking toward us.”
Gripping his phone, Taylor said he jumped up as Roman got within 20 to 30 feet of them. “I started to take pictures,’' he said. “He figured it out and got back into his vehicle, put it in reverse and began driving away.”
He hurried back to the mother and daughter and was about to call 911 when they heard the screech of tires. The SUV was rounding the corner and speeding toward them. “I was still talking to the police. I looked up and saw headlights,” Taylor said. “I’m not realizing this guy is really back.”
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He bolted toward the daughter and “just grabbed her and pulled her toward the sidewalk, hiding by a parking meter.” Before he could reach her mother, the SUV hit her and dragged her for several feet.
Taylor said he and the daughter ran to her. “We’re sitting there and I was trying to see if she was still alive when he came back at us again,’' Taylor said.
As Taylor got the young woman back to the sidewalk, she began to scream and cry. “That’s when people started to come outside and became aware of what was going on.”
The SUV went past and returned again, Taylor said. “He was in his car, driving by slowly. He was looking at me and the daughter. He never said a word.”
Several people gathered to help, and one of them noticed him coming back yet again. “He came back a fifth time,’' Taylor said. “He was circling around. We were screaming, trying to get somebody to help out. One good Samaritan moved his car to block him, but the man swerved around it, turned around again and began starting at them.
“Police happened to be coming down the block. We started running toward them yelling, ‘This man just killed her mother. He’s right there.‘ ”
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As police chased after the SUV, he and the young woman stood together in silence. “Me and the girl said prayers,’' Taylor said. Then she called her father.
Taylor said he has had a difficult time coming to grips with what happened and not being able to save the mother. “I’ve been battling with that. If I could have moved her to the sidewalk instead of like, letting her stay there. … It’s been messing with me a lot.”
His mother has tried to comfort him. “She told me, ‘God sent you for a reason.’ ”
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Can little kids social distance? This is how it works in Chicago’s child care centers

Employees at Carole Robertson Center for Learning say that that kids going back into child care centers or other places @ @ @ @ @ met by fear .
Instead , children of all ages will be better at sticking @ @ @ @ @ they are reinforced for doing well and are told why these actions are necessary .

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 Children, from 6 to 9, exercise in their classroom during "superhero day" at Carole Robertson Center for Learning in Chicago on Aug. 7, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Employees at Carole Robertson Center for Learning say that that kids going back into child care centers or other places of learning should not be met by fear. Instead, children of all ages will be better at sticking to public health guidelines if they are reinforced for doing well and are told why these actions are necessary.


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Saved by the Max returns to Chicago for a five-day, coronavirus guideline-abiding ‘carryout experien

Saved by the Max returns to Chicago for a five-day, coronavirus guideline-abiding ‘carryout experience’

Fans will pick up their order at Dorian ’ s in Wicker Park , blowing out the speakeasy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the Bayside Record Store .
The setting won ’ t be as immersive as it @ @ @ @ @ , but Berry hopes the response will be similar to the Mooby ’ s event @ @ @ @ @ sharing photos of the elaborate packaging and novelties on social media , rather than the @ @ @ @ @ events or Instagram “ museums .
”

Popular pop-up event Saved by the Max will return with a special five day carryout-only event featuring themed menu items. (Saved by the Max / HANDOUT)
Immersive, pop-culture-themed pop-up events at restaurants and bars have been a hot item during the past few years — remember the “Stranger Things” copyright snafu? — but in 2020, they’ve dried up almost entirely due to the COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings.
Next week, though, “Saved by the Bell”-themed pop-up Saved by the Max will return for a limited “carryout experience” that will be a safety-guideline-abiding riff on its predecessor.
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To commemorate the anniversary of the series’ premiere date in 1989, the pop-up will return Aug. 20 and run through Aug. 25. Saved by the Max will be back in both Chicago and Los Angeles, and it’s also expanding to New York City for this edition.
The team behind Saved by the Max has also produced pop-up events themed after “Good Burger” and “Breaking Bad.” Partner Derek Berry said the pandemic forced the company to re-adjust their plans, including the postponement of a special event for the 25th anniversary of the movie “Clueless” in April.
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Around the same time, Berry was approached by director Kevin Smith about his own event. Smith had apparently been impressed by previous pop-up events, and Berry said he wanted to ask about creating one for Mooby’s, the fictional fast-food chain in Smith’s films like “Clerks” and “Dogma.”
Eventually, the shutdown delayed the launch of Mooby’s storefront, but Berry and Smith decided to launch a digital campaign for it anyway: a lineup of Mooby’s fast-food items available through Postmates beginning on 4/20, a nod to the stoner holiday and Smith’s films.
“It blew up to the point where we crashed Postmates, the actual app, three times in LA. Postmates was calling us like, “are you crazy? you’ve ruined our app right now,‘” Berry said.
Although the Mooby's event lasted more than a day, the number of users who tried to log on and order immediately crashed the application. Worse, it led to an excess of delivery drivers all showing up onsite at once.
Still, the success of Mooby’s inspired Berry and company to try another “carry-out” experience, yielding the festive menu and packaging of the Saved by the Max event. The carryout element also allowed Berry to plan for adequate social distancing and safety measures, including staggered pickup times.
Guests can preorder a basic “Bayside Preppy Pack” through Tock that includes one Bayside Burger (Beyond meat version available), plus a side of Home of the Tigers Tater Totz and a Class of 2020 gift. Add-on options include Friends Forever Side Salad, Kapowski Fries, Zack’s Sweet Talking Cookies and Max’s Magical Gooey Brownie.
Saved by the Max menu will include Bayside-themed coffee kits. (Saved by the Max / HANDOUT)
Themed cocktail and coffee kits are also available to order. Preorders begin at noon Friday via Tock.
Fans will pick up their order at Dorian’s in Wicker Park, blowing out the speakeasy’s record store aesthetic to create the Bayside Record Store. The setting won’t be as immersive as it has been in the past, but Berry hopes the response will be similar to the Mooby’s event, which had many diners sharing photos of the elaborate packaging and novelties on social media, rather than the staging in-house like usual pop-up events or Instagram “museums.”
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“People are doing almost nothing right now — there is no Museum of Ice Cream, there is no Happy Place — but people are still clamoring for some kind of experience. To me, this is that happy medium of a take home experience, you’ve got our Bayside lunchbox. You’ve got your branded cocktails, and it’s just fun, you know?”
Replay Lincoln Park has become known for its pop-up transformations in recent years, and the bar arcade is also trying to bring back the experience, although modified for COVID-19 safety.
A “Bob’s Burgers” event begins Friday as an outdoor dining experience. As with Saved by the Max, the food is the fun part here, as Replay will be cooking up a series of Bob Belcher’s famous pun-friendly burgers — one per day — from the show, plus serving original themed cocktails.
Reservations are available online. The event runs through Sept. 27.
1941 W. North Ave., 773-687-9824, savedbythemax.com
2833 N. Sheffield Ave., 773-665-5660, replaylincolnpark.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Chicago restaurants sue for coronavirus insurance payouts, struggle to hang on. ‘We’re just hoping i

Chicago restaurants sue for coronavirus insurance payouts, struggle to hang on. ‘We’re just hoping it’s not too little too late.’

So far most rulings have favored insurers .
In Washington , D.C. , a Superior Court judge this week dismissed @ @ @ @ @ upscale restaurants , ruling the city-mandated shutdown did not amount to direct physical loss .
@ @ @ @ @ last month dismissed a suit brought by a restaurateur who claimed his inability to use @ @ @ @ @ A federal judge in New York in May denied a magazine publisher a preliminary injunction @ @ @ @ @ its insurer to pay up , saying the virus did not damage the property itself @

Jose Utrera and Adriana Tirado, of Logan Square, dine at The Whale on Aug. 12, 2020, in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. The Whale is operated by Legacy Hospitality, which is filing suit against its insurance carrier in hopes of getting coverage for income losses sustained during the pandemic. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Since suing his insurance carrier nearly five months ago, in hopes of recovering some of the money he’s lost during the pandemic, Ryan Marks has been doing what he can to keep his three restaurants afloat.
Neither he nor his business partners are taking salaries. He moved to a smaller apartment that costs half as much. He has been negotiating his restaurants’ rent with his landlords, some of whom are more sympathetic than others, but worries even a deferral won’t help much in the long term.
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“There is not going to be a magic double year coming up where I can just make it up,” said Marks, co-owner of Legacy Hospitality, which operates The Vig in Old Town and The Whale and Welcome Back Lounge in Logan Square.
Marks said he lost “multiples of millions” of dollars during the three months his restaurants were closed because of the state’s mandate to shutter dining rooms, and the losses continue to mount as some now operate with capacity restrictions. He worries the business will be unsustainable once Chicago’s weather turns cold and patio seating disappears.
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Jamila and John Nicosia, of East Garfield Park, dine with their children Aug. 12, 2020, at The Whale on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
As his lawsuit wends its way through the courts, Marks is counting on a win against his insurance company to make it through.
“We’re just hoping it’s not too little too late,” he said.
Hundreds of businesses across the country, from Chicago’s iconic Billy Goat Tavern to heavyweight restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You, have filed lawsuits against their insurers alleging they were improperly denied coverage of income losses sustained as a result of COVID-19 and government orders to shut down. Now they are waiting, some barely hanging on, to see if any relief will come.
Some judges have started to rule on the central question in many of the suits, which is whether the virus or the mandatory shutdowns caused “direct physical loss” or “damage” to property necessary to trigger business interruption coverage.
So far most rulings have favored insurers. In Washington, D.C., a Superior Court judge this week dismissed a case brought by several upscale restaurants, ruling the city-mandated shutdown did not amount to direct physical loss. A state judge in Michigan last month dismissed a suit brought by a restaurateur who claimed his inability to use his restaurants triggered coverage. A federal judge in New York in May denied a magazine publisher a preliminary injunction it had sought to force its insurer to pay up, saying the virus did not damage the property itself.
But businesses notched a win on Wednesday, when a federal judge in Missouri refused to dismiss a case filed by a group of hair salons and restaurants against Cincinnati Insurance Co. The judge said the businesses plausibly argued the virus caused a physical loss of their properties that could be covered under their policies.
To business owners like Marks, it seems clear that insurance should provide relief when disaster strikes. After faithfully paying insurance premiums so he wouldn’t be left in a lurch, it felt like a “slap in the face” when his claim was denied.
“It’s there to protect you from the unforeseen,” Marks said.
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More than 1,000 lawsuits pertaining to business interruption insurance have been filed against dozens of insurers since March, many with multitudes of plaintiffs, according to the University of Pennsylvania law professor Tom Baker, who operates the Covid Coverage Litigation Tracker.
A federal judicial panel this week denied a petition to consolidate the hundreds of federal cases filed nationwide in a multidistrict litigation before one judge, saying they didn’t have enough in common and it wouldn’t result in a more efficient resolution. But the ruling indicated it still may permit businesses that have sued the same insurer to band together in four insurer-specific consolidations against Society Insurance, The Hartford, Cincinnati Insurance and underwriters of Lloyd’s of London.
Nationwide consolidation was opposed by attorneys representing plaintiffs in several federal lawsuits filed in Chicago, who say different state laws and the nuances of different insurance policies would delay the process.
“My clients don’t have time to wait for a judge to look at every business interruption claim that has been filed across the country,” said Chris O’Malley, an attorney with King and Spalding who is representing 56 Chicago-area businesses in a lawsuit against Society Insurance. “They need relief sooner than that.”
O’Malley had seven plaintiffs when he filed the suit in March, including Marks’ Legacy Hospitality, and later amended it to add dozens more. The federal complaint alleges the virus itself as well as the shutdown orders caused physical loss or damage to the properties, and that Society acted in bad faith by denying claims without investigating.
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Society has a lot of hospitality industry clients in the Midwest and faces more than three dozen lawsuits, according to the Covid Coverage Litigation Tracker. Unlike some other insurers, its policies don’t specify that pandemics or viruses are excluded from coverage.
The company, based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, declined to comment on ongoing litigation but said “we look forward to a favorable resolution of this situation in the near future.”
The Billy Goat in March filed a federal lawsuit against Society claiming the state’s shutdown order amounted to a physical loss of property. It is seeking class-action status.
“Time is of the essence,” said attorney Robert Duncan, who is representing the restaurant.
Society said in a court filing that Illinois law requires physical alteration of the property for business interruption coverage to apply. The fact that businesses can use their properties for takeout and delivery shows they are undamaged, it argued.
Meanwhile, Billy Goat’s owners are struggling to keep their heads above water amid a sales plunge that shows no sign of normalizing anytime soon.
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Brothers Bill and Paul Sianis said sales at the burger dive fell 90% when dining rooms were forced to close, and remain 70% below normal even now that they have reopened under the city’s 25% occupancy restrictions.
Bill Sianis, co-owner of Billy Goat Tavern, stands outside the tavern Aug. 12, 2020, on lower Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Billy Goat is among the hundreds of businesses across the country that have sued their insurance carriers for rejecting claims under business interruption coverage for income losses sustained because of COVID-19. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
They have worked on the brand’s online presence and added third-party delivery companies to try to shore up revenues, but the absence of summer tourists and downtown office workers cuts deeply into their customer base.
“It’s been stressful because every year you look forward to people coming from all over the world because they know Billy Goat, and we are missing the whole thing,” Bill Sianis said.
“We don’t know when it’s going to stop,” he said. “It just keeps going.”
A coalition of small businesses organized by chef Thomas Keller, owner of Napa Valley’s renowned French Laundry, is pushing for legislation that would encourage insurers to ease the pain. His Business Interruption Group backs a House bill called the Business Interruption Relief Act, which would create a voluntary program for insurers to pay out claims to businesses and be reimbursed by the federal government.
The insurance industry has proposed different policy solutions, including a federal program called the Business Continuity Protection Program that would allow businesses to purchase revenue replacement coverage for up to 80% of payroll and other expenses, with the aid coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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The Insurance Information Institute, a trade association, said businesses should be looking to the federal government for relief rather than the insurance industry.
The system is not prepared to cover the massive income losses resulting from a pandemic and would be strained within months if it was forced to do so, potentially jeopardizing its ability to pay out claims from commonly covered events like hurricanes, fires and damage from civil unrest, said CEO Sean Kevelighan.
“We don’t want to put funds at risk for something that was never underwritten by the industry in the first place,” he said.
If policyholders with business interruption coverage — about 40% of businesses — got paid out for COVID-19-related claims, it would cost the industry $50 billion to $150 billion monthly, he said. If the coverage was extended to all small- and medium-sized businesses, as lawmakers at one point proposed, the monthly cost could be up to $380 billion monthly.
The insurance industry has a surplus of about $800 billion that is set aside to pay claims, and it becomes imperiled if the level drops below $400 billion, Kevelighan said.
“We think it’s really important to focus on a government solution and realize that this litigation is a huge investment of time, to wallets and it doesn’t benefit anyone but the trial attorneys,” he said.
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Gabriel Gillett, an attorney with Jenner & Block, questions the industry’s warnings of insolvency. Part of a team that this month filed a lawsuit in state court in Cook County on behalf of 42 businesses against 15 insurers, plus a similar one this week in New York with more than 50 plaintiffs, Gillett said the sympathy should be with businesses that paid for insurance coverage with the expectation it would be there for them in tough times.
“I don’t think it’s any more important for insurance companies to survive than your local neighborhood bar or restaurant, or national chains for that matter,” he said. The National Restaurant Association has estimated 20% to 25% of bars and restaurants will permanently close because of the pandemic, which translates to about 5,000 establishments in Illinois.
Gillett said the plaintiffs in the suit, which include big local names such as Gibsons Restaurant Group, have lost hundreds of millions of dollars and continue to suffer damages as the government-mandated restrictions remain in effect.
“The executive shutdown orders rendered our properties nonfunctional as restaurants — dining rooms were shut down, physical barriers were required to be installed and large portions of our premises were seriously impaired,” said a statement from Lettuce Entertain You, the lead plaintiff in the suit.
The restaurant group, which owns more than 120 establishments nationwide, said it has paid for an “all-risk” policy for more than 40 years and “at a time when we needed it most, we were categorically denied by our insurance company.”
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Lettuce Entertain You’s insurer is Employers Insurance, an affiliate of Liberty Mutual, which said it does not comment publicly about ongoing litigation.
The dining room at Manny's Deli, seen Aug. 12, 2020, in Chicago's South Loop, normally seats 300 people. It is currently limited to 50 because of coronavirus restrictions. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Dan Raskin, co-owner of Manny’s Deli, a South Loop institution founded by his great-grandfather 78 years ago, said he was “hurt” when he received a denial of coverage from Society Insurance less than 24 hours after filing a claim.
Raskin, a plaintiff in the Lettuce suit, has tried to innovate to generate sales, putting an outdoor seating area in the parking lot and launching a delivery program to the suburbs to sell to fans no longer commuting downtown for work.
But most days, business at Manny’s is down 50% from normal levels, and sometimes it’s down 80%, he said.
The large dining room, which can usually seat 300 people, is now limited to 50 because of social distancing rules, and the catering and events business, which usually made up 10% of sales, is gone. Some revenue generators, such as the fountain drink machine, have been removed to limit how many surfaces people touch.
Meanwhile, Raskin has added expenses, including a doorman who only lets in four customers at a time to limit the number of people going through the cafeteria line.
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Raskin is confident Manny’s will survive, but the loss of business throws a wrench into business and personal plans.
“You work for a long time and you save money to retire,” he said, and now retirement may be a few more years off.
At The Whale in Logan Square, Marks is hoping for a long summer. He is able to seat 78 people on his sidewalk patio, while the city’s restrictions limit indoor dining to 50 people in a space meant for 224.
The Whale is seen Aug. 12, 2020, in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. The restaurant is operated by Legacy Hospitality. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
On a perfect summer evening, the patio was reasonably busy, but it was sparse inside the swank dining room, where some tables displayed masks and hand sanitizer for customers. Marks was trying to be optimistic.
“We’re pumping positive energy,” said Marks, who has worked in restaurants since a job at Taco Bell as a teen. “Happiness, positive hospitality and thankfulness, that’s what I think will get us through.”
Asked if his restaurants could survive without an insurance payout, Marks took a long pause.
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“I don’t know,” he said finally. “But I’m not a quitter.”
aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--Family of woman who died of COVID-19 sues North Aurora meat packing plant over working conditions

They said the company failed to put in place any plan , including an infectious disease preparedness plan , or @ @ @ @ @ measures ” in line with federal and state guidelines .
Among other measures , they @ @ @ @ @ not to clean and disinfect the plant ; to provide protective gear , such as @ @ @ @ @ to take steps such as adding physical barriers or providing extra space for lunch to @ @ @ @ @ to provide sanitizer , hand washing breaks or hot water for hand washing .

The family of a woman who died of complications related to COVID-19 has sued the North Aurora meat packing plant where her husband worked, alleging the company failed to take proper steps to respond to the spread of the virus.
The family said in the lawsuit the plant, Aurora Packing Company, was negligent by “fail(ing) to warn its employees when it knew or should have known of a COVID-19 outbreak in its meat packing facility” and “actively created a risk of harm for its employees and those with whom its employees were in close contact” by failing to take steps to limit the virus’ spread.
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The wrongful death lawsuit, filed Aug. 5, was brought by the family of Esperanza Ugalde. Her husband, Ricardo Ugalde, was a butcher at the plant for 35 years, according to the lawsuit.
Esperanza Ugalde in an undated family photo. (Erika Iniguez / HANDOUT)
Ricardo Ugalde contracted the virus around April 28 through his work at Aurora Packing Company, and Esperanza Ugalde contracted the virus shortly after, their family says in the suit. She died May 2 at age 67.
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“The main thing is, I don’t want any other family to go through this,” said Erika Iniguez, Ugalde’s daughter, who brought the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states that before April 28, “Aurora Packing was aware that other employees within the meat packing facility had become infected with COVID-19 but took no measures to mitigate the spread of the virus within its facility despite the known health effects of the virus.”
A spokeswoman for the Kane County Health Department said the agency was called in to work on an investigation at the Aurora Packing Company. She declined to provide further details, including the date the health department was called in or whether they ordered the company to temporarily close as part of the investigation, citing pending litigation.
Bridget Duignan, the Ugalde family’s attorney, said the plant was briefly closed at the end of April, after Ricardo Ugalde contracted the virus.
An official with Aurora Packing Company did not respond to messages seeking comment Thursday. A “COVID-19 response statement” on the plant’s website notes the company has “taken a proactive approach to minimize the health risk of spreading the virus,” but does not offer specifics about the approach.
As COVID-19 spread, meat processing plants across the country have faced pressure over social distancing, protective equipment and COVID-19 safety practices. Workers at some plants nationwide became sick, and some facilities temporarily closed.
In the lawsuit, Ugalde’s family says Ricardo Ugalde “stood shoulder to shoulder” with coworkers in a processing line, and “sat shoulder to shoulder” with coworkers during a lunch break.
They said the company failed to put in place any plan, including an infectious disease preparedness plan, or “any basic infection prevention measures” in line with federal and state guidelines. Among other measures, they said the company also chose not to clean and disinfect the plant; to provide protective gear, such as masks, to employees; to take steps such as adding physical barriers or providing extra space for lunch to accommodate social distancing; nor to provide sanitizer, hand washing breaks or hot water for hand washing.
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“By their failures to prevent and mitigate the spread of the virus, in our opinion, it was foreseeable that they would take this virus beyond the facility and infect others within the community,” Duignan said.
She highlighted Ugalde’s family’s loss.
“This is a woman who was a dedicated stay-at-home wife and mother, four children, someone who was very active in the community, very well loved by her family, and is very missed right now,” Duignan said. “They’re having a difficult time understanding this, and how and why it could happen.”
Iniguez has previously described the way her mother was a fixture at school events and recitals for her family and children she babysat. Her mother motivated, supported and comforted those around her, and seemed to be smiling in every photo, Iniguez said.
She has described Ugalde as the center of the family and dedicated to her Catholic faith. She loved music and dancing, Iniguez said.
Iniguez said in filing the lawsuit, she sought to be her mother’s voice.
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“She’s missed every day,” Iniguez said. “Every second of the day.”
sfreishtat@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-14--For religious leaders who serve families affected by Chicago’s violence, the work takes a toll: ‘It’

For religious leaders who serve families affected by Chicago’s violence, the work takes a toll: ‘It’s a very lonely place’

“ You put yourself out there and try to be a voice for the voiceless , and you put your @ @ @ @ @ said the Rev .
Greg Livingston , who has spent three decades as a pastor @ @ @ @ @ South and West Sides .
“ You want to connect with that family and their @ @ @ @ @ a constant ( for him ) .
And an ever-constant way of putting yourself out @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a life of sacrifice for those of us who really take it seriously @ @

The Rev. Marshall Elijah Hatch at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church on Aug. 6, 2020. The stained glass depicts five young victims of recent Chicago violence beneath the four girls killed in the 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, church bombing. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
There he stood again, centered in his pulpit, trying to make sense of yet another life lost to violence in Chicago’s streets.
Dressed in a gray pinstripe suit, the Rev. Ira Acree glanced at his notes, then skimmed the crowd searching for the right words to comfort the grieving eyes staring back at him.
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“Her life mattered,” Acree said as he gestured to the purple casket where the body of 13-year-old Amaria Jones lay.
“That’s why the city is grieving. Her soul mattered. Her dreams mattered, and her future mattered.”
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It was a Friday evening in early July, and Acree assumed the role many pastors must in the aftermath of a killing — being a steady voice in chaos. But this snapshot of a funeral inside the Greater St. John Bible Church barely starts to convey the burden religious leaders carry.
The Rev. Ira Acree attends a funeral viewing in the North Austin neighborhood on Aug, 7, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
With more than 450 homicides this year and counting, Chicago is on pace for one of its deadliest years.
And while the effects of Chicago’s carnage are wide-reaching — devastating families and scarring communities — it also takes a toll on the religious leaders who serve as spiritual guides for those who choose to follow.
For many pastors, ministry extends beyond their church walls and into the streets. And as the cycle of bloodshed unfolds, ministers and priests must also bear a portion of the trauma, as they comfort families in mourning and eulogize the dead.
“To do a eulogy is to give some meaning to the life, focused around some type of Bible verse of theological concept,” said the Rev. Marshall Elijah Hatch Sr., of the New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.
Their role is often a hybrid of ministry, counseling and activism.
“You put yourself out there and try to be a voice for the voiceless, and you put your heart out there,” said the Rev. Greg Livingston, who has spent three decades as a pastor on the city’s South and West Sides. “You want to connect with that family and their sorrow, so it is a constant (for him). And an ever-constant way of putting yourself out there for people. It’s a life of sacrifice for those of us who really take it seriously.”
It can be a steep cost to pay for the city’s religious shepherds, at times fracturing their personal lives, damaging their health, and leaving some to question how long they can continue with a ministry that requires so much.
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Each pastor has a few tragic murders that never leave them.
And without hesitation, they can recite the names like they are taking attendance in a classroom.
Bettie Jones, the 55-year-old grandmother who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer.
Mekhi James, the 3-year-old boy shot and killed while riding in the back seat of a car with his father. Or Heaven Sutton, the 7-year-old girl who was shot and killed while selling candy outside of her home.
Each death is different. But each one takes a piece of their souls.
“The loss of young life, having to minister to families. I call it trying to make sense out of stuff that don’t make sense,” Hatch said.
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For Hatch, 2016 was the year he began acutely feeling the stress of his work. Tribune data show at least 795 people were killed in Chicago in 2016, the deadliest year since the mid-1990s.
The 62-year-old pastor said that “2016 shook me up. It was the first time I was on the verge of tears, thinking about stuff all the time. And it was clear to me; I had been traumatized.”
That year, Hatch delivered more than a dozen eulogies, the majority for homicide victims, including at the funeral of Demetrius Griffin, a 15-year-old boy whose body was found burned beyond recognition in a West Side alley.
In the wake of Demetrius’ death, Hatch did what he knew best.
“Grieving is a complicated process,” he said. “I find it’s best to give the family some space, but make sure they know I’m always here for them.”
While she is still hurting from the unsolved killing of her nephew, Rochelle Sykes, Demetrius’ aunt, said Hatch, her pastor, was a steady presence for her family throughout the entire process.
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"He's just been a big help," she said. "A great support system."
A stained glass window at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church depicts five young victims of recent Chicago violence beneath the four girls killed in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Demetrius now watches over the sanctuary of his former church home. An image of his face is etched into a colored stained glass window in the church’s sanctuary. Four other Chicago teenagers who were killed also are portrayed in stained glass.
"When they put him up, I had a lot of joy in my heart," Sykes said.
Very few people see as much of the aftermath of the city’s violence as Pastor Donovan Price.
Price is on the ministry team at New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, but found his calling in being a street pastor.
Price said he began responding to crime scenes in 2016 and estimated he’s been to one-third of all the city’s homicides since, often going out in the wee hours of the night.
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In some instances, Price’s work extends beyond prayer and comforting a victim’s friends and family at a crime scene. He has taken family members of murder victims to the Cook County morgue for body identification, organized candlelight vigils and eulogized people at funerals.
"I'll go as far along in the process as I'm allowed or needed in accordance with (the family's) wishes," Price said.
No matter what time of day or night it is, Price is always ready to visit a homicide scene.
"I've been on call for four years technically," he said. "How many times a day, it doesn't matter."
As Price talked about his experiences, like the other pastors, he instinctively lists the horrific scenes he’s witnessed.
Pastor Donovan Price gives a closing prayer as the Chicago police hold an "Operation Wake-Up" community rally to help stop area violence on the corner of 75th and Coles in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood on April 4, 2017. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
There was the time he was covered in blood after assisting with a mother whose 20-month-old baby was shot and killed while she was driving home from a laundromat.
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Then there was a man, Antoine Jones, 40, who was shot inside a South Side barbershop in front of children. Seeing a “big pool of blood with a bunch of little footprints” will forever be ingrained in his mind, he said. The man charged with murder in the killing, Martez O’Neal, 30, has not been convicted, as the court case continues.
But Price’s commitment takes a toll. Recently, he began having anxiety attacks at night. His family has implored him to take a break.
"I'll wake up with my heart racing, blood pressure up and dizziness," he said.
"It's getting kind of advanced," Price said of the anxiety attacks. "I'm going to figure that part out. But it's a part of what I do. It's not like the injuries of war are not to be expected when you work in a war zone, and you recognize that."
While some pastors have sacrificed their physical and mental health, others’ personal relationships have been marred.
“I’ve lost marriages being involved in this type of ministry,” Livingston said. “I’ve suffered the loss of friendships and relationships because of this ministry.”
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“There are people that don’t want to be around me because they feel that things I deal with are too painful, and I understand that. I really do. It’s a very lonely place.”
Pastor Donovan Price places crosses at Mercy Hospital to remember the victims of a shooting on Nov. 20, 2018. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
But in spite of the drawbacks of their ministry, the pastors said they feel this is their calling, and they remain committed to doing all they can to help the families of homicide victims.
“When I see people, literally dying around me, the question I have to ask myself is what can I do to make a difference. If I were a doctor, I would try to heal them. If I were an educator, I’d try to teach them. But I’m a preacher, and my tools are the word, the narrative, prayer and the spiritual approach,” Livingston said.
Price said while there’s nobility in the work he’s doing, he doesn’t want to be applauded for it, because he’s only doing the Lord’s work. And he couldn’t face seeing people at their most despairing day after day without divine help.
“I’m able to do what I’m able to do only because of God,” Price said. “... I’m on some of the frazzled edges that come with this because it makes a difference. Because I need to give pure love. If I become a casualty of that, then so be it.”
jaanderson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened on Aug. 13 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

They bring their violins and trumpets , saxophones and cellos for the chance to learn from the masters who teach @ @ @ @ @ play in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra , Lyric Opera and the city ’ s many @ @ @ @ @ students — from as near as Hyde Park and as far as Shanghai — get @ @ @ @ @ ensembles , participate in master classes with visiting virtuosos and otherwise revel in the cultural @ @ @ @ @ city .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
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)
Illinois public health officials Thursday announced 1,834 new known cases of COVID-19 and 24 additional confirmed deaths. The state has now logged 200,427 cases overall and 7,696 confirmed deaths.
According to a new federal report, at least 24 children in Illinois have come down with a rare but severe illness linked to COVID-19, placing Illinois among the top seven states in the country for the number of cases.
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Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and California each had between 21 and 30 cases from March to July, according to an article released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts had more than 31 incidences each.
The illness — called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) — can generally appear two to four weeks after the onset of COVID-19 in a child or adolescent.
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On Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker again warned that the state might reimpose stricter measures to slow the spread of the highly contagious disease as trends continue to move in the wrong direction. He urged local officials to “impose greater mitigations on a targeted basis to bring down the number of infections or the positivity rate.”
“Otherwise, it will only be a matter of time before the state will be forced to step in and roll things back on a regional basis, something none of us wants,” Pritzker said.
[ COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: A daily update on key metrics in your area ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts ]
[ Illinois coronavirus graphs: The latest on deaths, confirmed cases, tests and more ]
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
6:20 p.m.: Another Cook County clerk’s office employee tests positive for COVID-19
The Cook County clerk’s office will close Friday for the second time this week, after another employee tested positive for coronavirus.
The employee last worked on the 5th floor of the office at 69 W. Washington St. on Thursday, clerk’s office spokesman John Mirkovic said. Anyone still at the office was sent home about 4:30 p.m.
Earlier this week, another employee tested positive on the same floor, causing the office to shut down on Tuesday. It opened back up Wednesday morning.
Mirkovic said he did not know when the office would reopen.
Previously, other floors in that building that belong to the Chicago Board of Elections had two recent cases of coronavirus. The first time, the 6th and 8th floors were closed on July 30 for a deep clean after an employee reported a positive test, according to executive director Lance Gough.
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Then the 8th floor was shut down again on Aug. 7 after an employee tested positive. Gough said contact tracing “determined both contracted the virus outside the office.”
—Alice Yin
5:35 p.m.: La Sardine closes permanently after nearly 22 years in West Loop due to COVID-19 and a bad break
This news had been rumored for awhile, but now it’s official: La Sardine, which has been a fixture in the West Loop for nearly 22 years, has closed for good.
“It’s sad,” said partner and executive chef Oliver Poilevey. “A month, month and a half ago, I thought we were going to make it.”
Poilevey oversees La Sardine and its sister property, Le Bouchon in Bucktown. Both restaurants were created by his parents, chef Jean-Claude Poilevey and Susanne Poilevey. Jean-Claude died in a car accident in 2016; Susanne died in September 2019.
The La Sardine property has no outdoor space in which to set up tables, but eked by with meals-to-go and, eventually, indoor dining with the 25% capacity limitation. Then the weather turned warm and the unthinkable happened.
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“The AC broke,” Poilevey said. “A total break. It would cost $80,000 to fix it, and since we don’t own the building and obviously we have no money coming in, we asked the landlord to fix it. After a long month of exhausting negotiations, at the end of the day he wouldn’t do it.”
“There’s no way we could pay for that, heading into the fall with no rent abatement,” he said. “Throwing 80K at something and then having to close — that’s not a good plan.”
Read more here. —Phil Vettel
5:13 p.m.: Evanston school leaders report ‘ominous threats’ following Fox News coverage of reopening that highlighted approach to students of color
Officials at Evanston/Skokie School District 65 say they have been in touch with law enforcement after receiving threatening emails following a Fox News story detailing their reopening plans.
The online news story reported that students of color may receive priority for limited in-person classroom spots ahead of white students when school resumes. School officials point out their approach is more nuanced, and based on which students would most benefit from in-person instruction, not on race. They say the timing of the report’s publication coincided with a rise in messages, and in one specific case a threatening email.
On July 22, the school board approved plans for a hybrid model featuring both in-person and remote learning options. Under the district’s plan, parents can choose to have their students learn all online or return to the school building for four days per week of in-person instruction. The plans were also discussed at a virtual town hall last month.
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Board President Anya Tanyavutti said Wednesday that because the district is operating at a reduced building capacity to accommodate social distancing and other concerns in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a chance more students and parents will choose in-person learning over remote learning than there are seats are available.
If that happens, the district will prioritize in-person slots for students who have learning challenges, receive free or reduced lunch, are homeless or who face other unique issues that would especially benefit from in-person instruction, board members and district administrators said. While race is not a determining factor, Evanston’s Black and Latino students comprise much of this group, officials said.
The Fox News story published online Aug. 7 with the headline “Illinois district includes students of color in groups with first chance at in-person learning: report.” It was after the publication of that story that Tanyavutti says the emails started.
Read more here. —Genevieve Bookwalter
4:50 p.m.: Lightfoot says city will educate Chicagoans about vaccines to prep them in case one to block COVID-19 is developed
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday said she will launch an effort to educate Chicagoans about vaccines because she’s worried residents will have reservations about getting one to prevent COVID-19 if one is ever available.
With no timeline yet for when a vaccine might be available, Lightfoot said during a National Urban League panel that the city remains “in the fight of our lives” against the virus.
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“I worry that even once we get a vaccine, that because of the speed with which it’s going to be brought into production, that people are going to be reluctant to take it,” Lightfoot said. “So we’re starting now to do a lot of education about vaccines in general.”
“I’m concerned that when flu season starts, as it does every year, that people are going to confuse flu-like symptoms with COVID-19 symptoms,” the mayor added. “So our public health response has to continue to be incredibly proactive and robust.”
Lightfoot spoke on a panel with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms discussing the Urban League’s annual State of Black America report.
This year’s report focuses heavily on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Black Americans.
Read more here. —John Byrne
3:55 p.m.: Joe Biden calls for a nationwide mask mandate
Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months.
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“Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus,” Biden said. “It’s about preventing other people from getting sick.”
The Democratic presidential candidate also responded to those who push back against such mandates.
“This is America. Be a patriot. Protect your fellow citizens. Step up, do the right thing.”
“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum — every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing,” Biden declared.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
2:49 p.m.: Teaching preschool during a pandemic: ‘We don’t worry about perfect — we just try our best’
The first day of preschool is difficult for almost everyone involved. It’s hard for parents and the little ones to say goodbye to one another while stepping up to this new milestone. And preschool teachers, new adult figures in these children’s lives, have the challenging task of comforting their students while also teaching them routines for beginning their school day.
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Teaching preschool in the middle of a pandemic has its own challenges. There are myriad protocols and guidelines for teachers, students and staff members, depending on where they are in the country — or where they are around the Chicago area — and whether learning will be remote, in-person or something in between. Some teachers feel confident and ready with the tools their school has provided, while others have been given little to no instruction on the best ways to educate their students.
Read more here. —Hannah Herrera Greenspan
1:46 p.m.: Two restaurant employee relief funds offering Chicagoans millions of dollars in aid
Against the backdrop of the economic blow dealt to the restaurant industry by COVID-19, and predictions of more closings to come, two new funds were announced Thursday to help employees. The Illinois Restaurant Association and Southern Smoke have established emergency assistance funds that aim to directly help restaurant industry workers.
The Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Restaurant Employee Relief Fund was created through donations from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Telemundo, Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois, EMPLOYERS (a small business insurance specialist), personal donations, corporate partnerships and proceeds from Chicago Gourmet’s upcoming “Go Gourmet” Dining and Virtual Event Series. Anyone can contribute and IRAEF is taking donations now.Applications go live in October.
“This fund expands upon the IRAEF’s efforts to ensure the future of our restaurant community statewide,” said Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, in a press release. “While the development of aspiring industry professionals remains the IRAEF’S core mission, it is urgent that we do all we can to secure the stability of our current workforce to ensure opportunities for those to follow.”
Read more here. —Grace Wong
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1:24 p.m.: Say goodbye to the giant green frog. Chicago’s Rainforest Cafe is closing for good ahead of schedule.
he giant green frog peering down at traffic from the top of Chicago’s Rainforest Cafe may not have much more time on his perch.
The kid-friendly restaurant in the Near North neighborhood closed sooner than expected after it shut down during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tribune reported in December that the restaurant at 605 N. Clark St. was expected to close within two years, when its lease expired.
Read more here. —Ryan Ori
12:49 p.m.: Illinois congressman calls for federal ban on electronic cigarettes, citing study that shows link to COVID-19
Citing a study showing a correlation between vaping and COVID-19, an Illinois congressman is calling for a federal ban on all e-cigarettes — though a vaping industry advocate called it a publicity stunt.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Schaumburg and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, wrote a letter to the Food and Drug Administration this week calling for the agency to “clear the market of all e-cigarettes, temporarily, for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.”
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The letter repeated a request the representative made on April 1 after preliminary studies made similar findings.
But Krishnamoorthi said the case for a ban is stronger following a study that found that young people ages 13-24 who had ever used e-cigarettes were five times more likely to develop COVID-19.
Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
12:05 p.m.: Illinois reaches more than 200,000 known cases of COVID-19
Illinois public health officials Thursday announced 1,834 new known cases of COVID-19 and 24 additional confirmed deaths. The state has now logged 200,427 cases overall and 7,696 confirmed deaths.
—Chicago Tribune staff
12:02 p.m.: Illinois among top seven states for rare childhood syndrome linked to COVID-19
At least 24 children in Illinois have come down with a rare but severe illness linked to COVID-19, placing Illinois among the top seven states in the country for the number of cases, according to a new federal report.
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Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and California each had between 21 and 30 cases from March to July, according to an article released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts had more than 31 incidences each.
The illness — called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) — can generally appear two to four weeks after the onset of COVID-19 in a child or adolescent. Symptoms can include a rash, fever, red eyes, swollen hands and feet, vomiting and abdominal pain. It’s an inflammatory illness, meaning the body’s immune system revs up and begins to attack healthy tissue.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
10:34 a.m.: From cabdrivers to concession cashiers, workers supported by Chicago’s airports wonder when — or if — they’ll go back.
The taxi industry was already having a tough time competing with ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a whole new level of pain.
In normal times, Chicago’s airports are reliable, year-round economic engines for the city. More than 105 million passengers traveled through O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport last year, and the city is pumping $8.5 billion into an expansion project at O’Hare that will help it attract even more.
Those millions of travelers bring more than tourism dollars and business for airlines. They support an entire network of businesses around Chicago’s airports, from catering companies that prepare in-flight meals to airport shops and restaurants where passengers kill time before boarding to airport hotels and car rental agencies.
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As a rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide stalls signs of growth, companies and workers alike are realizing what many assumed would be short-term pain isn’t going away anytime soon.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
10:14 a.m.: ‘Band and choir — there’s inherently aerosol spread with that.’ Educators try to create meaningful, in-person arts education during COVID-19.
In the band room, students emptied spit valves, some played shared instruments and others worked closely in small practice rooms. During choir rehearsal, dozens engaged in breathing exercises together. And onstage, theater students projected their voices and sang at the top of their lungs. What arts education looked like just months ago seems unfathomable in the age of COVID-19.
While many arts education programs will be online for at least a portion of this school year, some schools are grappling with how to safely provide in-person arts education during a pandemic.
Read more here. —Lauren Leazenby
10:13 a.m.: Here’s what to know about kids and COVID-19 as some return to school
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently reported that nearly 180,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in the last month, a 90% increase in a four-week period in child cases nationwide.
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Of those child cases, 97,000 were reported in the latter half of July, a nationwide increase of 40% in two weeks coinciding with the reopening of schools in certain parts of the South and Midwest.
As parents prepare their children for the new school year, here’s what we know about kids and the coronavirus: contraction, transmission, symptoms and how Illinois compares to the stark nationwide trend.
Read more here. —Verity Sturm
9:09 a.m.: Trump says funds for US Postal Service to deal with mail ballots is sticking point in coronavirus aid negotiations
Americans counting on emergency coronavirus aid from Washington may have to wait until fall.
Negotiations over a new virus relief package have all but ended, with the White House and congressional leaders far apart on the size, scope and approach for shoring up households, re-opening schools and launching a national strategy to contain the virus.
President Donald Trump’s top negotiator, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the “overture,” saying the Trump administration is still refusing to meet them halfway. Congressional Republicans are largely sitting out the talks.
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“The White House is not budging,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement.
Read more here. —Associated Press
9:06 a.m.: Parents are turning on each other as schools debate reopening plans for fall during coronavirus pandemic
It’s the newest front in America’s parenting wars.
Parents, forced to figure out how to care for and educate their children in a pandemic, are being judged and criticized on message boards and in backyard meetups and virtual PTA meetings. If parents send their children to schools that reopen, are they endangering them and their teachers? If they keep them home, are they pulling support from schools and depriving their children? If they keep working while schools are closed, are they neglecting their children in a time of need? If they hire someone to help with remote school, are they widening achievement gaps and contributing to inequality?
But the shaming, scholars say, is distracting from the larger societal issues underlying the problem. Parents have been left stranded with very little in the way of support.
Read more here. —The New York Times
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8:53 a.m.: Three reasons stocks are soaring despite the coronavirus’ economic toll
The stock market is not the economy.
Rarely has that adage been as clear as it is now. An amazing, monthslong rally means the S&P 500 is roughly back to where it was before the coronavirus slammed the U.S, even though millions of workers are still getting unemployment benefits and businesses continue to shutter across the country.
The S&P 500, which is the benchmark index for stock funds at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, ended Wednesday at 3,380.35 after briefly topping its closing record of 3,386.15 set on Feb. 19. It’s erased nearly all of the 34% plunge from February into March in less time than it takes a baby to learn how to crawl.
The U.S. and global economies have shown some improvements since the spring, when business lockdowns were widespread, but they are nowhere close to fully healed. The number of virus cases continues to rise across much of the United States, and federal and local politicians for the most part lack a strategy to contain it. Many industries, such as airlines, hotels and dining, could take years to recover from the damage.
Read more here. —Associated Press
8:28 a.m.: New US jobless claims fall below 1 million for first time in 5 months
The number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment aid fell below 1 million last week for the first time since the pandemic intensified five months ago yet still remains at a high level. The viral pandemic keeps forcing layoffs just as the expiration of a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit has deepened the hardships for many.
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The Labor Department said applications fell to 963,000, the second straight drop, from 1.2 million the previous week. The decline suggests that layoffs are slowing, though last week’s figure still exceeds the pre-pandemic record of just under 700,000.
Read more here. —Associated Press
6 a.m.: Want to vote by mail in Illinois? Here’s how.
Election Day is scheduled for Nov. 3, but many Illinois residents have already requested mail-in ballots, an option state officials encourage for all registered voters this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By mid-July, Chicago election officials had received a record-high 121,000 applications for mail-in ballots, and that was before the effects of a new state law kick in that will see every Illinois resident who voted in recent elections automatically getting an application to vote by mail.
Here’s what you need to know about voting by mail in the general election. —Kelli Smith and Brooke Fowler
6 a.m.: ‘Nine times out of 10, I was completely brushed off’: Black Chicagoans confront bias in health care, hope for change
Many Black Chicagoans have had negative experiences when seeking medical care: times a doctor didn’t believe them, dismissed their concerns or didn’t fully explain their options.
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Sometimes racial prejudices are obvious. But even well-meaning medical providers can act differently toward Black patients because of a phenomenon known as implicit bias, which is bias that can surface automatically and, often, unconsciously when encountering a person of another race, gender or group.
When it occurs in medicine, it can have devastating consequences for patients, and may be one factor leading to worse health outcomes for Black people, such as higher rates of deaths from COVID-19, experts say.
Those higher death rates, along with the recent death of George Floyd in Minnesota and the unrest that followed, have spurred many organizations to act. In the Chicago area, three dozen health systems — including all the city’s biggest hospitals — recently announced plans to ramp up their efforts to fight racism, including by focusing on anti-racism and implicit bias training for doctors, nurses and other employees. The effort is part of the city’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five stories from Wednesday related to COVID-19.


chicagotribune--2020-08-15--Former Gov. James R. Thompson, 84, has died, according to family and Chicago police

“ You can ’ t be here forever , ” he said at the time .
“ And once you @ @ @ @ @ of philosophy , then the next question becomes one of common sense : When do @ @ @ @ @ and start a new one ?
For me , the answer was now .
”

Former Gov. James Thompson looks over several of pieces of his art collection to be auctioned off at the John Toomey Gallery on Dec. 4, 2014, in Oak Park. (Chuck Berman/Chicago Tribune)
As Illinois’ longest-serving governor, “Big Jim” Thompson was a larger-than-life figure in state history, his 6-foot-6 frame dominating the political landscape for 14 years as he guided the state through recession, became a builder and left a legacy that includes restoring Navy Pier, keeping the White Sox with a new stadium and opening a controversial downtown office building that bears his name.
James Robert Thompson, who rode his success as a federal prosecutor to the Illinois statehouse and was governor from 1977 to 1991, died Friday night after suffering from heart problems. He was 84.
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“It was very sudden,” said wife Jayne Thompson, her voice breaking. “I was told that his heart simply stopped.”
Thompson was a Republican moderate from Chicago, his interest in the city helping him to be able to work with the Democrats, though he had prosecuted many of them, including former Gov. Otto Kerner over a scandal involving horse racetrack stock.
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James R. Thompson, 34, at the Federal Building on June 5, 1970. (William Yates / Chicago Tribune)
Viewed as a political outsider with no allegiances, Thompson announced his candidacy for governor after leaving the U.S. attorney’s post in 1975. In his first bid for elective office, he won the GOP primary the next year with 87% of the vote and then took on then-Secretary of State Michael Howlett in the general election.
Howlett had defeated one-term Gov. Dan Walker in the Democratic primary, and the divided party proved no match for newcomer Thompson, who got 65% of the vote.
Two years later, Thompson won reelection against then-Comptroller Michael Bakalis and twice defeated former U.S. Sen. Adlai E. Stevenson III in 1982 and in 1986. The 1982 contest was the closest governor race in Illinois history, ultimately decided in Thompson’s favor by 5,074 votes following a state Supreme Court ruling. In 1986, the Democratic ticket was infiltrated by followers of extremist Lyndon LaRouche, and Stevenson launched a third-party bid that failed.
“I never thought I’d last this long,” Thompson confessed in 1989 as he announced his decision not to seek a fifth term as Illinois chief executive. He recalled that after making a bad first impression on a central Illinois newspaper editor during his first campaign, “He told me that I was as green as gooseshit, and I was.”
Gov. James Thompson points out his favorite aspects of the State of Illinois Center during a recent party for construction workers involved in the erection of the $172 million building that would provide office space for 3,000 state employees, on Jan. 16, 1985. The building would later be renamed the James R. Thompson Center. (James Mayo / Chicago Tribune)
Thompson was far from a button-downed lawyerly bureaucrat and knew the value of populist appeal. He opened the annual state fair clad in jeans with a ride down the Giant Slide. He made a spur-of-the-moment decision to ride a horse around the Capitol Rotunda. He was a staple of the holiday parade circuit.
And when Republicans in the Illinois House sought passage of a bill to make Illinois a Right-to-Work state, where union membership was not a mandatory job requirement, Thompson called local beer distributors in Springfield, had them set up shop on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion and invited protesting labor members to have a drink. The bill never passed.
“I never dreamed it would be 14 years; it’s never been my style to begin with,” Thompson said. “I like to build things and then never stay around to run them.”
It is as a builder that will serve as Thompson’s legacy, even as the state now looks to sell what was once an opulent but now considered white elephant known as the James R. Thompson Center. Designed by architect Helmut Jahn, it opened in 1985 at a cost of $172 million. Lawmakers named it after him in 1993.
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One of Thompson’s more dramatic political moments came in summer 1988. The Sox were threatening to move to Florida and wanted a new stadium.
Thompson worked the House floor, granting legislators’ wishes in exchange for their votes. One Republican said he was granted an endorsement for secretary of state, a race that never came to pass.
Facing a midnight deadline to pass the stadium bill with 60 votes — it would take 71 after the deadline — lawmakers kept the roll call open even though midnight had come and gone. The bill was declared passed with 60 votes, and a staff member used white-out over the 12:03 a.m. timestamp and wrote 11:59 p.m. in pen.
“You bet I was worried,” Thompson told reporters moments after he left the House floor after doing some arm-twisting on his party’s side of the aisle. “I didn’t know it would pass. ... Now we should build a stadium.”
The Sox deal proved controversial because it called for the state to spend at least $150 million to construct a new Comiskey Park, plus improvements, as well as giving the team a multimillion-dollar break by allowing it to forgo rent unless the team drew more than 1.2 million fans a year.
Moment of silence for former Illinois Gov. #JimThompson before double header baseball
Chicago pic.twitter.com/s2OLjnrZGQ — john j. kim (@jkimpictures) August 15, 2020
Thompson also was instrumental in the creation of what is known as the “McPier” authority, which brought McCormick Place and Navy Pier under one governmental unit. Thompson formerly took classes at a previous incarnation of Navy Pier and saw the rundown jetty renovated to ultimately become the state’s top tourist destination. It was a product of an end-of-session deal with Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1989 that came with $150 million in state pier repair money.
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In addition, Thompson launched a $2.3 billion statewide infrastructure repair plan called “Build Illinois.” A curator of antiques, with stops at local antique shops a staple of his statewide travels, Thompson also created the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
Thompson twice sought increases in the state’s income tax after campaigning that Illinois’ finances were in good shape. He oversaw a temporary hike in 1983 that took the rate from 2.5% to 3% for two years. In 1989, he raised taxes permanently back to 3%, the rate that lasted until taxes were bumped again in 2011.
Gov. James Thompson is joined by Sen. Philip Rock, D-Oak Park, left, and Sen. James Philip, R-Elmhurst, on Nov. 9, 1983, as he signs a bill to reorganize the Regional Transportation Authority. (Phil Greer / Chicago Tribune)
Also in 1989, with inflation raging, Thompson signed into law an annual 3% cost-of-living adjustment for public employees’ pensions. The compounded increase, particularly at a time of low inflation and low interest, has been a major driver to the state’s current unfunded pension liability of nearly $140 billion.
His penchant for collecting antiques led to controversy as he assigned some as gifts to be purchased and given to him by others.
Politicians from both parties offered remembrances of Thompson on Saturday.
Loretta and I extend our sympathies to Jayne and Samantha on the passing of Governor Jim Thompson. We were political adversaries yet personal friends back in the day when that was not uncommon. Try as we might, we Democrats just could not beat Big Jim. https://t.co/5F01co6taE — Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) August 15, 2020
Gov. Jim Thompson, a lifetime public servant and Illinois' longest serving governor, was a bipartisan leader and passionate advocate for our state. Both Amy and I send our sincerest condolences to the Thompson family, especially Jim’s wife Jayne and daughter Samantha. — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) August 15, 2020
“On behalf of the entire state of Illinois, MK and I offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Governor Jim Thompson,” Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement.
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“As the longest-serving governor in Illinois history, ‘Big Jim’ was known to treat people he encountered with kindness and decency. He dedicated himself to building positive change for Illinois, and he set an example for public service of which Illinoisans should be proud. He will be remembered and revered as one of the titans in the history of state government,” Pritzker said.
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said in a statement that “Thompson exemplified a state government that worked and treated others with legendary kindness.”
“He helped send a corrupt Governor to jail as a prosecutor, rebuilt the state’s infrastructure, saved the White Sox, and presided over a healthy and prosperous Illinois,” Schneider said.
Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington said Thompson “strived to find common ground and build consensus.”
Former Gov. James Thompson in his office at the law firm of Winston & Strawn in 2003. (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune)
“That ability to bring people together, despite a difference of opinion, is a testament to the type of leader he was and is a reminder what can be accomplished when Illinoisans work together for the betterment of our state.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the state’s senior senator, offered his thoughts on Twitter.
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“We were political adversaries yet personal friends back in the day when that was not uncommon. Try as we might, we Democrats just could not beat Big Jim,” said Durbin, the lieutenant governor candidate on the unsuccessful Democratic ticket with Bakalis in 1978.
Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs called Thompson “a friend, mentor and an exemplary statesman who loved Illinois. He was a hands-on governor who loved the process of getting things done in Springfield, and his accomplishments still stand strong today. Our state was fortunate to have such a dedicated leader.”
Michael Madigan, the state Democratic chairman who first became House speaker after Thompson’s 1982 reelection, called him “a cherished friend.”
Gov. James Thompson, right, and House Speaker Michael Madigan meet with parents and representatives of education groups in Madigan's office in an effort to work out a school reform package on July 1, 1988, in Springfield. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)
“Jim Thompson should be credited with the modernization of Illinois government as best illustrated by the structure that bears his name. His pioneering commitment to the arts strengthened the fabric of our state. He was a hard-nosed political figure and a compassionate leader,” said Madigan, who has become embroiled in controversy over a federal investigation involving ComEd. “Illinois is a better place because of Jim Thompson’s work.”
Born in Oak Park on May 8, 1936, the son of Dr. and Mrs. J. Robert Thompson, the future governor attended Samuel Morse Grade School, North Park Academy, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Washington University in St Louis. He was awarded a law degree from Northwestern University Law School in 1959.
From 1959 to 1964, he was a prosecutor in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. He then joined the faculty of Northwestern University Law School as an associate professor, where he co-authored four textbooks on criminal law and criminal justice.
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Gov. Jim Thompson visits Marianjoy Rehabilitation Center in Wheaton on Aug. 26, 1982. Among his stops was to have a chat with Jason Branon, 10, of Villa Park. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)
He was appointed head of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement in 1969 and a year later became first assistant U.S. attorney. He was appointed U.S. attorney for northern Illinois in November 1971 at the age of 35, and made his first bid for governor four years later.
It was during his initial bid for governor, in June 1976, when he took a brief timeout to marry his former student and law clerk, Jayne Carr, of Oak Park, who then was an assistant Illinois attorney general. A daughter, Samantha, was born in 1978.
In a statement, Thompson’s family said his “love and devotion to his family mirrored his lifelong dedication to his beloved State of Illinois.
“His guiding principle in public and private life was to help people and do what he could so they could have an opportunity to succeed. In that process, he achieved big things for Illinois that matched the life he lived,” the family statement said.
Upon his decision to leave the governor’s office, Thompson was asked how he expected people to judge his tenure. He said he thought they would be fair and take a long view.
Then, he added, “How they remember me is going to be unique, and I don’t have the slightest idea what they’re going to think.”
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The Thompson family said a memorial service will be scheduled at a later date because it would be impossible to accommodate a public wake under COVID-19 restrictions. Other arrangements are pending, the family said.