chicagotribune--2020-10-02--Berrios son-in-law indicted in bribery scheme involving ex-state Rep. Luis Arroyo

During the meeting , Arroyo said he was going to introduce a “ trailer bill ” in the veto session @ @ @ @ @ games and offered to make periodic payments to the senator in exchange for his support @ @ @ @ @ complaint filed against Arroyo last year .

The son-in-law of onetime Cook County Democratic boss Joseph Berrios has been indicted for his alleged role in a bribery scheme that brought down ex-state Rep. Luis Arroyo and exposed a shadowy lobbying effort to expand sweepstakes gaming machines.
James Weiss, 41, was charged in an eight-count superseding indictment made public Friday with bribery, wire fraud, mail fraud and lying to the FBI. Weiss is married to Berrios' daughter, former state Rep. Toni Berrios.
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James Weiss. ( Illinois Secretary of State)
The indictment also added new wire and mail fraud charges against Arroyo, who was originally charged in October 2019 with one count of federal program bribery and had been on track to plead guilty. Arroyo resigned from office soon after he was charged.
The case centers on the largely uncharted world of sweepstakes machines, sometimes called “gray machines,” which allow customers to put in money, receive a coupon to redeem for merchandise online and then play electronic games like slot machines.
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Since the machines can be played for free, they are not considered gambling devices. Critics, however, contend the unregulated devices, which operate in cities like Chicago that have banned video gambling, are designed to skirt the law.
According to the 15-page indictment, Weiss paid bribes to Arroyo beginning in November 2018 in exchange for Arroyo’s promotion of legislation beneficial to Weiss' company, Collage LLC, which specialized in the sweepstakes machines.
The bribes were paid via off-the-books lobbying payments to Arroyo’s consulting firm, Spartacus 3 LLC, which Arroyo failed to report to state regulators, according to the charges.
Both Weiss and Arroyo also conspired in 2019 to pay a state senator $2,500 a month in kickbacks in exchange for the senator’s support on the proposed sweepstakes game legislation, the indictment alleged.
The senator has not been named in court documents, but the Chicago Tribune has reported he is Terry Link, a Vernon Hills Democrat who resigned from office before pleading guilty to unrelated tax evasion charges last month.
Both Weiss and Arroyo will be arraigned on the new indictment at a later date. No attorney was listed for Weiss in the court docket as of Friday.
Weiss' involvement in the bribery probe was first reported by the Tribune last year after the FBI raided Weiss' business offices. He declined to comment on his role in the investigation at the time, telling a reporter outside his River Grove home, “I have no idea what’s going on.”
Ex-Rep. Luis Arroyo, left, and his attorney Michael Gillespie walk out of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after pleading not guilty in his arraignment on corruption charges on Feb. 4, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
According to prosecutors, the unnamed state senator had told the FBI that Arroyo approached him about “the passage of sweepstakes-related legislation” during the House’s 2019 spring session. At the time, the senator was cooperating with authorities in the hopes he’d get a break on expected tax-related charges.
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In early August 2019, Arroyo texted the senator asking to meet at a restaurant in Highland Park. Also at the meeting was Weiss as well as one of Weiss’ associates, prosecutors alleged.
During the meeting, Arroyo said he was going to introduce a “trailer bill” in the veto session expanding the use of sweepstakes games and offered to make periodic payments to the senator in exchange for his support, according to the criminal complaint filed against Arroyo last year.
Weiss told the group he would forward a draft of the proposed legislation that the senator could look over, according to the complaint.
“I would like for you to carry the bill,” Arroyo allegedly told the senator. “I don’t have nobody in the Senate.”
Three weeks later, the senator was wearing an FBI wire when Arroyo allegedly delivered the first of the promised $2,500 checks at a restaurant in Skokie, according to the complaint.
“This is, this is the jackpot,” Arroyo allegedly told the senator as he handed over the money. Additional monthly $2,500 payments were expected to be made over the next six to 12 months, federal authorities alleged.
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The complaint alleged Weiss later emailed the state senator a note of thanks.
“I appreciate your help and assistance,” Weiss allegedly wrote. “I know there are challenges in front of me with sweepstakes. Please let me know if there is anyone else you would recommend I meet with and share information.”
According to the indictment filed Friday, Weiss mailed a final $2,500 check to the senator on Oct. 22, 2019, three days before the charges against Arroyo were filed under seal.
On Oct. 25, the FBI asked Weiss about the payments during an interview in Maywood. The indictment alleged Weiss lied to agents about whether he knew the money was going to the senator. Arroyo was arrested two days later.
Weiss' wife, Toni Berrios, was a longtime state representative who left Springfield in 2015.
Shortly after she lost the 2014 Democratic primary, her colleagues lauded her on the House floor, including Arroyo and then-state Rep. Dan Burke — the brother of indicted Chicago Ald. Edward Burke — who claimed credit for introducing her “to the love of her life, Jimmy Weiss,” according to a transcript.
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In addition to marrying into the politically powerful Berrios family, Weiss is also a grandson of former Deputy City Treasurer Edward Murray, a longtime Bridgeport precinct captain and friend of former Mayor Richard M. Daley. Murray also served as a financial officer for the Chicago Public Schools.
Weiss and his chief business partner own a string of valet companies that have millions of dollars in city contracts to park cars on CPS properties as well as other city-owned locations, records show.
State business records show Weiss’ sweepstakes machine business is also connected to former Chicago police Officer John Adreani through a complex web of corporations, many of which list the same address in a south suburban strip mall as their headquarters.
Adreani was fired from the Police Department five years ago for associating with a major drug trafficker after he was captured on a wiretap discussing gambling and drinking excursions and real estate ventures with him, according to Chicago Police Board records.
Chicago Tribune’s Ray Long contributed.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-02--The Spin: President Trump heading to hospital, receives experimental drug after testing positive for

The Spin: President Trump heading to hospital, receives experimental drug after testing positive for COVID-19 | Inside Michael Madigan’s patronage playbook | Pritzker touts green energy even as his administration opens door to new coal mine

Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin had his own message for Trump : Get well soon — and maintain the Affordable @ @ @ @ @ colleague Alice Yin writes .
“ Before blasting Trump ’ s swift nomination of Amy @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court as a crack at dismantling the landmark health care plan , the second-ranking @ @ @ @ @ of the president and the first lady — who both announced early Friday morning that @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus — is paramount , ” Yin writes .
A member of the Senate Judiciary @ @ @ @ @ vetting the nominee and holding hearings , all planned for the coming weeks , Durbin @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s diagnosis and concerns about an ongoing outbreak at the White House , @ @ @ @ @ rest of her story here .

President Donald Trump holds out his face mask during the first presidential debate at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (Julio Cortez/AP)
President Donald Trump is heading to Walter Reed military hospital, hours after he was diagnosed with COVID-19; earlier he was administered an experimental drug aimed at supplying antibodies to help fight his coronavirus infection, a White House doctor said in a statement. The president is “fatigued but in good spirits,” the physician said.
News the president and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 triggered a dizzying amount of questions and conversations about governing, policy and politics. Also, reporters are putting on their contact tracing hats, noting that Vice President Joe Biden was onstage with the president just four nights ago (he’s tested negative) and less than a week after he nominated Amy Coney Barrett, who also has tested negative, to the U.S. Supreme Court. The president and Barrett, who sits as a federal appellate court judge based in Chicago, were both maskless.
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U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a fellow Republican, tweeted a get-well message. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered a similar sentiment but added that this should be a lesson that the virus is potent and people should wear a mask. The president has said he’ll wear one when needed but has not often been seen wearing one in public.
While Trump is staying isolated inside the White House, Gov. J.B. Pritzker continues to quarantine after a staffer in his circle tested positive for the virus. “The Governor wishes the President and First Lady a speedy recovery,” his spokeswoman wrote in an email.
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Speaking of the governor, the Tribune’s environment reporter Michael Hawthorne writes that Pritzker has touted a clean energy platform. But last year, his administration began clearing the way for a new coal mine and his appointees have tentatively OK’d a 12-mile pipeline that would dump millions of gallons of toxic waste into a Mississippi River tributary. Pritzker’s aides say reviews of the projects are ongoing and that it doesn’t represent an about-face.
And the state’s most powerful and longest-serving elected leader, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has long defended his push to land political allies and their friends and family on taxpayer-funded payrolls, my Tribune colleague Ray long writes. But in a new letter last week, Madigan seemed to suggest his penchant for patronage hiring as virtuous. "I believe that it is part of my duties as a community and political leader to help good people find work.”
But “(w)hat Madigan didn’t mention when discussing the numerous jobs he’s secured for people during more than 50 years in politics is how that practice has benefited him and what it’s cost taxpayers,” Long notes.
Welcome to The Spin.
President Donald Trump throws hats to supporters after speaking at a campaign rally at Duluth International Airport in Duluth, Minnesota, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. The president and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, the president tweeted early Friday. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Fox News, the New York Times and other outlets report that discussions were ongoing about whether Trump might address the nation, as a means of reassuring a public reeling from a pandemic that’s now reached the highest levels of government. No word on that.
The president’s physician issued a statement this afternoon saying the president is taking an experimental drug and describing Trump as “fatigued but in good spirits.” Earlier today White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said the president is still plugged in to work, even asking about the status of another COVID-19 relief package that both parties would like to see approved before the Nov. 3 election.
Illinois Republican and Democratic officials offered the president and first lady get well wishes.
Adam Kinzinger, a Channahon Republican whose relationship has run hot and cold with the president, took to Twitter and wrote: “Praying for our President & First Lady and wishing them both a swift & safe recovery.”
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Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot, both Democrats who’ve battled with Trump, put that aside.
“The Governor wishes the President and First Lady a speedy recovery,” Pritzker’s spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. Meantime, Mayor Lightfoot’s “speedy recovery” wishes to the president and first lady, posted on Twitter, also came with a message to the public: “Let this be a reminder to us all that COVID-19 is real, remains present, and powerful. Please wear a mask.”
Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin had his own message for Trump: Get well soon — and maintain the Affordable Care Act, my Tribune colleague Alice Yin writes. “Before blasting Trump’s swift nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court as a crack at dismantling the landmark health care plan, the second-ranking Democratic senator said the health of the president and the first lady — who both announced early Friday morning that they tested positive for the coronavirus — is paramount,” Yin writes. A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the frontline of vetting the nominee and holding hearings, all planned for the coming weeks, Durbin suggested pumping the brakes given Trump’s diagnosis and concerns about an ongoing outbreak at the White House, Yin writes. Read the rest of her story here.
President Trump was supposed to be on a phone call with governors today: But multiple outlets are reporting Vice President Pence stepped in on the call. Pritzker’s office didn’t respond to a query about whether he participated. The New York Times has the details here.
For now, the president is having to cancel in-person campaigning after contracting a virus he’s dismissed. With the death toll surging past 200,000 in this country alone, he mocked Joe Biden Tuesday night for wearing a mask before their debate. Because they were in close proximity, the former vice president said he submitted to a COVID-19 test, which was negative.
The next debate is Oct. 15, but whether that will happen now is in question with the president falling ill.
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Biden hits campaign trail after negative test as COVID-19 wave sweeps through Republican ranks: Read The Associated Press story here.
University of Notre Dame president tests positive for COVID-19 after attending White House Rose Garden ceremony with President Trump: The Tribune’s Elyssa Cherney has the story here.
Stocks slump after Trump tests positive for COVID-19, job growth slows: The AP has the story here.
House Democrats pass partisan $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill as talks on smaller measure drag on: White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said during a news conference today that the president asked him this morning about the progress of the bill. Read the story here.
This day in history, Oct. 2: President Woodrow Wilson suffers debilitating stroke - The Tribune’s Phil Rosenthal examines how the Chicago Tribune played it.
Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
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A specimen is handed over as COVID-19 saliva testing is conducted July 7, 2020, in a tent outside the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on the University of Illinois campus. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
My Tribune colleague Angie Leventis Lourgos writes: "With great fanfare, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced over the summer that a new saliva-based COVID-19 test developed by the University of Illinois had been granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, calling this “some of the best news” since the pandemic began.
“The FDA, however, says the university’s test has never operated under an emergency use authorization, as the governor and university leadership have repeatedly claimed.”
The governor’s office referred questions to the university, where officials " blamed the situation on confusion over FDA protocols," Leventis Lourgos writes, adding: “The university said it believed the saliva-based test had earned emergency use authorization through a study comparing it with a separate FDA-authorized test developed by Yale University researchers.” Read the rest of the story here.
Data points: Illinois officials announced 2,206 new known COVID-19 cases and 47 additional deaths today. More details here.
Illinois hotels warn of mass closures, huge job cuts without federal help. ‘Winter is coming both literally and figuratively’: Innkeepers warn that it all pivots on whether Congress can put together a relief package. The Tribune’s Katie Surma has the story here.
House Speaker Michael Madigan speaks with House Majority leader Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, before the start of the budget address by Gov. J.B. Pritzker at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on Feb. 19, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“For years, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has defended his aggressive push to land political allies and their friends and family on taxpayer-funded payrolls, but rarely has he waxed as philosophically about it as he did last week in a three-page letter,” Ray Long writes in a new piece.
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“Facing intense pressure from a federal investigation into ComEd’s bribes-for-favors scandal and an invitation from a House corruption committee to tell the public what he knows, Madigan’s missive broke two months of near silence. The powerful speaker loudly proclaimed his innocence and tried to reframe his penchant for patronage hiring as a virtue.”
The letter, sent to the special House committee investigating his conduct amid the ComEd scandal, declines the panel’s request for him to testify, and he denies wrongdoing while explaining himself.
“I believe that it is part of my duties as a community and political leader to help good people find work — from potential executives to college interns, and more,” wrote the 78-year-old Illinois Democratic Party chairman, alluding to some of the very jobs that prosecutors brought up in charging ComEd with crimes. “What an employer chooses to do with that recommendation rests solely with their discretion.”
The ComEd probe has put under the spotlight another practice that’s gone on at the Capitol under Madigan: Long points to “the cycle of House Democratic staffers and friendly lawmakers who leave and then land a hefty stable of lobbying clients in part based on their perceived access to the speaker. Those lobbyists often become part of a campaign fundraising network that provides money to help Madigan-backed candidates.”
“The son-in-law of onetime Cook County Democratic boss Joseph Berrios has been indicted for his alleged role in a bribery scheme that brought down ex-state Rep. Luis Arroyo and exposed a shadowy lobbying effort to expand sweepstakes gaming machines,” The Tribune’s Jason Meisner writes. Read the rest of his story here.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker at a news conference at the James R. Thompson Center on Sept. 22, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Michael Hawthorne writes, “Based on his public statements, Pritzker is one of several Democratic governors mindful that if climate change is left unchecked, surges of extreme heat, wildfires, drought, flooding and rising seas could kill millions of people and devastate the global economy.”
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Hawthorne notes that “Illinois already is a major supplier of coal, the chief source of heat-trapping gases warming the planet.”
Yet last year, after Pritzker took office, the proposed Bulldog Mine in Vermillion County secured a mining permit after stalling during predecessor Bruce Rauner’s four years in office.
“What makes the disconnect more jarring between Pritzker’s climate promises and his coal policies: The state’s highly automated, nonunion mines employ fewer workers every year,” Hawthorne writes. “Most of what is dug out of the ground ends up in other states and countries.”
The governor’s aides said their reviews of the proposed coal mine as well as a proposed pipeline are far from over. Jordan Abudayyeh, Pritzker’s spokeswoman, said in an email that the governor made his intentions clear with a list of principles for a clean-energy future. But as Hawthorne notes, “Pritzker’s “Putting Customers & Climate First” agenda does not address the impacts of coal mining.”
History, politics: “State support for coal companies reflects the lingering clout of a once-dominant industry in Illinois, where the southern, coal-rich portion of the state is closer to the Deep South than Chicago and is still tied politically to a bygone era," Hawthorne writes in his deep dive on the subject. Read the rest of the story here.
Detectives work the scene of a shooting that occurred Sept. 12, 2020, in the 10600 block of South Mackinaw Avenue in the East Side neighborhood. (Paige Fry/Chicago Tribune)
Read the story and data from my Tribune colleagues Will Lee and Jeremy Gorner here.
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They write: "In releasing the latest numbers, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown noted the ‘unprecedented’ challenges his officers have faced this year: the COVID-19 pandemic and the national outrage following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota.
“Floyd’s death sparked demonstrations across the country and reignited the national conversation about systemic racism and law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans. In other major cities, the protests were accompanied by widespread looting and vandalism.”
Police units were shifted downtown and to hard-hit parts of the city under Mayor Lightfoot’s new top cop. While she’s expressed nothing but a vote of confidence in Brown, in a society that prizes quick results the public may point the finger at both of them if the numbers continue to rise.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-10-02--Prosecutors won’t file charges against Midlothian officer in 2018 killing of security guard Jemel Ro

Prosecutors won’t file charges against Midlothian officer in 2018 killing of security guard Jemel Roberson outside nightclub

“ I am acutely aware in this age of civil unrest that police-involved shootings are viewed under a microscope , @ @ @ @ @ be , '' Foxx said .
`` The death of Jemel Roberson is tragically heartbreaking @ @ @ @ @ feel to some people like justice was not served here , I have both an @ @ @ @ @ make charging decisions based on the law and the evidence .
”

Deanna Green, Jemel Roberson's sister, is comforted following a news conference outside Three Crosses of Calvary M.B. Church on the West Side on Oct. 2, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Cook County prosecutors won’t bring charges against a Midlothian police officer who shot and killed security guard Jemel Roberson during a chaotic 2018 confrontation outside a Robbins nightclub, the state’s attorney’s office announced Friday.
Roberson was shot by Midlothian police Officer Ian Covey in November 2018 as Roberson tried to hold a man suspected of firing into a crowd at the bar where Roberson was working as a security guard. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said her office has “concluded that the totality of the evidence is insufficient to support criminal charges against” Covey.
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“While this conclusion may not be the result that many have hoped for, I can assure you that this investigation was conducted with the highest level of scrutiny by prosecutors in my office’s Law Enforcement Accountability Division and the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force,” Foxx said in a release.
Family and friends of Roberson called Friday afternoon for a change in laws that make it difficult for authorities to charge police officers in shootings that may have been unjustified, and said they will continue to fight for charges to be brought against Covey.
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Roberson’s mother, Beatrice Roberson, said the decision from the state’s attorney’s office “devastated” her. She was flanked by supporters wearing shirts that said, “Security. Don’t Shoot" and “Black Lives Matter” along with her son’s name.
“Kim Foxx and her office has let my family down,” she said, speaking to reporters outside Three Crosses of Calvary M.B. Church on the city’s West Side.
Beatrice Roberson, Jemel Roberson's mother, is comforted before a news conference outside Three Crosses of Calvary M.B. Church on the West Side of Chicago on Oct. 2, 2020. Cook County prosecutors won't bring charges against a Midlothian police officer who shot and killed security guard Jemel Roberson. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Attorneys working with the family said Foxx was in a tough spot, given current laws, but they also plan to review case materials themselves and continue investigating in the hope that charges can be brought later.
“It was a difficult decision for (Foxx). We are disappointed. The family is devastated,” said attorney Andrew Stroth. “I think the focus has got to be on how do we change the laws moving forward so there are not additional Jemel Robersons.”
Stroth said Foxx turned the case file over to the family, and left the door “wide-open” for charges in the future. The attorneys are working with an investigative group to review the material. He noted that state law does not put a statute of limitations on murder if their review were to turn up new evidence.
Still, supporters of the family were critical of Foxx’s decision, even as they acknowledged that she faced an uphill battle charging and convicting a police officer.
“No one was willing to take the risk for Jemel Roberson. (Foxx) could have made the decision to file charges and let a grand jury or a court make a decision,” said Pastor LeAundre Hill,who ministers to the family. “She was not willing to take the risk.”
A statement released by an attorney for the village of Midlothian said officials are reviewing the state’s attorney’s findings and have not made a decision about the “status of Officer Covey.”
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“The village would like to again extend our condolences to the Roberson family. We are aware that Jemel’s family and friends are still hurting today,” the statement said.
The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force has been investigating Roberson’s killing, but Foxx’s office said the state’s attorney “is the agency responsible for making criminal charging decisions” in Cook County.
The state’s attorney’s office said its investigators interviewed more than 100 witnesses and evaluated “physical evidence and information surrounding the events.” The investigation was reviewed by the office of the Illinois state’s attorney appellate prosecutor, which “agreed ... that no criminal charges are appropriate” against the officer, according to the office’s release.
“I am acutely aware in this age of civil unrest that police-involved shootings are viewed under a microscope, as they very well should be," Foxx said. "The death of Jemel Roberson is tragically heartbreaking, and while it might feel to some people like justice was not served here, I have both an ethical and legal obligation to make charging decisions based on the law and the evidence.”
Midlothian police Chief Daniel Delaney and Covey did not return messages requesting comment Friday.
In the early morning hours of Nov. 11, 2018, a fight broke out at Manny’s Blue Room in Robbins. Shots were fired in the bar. A series of dashboard camera, body camera and recovered cellphone videos depict some moments throughout that evening. (Cook County sheriff's office) (Cook County sheriff's office/Chicago Tribune)
Roberson, 26, had been working security at Manny’s Blue Room Lounge in Robbins on Nov. 11 when a fight broke out between two groups of men inside the bar. Shots were fired and four people were struck, including a man suspected of being the gunman.
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In the chaos, Roberson managed to detain a man witnesses identified as a shooter and was holding him on the ground at gunpoint when Covey arrived armed with an AR-15 rifle.
Covey ordered Roberson to drop the gun and fired on him when he didn’t comply, according to state police.
Witnesses said the officer did not give Roberson adequate time to respond to his verbal commands and ignored their warnings that Roberson was a security guard, not a suspect.
An autopsy found Roberson was shot four times in the back and side.
In July, a man suspected of firing into the bar, setting off the chain of events that culminated in Roberson’s death, was shot to death in Chicago.
The officer, who joined the department in 2015, has remained on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation by state police and county prosecutors.
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This summer, Roberson’s family’s hopes were buoyed by the possibility of a federal investigation into his killing.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com
mnolan@southtownstar.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-02--Auto industry rebounding, but it’s slim pickings at Chicago-area new car dealerships

Job one , however , is to get new Fords on the lot .
New car inventory remains tight at @ @ @ @ @ 2020 models still trickling in .
Webb said he normally has 200 to 300 new @ @ @ @ @ current inventory stands at about 110 new vehicles .

The hardest part about buying a new car during the pandemic may be finding a new car.
While the automotive industry is showing signs of recovery, months of production stoppage, supply chain interruption and stay-at-home disruption has left many Chicago-area dealers with few new cars and lots of empty spaces.
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Adding to the inventory shortage, the new model year — an automotive rite of fall — has yet to hit showrooms in any significant numbers. Many 2021 models may not actually arrive until 2021.
“It’s kind of hard to sell from an empty cupboard when you don’t have any new vehicles,” said John Webb, a principal with family-owned Packey Webb Ford, a 58-year-old Downers Grove dealership.
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Employee Alberto Hernandez touches up a new Ford Explorer at the Packey Webb Ford dealership in Downers Grove on Oct. 1, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The auto industry is gaining some momentum after grinding to a halt at the onset of the pandemic. Chicago-area auto plants, which were shut down for much of the spring, are back up to pre-COVID-19 employment and production levels. Dealerships are open for business and consumer demand has been strong.
But COVID-19 has been a change accelerator for the industry. With new cars in short supply, used car sales hit record numbers this summer. Online sales took off, dealers picked up and dropped off cars for service, and showroom visits touted Plexiglas and masks over free coffee and doughnuts.
“We’ve had to change the way we do business a lot,” said Dan Fields, 48, president of Fields Automotive Group, a nearly 50-year-old, family-owned dealership group based in Glencoe. “For instance, doing a completely contact-free deal where somebody never leaves their house, we bring them the car, they test drive at home.”
Fields, which started with an Evanston Cadillac dealership in 1971, focuses mostly on luxury brands, with BMW, Lexus, Land Rover and Jaguar among its North Suburban portfolio, along with a Chrysler Jeep dealership in Glenview.
The dealerships remained open in the spring, but “sales were awful" in April and May before rebounding this summer, Fields said.
Edmunds, a car shopping website, projects new vehicle sales to decline 11% in the 3rd quarter from the same quarter last year. That’s a marked improvement from the 2nd quarter, when year-over-year sales were down more than 34%.
New car sales are down about 20% for the year, but with inventories low, the prices are rising. The projected average transaction price in the 3rd quarter is $39,303, up more than $2,000 per vehicle over last year, Edmunds said.
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The ongoing pandemic, civil unrest, a divisive presidential election and a precarious economy make for an uncertain road ahead. What is clear is that new car sales can’t happen without new cars.
“The majority of dealers do have inventory problems right now,” said Pete Sander, president of the Illinois Automobile Dealers Association, which represents 708 new car dealers in the state.
A customer fills out paperwork for her vehicle at the Packey Webb Ford in Downers Grove on Oct. 1, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The production pipeline was choked off when auto plants across the country temporarily shut down in mid-March, as COVID-19 began to spread. Two months later, automakers restarted production, but consumer demand continues to outpace supply.
Ford’s Chicago Assembly plant, which reopened in May, has gone from zero to 5,500 employees working three shifts — roughly the same as pre-COVID-19 levels. The plant, which makes the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs, is set to switch over to the 2021 models this month, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles restarted its Belvidere Assembly Plant near Rockford with one shift on June 1 and added a second shift three weeks later, bringing back the 3,800 workers it laid off in March, FCA spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said.
Last year, the Belvidere plant eliminated a third shift and about 1,400 jobs amid dwindling demand for its only vehicle, the Jeep Cherokee. The plant began building the new 2021 model at the end of August, Tinson said.
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Getting the plants up to speed during the pandemic has been a challenge. Despite increased safety protocols, both plants have had employees test positive for COVID-19 since resuming production.
Beyond preventative measures such as mandatory masks, social distancing and temperature scans, both plants utilize testing, contact tracing and quarantining — with pay — to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the production line.
“When employees are symptomatic or there is close contact, we have established policies that allow employees to stay home while they recover or confirm their wellness,” Tinson said.
Neither disclosed the number of cases, but Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant was shut down “a couple of times” in May for cleaning, Felker said. Despite close quarters along the assembly line, she said the safety protocols have contained the spread of the virus — at least within the confines of the plant.
“No close contacts in the workplace that have been following our protocols have developed symptoms or tested positive,” Felker said. “It’s not being spread in the plant. What employees do on their own outside, we can’t control.”
Michelle Krebs, an analyst for Cox Automotive, said the pandemic remains an impediment to full production.
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The auto industry is on track to sell 13.9 million new vehicles this year, down from 17 million in 2019, roughly an 18% decline, Krebs said. Lower inventory will likely depress sales into next year, she said.
“Demand is outpacing production and production just hasn’t caught up from those months of shutdowns,” Krebs said.
Sales consultant Eric Mateo waits for customers at the Packey Webb Ford dealership in Downers Grove on Oct. 1, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Krebs said another issue is the delay in producing 2021 models at the newly reopened plants. Only 3% of dealer inventory is model year 2021, versus 25% at this time last year, she said.
“The new model year is getting off to a very slow start,” Krebs said.
Fields said his dealerships “definitely missed some sales” because of low inventory in September.
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“Our Lexus store would have sold a lot more, if we had more SUVs,” Fields said. “Same with our Land Rover stores. We totally ran out of Range Rover Sports, which is our hottest product.”
New car inventory at his Glenview Chrysler Jeep dealership is at about 60% of last year at this time, Fields said.
September sales were flat year over year, a marked improvement from the dismal spring sales, when the primary focus at Fields was how to safely operate a car dealership in the midst of a pandemic.
Things also looked a lot worse at Packey Webb Ford when Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order in March. Like many Illinois car dealerships, Packey Webb stayed open as an essential business, mostly because of its service facility. Sales were by appointment only, with limited hours and few buyers.
“March and April were really scary,” Webb said.
Packey Webb laid off “a couple of hourly mechanics,” but after receiving a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, the dealership hired the workers back.
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Webb declined to disclose the amount of the forgivable PPP loan, but the Small Business Administration reported online that Packey Webb received between $1 and $2 million through Wheaton Bank & Trust on April 6 to fund 92 jobs.
Mechanic Mark Petrauskas performs a repair on a customer's vehicle in the service department at the Packey Webb Ford dealership in Downers Grove on Oct. 1, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
As the state began opening up, buyers ventured back to the showroom and the remaining new car inventory was essentially depleted by mid-June, Webb said. That’s when used car sales for Packey Webb — and dealers across the country — caught fire.
“When the new inventory started getting low, the used car market just went through the roof,” Webb said. “People were just paying up because they were needing cars, especially late model cars, because there were no new ones around.”
Nationally, used car sales reached a projected 3.8 million vehicles in September, up 11% from a year ago, according to TrueCar. Prices are at record levels, with the average list price for a 2017 model year at $24,287 in August, up nearly $1,500 since June, according to Edmunds.
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Another pandemic-driven shift has been the acceleration of online car buying, with Phoenix-based Carvana, a pioneer in the space, reporting record sales in the 3rd quarter.
Traditional dealerships have also beefed up their online sales.
A study released Tuesday by Cars.com, the Chicago-based car shopping website, found 57% of recent buyers said they conducted the bulk of the vehicle transaction online with their local dealership. In Chicago, nearly two-thirds of buyers made their purchase mostly online.
Webb said online sales are still a long way from supplanting showroom sales at his dealership, but the pandemic “definitely sped up the online experience and online possibilities.”
Job one, however, is to get new Fords on the lot. New car inventory remains tight at Packey Webb, with mostly 2020 models still trickling in. Webb said he normally has 200 to 300 new vehicles in stock. His current inventory stands at about 110 new vehicles.
Webb has even cut back on his normally ubiquitous “The Whole Town’s Talking About the Webb Boys” radio commercials, despite steep discounts offered by Chicago stations.
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“My problem is I don’t have the inventory that I normally have,” Webb said. “I don’t have the capacity to mass market my volume of cars because I don’t have them.”
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-02--French bulldog pups rescued from O’Hare warehouse given reprieve by CDC: ‘All the stars were aligned

French bulldog pups rescued from O’Hare warehouse given reprieve by CDC: ‘All the stars were aligned’

The rescue group was granted full custody and ownership of the puppies , which will be quarantined at PAWS Chicago @ @ @ @ @ few weeks in compliance with CDC requirements and under the supervision of the Illinois Department @ @ @ @ @ veterinarian , said Mary Scheffke , the director of the rescue group .

Two of the 15 French bulldog puppies that were rescued from a warehouse at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport are seen in quarantine in Chicago Oct. 2, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Fifteen French bulldog puppies that were rescued from an O’Hare International Airport warehouse were given a reprieve by federal authorities Friday and can remain in the U.S. permanently, the group that rescued them said.
Members of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue said they are working out the final details of an agreement the organization has reached with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Royal Jordanian Air, the carrier that transported the dogs to O’Hare in late August.
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The rescue group was granted full custody and ownership of the puppies, which will be quarantined at PAWS Chicago Medical Center for the next few weeks in compliance with CDC requirements and under the supervision of the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the state veterinarian, said Mary Scheffke, the director of the rescue group.
After the quarantine period, the dogs will be placed by the rescue group in foster homes, where they will receive further care, treatment and training before they are available for adoption, Scheffke said.
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“Saving these puppies' lives was only achieved through acts both small and large of literally over 100,000 people,” said Scheffke, referring to an online petition that garnered more than 120,000 signatures.
“We now must harness the momentum to fix the broken system and create permanent change,” Scheffke added.
To secure full custody and ownership of the dogs, the rescue group has agreed to assume all costs and liabilities associated with the puppies' past and future care. Donors are providing the funds needed.
The agreement reached with federal authorities was bolstered by support from U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, “who fought tirelessly and with sincere passion for these dogs,” Scheffke said.
The CDC had ordered the French bulldog rescue group to transport the 15 recovering puppies Monday morning to O’Hare, where they were scheduled to be removed from the United States on a 13-hour flight to the Middle East.
The dogs were discovered in deplorable conditions, two to a crate, in a cargo warehouse at O’Hare, after being shipped to the United States from Russia with a layover in Jordan in August.
A total of 20 dogs were found at the O’Hare warehouse, where Chicago police found 16 French bulldog pups, one of them dead, in small cages, covered in feces and urine and without water or food, a police spokeswoman said at the time.
Dogs found languishing in the warehouse also included four large-breed dogs, two of which are being cared for by Chicago Animal Care and Control, and two dogs that are unaccounted for, according to the rescue group.
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Alliance Ground International, the company that runs the warehouse where the dogs were found, was issued two citations by Chicago police, one for 17 counts of animal neglect and a second for animal neglect that may have contributed to the death of a male canine, a spokeswoman for the rescue group said last week.
The dogs' paperwork was forged by the shipper to get around limits on the number of dogs any one person can import, rescue group officials have said.
On Friday, PAWS Chicago director Paula Fasseas said she was the first to hear about the situation when she received a phone call from a Chicago police administrator who happens to be a dog lover, asking if she could take in the puppies.
After the French bulldog rescue group arranged for a team of Chicago-area veterinarians to care for the ailing pups, Fasseas says she got busy reaching out to fellow animal welfare advocates, including designer Tinsley Mortimer, who serves on the PAWS board, and Chicago entrepreneur Scott Kluth, as well as Quigley and Duckworth.
“This victory is the result of a lot of people coming together to fight for these animals,” Fasseas said. “All the stars were aligned.”
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-10-02--University of Notre Dame president tests positive for COVID-19 after attending White House Rose Gard

University of Notre Dame president tests positive for COVID-19 after attending White House Rose Garden ceremony with President Trump

“ I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with @ @ @ @ @ the Rose Garden , ” the message says .
“ I failed to lead by @ @ @ @ @ when I ’ ve asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so @ @ @ @ @ mistake in light of the sacrifices made on a daily basis by many , particularly @ @ @ @ @ their lives to observe our health protocols .
”

A member of the cleaning staff sprays the James Brady Briefing Room of the White House on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The University of Notre Dame’s president has tested positive for COVID-19, a school spokesman confirmed Friday, less than a week after he attended Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination ceremony at the White House without wearing a mask.
The Rev. John Jenkins, 66, has mild symptoms and contracted the illness “from a colleague he was in regular contact with at Notre Dame,” according to university spokesman Paul Browne.
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University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins, pictured in 2017, announced Friday he was positive for COVID-19. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
In an email announcing his diagnosis, Jenkins told students and faculty that he will work from home as he enters an “extended period of isolation,” according to a copy obtained by the Tribune. He is following guidance from university medical personnel and county health officials, the email said.
"The positive test is a good reminder for me and perhaps for all of how vigilant we need to be,” Jenkins said in the message.
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Jenkins, who’s led the Catholic university just outside of South Bend, Indiana, since 2005, has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks for not always appearing to follow COVID-19 safety precautions.
In August, Jenkins sent an apology to students after he was photographed taking a group picture with many standing around him, and within 6 feet, as the school reopened for in-person classes. The photo, which was shared widely on social media, appeared to show everyone wearing masks.
More recently, Jenkins came under fire for not wearing a mask when he attended the Rose Garden ceremony for Coney Barrett’s nomination Saturday. Photos from the event also show Jenkins in close proximity to other guests and shaking hand with attendees.
University of @NotreDame President Rev. John Jenkins is in attendance for Barrett’s nomination. He is one of the many people in the audience not wearing a mask pic.twitter.com/dzlPvmsCEu — Max Lewis (@MaxLewisTV) September 26, 2020
Jenkins apologized to students and faculty for that in a message Monday. He said he had a rapid COVID-19 test before the event and that it came back negative.
“I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden,” the message says. “I failed to lead by example, at a time when I’ve asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so. I especially regret my mistake in light of the sacrifices made on a daily basis by many, particularly our students, in adjusting their lives to observe our health protocols.”
Jenkins said he decided to quarantine after returning to campus as a precaution. It’s not clear when he would have contracted the virus following the Rose Garden ceremony if he was limiting interactions.
Jenkins' diagnosis comes to light as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive and shared the results early Friday.
Coney Barrett, a judge on the federal appeals court in Chicago, attended Notre Dame Law School and has been a faculty member of the law school since 2002. The Washington Post also reported Friday that Coney Barrett tested positive for COVID-19 this summer and has since recovered. A message left with her chambers Friday afternoon was not returned.
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According to media reports, others who attended Saturday’s event — including journalists, Trump adviser Hope Hicks and Utah Sen. Mike Lee — have also tested positive.
[ Live updates: Biden tweets he has tested negative as COVID-19 wave sweeps through Republican ranks ]


chicagotribune--2020-10-02--Illinois puts 28 counties on latest coronavirus warning list; daily death toll of 47 is highest sinc

Illinois puts 28 counties on latest coronavirus warning list; daily death toll of 47 is highest since late June as total cases climb toward 300,000

On Saturday , the northwest region of the state , which includes Rockford , DeKalb and Galena , will be @ @ @ @ @ after its seven-day average of positive cases reached 8 % or higher for three consecutive @ @ @ @ @ region outside St. Louis has been under the same stricter rules since Aug. 18 .

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)
Illinois public health officials on Friday said 28 counties, none in the Chicago area, were considered at “warning level” for the coronavirus, and again scolded businesses that “blatantly disregard” mitigation measures such as social distancing.
The warning list came out as the state reported 2,206 new known cases of COVID-19 and 47 deaths connected to the virus. The death toll is the highest daily count since late June, but still far below the 24-hour numbers reported during the pandemic’s peak in June.
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There have now been 297,646 known cases and 8,743 deaths in Illinois since the pandemic began.
The counties on the warning list are put there after surpassing two more metrics such as the number of cases per 100,000 people and test positivity rates. The counties on the latest list are:
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Bond, Boone, Brown, Calhoun, Christian, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, DeKalb, DeWitt, Fayette, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Lee, Livingston, Macon, Massac, Monroe, Morgan, Pulaski, Putnam, Richland, Saline, St. Clair, Wabash, Washington and Winnebago.
On Saturday, the northwest region of the state, which includes Rockford, DeKalb and Galena, will be placed back under tighter restrictions after its seven-day average of positive cases reached 8% or higher for three consecutive days. The Metro East region outside St. Louis has been under the same stricter rules since Aug. 18.
Under the tighter restrictions, no indoor service will be allowed at bars or restaurants, reservations will be required and all outdoor service must conclude by 11 p.m.
Patrons are prohibited from ordering or waiting at the bar, and all indoor gatherings must be limited to 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity. Casinos will also be subject to the 11 p.m. close time and 25% capacity, and party buses are banned.
Schools are not subject to the restrictions, although universities have become trouble spots nationwide since fall classes began. Earlier this month, Northern Illinois University moved to online-only for two weeks due to more than 120 students testing positive after what the university described were “careless and unacceptable activities” from off-campus students.
In the department’s news release, state health officials again said that “common factors” for case spikes and outbreaks are parties and gatherings of young people. In addition, “public health officials are observing businesses blatantly disregarding mitigation measures” such as social distancing and the use of masks.


chicagotribune--2020-10-02--Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 30,243 confirmed cases and 4,697 deaths

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois .
The @ @ @ @ @ at 883 long-term care facilities in 79 counties .
Of those , 525 facilities have @ @ @ @ @ , defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days .
In all @ @ @ @ @ be tied to long-term care facilities , with 4,697 deaths , as of Oct. 2 @

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--2020-10-02--Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says President Trump, newly diagnosed with COVID-19, should sympathiz

Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says President Trump, newly diagnosed with COVID-19, should sympathize with those who have preexisting conditions

“ There is no reason why we can ’ t wait with this nominee to a moment that is safer @ @ @ @ @ and gives us a chance to take a closer look at her record , ” @ @ @ @ @ only , only compelling reason is that Nov. 10 hearing to eliminate the Affordable Care @ @ @ @ @ I know this ?
Because the president told me so .
And he told America @ @ @ @ @ what he ’ s setting out to do .
”

Sen. Dick Durbin, shown at a Federal Plaza rally in 2019, has blasted President Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court as a crack at dismantling the landmark health care plan. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin had a message for President Donald Trump on Friday: Get well soon — and maintain the Affordable Care Act.
Before blasting Trump’s swift nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court as a crack at dismantling the landmark health care plan, the second-ranking Democratic senator said the health of the president and the first lady — who both announced early Friday morning that they tested positive for the coronavirus — is paramount.
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“We wish them a complete and speedy recovery,” Durbin said at a news conference at Mount Sinai Hospital on Chicago’s West Side. “Politics aside, this is a moment for us to come together and as we should with every person facing this challenge and wish them the very best care and the very best results as quickly as possible.”
Durbin, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he also hopes Trump takes this time to sympathize with the millions of Americans with preexisting conditions who could lose health care should the Supreme Court strike down the ACA, also known as Obamacare. That starts with ensuring Senate Republicans do not install Barrett on the highest court before it hears oral arguments on the law’s constitutionality on Nov. 10, he said.
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“Having said that, we now have to advise the president after he is fully recovered that he is a person with a preexisting condition,” Durbin said. “He has tested positive for COVID-19. He joins at least 6 million Americans in the same category. It won’t make a big difference probably in his life or the life of the first lady moving forward, but it can make a big difference if we’re not careful.”
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Before the ACA, people with certain preexisting health conditions — illnesses or injuries including cancer, respiratory problems, mental health disorders and more — faced higher premiums or were excluded from coverage by health insurance companies. A past coronavirus diagnosis might also apply as a medical condition that insurers would discriminate against were it not for the ACA, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
The ACA has faced numerous attempts by Republicans to dismantle it, and one significant change has been Congress’ move to eliminate penalties people had to pay for not having health insurance. Officials in GOP-led states, backed by the Trump administration, sued the federal government in 2018 to strike down Obamacare, setting the stage for the Supreme Court to hear arguments a week after the Nov. 3 election.
Replacing former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before then jeopardizes the ACA, making the question of Barrett’s confirmation process all the more urgent to Durbin. He also cited the proximity of the vacancy to a presidential election as reason to wait.
In addition, Durbin said Trump’s illness, and a potential ongoing outbreak at the White House, makes it inappropriate to proceed with talks in Washington about Barrett’s confirmation.
“There is no reason why we can’t wait with this nominee to a moment that is safer, more consistent with history and gives us a chance to take a closer look at her record,” Durbin said. “The only, only compelling reason is that Nov. 10 hearing to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. … How do I know this? Because the president told me so. And he told America, that’s exactly what he’s setting out to do.”
Just finished a great phone call with @POTUS. He’s in good spirits and we talked business — especially how impressed Senators are with the qualifications of Judge Barrett. Full steam ahead with the fair, thorough, timely process that the nominee, the Court, & the country deserve. — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) October 2, 2020
Nevertheless, his pleas are unlikely to convince Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Even before Durbin’s news conference began, the Republican from Kentucky tweeted that he was going “full steam ahead” with Barrett’s confirmation process.
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ayin@chicagotribune.com