chicagotribune--2020-10-19--Man injured in hit-and-run crash in Glenview

Upon arrival , police found a man lying in the street with injuries “ consistent with being hit by a @ @ @ @ @ obvious external lacerations ” as well as internal injuries , spokesman Sgt .
Mark Ciesla @ @

A man in his 40s was hit by a car in Glenview Sunday night, according to police.
Glenview police received a report around 8:45 p.m. Sunday of a man down in the 3500 block of Milwaukee Avenue, police said in a Monday news release.
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Upon arrival, police found a man lying in the street with injuries “consistent with being hit by a vehicle.” He had “obvious external lacerations” as well as internal injuries, spokesman Sgt. Mark Ciesla said.
The vehicle involved left the scene before police arrived, according to the release.
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The Glenview Fire Department took the man to Lutheran General Hospital via ambulance. His condition is unknown as of Monday, and the accident remains under investigation, police said.
Anyone with information about the accident are encouraged to call the police department at 847-729-5000 or the police’s tip line at 847-901-6055.
kedquist@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @kaitlinedquist


chicagotribune--2020-10-19--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--2020-10-19--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--2020-10-19--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 22 new deaths, 3,113 new confirmed cases and 48,684 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 22 new deaths, 3,113 new confirmed cases and 48,684 new test results

Illinois announced 3,113 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 347,161 .
The state also announced 22 @ @ @ @ @ of 9,236 and 48,684 new test results for a total of 6.82 million .

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


chicagotribune--2020-10-19--Round Lake man killed in crash

Round Lake man killed in crash

The Ford driver was passing a Dodge Caliber when the Dodge driver swerved toward the Ford , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ to maneuver toward the shoulder of the southbound lane .
The Ford driver then lost @ @ @ @ @ police said , and struck the Dodge .
The collision caused the Ford to roll @

Lake County sheriff’s police are investigating a Saturday afternoon auto accident near Antioch in which a Round Lake man was killed.
Authorities have not identified the man, who was 39 years old. Police say he was ejected from his Ford Taurus after crashing around 4:05 p.m. while trying to pass another vehicle on northbound Route 45, north of Illinois Route 173.
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The Ford driver was passing a Dodge Caliber when the Dodge driver swerved toward the Ford, police said. That caused the Ford driver to maneuver toward the shoulder of the southbound lane. The Ford driver then lost control when he over-corrected, police said, and struck the Dodge. The collision caused the Ford to roll.
The Ford driver was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he later died from his injuries. Two passengers in the car, a woman, 36, and a 6-year-old girl, suffered injuries which police said were not life-threatening.
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The driver of the Dodge, a 23-year-old Bristol, Wis., man, was taken to St. Catherine Hospital in Kenosha. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Sheriff’s police are continuing their investigation.


chicagotribune--2020-10-19--Wisconsin judge reimposes Gov. Tony Evers' coronavirus order limiting bar, restaurant capacity

The capacity limits order was issued Oct. 6 by Andrea Palm , secretary of the state Department of Health Services @ @ @ @ @ surging coronavirus cases in Wisconsin .
A judge on Oct. 14 blocked the order after @ @ @ @ @ Tavern League of Wisconsin , which argued it amounted to a “ defacto closure ” @ @ @ @ @ restaurants it represents .

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge on Monday reimposed an order from Gov. Tony Evers' administration limiting the number of people who can gather in bars, restaurants and other indoor places to 25% of capacity.
The capacity limits order was issued Oct. 6 by Andrea Palm, secretary of the state Department of Health Services, in the face of surging coronavirus cases in Wisconsin. A judge on Oct. 14 blocked the order after it was challenged by the Tavern League of Wisconsin, which argued it amounted to a “defacto closure” order for the bars and restaurants it represents.
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But Barron County Judge James Babler on Monday put the capacity limits back into effect. The judge declined a request from the Tavern League to keep the capacity limit order on hold while the lawsuit is pending. The judge also declined to stay his ruling while the Tavern League and others fighting it appeal his decision.
The Tavern League argued that Evers needed to work through the Legislature to approve an emergency rule setting capacity limits, rather than issuing the order. It pointed to a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling from May undoing Evers' “safer at home” order.
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The capacity limits order is set to expire on Nov. 6, but could be renewed.
Wisconsin last week set new daily records for positive coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations. To date, the state has more than 166,000 positive cases and 1,574 deaths.


chicagotribune--2020-10-19--Man who dangled from Trump Tower for more than 13 hours is pulled to safety by cops who ‘literally s

Man who dangled from Trump Tower for more than 13 hours is pulled to safety by cops who ‘literally saved this young man’s life'

“ It was something that we train for .
It ’ s something that we ’ re very used to @ @ @ @ @ challenging and sometimes when someone is looking at it from the outside they think , @ @ @ @ @ it take so long ?
’ ” Matias said .
“ There ’ s different @ @ @ @ @ we utilize and I think today we probably utilized every single one .
”

A man suspended himself from the 16th-floor landing of downtown Chicago’s Trump International Hotel and Tower on Sunday evening. SWAT and Chicago Fire Department were called to the scene. (Paige Fry / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police said Monday morning they had “resolved peacefully” a standoff at Trump Tower more than 13 hours after a man suspended himself with a rope and harness from the 16th-floor landing of the downtown high-rise.
“Situation resolved peacefully by negotiators,” tweeted police spokesman Tom Ahern. “Suspect in custody. No injuries.”
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A police SWAT unit and the Chicago Fire Department had responded to a call of a man threatening to kill himself at the Trump International Hotel & Tower, 401 N. Wabash Ave. in the Near North neighborhood, about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, according to police. Ahern said the man rappelled down the outside of the building; he was seen hanging by a rope several feet below the ledge to the right of the large “Trump” sign on the building.
Police negotiators talked to the man from a balcony on the building, their voices reaching the man not far from the ledge, Ahern said. The man did not live in the building and it was unclear how he got inside the building and that remains under investigation, he said.
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The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago on Oct. 19, 2020, after an unidentified man had been dangling off of the 16th floor of the building for more than 13 hours. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Cmdr. Patty Casey, who heads the youth investigations unit, said a Russian interpreter was called to the building and employees at the building also aided in the peaceful outcome. In a media briefing after the conclusion of the call, she hailed crisis negotiators, including Detective Hector Matias, who was on scene nearly 14 hours after spending some 17 hours at a different call over the weekend.
“They were patient and kind and spent hours dealing with this distraught man who was in an apparent crisis, saying he had many social issues that he wanted to discuss with reporters,” Casey said. She and Ahern did not immediately explain what the “social issues” were.
“It was really a team effort. What could’ve been a tragedy ended up as a situation that was resolved without incident. Today, the Chicago Police Department and their partners literally saved this young man’s life,” she said.
Matias said it’s not uncommon for outsiders to question why these kinds of calls can take so long to resolve peacefully.
“It was something that we train for. It’s something that we’re very used to. It’s very challenging and sometimes when someone is looking at it from the outside they think, ‘wow, why does it take so long?’ ” Matias said. “There’s different tactics in our toolbox that we utilize and I think today we probably utilized every single one.”
Matias said while the man was hanging from the building with the harness, he threatened to use the knife to cut the rope if police tried pulling him up. Eventually, he surrendered the knife and was pulled to safety.
A video circulating on social media that appeared to be of the man showed him holding onto a red rope with one hand and a knife in the other. Part of the Chicago skyline could be seen in the background during daylight. In the video, he demanded to talk to President Donald Trump or the media. If not, he said, he would cut the rope.
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Chicago police could not immediately confirm if the video was of the man who Monday morning was rolled out of the building on a gurney to which he was handcuffed.
Casey said the man would be taken to a hospital where he would receive a mental health evaluation. Ahern said he expected charges to be filed against the man following the outcome of that evaluation.
About 11 p.m. Sunday, several motorists pulled over on Michigan Avenue with their hazard lights on to walk onto Wacker Driver, which was blocked off by police, to look up at the man.
Social media users made posts wondering how the man was able to stay suspended for so long given the temperature was in the 40s.
Matias said the man made several demands, some of which police were able to accommodate. Although Matias did not say what they were, he confirmed the man had asked to speak directly with members of the media.
“We agreed on a couple of concessions that we could agree to that were safe,” he said, but that did not include allowing the man to speak with reporters.
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Asked whether police entertained the idea of somehow arranging for the man to speak with the president, Matias shook his head “no.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Trump was aware of the situation at the property bearing his name, or whether he received word the man hanging from it wanted to speak to him. As of 9:45 a.m. Trump had not mentioned the situation on Twitter.
The building also made news during the weekend as the United Steelworkers union projected a light display on the tower with a “Biden/ Harris” logo as part of its national campaign to encourage people to vote, a representative of the union said.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-19--Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 31,995 confirmed cases and 4,888 deaths

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois .
The @ @ @ @ @ at 952 long-term care facilities in 81 counties .
Of those , 553 facilities have @ @ @ @ @ , defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days .
In all @ @ @ @ @ be tied to long-term care facilities , with 4,888 deaths , as of Oct. 16 @

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois. The data shows outbreaks have occurred at long-term care facilities in 94 counties. Of those, 1,003 facilities have an “active” outbreak, defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days. In all, 71,103 confirmed cases can be tied to long-term care facilities, with 9,263 deaths, as of Jan. 22.


chicagotribune--2020-10-19--What happens if voters cast early ballots, then die before Election Day? In some states, their votes

What happens if voters cast early ballots, then die before Election Day? In some states, their votes will still count.

Questions over whether ballots will count if someone votes early but dies before Election Day are especially pressing this year @ @ @ @ @ that has been especially perilous for older Americans .
People 85 years and older represent @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 in the U.S. As an election looms , the odds against older people @ @ @ @ @ on the minds of the elderly and their family members .

ATLANTA — At 90 years old and living through a global pandemic, Hannah Carson knows time may be short. She wasted no time returning her absentee ballot for this year’s election.
As soon as it arrived at her senior living community, she filled it out and sent it back to her local election office in Charlotte, North Carolina. If something were to happen and she doesn’t make it to Election Day, Carson said she hopes her ballot will remain valid.
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“I should think I should count, given all the years I have been here,” she said.
In North Carolina, a ballot cast by someone who subsequently dies can be set aside if a challenge is filed before Election Day with the county board of elections.
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Questions over whether ballots will count if someone votes early but dies before Election Day are especially pressing this year, amid a coronavirus outbreak that has been especially perilous for older Americans. People 85 years and older represent nearly one in three deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. As an election looms, the odds against older people who contract the virus are on the minds of the elderly and their family members.
Seventeen states prohibit counting ballots cast by someone who subsequently dies before the election, but 10 states specifically allow it. The law is silent in the rest of the country, according to research by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Even though a law might require such ballots to be rejected, it’s likely that some could still count depending on when the person dies and when election officials find out about the death.
“The law may say that the ballot of a person who dies in that situation can’t be counted, but it is a hard law to follow,” said Wendy Underhill, head of elections for the National Conference of State Legislatures.
When someone dies close to an election, it takes time for death records to be updated, and there is a narrow window between when a ballot is cast and counted. Colorado in 2016 had between 15 and 20 instances of voters who cast a ballot by mail and then died before Election Day. All were counted.
Seventeen states prohibit counting ballots cast by someone who subsequently died before the election, but 10 states specifically allow it. The law is silent in the rest of the country. (Paul Sancya / AP)
In Michigan’s primary earlier this year, 864 ballots were rejected because the voters died before the election even though they were alive when they filled them out.
The president’s son Donald Trump Jr. tweeted a link to a story about the dead voters in Michigan that was later debunked for misrepresenting the issue. With President Trump making unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, the question of whether ballots will count if early voters die soon after could be a source of further conspiracies.
Studies have shown that voter fraud is exceptionally rare. There are numerous safeguards built into the system to ensure that only voters eligible to vote can do so and that they cast only one ballot. Election officials say that when fraud does happen, people are caught and prosecuted.
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“There have been umpteen examples of some group claiming a whole bunch of people casting ballots after they died,” said Justin Levitt, an election law expert who has studied voter fraud in depth. “These things don’t pan out.”
In most cases, claims of dead voters are based on poor information or a faulty analysis that fails to account for the many people who share the same name and birthdate, Levitt said.
In an exceptionally small number of cases, there is fraud. Levitt said this typically involves someone wanting to honor the wishes of a loved one who recently died and either knowingly or not commits a crime by filling out that ballot.
An election judge from southern Illinois was charged in 2016 with voter fraud after she filled out a ballot for her late husband because she said he would have wanted Trump to be president.
In California, it’s an issue of fairness to count ballots cast by people who then die before Election Day, Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. He said it’s just as conceivable that someone who votes early in-person also dies before Election Day, and there is no way to identify and reject that ballot.
“The ‘dead voters’ is used as a false narrative, a pretext for changes in some states to how they register voters or count ballots when the data shows otherwise,” Padilla said.
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Wisconsin, which like North Carolina is a presidential battleground this year, is among the states that prohibit a ballot from being counted if the voter dies after submitting it. Every month, the state’s election commission receives records of county death certificates, and those records are run against the statewide voter registration system.
Any potential matches are flagged to the local clerk where the voter is registered, and the clerk is responsible for verifying the match by looking to obituaries and other sources before changing the voter’s status, said Reid Magney, Wisconsin Election Commission spokesman. But that also has its limits.
“There’s no way to check every absentee ballot to make sure the voter hasn’t died since it was issued,” Magney said.
Iowa’s election office also receives death records and processes them as they are received, including on Election Day. If a person dies after requesting or returning an absentee ballot, the ballot is voided and not counted, said Kevin Hall, spokesman for Iowa’s secretary of state.
“Voters have to be eligible electors on Election Day,” Hall said. “Even though Iowa had 29 days of absentee voting, there is still only one Election Day.”


chicagotribune--2020-10-19--1 killed, 4 injured in West Side shooting, police say

A 25-year-old man was shot in the left leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition , police said @ @ @ @ @ in the left leg and left arm and he was taken to Mount Sinai Medical @ @ @ @ @

Five people were shot, one fatally, on the West Side Sunday evening after someone entered a residential building and started firing a gun, according to Chicago police.
About 5:40 p.m., someone entered an apartment building in the 200 block of North Sacramento Boulevard in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, police said. The person fired multiple shots then left.
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A 27-year-old man was shot in the right arm, body and back, and he was taken to Stroger Hospital, police said. He was later pronounced dead.
A 25-year-old man was shot in the left leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said. Another 27-year-old man was in the left leg and left arm and he was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in critical condition.
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A 32-year-old man was shot in the buttocks and taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in serious condition, police said. A 37-year-old man was shot in the left foot and taken to Mount Sinai in good condition.
No arrests have been made.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--Daywatch: A ‘second surge’ of COVID-19 cases, schools close as virus roars and secluded cabins for a

Daywatch: A ‘second surge’ of COVID-19 cases, schools close as virus roars and secluded cabins for a Midwestern escape

It took more than six months and countless hours for New Trier High School officials to develop and execute an @ @ @ @ @ back into the classroom safely and gradually this fall for in-person instruction .
But it @ @ @ @ @ administrators to halt their new COVID-19-era hybrid plan and send students back to their bedrooms @ @ @ @ @ least for the time being .

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. On Monday, Illinois health officials announced 3,113 new known cases of COVID-19 and 22 additional fatalities, as the seven-day statewide positivity rate came in at 5.4%.
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As coronavirus cases rise across the state and in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city health commissioner cautioned against indoor gatherings. Here’s what you should consider before seeing family or friends indoors this winter.
Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Ross Ewing drives up and is administered a nasal COVID-19 test by phlebotomist Sydnie Booker at a testing site in the parking lot of the Foreman Mills Shopping Center in Chicago on Oct. 19, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
With coronavirus cases rapidly rising across Illinois and Chicago suffering what Mayor Lori Lightfoot called a “second surge” of the pandemic, officials on Monday cracked down on businesses in southern Illinois while warning that tighter restrictions on bars, restaurants and gatherings could be coming in the city and many suburbs.
“Every region of the state has started to move in the wrong direction,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference in Murphysboro, where he announced the rollback of restrictions in far southern Illinois. “Cases, positivity rates, hospitalizations and deaths are rising statewide.”
Students from John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights exit the building after their first day back to school in School District 214 on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
It took more than six months and countless hours for New Trier High School officials to develop and execute an elaborate plan to bring students back into the classroom safely and gradually this fall for in-person instruction. But it took just five days for administrators to halt their new COVID-19-era hybrid plan and send students back to their bedrooms for remote learning, at least for the time being.
In Chicago's Little Italy neighborhood, a welcoming sign is seen on Taylor Street on Oct. 9, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The Italian and Greek flair that distinguished Little Italy and Greektown neighborhoods has been ebbing for years, a result of changes in demographics and consumers' palates. The booming Fulton Market district nearby and encroaching real estate development added new pressures. Some worry the pandemic will be the final straw.
Chicagoans who have moved during the pandemic cite reasons like being closer to family and career opportunities for their migration. (Anne Purcell; Ricardo Adame; Ashleigh Wayland; Jenna Rush; Leanne Sardiga; Max Brekke)
Chicago’s population has been on the decline for years, with the metropolitan area suffering some of the greatest losses of any major U.S. city. But new research suggests that the pandemic might be exacerbating the exodus.
The Tribune spoke with 10 people who moved to or from Chicago during the pandemic to glean some insight as to why residents are moving out — or what makes Chicago a great place to land in the era of COVID-19. Here’s what they had to say.
In Sawyer, Michigan, Eileen Kochanny's quaint one-bedroom cottage is a vacation rental offered through VRBO. (Eileen Kochanny)
With social distancing in mind, secluded cottages and cabins are proving to be increasingly popular escapes. Luckily for Chicagoans, the Midwest offers a bevy of burgs that fit the bill within driving distance, from those along the shores of Lake Michigan to woodsy retreats deep in the forest.


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--Just as schools begin to reopen, many are closing again as COVID-19 surges: ‘It’s almost an impossib

Just as schools begin to reopen, many are closing again as COVID-19 surges: ‘It’s almost an impossible situation’

“ My daughter and I talked about everything , including what the scientists are saying about how COVID spreads , @ @ @ @ @ was silly to think there was not going to be this back and forth , @ @ @ @ @ Richmond said .
`` She ’ s going to be doing this first semester all @ @ @ @ @ , but of course , she looks forward to being back at school at some @ @ @ @ @ friends and teachers , and all her extracurriculars .
It ’ s a struggle , @ @ @ @ @ to be a painful junior year .
”

It took more than six months and countless hours for New Trier High School officials to develop and execute an elaborate plan to bring students back into the classroom safely and gradually this fall for in-person instruction.
But it took just five days for administrators to halt their new COVID-19-era hybrid plan and send students back to their bedrooms for remote learning, at least for the time being.
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The decision to put the brakes on New Trier’s hybrid plan came last week after a spike in COVID-19 cases in suburban Chicago and after the state reported some of the highest numbers of new cases since May.
The pause of in-person classes and will remain in place for this week, Superintendent Paul Sally said in a Friday letter.
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“As in the previous week, our pause this week is due to the continued seriousness of the COVID-19 numbers across Illinois and in our community, not the number of New Trier student and staff cases,” Sally said.
[ Naperville District 203 puts hold on back-to-school plans as COVID-19 cases increase in DuPage ]
Students from John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights exit the building on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, their first day back at the school, which is part of School District 214. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
New Trier officials recently approved a contract for voluntary weekly saliva screening for students and staff — a process that Sally said “could go a long way toward helping get more students back on campus for uninterrupted learning.”
Now, with the Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday reporting more than 3,100 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, suburban Chicago school district officials who in recent months have faced intense pressure from parents, demanding that schools reopen, will be forced to make day-to-day decisions with consequences that extend far beyond academics.
“I think everyone recognizes that in-person instruction is better for students than remote learning, but the problem is, reopening schools is not about an inconvenience — it’s a matter of life and death,” said Timothy Dohrer, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.
“The stakes are much higher with these decisions, and it’s almost an impossible situation,” said Dohrer, a former principal at New Trier.
“Scientists have been telling us for months, if you reopen schools, you’ll be in person one day and back to remote the next, so I do think school superintendents and principals are seeing what they knew could happen,” he added.
[ As COVID-19 surges, so do Illinois teacher retirements; number has jumped almost 50% over last year ]
While the potential need to flip-flop between remote and in-person learning was likely anticipated by administrators, for teachers on the front lines, the frequent changes can double the number of hours they spend on instruction and lesson planning, Dohrer said.
The constant uncertainty can prove daunting for students, too, dimming their academic progress, and compromising their emotional health, Dohrer said.
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“These unprecedented changes and experiences during COVID are confusing and stressful for students, and all of this back and forth, opening and closing, and turning on a dime, can begin to disrupt the rhythm of a consistent school experience," he said.
Despite the recent halting of in-person instruction and temporary return to remote learning at New Trier, Elmhurst District 205 and Deerfield Public Schools District 109, students attending several other suburban districts are returning to the classroom this month for the first time since last March. Glenbrook High School District 225 also briefly halted in-person instruction earlier this month.
Arlington Heights-based Districts 25 and 214 and Barrington District 220 — all of which were the targets of recent parent protests calling for an expedited reopening of schools — are launching hybrid learning plans this month that limit the number of students in school buildings, and often include some element of virtual instruction.
While students at several North Shore elementary school districts, including Winnetka School District 36, Avoca School District 37 and Wilmette School District 39, have been back in the classroom with a hybrid instructional model since the start of the school year, the steady rise in COVID-19 cases has led other suburban districts, including Oak Park District 97 and East Aurora District 131, to delay reopening schools until January at the earliest. On Monday, Naperville District 203 announced that early childhood and elementary students will not resume in-person learning “at this time.”
Chicago Public Schools officials announced Friday that they plan to start bringing some of the most vulnerable students, including those in special education programs, back into the classroom sometime before the end of the calendar year — a proposal that was quickly slammed by the Chicago Teachers Union as “reckless” given the soaring COVID rates in the region.
Yet according to one recent study conducted by researchers at Yale University, child care centers that remained open during the early days of the pandemic did not contribute to the spread of the coronavirus.
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The study, which surveyed 57,000 child care providers across the U.S., found that exposure to child care was not associated with an elevated risk of spreading COVID-19 from children to adults. That was the case when the child care programs followed safety measures — including disinfecting, hand-washing, symptom screening, social distancing, wearing masks and limiting group size — and were located in communities where the spread of COVID-19 was contained, according to the Yale website.
Still, the turmoil and ever-changing instructional models in the wake of the pandemic has added up to make 2020 “likely the most trying time any educator has had to face in their entire career,” Kathi Griffin, president of the Illinois Education Association said Friday.
“Shifting from in-person learning to remote learning and vice versa is difficult, as is teaching remote and in person simultaneously for multiple student populations,” Griffin said.
[ IHSA to allow athletes in spring and summer sports to play for travel teams simultaneously; details on winter season could come Oct. 28 ]
Students from John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights exit the building after their first day back at the school, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The health concerns related to COVID-19 are also “causing additional stress on students, staff and their families,” Griffin said.
At Palatine-based Community Consolidated School District 15, which began the school year with remote learning and started bringing students in prekindergarten through eighth grade back into the classroom in late September, officials say their rolling reentry plan has thus far been an overwhelmingly positive experience.
While the district enrolls 12,000 students, about one-third are expected to continue remote learning — a parental choice that dramatically reduced the number of students in each classroom, making it easier to follow the state’s COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, District 15 spokeswoman Morgan Delack said.
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“We’ve been able to keep our elementary school class sizes small, because we had far less students coming back into the buildings than we anticipated,” Delack said.
All schools in the state are required to follow the Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines for appropriate social distancing, face coverings, enhanced sanitation measures, and other rules intended to ensure the safety of students, staff, and their families.
In addition, schools are required to adhere to the health department’s “Decision Tree,” which outlines the mandated protocol for students and staff displaying COVID-19 symptoms at schools and day care centers.
Illinois schools were allowed to bring students back into the classroom in phase three of the state’s Restore Illinois plan, with in-person instruction “strongly encouraged” in phase four, according to the Illinois State Board of Education’s transition recommendations.
But the state stops short of prescribing a specific slate of metrics for educators to follow when making school closure decisions, and most school districts, including District 15, rely on at least two types of data: the number of community COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, and more specific information of how reported cases of the virus are affecting schools and particular classrooms.
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While District 15 officials currently have no plans to shut schools due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases across the state, Delack said the situation is being closely monitored.
During the past two weeks, District 15 has reported 11 positive student cases and six positive staff cases, she said.
“As goes with COVID, we always encourage families to have backup plans, just in case they need child care at the last minute,” Delack said.
The lack of a comfortably predictable school routine — which, in normal times, would only be interrupted by the random snow day — has thrust hardships upon families with children of all ages, said Alexandra Solomon, a licensed clinical psychologist at the Family Institute and assistant professor in the department of psychology at Northwestern University.
“All of this has been very taxing for parents, and creates a desire to point a finger at someone for doing something wrong,” Solomon said. “But we all know the decisions that these superintendents are making about school closures are so hard, and are guided by science and data."
Students arrive for orientation at St. Charles North High School in School District 303 on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
For stressed-out parents facing the uncertainty of whether their children will be back in school on any given day, Solomon said there is always the good old “cry on the bathroom floor” to decompress in private.
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“One thing I feel is really important, especially for parents of younger kids, is to tell them, ‘I love you, and I love being with you.’ Parents should make sure kids know they are not disappointed that they’re back doing remote learning in the home, even though it can be hard to work out the logistics,” Solomon said.
“This is so hard on everyone, going back and forth, and in some ways, it would be simpler if schools would just say, ‘We’re doing remote learning until at least January,'” Solomon added.
Northfield resident Amy Richmond said the decision to have her teenage daughter carry on with remote learning when officials at New Trier began bringing students back on campus was guided by science and common sense.
“My daughter and I talked about everything, including what the scientists are saying about how COVID spreads, so we both knew it was silly to think there was not going to be this back and forth, if school reopened," Richmond said. "She’s going to be doing this first semester all remote to keep things consistent, but of course, she looks forward to being back at school at some point, and misses her friends and teachers, and all her extracurriculars. It’s a struggle, and it’s going to be a painful junior year.”
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--Chicago 7 prosecutor: ‘They were going to try to destroy our trial. And they did a damn good job.’

If things started to get out of hand , a deputy U.S. marshal would eventually have to try to wade @ @ @ @ @ to remove the offender from the courtroom .
The person would often fight back , @ @ @ @ @ did , others would come to their aid and “ go after the marshals , @ @ @ @ @ to call for backup , Schultz said .

Six of the Chicago 7 defendants appear in 1970. Abbie Hoffman, from left, John Froines, Lee Weiner, Jerry Rubin, Rennie Davis and Tom Hayden were acquitted of conspiracy, but five were convicted of other charges. The guilty verdicts were later overturned. (William Yates / Chicago Tribune)
Even five decades later, former federal prosecutor Dick Schultz has a pretty good idea of when the legendary Chicago 7 trial started to go off the rails: during the testimony of the very first witness.
That day in September 1969, U.S. District Judge Julius Hoffman halted the trial after he was informed that a juror had received a threatening letter purportedly sent from the Black Panthers. Hoffman, famous for his ironclad control of his courtroom, told attorneys from both sides to keep the information to themselves so he could question the juror in private, Schultz told the Chicago Tribune in an interview.
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Instead, the defendants held a lunchtime news conference stating the threatening letter had actually been sent by the government as part of a “plot” to taint the panel. An irate Hoffman ordered the jurors sequestered for the rest of the five-month trial.
The next morning, defense attorney William Kunstler asked for an emergency hearing into the letter’s origin, seeking the testimony of none other than FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Attorney General John Mitchell, Schultz said.
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Dick Schultz, 82, the last living member of either trial team in the legendary Chicago 7 trial, at his backyard in Glenview on Oct. 19, 2020. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“That sort of gave me an idea where we were going,” Schultz said. “And it went downhill from there.”
Schultz, 82, is the last living attorney from either side of the Chicago 7 trial, in which political activists were accused of conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The Chicago 7 case drew national attention and exposed the depths of the country’s divisions over the Vietnam War and civil rights as well as the fairness of the criminal justice system. Among the high-profile defendants were “Yippies” founder Abbie Hoffman, counterculture icon Jerry Rubin, and Bobby Seale, one of the co-founders of the Black Panther Party.
[ Netflix’s ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ is based on real-life events. Here’s what you need to know ]
The circuslike atmosphere of the trial — which included frequent courtroom fisticuffs, outbursts of singing and chanting, and, perhaps most famously, the judge’s order to have Seale bound and gagged at the defense table — has been given big-budget movie treatment in “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and now streaming on Netflix.
Assistant prosecutor Richard Schultz, seated at left, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Foran conduct a news conference after the verdict in the Chicago 7 trial on Feb. 18, 1970. (Walter Kale/Chicago Tribune)
Schultz, who is portrayed in the film by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, says he enjoyed some aspects of Sorkin’s Hollywood take, but that it ultimately “didn’t touch on what really happened.”
“Everything was so exaggerated, you would think the judge was conducting a trial in the Soviet Union,” he said. He also thought that he was falsely portrayed as somehow embarrassed by the whole prosecution when in reality, “it was precisely the opposite.”
[ The Chicago 7: A timeline of the protests, the clashes, the trial and the fallout ]
Schultz also took issue with the film’s climactic scene, when he is portrayed rising to his feet while defendant Tom Hayden reads the names of U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam as the group is being sentenced.
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“That never happened. It was a total fantasy for Hollywood, and that’s fine,” Schultz said. The film moment was entertaining, he added, but one other thing: “I never told the attorney general of the United States that we didn’t have a case.”
“We knew that we had more than enough evidence to convict,” Schultz said, speaking of his co-counsel, U.S. Attorney Thomas Foran, who died in 2000. “The only question was could we ever get to a verdict.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, right, plays Richard Schultz in Netflix's "The Trial of the Chicago 7." (Niko Tavernise/Netflix)
As a young prosecutor, Schultz was head of the U.S. attorney’s office’s criminal division when the riots broke out in August 1968. He was at the Chicago Hilton and out on the streets of Lincoln Park and the Loop watching the violence unfold between police and protesters.
“I saw it all,” Schultz said in a telephone interview last week from his home in Glenview. “I was trying to do what I could, but didn’t accomplish anything.”
Later, he helped lead a grand jury inquiry into the unrest, resulting in not only criminal charges against eight protesters but also a number of indictments against police officers — all of whom were eventually acquitted.
Schultz said his office was acutely aware that the trial of Hoffman and his co-defendants was going to be used as a platform for their beliefs and to stick a fork in the eye of what they perceived was a racist and unjust legal system.
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Before the trial even began, Schultz said, the defendants announced to their followers that “people should come to this trial and fight the pigs in Chicago just like they did a year ago.”
“We were not surprised by any of it,” he said. “They were revolutionaries, and they were going to try to destroy our trial. And they did a damn good job of it.”
[ Column: Few complaints with the ‘Chicago 7’ movie, but it was all different when I was there ]
Schultz said that he and his team, which refrained from public comment throughout the trial, lost the public-relations battle from the outset. Every day, the news depicted throngs of protesters outside the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on South Dearborn Street and relayed the antics from the courtroom, where Hoffman often clashed with the defendants and their attorneys and struggled to maintain control.
“The spectators in the courtroom were totally uninhibited," Schultz recalled. “They lined up every day to get in, would scream obscenities and disrupt the proceedings.”
If things started to get out of hand, a deputy U.S. marshal would eventually have to try to wade through the rows of spectators to remove the offender from the courtroom. The person would often fight back, and as soon as they did, others would come to their aid and “go after the marshals,” who would be forced to call for backup, Schultz said.
What often ensued reminded Schultz of a barroom brawl scene from an old Western film.
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“I used to love those movies, with people being thrown over the bar and chairs being smashed over peoples' heads,” Schultz said. “When I was standing in the courtroom watching all this, it was just like what I saw when I was a kid. It was really exciting. But it was painful too.”
[ The Trial of the Chicago Seven: The real story behind the Netflix movie ]
In part due to the daily disruptions, the trial slogged on for nearly five months, featuring a total of 160 witnesses. Schultz was told by federal law enforcement agencies that his life could be in danger and received 24-hour police protection at his house. He said it began to wear on him and his partner, Foran, but they were determined to see it through.
“Every morning, Tom and I would take a private elevator to the 23rd floor. We’d stand there in silence for a minute or two and just look at each other,” Schultz said. “There wasn’t much to say."
He said Foran would sometimes just drop his head and say, “I’d rather be going to the dentist.”
“And I felt the same way,” Schultz said. “It was like walking into a circus every morning.”
There were also moments of levity. At some point in the middle of the trial, Schultz’s wife brought their then-10 year-old daughter to see the testimony of a witness who was known for singing protest songs. After defense lawyers asked the witness if he could pick up his guitar and sing a few bars, Schultz sprang to his feet and objected.
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From the back of the courtroom, Schultz heard his daughter’s voice cry out, “Aw, Daddy, let him sing!”
[ The only Chicagoan of the Chicago 7 just wrote a memoir and says he’s a fan of the Netflix movie ‘Trial of the Chicago 7’ ]
Schultz also said he believes the trial’s most infamous moment is one of its most misunderstood. When Hoffman ordered Seale bound and gagged in October 1969, Schultz said, it was the culmination of a carefully orchestrated series of events in which the Black Panther leader’s attorneys either withdrew from the case or refused to participate in his defense. Seale, meanwhile, argued loudly at every turn that he was being denied his rights to a defense.
When Hoffman denied Kunstler’s motion to withdraw — which Schultz said he was bound to do under the law — Seale erupted in court, telling the judge, "Listen, old man, you keep on denying me my constitutional rights and you’re going to be exposed. ... You’re a racist, fascist bigot!” according to Schultz’s recollection.
Schultz said that at the time everyone, including Kunstler and Seale, was aware of a ruling from Chicago’s federal appeals court just months earlier saying that unruly defendants could not be removed from their own trial, even if they had to be restrained.
That Hoffman would eventually order that remedy for Seale seemed at the time like an unstoppable train, Schultz said.
“The whole thing was a setup, a way to get Seale bound and gagged so they could demonstrate to the world that the federal courts were racist,” Schultz said. "They played it to the hilt. There was nothing we could do.”
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When the jury stepped into the box and saw Seale restrained at the table, they looked shocked, Schultz said. “One of them was crying. It was sad to watch.”
[ Column: When you watch Aaron Sorkin’s Chicago 7 movie, remember juror Mrs. Jean Fritz ]
The Tribune’s story in the next day’s newspaper described how Seale tried to rise for the jury and “rattled his chains and manacles against his metal chair,” his mouth covered in a cloth and several pieces of white tape.
The account said the last straw for Hoffman appeared to be when Seale had tried to lunge at Schultz during a courtroom outburst earlier that day.
Seale was ultimately severed from the trial and sentenced by Hoffman to four years for criminal contempt, a term later reversed by the appellate court. The government chose not to retry him on the conspiracy charges.
On Feb. 18, 1970, the jury acquitted each of the seven remaining defendants of the conspiracy charge. Five, including Abbie Hoffman, were convicted of crossing state lines to incite a riot and later sentenced to five years in prison, but those convictions were also overturned, as were sentences for contempt handed down by Hoffman.
Schultz, meanwhile, left the U.S. attorney’s office soon after the case was over and built a career in private practice. Despite all the renewed attention on the events of the trial, he said the story has always seemed skewed, depending on who’s doing the telling.
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“We were renounced and laughed at,” he said. “They (the defendants) appeared to be caring, lovable people who were being oppressed. Every night I’d watch the TV news and think, ‘Were we in the same courtroom?’"
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--2 killed, 1 injured in Logan Square crash, police say

The 55-year-old woman was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and her passenger , a 71-year-old woman , was taken to @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
They were both later pronounced dead .

Two people died and another person was injured when two cars crashed on the Northwest Side Monday night, according to Chicago police.
A 33-year-old man was driving a Ford Focus east on Fullerton Avenue when he collided with a Toyota SUV driven by Patricia Mallqui, 55, who was driving north on Talman Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood, according to an accident report.
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Mallqui’s SUV spun out after the crash and hit a parked vehicle, the report said. Both the Ford Focus and Toyota SUV were totaled, the report said.
Mallqui was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and her passenger, Trinidad Juarez, 71, was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said. They were both later pronounced dead.
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The man was taken to Illinois Masonic in fair condition, the report said. He gave police a name that came up negative in a search and officers were not able to talk to him because of COVID-19 protocols at the hospital.
An investigator found an open bottle of alcohol in the man’s car and notified the Cook County state attorney’s office, the report said.
No charges were filed as of Wednesday morning, according to police.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--Leading Chicago outreach organization finds support for diverting portion of police budget to social

Leading Chicago outreach organization finds support for diverting portion of police budget to social services in survey of focus groups

Ever since the Memorial Day death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota sparked outrage throughout the @ @ @ @ @ critical of law enforcement have been more vocal in calling for “ defunding of police @ @ @ @ @ policing money should be rerouted to social programs .
The Chicago CRED report called for @ @ @ @ @ diverted to social services , while also making clear that the police are still necessary @

Chicago needs to “reimagine” public safety and shift money from the Chicago Police Department’s budget to more social services to reduce gun violence and make the city safer, according to a report issued Monday by the Chicago CRED organization.
The 17-page report summarized discussions with about 200 people in Zoom-based focus groups, primarily on the South and West sides, where Chicago’s violence is most concentrated. Participants included street outreach workers who mediate gang conflicts and provide other community services, ex-offenders, public officials, community leaders and regular residents, according to Marcus Yancey, a consultant for Chicago CRED.
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Ever since the Memorial Day death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota sparked outrage throughout the U.S., activists who are critical of law enforcement have been more vocal in calling for “defunding of police,” the idea that policing money should be rerouted to social programs. The Chicago CRED report called for some police funds to be diverted to social services, while also making clear that the police are still necessary.
But if there’s any question as to whether the police are needed “to the degree that we have them now,” the groups believe part of their budget could be better suited to help fight violence by being reallocated to help disadvantaged people in the areas of mental health support, housing options, substance abuse aid and other social services.
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Chicago CRED outreach supervisor Terrance Henderson with coworkers during an outreach walk in the Roseland neighborhood in July. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“I think a lot of people are tired of being reactionary,” said Yancey. "We have this whole situation that happened and now we’d have a reaction whether that’s going to be through mechanisms like incarceration, arrests. ... What can we do on the front end to really prevent from even getting to that point?
“And we believe that some of these services that have the potential to scale and be able to be provided to a larger (portion) of the community would definitely be able to help assist,” he said.
CPD is more than a year into a federally mandated consent decree aimed at improving its policing practices in the areas of training, officer supervision and other disciplines. While there’s been a deeply rooted distrust of police in South and West side neighborhoods, exacerbated by high-profile incidents of police brutality and abuse, the focus groups “did not have a deep disdain for police officers,” according to the report.
But it also said many participants felt police officers were “inefficient and overly aggressive” at doing their jobs. The groups attribute this to lack of training, emotional and mental stress and officers not being from the neighborhoods they patrol.
“Many community members felt the officers are there for harsh enforcement rather than positive policing and protecting the community,” the report stated.
Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny), is a nonprofit where Arne Duncan, former U.S. education secretary and Chicago Public Schools chief, is managing partner.
The release of the report comes a week before the Chicago City Council will be holding hearings for Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s 2021 budget, which is expected to reflect a $1.2 billion deficit. The report was also made public at a time when Lightfoot has promoted street outreach work as a holistic approach to stopping violence, and as an alternative to being too dependent on Chicago police.
Her administration has touted $11.5 million in spending this year on conflict intervention, counseling and employment for people most at risk, as well as services for victims and funding for the city’s public safety office. But the city’s spending for these alternate approaches to violence is less than 1% of the city’s share of the Police Department budget this year, which is about $1.7 billion.
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jgorner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--3 people stabbed inside McKinley Park home. Man in custody, police say.

The younger woman was cut in the head and taken to St. Anthony Hospital , where her condition was stabilized @ @ @ @ @ older woman was stabbed multiple time in the neck , face and body , and @ @ @ @ @ Sinai Hospital in critical condition .

Three people were stabbed in the kitchen of a Southwest Side home Monday evening, and a 22-year-old man was taken into custody, according to Chicago police.
About 7 p.m., a man used a knife to stab a 20-year-old woman, 49-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man inside a home in the 3300 block of South Claremont Avenue in the McKinley Park neighborhood, police said.
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The younger woman was cut in the head and taken to St. Anthony Hospital, where her condition was stabilized, police said. The older woman was stabbed multiple time in the neck, face and body, and she was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
The man was also stabbed multiple times in the body and taken to Mount Sinai in critical condition, police said.
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The 22-year-old man was taken into custody and taken to St. Anthony Hospital for “unknown injuries,” police said.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--Trump vs. Biden: Track the race for president in key battleground states

Of those , 218 electoral votes are in states rated as likely or solidly Democrat and expected to vote for @ @ @ @ @ electoral votes are tied to states rated as likely or solidly Republican and expected to @ @ @ @

Bill Ruthhart, Chad Yoder, Jonathon Berlin

Going into Tuesday’s voting, the list of battleground states that President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden were fighting for was a long 13. By the end of the night, that list had shrunk to a half-dozen.
By Wednesday morning, all eyes were on three familiar battlegrounds: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Propelled by the late counting of votes from Democratic strongholds, Biden had taken a lead in Michigan and Wisconsin by late morning Wednesday, while Trump remained in front in Pennsylvania with hundreds of thousands of votes outstanding.
Regardless of where those states land, the margin in the race to 270 Electoral College votes promises to be thin. Here is a look at results in hand so far from Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, as well as some of the other battlegrounds that have been projected already or are closer to projection.
Also included here are final FiveThirtyEight polling averages for those states — polling that, as in 2016, proved to underestimate Trump’s sway with voters.
Those polls had Biden up 8.2 points nationally, for example. In key Midwest states, Biden led Minnesota by 9.3, Wisconsin by 8.2 and Michigan by 8 points. Trump won states where he was leading — Iowa, Texas and Ohio.
State by state


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--Campaign trail tracker: Where Trump, Biden and their running mates have traveled in presidential rac

Campaign trail tracker: Where Trump, Biden and their running mates have traveled in presidential race’s final weeks

In the final sprint ahead of the Nov. 3 election , both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ travel despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Starting in September , Biden abandoned his monthslong @ @ @ @ @ in Delaware while Trump has accelerated his travel and is once again welcoming crowds at @ @ @

In the final sprint ahead of the Nov. 3 election, both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden have ramped up their campaign travel despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Starting in September, Biden abandoned his monthslong virtual campaign from his basement in Delaware while Trump has accelerated his travel and is once again welcoming crowds at some events.
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Here’s a look at the campaign trail stops made by Trump, Biden and running mates since Sept. 1.
Campaign trail tracker
Tap or click on a dot to see details of the stop.
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chicagotribune--2020-10-21--Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot exchanged emails with lobbyist about O’Hare client as city ethics board

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot exchanged emails with lobbyist about O’Hare client as city ethics board declined to enforce lobbying ban, records show

Smith , the City Council ’ s ethics chair , said she opposed Lightfoot ’ s idea , and the @ @ @ @ @ .
But Lightfoot ’ s ordinance got new life in late September , when West @ @ @ @ @ , 28th , used a parliamentary procedure to try to force an up-or-down vote on @ @ @ @ @ .
Smith agreed to instead hold a hearing on it in her committee , where @ @ @ @ @

Mayor Lori Lightfoot provides an update on Chicago's response to COVID-19 at City Hall on Oct. 19, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Months after a new law took effect banning elected public officials from lobbying Chicago City Hall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot exchanged emails with a lobbyist who would have been barred under the new standards had they been enforced, the Tribune has learned.
Flossmoor trustee Gyata Kimmons emailed Lightfoot in August on behalf of Unibail‐Rodamco‐Westfield, a real estate company he lobbies City Hall on behalf of tenants at O’Hare International Airport, records show.
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The back-and-forth occurred months after Lightfoot introduced her own plan that would have rolled back part of the city’s lobbying ordinance that prohibited elected officials such as Kimmons from lobbying city officials while keeping his suburban elected post.
The lobbying ban went into effect on April 14 and the mayor’s idea died earlier this month when aldermen rejected it. A federal lawsuit was filed last week arguing the city’s new rules are unconstitutional.
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While Lightfoot’s ordinance was pending, Kimmons continued lobbying the city. During that time, the city’s Board of Ethics declined to enforce the restrictions against lobbying by elected officials on the grounds that if Lightfoot’s proposal passed, it would nullify them.
The Tribune previously reported about Kimmons' continued work at City Hall despite the ethics ban but newly released emails show he was in direct contact with Lightfoot about his clients.
In one email, dated Aug. 31, Kimmons requested a virtual meeting between the mayor and his client’s leadership team about her “interest in growing small and diverse businesses at the airports.”
“I’m following up on one part of our discussion regarding my Westfield client. As a reminder, they are the concession manager at O’Hare’s Terminal 5,” Kimmons wrote. “As we discussed, they have great relationships with CDA, but hearing directly from you expounding upon your interest in growing small and diverse businesses at the airports (and citywide) would go a long way.”
Kimmons also thanked her for her “forthrightness and candor” during an unspecified dinner and wrote, “always good to close the door and let our hair down for a minute.”
Less than an hour later, Lightfoot replied that she would reach out to have a high-ranking aide discuss specifics.
“A virtual meeting seems fine,” Lightfoot wrote.
In response to questions about the emails, Lightfoot spokeswoman Jordan Troy released a statement saying the mayor has known Kimmons “for years” and they “were both in attendance at a purely social gathering in August 2020 where no lobbying occurred.”
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The mayor’s office also noted that the ethics board wasn’t enforcing the lobbying ban at the time.
Lightfoot campaigned for mayor on a platform of government ethics reform at a time that City Hall was under the cloud of a federal public corruption investigation. Her attempt to weaken the lobbying reform law has drawn criticism from some aldermen and others at City Hall who think it contradicts her campaign pledge to “Bring in the Light.”
Lincoln Park Ald. Michele Smith, 43rd, who co-sponsored the tougher rules on lobbying, said Tuesday that because the ethics board wasn’t enforcing them when Kimmons exchanged emails with Lightfoot, she doesn’t see an issue.
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Kimmons could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Emails obtained through an open records request show Kimmons also emailed Lightfoot in April on Westfield’s behalf, just two days after the lobbying ban went into effect and the same month Lightfoot brought forward her own lobbying ordinance.
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Lightfoot’s proposal later stalled in a City Council committee in the face of criticism from aldermen who said it would weaken Chicago’s standards at a time the city needs strong ethics rules to build public trust.
In the April email, Kimmons said he wanted to work with the city on a “Concessions Relief Package” for airport tenants.
“I would welcome an opportunity for Westfield to participate in the package’s formation and for a general discussion about the future of O’Hare concessions,” Kimmons wrote on April 16. “It is my understanding that you’re seeking to grow the number of small and diverse business owners able to participate at the airports — which I applaud and Westfield supports.”
It’s unclear what came of those efforts.
The City Council last December unanimously passed the ethics law that took effect in April barring Chicago aldermen from lobbying the county, the state or any other local government units, and prohibiting any other elected officials in the state from lobbying the City Council, the mayor or other units of city government.
But the lobbying ban on officials has been a source of friction between Lightfoot and the City Council.
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With federal investigators probing lobbying activities at the state level, the measure was touted as an effort by aldermen who backed the change to set rules to try to make sure elected officials look out for the best interests of the people who elected them, not special interests.
Lightfoot then introduced her own ordinance, arguing the tighter lobbying standards passed by the council went too far by applying to elected officials in other jurisdictions. While the City Council weighed whether to amend the law, Chicago’s ethics board delayed enforcing the measure.
The Board of Ethics later said it would begin enforcing the lobbying ban on elected officials beginning Oct. 1. The board also said Kimmons was the only lobbyist it identified who appeared to run afoul of the tighter rules.
Smith, the City Council’s ethics chair, said she opposed Lightfoot’s idea, and the mayor appeared to drop it. But Lightfoot’s ordinance got new life in late September, when West Side Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, used a parliamentary procedure to try to force an up-or-down vote on it by the full council. Smith agreed to instead hold a hearing on it in her committee, where it was unanimously defeated.
Ald. Matt O’Shea, who chairs the City Council Aviation Committee and co-sponsored the lobbying ban, released a statement saying he was “not aware of or involved in any conversations between the Mayor and Mr. Kimmons or anyone associated with Westfield regarding the Concessions Relief Package.”
“Earlier this month, I spoke out against a proposal to relax restrictions on cross-lobbying and am proud that the Ethics Committee unanimously voted down that ordinance,” he said.
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Kimmons was paid $139,000 by his clients for lobbying between April 1 and June 30, according to city records.
Asked Tuesday about the emails between Kimmons and Lightfoot, city ethics board Executive Director Steve Berlin reiterated that the board was waiting for the City Council to consider Lightfoot’s proposal to scale back the lobbying ban before enforcing the law.
“The board is responsible for enforcing all aspects of the Governmental Ethics Ordinance, including the lobbying laws. We are fully committed to fulfilling that responsibility, and to effective and immediate enforcement of this law,” Berlin said.
But Berlin also noted that Wilmette library board trustee Dan Johnson filed a lawsuit against the city last week seeking to block the law. Johnson’s lawsuit argues that the ban violates his First Amendment rights.
Johnson has never been registered to lobby Chicago government, according to the ethics board, and did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
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gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--Illinois orders tighter restrictions on bars, restaurants and gatherings in several suburban countie

Illinois orders tighter restrictions on bars, restaurants and gatherings in several suburban counties as coronavirus positivity rates rise

In order for the new restrictions to be lifted , a region has to bring its rolling positivity rate down @ @ @ @ @ for three straight days .
So , far the Will and Kankakee county region and @ @ @ @ @ St. Louis have been able to do that , although the former is going back @ @ @ @ @

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)
Roughly a third of Illinois’ 102 counties and a quarter of its residents soon will be living under stricter rules aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus as the state attempts to rein in a resurgent pandemic.
Starting Friday, indoor service at bars and restaurants will be prohibited in DuPage, Kane, Will and Kankakee counties, an area that’s home to more than 1 in 6 Illinois residents, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday.
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While the governor lamented that the rollback was needed, restaurant owners worried the latest wave of restrictions would make it even more difficult to stay in business as winter looms and outdoor dining becomes less of an option.
“It’s absolutely devastating that this has happened again,” said Raffi Demerdjian, general manager of Empire Burger & Brew in Naperville. “The restaurant business is difficult as it is. To be put through these restrictions makes it more difficult ... it’s a sickening, sickening feeling.”
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The two regions that comprise DuPage, Kane, Will and Kankakee counties are the latest to see their economic reopenings partially rolled back after experiencing spikes in the percentage of coronavirus tests returning positive results. As of Saturday, the seven-day average of positivity rates in the regions remained above a state-established threshold of 8% for the third straight day, triggering the clampdown.
When the latest rollbacks take effect later this week, four of the 11 regions in Pritzker’s reopening plan will be under the stricter requirements, which also include lowering a cap on gatherings from 50 people to 25. The tighter rules take effect Thursday in the 20 southernmost counties in Illinois and have been in effect since Oct. 3 in the nine counties in the state’s northwest corner.
“There is no easy fix for the effects of this virus on our economy and on our public health,” Pritzker said at his daily COVID-19 briefing. “But we can and we will manage through this."
[ COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area ]
In DuPage and Kane counties, the rolling positivity rate was 9% as of Saturday, up from 4.8% on Oct. 3. Will and Kankakee counties, which previously were under the stricter rules for three weeks from late August to mid-September, saw positivity rates skyrocket again, to 8.6% as of Saturday from 5.6% two weeks earlier.
While they’ve yet to meet the threshold that would trigger a rollback, the state’s seven other regions, including Chicago, suburban Cook County, and Lake and McHenry counties, have seen their positivity rates rise in the past two weeks and could be headed toward renewed restrictions if recent trends continue.
As of Saturday, the rolling positivity rates were 7.5% in Lake and McHenry counties, 7.1% in suburban Cook County and 6.7% in Chicago, with the city’s rate jumping 2 percentage points in a week.
Statewide the positivity rate stood at 5.5% as of Monday, up from 4.5% a week earlier and 3.5% at the beginning of the month.
Despite the recent surge in cases across the state, Pritzker said Tuesday that a new statewide stay-at-home order, like the one he issued when the pandemic was first taking hold in March, is “not something that we’re considering right now."
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“We have this resurgence mitigation plan in place; it’s been working,” he said. “As regions have gone into the resurgence mitigations, they’ve been able to lower their positivity rates and come out of it. Takes a little longer for some regions than others, for reasons I can’t explain, but they do come out of it.”
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
Although schools are not affected by the stricter rules, some suburban districts announced this week that they were rethinking plans to bring more students back into classrooms, even before the governor’s office instituted the stricter COVID-19 mitigations.
State officials on Tuesday announced 3,714 newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of known cases statewide to 350,875. With an additional 41 fatalities also announced, the statewide death toll now stands at 9,277.
The state received results from 59,077 coronavirus tests in the past 24 hours.
Over the past week, Illinois has seen the second-highest number of total cases of any state, trailing only Texas and just ahead of Wisconsin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On a per capita basis, however, the state is tied for 13th among states and U.S. territories.
In addition to the number of newly confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise in Illinois.
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The state was averaging 36 deaths per day over the past week as of Tuesday, up from 27 a week earlier and the highest seven-day average since June 28. At the height of the first wave in May, the state was averaging more than 100 deaths per day.
As of Monday night, 2,261 people were hospitalized in Illinois with COVID-19, up from 1,848 patients a week earlier, a 22% increase. Of those in the hospital Monday, 489 were in intensive care and 195 were on ventilators, both up from the prior week.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 113 CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
In order for the new restrictions to be lifted, a region has to bring its rolling positivity rate down to 6.5% or below for three straight days. So, far the Will and Kankakee county region and the Metro East area outside St. Louis have been able to do that, although the former is going back under the stricter rules.
If a region remains above an 8% positivity rate for 14 days, the state can impose further restrictions, such as additional limits on outdoor dining and a suspension of in-person shopping at “nonessential” retailers.
Pritzker said his administration has focused on restaurant and bar restrictions as one of the first steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 because scientific research and the state’s contact tracing efforts have indicated eating and drinking establishments are major sources of transmission. State contact tracing data from August and September show that, aside from a catchall category for social gatherings, restaurants and bars were the locations most frequently visited by people who tested positive.
“This isn’t about punishing anybody. ... We didn’t pick it just because it sounds good or that we want to do it,” Pritzker said.
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The state is prioritizing businesses in the regions affected by the tighter rules as it distributes a round of $220 million in business interruption grants funded by the federal coronavirus relief package, according to the governor’s office.
Still, economic uncertainty remains high among bar owners, restaurateurs and their workers.
[ Chicago-area hospitals watch surge in COVID-19 patients, brace for things to get worse ]
Employees of Empire Burger & Brew began texting Demerdjian nonstop when news of the stricter rules broke Tuesday afternoon, concerned about staff cutbacks and schedules.
“It’s very upsetting, it’s very depressing, and we feel bad for all of the hospitality workers,” Demerdjian said. “I just don’t understand why it’s restaurants and bars that are taking the fall, when other businesses are considered essential. I don’t know how the governor can make that distinction.”
He said he wishes he could see the science and data behind the decision. His phone calls to other restaurateurs in Naperville revealed a ripple of anxiety many experienced after hearing about the restrictions, especially after seven months of rules that seemed to change almost weekly, he said.
While he has seen posts on social media encouraging restaurants to defy the order, Demerdjian said he plans to stick with the new rules in hopes that local officials will find ways to support the industry. He emphasized that restaurants are already highly regulated and bear the brunt of negative reviews online when they enforce COVID-19 safety guidelines with uncooperative guests.
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Not only will restaurants be affected, but liquor distributors, farmers and other producers connected to the industry will also be negatively impacted, he said. Demerdjian already canceled liquor and produce orders Tuesday and anticipates more adjustments as things progress.
He said he dreads calling employees to tell them they’ve been let go and need to file for unemployment again. He said he wished this happened earlier in the year, when patrons were more open to dining outdoors, rather than braving the cold weather quickly setting in.
[ 5 states added to Chicago’s travel quarantine order: ‘We all need to double down on COVID precautions’ ]
Chef Paul Virant owns Vistro in Hinsdale, the only one of his three restaurants that will be affected by the governor’s tightened restrictions. Vistro has a heated tent, so it’ll still be able to seat customers.
But without indoor dining, Virant will have to rely on attracting more carryout orders and selling meal kits. People still have to eat, he said, but this order means fewer customers going out to do it.
“It’s a tragedy,” he said. “People have got to start wearing masks. Clearly the pandemic is not going away — and it’s getting worse.”
That message was echoed by Dr. Justin Macariola-Coad, interim chief medical officer at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, who joined Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike for Tuesday’s briefing at the Thompson Center in the Loop.
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“Wisconsin is already surging, and northern Illinois is likely next,” said Macariola-Coad, a father of three from Elmhurst who acknowledged the strain the pandemic has put on families.
Steps taken now “will define what happens in the coming weeks to months,” he said.
“Wearing a mask, washing your hands, and keeping distance from one another will prevent the spread of this illness and ultimately save lives,” Macariola-Coad said.
Also, five more states, including Ohio, were added to Chicago’s travel quarantine order while none were removed.
Starting Friday, travelers heading from Colorado, Ohio, Delaware, West Virginia and Texas will be subject to the city’s two-week quarantine requirement, according to a news release. For the Lone Star state, this week will be the third time Chicago has added it to its travel order.
Last week, the city placed Indiana on its list for the first time, ensuring all five states bordering Illinois are part of the order. A state gets placed on the list if it averages more than 15 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period.
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dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-20--2 Milwaukee women charged with drugging men in River North bars and robbing them, netting $85,000 in

2 Milwaukee women charged with drugging men in River North bars and robbing them, netting $85,000 in cash and valuables

Neither woman had a significant criminal history and both are mothers of young children , according to their attorneys .
@ @ @ @ @ person without their knowledge or consent was “ an act of violence , ” and @ @ @ @ @ for Trammell and $ 45,000 for Rainey .
Both are barred from having contact with @ @ @ @ @ was barred from returning to Wisconsin during the case .

Tiana Trammell, left, and Tjwana Rainey, both of Milwaukee, are accused of drugging 10 men who were partying in River North and then robbing them. (Chicago Police Department)
Two Milwaukee women, an expectant mother and a 32-year-old phlebotomist, are accused of drugging 10 men who were partying in River North and then robbing them after they fell unconscious — netting $85,000 in cash, phones and jewelry.
Tiana Trammel, 25, and Tjwana Rainey, 32, ran the scheme from late January until last Sunday, authorities told a Cook County judge on Tuesday.
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The two would lead drunken men from the bars and nightclubs of River North, often with an invitation to go back to their place, and then give them a drink from a small glass vial, prosecutors said during a bail hearing.
After downing the drink, the men would black out and later awake either in their own homes or by the side of the road, unharmed but missing their wallets and valuables, prosecutors said.
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“We had one victim that awoke at the Lake Forest oasis,” Assistant State’s Attorney Paul Kiefer told Judge Charles Beach II during the hearing broadcast on YouTube.
The women used the stolen credit and debit cards at ATMs at Walmart and Target stores in the Milwaukee area where they live, Kiefer said.
The women were arrested early Sunday in River North after carrying a man from a downtown club to Trammell’s car, authorities said. Both were already on law enforcement’s radar by this time and a tracker had been placed on Trammell’s vehicle.
“The last couple of victims we have in the case, obviously the tracker aligns with what happened to those victims,” he said. Kiefer added that authorities also have surveillance video and license plate readers that captured Trammell’s movements.
Police recovered vials of suspected alcohol that are being analyzed to see what chemicals were used on the men, authorities said.
Trammel and Rainey, who appeared separately before the judge, each face charges of continuing a financial criminal enterprise and possession of a controlled substance.
Neither woman had a significant criminal history and both are mothers of young children, according to their attorneys. But Beach said drugging a person without their knowledge or consent was “an act of violence,” and set bail at $55,000 for Trammell and $45,000 for Rainey. Both are barred from having contact with the victims, and Trammell was barred from returning to Wisconsin during the case.
The criminal tradition of robbing bar hoppers by knocking them out with tainted drinks has its supposed origins in late 19th-century Chicago, where the legendary saloon owner Mickey Finn gave customers laced drinks, stealing money and sometimes clothing.
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In recent years, the focus has been on protecting against “date rape” drugs put into cocktails in order to leave people vulnerable to sexual assault.