chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Chicago City Council to consider capping delivery app fees

“ Prior to the pandemic we tried several times to sign up with these companies , but they were charging @ @ @ @ @ for a restaurant like ours meant selling at a loss , so we never used @ @ @ @ @ a new era and we need to use them , ” she said .

Delivery fees charged to Chicago restaurants by third-party delivery companies such as Grubhub and Uber Eats would get capped under a proposal introduced to the City Council on Monday. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Delivery fees charged to Chicago restaurants by third-party delivery companies such as Grubhub and Uber Eats would get capped at 10% of the order’s cost as long as indoor dining capacity is set at below 40% during the coronavirus pandemic, under a proposal introduced to the City Council Monday as Mayor Lori Lightfoot tries to help restaurants make it through the winter.
The proposed fee limit is less strict than the 5% ceiling in an ordinance an alderman introduced months ago, which Lightfoot rejected in favor of a rule requiring the services to disclose all the fees they charge.
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The mayor on Monday called the new version a win. “This will provide critical temporary relief to eligible small businesses that cannot operate indoors right now,” she said.
And some Chicago restaurateurs welcomed the help.
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Jason Hammel, chef/owner of Lula Cafe in Logan Square, called the proposed measures “important stopgaps” that he supported, while arguing that the proposed ordinance could and should go further.
“This ordinance being passed for only such time that restaurants are limited to 40% occupancy? To me, that’s not adequate,” Hammel said in an email. “Our industry is facing a cataclysmic fate, and these conversations around graduated occupancy are not helping the message that, for many, extinction is imminent, and preventable. Why 40%? Does someone think 40% is somehow sustainable?”
The delivery companies were less enthusiastic about the package, which sets a 15% limit on other fees charged by the apps, mainly for marketing restaurants on their websites.
Uber spokesman Robert Kellman said the plan “puts marketing profits ahead of paying drivers.”
“A more reasonable approach would be to expand a cap on deliveries so that the tens of thousands of drivers who deliver food to help support their families would take less of a hit to their pocketbooks,” Kellman said in a statement.
Grubhub spokesman Grant Klinzman said the caps “are well-intentioned but counterproductive at a time when restaurants need more support, visibility and order volume than ever. They limit how restaurants — especially small and independent establishments — can effectively market themselves to drive demand, which severely impacts how many customers and orders we can bring to these restaurants.”
And DoorDash spokesman Campbell Matthews said the caps “could cause us to increase costs for customers, which could lead to fewer orders for local restaurants and fewer earning opportunities for Dashers.”
There has been fierce behind-the-scenes lobbying over the specifics of these rules, which are in place in some form in several other big U.S. cities. So it remains to be seen whether the numbers involved change between now and a full City Council vote on the plan.
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Restaurants for months have been complaining that delivery apps are cutting deeply into their bottom lines with fees that can top 30% of the order costs. With state rules banning indoor dining at restaurants, the delivery services are booming while restaurants struggle mightily to make ends meet.
Lulu Noguier, who owns Bistronomic on the Near North Side with her husband, Martial, said the pandemic is forcing restaurants that otherwise wouldn’t work with the third-party services to now do so.
“Prior to the pandemic we tried several times to sign up with these companies, but they were charging us 30%, which for a restaurant like ours meant selling at a loss, so we never used them, but now is a new era and we need to use them,” she said.
When Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this month again banned indoor dining because of spiking COVID-19 cases, Lightfoot announced she would seek a temporary cap on the fees.
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The ordinance, introduced by Finance Committee Chairman Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, and Aviation Committee Chairman Ald. Matt O’Shea, 19th, would go into effect immediately upon passage if two-thirds of aldermen voted for it.
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It would stay in place until “90 days after city and state restrictions related to COVID-19 on indoor covered establishment capacity are lifted to at least 40% capacity.”
It also would limit other fees the apps charge to restaurants, largely for marketing provided when companies such as Grubhub advertise restaurants through their sites, to “15% of the orders placed through the third-party delivery service.”
And it requires the online companies to provide a way for customers to directly tip restaurants.
Fines for violating the rules would be $1,000 to $3,000 per offense.
Also Monday, O’Shea introduced an ordinance to legalize video gambling in Chicago, but it got sent to Rules Committee where many times proposals are left to languish. Lightfoot said she didn’t have anything to do with the maneuver, but reiterated her administration’s opposition to legalizing the machines because doing so could lower casino operators' enthusiasm for building a giant Chicago gambling house if there is already “some form of (gambling).”
The mayor also said she would be shifting $10 million in her 2021 budget proposal for violence prevention, bringing the total amount of spending up to $36 million toward that goal. Greater violence prevention spending has been a key request from the City Council Black Caucus, and the mayor is seeking as much aldermanic support as possible to try to get the minimum 26 votes she needs to pass her spending plan.
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Lightfoot defended her budget package from criticism that it doesn’t do enough to cut costs while relying on much-criticized borrowing schemes, saying the city is in an “extraordinary circumstance” and she had “zero easy choices.”
“When this year began, none of us thought that we’d be experiencing any of the things that have happened over the course of this year and we certainly didn’t think we’d be in the midst of a once-in-a-generation economic meltdown occasion solely as a result of COVID-19,” she said.
Lightfoot defended the property tax increase along with annual built-in increases, noting that pension costs will continue growing and there hasn’t been a solution for the city or state’s problems.
The mayor also praised ComEd and People’s Gas for stopping residential utility shutdowns through April for nonpayment.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
pvettel@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Norridge, Elmwood Park police arrest, charge man accused of carjacking 64-year-old woman

The driver and a man in the rear passenger seat fled the vehicle after the crash and were apprehended by @ @ @ @ @ man in the front passenger seat had to be extricated from the vehicle , and @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center .
As of Friday , the front seat passenger was in the hospital @ @ @ @ @ Loughran said .

A man accused of grabbing a woman and throwing her out of her car evaded police for a day, but was arrested and charged Tuesday after crashing the stolen vehicle, according to Norridge police.
According to police, a man stopped the 64-year-old woman as she sat in the parking lot of a laundromat in the 7800 block of Lawrence Avenue on Nov. 9. He opened the door, grabbed her arm, and threatened to shoot her if she didn’t give him her car, according to police reports.
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Police say the man pulled the woman out of her car and threw her to the ground, causing bruising and scrapes. The man then fled in the stolen vehicle.
He was briefly pursued by an off-duty Cook County Sheriff’s Officer who witnessed the incident, but the officer stopped chasing as the man was driving recklessly and appeared to hit a guardrail on his way into Chicago, according to Norridge Police Det. Sgt. Brian Loughran.
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On Tuesday, Norridge officers spotted the stolen car on Irving Park Road and attempted to block it, but the driver swerved in and out of both lanes of traffic while traveling south on Harlem Avenue. Elmwood Park police officers tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver fled and crashed near Harlem and Bloomingdale Avenues in Elmwood Park.
The driver and a man in the rear passenger seat fled the vehicle after the crash and were apprehended by Elmwood Park police. The man in the front passenger seat had to be extricated from the vehicle, and was taken to Loyola University Medical Center. As of Friday, the front seat passenger was in the hospital with a shattered leg, Loughran said.
The other two were taken to hospitals but later released, according to Loughran.
The driver, Adam Torres, 30, of the 5400 block of Barry Avenue, Chicago, was later identified in a line-up as the potential offender in the carjacking. Police charged Torres with aggravated vehicle hijacking. As of Monday, Torres was in Cook County Jail with a bond set for $300,000. Torres was scheduled to appear in court Nov. 18.
David Renteria, 32, of North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, the passenger who was released from the hospital, was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass to vehicle.
akim@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Feds: Ex-escort sentenced in $6 million fraud illegally obtained pandemic-relief loan while awaiting

Feds: Ex-escort sentenced in $6 million fraud illegally obtained pandemic-relief loan while awaiting prison

She had been scheduled to report to prison on Dec. 31 .
But in a court filing Monday , prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ revoke her bond , saying she lied on applications for a federal Paycheck Protection Loan @ @ @ @ @ federal fraud conviction or that she was about to begin serving a prison term .

A former escort convicted in $6 million fraud scheme was behind bars Tuesday after federal prosecutors alleged she illegally obtained a $150,000 pandemic-relief loan while awaiting the deadline to report to prison.
Crystal Lundberg, 34, was sentenced last year to 52 months behind bars for her conviction for racking up millions of dollars in charges — including trips, jewelry and even breast implants — after her onetime boyfriend gave her access to his corporate credit card.
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She had been scheduled to report to prison on Dec. 31. But in a court filing Monday, prosecutors asked a federal judge to revoke her bond, saying she lied on applications for a federal Paycheck Protection Loan and failed to disclose her federal fraud conviction or that she was about to begin serving a prison term.
Lundberg’s attorney was making arrangements to have her surrender at some point Monday, according to the prosecution filing.
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As of Tuesday morning, Lundberg was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the federal high-rise jail in the Loop, U.S. Bureau of Prisons records show.
The $150,000 PPP loan, which was disbursed in September, was purportedly to keep a beauty salon Lundberg owned afloat during the COVID-19 crisis. Instead, Lundberg spent the money on trips, electronics, clothing and legal bills, according to prosecutors.
The FBI executed a search warrant on Nov. 5 on the bank account where the funds were sent, but by then the money had been drained, prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, Lundberg recently posted updates to her Facebook profile that made seemingly cavalier references to her impending prison term, according to prosecutors.
In one post in September, Lundberg allegedly wrote, “Honestly, I cannot wait to get this federal (expletive) outta the way so I can go back to being (EXPLETIVE) GREAT! I hate living within limits!!"
Last month, Lundberg posted a photo of herself in a bikini and sunning on the deck of a sailboat, clutching a cigar in one hand and a cocktail in the other, according to the prosecution filing. The caption read, in part, “I run it up to the feds come.”
Lundberg and her onetime boyfriend, Scott Kennedy, a former Buffalo Grove executive, were charged in 2017 in the credit card scam, the details of which the Tribune has previously reported.
In November 2015, Kennedy gave Lundberg access to a company credit card, authorities said. In less than two years, the pair racked up $5.8 million in charges to the France-based drug delivery firm Nemera, where Kennedy was a top financial official.
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Much of the spending came after Lundberg moved in 2016 with her children and pets to San Diego. The company unwittingly footed her $12,000-a-month rent for a mansion, according to evidence presented at trial.
While in California, Lundberg spent about $585,000 in a failed attempt to open a medical spa, called the Royalty Room. Additional expenses included two Rolex watches at a combined cost of $60,000, a personal driver for $8,000 a month and two purebred dogs that cost as much as $6,000, according to the prosecution.
She also flew to Miami in 2016 to have breast implants and liposuction done by a surgeon she found on YouTube, prosecutors said.
A federal jury convicted Lundberg of multiple counts of wire fraud in May 2019.
Kennedy was fired from his $175,000-a-year job as manager for Nemera’s Buffalo Grove plant after the fraud was discovered. He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in 2018 and agreed to cooperate against Lundberg.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issues new COVID-19 restrictions, says she has the authority for a se

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issues new COVID-19 restrictions, says she has the authority for a second stay-home order

“ I think we have to expect that this will mean catastrophic failure for many of them ( small businesses @ @ @ @ @ of the state order .
“ They ’ re just in no condition to weather @ @ @ @ @ given the fact that some of them were required to be closed for five or @ @ @ @ @ .
”

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday she has the authority to issue a second stay-at-home order to curb the spiking coronavirus if necessary and called a comment by an adviser to President Donald Trump urging people to “rise up” against Michigan’s latest restrictions “incredibly reckless.”
The Democratic governor spoke with Capitol reporters a day after announcing limits amid a surge of COVID-19 cases that has led to increased hospitalizations and deaths. Other Midwest states are facing similar second waves as the weather cools, and she has urged the public to “double down” with precautions to avoid a shelter-in-place order like what was instituted in the spring.
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Whitmer responded to a tweet sent Sunday night by Scott Atlas, a science adviser to Trump, who urged people to “rise up” after the governor’s announcement. Trump himself has urged supporters to push Whitmer to reopen the state following virus restrictions, though many rules had been lifted previously. And 14 men have been charged in connection with an alleged plot to kidnap the governor.
“It’s just incredibly reckless considering everything that has happened, everything that is going on,” Whitmer said. “We really all need to be focused on the public health crisis that is ravaging our country and that poses a very real threat to every one of us.”
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Atlas later tweeted that he “NEVER” would endorse or incite violence.
Under the restrictions that start Wednesday, Michigan high schools and colleges must halt in-person classes, restaurants must stop indoor dining and entertainment businesses such as casinos, movie theaters and bowling alleys must close for three weeks. Gathering sizes also will be tightened.
Whitmer called it a “targeted approach” informed by epidemiologists and public health experts. She renewed her call for the Republican-led Legislature to codify a mask requirement in law in part to send a unified message to the public, calling it “the best weapon we have against our common enemy.” The proposed legislation is opposed by GOP legislative leaders.
She noted that lawmakers enacted laws keeping intact unemployment benefits and addressing other matters after the state Supreme Court’s October ruling striking down a law she repeatedly used to respond to the pandemic, but said her administration can continue largely combatting the pandemic unilaterally under a health law.
In this photo provided by the Michigan Office of the Governor, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Mich., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. (AP)
“This is precisely the power that one of the justices pointed to in terms of actions we can and should be taking throughout this pandemic,” the governor said.
Michigan’s seven-day average of daily new cases has more than doubled from 3,113 to 6,684 over two weeks. It is up nearly five-fold from 30 days ago. Daily deaths also have surged, from 25 to 62, according to The COVID Tracking Project. The number of patients currently hospitalized, about 3,000, has risen six-fold in under two months.
Asked if the state can do anything to assist closed businesses and their soon-to-be laid-off employees, Whitmer again urged Trump and Congress to enact a relief law. She said she and the governors in a loose “compact” of other Midwest states — Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky — will have a joint media event Tuesday.
Brian Calley, president of the Small Business Association of Michigan and a Republican former lieutenant governor, also called on Congress and the president to act.
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“I think we have to expect that this will mean catastrophic failure for many of them (small businesses),” he said of the state order. “They’re just in no condition to weather these types of conditions, given the fact that some of them were required to be closed for five or six months earlier this year.”
In Detroit, an early virus hot spot where infection rates are lower than in the suburbs, Mayor Mike Duggan said businesses “are being shut down because of irresponsible behavior in the surrounding communities.”
Whitmer said GOP legislators have been included in calls in which health experts model cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Without aggressive steps now, she warned, Michigan could see 20,000 more deaths by February. The state has reported nearly 8,400 confirmed or probable deaths tied to COVID-19 and about 275,000 cases.
“The restrictions are absolutely necessary right now. The pandemic is out of control. Nurses are at their breaking point, so any help the public can give us would be great,” said Jamie Brown, a critical care nurse from Kalamazoo and president of the Michigan Nurses Association.
Associated Press writers Mike Householder in Detroit and Corey Williams in West Bloomfield contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Indiana COVID-19 hospitalizations at new record high; Lake County tops state with 598 new cases

Lake County reported the most new cases in Indiana , accordng to the state with 598 .
Marion County , @ @ @ @ @ with more than 36,000 , reported 597 .
Lake County has had more than 23,000 @ @ @ @ @ death in Lake County was reported bringing the county total to 413 .

Indiana’s hospitals were treating the largest number of COVID-19 patients on Sunday since the state began releasing public reports on coronavirus hospitalizations last spring, state health officials said.
Indiana had 2,768 coronavirus hospitalizations as of Sunday, a number that surpasses the previous peak of 2,634 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported Friday, the Indiana State Department of Health said in its daily statistics update.
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The state’s coronavirus hospitalizations as of Sunday marked a 103% jump in Indiana’s COVID-19 patients during the past month, the data show.
The state’s District 1, which includes, Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties, reported 476 hospitalizations, according to the state, with 34.8% of ICU beds in use.
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The health department also added 26 more coronavirus-related deaths to Indiana’s pandemic toll, raising it to 4,936, including confirmed and presumed coronavirus infections.
The state agency also reported another 5,218 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, the sixth straight day of recording more than 5,000 new infections. Indiana’s average daily number of newly confirmed COVD-19 cases reached 6,047 as of Sunday, up 238% from a month ago.
Lake County reported the most new cases in Indiana, accordng to the state with 598. Marion County, the state leader in cases with more than 36,000, reported 597. Lake County has had more than 23,000 cases. Only one new death in Lake County was reported bringing the county total to 413.
More than 3,313 new cases of COVID-19 in schools were reported, bringing the statewide total to more than 8,217 cases among students, teachers and staff since the start of the school year.
Dozens of Indiana school districts are changing in-person learning schedules or sending students home altogether. Many schools are having trouble staying open due to the growing number of teachers and students who are sick or in quarantine, Indiana health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said last week.
While Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has insisted that mask-wearing and social distancing “are proven to work” so schools can remain open for in-person instruction, Box expressed more caution, advising local officials to reconsider schools' operations plans as virus spread spikes.


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--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--2020-11-16--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 @ @ @ @ @ .
The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or @ @

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--2020-11-16--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 37 new deaths, 11,632 new confirmed and probable cases and 90,612

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 37 new deaths, 11,632 new confirmed and probable cases and 90,612 new test results

Illinois announced 11,632 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 585,248 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 10,779 and 90,612 new test results for a total of 9.2 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--2020-11-16--Northbrook man dies after weekend single-car crash

Kevin Burke , of the 3100 block of Floral Drive , Northbrook , was initially responsive and was transported by @ @ @ @ @ Glenbrook Hospital for treatment , according to police .
No other passengers were inside the @ @ @ @ @

A 68-year-old Northbrook man died over the weekend following a car crash in Glenview, according to police.
Authorities arrived just before 3:30 p.m. Saturday to the scene of the single-car crash, which occurred in the 2000 block of Willow Road, police said in a Monday news release.
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Kevin Burke, of the 3100 block of Floral Drive, Northbrook, was initially responsive and was transported by the Glenview Fire Department to Glenbrook Hospital for treatment, according to police. No other passengers were inside the vehicle, police said.
Burke died Sunday at 12:20 p.m. at Glenbrook Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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The crash remains under investigation by the Glenview Police Department. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police at 847-729-5000 or the Glenview Police Tip Line at 847-901-6055.
kedquist@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @kaitlinedquist


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--At least 100 vehicles catch fire in blaze at police auction site in Gary

Gary Fire Chief Sean O ’ Donnell said in a release posted to the city ’ s social media page @ @ @ @ @ 5 a.m. Monday at S & S Sales and Service , 3651 W. 4th Ave. @ @ @ @ @ the blaze , which was upgraded to a two-alarm fire early on .
At least @ @ @ @ @ caught fire , O ’ Donnell said .

The City of Gary endured a third large fire in as many weeks early Monday, this time at a police auction site on the city’s northwest side.
Gary Fire Chief Sean O’Donnell said in a release posted to the city’s social media page that the fire started around 5 a.m. Monday at S & S Sales and Service, 3651 W. 4th Ave. No one was injured in the blaze, which was upgraded to a two-alarm fire early on. At least 100 vehicles on the lot caught fire, O’Donnell said.
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No other buildings were affected in the fire, O’Donnell said.
The Griffith and Lake Ridge fire departments assisted with the fire, among other departments; Hammond Fire Department’s Hazmat unit wasn’t activated for the event, according to Hammond Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Margraf. The investigation into the fire’s cause is ongoing, O’Donnell said.
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A large brush fire engulfed a large area on either side of Interstate 80/94 in the city' Black Oak neighborhood Nov. 5. That fire covered area from Chase Street to Clark Road, O’Donnell said.
Numerous Lake County agencies assisted the city with that blaze.
Several communities were once again on hand for a Nov. 11 industrial fire at InnoFuel Energy Solutons, 6480 Industrial Highway, Gary, near the Gary/Chicago International Airport. Smoke could be seen as far away as south Chicago, according to people on social media. O’Donnell didn’t return a request for comment in that fire.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Advocate Aurora Health, one of the state’s largest hospital systems, to delay half of inpatient elec

Advocate Aurora Health, one of the state’s largest hospital systems, to delay half of inpatient elective surgeries amid COVID-19 surge

The move by the health system , which has 10 hospitals in Illinois , takes effect later this week and @ @ @ @ @ elective surgeries requiring overnight care , said Dr. Jeff Bahr , chief Aurora Medical Group @ @ @ @ @ look at the urgency of procedures and the resources needed to perform them , among @ @ @ @ @ which surgeries should be delayed .

One of the state’s largest hospital systems, Advocate Aurora Health, plans to delay half of its inpatient elective surgeries as the number of COVID-19 patients across Illinois skyrockets.
The move by the health system, which has 10 hospitals in Illinois, takes effect later this week and will only apply to some elective surgeries requiring overnight care, said Dr. Jeff Bahr, chief Aurora Medical Group officer. The hospitals will look at the urgency of procedures and the resources needed to perform them, among other things, in deciding which surgeries should be delayed.
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Cancer treatments will not be postponed.
“Any urgent or emergency surgeries, that without doing would result in loss of life or limb ... those would go on without delay,” Bahr said during a news conference Monday. Some of the system’s hospitals already have scaled back on elective surgeries, he said.
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Aurora Advocate, which also has hospitals in Wisconsin, had 1,118 hospitalized COVID-19 patients Monday — hundreds more than it had at the peak of the first surge in the spring.
Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn had 162 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Monday.
The system also has been adding beds and units to care for the increasing number of patients, said Mary Beth Kingston, chief nursing officer. Bahr said Monday that none of the system’s Illinois hospitals are in imminent danger of running out of room.
Staffing has been a challenge, Kingston said. Advocate is bringing in temporary traveling nurses and offering pay incentives to entice many to work more, she said.
Advocate joins a number of hospital systems in Illinois that have started delaying some elective surgeries, including NorthShore University HealthSystem and Memorial Health System in central Illinois.
During the first wave of COVID-19 in Illinois earlier this year, hospitals across the state suspended a majority of elective surgeries to keep beds open and preserve resources. At the time, much was unknown about COVID-19.
Now that doctors and hospitals know more about the illness and how to treat it, many are trying to take a more measured approach, postponing some, but not all elective surgeries. Elective surgeriescan encompass a wide variety of procedures, including many that are necessary and time-sensitive, if not emergencies.
During the news conference, Advocate Aurora leaders urged Illinois residents to stay home for Thanksgiving this year, skipping events with people outside their households. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Cook County Department of Public Health have made similar pleas.
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“The numbers are devastating right now,” said Dr. Robert Citronberg, Advocate Aurora executive medical director of infectious disease and prevention. “Our health care system cannot absorb double or triple those numbers if we have super-spreader events (coming) from Thanksgiving.”
The words of caution came the same day that Moderna announced that its COVID-19 vaccine has so far proved 94.5% effective, based on preliminary data in its ongoing study. Pfizer has said its vaccine candidate may be 90% effective, based on preliminary data.
Citronberg cautioned people to not let down their guards and continue wearing masks and social distancing. The vaccines have not gained approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and even if and when they do, it may take some time to distribute them.
“We are definitely concerned that people are going to jump the gun,” Citronberg said. “The end of this pandemic is in sight, and we’re thrilled about that, but we need to get through this winter.”


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Watch live: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot makes remarks following City Council meeting

With Mayor Lori Lightfoot fighting behind the scenes to get the 26 votes she needs to pass her spending plan @ @ @ @ @ are bringing forward their own plans to try to put their imprint on the final @ @ @ @ @

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chicagotribune--2020-11-16--1 taken to hospital after rollover crash on Lake Shore Drive on Near North Side

A 34-year-old man was driving a Honda about 5:10 p.m. in the 100 block of East Oak Street when he @ @ @ @ @ , causing it to slam into a wall and flip over , according to police @

A rollover crash near the Gold Coast neighborhood sent a man to the hospital and slowed traffic Sunday night on Lake Shore Drive, officials said.
A 34-year-old man was driving a Honda about 5:10 p.m. in the 100 block of East Oak Street when he lost control of his car, causing it to slam into a wall and flip over, according to police.
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A Level 1 hazmat response was called before 6 p.m. due to a vehicle overturned near Oak Street leaking fuel, according to Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.
The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with non life-threatening injuries, police said.
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kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Man killed in three-vehicle, Round Lake Beach crash

Authorities pronounced the Sportage driver dead at the scene .
The Honda driver was transported to Advocate Condell Hospital in @ @ @ @ @ injuries , police said .
The truck driver was not hurt , police said .

Emergency service personnel on the scene of a early morning head on crash that has left one man dead near the 1400 block of Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake Beach on Nov. 16, 2020. (Joe Shuman / Pioneer Press)
A 69-year-old man was killed Monday morning in a three-car accident in Round Lake Beach, according to police.
The man, whose identity was being withheld pending notification of family, was killed in the 5:58 a.m. accident in the 1400 block of Cedar Lake Road.
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Round Lake Beach police said the man was driving south on Cedar Lake when his 2020 Kia Sportage drifted into the northbound lane and struck a Honda Odyssey van, and then ran head-on into a Ford F-150 truck.
Authorities pronounced the Sportage driver dead at the scene. The Honda driver was transported to Advocate Condell Hospital in Libertyville for treatment of minor injuries, police said. The truck driver was not hurt, police said.
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An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. Round Lake Beach police and the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team are continuing to investigate the accident.


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives COVID-19 update

Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker will give an update on the state ’ s response to the coronavirus in a @ @ @ @ @ CST .
Get the latest updates on COVID-19 here .


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Illinois reports $285 million in September pro sport bets

Sports betting in Illinois got off to a shaky start in March , as the COVID-19 pandemic got underway .
@ @ @ @ @ required to register for accounts in person at a casino .
Pritzker eased that rule @ @ @ @ @ online from their phones and start wagering immediately .
More than 92 % of Illinois @ @ @ @ @ from mobile devices , according to state officials .

Guests and media crowd into the sports book area on Monday, March 9, 2020 at the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. The space has a long bar and dozens of large screen TVs as well as a kiosk to place betting as well as a customers service area where workers called "sports book writers" help customers place bets. Rivers Casino opened the state's first legal sport book today. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune) (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The latest numbers released by the Illinois Gaming Board show bettors in the state wagered more than $285 million on professional sports contests in September. For sports betting of all kinds — including college, motor sports and special events — the total was $305 million.
Gamblers can place bets on sporting events at seven of Illinois' casinos and one horse racing track. The state’s most lucrative casino and its first to start taking sports bets, Rivers in Des Plaines, accepted about $113 million in wagers in September, the most of any Illinois casino, according to the gaming board.
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Sports betting has generated about $3 million in tax revenue for Illinois in its first three full months. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office has suggested it could eventually generate more than $100 million in revenues.
Since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing legal sports betting outside Nevada, 20 states now host legal waging on sporting events. New Jersey leads the way in sports betting, posting $803 million in bets in October, according to the American Gaming Association, although some states do not release total amounts wagered. The Illinois Gaming Board has yet to release October numbers for the state.
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Sports betting in Illinois got off to a shaky start in March, as the COVID-19 pandemic got underway. At first, gamblers were required to register for accounts in person at a casino. Pritzker eased that rule, allowing bettors to register online from their phones and start wagering immediately. More than 92% of Illinois' September bets were wagered from mobile devices, according to state officials.
This story and its headline have been updated to clarify that the $285 million September betting total refers to wagering on professional sports, and to correct the Rivers Casino figure.


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Employee tax aimed at Amazon, other retailers among amendments progressive Chicago aldermen introduc

Employee tax aimed at Amazon, other retailers among amendments progressive Chicago aldermen introduced to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed budget

These ordinances face uphill battles to make it into the budget .
But the mayor is counting on an unpopular @ @ @ @ @ increase , a 3-cent gas tax hike and lots of borrowing , among other things @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.2 billion deficit next year , so she might need to compromise with aldermen @ @ @ @ @ her package across the finish line .
The City Council is set to vote on @ @ @ @ @ of the month .

An employee tax aimed at online giant Amazon and other big retailers is among the proposals progressive aldermen brought forward Monday to balance Chicago’s 2021 budget.
With Mayor Lori Lightfoot fighting behind the scenes to get the 26 votes she needs to pass her spending plan, different City Council groups are bringing forward their own plans to try to put their imprint on the final version.
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Progressive aldermen also introduced ordinances to the City Council on Monday to fund a program within the city Public Health Department to have mental health teams respond without police officers to mental health crises; to defund the Chicago Police Department’s Homan Square facility on the West Side; and to sunset a handful of special taxing districts in order to return more property tax funds to the city and other taxing bodies.
These ordinances face uphill battles to make it into the budget. But the mayor is counting on an unpopular $94 million property tax increase, a 3-cent gas tax hike and lots of borrowing, among other things, to help close a $1.2 billion deficit next year, so she might need to compromise with aldermen in other areas to pull her package across the finish line. The City Council is set to vote on the budget at the end of the month.
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The proposed $16-per-employee-per-month tax would apply only to logistics operations with more than 50 employees.
That would hit Target, Walmart and the recently opened Amazon delivery warehouse in the Far South Side’s Pullman neighborhood, according to Kennedy Bartley, legislative director for the United Working Families community coalition that helped design the ordinances.
Kennedy Bartley, second from left, with colleagues during a news conference held by advocates for the homeless and community groups who address poverty Feb. 26, 2020, at Chicago City Hall. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
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The tax could bring in around $5.8 million annually, Bartley said. “This meets the need to make big corporations pay their fair share before turning to working-class citizens to balance the books,” she said.
Lightfoot has opposed the idea of imposing employee head taxes, saying they’re a disincentive to businesses adding jobs.
But Southwest Side Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, said that with Walmart, Target and Amazon reporting big profits during the COVID-19 pandemic while small businesses struggle mightily, he’s hopeful his colleagues on the council will endorse the plan.
“We have to look at more progressive sources of revenue, look to these big businesses that are doing so well right now rather than relying on residents and small businesses to shoulder the burden,” he said.
Southwest Side Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, speaks at a rally at West Diversey Parkway and North Halsted Street on Aug. 9, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
The mayor also has put forth her own mental health co-responder pilot program that would have police and mental health teams on the scene together. Lightfoot has said she’s worried health workers could get hurt if the situations escalated and officers aren’t there.
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Northwest Side Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, said she’s been talking with the administration about also incorporating a model without police like those in other cities. She hasn’t gotten a definitive response, so she’s introducing her own plan.
“This lays out what we want, and it’s a top priority for me,” Rodriguez Sanchez said. “I’ll be looking at the entire budget holistically. I won’t be trading my vote for this single issue, but it is important.”
Activists have been trying to shut down the Police Department’s Homan Square facility since 2015, when reports surfaced about mistreatment of detainees there.
Damon Williams of the #LetUsBreathe Collective said the public conversation around defunding the Police Department has finally gotten to the point where he hopes the Homan Square issue gets some traction.
“Mayor Lightfoot talked about how horrible it was what Minneapolis police did to George Floyd, but the Chicago police have been uniquely harmful in this city,” Williams said. “So by uplifting Homan Square, we hope to make that more tangible, to remind people what police have done here, particularly on the West Side.”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Chicago, Cook County COVID-19 stay-home advisories: Here’s what you need to know.

Anyone leaving home is advised to “ always wear a face covering and practice social distancing by staying 6 feet @ @ @ @ @ following city health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady ’ s spring health order on coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ masks in public places or face fines of $ 100 to $ 500 .
A @ @ @ @ @ in effect , requiring people to wear face coverings in public when they can ’ @ @ @ @ @ distance and in any building open to the public .

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)
Chicago and Cook County health officials have issued advisories urging residents to stay home as much as possible to help stop the spread of COVID-19, effective Nov. 16.
In announcing the advisories, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and County Board President Toni Preckwinkle emphasized the exponential growth in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with a record numbers of cases and increased deaths, coming close to matching the spring’s daily death toll.
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The advisories aren’t mandatory stay-at-home orders like the one Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued in the spring, and the 30-day advisories come on top of a statewide stay-home advisory Illinois health officials issued for the three weeks ending Dec. 2. Chicago’s advisory is an update on prior executive orders, while Cook County’s was less formal. Evanston, which has its own public health department, has issued a similar 30-day advisory.
Here’s what health authorities are saying people should do to help stop the spread of the virus, which by Monday had infected more than 11 million people in the United States and killed close to 250,000 in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University:
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Stay home as much as possible
The Chicago advisory says residents should “only leave home to go to work or school, or for essential needs such as seeking medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, picking up food, or receiving deliveries.” Cook County notes leaving home for a COVID-19 test also is OK.
Leaving home? Wear a mask.
Anyone leaving home is advised to “always wear a face covering and practice social distancing by staying 6 feet away from others,” following city health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady’s spring health order on coronavirus, which orders people to wear masks in public places or face fines of $100 to $500. A statewide mask mandate also is in effect, requiring people to wear face coverings in public when they can’t maintain 6 feet of distance and in any building open to the public.
[ Read Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s stay-at-home advisory ]
Don’t invite people over
The advisories say people shouldn’t have people in their homes unless they’re “essential workers,” such as home health care providers, educators or child care workers. Chicago has a six-person limit for at-home gatherings involving people who aren’t in your household.
Avoid travel. And cancel that big Thanksgiving meal.
The orders also caution that people should cancel traditional Thanksgiving celebrations involving inviting people over and avoid travel as much as possible. Chicago’s advisory points residents to the city’s travel quarantine rules.
Social gathering restrictions
The advisories put back in effect limits on social gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, “such as weddings, birthday parties, and other events taking place at banquet halls, event venues or similar spaces,” or any rental properties. Religious services “such as weddings or funerals” are limited to 10 people, while regular services “can continue to operate at phase four capacity levels” of a maximum of 40% capacity or 50 people maximum.
“The 10-person limit does not supersede industries that have specified capacity guidelines in place such as fitness clubs, retail stores or movie theaters,” according to the city. “However, a meeting or social event that is outside of normal operations must be within the 10-person limit (e.g., bowling alley hosting a birthday party or museum holding a book talk).”
Increased enforcement
In its order, Chicago emphasizes that city officials expect to be cracking down on businesses, including enforcing capacity limits at grocery stores and other retail stores and indoor dining and drinking. But the city also emphasized officials will be keeping an eye out and possibly issuing citations for at-home gatherings, places of worship, retail stores, salons and barber shops, theaters and health and fitness centers that violate current restrictions.
Here’s the full Chicago stay-at-home advisory, in .pdf form.


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Read Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s stay-at-home advisory

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a 30-day stay-at-home advisory on Nov. 12 , 2020 , that went into effect on @ @ @ @ @ overall is not mandatory , but includes new limits on meetings and social events .
@ @ @ @

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a 30-day stay-at-home advisory on Nov. 12, 2020, that went into effect on Nov. 16. The advisory overall is not mandatory, but includes new limits on meetings and social events. Read more here.


chicagotribune--2020-11-16--Bicyclist killed in hit-and-run crash in Aurora

Anyone who has information regarding the hit-and-run is asked to call the traffic division at 630-256-5330 or email tips @ @ @ @ @ @ send anonymous reports to the Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000 .

A bicyclist was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Aurora Saturday evening, and authorities are searching for a vehicle wanted in connection, police said.
Just before 7:30 p.m., police received calls of a bicyclist struck by a vehicle near Montgomery Road and White Eagle Drive on the city’s East Side, Aurora police said in a news release. Police and paramedics found a man lying in the roadway and attempted lifesaving measures.
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The victim, who was identified Monday as Dragomir Misic, 27, of the 2300 block of Avalon Court, Aurora, was pronounced dead on scene, officials said.
The department’s traffic division is investigating the crash.
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Anyone who has information regarding the hit-and-run is asked to call the traffic division at 630-256-5330 or email tips@apd.aurora.il.us. Residents can also send anonymous reports to the Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000.
mejones@chicagotribune.com