chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Chicago’s history as a sanctuary city

Chicago’s history as a sanctuary city

Chicago 's path to being a sanctuary city began more than 30 years ago .
What follows is a look back at the leaders and laws that have shaped Chicago 's involvement with the sanctuary movement .
The Wellington Avenue Church congregation votes to join the sanctuary movement -- becoming just the second church in the U.S. to harbor refugees who entered the country illegally .
The movement , which has roots in the medieval tradition of churches providing sanctuary for those fleeing persecution , was aimed at providing a safe haven for Central Americans running from political repression and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were refused asylum here because of U.S. support for the governments of El Salvador and Guatemala .
About 20 Chicago-area churches became sanctuaries in the 1980s .
Salvadorans wear masks to hide their faces during a visit to Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ on Aug. 9 , 1982 .
( Chicago Tribune ) Building on an existing ordinance that prohibits agencies from inquiring about the immigration status of people seeking city services , this ordinance also prevents local police from detaining people solely on the belief that they are in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they suspect status is the only reason the warrant has been issued .
With its introduction in July 2012 , Mayor Emanuel said the ordinance would `` make Chicago the most immigrant-friendly city in the country . ''
Mayor Rahm Emanuel after the City Council meeting on Sept. 12 , 2012 .
( Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune ) '' Since the Presidential Election , there has been a sense of uncertainty among many immigrant communities in Chicago and across the nation .
I want to assure all of our families that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City , '' Mayor Emanuel said in a Nov. 13 , 2016 , news release .
`` Chicago has been a city of immigrants since it was founded .
We have always welcomed people of all faiths and backgrounds , and while the administration will change , our values and our commitment to inclusion will not . ''
Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks during a news conference at Lurie Children 's Hospital the day following his statement .
( Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune ) City looks for Rauner 's backing of sanctuary status A resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic state Comptroller Susana Mendoza and 35 of the city 's 50 aldermen calls on Governor Bruce Rauner to issue a statement of `` support for cities that welcome our undocumented family members and neighbors and condemn any effort to strip the city of Chicago of federal funding . ''
The resolution calls on Rauner to speak at a special council meeting `` held solely for the purpose of discussing the president-elect 's plans for cities that welcome and protect immigrants . ''
Asked to respond to the specifics of the city resolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general statement reiterating the governor 's support for immigration reform .
In response to President Trump 's signing of an executive order intended to block federal funding to sanctuary cities like Chicago , Mayor Emanuel says , `` There is no stranger among us .
We welcome people . ''
The city 's aldermen vote to reaffirm that Chicago protects all residents regardless of race , ethnicity , immigration status , criminal record , gender identity and sexual orientation .
`` You mess with one in Chicago , you mess with all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
John Arena , 45th .
Mayor Rahm Emanuel presides over the meeting of the Chicago City Council on Jan. 25 , 2017 .
( Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune ) Chicago immigration reform advocates and Muslim leaders denounced President Donald Trump 's executive order to temporarily block refugees coming to the U.S. while the government reviews screening processes , calling it an effective ban on Muslims in America .
In issuing the order , which calls for a four-month halt on all refugee admissions , an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees and a temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with terrorism concerns , Trump said he seeks to protect the nation from terrorist attacks .
He called for a review of all screening procedures for those seeking immigrant visas to the U.S. Demonstrators converge in reaction to the executive order travel ban on Jan. 29 , 2017 , outside Terminal 5 of O'Hare International Airport .
( Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune ) Asked if he would support legislation to make it harder for federal authorities to access information about immigrants living in Illinois , Governor Bruce Rauner did n't reply yes or no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration reform '' and wants the state `` to continue to be welcoming and diverse . ''
Legislation under consideration at the state Capitol would allow schools , medical facilities and places of worship to decline access to federal immigration authorities , and it would limit cooperation and communication between local police and immigration officials .
The plans were introduced as part of a broader `` sanctuary state '' effort to extend statewide some protections like those in Chicago and Cook County , where local laws prohibit government workers and police officers from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The legislation is sponsored by Democrats , and their party controls the General Assembly .
Pressed to provide his position on the sanctuary state idea Friday , Rauner declined .
`` I 've answered it , '' he said .
`` I 've said what I 'm going to say . ''
Gov .
Bruce Rauner takes questions from members the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on Feb. 1 , 2017 .
( Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune ) The Trump administration is deploying law enforcement tactical units from the southern border as part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , including Chicago , an escalation in the president 's battle against localities that refuse to participate in immigration enforcement .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a video condemning the news that additional agents were being sent to sanctuary cities to help immigration enforcement , and warned residents that they did not have to open doors to anyone who does n't have a warrant .
No matter what the Trump administration does , remember that you have power and you are not alone .
Chicago will always stand strong and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure everyone is safe .
pic.twitter.com/q4FPklwxrw — Mayor Lightfoot ( @ chicagosmayor ) February 15 , 2020 City leaders call for end to attacks on immigrants Chicago politicians and immigrant advocates vowed to push back against plans by President Trump 's administration to deploy tactical units from the southern border to strengthen immigration enforcement in Chicago and other so-called sanctuary cities .
U.S. Rep. Jesus `` Chuy '' Garcia contended the timing of the initiative was intended to `` instill fear '' in immigrants not just about deportation but about participating in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no accident , '' Garcia said at a news conference Tuesday .
`` The attempted intimidation has a clear purpose : It is to intimidate our neighbors who are Latino , African American , Asian American communities in particular , not to open their doors .
Trump succeeds if we do that .
Trump wants us to be undercounted in our communities so that we would lose federal resources and services that are vital to our communities and weaken our political power . ''
U.S. Rep. Jesus `` Chuy '' Garcia holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to President Trump 's attacks against sanctuary cities and in defense of immigrants and refugees at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago on Feb. 18 , 2020 .
( Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune )

July 18, 1982 Church congregation begins taking in refugees The Wellington Avenue Church congregation votes to join the sanctuary movement -- becoming just the second church in the U.S. to harbor refugees who entered the country illegally. The movement, which has roots in the medieval tradition of churches providing sanctuary for those fleeing persecution, was aimed at providing a safe haven for Central Americans running from political repression and violence in their home countries. They were refused asylum here because of U.S. support for the governments of El Salvador and Guatemala. About 20 Chicago-area churches became sanctuaries in the 1980s. Salvadorans wear masks to hide their faces during a visit to Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ on Aug. 9, 1982. (Chicago Tribune)
November 1982 Group becomes national leader in sanctuary movement Recognized for its work in organizing and transporting refugees from El Salvador to a network of welcoming churches around the U.S., the Chicago Religious Task Force on Central America becomes the national clearinghouse for the sanctuary movement. The group distributes books on the sanctuary movement and holds rallies in downtown Chicago to bring awareness to the issues facing Central American refugees. Members of the Chicago Religious Task Force on Central America protest outside the Federal Building on Sept. 16, 1983, in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune)
Jan. 20, 1985 Chicago's chief legal officer: Don't assist the feds A week after 18 workers driving cabs were arrested, Corporation Counsel James Montgomery recommends Chicago not cooperate with federal immigration authorities in arresting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally unless subpoenas are obtained. Chicago's Immigration and Naturalization Service Director A.D. Moyer criticizes Montgomery's suggestion.
March 7, 1985 Mayor encourages 'equal access by all persons' to city services, licenses Mayor Harold Washington signs an executive order ending the city's practice of asking job and license applicants about their U.S. citizenship and halting cooperation by city agencies with federal immigration authorities. Mayor Harold Washington says he took an oath to obey the laws and raises his hand before signing the executive order enhancing Chicago's sanctuary status on March 7, 1985. (Chicago Tribune archives)
Dec. 17, 1985 'Operation Taxicab' rounds up immigrants suspected of living in U.S. illegally Calling cabdrivers who are living in the U.S. illegally "a serious menace," the city's immigration director, Moyer, orders spot checks of drivers' identification at airports and other hangouts. Dubbed "Operation Taxicab," 129 drivers are arrested in a single day -- 51 could later prove they were in the U.S. legally. Though there was no federal law prohibiting employers from hiring workers in the country illegally, Moyer blames Mayor Washington's earlier executive order for opening the door. An abandoned cab is towed following a raid by immigration agents at the Merchandise Mart taxi stand on Dec. 17, 1985. (Chicago Tribune)
April 30, 1987 Feds offer immigrants ways to gain legal status Less than 1 1/2 years after overseeing raids on taxi drivers in the U.S. illegally, Moyer details plans to open four centers to help immigrants with paperwork to become legal U.S. residents. The effort is part of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, a law passed by Congress and signed by President Ronald Reagan to offer a path to legal residence for people in the U.S. illegally since Jan. 1, 1982. A.D. Moyer, Chicago district director for immigration services, points out locations at a April 30, 1987, news conference where immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally can get help. (Chicago Tribune)
Nov. 1, 1987 Sanctuary group urges 'hiring undocumented workers' The Chicago Religious Task Force, a national clearinghouse for the sanctuary movement helping Central American refugees, said in a Chicago Tribune story that it was planning to urge priests, nuns and "employers to break the law by hiring undocumented workers" in the Chicago area, where tens of thousands of the immigrants live.
April 25, 1989 Daley adopts Washington's sanctuary stance Shortly after taking office, Daley signs 13 executive orders including one that reaffirms "fair and equal access" to employment, benefits and licenses to all -- regardless of nationality or citizenship. Mayor Richard M. Daley signs an executive order on April 25, 1989. (Chicago Tribune)
June 4, 1992 Chicago Crime Commission asks for amendment The group asks Mayor Daley to amend the 1989 executive order to allow Chicago police to share citizenship information with the INS to help combat street gangs. Later, Daley says any information about a person involved in serious crimes would be turned over to the feds. (This provision would be added as part of the city's 2012 Welcoming City ordinance.)
Aug. 15, 2006 Woman seeks church refuge to avoid deportation, reviving sanctuary movement Ordered to be deported, Elvira Arellano and her U.S.-born son take refuge inside Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. She had been arrested in a post-Sept. 11, 2001, sweep of O'Hare International Airport, where she was working as a cleaner. Authorities discovered she had been using a fake Social Security number and had been previously deported to Mexico. Arellano would spend a year living in the church with her story receiving national attention. While awaiting a decision on her application for political asylum, Arellano is living in Humboldt Park with her partner and two sons. Elvira Arellano and her son, Saul, greet supporters at Adalberto United Methodist Church on Sept. 30, 2006. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Sept. 7, 2011 Cook County won't fulfill ICE detainer requests In a vote of 10-5, the Cook County Board passes an ordinance to free immigrants suspected of living in the U.S. illegally who are jailed in both felony and misdemeanor cases despite federal immigration authorities' requests to detain them. The ordinance was based on a recent federal ruling in Indiana that determined ICE detainers are voluntary requests and not criminal warrants.
Sept. 12, 2012 'Welcoming City' ordinance passes Building on an existing ordinance that prohibits agencies from inquiring about the immigration status of people seeking city services, this ordinance also prevents local police from detaining people solely on the belief that they are in the U.S. illegally, and cooperating with federal agents when they suspect status is the only reason the warrant has been issued. With its introduction in July 2012, Mayor Emanuel said the ordinance would "make Chicago the most immigrant-friendly city in the country." Mayor Rahm Emanuel after the City Council meeting on Sept. 12, 2012. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)
April 2, 2014 City Council urges President Obama to stop deporting 'individuals with no criminal history' The City Council passes a resolution encouraging Congress and President Barack Obama to pursue immigration reform. "Children and their families should not have to live in fear of government-forced separation," it stated.
Nov. 18, 2015 Alderman pushes for Rauner to reverse decision on Syrian refugees Following the Paris terrorist attacks, 31 governors -- including then-Indiana Gov. and now-Vice President Mike Pence and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner -- sought to turn away Syrian refugees from their states. In a resolution reaffirming Chicago's sanctuary city status and "refuge for refugees from around the world," Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, says it's up to the federal government to make that decision. Fatima Adris and her son Osama Omarien, 2, were on hand when the City Council backed a resolution asking Gov. Bruce Rauner to reverse his decision on accepting refugees Nov. 18, 2015. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)
Oct. 5, 2016 City workers, police can't use immigration status for intimidation Following Jianqing Klyzek's case, aldermen amend 2012's Welcoming City ordinance to require that reports of "physical abuse, threats or intimidation" against immigrants, in the U.S. legally or illegally, be sent to oversight agencies that cover the Chicago Police Department and other city agencies. Surveillance footage from the raid on July 31, 2013, shows Jianqing Klyzek, 32, shortly after Chicago police officers entered the Copper Tan and Spa. Klyzek says she was hit in the head by a Chicago police officer while she knelt on the floor. (Image from video via Klyzek's attorney)
Oct. 12, 2016 Municipal ID program launches Suggested in 2015 by a City Council ordinance, Mayor Emanuel launches a program to give all Chicagoans -- including immigrants in the U.S. illegally, the homeless, the formerly incarcerated, young adults and the elderly -- official identification that will not convey information about national origin or legal status. New City Clerk Anna Valencia will oversee the program.
Nov. 13, 2016 Following Donald Trump's election, Mayor Emanuel defends city's stance "Since the Presidential Election, there has been a sense of uncertainty among many immigrant communities in Chicago and across the nation. I want to assure all of our families that Chicago is and will remain a Sanctuary City," Mayor Emanuel said in a Nov. 13, 2016, news release. "Chicago has been a city of immigrants since it was founded. We have always welcomed people of all faiths and backgrounds, and while the administration will change, our values and our commitment to inclusion will not." Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks during a news conference at Lurie Children's Hospital the day following his statement. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Dec. 5, 2016 City looks for Rauner's backing of sanctuary status A resolution sponsored by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, new Democratic state Comptroller Susana Mendoza and 35 of the city's 50 aldermen calls on Governor Bruce Rauner to issue a statement of "support for cities that welcome our undocumented family members and neighbors and condemn any effort to strip the city of Chicago of federal funding." The resolution calls on Rauner to speak at a special council meeting "held solely for the purpose of discussing the president-elect's plans for cities that welcome and protect immigrants." Asked to respond to the specifics of the city resolution, a Rauner spokeswoman instead issued a general statement reiterating the governor's support for immigration reform.
Jan. 25, 2017 Emanuel defends city from President Trump's threats In response to President Trump's signing of an executive order intended to block federal funding to sanctuary cities like Chicago, Mayor Emanuel says, "There is no stranger among us. We welcome people." The city's aldermen vote to reaffirm that Chicago protects all residents regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, criminal record, gender identity and sexual orientation. "You mess with one in Chicago, you mess with all of us," said Northwest Side Ald. John Arena, 45th. Mayor Rahm Emanuel presides over the meeting of the Chicago City Council on Jan. 25, 2017. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)
Jan. 27, 2017 Chicago advocates condemn Trump's order on migrants Chicago immigration reform advocates and Muslim leaders denounced President Donald Trump's executive order to temporarily block refugees coming to the U.S. while the government reviews screening processes, calling it an effective ban on Muslims in America. In issuing the order, which calls for a four-month halt on all refugee admissions, an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees and a temporary moratorium on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries with terrorism concerns, Trump said he seeks to protect the nation from terrorist attacks. He called for a review of all screening procedures for those seeking immigrant visas to the U.S. Demonstrators converge in reaction to the executive order travel ban on Jan. 29, 2017, outside Terminal 5 of O'Hare International Airport. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Jan. 30, 2017 'Safeguarding Sanctuary Cities Act' introduced in U.S. House Rep. Mike Quigley, of Chicago, and 32 Democrats introduce a bill that would "ensure that federal funds cannot be unduly withheld from any state or local authority that limits or restricts compliance with a voluntary immigration detainer request." This bill was introduced during a previous session of Congress but was not advanced.
Feb. 10, 2017 Rauner doesn't take a position on Democrats' immigration plan Asked if he would support legislation to make it harder for federal authorities to access information about immigrants living in Illinois, Governor Bruce Rauner didn't reply yes or no, saying he is "very pro-comprehensive immigration reform" and wants the state "to continue to be welcoming and diverse." Legislation under consideration at the state Capitol would allow schools, medical facilities and places of worship to decline access to federal immigration authorities, and it would limit cooperation and communication between local police and immigration officials. The plans were introduced as part of a broader "sanctuary state" effort to extend statewide some protections like those in Chicago and Cook County, where local laws prohibit government workers and police officers from asking about residents' immigration status. The legislation is sponsored by Democrats, and their party controls the General Assembly. Pressed to provide his position on the sanctuary state idea Friday, Rauner declined. "I've answered it," he said. "I've said what I'm going to say." Gov. Bruce Rauner takes questions from members the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on Feb. 1, 2017. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
March 15, 2017 Former sanctuary seeker allowed to stay in the U.S. another year following ICE meeting Elvira Arellano, the twice-deported immigration activist whose year of living in a Humboldt Park church a decade ago made her a lightning rod in the immigration debate, was granted a reprieve and allowed to remain in the United States for another year. She is awaiting a hearing on her petition for political asylum, which she filed three years ago. Elvira Arellano, 42, was allowed to stay in the U.S. another year following her annual check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago on March 15, 2017, the third such appointment since she returned to the U.S. in 2014. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
March 27, 2017 U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says sanctuary cities could lose federal funding Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he is "urging states and local jurisdictions to comply with these federal laws." He says the Justice Department will require compliance with immigration laws in order for the cities to receive grants through the Office of Justice Programs. The Obama administration had a similar policy in place.
July 25, 2017 Justice Department rules intensify crackdown on sanctuary cities like Chicago The Justice Department escalated its promised crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities, saying it will no longer give cities coveted grant money unless they give federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released. In this file photo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks in Columbus, Ohio on Aug. 2, 2017. (Jay LaPrete/AP Photo)
Aug. 7, 2017 Emanuel sues Trump's Justice Department over sanctuary city policy Mayor Emanuel's Law Department files its much-touted lawsuit against President Donald Trump's Justice Department over its effort to withhold some grant funding from so-called sanctuary cities.
Aug. 16, 2017 Sessions blasts sanctuary cities, singling out Chicago During a news conference in Miami, Sessions vowed to continue fighting cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities -- aiming much of his frustration at Chicago.
Aug. 23, 2017 Mother of 6 seeks sanctuary in a Chicago church to avoid deportation Francisca Lino, 50, a Bolingbrook resident and mother of six children -- five of them U.S. citizens -- is taking sanctuary in the same Chicago church that protected immigration activist Elvira Arellano. Lino was scheduled to meet with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, but, instead, she held a West Side news conference at Adalberto United Methodist Church in Humboldt Park. Francisca and Diego Lino, left with their twin daughters Juliana, 15, middle and Judith in the room where Francisca is taking sanctuary. The Lino family along with their supporters gathered at Adalberto Church in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood on Aug. 23, 2017 to announce that Francisca Lino, who was required to turn herself into immigration that day, will instead take sanctuary in the church. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)
Sept. 15, 2017 Judge rules in city's favor on sanctuary cities, grants nationwide injunction A federal judge in Chicago blocked the Trump administration's rules requiring so-called sanctuary cities to cooperate with immigration agents in order to get a public safety grant.
Oct. 13, 2017 Chicago judge refuses to change ruling on sanctuary cities U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber said Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration could suffer "irreparable harm" in its relationship with the immigrant community if it were to comply with the U.S. Department of Justice's new rules requiring sanctuary cities nationaide to cooperate with immigration agents in exchange for receiving public safety grant money.
November 2017 Lino's attorneys file a civil rights lawsuit They allege the U.S. government violated her Fifth Amendment rights and expeditiously deported her in 1999 without due process.
April 19, 2018 Emanuel wins legal victory in sanctuary city lawsuit The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago upholds a nationwide injunction prohibiting Attorney General Sessions from requiring cities to give immigration agents access to immigrants in the U.S. illegally who are in their lockups, in order to get certain public safety grants. Following the ruling, Mayor Emanuel calls on President Trump's Justice Department to hand over grant money to Chicago.
October 2018 Chicago sues Trump administration for withholding police funding The city has already sued over the matter, but now the DOJ has imposed a new round of restrictions, city officials say. Among other things, the new stipulations include requiring local police to inform immigration officials about immigrants in custody who have questionable legal status and allowing them to access the prisoners for questioning.
July 27, 2018 Judge: Feds can't dock sanctuary cities A federal judge sides with the city of Chicago in its sanctuary city lawsuit, ruling that the Trump administration does not have the authority to withhold federal public safety funding from the city if it limits its cooperation with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Chicago Corporation Counsel Ed Siskel, shown in 2017 addressing the lawsuit against the Justice Department, called the July 27, 2018, ruling "another significant legal victory for Chicago." (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
May 2019 Pregnant mother of three takes sanctuary inside Chicago church Adilene Marquina Adam, 34, says she was told to report to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Instead, the family takes refuge inside a small storefront church, the Faith, Life and Hope Mission, on 63rd Street in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. Adilene Marquina Adam with her son Joshua Pino Marquine, 3, inside the Mision, Fe, Vida Y Esperanza church in Chicago on May 22, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
Sept. 26, 2019 Mayor Lightfoot upstages ICE press conference Robert Guadian, ICE's newly appointed Chicago field office director, held a news conference to underscore what he said are the dangers of local police not cooperating with his agency in so-called sanctuary cities like Chicago. But outside of ICE's Chicago office, Lightfoot appeared with a group of immigration activists and called Guadian's criticism of the city's sanctuary ordinance "nonsense." Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks at a rally outside the Chicago ICE office on Sept. 26, 2019, to denounce recent actions taken by the immigration agency. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Oct. 28, 2019 President Trump makes his first visit to Chicago as the nation's chief executive Speaking at the annual gathering of the International Association of Chiefs of Police at McCormick Place, Trump slammed Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson in front of his peers and criticized the type of federal order the city is under to reform the CPD. Trump also called Chicago "the worst sanctuary city in America" and cited the refusal of the city's Police Department under Johnson to detain people in the country illegally for immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump speaks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference at McCormick Place on Oct. 28, 2019. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Feb. 15, 2020 Border Patrol to deploy to Chicago The Trump administration is deploying law enforcement tactical units from the southern border as part of a supercharged arrest operation in sanctuary cities across the country, including Chicago, an escalation in the president's battle against localities that refuse to participate in immigration enforcement. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a video condemning the news that additional agents were being sent to sanctuary cities to help immigration enforcement, and warned residents that they did not have to open doors to anyone who doesn't have a warrant. No matter what the Trump administration does, remember that you have power and you are not alone. Chicago will always stand strong and we will use all of our tools to make sure everyone is safe. pic.twitter.com/q4FPklwxrw — Mayor Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) February 15, 2020
Feb. 18, 2020 City leaders call for end to attacks on immigrants Chicago politicians and immigrant advocates vowed to push back against plans by President Trump's administration to deploy tactical units from the southern border to strengthen immigration enforcement in Chicago and other so-called sanctuary cities. U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia contended the timing of the initiative was intended to "instill fear" in immigrants not just about deportation but about participating in the 2020 census. "The timing is no accident," Garcia said at a news conference. "The attempted intimidation has a clear purpose: It is to intimidate our neighbors who are Latino, African American, Asian American communities in particular, not to open their doors. Trump succeeds if we do that. Trump wants us to be undercounted in our communities so that we would lose federal resources and services that are vital to our communities and weaken our political power." U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia holds a news conference to demand an end to President Trump's attacks against sanctuary cities and in defense of immigrants and refugees at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago on Feb. 18, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
April 30, 2020 Judges rule in favor of Chicago in sanctuary city fight with Trump Justice Department President Donald Trump's Justice Department can't withhold federal grants from sanctuary cities such as Chicago that extend protections to undocumented immigrants, a federal appeals court ruled. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she was delighted by the ruling, saying she "let out a cheer" when she found out about it. The battle started in 2017, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the federal government would require sanctuary cities that want federal public safety funding to give notice when immigrants in the country illegally are about to be released from custody and allow immigration agents access to local jails.
Aug. 31, 2022 Seventy-five migrants who arrived in Texas were dropped off at Chicago’s Union Station Around 9 p.m. along the Canal Street side of the station, a group of about 15 people, some of whom were from Venezuela and were waiting for another bus, were standing or sitting on a sidewalk. Some were looking at their phones as others were speaking to each other and to a Tribune reporter. Most were men, but there was one woman with her young daughter and husband. They were waiting to be picked up and taken to a shelter, they told the Tribune reporter. Read more. Elier Salazar Chacon, 29, carries his 3-year-old daughter Cataleya Salazar Ramirez while talking with a Chicago police officer after arriving on a bus with other migrants from Texas at Union Station on Aug. 31, 2022, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Chicago police pledge to issue citation for another large city party as mayor condemns it

“ I received reports of a wedding that happened in our community yesterday , which required the police to come @ @ @ @ @ I am absolutely horrified .
Social distancing is not a suggestion .
It is the @ @ @ @ @ , ” Silverstein said .
“ We are at a critical juncture in the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ a chance to flatten the curve and stop the spread of this horrible disease .
@ @ @ @ @ whether in celebration or in prayer , not only give our community a bad name @ @ @ @ @ neighbors and loved ones to the hospital or morgue .

Chicago police will be issuing a citation in connection with a party at a West Rogers Park residence that spilled into the street last week, prompting police to break up the crowd for violating stay-at-home orders.
The party, first reported by Block Club Chicago, was recorded on video and showed a few dozen revelers dancing to loud music at a wedding party outside a home at Farwell and Francisco avenues. Some people in the video could be seen wearing masks, but the crowd was too large to allow for following rules on social distancing.
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Chicago police have said officers responded to the gathering shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday, dispersed the crowd and left the scene without issuing any citations.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wears a face mask while addressing police supervisors in the 4700 block of West Madison Street in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on April 24, 2020, in Chicago. Officers from various police districts were reassigned to patrol parts of the West and North sides, in part, to enforce Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order and to disperse group gatherings. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
But on Wednesday, Chicago police said a citation would be issued, though a spokesman could not immediately provide specifics. At the same time, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said during an afternoon news conference that enforcement action would be taken in connection with the wedding party in the same fashion that police took action with the owner of a Northwest Side home, where viral video showed dozens of young partygoers in close quarters who also were not practicing social distancing.
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“They should be treated exactly the same," Lightfoot said in reference to the wedding party nearly a week ago. "And we are making sure that we identify who’s responsible, and we will be taking the same kind of decisive action against that large wedding where the video shows people in cars, but people in the street not social distancing, not wearing appropriate mask or garb.
"We can’t tolerate it anywhere. It’s not just the black millennials. It’s a problem wherever it rears its head. We’re going to move decisively to, again, help educate, but where necessary, take action to give citations to the people who are responsible.”
Those captured on the video at the West Rogers Park party were white.
The announcement of the enforcement action at that party comes two days after Chicago police ticketed the owner of the Northwest Side residence in the 2000 block of North Narragansett Avenue in the Galewood neighborhood. That party occurred some time over the weekend, and while police broke up that large gathering, there were initially no citations issued.
On Wednesday afternoon, Chicago police said they were “in the process” of issuing a citation for the West Rogers Park party, but the department didn’t get into specifics, nor did they explain why it was taking longer to issue that party a citation than it did for the party over the weekend in Galewood.
“We are in the process of issuing a citation, following a subsequent review of the large gathering in violation of the statewide stay-at-home order at the 6800 block of N. Francisco on April 23,” said Luis Agostini, a Chicago police spokesman. “While officers are provided with enforcement discretion in certain aspects, enforcement of the statewide stay-at-home order is expected to be universal, regardless of neighborhood, community or district. The Department will continue communicating the universal approach to enforcement to district leadership throughout the city.”
The two parties occurred in areas of Chicago with among the highest numbers of positive COVID-19 cases.
According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the ZIP code 60639, which includes the location of the Narragansett Avenue party, had the highest number of cases of all Chicago ZIP codes with 1,089. The ZIP code 60645, covering the location of the wedding party, also had among the highest number of positive coronavirus cases with 600, according to the IDPH data as of Wednesday. Both areas also were among the highest in the number of tests performed.
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On Friday, the day after the wedding party, Ald. Debra Silverstein, 50th, appeared to condemn the gathering in a Facebook post to her constituents.
“I received reports of a wedding that happened in our community yesterday, which required the police to come and disperse the crowd. I am absolutely horrified. Social distancing is not a suggestion. It is the law and it saves lives,” Silverstein said. “We are at a critical juncture in the coronavirus outbreak, where we have a chance to flatten the curve and stop the spread of this horrible disease. Selfish gatherings of people, whether in celebration or in prayer, not only give our community a bad name, but they send our neighbors and loved ones to the hospital or morgue.
“I have been in contact with (Rogers Park patrol district) Police Commander Michelle Rubino and many prominent community leaders who join me in condemning such actions and any defiance of social distancing guidelines,” Silverstein continued in the Facebook post. “Please, for the sake of our community, stay home and save lives!”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order aimed at curtailing the spread of COVID-19 went into effect March 21. Lightfoot also has directed Chicagoans to stay home and has closed local beaches and parks.


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--The Spin: President Trump suggests COVID-19 aid to states will depend on ‘sanctuary city adjustments

The Spin: President Trump suggests COVID-19 aid to states will depend on ‘sanctuary city adjustments’ | Duckworth blasts Trump on testing, reopening economy | Another lawsuit challenging Pritzker’s stay-at-home order

`` I have some confidence in Congress - that they are not going to condition whether or not cities ( @ @ @ @ @ on the basis of whether or not we pledge allegiance to a racist and xenophobic @ @ @ @ @ on a regular basis , ” the mayor said .
But “ we are not @ @ @ @ @ the livelihood and lives of our immigrant and refugee residents , they are precious to @ @ @ @ @ of the fabric of our city .
”

President Donald Trump speaks during an event April 28, 2020, at the White House about the Paycheck Protection Program used to support small businesses during the coronavirus outbreak. (Evan Vucci/AP)
President Donald Trump suggested that if a cash-strapped state government such as Illinois is looking for federal COVID-19 relief dollars, then sanctuary cities like Chicago will have to make “adjustments” to their local immigration policies.
He didn’t call out Illinois or Chicago by name, but the president certainly was trying to bring Democratic-led states and cities with more liberal agendas in line with his more conservative Republican immigration policy.
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During an appearance on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” last night, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth was asked why things had been so quiet since Trump had asked her to sit on an advisory task force for restarting the nation’s economy after the pandemic.
The junior senator from Illinois complained that the bipartisan Opening Up America Again task force has met once — by phone — and the bulk of the hourlong meeting was taken up by Trump “boasting” about testing numbers in the U.S.
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This week, the White House issued a blueprint for ramping up COVID-19 testing that calls for a minimum of 2% of a state’s population to be tested, and double that in harder-hit areas.
A second Republican state lawmaker — John Cabello from outside Rockford — has filed a lawsuit challenging Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. And a handful of other GOP lawmakers are criticizing the governor, saying he’s exceeding his authority by extending the order to May 30.
And on a somewhat different, er, note: Mayor Lori Lightfoot expects a decision soon on whether always crowded downtown mega music fest Lollapalooza will go on as scheduled amid the pandemic.
Welcome to The Spin.
President Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump arrive for an event April 28, 2020, at the White House about the Paycheck Protection Program used to support small businesses during the coronavirus outbreak. (Evan Vucci/AP)
If state governments want federal COVID-19 funding, the president told reporters Tuesday at the White House, “we’d want certain things also, including sanctuary city adjustments because … people are being protected that shouldn’t be protected and a lot of bad things are happening with sanctuary cities.”
Chicago has a “Welcoming City” ordinance on the books that bars police from giving federal ICE officials access to people in local custody. Among other things, it also prohibits on-duty police officers from talking with ICE officials before a person’s release, or allowing ICE agents to use local police facilities for investigations or interviews. The Tribune has previously reported that the city also prohibits agencies from inquiring about the immigration status of people seeking city services.
The president made his comments as congressional leaders working on a bailout package for local governments that have seen sales, restaurant and other tax revenues dwindle amid stay-at-home orders and unexpected COVID-19 expenses.
Gov. Pritzker’s communications staff did not answer questions on the topic. But at a news briefing this afternoon, Mayor Lightfoot slammed the president, saying he’s playing to his base in an election year but was counting on federal lawmakers to do the right thing.
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"I have some confidence in Congress - that they are not going to condition whether or not cities (or) localities receive assistant on the basis of whether or not we pledge allegiance to a racist and xenophobic ideology that the president articulates on a regular basis,” the mayor said. But “we are not going to … barter with the livelihood and lives of our immigrant and refugee residents, they are precious to us, they are part of the fabric of our city.”
Northwestern University turns down millions of dollars from federal coronavirus bill. University of Chicago is still deciding whether to accept: The Tribune’s Elyssa Cherney has the story here.
US economy shrank at 4.8% rate last quarter as the coronavirus struck, with worst yet to come: Read The Associated Press story here.
JetBlue looks to suspend Chicago flights temporarily as demand plummets amid COVID-19 pandemic: The Tribune’s Lauren Zumbach has the story here.
Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, then a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, in 2016. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
During an appearance on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth was asked why things had been so quiet since President Trump had asked her to sit on an advisory task force for restarting the nation’s economy.
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Illinois’ junior senator said the group has had one virtual meeting, and the president spent most of the time “boasting” about “how great the testing was going in this country.”
Duckworth disputes the president’s upbeat take, saying that when asked how many tests the country would need to safely reopen the country, “the Trump administration had no answers.”
The president’s communications staff didn’t respond to the criticism, but on Monday the White House issued a blueprint to increase testing in the country with new targets that would ensure states had enough COVID-19 tests. A day later, Pritzker said he talked with White House officials and had been promised 20,000 testing swabs per day in May, which would be on top of the 12,000 tests the state is already conducting daily, he said. Read my story here.
Trump order keeps meatpacking plants open, but unions say workers unsafe: Read The Associated Press story here.
After meeting with Trump, Medline wants FDA approval to sterilize N95 masks with ethylene oxide. Two other federal agencies are against it, citing cancer risks for health care workers: The Tribune’s Michael Hawthorne has the details here.
52 people who worked or voted on Election Day in Wisconsin tested positive for COVID-19. There’s no plan for changes in upcoming special election. Read the AP story here.
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Indiana passes 1,000 COVID-19 deaths; Lake County, Indiana, reports four more deaths, brings total to 81: The Post-Tribune’s Meredith Colias-Pete has the story here.
Republican Rep. John Cabello, shown in 2017. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Jamie Munks writes: State Rep. John Cabello, of suburban Rockford, on Wednesday became the second Republican representative to file a lawsuit challenging Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.
The lawsuit, filed in Winnebago County Circuit Court, asks a judge to block the stay-at-home order Pritzker issued March 20 or any similar measures from being enforced on Cabello and “all citizens similarly situated.” Cabello, who was a co-chair of the Trump 2016 campaign in Illinois, said in a phone interview Tuesday that unlike the earlier lawsuit filed by Rep. Darren Bailey of downstate Xenia, he wanted to take legal action that could have broader implications. Read the full story here.
May Day march: Protesters who want Gov. J.B. Pritzker to announce a plan to reopen the Illinois economy have scheduled a Friday rally outside the Thompson Center in the Loop, the Tribune’s John Byrne writes. Read the story here.
Illinois COVID-19 restrictions will ease Friday for nonessential retailers and animal groomers, but it won’t be business as usual: My Tribune colleagues Lauren Zumbach and Ally Marotti have the details here.
A coalition of activists from across the Chicago area protest April 7, 2020, outside the Cook County Jail in a caravan of dozens of vehicles calling for the mass release of incarcerated people in the state of Illinois to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
My Tribune colleagues David Jackson, Todd Lighty and Gary Marx write: During the last three years, The Bail Project and a second nonprofit — the Chicago Community Bond Fund — have paid to release nearly 1,000 pretrial defendants from Cook County Jail. Read more, including who landed in trouble again, here.
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The Tribune discovered the charities’ increasing role in bailing out felony defendants as part of the newspaper’s ongoing reporting on Cook County’s bond reform initiatives championed by Chief Judge Timothy Evans and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
Amid the coronavirus crisis, which has killed six jail detainees and infected nearly 500 as of Monday, the two charities have accelerated their efforts. Mayor Lightfoot responded in a court filing that mass release of jail detainees could place Chicago residents “at an increased risk of being the victims of serious crimes.” For now, a federal judge has ruled that jail officials should increase testing of detainees and enforce social distancing in the institution.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot joins Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady (not pictured) to launch the new Chi COVID Coach Health App. at City Hall in Chicago on Monday, April 27, 2020. COVID-19, coronavirus (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt writes: Under pressure from activists and elected officials calling for rent relief and other measures to help struggling tenants, Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled a “Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge” encouraging landlords and renters to work together through the coronavirus pandemic.
The pledge calls for landlords to consider grace periods for rent payments, written repayment plans and no late fees. It also calls for housing lenders to agree to grace periods on mortgage payments, neutral reporting to credit agencies and suspension of foreclosures for certain mortgage holders “who demonstrate a significant financial impact from the pandemic,” the mayor said today during a City Hall news conference. Read the full story here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Illinois AG files appeal in state Rep. Darren Bailey’s lawsuit over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-hom

Illinois AG files appeal in state Rep. Darren Bailey’s lawsuit over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order

While the legislature gave itself “ an express oversight role ” in some aspects of emergency management through the Emergency @ @ @ @ @ fact that the section that gives the governor the power declare disasters contains no such @ @ @ @ @ intended to grant the governor the authority to issue disaster proclamations and use his emergency @ @ @ @ @ by Bailey , ” according to the attorney general ’ s office .

The Illinois attorney general’s office filed an appellate court brief Wednesday seeking to overturn a southern Illinois judge’s ruling that temporarily exempts a Republican state representative from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s statewide stay-at-home order.
State Rep. Darren Bailey request for a personal exemption from the order “besides being dangerous — is flawed as a matter of law,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office argues in the filing with Illinois 5th District Appellate Court.
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State Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, poses at his district office, April 29, 2020, in Louisville, Ill. Bailey challenged in court Gov. J.B. Pritzker's authority to extend the stay-at-home order. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The filing comes two days after a Clay County judge issued a temporary order freeing Bailey from Pritzker’s directive, which is aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus.
In his lawsuit, Bailey argues that Pritzker has exceeded his legal authority under the state Emergency Management Agency Act by extending the order beyond 30 days.
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The AG’s office argued the lawsuit rests on an erroneous reading of the act and ignores the governor’s independent authority under the Illinois Constitution to take the actions Bailey challenged,” the filing says.
“It also contradicts the long-standing practice by numerous governors of issuing multiple and often successive emergency disaster proclamations that have allowed them to continue exercising emergency powers for the duration of the disaster.”
Pritzker and his two immediate predecessors, Republican Bruce Rauner and Democrat Pat Quinn, issued disaster proclamations for flooding and extended them beyond 30 days, according to the filing. When Pritzker did so last May, “his efforts were celebrated by Bailey himself," the filing states.
The judge’s order also “improperly disrupts the status quo and places undue weight on the personal harm to Bailey as compared with the immense public health crisis that will occur should Bailey and others cease compliance with the governor’s orders.”
The attorney general’s office also seeks to poke holes in Bailey’s argument that approval from the General Assembly is required to extend a disaster declaration beyond 30 days.
While the legislature gave itself “an express oversight role” in some aspects of emergency management through the Emergency Management Agency Act, the fact that the section that gives the governor the power declare disasters contains no such language “demonstrates that it intended to grant the governor the authority to issue disaster proclamations and use his emergency powers without the limitations suggested by Bailey,” according to the attorney general’s office.
The appeal comes the same day a second GOP lawmaker, Rep. John Cabello of Machesney Park, filed a separate lawsuit in Winnebago County challenging the stay-at-home order on similar grounds to Bailey’s lawsuit.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com


Corrections and clarifications

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· In Wednesday’s print edition, a Clarence Page column in the opinion section incorrectly listed the nickname President Donald Trump often has used to describe U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. The correct nickname used by Trump is “Little Marco.”
The Tribune regrets the error.
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Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune’s news responsibility and a value shared in all our publications. Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards. Everyone in our newsroom must agree to live up to this code of conduct. Download the file.
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chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Use these Tribune photos for your Zoom meeting background

Nothing will liven up your virtual meeting more than a background of Wrigley Field or The Bean or the view @ @ @ @ @ .
Download these photos taken by Chicago Tribune photographers as your background on Zoom or @ @ @ @ @

Nothing will liven up your virtual meeting more than a background of Wrigley Field or The Bean or the view from atop the Willis Tower. Download these photos taken by Chicago Tribune photographers as your background on Zoom or another virtual meeting platform.
See instructions for different virtual meeting platforms below.
How to use backgrounds on various platforms
What to do on Zoom:
• Download the photo you want to use.
• While in Zoom, click on your profile and then settings.
• Select “Virtual Background” and then click the "+" icon.
• Follow the prompts to upload your image.
What to do on Microsoft Teams:
• Download the photo you want to use.
• Move that photo to “/Microsoft/Teams/Backgrounds/Uploads” directory. On a PC this is in your user directory and AppData. On a Mac it’s in your user directory in the Library/Application Support folder.
• Click on the “...” dots when you are in a meeting, then select “Show background effects” and select your image.
What to do on Skype:
• Download the photo you want to use.
• During a call, click on the “More ...” menu.
• Click “Choose background effect” and then “Add a new image.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Phil Langley, a major figure in Illinois harness racing, dies at 83

“ One nice thing about my background is that I went to every fair in Wisconsin between when I was @ @ @ @ @ Langley said .
“ I do have a feel for the industry other than the @ @ @ @ @ ve ( also ) been able to own and train some horses and even breed @ @ @ @

Harness racing was in Phil Langley’s DNA.
From his boyhood days in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, until his death at age 83 on April 11 at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Langley had an ingrained passion for the sport.
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“Harness racing, especially its people, were fundamentally central to the core of who Phil was,” said Mike Tanner, executive vice president and CEO of the United States Trotting Association, who worked closely with Langley when he served as the organization’s president for 13 years. “He loved horses and the men and women who cared for them.”
A resident of Frankfort, Langley went into the hospital on March 30 for heart bypass surgery. Although the surgery was successful, he died of causes related to COVID-19, according to his son, Peter.
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The seeds of his involvement in harness racing were planted by his father, Pete Langley, who ran the county fair racing program in Wisconsin during the 1930s and eventually became the overseer of racing at the Wisconsin State Fair in suburban Milwaukee.
“I guess I learned to read and to alphabetize by helping with the entries for the Walworth County Fair,” Phil would say later. “When I was a youngster I’d look through the ‘Sires and Dams’ book and sales catalogs and read every horse paper that came out.”
Phil Langley, harness racing secretary, at Sportsman's Park on April 9, 1992. (John Kringas / Chicago Tribune)
In Illinois, Maywood Park inaugurated betting on harness in 1946, and Pete was one of the pioneers.
“I was at Maywood on opening night,” Phil Langley told the Tribune in 2007. “My dad was one of the first state stewards. The clerk of the course didn’t show up, so my mother had to leave the stands and go to work, and I just kind of wandered around.”
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
His father’s involvement in Illinois racing increased after the thoroughbred track Sportsman’s Park introduced the standardbred sport in 1949 and immediately became one of the nation’s leading tracks. Pete Langley forged close ties with Sportsman’s president, William H. Johnston, and took charge of the harness racing program. In 1952, the family moved to Oak Park.
Phil became friends with Johnston’s son, Billy.
“He and Billy grew up together,” the late Stan Bergstein, who was Sportsman’s race secretary at the time and went on to become one of the VIPs in North American harness racing, said in a 2007 Tribune interview. “Their fathers were very close and they became very close.”
Phil worked on the cleanup crew by day and as an usher by night at Sportsman’s during his teenage years. After graduating from Dartmouth with a degree in history in 1959, he spent a few years in the early 1960s working in the insurance underwriting department for Continental Casualty but then came back to the track.
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Phil Langley, 19 of Oak Park, clocks horses at Sportsman's Park in Cicero on July 2, 1956. He was one of 50 college students who worked at the track during the summer months. (Chicago Tribune)
When Pete Langley died and the elder Johnston had a stroke, their sons replaced them at the reins of the Sportsman’s harness meeting in the late 1960s.
Langley served as race secretary, and during the heyday of the sport in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, he lured many of North America’s top performers to Sportsman’s for the American-National series of classic races and the U.S. Pacing Championship.
When the state fairs at Springfield and DuQuoin introduced pari-mutuel harness racing, the Sportsman’s management team served as the overseer. In 1981, Johnston and Langley inaugurated the state’s richest harness race, the Hambletonian, to replace the World Trotting Derby after it moved to the Meadowlands.
“One nice thing about my background is that I went to every fair in Wisconsin between when I was 7 and 12,” Langley said. “I do have a feel for the industry other than the pari-mutuel tracks. I’ve (also) been able to own and train some horses and even breed a couple.”
Like Johnston, Langley was a great innovator. “Phil would throw stuff at him and Billy would take off with it,” recalled Dr. Ken Walker, whose Walker Standardbreds is the state’s leading breeding farm.
In 1997, Sportsman’s President Charles Bidwill III, whose family had a controlling interest in the track, decided to discontinue harness racing and remake the track into a combination thoroughbred/auto racing venue.
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But by then, Johnston’s family and the family of George Steinbrenner were the principal owners of Balmoral Park and had a long-term lease at Maywood. Langley was part of the ownership group. Langley and Johnston transplanted the American-National and their Super Night extravaganza for Illinois-breds to Balmoral.
“Next to the Meadowlands, Balmoral was the No. 1 track in the country,” recalled former Gov. Jim Edgar, who bred and owned standardbreds before his two terms in office (1991-99).
In 1994, Langley was inducted into Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Hall of Fame, prefacing his 2007 induction into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York.
During the course of his work as race secretary and later director of racing at the Chicago-area tracks, Langley became a national leader in the sport. In 1983, he was elected to serve a director of harness racing’s national governing body, the USTA, and in 2003 he was elected the organization’s president, serving through 2016 when he retired.
By 2005, he was phasing himself out of daily operations at Balmoral and Maywood, but he stayed active in the sport through his work with the USTA and as a co-owner of standardbreds. His most successful horse was the Illinois-bred star Thisbigdogwilfight, who had career earnings of $978,789.
Despite his heart problems, up until the time he entered Silver Cross Hospital, Langley continued to pay regular visits to the Sawgrass Farms training center in rural Crete, where his trainer of more than two decades, Jim Eaton, is based.
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Preceding Langley in death by 15 days was his longtime partner Johnston, who died of brain cancer in Florida.
“I started working with Billy in 1965, and for the next 50 years we had a sometimes contentious but very successful relationship,” he said when Johnston died. “I know it will surprise some, but he was great to work with and very supportive, a good friend for many years.”
Through their work together for the USTA, Tanner also bonded with Langley.
“He was my friend,” Tanner said. “He was a Dartmouth graduate who never played up his Ivy League pedigree. He saw things largely in black and white. He was usually right, (but) he never failed to hear me or anyone else out. He was stoic about problems and challenges, and I never heard him make an excuse or utter a word of self-pity. He was honest and direct. If he told you that he would do something, you knew that he would.”
Langley is also survived by his wife, Margo; daughters Kate and Meg; and five grandchildren.
Milbert is a former Tribune sports writer.


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Illinois delays awarding 75 licenses for new marijuana dispensaries amid coronavirus outbreak

“ We recognize that countless entrepreneurs were looking forward to May 1 and the next step it represented for Illinois @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said in a statement .
“ However , the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ application review process .
This executive order will help ensure that we continue to build @ @ @ @ @ deliberate and equity-centric manner .
”

The state will delay awarding licenses for 75 new recreational marijuana dispensaries due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Applications for the licenses were due Jan. 1 and were set to be awarded May 1. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which regulates dispensaries, said Wednesday it will not award the licenses until Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s disaster proclamations end, or until the state announces another date.
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The governor is expected to sign a new order this week extending the disaster proclamation through May 30.
The licenses offer the first path into Illinois’ burgeoning marijuana industry for people who didn’t already operate a cannabis facility. Though recreational sales started in the state Jan. 1, only existing operators were allowed to participate.
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As the new era for legal marijuana in Illinois begins, legally purchased marijuana is seen at a home in Calumet City, Jan. 1, 2020. Marijuana was purchased at the Mission Dispensary store in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The delay means those existing operators will continue to control Illinois’ marijuana market, which has delivered some of the highest first months of revenue in the nation. Customers spent about $110.2 million on legal weed in the first three months of sales.
It is unclear how long the new dispensaries will be delayed in opening. Once the state awards a license, the recipient has 180 days to find a location for the dispensary. The state must then inspect the location.
More than 700 applicants applied for the 75 licenses. Many of those seeking the dispensary licenses are social equity applicants. To qualify as a social equity applicant, a person must either have a marijuana-related arrest on their record, live in an area disproportionately hit by the war on drugs, or meet another qualifier.
Toi Hutchinson, senior adviser to the governor on cannabis control, said the Pritzker administration is still committed to creating a marijuana industry “that reflects the diversity of Illinois residents.”
“We recognize that countless entrepreneurs were looking forward to May 1 and the next step it represented for Illinois’ adult use cannabis industry,” she said in a statement. “However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in the application review process. This executive order will help ensure that we continue to build out this industry in a deliberate and equity-centric manner.”
In all, about 50 dispensaries already are selling recreational marijuana in the state, though the coronavirus pandemic has forced some of them to change how they operate.
Some have halted recreational sales in an effort to enforce social distancing in their stores. Others have implemented online ordering systems, and will take products out to medical patients’ cars. Plans to open new dispensaries have also been put on hold.
The state also has pushed back application deadlines for 40 craft grower and 40 infuser licenses due to the pandemic. The Illinois Department of Agriculture planned to issue those licenses in July. It has not said if it will delay the awarding of those licenses.
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amarotti@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Wild swing in coronavirus numbers reported at Chicago’s federal jail goes unexplained, leaves lawyer

Wild swing in coronavirus numbers reported at Chicago’s federal jail goes unexplained, leaves lawyers skeptical

Prosecutors said their numbers were based on information received directly from MCC officials .
Most of the infected inmates were @ @ @ @ @ but at least one inmate has been hospitalized and would not return to the facility @ @ @ @ @ so , prosecutors said .

Inmates are seen in an upper floor of Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2018. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
A week ago, federal prison officials reported that 20 inmates at Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center had tested positive for the coronavirus.
But by Wednesday, the number of infected detainees at the downtown high-rise jail had dropped to just seven, according to the official tally from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
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So far, the wild swing in the numbers has gone unexplained. Did initial positive cases turn out to be wrong? Does it reflect that sick inmates are being moved out of the MCC? Or has the number dropped as detainees have recovered?
Prisons bureau officials did not respond to multiple requests from the Chicago Tribune this week for an explanation of how its coronavirus data — which is updated every afternoon on the agency’s website — is being tabulated.
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One thing is certain: A different tally of MCC cases being kept by federal prosecutors is much higher.
Earlier this week, prosecutors said in a court filing that 32 of the roughly 650 inmates at the MCC had tested positive for COVID-19, representing about 5% of the population. In addition, 23 staff members were infected, prosecutors said. So far, no fatalities have been reported.
Prosecutors said their numbers were based on information received directly from MCC officials. Most of the infected inmates were quarantined in their cells, but at least one inmate has been hospitalized and would not return to the facility until medically cleared to do so, prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, the lack of explanation from the Bureau of Prisons continues to raise alarms in Chicago’s legal community, where criminal defense attorneys have been trying — mostly in vain — to get clients released due to the disease’s presumed ability to spread quickly in the MCC’s notoriously cramped quarters.
"Clearly, the numbers on the BOP website cannot be trusted,” said John Murphy, the executive director of the Federal Defender Program in Chicago.
Murphy said he’s frustrated over the lack of any effort to reduce the population of the jail, which he said is the only feasible way to prevent the spread of infection in a building that was never intended for social distancing.
“The virus is in that building, and it’s such a tight fit for everyone,” Murphy said. “You’ve got staff members moving between floors … There really is no way to meaningfully separate healthy people from sick people."
Prosecutors have largely opposed the release of prisoners due to COVID-19, saying strict protocols are in place to contain the situation, from increased sanitation and protective gear to a ban on visitors and a near-total lockdown of inmates in their cells.
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Last week, the prisons bureau announced in a news release that it was expanding testing around its system on asymptomatic inmates, since it’s now understood the virus can be quietly spread by an infected person who is not showing symptoms.
The release did not state whether the MCC was among the facilities where the new testing machines would be used.
For some defense attorneys, even increased testing is not enough to declare their clients are safe.
Steve Greenberg, who has made repeated attempts to get his most famous client, singer R. Kelly, released on home detention while awaiting trial for sexual abuse-related charges, said the BOP is refusing to acknowledge the ongoing crisis.
“If you control the information, you can control the message,” Greenberg said. “The fact is that in a jail environment, everything about it is the antithesis of what you have to do to stop this virus from spreading.”
In asking for Kelly’s release pending trial, the singer’s attorneys have said stress levels have skyrocketed throughout the inmate population since news hit two weeks ago that the virus was spreading.
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“Inmates are reportedly banging on doors, walls, and windows begging for help,” Kelly’s attorney, Michael Leonard, stated in one motion.
Greenberg said he received an email from Kelly on Tuesday night reporting that he’d been locked alone in his cell for 29 days and that the lack of communication was causing him severe anxiety.
“'There’s no fresh air. I’m suffocating,'” Greenberg said, reading from the email. “'There’s a lot of people in here that have this virus … No one’s saying anything.’”
In a court filing last week, prosecutors in New York, where Kelly is facing a racketeering indictment, confirmed that an inmate on Kelly’s tier was recently taken to a hospital, where he tested positive for the coronavirus.
Still, prosecutors have successfully argued against Kelly’s release, saying he "still has the financial means” to flee and is a continued threat to tamper with witnesses in his case.
Murphy, the federal defender, said that while there are “no easy solutions” to preventing the spread of the virus in a setting like the MCC, jail and court officials should be taking any reasonable steps to reduce the population until the pandemic subsides.
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And Murphy said it shouldn’t take the death of an inmate or staff member to spur action.
“You don’t wait for the house to burn down before putting water on the fire,” he said.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--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--2020-04-29--Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 2,215 deaths, 50,355 confirmed cases, 256,667 tests, 26% ICU beds, 69

Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 2,215 deaths, 50,355 confirmed cases, 256,667 tests, 26% ICU beds, 69% ventilators open

As the coronavirus spreads and local , state and national governments work to contain and mitigate the outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ .

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--2020-04-29--As commuters stay home, Metra has been forced to cut service again. One line will have just 1 inboun

As commuters stay home, Metra has been forced to cut service again. One line will have just 1 inbound and 1 outbound run per day.

The cuts come on top of cuts already made to Metra ’ s weekday schedule last month .
The new @ @ @ @ @ metrarail.com .
The Heritage Corridor currently has three inbound and four outbound trains , while @ @ @ @ @ trains in each direction .
The SouthWest Service has 10 trains in each direction .

A person rides the Metra Electric District line, May 11, 2021, in Chicago. With some coronavirus pandemic restrictions lifted, some people may be returning to public transit. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Faced with an ongoing ridership slump due to the coronavirus pandemic, Metra is sharply cutting service on its three least busy lines starting Monday.
On the Heritage Corridor, which runs between Union Station and Joliet, and the North Central Service, which goes between Union Station and Antioch, the schedule will be reduced to one inbound trip in the morning and one outbound trip in the evening, Metra said in a news release on Wednesday.
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On the SouthWest Service, which runs between Union Station and Manhattan, Illinois, there will be two inbound trips in the morning and two outbound trips in the evening, Metra said.
The cuts come on top of cuts already made to Metra’s weekday schedule last month. The new schedules can be viewed at metrarail.com. The Heritage Corridor currently has three inbound and four outbound trains, while the North Central has seven trains in each direction. The SouthWest Service has 10 trains in each direction.
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A few passengers ride a mostly empty train on the Metra Electric District line on April 15, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“We are trying to find the balance between providing service for essential workers while stemming the huge losses we are seeing in fare revenue and sales taxes, our two major sources of operating funding," Metra CEO Jim Derwinski, said in a statement. "We are being forced to make some tough decisions.”
During its board meeting earlier this month, Metra revealed that it would lose more than $500 million in fares and sales taxes collected by local governments in 2020 and 2021 due to the crisis, which knocked ridership down by 97%. The railroad expects about $480 million in federal relief aid.
Metra said that the temporary schedule reductions that will take effect Monday will save about $470,000 a month in labor and fuel costs. No furloughs or layoffs are planned, said Metra spokesman Michael Gillis.
All transit agencies have been hit hard by the stay-at-home order. But Metra is suffering more than the CTA and Pace because the railroad is almost totally dependent on commuters, while people also use CTA and Pace for grocery trips and other travel.
The three Metra lines being cut have been seeing a total of a little more than 220 riders per day. Metra said that even with the cuts, there will be enough cars for riders to practice social distancing.
Last month, Metra cut its weekday service in half in response to declining ridership. Both the Pace suburban bus service and the South Shore Line, which goes between downtown Chicago and northwest Indiana, have also cut service. CTA has not cut service, with officials saying the transit agency is necessary to serve essential workers and others dependent on the system.
mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Reopen Illinois rally planned for Loop this Friday

“ The notion that we are going to open up before the data and the science tell us that we @ @ @ @ @ foolish , and we would be putting lives at risk to do so , ” @ @ @ @ @ ’ m very mindful of what ’ s happening in other states that haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ we have taken here in Illinois .
And what are we seeing ?
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ cases at an unbelievable rate , even six weeks into this crisis .
So I @ @ @ @ @ steps that have been taken here .
As far as Chicago , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @

Protesters who want Gov. J.B. Pritzker to announce a plan to reopen the Illinois economy have scheduled a Friday rally outside the Thompson Center in the Loop.
“Illinois residents have tolerated the government’s plan for over a month — without a plan on how to slowly and safely reopen the state’s economy,” a news release announcing the event states. “We need to discuss the process of cautiously returning back to work.”
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The Friday demonstration would be the latest in a series of protests around the country against stay-at-home orders designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Beth Rogers, of Springfield, stands in the rain with her sign demanding, "Open Illinois Now," during a protest in front of the Capitol building on April 25, 2020. (Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register )
It follows a Sunday event where a small group of protesters holding “Don’t tread on me” flags and chanting “Open Illinois!” demonstrated outside the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.
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Asked about lawsuits against Pritzker to end the stay-at-home order and the planned Friday downtown rally, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday said it only makes sense to start easing the restrictions when evidence shows the state is getting the outbreak under control.
“The notion that we are going to open up before the data and the science tell us that we’re ready is really foolish, and we would be putting lives at risk to do so,” Lightfoot said. “I’m very mindful of what’s happening in other states that haven’t taken the steps that we have taken here in Illinois. And what are we seeing? We’re seeing a doubling of cases at an unbelievable rate, even six weeks into this crisis. So I feel very comfortable about the steps that have been taken here. As far as Chicago, we’re staying the course.”
The Loop event is being organized by Freedom Movement USA, which on its website describes itself as “a group of like-minded Republican activists.” The organization has held pro-President Donald Trump rallies in other parts of the state.
The Thompson Center event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will feature several speakers, according to the Freedom Movement USA release.
There’s also a change.org petition launched by frequent political candidate William Kelly to seek signatures in support of recalling Pritzker.
A similar rally is planned for noon on Friday in Springfield.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--In ‘Daily Show’ appearance, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth says President Trump’s task force to reopen ec

In ‘Daily Show’ appearance, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth says President Trump’s task force to reopen economy has met once for a roughly hourlong call

“ Our task force has only met once , we had one phone call for an hour — 45 minutes @ @ @ @ @ with President Trump boasting on how great the testing was going in this country , @ @ @ @ @ testing than any other country and that other countries were calling us ( and ) @ @ @ @ @ tests , ” said Duckworth , a frequent Trump critic .

A congressional task force President Donald Trump established to advise the White House on reopening the economy has met virtually just once in the roughly two weeks since it was created, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said in a television appearance.
Appearing on an episode of “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” that aired Tuesday night, the junior U.S. senator from Illinois was asked why the public hasn’t heard more from the Opening Up America Again task force. Duckworth said the group met by phone and the president spent most of the time “boasting” about “how great the testing was going in this country.”
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“Our task force has only met once, we had one phone call for an hour — 45 minutes of that hour was spent with President Trump boasting on how great the testing was going in this country, how we had conducted more testing than any other country and that other countries were calling us (and) asking us to give them tests,” said Duckworth, a frequent Trump critic.
Duckworth and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, another Illinois Democrat, were among 65 senators named to the working group, which includes a dozen Democrats and all Republican senators except Mitt Romney of Utah. Romney voted to convict Trump in the president’s impeachment trial.
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Of 32 House members also named to the task force, there are 22 Republicans and 10 Democrats, including Illinois U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, a Taylorville Republican, the Tribune previously reported.
Duckworth disputes the president’s take on the nation’s testing efforts, saying that when asked how many tests the country would need to safely reopen the country, “the Trump administration had no answers.”
“This is a basic math problem. You need to know how many tests we need to have,” Duckworth said, adding: “You can do the basic math and figure out how many tests you need — and they don’t know.”
The president’s communications staff didn’t offer an immediate response to Duckworth’s criticism.
This week, the White House issued its blueprint to increase testing in the country to ensure states had enough COVID-19 tests available to sample roughly 2% of their populations each month — a figure already met by a majority of states. Areas that have been harder hit by the virus would be able to test at double that rate, or higher, the White House said.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday that the White House had promised 20,000 testing swabs per day in May, which would be on top of the 12,000 tests the state is already conducting daily, he said.
As a task force member, Duckworth said she’s going to push to get testing ramped up along with contact tracing, which involves public health officials tracking down and warning those who may have come in contact with someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19, before restrictions on residents and businesses are lifted. She said it has to be carried out in an organized and “methodical way.”
“How devastating would it be … if we just let everybody out and then suddenly we had another wave of COVID positives and then we had to shut back down?” Duckworth said. "I think that would be worse for our economy than to move forward in a methodical way.”
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ldonovan@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--We’ve lowered the paywall on this essential coronavirus coverage

As the scope of this pandemic came into focus , I started thinking about people living in assisted-living facilities and @ @ @ @ @ bound to experience .
I ’ ve spoken several times at assisted-living facilities around Chicago @ @ @ @ @ aspects of life for residents is the social interaction and the activities and entertainment the @ @ @ @ @ s largely gone now .
Worse yet , many facilities have had to limit or @ @ @ @ @ seniors stuck alone in their rooms or apartments .
So maybe there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ at least that aspect of this crisis .
I tossed an idea out on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ the hashtag # PandemicPals , asking for thoughts and advice on how to network with @ @ @ @ @ where there might be seniors facing isolation .
Read more .

As a public service to our readers and community, we have lowered the paywall on some of our most critical stories so everyone can access this important information. We rely on the support of our subscribers to fund our journalism. If you’re not already signed up, we hope you will consider subscribing.
We are updating a daily live blog with the latest developments on the reopening of Chicago and Illinois. This is where you’ll find updates on the number of COVID-19 cases in our area, as well as the most up-to-date recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Public Health, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
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As summer nears, Chicagoans are desperate to get out and about — to have a summer picnic with family, to get back to work, to get a haircut. Here’s how and when you might be able to do those things.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday a five-phase plan to get Illinois reopened as the COVID-19 pandemic slows its toll on health care providers. The plan, from “Rapid Spread” to “Illinois Restored,” splits the state up into regions and allows each region to open a different phase should the impact of the pandemic be different throughout the state. The plan also emphasizes that a region can move backward if the health metrics indicate enough risk. Read more.
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Testing for COVID-19 has greatly expanded in Illinois, with the state announcing more than 10,000 test results a day since April 24. The expansion has allowed the state to open up its guidance for who should be able to get a coronavirus test. The Illinois Department of Public Health is saying that testing is available without a doctor’s order to anyone with coronavirus symptoms or an underlying risk factor. Tests are also provided to people on the front lines of the pandemic, such as medical workers, first responders and employees of prisons or nursing homes. Search the map for coronavirus testing site near you.
All Illinois residents over age 2 must wear a face mask when they can’t maintain a 6-foot social distance in public. Studies show that the coronavirus can spread between people interacting in close proximity, including people who are not showing symptoms. Here’s where you can find them, what kind to get and how to make your own.
Americans are brainstorming with neighbors, posting questions on social media, and googling for tips and advice. The question at the center of all the hand wringing and head scratching: How do you thank the essential workers who remain out in the world, exposing themselves to greater risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, so that we can buy our groceries, receive our mail, travel by public transportation, and get health care if we need it? Here are some creative ideas to inspire you.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 68 (Chicago Tribune)
They were mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. Many were proud grandparents. Two were sisters from a tight-knit South Side family. All were loved, relatives say, and will be forever missed. As the number of deaths attributable to the coronavirus ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims.
Hundreds of Chicago restaurants have pivoted their operations to delivery, takeout or curbside pickup after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that all bars and restaurants in Illinois are closed for dining-in service through April 30. We’re collecting information on restaurants across the area that are still open for delivery or take out. Find a restaurant near you.
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A sign in the windows of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, seen on March 11, 2020, reminds people to wash their hands. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
You wake up with a sore, scratchy throat, and begin coughing and sneezing. It’s probably a run-of-the-mill cold, or it could be the beginning of a bout of seasonal flu. But with dozens of cases of the novel coronavirus surfacing in Illinois, some people are bound to wonder: Could this be the coronavirus? Here’s what experts advise for Illinoisans who fear they are showing signs of coronavirus.
The spread of the coronavirus pandemic has placed an extra burden on Chicagoland nonprofit organizations. Here is an evolving list of where you can make donations to organizations helping those in need.


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus

As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward , the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have @ @ @ @ @ Chicago area or who have connections to our region .
These are some of those @ @

They were mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. Many were proud grandparents. Two were sisters from a tight-knit South Side family. All were loved, relatives say, and will be forever missed.
As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims.
If you know of someone or would like to offer a remembrance of someone please share your information here. To file a death notice, go here.
Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune: Our mission is to deliver trusted and meaningful local news. Your support allows us to continue providing the award-winning, watchdog and in-depth journalism our community deserves. Subscribe here.


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Here’s what you need to know about coronavirus testing in Chicago

“ I am concerned that some of the antibody tests that are in the market that haven ’ t gone @ @ @ @ @ may not be as accurate as we ’ d like them to be , ” @ @ @ @ @ s “ This Week ” news show .
“ No test is 100 % perfect @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want are wildly inaccurate tests .
Because , as I said before , @ @ @ @ @ be much worse .
”

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
More than 227,000 tests for COVID-19 have been administered in Illinois, and last Friday the state passed Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s long-stated goal of 10,000 daily COVID-19 screenings.
Here’s what you need to know about coronavirus testing in Chicago.
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Where can I go to get a test?
Illinois has 112 public testing locations, including 22 locations in Chicago, nine in the southwest suburbs, three in the west suburbs, five in the northwest suburbs and 10 in the north suburbs. Pritzker said the COVID-19 tests at these sites are free and open to the public. There are also private health care providers that offer testing to their own patients, he said.
Illinois also has five state-managed drive-up locations including one in west suburban Aurora and one in Rockford.
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The Illinois Department of Health has a running list of testing sites around the state.
The city of Chicago on Monday launched a new web app called COVID Coach to help residents track their coronavirus symptoms and learn about testing sites. The app is accessible at chicago.gov/covidcoach, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
Chicago’s Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the app is free and the information will only be accessed by the city’s Public Health Department, not Google, which helped create the app.
It also will be a tool to connect residents to testing and information about testing, including alerting users when antibody testing is available in the future, Arwady said.
Who is eligible for testing in Illinois?
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in mid-April that anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms in the state can get a test, with or without a doctor’s note.
Testing is also available for those who have high-risk factors, such as having close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus or having a compromised immune system, according to the state health department.
What are the common symptoms of COVID-19?
A fever, cough, and shortness of breath are the three main symptoms associated with the coronavirus. The CDC recently added six more to that list.
The newly added symptoms are: Chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell.
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Drive-thru COVID-19 testing is conducted in a parking lot at 1606 N. Mobile Ave. in Chicago on Thursday, April 23, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Can I get tested if I don’t have symptoms?
It depends.
According to the City of Chicago and the Illinois Department of Health, if you don’t have any symptoms, testing is not necessary. If you’ve been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you should stay home and monitor your symptoms for 14 days.
However, if you’re an essential worker, you are eligible for testing, with or without symptoms, according to the state health department.
What’s being done to test at-risk communities and groups?
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said on Friday that the state is particularly focused on continuing to increase testing at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, efforts that officials highlighted last week after the state released the first data on nursing home cases and deaths.
In early April, Pritzker responded to the outsize number of infections and deaths from the new coronavirus in African American communities by laying out plans to ramp up testing on Chicago’s South and West sides, in the south suburbs and near St. Louis.
Four health centers serving low-income and uninsured people on the South and West sides of Chicago — Lawndale Christian Health Center, PCC Community Wellness Center, Chicago Family Health Center and Friend Family Health Center — said they were planning to collect an additional 400 swabs daily from potential COVID-19 patients beginning in mid-April.
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What’s the difference between the COVID-19 test and the antibody test?
Unlike the nasal swab tests that have been used to determine whether an individual actively has COVID-19, antibody tests determine whether an individual previously contracted the coronavirus.
Chicago’s Department of Health began administering a limited number of antibody tests earlier in April, according to Health Commissioner Allison Arwady.
The so-called serology tests use a blood sample to detect antibodies to the virus rather than the virus itself. The Food and Drug Administration has allowed scores of serology tests onto the market without the usual approval process, provided they met certain criteria. The FDA also gave emergency approval to one company’s serology test, strictly for laboratory use in helping to diagnose COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the FDA, spoke about the importance of serology tests, which he called “one of the keys” to managing the pandemic, while also expressing concerns about the accuracy of tests not yet approved by his agency.
“I am concerned that some of the antibody tests that are in the market that haven’t gone through the FDA scientific review may not be as accurate as we’d like them to be,” Hahn said on ABC’s “This Week” news show. “No test is 100% perfect. But what we don’t want are wildly inaccurate tests. Because, as I said before, that’s going to be much worse.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-29--Decision on fate of Lollapalooza summer music festival could be soon

Earlier in the month , Lightfoot said it ’ s too soon to talk about July and August events .
@ @ @ @ @ Fest and Memorial Day events set for May and June .
Lollapalooza is scheduled for @ @ @ @

People dance at the Perry's stage during the last day of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Aug. 4, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city should have an update “shortly” on whether Lollapalooza will be canceled this summer.
The mayor again was asked about the popular summer festival during an unrelated news conference on Wednesday and said a decision would be announced shortly, though she didn’t say when.
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Earlier in the month, Lightfoot said it’s too soon to talk about July and August events. But she has canceled Gospel Fest and Memorial Day events set for May and June. Lollapalooza is scheduled for July 30-Aug. 2.
The coronavirus pandemic has upended most plans for the foreseeable future — with a statewide stay-at-home order in place through the end of May, bars and restaurants closed to dine-in patrons and a large number of events either canceled or delayed.
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Social distancing requirements brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have led officials across the world to cancel or delay all sorts of public events, from athletics to the arts.
Trying to limit the outbreak, Lightfoot has closed the city’s lakefront, The 606 elevated trail and the Riverwalk after widespread flouting of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. The mayor also has set a curfew order on all liquor sales across Chicago, banning sales after 9 p.m.
Lollapalooza could be the latest large-scale event to be canceled.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @royalpratt