chicagotribune--2020-06-04--The Spin: Obama points activists toward mayors for police reforms | Banks exacerbating racial inequi

The Spin: Obama points activists toward mayors for police reforms | Banks exacerbating racial inequities in Chicago? | Some bright spots in state, nation’s sobering jobless report

“ Most of the reforms that are needed to prevent the type of violence in the justice system that we @ @ @ @ @ at the local level , ” Obama said , noting that it ’ s prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ an officer involved in a suspected case of excessive force .
“ The reform has @ @ @ @ @ than 19,000 American municipalities , more than 18,000 local enforcement jurisdictions .
And so , @ @ @ @ @ raise their voices , we need to be clear about where change is going to @ @ @ @ @ bring about that change .
It is mayors and county executives that appoint most police @ @ @ @ @ agreements with police ( departments ) and that determines police practices in local communities .
@

As fallout continues over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, former President Barack Obama put the onus squarely in the laps of mayors across the country to enact police reforms as protesters call for an end to decades of police brutality.
Mayors and county executives, he said, are often the ones who hire the police chiefs, negotiate police union contracts and, often, have a role in appointing members of civilian panels that hear police disciplinary cases. Taken together, that sets the tone.
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He also called on mayors to examine their police department’s use-of-force policies, something Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot already is doing.
But change, the former president said, is slow, and there’s no clearer evidence of that than Tribune reporter Dan Hinkel’s new piece that examines the plodding rollout — including dozens of missed deadlines — of a federal consent decree mandating an overhaul of training and disciplinary reforms in CPD.
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So after years of political battles over the need for change, will the mayor be up to the challenge of fixing what’s ailing CPD? Hinkel writes: “Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, pitched herself to voters as a police reformer who led officer disciplinary efforts and initiatives aimed at changing the department. But her record in disciplining cops in questionable shootings was mixed, and activists have complained she has failed to go far enough in reform efforts.”
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In this image from video provided by My Brother's Keeper Alliance and The Obama Foundation, former President Barack Obama speaks June 3, 2020, during virtual town hall event with young people to discuss policing and the civil unrest that has followed the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. (AP)
During yesterday’s town hall meeting on policing and race, Obama said he’s seen protests vs. voting debates bubbling up about how to best push for police reforms. He said it’s not an either/or proposition — urging both.
“Most of the reforms that are needed to prevent the type of violence in the justice system that we’ve seen take place at the local level,” Obama said, noting that it’s prosecutors who decide whether to charge an officer involved in a suspected case of excessive force. “The reform has to take place in more than 19,000 American municipalities, more than 18,000 local enforcement jurisdictions. And so, as activists and everyday citizens raise their voices, we need to be clear about where change is going to happen and how we can bring about that change. It is mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police (departments) and that determines police practices in local communities.”
The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt also reported: “He asked mayors across the nation to sign a pledge to review their city’s use-of-force policies, engage communities for their input, report their findings and reform the policies. An Obama Foundation official then announced that Lightfoot was an early adopter.”
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office said Thursday it is reviewing allegations that Chicago police pulled a woman from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck: The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt and David Jackson have the story here.
“We are aware of the incident that occurred at Brickyard Mall and are currently conducting a thorough, independent review of the matter, including the conduct of the police officers involved,” the office said. “We take law enforcement accountability seriously and have reached out to the family involved through their attorney.”
The statement came hours after the attorney for the woman, Mia Wright, demanded a criminal investigation into the incident last Sunday.
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It’s a particularly provocative move: Minneapolis Derek Chauvin placed his knee on the neck of George Floyd, who was prone on the ground, handcuffed and begging for air, for approximately nine minutes, killing him.
In fact, Brown ordered CPD officers to undergo an e-learning refresher course on how to avoid deadly positional asphyxiation when restraining a suspect and, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, directed them to watch the video of Floyd’s arrest as a what-not-to-do lesson.
As police departments across the country examine use-of-force and other restraint policies, San Diego’s mayor announced this week they were ending the practice of “carotid restraint" known as a sleeper hold, which the Associated Press described as “ applying pressure to the sides of the neck with an arm, which can almost immediately block blood flow and render someone unconscious.”
In February, Chicago police deemed in a new policy “carotid artery restraints” classifies as a deadly force technique, USA Today noted in a recent piece about use of force.
Related: the Rev. Jesse Jackson among mourners attending first in series of memorial services for George Floyd: Read the story here.
Opinion: How civil unrest in Chicago exposed a fault line between Latinos and African Americans — Tribune columnist Dahleen Glanton weighs in here.
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Related: Chicago police car crashes into SUV, killing driver, while chasing homicide suspect — Police pursuits, too, have come under the microscope in recent decades as concerns have grown about how they put the public at risk. The Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner writes: “Chicago police officers must follow a ‘balancing test’ when deciding whether to give chase, pursuing only those wanted for a serious crime — such as homicide, armed robbery or kidnapping — while weighing other risk factors such as traffic volume and road conditions.”
Mayor Lightfoot says Brickyard incident is under investigation, rejects calls to defund police: “It would be irresponsible.” Read the rest of the story here.
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At City Hall on May 8, 2020, Dr. Allison Arwady, left, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, listens as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot holds a news conference to announce plans to reopen the city weeks after restrictions were imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Dan Hinkel writes: "After days of street protests urgently calling for changes in the way police treat African Americans, Mayor Lori Lightfoot lamented in a televised speech this week that ‘the process of reform has been too slow.’
"Indeed, it took decades to even get to the starting line of reforming the historically troubled Chicago Police Department. The police union strongly pushed back, and politicians disagreed on the need for significant change. Overhauling the nation’s second-largest police force is a task of daunting scope. Now, a pandemic stands to slow reforms further.
“While Lightfoot promised a handful of prompt adjustments, what she listed largely involved educational and support programs for officers, rather than policy changes to guide the police conduct that has driven protests. She also made a vague call for training efforts that appear similar to some already contained in the federal court order governing department operations.” Read the full story here.
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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joins a coalition of state legal officers in urging Congress to give them broader authority to investigate ‘unconstitutional policing’: Raoul and 17 other attorneys general wrote a letter to congressional leaders asking for the authority to conduct “pattern-or-practice” investigations of police departments, to obtain data related to use of “excessive force” by law enforcement officers and to “bring appropriate actions in federal court to ensure constitutional policing in states, in particular when the federal government is unwilling or unable to act.” The Tribune’s Jamie Munks has the details here.
Opinion: Will anyone take a knee for retired police Capt. David Dorn? The Tribune’s John Kass weighs in here.
Pastors call on Joliet mayor to resign following viral video of protest skirmish, cite previous disciplinary action from his work as a cop years ago: Alicia Fabbre and Angie Leventis Lourgos have the details here.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot denounces vigilantism in Chicago after white men patrol Bridgeport streets with bats: Read the Tribune story here.
Illinois expands COVID-19 testing to all and urges those who participated in protests to get tested: The Tribune’s Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks have the details here.
People walk by JPMorgan Chase & Co. headquarters in New York in 2013. (EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP/Getty Images)
Between the coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd, there’s been a lot of discussions about race disparity in our country. Now WBEZ-FM and City Bureau have dug in to take a look at how “lenders have invested more in a single white neighborhood than all the black neighborhoods combined.”
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The story notes: “The current mortgage lending numbers suggest that Chicago is on a path to exacerbate inequities between its majority-white neighborhoods and its black and Latino communities, even as Mayor Lori Lightfoot has promised to tackle Chicago’s stubborn reputation as a ‘tale of two cities’ and channel more capital to black and Latino neighborhoods.”
It also notes: "JPMorgan Chase had the widest white-to-black disparity among the city’s top home purchase lenders. The bank loaned 41 times more in Chicago’s white neighborhoods than it did in the city’s black neighborhoods. That means for every dollar the bank loaned in white neighborhoods, it invested just 2.4 cents in the city’s black communities. " Read the piece here.
Tina Nguyen, left, a nurse at the International Community Health Services clinic in Seattle's International District, takes a nose swab sample from David Carroll, an ICHS employee, during testing for the coronavirus in Seattle on May 16, 2020. (Ted S. Warren/AP)
From my Tribune colleagues: "Testing for the new coronavirus is now available in Illinois to anyone who wants it — regardless of symptoms — at nearly a dozen state-run testing sites, state public health officials said Thursday.
"The availability of on-demand testing was a key component of moving from phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which began May 29, to phase four, though officials later reframed it as a goal rather than a requirement.
“That news came as Chicago continued the process of gradually reopening, though many businesses remained closed or boarded up. All businesses are subject to reduced capacities and tight rules designed to stop the spread of COVID-19.” Get the updates here.
Activists, alderman urge Mayor Lori Lightfoot to forgo contact tracing contract, instead spend money on expanding health department: The Tribune’s Hal Dardick has the details here.
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Navy Pier to reopen outdoor areas Wednesday, including restaurants and requiring face masks: The Tribune’s Steve Johnson has the details here.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security office in Springfield on Sept. 29, 2016. U.S. employment plummeted last month and will only continue to decline. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
From the Associated Press: Almost 2 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, the ninth straight decline since applications spiked in mid-March as COVID-19 cases began to spike in the country.
In Illinois, 46,522 initial claims were filed for the week ended May 30, a decline of 11,741 from the previous week.
The diminishing pace suggests that the job market meltdown that was triggered by the coronavirus may have bottomed out as more companies call at least some of their former employees back to work. 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--2020-06-04--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Schools can resume in-person classes this summer; state expands tes

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Schools can resume in-person classes this summer; state expands testing to all; 116 additional deaths reported

The expansion of free testing to anyone , without the need to display symptoms or have a referral or doctor @ @ @ @ @ as more businesses have opened and as thousands have taken to the streets in recent @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Testing for the new coronavirus is now available in Illinois to anyone who wants it — regardless of symptoms — at nearly a dozen state-run testing sites, state public health officials said Thursday.
The availability of on-demand testing was a key component of moving from phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which began May 29, to phase four, though officials later reframed it as a goal rather than a requirement.
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That news came as Chicago continued the process of gradually reopening, though many businesses remained closed or boarded up. All businesses are subject to reduced capacities and tight rules designed to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Illinois saw 929 new known cases of coronavirus Thursday, and 116 additional deaths. The known statewide case count is now 124,759; the death toll stands at 5,736. All but one county have seen confirmed cases.
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[ When can Illinois move to phase 4? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
9:33 p.m.: New federal data shows how COVID-19 is ripping through understaffed Illinois nursing homes
Newly released federal data shows that COVID-19 has likely infected more than 7,000 nursing home workers in Illinois, with a fourth of homes complaining they are short-staffed and scores saying they’re low on protective gear.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data, released Thursday, shows that nearly 70 Illinois facilities have reported 10 or more deaths of residents from a virus that’s decimated long-term care facilities across the country.
The data, despite some reporting errors, offers a powerful new picture of how the virus has torn through homes’ residents and staff, with one advocacy group, AARP Illinois, saying it confirms the long-held fears of advocates and families that the country was unprepared.
“The people who are the most vulnerable, whether in nursing homes or people working there, were not protected,” said Illinois AARP’s state director, Bob Gallo. Read more here. —Joe Mahr
5:13 p.m.: EPA orders Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling anti-coronavirus products with impermissible claims
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it has ordered a Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling and distributing products that made impermissible claims about their effectiveness against COVID-19.
PureLine Treatment Systems, which markets its products to schools, homes, athletic centers and health care facilities, said some of its products protect against viruses, including the one that causes COVID-19, but did not get approval from the EPA to make those claims, the agency said in a statement.
The company made false or misleading claims on its website that the products could be used to sterilize a facility, when their approved labeling did not indicate they could be used for that purpose, the EPA said.
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Company manager Bob Sullivan said the EPA’s contentions were accurate, and that the company mistakenly believed it was allowed to make the claims. Read more here. —John Keilman
4:28 p.m.: Pritzker says Illinois schools can reopen for in-person summer school classes
Illinois schools, which have been shut down since March, will now allowed to hold summer school in-person, thanks to an executive order issued Thursday afternoon by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
But many area school systems — including Chicago Public Schools — have already announced that summer school will be held through remote learning, so it’s not immediately clear if such districts will change course.
The order states that all Illinois public and nonpublic elementary and high schools can open for “limited in-person educational purposes" once the regular school year ends. —Hannah Leone
2:38 p.m.: 929 new COVID-19 infections and 116 additional deaths
Illinois saw 929 new known cases of coronavirus Thursday, and 116 additional deaths. The known statewide case count is now 124,759; the death toll stands at 5,736. All but one county have seen confirmed cases. —Jamie Munks
1 p.m.: Navy Pier to reopen outdoor areas Wednesday, including restaurants and boat rides
Chicago’s Navy Pier, one of the city’s biggest tourist draws, will begin to reopen next week after 12 weeks of COVID-19-related closure.
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Parks surrounding and on the pier, the main pier walkways, outdoor restaurant spaces, tour boats and some free programs will reopen starting Wednesday, the pier announced in a press release Thursday.
Rides in the central Pier Park and the Chicago Children’s Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater will remain closed. Parking in the pier garages, typically costly, will be free during the first phase of the destination’s reopening. Read more here. —Steve Johnson
12:28 p.m: Milwaukee Summerfest canceled for 2020, will resume in 2021
Citing “an abundance of caution,” organizers for Milwaukee Summerfest have decided to cancel the major summer event, originally scheduled for June to early July, then moved to September.
The implications of this for Lollapalooza are unknown. The music festival, which draws more than 400,000 revelers to Chicago’s Grant Park is, as of now, still on schedule for July 30-Aug. 2. Read more here. —Kevin Williams
12:10 p.m.: Illinois expands COVID-19 testing to all and urges those who participated in protests to get tested
Testing for the new coronavirus is now available in Illinois to anyone who wants it — regardless of symptoms — at nearly a dozen state-run testing sites, state public health officials said Thursday.
The availability of on-demand testing was a key component of moving from phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which began May 29, to phase four, though officials later reframed it as a goal rather than a requirement.
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The expansion of free testing to anyone, without the need to display symptoms or have a referral or doctor’s order, comes as more businesses have opened and as thousands have taken to the streets in recent days to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
The state is encouraging anyone who has participated in mass gatherings to get tested. Read more here. —Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
9:05 a.m.: 1.9 million seek jobless aid even as reopenings slow layoffs
Nearly 1.9 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, the ninth straight decline since applications spiked in mid-March, a sign that the gradual reopening of businesses has slowed the loss of jobs.
The diminishing pace suggests that the job market meltdown that was triggered by the coronavirus may have bottomed out as more companies call at least some of their former employees back to work.
In Illinois, 46,522 initial claims were filed for the week ended May 30, a decline of 11,741 from the previous week.
The total number of people who are now receiving jobless aid rose only slightly to 21.5 million, suggesting that rehiring is offsetting some of the ongoing layoffs. Read more here. —Associated Press
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7:30 a.m.: Pritzker to visit West Side for local elected officials ‘Day of Action’
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was scheduled to attend a Wednesday afternoon “Day of Action” sponsored by West Side black elected officials in the Austin neighborhood.
Officials planned to make food, water and masks available in the event near Cicero Avenue in Austin. The neighborhood has been one of those hard-hit by unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, after being among the Chicago communities with the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths. —Chicago Tribune staff
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Wednesday related to coronavirus in Illinois:


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Brickyard incident is under investigation, rejects calls to defund police:

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Brickyard incident is under investigation, rejects calls to defund police: ‘It would be irresponsible’

“ I don ’ t want to get ahead and I ’ m not the head of ( the Civilian @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m the mayor and I want COPA to be doing its job , @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ They have to call balls and strikes .
I mean @ @ @ @ @ my own personal opinion about it , but I ’ m not going to share @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want to influence what COPA ’ s work is , they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ the jurisdiction and the mandate , and more importantly they have my full support to @ @ @ @ @ “

Mayor Lori Lightfoot declined Thursday to comment on video from the Brickyard Mall where an officer knelt on a woman, saying it’s an ongoing investigation, but promised that the police oversight agency investigating “is doing everything it can to identify the officers and then make an appropriate recommendation.”
“I don’t want to get ahead and I’m not the head of (the Civilian Oversight Police Authority). I’m the mayor and I want COPA to be doing its job, but doing it independently,” she said. “They have to call balls and strikes. I mean, of course I have my own personal opinion about it, but I’m not going to share it, because I don’t want to influence what COPA’s work is, they’ve got to, they have the jurisdiction and the mandate, and more importantly they have my full support to do their job, independently.“
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Lightfoot said it isn’t easy to identify officers in a “grainy video” but they are being investigated and once they’re identified they’ll be reported to Chicago police Superintendent David Brown.
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Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx released a statement Thursday afternoon saying that her office was conducting its own review of the incident.
“The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is committed to public safety and pursuing the fair administration of justice for everyone in our communities. We are aware of the incident that occurred at Brickyard Mall and are currently conducting a thorough, independent review of the matter, including the conduct of the police officers involved. We take law enforcement accountability seriously and have reached out to the family involved through their attorney,” the statement said.
The mayor, meanwhile, rejected calls from some progressive aldermen such as Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, to defund the Police Department.
“I don't think that's an appropriate action at this time. I think that the people in our neighborhoods want and have been begging for more police support,” she said. “In light of what's happened over the last couple days, it would be irresponsible for me to even entertain any idea that we would cut back on our public safety resources at this time.“
Lightfoot again reiterated her support for some civilian oversight of police but noted that there remain “a final few issues” her administration is stuck on with activists.
“It’s my hope that we’ll be able to break the logjam and move forward,” she said.
Chicago Tribune’s Lisa Donovan contributed.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Black and Latino Chicagoans unite to condemn anti-blackness. ‘Don’t let them divide us.’

Calling the allegation “ ridiculous , ” Luis R. Agostini , a Chicago Police Department spokesperson , said , “ @ @ @ @ @ type of violence .
There is no truth to the rumors that the department is @ @ @ @ @ who terrorize their neighborhoods daily , in an effort to somehow safeguard communities .
Gang @ @ @ @ @ guns down .
We do not and will never tolerate attacks against anyone .
”

A young girl bikes with other protesters as they walk down South Blue Island Avenue during a march to call for unity between black and Latino communities, in Pilsen on June 3, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Latino and black Chicagoans organized Wednesday on the Southwest Side to denounce reports of violence against black people in Latino neighborhoods after protests and looting followed George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis.
Many joined peace marches and engaged in other collective actions throughout the city in an attempt to begin the dismantling of the anti-black narrative and avoid more violence between the two communities.
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Racial tension intensified after social media posts showed alleged Latino gang members in Little Village and Cicero attacking black passersby in those neighborhoods.
[ ‘No dejen que nos dividan’ negros y latinos de Chicago se unen contra el racismo ]
The social media reports fueled more fear and frustration in the black community, said Jai Simpson, who participated in a Little Village unity march organized by El Foro del Pueblo, a grassroots organization made up of volunteers to promote civic engagement.
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Although he had doubts at first, Simpson, who is black, joined about 200 people at Wednesday’s march because he said he believes the wrongdoings come from a small group of Latinos who do not represent the community as a whole.
Karla Pantaleon holds a sign as she and others calling for unity between Chicago's black and Latino communities prepare to march on 26th Street in the Little Village neighborhood on June 3, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
“I know for a fact that we will unify. We are the same; we family. That’s my narrative right there,” said the 20-year-old from the Woodlawn neighborhood.
Laura Ramirez, one of the organizers, said the march was intended to show black people that they are welcome in Latino communities, but also to urge Latinos to acknowledge the historical racism instilled in the community because it could halt them from moving forward in unity to continue fighting the system.
Demonstrators listen to speeches on 26th Street at Pulaski Road in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood on June 3, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
“We are here to demand that our black brothers and sisters get the same respect that we also have been fighting for for decades,” Ramirez said.
In a bilingual speech, Fanny Diego-Alvarez, another community member and volunteer organizer, encouraged youths to discuss race issues with their families and invited others to participate in black and Latino unity actions.
“Our lives as brown people are connected to the lives of black (people). We will never get respect until black people get respect,” Diego-Alvarez told the crowd.
The diverse crowd marched south from the Little Village arch on 26th Street to Pulaski Avenue and back. Marchers chanted in English and Spanish while street vendors set up shop and other residents looked on.
Two old high school friends who hadn’t seen each other for years walked together with their fists in the air holding a Black Liberation flag and a Mexican flag. One of the young men had a speaker with Bob Marley’s song “Is This Love” playing the lyrics “I want to love you, and treat you right.”
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“I knew I had to be here today because I know that hate sentiment does not align with all Latino immigrant workers,” said Terry Rudd, a black woman from West Englewood.
Rudd blamed the spark of the violence on gang members and a corrupt Chicago Police Department. “They want to try to divide us; don’t let them divide us,” she said.
Still, Rudd believes that black Chicagoans, including her, “won’t exactly feel safe walking” through Little Village alone. But “this is a first step,” she said.
Police did not confirm that gang members were guarding the 26th Street corridor and denied allegations by community members and leaders that they were working in conjunction to stop looters.
Calling the allegation “ridiculous,” Luis R. Agostini, a Chicago Police Department spokesperson, said, “CPD does not condone any type of violence. There is no truth to the rumors that the department is coordinating with gang members, who terrorize their neighborhoods daily, in an effort to somehow safeguard communities. Gang members need to put their guns down. We do not and will never tolerate attacks against anyone.”
Little Village resident Maria Bahena attended the march with her daughter.
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“I’m tired of the racism, but also of the violence in the neighborhood,” Bahena said in Spanish. While she praises and thanks those who helped to keep the neighborhood safe from looters, she also acknowledged that “unfortunately, some felt the need to spread violence.”
In Pilsen, a predominantly Latino neighborhood, a collective of diverse artists volunteered to paint murals over the boarded storefronts on 18th Street with messages in support of Black Live Matter.
Pilsen resident Kwame Caldwell, who is black, offered to help board and guard businesses along with his roommate, David Giron. The two live on 18th Street, near Blue Island Avenue.
Caldwell said he was shocked when he heard that Latinos were allegedly attacking black people, but then he talked to his neighbors and felt relieved. “Seeing solidarity through actions and marches makes you feel safer and more at home,” he said.
“We need to make a statement that we stand together,” said Rufus Linus, 60, as he retouched a mural near Harbee Liquors and Tavern on Wednesday evening. “This is our neighborhood.”
Linus, who is black and Latino, is a longtime Pilsen resident and artist. He carefully painted the words “Pilsen survived 2020” as he listened to jazz.
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A peace march was also held Wednesday evening in the neighboring town of Cicero, where South Chicago’s Adam Hollingsworth, who is black and also known as the Dreadhead Cowboy, showed up with his horse to help promote unity.
“We gotta stick together,” he said as he held a Mexican flag in a video he shared on social media. He also made an appearance Tuesday with his horse in Little Village, where he also carried a Mexican flag and spent some time with the residents.
Former mayoral candidate Ja’Mal Green also visited the Mexican-American neighborhood on Tuesday night sharing a video of a dance-off between black and Latino men.
Pulled up after curfew to Little Village to see what beef they’re talking about. Black folks had problems in their hoods & they all agree those folks who caused it must be held accountable. We got black and brown unity going to fight racist police, TOGETHER! #ForGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/T9L8rYfXHd — Ja'Mal Green (@JaymalGreen) June 3, 2020
Pastor Matt DeMateo, executive director at New Life Centers of Chicagoland, which has been working with Little Village community members to create peace in the neighborhood, shared photos of black and Latino residents engaging in dialogue.
In a statement posted to his Facebook page, DeMateo said: “We have been reminding everyone that we started this week mourning the death of George Floyd, marching and protesting with our African American brothers and sisters, and calling for justice and transformation.”
Organizers said that they will continue to seek ways to work with other community organizations and leaders to find ways to strengthen black and Latino relationships.
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“We gotta fight together,” Simpson said.
larodriguez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Mayor Lori Lightfoot denounces vigilantism in Chicago after white men patrol Bridgeport streets with

Mayor Lori Lightfoot denounces vigilantism in Chicago after white men patrol Bridgeport streets with bats

“ We ’ ve seen that end with tragic results across the country and we ’ re not about to @ @ @ @ @ here in Chicago .
If there ’ s an issue , call 911 , ” @ @ @ @ @ absolutely support neighbors being vigilant as to what ’ s going on on the streets @ @ @ @ @ taking up arms , that leads to chaos and we ’ re not supporting vigilantism @ @ @ @ @ under any circumstances .
”

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city will not tolerate vigilantism after groups of mostly white men patrolled the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night in response to a nearby city protest.
Multiple streets were blocked in the Bridgeport neighborhood Wednesday night as nearby protests dispersed. Near West Pershing Road, water gushed from an open fire hydrant as small groups gathered on corners. Some of the men held bats. One wore a shirt that said “All Lives Matter,” one sipped a beer and another waved at an officer as he drove by. Additional groups of people, some armed with bats, lined West 31st Street.
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Asked about the situation in Bridgeport, a diversifying neighborhood that served as an Irish American power base for the Daley political family, Lightfoot said, “It is absolutely not appropriate for people to take up arms, bats, pipes, whatever in patrolling neighborhoods.”
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“We’ve seen that end with tragic results across the country and we’re not about to allow that practice to happen here in Chicago. If there’s an issue, call 911,” Lightfoot said. “I absolutely support neighbors being vigilant as to what’s going on on the streets and in their blocks but taking up arms, that leads to chaos and we’re not supporting vigilantism in the city of Chicago under any circumstances.”
The situation in Bridgeport frightened and angered many residents and activists who expressed concerns about racism and violence.
Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, 11th, released a statement calling for calm.
"I support peaceful protests, demonstrations, and people's right to voice their feelings at the murder of George Floyd. We should all be upset! Our country was founded on peaceful protests," wrote Thompson, a grandson and nephew of former Chicago mayors. "The peaceful protests have unfortunately been tarnished and overtaken by outside organizations, whose primary goal is to cause harm to local businesses and neighborhoods. It is those anarchists and terrorists that were creating fear throughout our community."
The “few residents” who carried weapons “were wrong,” Thompson said, and added, “I have not, do not, and will not condone vigilante violence and intimidation.”
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
mgreene@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Chicago police car crashes into SUV, killing driver, while chasing homicide suspect

The offender ran to a gas station in the 3900 block of West Irving Park and took off in a @ @ @ @ @ left running .
Aerial footage by WGN-TV shows officers surrounding the silver Nissan and opening @ @ @ @ @ suspect was able to drive away .

A man is detained June 3, 2020, after leading Chicago police on a long chase throughout the city, then crashing a car in the 900 block of West Pershing Road. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
A Chicago police car crashed into an SUV, killing the driver, while chasing a man suspected of a homicide Wednesday night, authorities said.
The marked police car then spun into a white Hummer stopped at a red light in the 1600 block of West Irving Park Road, injuring three people inside around 8:15 p.m., police said. The two officers in the squad car were also injured. All five were reported in fair condition.
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The suspect later hit a pole and was arrested after a brief foot chase in the 800 block of West Pershing Road. The man, 22, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition.
The pursuit began shortly after 8 p.m. when Chicago police spotted a dark-colored Jeep around 115th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue that was possibly connected to a homicide and shootings in “neighboring suburbs," police said in a statement.
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Officers tried curbing the Jeep in the 9400 block of South Union Avenue, but it sped off. Police chased it to Irving Park Road and Keystone Avenue, where the Jeep was involved in a traffic crash. No one was reported injured.
The offender ran to a gas station in the 3900 block of West Irving Park and took off in a 2016 Nissan SUV that was left running. Aerial footage by WGN-TV shows officers surrounding the silver Nissan and opening the doors, but the suspect was able to drive away.
An officer walks by three vehicles, including a Chicago police squad car, that were damaged June 3, 2020, while police pursued a homicide suspect near Ashland Avenue and Irving Park Road. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
He headed east on Irving Park, and one of the police cars chasing him collided with a black Ford Explorer traveling north on Ashland Avenue. The driver, Guadalupe Francisco-Martinez, 37, was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital and pronounced dead.
The police car then hit the white Hummer. The driver, 62, and two women with him, 29 and 44, were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition.
Police said the marked squad car’s emergency lights and siren were operating.
The WGN footage shows the Nissan heading south on Outer Lake Shore Drive toward downtown. The suspect appeared to zigzag south of downtown before driving on train tracks. He crashed the SUV near Pershing Road and Morgan Street.
A helicopter hovered above the scene Wednesday night on Pershing as Chicago police and state police cars stretched down the street. Shortly after 10 p.m., after trying to run from police through a giant enclosed lot, the suspect was taken into custody.
Early Thursday, Irving Park bordering Lake View High School was taped off. A police car was destroyed, its hood crushed and the driver’s side door hanging off. Debris spread across the street. A Ford Explorer and a Hummer, also heavily damaged, stood near Ashland.
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Two SUVs that had collided blocked the exit ramp of the Kennedy Expressway near North Keystone Avenue.
Chicago police officers must follow a “balancing test” when deciding whether to give chase, pursuing only those wanted for a serious crime — such as homicide, armed robbery or kidnapping — while weighing other risk factors such as traffic volume and road conditions.
Earlier, Chicago police indicated the man was wanted for crimes in Norridge and Harwood Heights, but police there said that was not true. “I have no idea how Norridge and Harwood Heights got into this. We’ve had no contact with him at all," said Cmdr. Steve Biagi of the Harwood Heights Police Department.
The Tribune’s Morgan Greene contributed


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Navy Pier to reopen outdoor areas Wednesday, including restaurants and requiring face masks

Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner said in a statement that her not-for-profit destination , which draws almost 9 @ @ @ @ @ six-city-block structure jutting into Lake Michigan , is `` anxious to reopen our spaces and @ @ @ @ @ the Pier over the next few months as we work collectively to restore our local @ @ @

People watch the fireworks display at Navy Pier in Chicago on June 12, 2021 following Illinois and Chicago reopening completely under Phase Five. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago’s Navy Pier, one of the city’s biggest tourist draws, will begin to reopen next week after 12 weeks of COVID-19-related closure.
Parks surrounding and on the pier, the main pier walkways, outdoor restaurant spaces, and some free programs will reopen starting Wednesday, the pier announced in a press release Thursday.
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Rides in the central Pier Park and the Chicago Children’s Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater will remain closed. Parking in the pier garages, typically costly, will be free during the first phase of the destination’s reopening.
But visitors must cover their faces. “All guests over the age of two visiting Navy Pier are required to wear face masks covering the nose and mouth throughout their visit,” the pier explains on its website.
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The pier originally said that tour boats departing from the pier would begin operating next Wednesday, as well, but on Thursday afternoon a representative said it was no longer clear the boat operators would be ready to begin offering rides right away.
A representative of one of the pier boat operators, Shoreline Sightseeing, said the company plans to start offering its 75-minute Chicago River architecture tours and 40-minute Lake Michigan tours on Friday, June 12th from its Navy Pier dock. The company running the Seadog boat tours said it too will resume that day, and both will have new policies including mask wearing and smaller capacities.
Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner said in a statement that her not-for-profit destination, which draws almost 9 million guests annually to its six-city-block structure jutting into Lake Michigan, is "anxious to reopen our spaces and safely welcome guests back to the Pier over the next few months as we work collectively to restore our local economy.”
The phased re-opening plan follows a closure that began March 16 as the coronavirus pandemic hit Chicago and Illinois.
Fourth of July fireworks at Navy Pier in Chicago on Monday, July 4, 2016. Fireworks displays will not return to the pier until later in its phased reopening. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, the pier will employ new measures aimed at providing safety. These include “multiple layers of stringent cleaning and disinfecting”; signage encouraging social distancing and the employment of “Social Distancing Ambassadors”: and the requirement of face masks and pre-shift temperature screening for employees.
The number of people on the pier at any one time will be controlled, and groups of 10 or more will not be allowed, the organization said. More details are on the pier’s website.
Subsequent phases will see the reopening of some indoor spaces and the return of such cancelled features as fireworks displays and the rides. Not until the final phase will group events be allowed to return to the pier and the new hotel, The Sable at Navy Pier, be allowed to open.
The major cultural institutions, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the children’s museum, are devising their own plans for when they might be able to reopen.
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sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--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--2020-06-04--Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 5,736 deaths, 124,759 confirmed cases, 982,016 tests,  11.2% positivi

Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 5,736 deaths, 124,759 confirmed cases, 982,016 tests,  11.2% positivity rate for Northeast region

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--2020-06-04--Illinois AG Kwame Raoul among attorneys general asking Congress for broader authority to investigate

Illinois AG Kwame Raoul among attorneys general asking Congress for broader authority to investigate policing

“ Once again , our nation has been called to reckon with police brutality against black people in this country @ @ @ @ @ cause and allow this misconduct to perpetuate , ” the letter states .
“ Many @ @ @ @ @ no trust in the police , with tensions visible in the streets across this nation @ @ @ @ @ at all levels of government to remedy the injustice of police misconduct .
”

Springfield — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is leading a coalition of state legal officers in urging Congress to give them broader authority to investigate “unconstitutional policing,” his office said Thursday.
The letter to congressional leaders from Raoul and 17 other attorneys general asks for an expansion of the law enforcement misconduct section of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, enacted three years after Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles police officers.
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“Once again, our nation has been called to reckon with police brutality against black people in this country and the systemic failures that cause and allow this misconduct to perpetuate,” the letter states. “Many members of the public have no trust in the police, with tensions visible in the streets across this nation. Urgent action is necessary at all levels of government to remedy the injustice of police misconduct.”
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The attorneys general are asking for Congress to grant the authority to conduct “pattern-or-practice” investigations, to obtain data related to use of “excessive force” by law enforcement officers and to “bring appropriate actions in federal court to ensure constitutional policing in states, in particular when the federal government is unwilling or unable to act.”
The letter references the recent killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville by police officers. It also notes that former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke had 20 complaints of official misconduct against him, including use-of-force complaints, in the years before he shot and killed black teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014.
In the letter, the attorneys general state that the U.S. Department of Justice initiated 69 pattern-or-practice investigations between 1994 and 2017, resulting in 40 court-enforceable consent decrees.
“Since 2017, US DOJ has largely curtailed the ability of federal law enforcement to use court-enforced agreements to reform local police departments accused of abuses, taking the position that responsibility to oversee local law enforcement belonged to states and localities,” the letter states. “… This shift has led to a precipitous decline in US DOJ’s work to reform police misconduct.”
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Watch live: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot gives an update with police and COPA

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will hold a news conference with officials from the Chicago Police Department and the Civilian Office @ @ @ @ @ briefing scheduled for 1 pm.. Get the latest here .

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chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Column: ‘My Country 'Tis of Me’: A New TrumPoem

This is the latest in my occasional series of poems chronicling the presidency of Donald Trump , based , as @ @ @ @ @ words and acts .

President Donald Trump holds a Bible outside St. John's Church, across Lafayette Park from the White House, on June 1, 2020. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
This is the latest in my occasional series of poems chronicling the presidency of Donald Trump, based, as always, on his own words and acts.
LET US PRAY
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I am a very holy man
A humble man of prayer
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And so I made a show of faith
To show how much I care.
.
I strode across a plaza
In our capital, D.C.,
While quietly I hummed a tune:
“My country 'tis of me!”
.
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I wanted a great photo
With the Good Book in my hand
To prove that I’m the leader
Of this mighty, Christian land.
.
Regrettably, some protests
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Had been going on that day
The country’s wild with chaos!
And some thugs were in my way.
.
They cluttered up the plaza
While they talked of George Floyd
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(God rest his soul, a tragedy)
So force must be deployed.
.
I won’t support this evil!
I don’t mean some racist cop
I mean those nut protesters
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Who would wreck my photo op.
.
But let us pause here, dear ones, for a little background …
.
So many battles raging
I can hardly bear the pain —
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At first came the pandemic
And it crushed the market’s gain
.
The market was my ticket
To another great four years
But then this epidemic
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Planted economic fears.
.
A hundred thousand people dead?
That’s what the experts state
But don’t believe the scientists
They lie, mislead, inflate.
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.
Then just when I saw vict’ry —
We were getting back to work!
The anarchists erupted —
How those lefties love to shirk.
.
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A white cop killed a black man
It was very, very sad
But all these crazy protests
Have been very, very bad.
.
Protests, protests everywhere
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Antifa’s left-wing mob!
While I, your pious president,
Just want to do my job.
.
In New York and Chicago —
All those swamps with liberal guvs —
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They’ve marched and screamed and looted
So I took off both my gloves.
.
There’s just one way to beat these thugs
To overwhelm their hate
You’ve got to send the soldiers in!
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You’ve got to DOMINATE!
.
Some say that I’m the looter,
Me and all the GOP
For handing over trillions
To the wealthy just like me.
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.
Not true! We’re lords of capital!
Not criminals and thugs
Not like those lowly looters
That I’ve vowed to crush like bugs.
.
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Some say they want more “healing” words
Dear Lord, that’s not my style
Leave that to wimp Obama
I will win by being vile.
.
Thank God I’ve got my bunker
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I deserve a calm retreat
A safe space from the media
A quiet place to tweet.
.
But, Lordy, Twitter’s trouble
It’s a pit of lies and strife
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Folks dissed me just for saying
That Joe Whozit killed his wife.
.
They said that I was lying
When I questioned vote by mail
Now Snapchat won’t promote me?
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Well, those platforms are a fail!
.
Sigh. Back to my story about the plaza …
.
Not far from my great White House
Is the Church of Presidents
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A very pretty backdrop
For a president’s offense.
.
And so the other evening
I sent out a small request
Just rout those lefties from the park
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So I could look my best.
.
The cops took out their tear gas
Rubber bullets blitzed the air
And then I took a kingly stroll
Across the quiet square.
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.
Ivanka plucked a Bible
From her cool Max Mara purse
(I pray, Dear Lord, don’t ask me
To recite my favorite verse.)
.
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I held it for the cameras, Lord,
And hoped that I’d be saved
From all the loathsome Democrats
Who say that I’m depraved.
.
Some clergy types objected
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Said I didn’t even pray!
But if I had, I’d bow my head
And this is what I’d say:
.
Dear Lord, please help the markets
Make them very, very strong
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And render your harsh justice
To the folks who’ve done me wrong
Jim Mattis — what a loser
And Joe Biden — such a creep
Pelosi — still a nitwit
And George Bush is a big (bleep).
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Protect me from the Democrats
Protect me from the polls
Protect my business assets and
Protect me from the trolls.
.
Oh, by the way, I got my wall!
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A new fence at my house!
To shield me from reality
And all the folks who grouse.
.
And, lastly, Lord, I must confess
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That chaos is my game
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It gives me what I need the most:
The world to say my name
.
Amen.
mschmich@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MarySchmich


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--3 teens crash stolen car into house along Sheridan Road in north suburb, police say

Two of the teens had to be extricated from the Impala by firefighters ; the third was able to crawl @ @ @ @ @ They were taken to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan with what authorities said were @ @ @ @ @ .

Three teenagers were inside a stolen car that crashed into a house in north suburban Beach Park just before 3 a.m. Thursday, police said.
The home on Sheridan Road sustained “major damage,” but no one inside was injured, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office, whose deputies responded.
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Police said the male occupants of the 2008 Chevrolet Impala — a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old from Zion and a 14-year-old from Beach Park — were heading south on Sheridan when the car left the road for unknown reasons.
Two of the teens had to be extricated from the Impala by firefighters; the third was able to crawl out from the wreckage. They were taken to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan with what authorities said were injuries that were not life-threatening.
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Lake County officials said the incident remains under investigation and that criminal charges are pending. They gave no details on how the car was allegedly stolen, but said police from Kenosha, Wisconsin, arrived at the scene to process the vehicle for evidence.


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Gun charges filed against man coming out of looted store on Far South Side, feds say

Adam Walton , 40 , was charged Wednesday with being a felon in possession of a handgun .
According to @ @ @ @ @ police officers were in the area of 117th Street and South Marshfield Avenue shortly after @ @ @ @ @ Walton coming out of a store that had been broken into .

Three new federal gun cases have been brought stemming from the weekend unrest in Chicago, including against an eight-time felon arrested early Monday coming out of a looted store on Chicago’s Far South Side.
Eight people are now facing charges in U.S. District Court stemming from the chaos and looting that struck the city after the police-involved homicide of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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Adam Walton, 40, was charged Wednesday with being a felon in possession of a handgun. According to a criminal complaint, Chicago police officers were in the area of 117th Street and South Marshfield Avenue shortly after midnight Monday when they saw Walton coming out of a store that had been broken into.
Walton tried to get into a Honda in the parking lot but ran when he saw the officers, according to the six-page complaint.
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When he returned later to retrieve the car, Walton told officers there was a gun inside the vehicle. “I know I shouldn’t have a gun,” Walton allegedly told police. “I’m on parole for a gun.”
Officers found a Walther P22 semi-automatic pistol in the car’s center console, according to the complaint. The serial number on the weapon had been defaced.
Walton, of the 7100 block of South Yale Avenue, was on parole for a 2016 conviction in Cook County of being a felon in possession of a handgun, records show.
His criminal history, which dates to 1997, includes numerous convictions for marijuana trafficking, records show.
On Thursday, federal charges were unsealed against Johnnie Lee, a four-time felon accused of speeding from officers who approached his car at Belmont and Southport avenues after the mayor’s emergency curfew was imposed Saturday night.
After Lee’s car crashed at the intersection, police said they found a .380 caliber handgun on the floor of the car.
Lee allegedly told the officers the gun was his and he carried it “for protection,” according to the complaint.
Lee’s criminal convictions are all drug-related, records show.
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Also Thursday, a criminal complaint charged Jeremiah J. Scott with being a felon in possession of a handgun. Scott was arrested for disorderly conduct at 6 p.m. Sunday after police said he tried to tackle an officer during the looting of a West Side liquor store.
During the struggle, Scott was found to be carrying a loaded handgun with an extended magazine near his “groin area,” according to the complaint.
Scott, 21, of Oak Park, has a 2018 conviction in Cook County for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon for which he was sentenced to two years probation, records show.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--EPA orders Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling anti-coronavirus products with impermissibl

EPA orders Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling anti-coronavirus products with impermissible claims

The company made false or misleading claims on its website that the products could be used to sterilize a facility @ @ @ @ @ did not indicate they could be used for that purpose , the EPA said .
@ @ @ @ @ products “ safe ” and “ not poisonous , ” though their federally required labels @ @ @ @ @ poison ” and “ harmful if swallowed , absorbed through the skin or inhaled , @ @ @ @ @ .

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it has ordered a Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling and distributing products that made impermissible claims about their effectiveness against COVID-19.
PureLine Treatment Systems, which markets its products to schools, homes, athletic centers and health care facilities, said some of its products protect against viruses, including the one that causes COVID-19, but did not get approval from the EPA to make those claims, the agency said in a statement.
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The company made false or misleading claims on its website that the products could be used to sterilize a facility, when their approved labeling did not indicate they could be used for that purpose, the EPA said. The website also called the products “safe” and “not poisonous,” though their federally required labels included language such as “poison” and “harmful if swallowed, absorbed through the skin or inhaled,” according to the agency.
The company’s website was down Thursday afternoon.
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The EPA also said PureLine claimed one of its products could be used to sterilize N95 masks and that the process had gotten federal approval, when it was actually not registered for that use.
PureLine manager Bob Sullivan said the company mistakenly believed it was allowed to make the claims. The chemical it specializes in, chlorine dioxide, is used in other companies’ products that have gotten federal approval as COVID-19 disinfectants, and Sullivan said PureLine would go through the steps to get the proper registration.
“Our expectation is that our (products) … should easily be able to kill COVID,” he said. “But we can’t state that yet until we do the studies required by the EPA.”
An EPA spokesperson said only one of the PureLine products at issue contains chlorine dioxide as an active ingredient, and that the company will have to provide proof that the products work as advertised.
“Without efficacy data demonstrating that the claims are accurate, the language used on the website could mislead the public regarding the products’ safety and effectiveness against the virus that causes COVID-19,” the spokesperson said in an email.


chicagotribune--2020-06-03--Celebrating Pride Month without parades, fests and bar-hopping

It looks really different just in terms of I ’ m not going to be surrounded by community in the @ @ @ @ @ the annual traditions like Dyke March , for example , aren ’ t happening this @ @ @ @ @ ve seen a lot of people coming up with creative ways ( to respond ) @ @ @ @ @ fundraising to create a mutual aid fund right now , even though they can ’ @ @ @ @ @ march and rally .
So yeah , I ’ m really proud of the ways @ @ @ @ @ organized around this moment , and been able to prioritize what ’ s been needed @ @ @ @ @ really impressed by the work of Brave Space Alliance on the South Side , and @ @ @ @ @ ve organized a food pantry and provided shelter to protesters .
Some of the most @ @ @ @ @ food , having shelter , having a ride home , those are the things that @ @ @ @ @ struggling with right now .

It’s a family reunion for LGBTQ Chicago.
It’s a citywide celebration that draws 1 million people into streets transformed by music and laughter, pink hair and washboard abs, rainbow flags and feather headdresses.
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It’s a chance to celebrate who you are, loudly and proudly, at teeming festivals and boisterous bars.
However you define Pride Month, the June celebration of LGBTQ identity and activism will be very different this year, with many of its signature events gone, diminished or transformed due to social distancing restrictions made necessary by COVID-19.
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“It’s kind of heartbreaking because a lot of people use this time to be free,” said Tyrone Landingham, 29, a registered nurse who would typically be enjoying a Pride Month reunion with out-of-town friends.
The 51-year-old Pride Parade, one of Chicago’s largest public celebrations, is a particularly big loss. Never canceled before, it is now officially postponed until the fall, organizers say, and may not be held this year at all.
Veteran Chicago LGBTQ activist Gary Chichester had hoped to carry a flag from the 1971 parade in this year’s celebration.
Chicago Pride Parade coordinator Tim Frye, 77, had been looking forward to honoring the memory of his late husband, Richard Pfeiffer, who ran the parade for more than 40 years before dying of cancer in October.
“I came out in the second parade,” Frye said. “Richard came out in the first. And in the days of email, we used to get emails from little towns all over the Midwest. I grew up in a small town in Indiana, and I got a phone call — this was a long time ago — from an even smaller town, 10 miles from where I grew up, and they wanted to know when the parade was because it was ‘their day.’”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 49 Gay Liberation Front members march through Bughouse Square (now Washington Square Park) on their way to a rally at the Civic Center (now Daley Plaza) on June 27, 1970, as part of the city’s first Gay Pride Week. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)
But if there’s disappointment, there’s also a surge of energy and excitement with the feisty Pinta Pride Project in suburban Buffalo Grove pivoting to a Pride Drive, in which residents decorate their houses with flags, ornaments and banners, and invite spectators to drive by and see the DIY splendor.
H. Melt, a Chicago poet who is transgender and uses they/them pronouns, said they are proud that Dyke March has created a mutual aid fund for those affected by COVID-19 and its fallout, and that Brave Space Alliance has organized a food pantry.
H. Melt sees such developments as a return to Pride Month’s activist roots. America’s Pride parades were born of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, when LGBTQ New Yorkers, including transgender people of color, protested government-sanctioned police raids on gay bars.
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“I think that (Pride Month) energy has been redirected in really beautiful ways,” said H. Melt.
[ 30 key moments in Chicago’s LGBTQ history, from Jane Addams to Lori Lightfoot ]
There are also virtual parades and get-togethers, such as Virtual Chicago Pride Fest, and some Chicagoans are hosting small gatherings with friends. Cultural resources include the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives website, which is releasing newly digitized videos of Chicago Pride Parades and rallies dating to 1970.
“Pride isn’t just a parade — it’s something in your head,” said Chichester. “When you’re proud of yourself, you can accept yourself. I think that’s really one of the most important things about the celebration of Pride: to be able to accept yourself.”
The Tribune spoke to five LGBTQ Chicagoans from different backgrounds and perspectives about this unprecedented Pride Month. The following interviews were edited for brevity and clarity.
Molly Pinta, who is bisexual, is a co-founder of the Pinta Pride Project in Buffalo Grove. She is 14.
What does Pride Month mean to you?
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Pride is a time when I can celebrate my identity without limits or judgment. When I go to Pride events, you can dress however you want or act however you want, and people won’t judge you for your identity.
What will you miss most this year?
Seeing all the people. At the (Buffalo Grove Pride) Parade‚ you can look into the crowd and see hundreds of people wearing rainbow outfits and all different colors and smiling faces, but you won’t really be able to see that.
How else will you be celebrating?
This year we will be doing a Pride celebration, but of course different. It’s going to be a kind of reverse parade. There will be houses that will be decorated, and people can drive through the streets in their cars, so there’s no risk of passing along COVID. People will be giving out rainbow accessories and things like that (without contact). There will be drag queens and music and a Santa that people can enjoy from the safety of their cars.
Marchers carry colorful balloons June 30, 2019, at the 50th Chicago Pride Parade. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Tim Frye, who is gay, is coordinator of the Chicago Pride Parade. He is 77.
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What does Pride Month mean to you?
My whole idea — and I think this applies to Pride Month as well as the parade itself — is that I’ve always done it for that one person that comes and says, “Oh boy, I’m not alone.” That to me is the most important thing of all. I hope there’s more than one (person who says that), but one will do. If we could change one person’s life with the parade, that was great.
Tell me about the 1972 parade.
I was standing and watching it, and it was like, “Shazam!” I guess you could say. I came home and I came out to an old friend I was sharing an apartment with. He didn’t fall on the floor and faint. It was like, “OK, good for you.” And back in 1972, that was kind of extraordinary.
What did you feel during the “Shazam” moment?
Relief more than anything. You see other people, and you know they’re your family. You’re not from Mars. When I was in high school, I felt like I landed from Mars and nobody else could possibly know (how I felt). Suddenly you feel like you’re part of something, and it makes a huge difference.
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What will you miss most this year?
Oh, I was with (my husband) Richard (Pfeiffer) for 48 years, and he is who I will miss most. He did the Pride Parade. He was the coordinator for most of the years we were together (and died of cancer in October). Other than that, I’ll miss the excitement of the parade and when it starts. You always get — I don’t know — a bit of a shiver.
H. Melt, at Women & Children First, in October 2019. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
H. Melt, 29, is a Chicago poet. They are transgender and gender nonconforming.
What does Pride Month mean to you?
One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is that while the Pride Parade is (postponed) and corporate Pride is canceled, there are so many things going on at this moment that really connect to queer history. The reason that the Pride Parade even exists is in response to Stonewall and police harassment and police brutality (toward) queer and trans folks, and (toward) black queer and trans folks in their own spaces. Some of the issues that are (now) affecting the most vulnerable folks in the queer and trans community are police brutality and imprisonment. Just remembering Pride as resistance, especially as a white queer person supporting black and brown movements for liberation, is really important.
Is Pride Month different for you this year?
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It looks really different just in terms of I’m not going to be surrounded by community in the same way. Some of the annual traditions like Dyke March, for example, aren’t happening this year. But I’ve seen a lot of people coming up with creative ways (to respond). Dyke March is doing fundraising to create a mutual aid fund right now, even though they can’t physically have their annual march and rally. So yeah, I’m really proud of the ways that the queer community has organized around this moment, and been able to prioritize what’s been needed. I’ve been really impressed by the work of Brave Space Alliance on the South Side, and the ways that they’ve organized a food pantry and provided shelter to protesters. Some of the most essential needs, like having food, having shelter, having a ride home, those are the things that a lot of people are struggling with right now.
Tyrone Landingham (Michael McGee)
Tyrone Landingham, 29, is gay and a registered nurse in Chicago.
What does Pride Month mean to you?
For me, it’s really just freedom to express yourself, whatever that means to you. To just really let your hair down and be free.
Will it be different this year?
Absolutely, there’s usually lots of activities going on during the entire month, and now with bars being closed and party promoters not being able to host events, (those are gone). My friends from undergrad normally fly in, or I fly to them during these times. It’s somewhat of a reunion for us. We’re all living our adult lives, and we don’t always get together and hang out and celebrate one another. We kind of use these times to do that, in spaces where we can be free.
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What will you be doing this year?
I’ll definitely spend time with my friends who are here. And maybe we’ll do something creative, like have a margarita contest: Who can make the best margarita? We can just get a colorful array of margaritas and have a margarita party.
Gary Chichester was planning on marching in the 2020 Chicago Pride Parade with a flag from the 1971 parade. He is shown here speaking at the 2013 Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Rick Aguilar / HANDOUT)
Gary Chichester, 73, is a former co-chair of The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. He is gay.
What does Pride Month mean to you?
I go way back. I was involved in the first Pride March in 1970, and I then became president of the Chicago Gay Alliance and we basically did the first Pride Parade (the next year). My signature was on the first Streets and Sanitation permit for the parade. I’ve just seen it grow and grow over the years, and this isn’t our first pandemic. The AIDS pandemic back in the early 1980s, back then it was a death sentence; now it’s not. So it’s great to see people come out. When you see the suicide risk among (LGBTQ) kids because they feel like they’re lost, Pride is one way of showing them that they’re not the only ones in the world, and they can see people they can look up to.
Will it be different this year?
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Well there are some things going on (virtually). So I’m looking forward to sitting down in my own little home, maybe with a glass of wine — maybe Champagne, who knows — and watching. Being a person of a certain age, I’ve kind of done it all. (Laughs.) I’ve celebrated Pride in New York and LA, Chicago. I’ve even found myself in Ephesus (Turkey) one year for Pride, and I had my little rainbow flag with me. I’m surprised I didn’t get arrested, but I marched down the main street in Ephesus in my own little Pride Parade. In all the thousands of years of Ephesus, I think that’s the first Pride Parade they’ve had.
What will you be doing this year?
Because I have so many images of past parades, every day in June I’m going to make a post of a favorite Pride photo, and I’m encouraging everyone to do the same thing and just take over Facebook and the various social media with images of Pride.
nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com