chicagotribune--2020-09-18--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Sept. 17 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that bars and indoor dining can reopen in the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties after weeks under stricter rules aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus .
The region that encompasses Will and Kankakee counties was the second to see tougher rules imposed after it surpassed a state threshold of 8 % positivity rate for three consecutive days .
As of Friday , the region ’ s positivity rate was 5.6 % .
Meanwhile , DuPage County is no longer among the Illinois counties at “ warning level ” for a possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DuPage being removed from the list , no Chicago-area counties are currently under warning .
Illinois public health officials Friday announced 2,120 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 and 20 more deaths .
That raises the statewide known case tally to 270,327 throughout the course of the pandemic .
The state reported death toll is now 8,411 .
The statewide seven-day rolling positivity rate stands at 3.6 % .
The devastating impact of COVID-19 on the number of airline passengers using O ’ Hare International Airport could delay completion of the massive airport terminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent document .
While Lightfoot administration officials have said the $ 8.5 billion project is moving ahead in spite of the steep downturn in passengers and the revenue they generate to help fund the work , documents submitted this week to try to refinance airport debt show the city hedging its bets on the timing .
“ The city continues to assess COVID-19 and its potential effects on ” the project , the document reads .
It ’ s in “ the early stages of design and the estimated completion date remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 or other economic and operational factors.
” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle ’ s temporarily expanded powers during the coronavirus pandemic might be extended again , this time until the end of the year .
Cook County commissioners are set to vote next week on a measure that stretches out the end date of her countywide disaster proclamation until Dec. 31 , giving her 90 additional days of ability to make certain decisions without the Board of Commissioners ' approval when it comes to responding to the coronavirus outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County ’ s ability to access the resources , equipment and personnel needed to address ongoing and changing circumstances on the ground which is particularly necessary should the number of COVID-19 cases rise and the demands on County staff and partners continue to increase , ” according to the resolution ’ s text .
4 p.m. : Contact daze : Chicagoland athletes and coaches adjust to the new world of IHSA-approved contact days in the fall In 2020 , it could be the only thing remotely close to being normal in this football-crazy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what quarterback Kyle Oroni envisioned for his senior year .
Normally packed bleachers are quiet minus the fans , the band and the raucous student sections .
Yes , players are on the field working out , but the pads aren ’ t popping .
This is the state Oroni operates in for a practice now allowed this fall by the Illinois High School Association .
This counts as a contact day , but there ’ s limited interaction between the masked athletes under the direction of their masked coaches .
Thanks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is all Oroni and his football teammates have right now .
They are striving to make the most of it .
The North Side is losing another barbecue spot after Fat Willy ’ s Rib Shack announced Thursday evening that it will close at the end of the month .
The Logan Square restaurant has been in the neighborhood for more than 19 years and has a loyal following of diners who go there for baby back ribs , pulled pork , brisket and mac and cheese .
“ It ’ s with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sadness that we are announcing our closure at the end of this month , ” reads a Facebook post on the restaurant ’ s account .
“ Many of you became a special part of our lives and it was an amazing thing to feed you all .
We will miss our restaurant guests and employees .
We all look forward to a renewed and brighter future.
” 1:30 p.m. : Barrington schools chief eyes late October return to in-person learning : ‘ I know it ’ s not soon enough for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris laid out steps at the school board meeting Tuesday for a return to in-person learning by late October , but acknowledged that the schedule wouldn ’ t please some parents and school board members impatient with the pace of the shift .
“ I know it ’ s not soon enough for some people , ” Harris said during his presentation , adding that even when hybrid learning – a combination of in-person and remote engagement – starts , it won ’ t mean all students back in all school buildings at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speakers during the public comment portion of the meeting Tuesday called on board members and Harris to open the school buildings to in-person learning immediately .
That was in line with demands from a crowd of hundreds of parents who demonstrated in the village Monday at Citizens Park .
DuPage County is no longer among the Illinois counties at “ warning level ” for a possible resurgence of the new coronavirus .
The weekly list released Friday by the Illinois Department of Public Health includes 24 counties , down from 30 a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list when they reach two or more benchmarks indicating the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading locally .
With DuPage being removed from the list , no Chicago-area counties are currently under warning .
The counties currently at warning level are : Bond , Bureau , Cass , Clinton , Coles , Crawford , Cumberland , DeWitt , Edwards , Effingham , Greene , Jasper , Jo Daviess , Lawrence , Madison , Marion , Rock Island , St. Clair , Shelby , Washington , Wayne , Williamson , Wabash and Union .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversial piece of coronavirus guidance and said anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention essentially returned to its previous testing guidance , getting rid of language posted last month that said people who didn ’ t feel sick didn ’ t need to get tested .
That change had set off a rash of criticism from health experts who couldn ’ t fathom why the nation ’ s top public health agency would say such a thing amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control .
Health officials were evasive about why they had made the change in August , and some speculated it was forced on the CDC by political appointees within the Trump administration .
12:37 p.m. : Chicago ’ s Billy Goat Tavern owner Sam Sianis won ’ t retire , no matter the challenges of the pandemic era When you descend to the depths of Lower Michigan Avenue now , the neon signs of the Billy Goat Tavern seem gone .
The lights still glow behind blue painted boards .
The owner beams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m at the Billy Goat , I feel better !
” said Sam Sianis , owner of perhaps the most iconic restaurant and bar in Chicago .
Sianis , who tends to speak at a shout , turns 86 on Dec. 12 .
He was born in 1934 , the same year the tavern was founded .
That places him in the age group at greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
He ’ s just one of the thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve devoted their lives to the family business .
Just one of the many faces we came to expect behind the counter , who knew our orders by heart .
Just one of those who may never go back to work again at the place that made them and us and our city .
12:10 p.m. : 2,120 new known COVID-19 cases and 20 more deaths reported Illinois health officials on Friday announced 2,120 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 20 additional fatalities .
The Illinois Department of Public Health is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including 8,411 deaths , in 102 counties in Illinois since the start of the coronavirus ' spread .
The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.6 % .
Within the past 24 hours , laboratories have reported 61,918 new tests , according to the IDPH .
1,481 people in Illinois are in the hospital with COVID-19 .
Of those , 329 patients were in the ICU and 149 patients are on ventilators , according to state health officials .
11:23 a.m. : Adult obesity rates are up , reaching nearly 32 % in Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rate higher , new report finds The report by Washington , D.C.-based nonprofit Trust for America ’ s Health found the obesity rate among adults nationwide passed 40 % for the first time , and food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic could put more Americans at risk for obesity in the future .
It is the 17th year the group has published the report , which used 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
John Auerbach , president and CEO of Trust for America ’ s Health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are partly because many can ’ t afford healthier food options , which tend to be more expensive .
Auerbach said another reason is low-income neighborhoods tend to have more fast-food restaurants and convenience stores rather than grocery stores .
“ One of the counterintuitive things about obesity is that it ’ s correlated with poverty .
The poorer you are , the more likely you are to be obese , ” he said .
10:56 a.m. : Bars and indoor dining to return in Will and Kankakee counties as COVID-19 positivity rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday that bars and indoor dining can reopen in the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties after weeks under stricter rules aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus .
That region logged three consecutive days this week under a 6.5 % COVID-19 test positivity rate , allowing the stricter rules to be lifted as of 5 p.m. Friday , Pritzker said at a news conference Friday morning .
The region that encompasses Will and Kankakee counties was the second to see tougher rules imposed after it surpassed a state threshold of 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The seven-county Metro East region , the first to see a rollback in its reopening , remains under the stricter rules for bars , restaurants and gatherings .
The rollback meant the closure of bars and indoor dining , and a lowering of the gathering cap to 25 people .
In Phase 4 of Pritzker ’ s reopening plan , which the state entered in late June , the gathering cap is 50 people , and bars and indoor dining are allowed to be open with capacity limits .
8:42 a.m. : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suicides in first 6 months of 2020 , suggests link to isolation during pandemic An increase in the number of suicides since the COVID-19 pandemic started is raising concerns with the DuPage County coroner about whether the trend will continue through the end of the year .
He said 34 suicide deaths in the county occurred after the state implemented measures in March to stop the spread of COVID-19 , ordering nonessential businesses to shut down and residents to stay home , and later limiting where and how many people could congregate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the executive director of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago , has retained a slate of 43 features and 38 short films .
The work comes from all over Latin America , Spain , Portgual and Chicago ; the features are paired , as usual , with a short , such as the 12-minute “ Under the Skyway , ” director Daniel Laboy Valdez ’ s 12-minute tale of brother against brother , shot in East Chicago with a sharp eye for landscape and faces — two essential building blocks for any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : As they focused on others with COVID-19 and refused to walk away , Illinois health care workers bore the brunt of pandemic More than 100 lives of professionals working in the health care field have been lost in Illinois in the six months since COVID-19 began its deadly march through the state .
At last count , at least 112 had died and more than 15,250 had contracted the virus as of Sept. 10 , according to state public health officials , who said the exact figure is unknown and likely higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections were listed in a separate category for first responders , not including law enforcement .
5 a.m. : Deadly toll of COVID-19 on health care field : A memorial to 46 of those who died .
More than 100 professionals working in the health care field have died in Illinois since COVID-19 began its deadly march through the state this past spring , according to public health officials , who said the exact figure is likely higher .
They include nurses , doctors , medical assistants , technicians , therapists and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food and provide security .
They worked in hospitals , nursing homes , private offices or on ambulance crews and in homes as health aides .
Most were minorities .
The Tribune has identified and interviewed dozens of families to chronicle the devastating loss of life and acts of heroism .
If you know someone you would like to submit to this memorial , please contact us .
Read their stories here .
—Christy Gutowski , John Keilman and Jonathon Berlin Here are five things that happened Thursday related to COVID-19 :

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Thursday announced 2,056 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 and 25 more deaths. That raises the statewide known case tally to 268,207 throughout the course of the pandemic. The state reported death toll is now 8,392. The statewide seven-day rolling positivity rate stands at 3.6%.
The region that includes Will and Kankakee counties, which had harsher rules imposed by the state after it surpassed a positivity rate of 8% for three straight days, stood at 6.4% as of Wednesday, below the threshold that would restore rules in place statewide under the fourth phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan.
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Meanwhile, the Big Ten announced Wednesday that football will resume this fall, declaring a unanimous vote and a plan to play eight regular-season games in eight weeks beginning the weekend of Oct. 23-24.
However, Pritzker slammed the door on the possibility that Illinois' high school athletes might join their college counterparts, saying football and other contact sports are still too risky in the midst of the pandemic.
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Additionally, some suburban schools have decided to reopen closed buildings for remote learning supervision to a limited number of elementary-age kids, but for a fee.
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:55 p.m.: COVID-19 testing guidance was published against CDC scientists' objections, officials say
A heavily criticized recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month about who should be tested for the coronavirus was not written by CDC scientists and was posted to the agency’s website despite their serious objections, according to several people familiar with the matter as well as internal documents obtained by The New York Times.
The guidance said it was not necessary to test people without symptoms of COVID-19 even if they had been exposed to the virus. It came at a time when public health experts were pushing for more testing rather than less, and administration officials told The Times that the document was a CDC product and had been revised with input from the agency’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield.
But officials told The Times this week that the Department of Health and Human Services did the rewriting itself and then “dropped” it into the CDC’s public website, flouting the agency’s strict scientific review process.
“That was a doc that came from the top down, from the HHS and the task force,” said a federal official with knowledge of the matter, referring to the White House task force on the coronavirus. “That policy does not reflect what many people at the CDC feel should be the policy.”
Read more here. —The New York Times
4:35 p.m.: Do you actually need to wipe down everything to protect yourself from COVID-19?
If you were wiping down every single Amazon package, can of chickpeas, and takeout container at the start of the pandemic, you certainly weren’t alone. Clorox, the world’s biggest maker of disinfectant cleaning materials, says it’s still recovering from high demand of its popular disinfectant wipes, not expected to return to shelves until 2021.
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In the beginning, we were all encouraged to take every precaution that we could. But do we still need to sanitize everything in sight?
With months of research now behind us, experts say the answer is probably not. Yet, that doesn’t mean surfaces present zero risk.
Here’s how to approach things now. —The Philadelphia Inquirer
3:06 p.m.: Southport Lanes has been a speakeasy, brothel, gambling den and bowling alley. One thing the Lakeview institution is not: A COVID-19 survivor.
Southport Lanes has lasted nearly a century by evolving, at various times serving as a tavern, bowling alley, speakeasy, brothel and illegal off-track horse betting venue.
But the Lakeview institution, which opened not long after another pandemic, couldn’t survive COVID-19.
The bar, restaurant and bowling alley will close its doors for good Sept. 27, after 98 years in business at 3325 N. Southport Ave.
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“It’s another COVID casualty,” said Steve Soble, who has owned the business since 1991 with Howard Natinsky. “It’s really, really bad out there.”
Read more here. —Ryan Ori
2:57 p.m.: When will you be able to get a coronavirus vaccine? Scientists say one thing, President Trump another. Here is what we know.
Americans are desperate to know when a coronavirus vaccine will be available to finally curb the pandemic that has already taken nearly 200,000 lives in the United States, and allow schools and the broader economy to reopen.
Scientists and vaccine makers have long said that a handful of vaccines could be available by the end of the year, if everything goes according to plan. But in recent weeks, President Donald Trump has insisted that a vaccine will be ready before the presidential election Nov. 3, raising fears that one could be rushed against the advice of scientists and regulators.
Testing and producing a vaccine is a complex process with a lot of uncertainties. But the best guess for now, experts say, is this: If every aspect of the vaccines' development and distribution goes exactly as planned — and history has shown that rarely happens — certain people in high-risk groups could get vaccinated this year. Most other Americans, however, will quite likely have to wait until well into next year.
Read more here. —The New York Times
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2:19 p.m.: A snapshot of Chicago’s economy six months into the pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic quickly inflicted damage on Chicago’s economy as government shutdowns and social distancing restrictions forced business slowdowns and closures.
During a six-month period, hundreds of thousands of area jobs were lost, consumer spending dropped 43%, and more than half of temporary business closures became permanent.
Despite hopes to “get back to normal,” the recovery has been slow, and it’s unclear what any long-lasting changes are, said Jose J. Vazquez-Cognet, an economics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“When a business person and a consumer don’t know what to expect, they can’t make decisions very well,” Vazquez-Cognet said. “That’s the worst thing for the economy.”
Here is a snapshot of the economic impact of the virus on the Chicago area over the past six months.
Read more here. —Katie Surma
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1:50 p.m.: How the coronavirus pandemic has affected Chicago dining six months in
Six months ago Wednesday at 9 p.m., all Illinois restaurants and bars were shut down for on-premise dining or drinking. Since then, a gradual reopening has allowed some business to return to the struggling establishments.
As the entire city held its breath during the stay-at-home order this spring, summer offered a solution for many with the approval of serving at outdoor spaces. Then, tentatively, food and beverage establishments were allowed to open indoor spaces with limited capacity. But as coronavirus cases waxed and waned, restrictions changed, and the city walked back on its allowance for bars to host patrons inside. As winter approaches, these businesses now grapple with how to operate when the weather shifts.
Looking back at the past six months and to what the future holds, it’s helpful to consider some of the numbers that help tell the story of what restaurant owners, chefs, bartenders and servers have endured.
Read more here. —Grace Wong, Kori Rumore and Jonathon Berlin
1:45 p.m.: How Nick Kokonas pivoted hard at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, launching Tock to Go and other innovations
Nick Kokonas is not afraid of bluntly questioning restaurant conventions. Along with helping to create a series of successful projects with chef Grant Achatz as co-owner of the Alinea Group (Alinea, The Aviary, Next and Roister), he’s also the CEO of Tock, a online reservation system that has helped restaurateurs around the world manage guest bookings.
So it makes sense that during one of the most tumultuous years for restaurants in recent history, Kokonas was one of the first to adapt. In late February and early March, not only was he one of the few restaurateurs in Chicago talking about how the coronavirus pandemic could seriously challenge the restaurant industry, he was also attempting to come up with ways to survive.
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Read more here. —Nick Kindelsperger
1:15 p.m.: After four years, during the worst health crisis in a century, the unkept promise of ‘a great health plan’ may be catching up to President Trump
When Donald Trump first ran for the White House, he promised to “come up with a great health plan,” one that would repeal the Affordable Care Act but replace it with something better, something that would maintain its biggest selling point: protecting people with preexisting medical conditions.
Once elected, he swore he had a “wonderful plan” and would be “putting it in fairly soon.”
After four years, during the worst health crisis in a century, the unkept promise may be catching up to Trump. There still does not seem to be any plan, because other than abolishing the Affordable Care Act — which requires insurers to cover preexisting conditions and which the White House is asking the Supreme Court to overturn — the Republican Party cannot agree on one.
And with tens of thousands of Americans losing their health insurance to a coronavirus-induced recession, fears of inadequate or nonexistent health care coverage have never been greater.
Read more here. —The New York Times
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12:10 p.m.: 2,056 new known COVID-19 cases and 25 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Thursday announced 2,056 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 additional fatalities. The Illinois Department of Public Health is now reporting a total of 268,207 cases, including 8,392 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the start of the coronavirus' spread.
The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.6%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 57,800 new tests, according to the IDPH.
1,558 people in Illinois are in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 359 patients were in the ICU and 144 patients are on ventilators, according to state health officials.
—Chicago Tribune staff
10:49 a.m.: Lincoln Park ZooLights will go on, but with a new, $5 charge
Park Zoo’s holiday ZooLights festival will go on this year, but with a first-time-in-decades cover charge to help the zoo offset pandemic-year losses, the institution announced Thursday.
Tickets to the annual bedecking of zoo grounds with holiday lights will be $5 per person regardless of age or membership status, and they go on sale to zoo members Sept. 24 and to the general public Oct. 1.
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Read more here. —Steve Johnson
10:27 a.m.: 42 Wisconsin football players and staff members — 29 since Sept. 1 — test positive for COVID-19 as the Big Ten prepares for its season
Forty-two players and staff with the Wisconsin football team have tested positive for COVID-19 as the Big Ten makes plans to get the season started.
Public Health Madison & Dane County says the 42 people tested positive since June when athletes and staff returned to campus. Twenty-nine of the positive tests were from Sept. 1 through Sept. 15.
Health officials in Madison and Dane County are urging fans not to gather to watch football games when the Badgers begin their season in October.
Read more here. —Associated Press
8:45 a.m.: Attorney general says coronavirus lockdown orders second only to slavery as government intrusion on liberty
Attorney General William Barr drew sharp condemnation Thursday for comparing lockdown orders during the coronavirus pandemic to slavery.
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In remarks Wednesday night at conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan, Barr had called the lockdown orders the “greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history” since slavery.
“You know, putting a national lockdown, stay at home orders, is like house arrest. Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history,” Barr said to applause from the crowd.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., the No. 3 House Democratic leader, told CNN that Barr’s remarks were “the most ridiculous, tone-deaf, God-awful things I’ve ever heard” because they wrongly equated human bondage with a measure aimed at saving lives.
“Slavery was not about saving lives. It was about devaluing lives,” Clyburn said. “This pandemic is a threat to human life.”
This is not the first occasion that Barr has condemned stay-at-home orders.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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8:18 a.m.: COVID-19 danger continues to drive joblessness in US, even as unemployment claims fall
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to 860,000, a historically high figure that reflects economic damage from the coronavirus outbreak.
Before the pandemic hit the economy, the number signing up for jobless aid had never exceeded 700,000 in a week, even during the depths of the 2007-2009 Great Recession.
The Labor Department said Thursday that U.S. jobless claims fell by 33,000 form the previous week and that 12.6 million are collecting traditional unemployment benefits, compared with just 1.7 million a year ago.
In Illinois, first-time claims for unemployment benefits totaled 23,339 last week, down from 25,478 a week earlier.
Read more here. —Associated Press
7:10 a.m. As Black, Latino neighborhoods hard hit by COVID-19, Chicago launches plan to correct racial inequities in life expectancy
Chicago’s Health Department and community groups was scheduled to launch a plan to tackle racial inequities in health and “the life expectancy gap between the Black and white” communities in the city, according to a city release.
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The five-year plan, Healthy Chicago 2025, “seeks to address social conditions that have been created by decades of segregation and systemic racism, the effects of which have been highlighted by COVID-19,” according to a release from the mayor’s office.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, city Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady and others will be part of the online launch of the program on the city Health Department’s Facebook page and the city’s website.
—Chicago Tribune staff
6 a.m.: Deerfield High School worker tests COVID-19 positive days after district extended remote learning
A Deerfield High School staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a notification from Principal Kathryn Anderson emailed to parents, students and staff Tuesday night.
“The staff member is now in isolation. We are closely working with the Lake County Health Department on contact tracing. The health department will contact the staff member directly and any close contacts will be identified, contacted and provided guidance,” Anderson said in the notification.
Township High School District 113 spokeswoman Karen Warner said the staff member had been at the school recently. Anderson stated in the notification and Warner also said Wednesday that federal privacy laws prevent the district from releasing the individual’s identity or any additional information about the individual.
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Read more here. —Alicia Fabbre
5 a.m.: Remote learning, in school? Some suburban public schools closed by COVID-19 have reopened for e-learning supervision — at a price to taxpaying parents.
After being inundated with emails and calls from frustrated parents who wanted their kids back in class this fall, Arlington Heights School District 25 officials sought a way to help.
Working with the Park District, they decided to reopen closed schools for moderately priced remote learning supervision to a limited number of elementary-age kids.
But as Arlington Heights resident Chuck Miller sees it, the flaw in the program comes down to a math problem his second grader could solve: At $50 per student per day, it would cost the Millers $1,000 a week to enroll their four children — a sum he said is unrealistic for many families, including his.
The irony isn’t lost on him that the program is taking place in schools that were deemed unsafe to fully open for in-person classes.
Read more here. — Karen Ann Cullotta
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Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five things related to COVID-19 that happened Wednesday:
Citing the pandemic’s ‘unprecedented’ impact on November vote, Gov. J.B. Pritzker asked election officials to put federal funds behind drop boxes, election judge recruitment.
Chicago Public Schools reported it’s seen 258 coronavirus cases and eight deaths since March among staff and contractors.
Big Ten football is coming back in October with at least 8 games in 9 weeks — and ‘significant medical protocols.’
Wisconsin Dells' Tommy Bartlett water ski show, closed by coronavirus, is shutting down for good.
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Chicago’s architectural biennial keeps the city at the forefront of design. But will it be held in 2021?


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--Illinois officials react to death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“ Her fierce advocacy for the protection of rights for all people under the law — women , workers , @ @ @ @ @ her guardianship of the Constitution must not be taken for granted .
As a lawyer @ @ @ @ @ ‘ equal justice under the law ’ in a way that changed our country to @ @ @ @ @ , '' Underwood said .
`` As a Supreme Court justice , she upheld those @ @ @ @ @ and work paved a way for women like me to challenge norms and fight for @ @ @ @ @ our country stronger .

From sorrow and grief to concerns about the presumed political fight ahead to name her replacement, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Friday sparked a range of reactions from Illinois elected officials.
Ginsburg died at her home in Washington at age 87 from complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said.
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, said she was “devastated” by Ginsburg’s death.
“She represented the finest among lawyers in our country. A giant in her advocacy for women’s rights, civil rights and respect for the rule of law,” Lightfoot tweeted. “We must honor her legacy and all her contributions to American jurisprudence. Rest in power, RBG.”
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Devastated by the passing of RBG. She represented the finest among lawyers in our country. A giant in her advocacy for women’s rights, civil rights and respect for the rule of law. We must honor her legacy and all her contributions to American jurisprudence. Rest in power, RBG. — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) September 18, 2020
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth said the nation lost a hero with Ginsburg’s death and called her “a 5′1″ giant who gave a voice to girls and women everywhere and moved the needle forward in our long fight toward justice and equality for all.”
There are no words to adequately express just how devastated and heartbroken I am to learn of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Not only did our nation lose a brilliant jurist, we lost a hero. https://t.co/seAuMWdP9Y — Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) September 19, 2020
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who also chairs the Cook County Democratic Party, said: “There are no words to describe Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s enormous impact on the history of our nation. She has fought for gender equality for decades and in the last several years has battled cancer with the same tenacity. Our country has lost a beacon of light and hope in her passing. Rest in power Justice Ginsburg."
Our country has lost a beacon of light and hope in her passing. Rest in power Justice Ginsburg. — Toni Preckwinkle (@ToniPreckwinkle) September 19, 2020
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza tweeted out, “I’m heartbroken,” with a broken heart emoji.
I'm heartbroken 💔. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dead at 87. https://t.co/hAKFmil2Xo — Susana A. Mendoza (@susanamendoza10) September 18, 2020
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Ginsburg’s death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to spark a debate over whether the Republican-led U.S. Senate should confirm her replacement on the court if President Donald Trump nominates someone.
In 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to act on President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to replace Justice Antonin Scalia after his death and the seat remained open until after Trump took office. McConnell on Friday night said a Trump nominee to the court would get a vote in the Senate.
The Senate and the nation mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the conclusion of her extraordinary American life.
My full statement: pic.twitter.com/NOwYLhDxIk — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) September 19, 2020
Mendoza tweeted separately regarding McConnell that she “would NEVER trust Mitch McConnell to do the right thing. He’s already stated he’d move to fill the vacancy, even before she died.”
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Naperville Democrat, said in a statement that she was “shaken and devastated” by Ginsburg’s death.
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“Her fierce advocacy for the protection of rights for all people under the law — women, workers, LGBTQ people alike — and her guardianship of the Constitution must not be taken for granted. As a lawyer, she challenged and defined ‘equal justice under the law’ in a way that changed our country to make it fairer and better," Underwood said. "As a Supreme Court justice, she upheld those sacred principles. Her life and work paved a way for women like me to challenge norms and fight for people and causes that make our country stronger.
“Our democracy depends on the American people having a voice by electing a President who will fill this vacancy.”
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Channahon Republican, said in a statement the country lost “a remarkable woman and renowned public servant” but did not mention what should happen with her replacement on the court.
“Justice Ginsburg undoubtedly left her mark on this world and her commitment to the rule of law will inspire generations to come. The second female ever appointed to the Highest Court in the Land, she was a trailblazer who proudly served our country for over 27 years and stood as a role model to many. Justice Ginsburg believed deeply in the freedoms of America and our nation is better for her service,” Kinzinger said in the statement. “May we honor her dedication and love of country.”
U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Chicago Democrat, said he and his wife were “heartbroken” by the news, and called on lawmakers to wait until the start of the next presidential term to make her replacement.
“Justice Ginsburg’s last wish was to be replaced after the next President is installed; we must honor her wish and ensure that the People’s will is reflected in the upcoming nomination process,” Garcia said in a statement. “Our next Supreme Court Justice must strive to uphold Ginsburg’s enduring commitment to equality, opportunity and justice for all.”
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Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said in a statement that Ginsburg was “an American hero” and called on the Senate to leave her seat unfilled during an election year.
“Please remember Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s demand that Supreme Court vacancies go unfilled during a presidential election year, which was also Justice Ginsburg’s dying wish," Durbin said in a statement. "Senator McConnell pleaded with us to let the voters have the last word. Every member of the Senate should be asked to commit to the McConnell Rule.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said America had “lost an icon and inspiration” and referenced a National Public Radio report that days before her death, “Ginsburg dictated this statement to her granddaughter Clara Spera: ‘My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.’”
“America has lost an icon and inspiration. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was first a trailblazer and then a bulwark for equality, whether you are a woman, gay, a person of color or disabled. Just as importantly, she was a shining role model for girls everywhere — a testament to working hard and fighting for what’s right. Her legacy will endure, but only if we fight as hard as she did to protect it,” Pritzker said.
“MK and I grieve for Justice Ginsburg’s family, friends and followers — but most of all, our entire nation. Our prayer is that we honor this giant by honoring her fervent dying wish.”
The Illinois Supreme Court's statement on the passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. pic.twitter.com/C9EqhxbfHG — Illinois Supreme Court (@illinoiscourts) September 19, 2020
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Moline Democrat, who is also chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, noted Ginsburg’s efforts to advance gender equality.
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“In forging her own path, she built a road for those who followed. At the heart of Justice Ginsburg’s life’s work was creating opportunity within a legal system that failed to recognize equality for many. Not just a leader in the fight for gender equality, she embodied passion and determination in her quest for justice for all," Bustos said in a statement. “Famously, when asked when there would be enough women serving on the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg responded, ‘when there are nine.’ Many women speak of making sure others have a seat at the table, but Justice Ginsburg built the chairs in which we rest.”
The Illinois Supreme Court also released a statement Friday night, saying: “This is an incredibly sad day for our country. We have lost an outstanding jurist and icon of jurisprudence. On behalf of the entire Illinois legal community, we send our sympathies and prayers to her family and friends. Her dedication and service to this country was a shining example for all — especially women. RBG will live in the hearts and minds of the American people for decades to come.”
U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, a Chicago Democrat, said in a statement that Ginsburg “was a trailblazer and a giant of the Supreme Court who had a tremendous impact on our country. Before we begin the political talk about her replacement, we should remember her life and her legacy.”
The Associated Press contributed.
The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt, Rick Pearson and Jamie Munks contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--The Spin: US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died | Is it a fair tax or a tax hike? |

The Spin: US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died | Is it a fair tax or a tax hike? | Lightfoot cautions on fans in stands at Bears games

Catanzara countered later : “ I ’ m not running in a personality contest here , so I really don @ @ @ @ @ likes me or not .
I ’ m here to represent the members of this @ @ @ @ @ s what I ’ m going to continue to do , '' Catanzara said .
@ @ @ @ @ to work with me just like I have an obligation to work with her , @ @ @ @ @ she doesn ’ t want to negotiate in the press but yet she certainly takes @ @ @ @ @ this summer to throw jabs at the Police Department trying to talk about everything from @ @ @ @ @ now the possibility of not replacing officers as they retire , which is absolutely ridiculous @ @

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday at the age of 87.
She died at her home in Washington of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, The Associated Press is reporting.
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Whether fans will get to watch the so-far undefeated Chicago Bears live in person at Soldier Field this year is still a possibility, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said today.
But the odds of that happening are uncertain, the mayor said on the radio this morning. She later said team officials — who had been “optimistic” last week — need to work closely with the city.
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Rick Pearson takes an in-depth look at what’s at stake with the proposed amendment to the Illinois constitution that would overhaul the state’s income tax code: “Supporters contend a graduated-rate system is a fair way to shift the tax burden and generate more money to help end Illinois' long-term financial structural imbalance. Opponents contend it’s a job-killing move that offers no guarantees that higher tax brackets for the wealthy won’t creep down to the middle class.”
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Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the University of Chicago on Sept. 9, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
"Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a diminutive yet towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87.
“Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said,” according to The Associated Press.
At the State of Illinois Building in Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces a plan to consolidate more than 600 pension funds for suburban and downstate police officers and firefighters. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Rick Pearson: "Before Illinois voters consider any candidate on the Nov. 3 ballot — the presidential contenders, a member of Congress, a state lawmaker or a local judge — they will be asked to cast a simple yes or no vote on what could become the biggest change in state taxation in decades.
“The question at the top of the ballot is whether the Illinois Constitution should be amended to replace a mandated flat-rate income tax with a graduated-rate tax structure that increases the levy as income rises.
“More than any candidate being voted on, the proposed graduated-rate tax amendment represents what could be one of the most fundamental and long-lasting changes in how state government in Illinois functions.” Read the rest here.
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* Illinois income tax calculator: How would Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax affect you?
Mayor Lori Lightfoot at the Greater Western Community Development Project in Chicago on Sept. 14, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt and Jeremy Gorner: "Amid ongoing contract talks with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday again ripped union President John Catanzara while insisting that any deal must include enhanced police accountability measures.
“I don’t have a lot of good things to say about him in particular," Lightfoot said. “But I care deeply about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department.”
“Asked about the negotiations, Lightfoot said the city is committed to a fair deal but any agreement must include accountability and other department policy changes, she said, without getting into specifics.”
Catanzara countered later: “I’m not running in a personality contest here, so I really don’t care if she likes me or not. I’m here to represent the members of this Police Department and that’s what I’m going to continue to do," Catanzara said. “She has an obligation to work with me just like I have an obligation to work with her, personality interests aside. And she doesn’t want to negotiate in the press but yet she certainly takes every opportunity she could over this summer to throw jabs at the Police Department trying to talk about everything from discipline to obviously funding, now the possibility of not replacing officers as they retire, which is absolutely ridiculous.”
* City O’Hare debt document indicates COVID-19 could delay huge airport terminal revamp
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*McCook police chief indicted in extortion scheme that brought down mayor
Want to check in on where President Donald Trump and Joe Biden are spending their time in the campaign’s closing weeks? Check out this graphic from the Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart and Jonathon Berlin.
A person rides a Divvy bicycle past mail boxes outside of Chicago's Lakeview Station post office on Aug. 13, 2020. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
From Rick Pearson: "A federal judge on Thursday rejected a bid by the Cook County Republican Party to block the state’s enhanced vote-by-mail program, rejecting as conjecture allegations that the program was a scheme aimed at disenfranchising GOP voters.
“U.S. District Judge Robert Dow ruled the Cook County GOP also was tardy in filing its lawsuit in August seeking a preliminary injunction over the law approved in May as an effort to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic by offering an alternative to traditional in-person voting.” Read the rest here.
Judge Michael Toomin speaks following the swearing in of former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb during a status hearing concerning actor Jussie Smollett at the Leighton Criminal Court building on Aug. 23, 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Megan Crepeau reports: "A suspected attempt to surreptitiously boot a prominent Cook County judge off the Nov. 3 ballot can be chalked up to a simple miscommunication, authorities said Friday.
"In the wake of his recent shunning by the county Democratic Party, Judge Michael Toomin publicly raised concerns that someone may have posed as him to withdraw from November’s retention ballot.
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“An inquiry found that the state employee merely mixed up Toomin’s email address with that of another judge who had inquired about withdrawal paperwork around the same time, according to Dave Druker, a spokesman for the Illinois secretary of state’s office.” Read the rest of the story here.
* Cook County Board to vote on extending Toni Preckwinkle’s expanded powers during coronavirus pandemic
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Host Lisa Donovan is off today. But if you have a tip, email her at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--Mother returns to scene of her son’s death one year later, this time with dancing and prayer: ‘This

Mother returns to scene of her son’s death one year later, this time with dancing and prayer: ‘This is not the end of his story’

Visiting the spot for the first time since the night of the shooting did not upset Zonia Cooper , she @ @ @ @ @ the Dignity Integrity and Grace Outreach Ministry , she believes her son lives on .
@ @ @ @ @ of the alley where his body was and prayed out loud , “ The spirit @ @ @ @ @ energy , his unconditional and unlimited love , we bind it to us , and @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Isaiah Shepard, 13, holds his 3-year-old brother Arian Giles during a march on West Chicago Avenue for Jordan Cooper, who was 23 when he was shot and killed last year in East Garfield Park on Saturday Sept. 19, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The last time Zonia Cooper was on this block, she was unmoving in her grief, watching for hours as officers snapped photos of the crime scene where her son died.
On Saturday, she returned to the 700 block of North St. Louis Avenue and brought with her dancing, prayer and a large banner with the phrase “Black boy joy,” in honor of Jordan Cooper, also known as “Showtime” because of his verve and flashy smile. About a dozen of Cooper’s loved ones had marched there from West Chicago Avenue and North Pulaski Road to mark a year since he was killed in a shooting (Sept. 16, 2019), in the East Garfield Park neighborhood.
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Chicago police said the 23-year-old was standing on a street about 1 a.m. when someone shot him in the head. His mother said police have not informed her about any arrests.
Visiting the spot for the first time since the night of the shooting did not upset Zonia Cooper, she said. A pastor at the Dignity Integrity and Grace Outreach Ministry, she believes her son lives on. She stood at the mouth of the alley where his body was and prayed out loud, “The spirit of Jordan Cooper, his energy, his unconditional and unlimited love, we bind it to us, and we live a victorious life.”
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Zonia Cooper sings during a march on West Chicago Avenue for her son Jordan Cooper, who was 23 when he was shot and killed last year in East Garfield Park on Saturday Sept. 19, 2020 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Afterward, she repeated the words “no fear” before leading the march back to the starting point. As they walked away from the spot, Cooper began singing the gospel song “Victory is Mine.”
“To me, it was just a street,” Cooper said after the march. “He’s not there. We went and got his spirit. This was to show people, basically whoever’s looking, you can live after this. I ain’t talking about existing; I’m talking live live. You can have joy. You can be victorious. You can have peace. Even life after death.”
Ka’la Shepard, Jordan Cooper’s older sister, said the march was exactly what he would have wanted. Returning to the place her “bigger-than-life” brother died still hurts the same as the night he died, she said, but she believes she will see him again one day.
“We were Frick and Frack,” Shepard said. “That was my first best friend. It’s been tough. Worse than tough. I have some good and bad days. Some days I don’t want to get out of bed. I just want to cry. I want to be sad. But I know he wouldn’t want me to be.”
Jordan Cooper worked at a food factory but started delivering food before his death to make extra cash. The 23-year-old was known for never missing parties and stoically joking through tough times. His mother last saw him at her Austin house when he dropped by to pick up a delivery bag.
He had three children who are now ages 5, 3 and almost 1. And the 5-year-old son is old enough to understand his dad’s gone, Zonia Cooper said. He recently visited his grave and cried out, “He went away to heaven and he’s not coming back and he was my best friend,” before dropping his head.
But despite the pain, his family finds ways to make sure he lives on, Cooper said. Just this year, a portrait of her son painted by his older brother, Jamiah Calvin, was on display at the Museum of Science and Industry.
“He was getting it together,” Shepard said. “He was getting it together and that’s why I say and my mom say, ‘This is not the end of his story.’ ”
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ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--Two separate mass shootings injure 9 in West Englewood, West Pullman, officials say

The most seriously wounded include a 24-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman who were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ male of an unknown age who was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ and were listed in serious to critical condition , Langford said .

Two mass shootings have left at least nine people injured in attacks in the South Side’s West Pullman and West Englewood neighborhoods on Saturday evening, officials said.
Most recently, about 5:45 p.m. in West Pullman neighborhood, five people were injured the 12200 block of South May Street, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.
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Witnesses said two black cars tore down the street and began shooting at people who were standing on a sidewalk, a porch and inside a home at the May Street address, police said.
The most seriously wounded include a 24-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman who were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and another male of an unknown age who was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Those three were shot and listed in serious to critical condition, Langford said.
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Another victim, a 51-year-old man, was shot in the ankle and was taken to an area hospital by Calumet Park first responders as the incident happened near Chicago’s border with the south suburban village.
A fifth victim, a man, was injured by broken glass and was taken to Roseland Community Hospital.
The suspects' cars sped north on May Street and no arrests have been made.
The West Englewood attack took place in the 6800 block of South Claremont Avenue about 5 p.m. police said.
A group was standing at the Claremont address when, according to a witness, a gunman opened fire, hitting four in the group, before running away through an alley near 69th Street.
Two 30-year-old men who were shot in the chest and a 20-year-old woman who was shot in the leg were all taken to Christ Medical Center, where they were in serious condition, said Langford.
Another victim, a 30-year-old man, suffered a broken foot and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital.
Chicago police said all four had been shot.
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Check back for details on this developing story.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 2,529 new known COVID-19 cases and 25 more deaths reported Saturday

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 2,529 new known COVID-19 cases and 25 more deaths reported Saturday as state surpasses 5 million total tests since the start of the pandemic

The crux of the dispute stems from how utility taxes are collected .
Towns are allowed to levy their own @ @ @ @ @ phones and electricity .
Those local charges show up on consumers ' monthly bills , @ @ @ @ @ and distributes the money to the individual towns .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Sunday announced 1,402 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 and 14 more deaths. That raises the statewide known case tally to 274,258 throughout the course of the pandemic. The state reported death toll is now 8,450.
Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 48,011 new tests, according to the IDPH, bringing the total number of tests to date to 5,105,153.
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On Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that bars and indoor dining can reopen in the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties after weeks under stricter rules aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.
The region that encompasses Will and Kankakee counties was the second to see tougher rules imposed after it surpassed a state threshold of 8% positivity rate for three consecutive days. As of Friday, the region’s positivity rate was 5.6%.
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Meanwhile, DuPage County is no longer among the Illinois counties at “warning level” for a possible resurgence of the new coronavirus. With DuPage being removed from the list, no Chicago-area counties are currently under warning.
Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
Lawry’s to close at year’s end after 46 years in downtown Chicago — but leaves room for return
Lawry’s the Prime Rib, which has been a fixture on Ontario Street (just west of Michigan Avenue) for 46 years, is calling it quits at the end of the year. Staffers were notified on Saturday.
The coronavirus, recent civil unrest and an expiring lease all contributed to the decision, said Ryan Wilson, CEO of Lawry’s Inc.
“In a year of incredible turmoil, this is a tough one for sure,” he said. “But with the industry in general in such a state of flux, we felt we had to push the pause button.”
Note the use of “pause button,” and not “stop button.”
“I think there’s a future for Lawry’s in the Chicago area,” Wilson said. “It was always a favorite of my grandfather’s; after visits, he always brought home boxes of Frango Mints. And I think Chicago is the best food city in the country.”
Read more here. —Phil Vettel
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Saturday
‘Let us play’: High school students and parents rally in the Loop, demanding Gov. Pritzker allow fall sports after halt due to COVID-19 pandemic
About 100 parents and students rallied Saturday morning at the Thompson Center, chanting “Let us play” and demanding that Gov. J.B. Pritzker allow students to participate in fall sports.
Groups of students from Loyola Academy, Glenbrook North High School, Batavia High School and other, mostly suburban, schools gathered in jerseys with signs decrying Pritzker’s decision to halt football and a number of other sports deemed higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Student speakers at the rally pointed to other Midwest states that are allowing football and other contact sports to proceed, and said students will lose out on college scholarships and miss out on opportunities to get exercise, maintain good mental health and build leadership skills.
Read more here. —Madeline Buckley
2,529 new known COVID-19 cases and 25 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Saturday announced 2,529 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 additional fatalities. The Illinois Department of Public Health is now reporting a total of 272,856 cases, including 8,436 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the start of the coronavirus' spread.
The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.5%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 74,286 new tests, according to the IDPH, bringing the total number of tests to date to 5,057,142.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
Chicago suburbs warn ComEd: It’s time to pay up on local utility taxes
Already caught up in a high-profile federal bribery scheme, Commonwealth Edison is embroiled in an escalating fight with dozens of cash-squeezed Chicago suburbs that are demanding the power company deliver millions of dollars in utility taxes the communities say they are owed.
“The longer that it keeps going, the more revenue that we’re out,” said Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez.
The crux of the dispute stems from how utility taxes are collected. Towns are allowed to levy their own taxes on utilities such as phones and electricity. Those local charges show up on consumers' monthly bills, and ComEd collects the tax and distributes the money to the individual towns.
Suburban frustration with how well ComEd handles that the complex details of that job dates to at least the 2000s. In 2006, Des Plaines sued ComEd as a test case on the issue, but the lawsuit wasn’t resolved until the end of 2019.
That resolution meant dozens of suburbs expected ComEd to start paying up. Then COVID-19 hit, slowing down the economy, causing local sales tax revenues to drop and busting budgets. Fearful that help isn’t coming from Washington, D.C., mayors now are turning over the couch cushions looking for money to make up shortfalls.
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Read more here. —Ray Long
Friday
North Shore school district backs off proposed COVID-19 policy keeping quarantined kids off remote learning: ‘There are no travel police’
At the urging of officials with the Illinois State Board of Education, Sunset Ridge School District 29 on Friday have scrapped a proposed policy that would have prohibited students who are quarantining from participating in remote learning.
The proposal from a District 29 task force, which was approved by the school board, would have required that students at the Northfield-based school district who are on quarantine for travel-related reasons, like visiting a high risk area, “not be permitted to access remote learning during the travel or quarantine period,” District 29 Superintendent Ed Stange said in a Sept. 16 parent letter.
Stange said the recommendation was made due to the difficulties educators face when students transition between in-person and remote instruction.
“Our general goal is to maintain consistency in the learning environment, and limit unnecessary movement between in-person and remote environments,” Stange said. “That is why we asked families to commit to in-person or remote learning through the first trimester.”
The communication, which was emailed to parents and posted on the district’s website, was quickly followed by a second message, with Stange apologizing and acknowledging that he was hearing from “concerned families,” and hoping to provide “perspective” on the recommendation.
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Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--'Let us play’: High school students and parents rally in the Loop, demanding Gov. Pritzker allow fal

'Let us play’: High school students and parents rally in the Loop, demanding Gov. Pritzker allow fall sports after halt due to COVID-19 pandemic

Student speakers at the rally pointed to other Midwest states that are allowing football and other contact sports to proceed @ @ @ @ @ lose out on college scholarships and miss out on opportunities to get exercise , maintain @ @ @ @ @ leadership skills .

High school athletes rally for the return of the fall sports season, outside the Thompson Center on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
About 100 parents and students rallied Saturday morning at the Thompson Center, chanting “Let us play” and demanding that Gov. J.B. Pritzker allow students to participate in fall sports.
Groups of students from Loyola Academy, Glenbrook North High School, Batavia High School and other, mostly suburban, schools gathered in jerseys with signs decrying Pritzker’s decision to halt football and a number of other sports deemed higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Student speakers at the rally pointed to other Midwest states that are allowing football and other contact sports to proceed, and said students will lose out on college scholarships and miss out on opportunities to get exercise, maintain good mental health and build leadership skills.
Former Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz speaks to high school athletes at a rally for the return of the fall sports season, outside the Thompson Center on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
“It’s our way of escape,” said Myles Mooyoung, a senior football player at Kenwood Academy High School, in the city’s Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side. “It’s how we get scholarships.”
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Pritzker in July unveiled restrictions for fall sports for youth and adult recreational leagues, barring some contact sports from engaging in any play beyond practices and no-contact training. Those strictest guidelines apply to football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, wrestling, and competitive cheer and dance.
Basketball, soccer, volleyball and water polo are among the sports the state considers medium risk.
The Illinois High School Association, deferring to state officials, moved high school football, boys soccer and girls volleyball — sports considered to be at medium to high risk of virus transmission — to the spring. But the organization recently sought to regain authority over its calendar after surrounding states began playing contact sports without reports of major outbreaks.
At Saturday’s rally, students asked for a chance to show they could play safely. They pointed to students in the crowd who were wearing masks.
“We can do this safely, just like everyone else in the Midwest,” said Jaylen Brown, a senior football player at Wheaton Warrenville South High School.
Also among the roster of speakers at Saturday’s event was Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey, of Xenia, who has sued Pritzker over his statewide mandates related to COVID-19, alleging they are an overreach of his powers under state law.
“It’s time to take our state back,” Bailey told the crowd, adding that he drove four hours from the small village in southern Illinois to be there.
But a reversal by Pritzker appears unlikely. At a news conference Wednesday, the governor said his scientific advisers say the risk remains too high. He referenced the Frontier Community College baseball team in the southern Illinois town of Fairfield, where 37 players recently tested positive for the virus.
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“This is a terrible and unprecedented moment in our country. ... While parents might choose to send their children out onto the playing field, I can tell you that someone else who becomes ill because of that decision wouldn’t call that your personal choice,” Pritzker said.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--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--2020-09-19--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--2020-09-19--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 25 new deaths, 2,529 new confirmed cases and 74,286 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 25 new deaths, 2,529 new confirmed cases and 74,286 new test results

Illinois announced 2,529 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Saturday for a total of 272,856 .
The state also announced 25 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,436 and 74,286 new test results for a total of 5.06 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--2020-09-19--Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 28,941 confirmed cases and 4,575 deaths

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois .
The @ @ @ @ @ at 889 long-term care facilities in 76 counties .
Of those , 539 facilities have @ @ @ @ @ , defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days .
In all @ @ @ @ @ be tied to long-term care facilities , with 4,575 deaths , as of Sep. 18 @

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--2020-09-19--2 dead, 12 wounded during 12-hour span of shootings

Two men , both 27 , both were wounded , one of them in the arm and the other was @ @ @ @ @ The man who was grazed refused medical help and the other man was taken in @ @ @ @ @ of Chicago Medical Center .

Two men were fatally wounded, and at least 12 other people were injured including three who were shot during a drive-by while they were attending a gathering early Saturday in the Englewood neighborhood, Chicago police said.
The attacks happened from 5:30 p.m. Friday to 5:15 a.m. Saturday, according to police.
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The most recent fatal shooting occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Friday on the West Side in the South Austin neighborhood in the 5700 block of West Midway Park.
Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert and found a 27-year-old man in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and face. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. A preliminary investigation revealed a gunman walked up the vehicle and opened fire, fatally wounding the man.
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A 24-year-old man was shot to death late Friday afternoon in the South Chicago neighborhood in the 8400 block of South Escanaba Avenue shortly after 5:30 p.m., police said.
The victim was discovered on the ground unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the left side of the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Shortly after 4 a.m. Saturday, three people were wounded in a drive-by shooting near a gathering in the Englewood neighborhood in the 7000 block of South Peoria Street, police said.
According to preliminary reports, three victims were in separate vehicles when someone in a passing vehicle opened fire, striking each of them, police said.
Two men, both 27, both were wounded, one of them in the arm and the other was grazed in the back. The man who was grazed refused medical help and the other man was taken in fair condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
A third victim, a 49-year-old woman suffered a gunshot wound to the lower back. She got herself to Provident Hospital of Cook County where she was listed in fair condition, police said.
In other shootings:
About 5:15 a.m. Saturday, a 29-year-old man was shot in the 800 block of North Parkside Avenue in the South Austin neighborhood. Police said the man was standing on the sidewalk when a white colored vehicle drove by and someone fired shots from the rear passenger side striking him in the right hip. The man got himself to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, but was expected to be taken to Stroger Hospital, police said.
About 2:15 a.m., a 16-year-old boy was shot in a drive-by in the 5000 block of West Monroe Street in the same neighborhood. Police said the boy was on the sidewalk with a group when someone in a dark-blue vehicle fired shots from the alley, striking him in the chest. He was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.
Shortly after 12:50 a.m., a 41-year-old man was shot in the South Chicago neighborhood in the 3300 block of East 85th Street. Police said the man was driving when he heard shots and felt pain, suffering a wound to the head before crashing into a fence. He was taken in critical condition to Advocate Trinity Hospital.
About 11:30 p.m. Friday, a 27-year-old man was discovered with a gunshot wound to the chest in an alley in the 300 block of West 110th Place in the Roseland neighborhood. Police said the suspected gunman was seen fleeing in a black Kia. The man was taken in critical condition to Roseland Community Hospital, police said.
About 10:45 p.m., a 22-year-old man was shot in the McKinley Park neighborhood in the 1600 block of West 35th Street. Police said the man was at a gas station when he got into an argument with a male who pulled out a gun and shot him. The man suffered wounds to the chest, arm and flank before crashing into a pole while trying to escape. He was taken in serious condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.
Shortly after 10:20 p.m., a 27-year-old man was shot in the Lawndale neighborhood in the 2100 block of South Pulaski Road. He was walking when he heard shots and felt pain in the arm. A friend drove him to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was listed in fair condition.
About 10:15 p.m., a 38-year-old man was discovered in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the 2700 block of West Agatite Avenue in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood. He suffered wounds to the head, chest and arm, and was taken in serious condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said.
About 6:45 p.m., an 18-year-old man was shot in the 4100 block of West Lawrence Avenue in the North Mayfair neighborhood. He suffered wounds to the chest and back, and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, but his condition was not available, police said.
Shortly before 6 p.m., a 35-year-old man was shot in the South Shore neighborhood in the 8000 block of South Chappel Avenue. The man was in an alley when he suffered a wound to the upper right shoulder. He was taken to South Shore Hospital where his condition was stabilized, police said.
dawilliams@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--Rogers Park man charged with Magnificent Mile looting

Hundreds of people swept through the Magnificent Mile and other parts of downtown Chicago after Chicago police officers shot and @ @ @ @ @ , in Englewood hours earlier on Aug. 9 .
Police said Allen fired shots at @ @ @ @ @ block not far from Allen ’ s address .

A Rogers Park man was arrested on Thursday and charged with multiple felony counts in connection with widespread looting on the Magnificent Mile on Aug. 10, according to Chicago police.
Victor Doss, 26, of the 7600 Block of North Bosworth Avenue, is charged with three felony counts of looting and three felony counts of burglary, police said. He will appear in Central Bond Court on Saturday.
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Police said investigators identified Doss as one of the individuals who entered a store in the 900 block of North Michigan Avenue and took merchandise.
He was arrested around 6 p.m. in the 1500 block of West Howard Street.
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Hundreds of people swept through the Magnificent Mile and other parts of downtown Chicago after Chicago police officers shot and injured Latrell Allen, 20, in Englewood hours earlier on Aug. 9. Police said Allen fired shots at officers chasing him on a block not far from Allen’s address.
The August incidents marked the second time this year the Central Business District was the target of looting, following unrest in May after the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.


chicagotribune--2020-09-19--Chicago suburbs warn ComEd: It’s time to pay up on local utility taxes

The suburban communities told Dominguez , the ComEd CEO , that they “ engaged in this process in good faith @ @ @ @ @ promise that the result of the Des Plaines litigation would form the basis of a @ @ @ @ @ our communities .
Although our agents consistently provided data to ComEd over the past six @ @ @ @ @ its feet at every turn .
”

Already caught up in a high-profile federal bribery scheme, Commonwealth Edison is embroiled in an escalating fight with dozens of cash-squeezed Chicago suburbs that are demanding the power company deliver millions of dollars in utility taxes the communities say they are owed.
“The longer that it keeps going, the more revenue that we’re out,” said Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez.
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The crux of the dispute stems from how utility taxes are collected. Towns are allowed to levy their own taxes on utilities such as phones and electricity. Those local charges show up on consumers’ monthly bills, and ComEd collects the tax and distributes the money to the individual towns.
Suburban frustration with how well ComEd handles that the complex details of that job dates to at least the 2000s. In 2006, Des Plaines sued ComEd as a test case on the issue, but the lawsuit wasn’t resolved until the end of 2019.
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That resolution meant dozens of suburbs expected ComEd to start paying up. Then COVID-19 hit, slowing down the economy, causing local sales tax revenues to drop and busting budgets. Fearful that help isn’t coming from Washington, D.C., mayors now are turning over the couch cushions looking for money to make up shortfalls.
One area suburban leaders are focusing on is the utility tax money. About 50 leaders from roughly 80 suburban communities who feel shorted by ComEd decided to speak up as the utility giant is on the defensive. The mayors sent a letter this month to ComEd CEO Joseph Dominguez calling on the electricity provider to “promptly pay.”
They estimate millions of dollars are owed in overdue in uncollected utility taxes. The mayors say it’s often because ComEd failed to match up the addresses of residences and businesses using power and then pass on the utility tax revenues collected to communities.
“As mayors and village presidents during this difficult economic period, we are asking for movement,” their letter said. ComEd’s “tactics are resulting in lower tax payments at a time when our municipalities are hurting and are most in need of the revenue due to us.”
The suburban leaders spoke up after ComEd recently agreed to pay a $200 million fine over a yearslong federal scheme involving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of House Speaker Michael Madigan, the chair of the Illinois Democratic Party. The move also comes as a special Illinois House committee investigates whether the speaker should be disciplined. Madigan has denied wrongdoing, and he has not been charged in the federal case.
“Given all of the news reports surrounding ComEd, this is an opportunity to demonstrate to local governments and officials your care and concern for municipalities, instead of continuing your delay tactics, which only serves to further diminish your credibility,” stated the letter from local officials to the utility giant.
ComEd spokeswoman Shannon Breymaier said in a statement that the company works “hard to ensure our tax remittance is as accurate as possible.”
“We are working through claims that have been raised by municipalities in a timely manner and will continue to work with each municipality as the process progresses,” she said.
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ComEd has received separate claims from more than 80 municipalities, all of which have been prepared for the towns by a third-party auditor, she said. The resolution of these claims is complicated by having to follow the individual ordinances enacted by each municipality, she said.
Breymaier said ComEd also must complete a painstaking process to analyze data on addresses, frequently about disputes covering multiple years.
The power company says it has found the requests can be “substantially overstated,” including cases where some suburbs initially filed claims ranging from $7,000 to $247,000 but later agreed there were not taxes owed in those cases, Breymaier said.
In turn, the communities maintain they have provided estimates to ComEd that have not been fine-tuned because the company is not supplying all of the data needed.
One major point of contention: The suburbs say that in 2014, ComEd agreed to help communities to identify mistakes, such as addresses where the utility should have collected tax but didn’t. But the towns say ComEd has stonewalled them. Only a dozen of the more than 80 suburbs have received complete information, the mayors said.
Amounts towns say they are owed vary. Romeoville, for example, claims more than $2.7 million. Cary is asking for more than $380,000 and Crest Hill more than $190,000. But other communities expect less, such as Willowbrook seeking around $24,000 and Winfield just over $4,000.
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In a statement, Romeoville Mayor John Noak said the communities “understand that this is a complicated process,” but he raised concerns about the lengthy time it takes to resolve the dispute.
“We began this process in 2012, and it took until 2018 for ComEd to give us the relevant data, six years later,” Noak said. “Now it is 2020, and (ComEd and Romeoville) agree to the amount of unpaid taxes, and they still have not paid. After eight years, this issue is still not resolved.”
Noak noted the communities have needed to hire professional outside auditors to help. ComEd said Chicago is not among the group and the city is working with the utility directly.
The suburban group said most towns that are seeking payments from ComEd still are trying to get to the bottom of how much they are owed.
Chicago Heights, where Gonzalez is mayor, is one of those communities in the dark about precisely how much money it should receive. He worries that he could be losing utility tax money from one or more of his city’s major industrial sites, which would cost the city considerably more than an average business or residence.
COVID-19′s crunch on the local economy has cost Chicago Heights an estimated $3 million to $4 million in sales taxes and other income, Gonzalez said. So money coming in from ComEd would help now.
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“I think it’s a drop in the bucket for them, but it’s not for municipalities, especially right now with COVID,” Gonzalez said.
Documents from the 2006 Des Plaines lawsuit demonstrated how issues as common as an address dispute could contribute to major wrangling with ComEd, including at a hospital that was one of the biggest electricity users in the city.
Des Plaines City Council records showed ComEd agreed to pay $1.2 million for utility tax claims before 2010 alone, according to a settlement described in council minutes. But the other communities say ComEd is stalling on paying them.
“Since the Des Plaines settlement, ComEd has not substantively responded to our agents, and ComEd is clearly only delaying and stringing our staffs, auditors, counsel and us along with false promises” to get back “as soon as it can” or in “due course,” the letter from the mayors said.
The suburban communities told Dominguez, the ComEd CEO, that they “engaged in this process in good faith based on ComEd’s promise that the result of the Des Plaines litigation would form the basis of a global resolution for all of our communities. Although our agents consistently provided data to ComEd over the past six years, ComEd has dragged its feet at every turn.”
rlong@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @RayLong


chicagotribune--2020-09-20--3 injured in South Austin shooting, police say

A 33-year-old man was shot in the left leg and taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in good condition , @ @ @ @ @ man was also shot in the left leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in good @ @

Three people were injured Saturday night in a drive-by shooting on the West Side, according to Chicago police.
The victims were standing on a sidewalk around 8:40 p.m. Saturday in the 300 block of North Laramie Avenue in the South Austin neighborhood when someone in a sedan fired shots, police said.
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A 33-year-old man was shot in the left leg and taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in good condition, police said. A 42-year-old man was also shot in the left leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
A 47-year-old man was shot in the left leg and left hand and taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in good condition, police said.
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No arrests have been made. The case is under investigation.
Earlier in the night, two mass shootings left nine people injured on the South Side.
[ Two separate mass shootings injure 9 in West Englewood, West Pullman, officials say ]
Four people were shot about 5 p.m. in the West Englewood neighborhood, police said.
About 45 minutes later, five people were shot around 5:45 p.m. in the West Pullman neighborhood, police said.
No arrests have been made in either shooting.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-09-20--Mayor Lori Lightfoot urges people to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by voting

“ We will not allow an administration and a lame duck senate to tell us that it is not our @ @ @ @ @ is our constitutional right to dissent , and whenever Ruth got a chance , she @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m telling you today , Chicago , America , look your @ @ @ @ @ look your employer in the eye , look yourself in the eye , and ask @ @ @ @ @ willing to do to hold the line and fight like h -- - ?
”

Elizabeth Posner, left, helps light candles with Stacey Michelon during a gathering to remember former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Federal Plaza on Sept. 19, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Hundreds of Chicagoans gathered Saturday evening in Federal Plaza to collectively mourn feminist icon Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died Friday of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer at her home in Washington at 87.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, introduced as another small but mighty woman, stood on a stone bench that acted as a stage for speeches. Flowers and candles were placed around her feet. She donned a mask that read “VOTE," and spoke into the mic, “We stand here tonight with heavy hearts for the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but we should draw inspiration from her life, her struggle and her fight for us."
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“You must thank Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” Lightfoot said, pausing for emphasis after each name, for women’s ability to work without being discriminated against, to earn a wage without the worry it will be taken away and to control their bodies.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a gathering to remember former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Federal Plaza on Sept. 19, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Lightfoot spoke about how, less than 12 hours after Ginsburg’s death, President Donald Trump released his list of Supreme Court justice picks. When Lightfoot mentioned Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s name, the crowd booed in unison.
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“The forces of darkness and evil were already at work," Lightfoot said. “The hypocrisy of these people know no limit.”
A memory card written by a child hangs on a tree trunk during a gathering to remember former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Federal Plaza on Sept. 19, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Lightfoot encouraged the crowd to fight. She asked them to raise their hands in solidarity. They repeated after her, “In the name of Ruth ... I will fight ... In the name of Ruth ... I will vote ... and in the name of Ruth, we will win!”
“This election means more now than ever, and in the name of Ruth, we must fight and we must win,” Lightfoot said. “We cannot allow them to tear us apart."
Before Lightfoot spoke, the night started off with audio from Ginsburg’s speeches. A rabbi said a prayer, and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, a close Lightfoot ally, also spoke.
Kelly talked about how she found out about Ginsburg’s death from a group text. In response to the news, only one person could respond with “OMG.”
“She kept working, hearing cases and writing opinions, despite numerous hospitalizations,” Kelly said.
Kelly then went on to quote the musical “Hamilton,” which she’s seen six times, she said, “Legacy, what is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you may never get to see.”
“Fortunately, RBG was able to see the early stages of the garden she planted,” Kelly said.
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Hazel Wolfe, 8, holds a children's book written by former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg while listening to speakers during a gathering to remember Ginsburg at Federal Plaza on Sept. 19, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Kelly counted off RBG’s accomplishments including allowing female students to enter the Virginia Military Institute and striking down a Texas law that imposed rules on reproductive health clinics.
“It’s our responsibility to carry on her legacy,” Kelly said. “We need to vote. We need to make sure our family, friends and associates vote. We need to make sure total strangers to us vote.”
Some in the crowd cheered “Yes!” and others clapped.
Deborah Lane, who works for the Chicago Transit Authority and has worked with Women’s March Chicago, sang “Amazing Grace” to the crowd.
Deborah Harris, the executive director of Action Now/Action Now Institute, closed out the speeches.
“Tonight, the common thread has been that RBG held the line as she fought like h---," she said. "This is not something to be washed over. This is not the time for America to be timid.”
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Her voice commanded the audience and echoed throughout the downtown streets.
“We will not allow an administration and a lame duck senate to tell us that it is not our right to dissent. It is our constitutional right to dissent, and whenever Ruth got a chance, she dissented," she said. “I’m telling you today, Chicago, America, look your family in the eye, look your employer in the eye, look yourself in the eye, and ask yourself, what are you willing to do to hold the line and fight like h---?”
After the speeches, people wrote messages about Ginsburg on tags and tied them with colorful yarn around a few small trees in the plaza.
Thank you, Ruth!
You’re such an inspiration, RBG.
Thank you for inspiring me to be a feminist. We will honor your legacy.
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Your memory will be our revolution. Rest in power.
People took turns taking photos with the cardboard cutout letters “RBG” that were strung across two trees with the messages. Some held American flags or posters advocating for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Others wrote messages in chalk on the ground. Young girls placed flowers around an American flag pole that was lowered to half-staff.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry