chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened on Aug. 27 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said many questions remain about the Postal Service ’ s actions , whether the changes @ @ @ @ @ sorting equipment are being reversed , and whether mail delays will continue .
He noted @ @ @ @ @ just about the timely delivery of mail-in ballots , but also about the delivery of @ @ @ @ @ and other items people depend on .

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Six months into the pandemic, there is talk of reexamining the 6 feet social distancing guideline.
The BMJ released a report on Tuesday arguing 6 feet is only a minimum for safe social distancing. Instead of one official distance, researchers suggested a graded recommendation depending on factors including whether someone is singing versus talking or interacting indoors or outdoors.
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Dr. Emily Landon, executive medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medicine, said the paper could be a helpful resource. “I think this is a great chart that sort of gives you an understanding of why we have to keep the 6 feet (rule),” Landon said.
On Thursday, the state Department of Public Health announced 1,707 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 24 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 227,334 cases, including 7,977 deaths.
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State-imposed restrictions, including a ban on indoor dining, went into effect Wednesday in Will and Kankakee counties. Less stringent measures have been in place for a week in Metro East, in southern Illinois.
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7 p.m.: U. of I. performs record number of COVID-19 tests in a day — and the next day hits record for number of positive results
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been touting its quick-results saliva test for COVID-19 – and the first days of classes are proving to be a test of the test.
The school reported a record 17,656 tests performed on Monday, the first day of classes. On Tuesday, however, 120 positive results were identified from 15,850 new tests, the highest number found in a single day since the testing program launched in early July.
Because of high demand, the U of I now says results are taking up to 48 hours, rather than being available on the same day as testing. But the school has adjusted its procedures to try to lessen delays and address a relatively high percentage of invalid or inconclusive results.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
6:40 p.m.: New federal COVID-19 testing guidelines have sparked alarm, confusion. But Illinois isn’t adopting them, and Pritzker says Trump is playing politics.
A controversial change to national COVID-19 testing guidelines earlier this week has sparked confusion and alarm across the country — but Illinois leaders have denounced the new recommendations, saying they won’t be adopted locally.
The federal guidance now says people don’t necessarily need to get tested for COVID-19 if they’ve been in close contact with an infected person but have no symptoms, according to a revision to testing guidelines posted Monday on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
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Previously, the CDC had recommended local health agencies test anyone who had been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker criticized the new guidelines as well as President Donald Trump, arguing both were motivated by politics and not science or public health.
“We know that asymptomatic spread is a very real concern and we need everyone who comes into contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 to get tested,” he said in an email. “I know the President doesn’t believe in science and would like to ignore this pandemic, but it’s the job of our medical institutions to uphold science and provide straightforward public health guidance, not bow to political pressure.”
Read more here. —Angie Leventis Lourgos
4:45 p.m.: United Airlines will furlough 2,850 pilots this fall as it faces a sharp decline in travel because of the coronavirus pandemic.
While Chicago-based United still hopes furloughs can be avoided if the federal government gives airlines additional funding to help cover labor costs, “we need to prepare and plan for the future should an extension not be granted,” Bryan Quigley, senior vice president of flight operations, said in a message to pilots Thursday.
Airlines received billions in financial assistance through the federal coronavirus aid package this spring, and in exchange agreed to avoid layoffs before Oct. 1. Though airlines, including United, encouraged employees to retire early or volunteer for leaves of absence, some say they have not been able to avoid involuntary cuts.
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Nearly 1,750 of United’s 13,000 pilots will be furloughed indefinitely Oct. 1 with the opportunity to come back if business allows, according to the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents United’s pilots. Another 572 will be furloughed at the end of October and 531 on Nov. 30.
About 450 pilots opted for the early out program, a form of early retirement that allows them to receive reduced pay for a limited time period until they fully retire, according to the pilots’ union.
“Our ongoing efforts on Capitol Hill, and with management, have never let up and are made more urgent with today’s announcement,” union leaders said in a memo to pilots Thursday
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
4:10 p.m.: Pelosi, White House talks over stalled COVID-19 relief package, but no deal in sight
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows resumed talks Thursday over a stalled COVID-19 aid package, but the outlook for any swift resolution appeared bleak as President Donald Trump’s team and congressional Democrats have been unable to agree on a compromise.
Pelosi said she told Meadows the Democrats would be willing to meet halfway — at $2.2 trillion — a slight reduction from her last proposal before talks collapsed earlier this month. The White House, which has stuck with its initial $1 trillion offer, had no immediate response.
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Read more here. —Associated Press
1:22 p.m.: As COVID-19 rages, US economy is struggling to sustain a recovery
Home sales are booming. Stocks are setting record highs. Industrial production is clambering out of the ditch it fell into early this year.
And yet the U.S. economy is nowhere close to regaining the health it achieved, with low unemployment, free-spending consumers and booming travel, before the coronavirus paralyzed the country in March. Not while the viral outbreak still rages and Congress remains deadlocked over providing more relief to tens of millions of people thrown out of work and to state and local governments whose revenue has withered.
Every week, roughly 1 million new Americans are applying for unemployment benefits — a depth of job insecurity not seen in any single week during the depths of the 2007-2009 Great Recession.
Read more here. —Associated Press
12:15 p.m.: 1,707 new known COVID-19 cases, 24 additional deaths
The Department of Public Health on Thursday announced 1,707 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 24 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 227,334 cases, including 7,977 deaths.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
12:05 p.m.: Indiana official advises voters to go early to polls as state adjusts to COVID-19 pandemic
Indiana is expecting as many as 1.3 to 1.8 million mail-in ballots for the November election, Secretary of State Connie Lawson said Wednesday. So far, it has gotten 99,000 absentee ballot requests, compared to 53,000 in 2016, she said.
The U.S. Postal Service is helping local counties to design specialized envelopes, Lawson said. They are working to help prioritize applications and ballots, she said.
“My sage advice would be don’t wait,” Lawson said.
Recommended mailing deadlines are Oct. 19 for absentee ballot applications and Oct. 27 for completed ballots to mail back to the county, she said.
Read more here. —Post-Tribune
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10:30 a.m.: A new report said 6 feet may not be enough for social distance. Here’s what local doctors said.
Six months into the pandemic, there is talk of reexamining the 6 feet social distancing guideline.
The BMJ released a report on Tuesday arguing 6 feet is only a minimum for safe social distancing. Instead of one official distance, researchers suggested a graded recommendation depending on factors including whether someone is singing versus talking or interacting indoors or outdoors.
Dr. Emily Landon, executive medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medicine, said the paper could be a helpful resource. “I think this is a great chart that sort of gives you an understanding of why we have to keep the 6 feet (rule),” Landon said.
She explained that COVID-19 is a virus spread through droplets, which don’t usually travel past 6 feet. Although it is detected in aerosols, like coughing or sneezing, it’s still unclear how much transmission is driven by those methods. Researchers created a chart within the report by which people can gauge the level of risk for indoor or outdoor gatherings, and whether someone is wearing a mask. Landon said the report could be helpful for people to calculate risk factors, like how many people are in a room and how far away we stand from one another.
Read more here. —Milan Polk
10:10 a.m.: Abbott to hire 2,000 temporary workers in Gurnee to help make COVID-19 tests
Abbott Laboratories plans to hire 2,000 temporary workers at its Gurnee facility to help make a new, rapid COVID-19 antigen test.
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Many of the positions will not require technical experience and can be filled by workers who can be trained on the job. North suburban-based Abbott did not immediately respond to a question about how long it would need the temporary workers but said in a news release that they’ll be in place for the “foreseeable future.”
The test, which was granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Wednesday, will cost $5 and provide results in 15 minutes. Abbott said it plans to ship tens of millions of the tests in September and expects to ramp that up to 50 million tests a month in early October.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
8:19 a.m.: US jobless claims drop again, but still over 1 million; Illinois unemployment filings rise
Just over 1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the coronavirus outbreak continues to threaten jobs even as the housing market, auto sales and other segments of the economy rebound from a springtime collapse.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of people seeking jobless aid last week dropped by 98,000 from 1.1 million the week before.
Illinois bucked the national trend, reporting the first increase in weekly unemployment claims in many weeks.
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For the week ended Aug. 22, 25,333 people in Illinois filed initial claims for jobless benefits, an increase of almost 3,000 claims from the preceding week.
Nationwide, the number of initial claims has exceeded 1 million every week but one since late March, an unprecedented streak. Before the coronavirus pandemic, they had never topped 700,000 in a week.
Read more here. —Associated Press
7:30 a.m.: Notre Dame hikes security after quarantined students balk
The University of Notre Dame has added security personnel at its COVID-19 quarantine and isolation sites after students were observed leaving the off-campus apartments and hotels in violation of safety protocols, officials said Wednesday.
Notre Dame provides secured rooms off-campus to isolate students who test positive for coronavirus and quarantine those who’ve had close contact with them or are awaiting test results.
University spokesman Dennis Brown told the South Bend Tribune that students under quarantine or isolation agreed to a code of conduct requiring them to remain in their designated rooms. Brown says the university has contracted with two security services to provide eight people to monitor the sites around the clock. He says students who don’t adhere to the code of conduct will face sanctions that could include dismissal.
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In-person classes for Notre Dame’s 12,000 students began Aug. 10. Eight days into the semester the university moved classes online for two weeks after confirmed COVID-19 cases spiked. The university on Wednesday reported 496 cases.
—Associated Press
7 a.m.: Disneyland ready to open as soon as state gives the OK
Disneyland is ready to let the magic begin anew. All it needs is a go-ahead from California officials.
The head of Disney’s theme parks said Disneyland is ready to open once California releases its health and safety guidelines for theme parks, a move that’s been hampered by a more full retreat of cases of the coronavirus.
“As soon as a date and those guidelines are set, I can tell you, we’re ready,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks, products and experiences unit, told Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association trade group on Tuesday.
But the time could be getting close: Orange County, where Disneyland resides, was removed on Sunday from a list of counties on California’s monitoring list for coronavirus.
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Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has been fully open since July 15, after closing for nearly four months.
—USA Today
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Wednesday about COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-08-27--United Airlines plans to furlough 2,850 pilots after Oct. 1 unless it gets federal relief

Earlier this week , American Airlines said it will have 40,000 fewer workers this fall , including about 19,000 who @ @ @ @ @ off .
The airline said 23,500 took buyouts , retired early , or volunteered for @ @ @ @ @ but it wasn ’ t enough to avoid cuts without more federal aid .

Terminal 1 at O'Hare International Airport is pictured on July 8, 2020, in Chicago. United Airlines is warning of pilot furloughs unless it receives more federal aid. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
United Airlines will furlough 2,850 pilots this fall as it faces a sharp decline in travel because of the coronavirus pandemic.
While Chicago-based United still hopes furloughs can be avoided if the federal government gives airlines additional funding to help cover labor costs, “we need to prepare and plan for the future should an extension not be granted,” Bryan Quigley, senior vice president of flight operations, said in a message to pilots Thursday.
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Airlines received billions in financial assistance through the federal coronavirus aid package this spring, and in exchange agreed to avoid layoffs before Oct. 1. Though airlines, including United, encouraged employees to retire early or volunteer for leaves of absence, some say they have not been able to avoid involuntary cuts.
Nearly 1,750 of United’s 13,000 pilots will be furloughed indefinitely Oct. 1 with the opportunity to come back if business allows, according to the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents United’s pilots. Another 572 will be furloughed at the end of October and 531 on Nov. 30.
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About 450 pilots opted for the early out program, a form of early retirement that allows them to receive reduced pay for a limited time period until they fully retire, according to the pilots’ union.
“Our ongoing efforts on Capitol Hill, and with management, have never let up and are made more urgent with today’s announcement,” union leaders said in a memo to pilots Thursday.
United has not said how many other employees will face involuntary furloughs, but warned 36,000 their jobs were at risk earlier this summer. Only 2,250 pilots got layoff warnings at the time.
U.S. air travel remains down roughly 70% from where it was a year ago, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
Earlier this week, American Airlines said it will have 40,000 fewer workers this fall, including about 19,000 who were involuntarily furloughed or laid off. The airline said 23,500 took buyouts, retired early, or volunteered for a leave of absence, but it wasn’t enough to avoid cuts without more federal aid.
Delta Air Lines also said it will furlough 1,941 pilots in October unless it can reach an agreement with the union to reduce costs.
Southwest Airlines said last month that it expects to avoid furloughs or layoffs through the end of the year after 16,900 employees took voluntary extended time off or left the company, but “will continue to plan for multiple weak scenarios and maintain our preparedness.”
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Kenosha chief defends cops’ action in letting Kyle Rittenhouse leave scene of deadly shooting; handc

Kenosha chief defends cops’ action in letting Kyle Rittenhouse leave scene of deadly shooting; handcuffs taken off Jacob Blake

“ I can ’ t even cash my check because I can ’ t go into ( the bank ) @ @ @ @ @ , who has lived in the neighborhood most of his life .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ Half of us don ’ t have cars , half of us have to walk @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re messed up while ( arsonists and looters ) are living their lives @ @ @ @ @ about , ‘ Oh , we went to Kenosha and burned down their stores .
@ @

Dan Hinkel, John Keilman, Stacy St. Clair, Genevieve Bookwalter

From left, Matt Muchowski, Vance Wyatt, and Donald Blake hold signs outside the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Sept. 25, 2020. Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of killing two protesters days after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., faces a hearing to return him to Wisconsin to face trial on homicide charges that could put him in prison for life. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Authorities in Wisconsin on Friday uncuffed a paralyzed Jacob Blake from his hospital bed and attempted to explain how an officer fired seven bullets into the 29-year-old Black man’s back but then days later other police let a white teenager walk past as bystanders shouted that he had shot people.
The developments came as a Lake County judge allowed Kyle Rittenhouse — the 17-year-old from Antioch charged with killing two people and wounding another at violent demonstrations in Kenosha over Blake’s shooting — to remain in Illinois for at least another month as his family arranges legal help.. Meanwhile, he’s getting support in some conservative circles, and a pro-gun organization has announced plans to raise money for a legal defense fund.
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On Friday afternoon, Patrick Cafferty, an attorney for Blake, said the handcuffs that had attached him to the bed were removed, and law enforcement officers left his Wisconsin hospital room after someone posted a $500 bond and warrants against him in a prior case in Kenosha County were vacated. Blake’s family and lawyers have said he is paralyzed from the waist down, and the use of restraints had sparked outrage, including condemnation from Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.
Meanwhile, Kenosha police Chief Daniel Miskinis on Friday defended police after they allowed Rittenhouse to leave the scene of Tuesday’s shooting in the city wracked by property destruction and fires, even though video showed the teen was armed with a rifle and had his hands up.
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“There were a lot of people in the area, a lot of people with weapons, and unfortunately, a lot of gunfire,” Miskinis said at a news conference. “What the officers were ... driving into was a shots-fired complaint, not a shooting, not a person-down complaint. We have had many of those over the course of this unfortunate event.
“We have armed individuals out protesting, or counterprotesting, or simply walking around exercising their right, (who) will put their hands up,” Miskinis said. “It might have been abnormal two weeks ago. It’s no longer abnormal. There’s nothing to suggest this individual was involved in criminal behavior.”
Earlier on Friday, Lake County Judge Paul Novak granted a 30-day continuance during a brief online status hearing on Rittenhouse’s potential extradition to Kenosha County. His next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25.
Kenosha County prosecutors on Thursday evening filed charges accusing Rittenhouse of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and several other counts. If convicted of the first-degree intentional homicide charge as an adult, Rittenhouse could face a life sentence.
Kyle Rittenhouse, left, with backward cap, walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020, with another armed civilian. (Adam Rogan/The Journal Times)
Rittenhouse is accused of shooting the three men Tuesday night as numerous civilians armed with rifles inserted themselves into violent demonstrations that raged for three nights in Kenosha. The protests, clashes with police and fires followed the shooting of Blake, who according to a video appeared to have had his back turned to the cop who fired.
Rittenhouse was arrested as a fugitive Wednesday in Lake County, where he is being held without bail. He is charged in Wisconsin as an adult.
Rittenhouse’s case immediately became a popular cause in conservative circles, where pundits began defending the teenager before he had even been charged. At least two defense funds have been launched in his name in recent days, though it’s unclear if the Rittenhouse family supports either of those efforts.
On Friday evening, John M. Pierce, an attorney whose firm has represented associates of President Donald Trump, according to Reuters, said in a news release he would handle Rittenhouse’s case alongside other lawyers. As of Friday night, court records did not appear to show that the teen was formally represented by a private lawyer. Pierce’s statement says Rittenhouse was defending himself when “he exercised his God-given, Constitutional, common law and statutory law right to self-defense.”
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The news release said the legal defense would be funded by a foundation created by Pierce and another lawyer.
Second Amendment organizations also have offered support for Rittenhouse, including one Colorado-based group that has launched another defense fund for him.
National Foundation for Gun Rights Executive Director Dudley Brown told the Tribune the organization has not spoken with Rittenhouse’s family and has not had any direct conversations with his lawyers, but it decided to get involved because it wanted to take a stand against the “chaos” happening in cities across the country. Brown acknowledged Rittenhouse’s case “isn’t perfect,” but he said the defendant has a strong self-defense claim because, he believes, the people Rittenhouse shot pursued him first.
Volunteers, including Kyle Rittenhouse, facing the camera, clean graffiti from a high school following a night of unrest on Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha. Rittenhouse has been charged with shooting and killing two men during violent demonstrations the night this photo was taken. (Scott Olson/Getty)
“I don’t think there are many people in America who wouldn’t have felt threatened if you were in that spot with Kyle there,” Brown said.
[ What we know so far about Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of murder after fatal Kenosha protest shootings ]
Numerous video clips posted online appear to show Rittenhouse at the scene Tuesday night, including several that show shootings and their aftermaths. The videos also indicated that he approached police before the shootings despite being out past curfew and a year too young to carry a gun openly in Wisconsin.
Prosecutors wrote that video showed Rittenhouse, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, running across a parking lot, trailed by Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha.
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Video showed Rosenbaum, apparently unarmed, seemingly throwing something at Rittenhouse and missing him, and investigators later determined it was a plastic bag, prosecutors wrote. Prosecutors wrote that a witness told police that “as the defendant was walking, Rosenbaum was trying to get closer to the defendant” and Rittenhouse ran.
Several loud bangs were heard as the men were close together and Rosenbaum fell, prosecutors said. The witness told police Rosenbaum had tried to grab the gun, prosecutors wrote.
[ Fledgling militia group put out call to arms in Kenosha and 5,000 people responded. Now it’s banned from Facebook after fatal shootings during protests. ]
Rittenhouse got on his cellphone, called a friend, and audio from one of the videos caught him saying, “I just killed somebody,” the complaint alleges.
The charge of first-degree reckless homicide stems from that shooting.
Video shows that after that shooting, Rittenhouse ran with people in pursuit before someone swung at him, knocking off his hat, and Rittenhouse tripped and fell, prosecutors wrote.
A man carrying a skateboard and later identified as Anthony Huber, 26, of Silver Lake, approached Rittenhouse as he was still on his back, prosecutors wrote. Huber reached for the gun as the skateboard hit Rittenhouse’s shoulder before the alleged gunman fired one shot, and Huber collapsed, prosecutors alleged.
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Huber’s death is the source of the murder charge.
Prosecutors wrote that Rittenhouse then shot a man who had approached him who was identified as Gaige Grosskreutz of West Allis. Grosskreutz appeared to be holding a handgun when he was shot in the arm, prosecutors wrote. Wisconsin court records do not indicate that Grosskreutz has been charged with any crime. His shooting is the source of the attempted murder charge against Rittenhouse.
The police shooting came about 5 p.m. Sunday as the officers responded to a call from a woman who reported that her boyfriend was present but not supposed to be there, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. At the scene, officers Rusten Sheskey and Vincent Arenas both unsuccessfully used Tasers, state authorities said in news releases. A third officer, Brittany Meronek, was also at the scene, authorities said.
In footage shared online, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of an SUV to the driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer identified by authorities as Sheskey grabs his shirt from behind and appears to open fire while Blake has his back turned.
The state Justice Department wrote that a knife was found on the driver-side floorboard of the vehicle. The department wrote in a statement that, “Mr. Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession.” It was not clear from the statement whether state authorities believed the knife posed any threat to officers or anyone else.
On Friday evening, the Kenosha police union gave the first detailed account of officers’ perspective on Blake’s shooting.
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The Associated Press wrote that an attorney for the Kenosha Professional Police Association, Brendan Matthews, issued a statement alleging that officers were aware that Blake had a warrant from a prior case after they were dispatched for a complaint that he was trying to take the caller’s keys and vehicle. Officers saw he was holding the knife, which he refused to drop, the statement said. Matthews alleged Blake fought with officers and put one in a headlock, the Associated Press reported.
“Based on the inability to gain compliance and control after using verbal, physical and less-lethal means, the officers drew their firearms,” Matthews said. “Mr. Blake continued to ignore the officers’ commands, even with the threat of lethal force now present.”
After two nights of peaceful protest, the mood in Kenosha was hopeful yet somber. In the racially diverse, economically struggling Uptown neighborhood, where the smell of smoke still hung in the air, some said the burden of overcoming the devastation and lack of services would fall on its residents, many of whom are Black.
“I can’t even cash my check because I can’t go into (the bank),” said Orlando Vinson, who has lived in the neighborhood most of his life. “We’re struggling out here. Half of us don’t have cars, half of us have to walk or catch the bus. We’re messed up while (arsonists and looters) are living their lives happily and get to talk about, ‘Oh, we went to Kenosha and burned down their stores.’”
Tribune reporter Robert McCoppin contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-08-30--Rabbi vows to ‘shut down’ Mag Mile in support of Black lives, defunding police outside Wrigley Build

Rabbi vows to ‘shut down’ Mag Mile in support of Black lives, defunding police outside Wrigley Building

They stopped in front of the Wrigley Building , this time in the southbound lanes , as demonstrators lay signs @ @ @ @ @ killed by police on the ground , in a circle inside a ring of protesters @

Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef speaks during a rally at the Wrigley Building in the 400 block of North Michigan Avenue on Aug. 29, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef had been in this situation before: leading a crowd of a couple hundred protesters, promising to block traffic in a march honoring lost Black lives — but unable to walk on the roads due to a wall of Chicago police officers.
“You’re disrespecting the stolen lives,” Yosef told Glen Brooks, director of public engagement for Chicago police, through a megaphone about 6:50 p.m. Saturday on East Ohio Street at North Michigan Avenue. “You did it to me once on the Dan Ryan, now you’re doing it to me again? You’re doing it to me again, Brooks.”
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Yosef, president of humanitarian group Tikkun Chai Inter-National, was referencing his failed attempt on Aug. 15 to occupy the Dan Ryan Expressway to make a statement against police brutality in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Chicago police officers and Illinois State Police troopers in riot gear blocked the 47th Street entrance, and eventually, Yosef rerouted his march through neighborhoods until reaching Grant Park.
This time, the rabbi had led a similar-sized crowd from the Wrigley Building north up Michigan Avenue and planned to place dozens of signs printed with the names of those killed by law enforcement on the ground, light white candles and pray. But when they arrived at the Ohio Street intersection, a line of Chicago police officers blocked their way onto the streets with their bikes.
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Yosef said the police would not let him through because his crowd was too small, but Brooks did not respond to questions regarding the reason. He told Yosef he had four options for his march: south on the streets of Michigan Avenue until the river, Ontario Street one block north, Ohio Street or north on Michigan Avenue’s sidewalk only.
“What are you going to do?” Yosef spoke over Brooks. “You going to beat our black bodies, or you’re going to give us the same space as rich white people?”
Brooks responded, “You got people out here. I think it’s important what you’re doing. I got those four options for you. ... Think about it. I’ll be back.”
The standoff began about 6:30 p.m. and ended more than half an hour later when Yosef relented and took Brooks up on his offer to march south on Michigan. The protesters returned to their original spot in front of the Wrigley Building and occupied southbound lanes as they circled up around a ring of signs with the names of people killed by police. Burning candles dotted the ground.
About 7:20 p.m., Yosef began a prayer for what he said were all the stolen lives in America: those who died at the hands of police and gun violence as well as Black women who were murdered or went missing.
“Father we ask you this: give us comfort and strength,” Yosef said. “Help us to defund these police that don’t have justice for us.”
Shortly afterward, he asked the crowd to disperse because he wanted the event to end peacefully. His supporters picked up the makeshift vigil and filed south on the sidewalk of Michigan Avenue, chanting “Black lives matter!” to diners on the Riverwalk below them.
No one was arrested by the time protesters went home, according to Chicago police.
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Zero arrests were made during this evening’s peaceful protest downtown. Thank you to EVERYONE who helped keep our downtown area safe. We will always facilitate & protect your First Amendment Rights in a safe manner, while ensuring the safety of residents, property & businesses. — Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) August 30, 2020
Heavier than normal police presence is seen in the 400 block of North Michigan Avenue on Aug. 29, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Earlier in the day, Yosef stood on the sidewalk in front of Wrigley Building to condemn police brutality and demand the city defund the police and allocate that money toward social services.
“These are the names,” he said before pulling taut the white string with the signs. “You tell me why I’m pissed off.”
The mother of Richard Risher, an 18-year-old Black man who was killed by Los Angeles police in 2016 during what police described as a “gun battle,” also spoke in front of Wrigley Building and called for abolishing the police.
“The police ain’t here to protect us,” Lisa Simpson said. “Their job is to protect these corporations. ... We don’t need them in our communities anyway. We got strong brothers and sisters, men and women that can police our own communities.”
Yosef also pushed back against the criticism he received both from social media users who speculated his “shutdown” would lead to looting or violence and from other activist groups who distanced themselves from the event.
Saturday morning, the youth-led group Good Kids Mad City tweeted it would not be at Yosef’s protest because he has not been working with them and other local activist groups, such as Black Lives Matter Chicago. India Jackson, a group member, told the Tribune Yosef was “co-opting the movement.”
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“Coalition building is important for social justice movements because we’re stronger united than we are individually,” Jackson wrote in a text. “We don’t know this man, don’t know anything about him, and don’t want to be associated with him.”
🗣PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! WE WILL NOT BE DOWNTOWN TODAY PROTESTING! WE DONT KNOW THIS MAN! HE HASN’T BEEN ORGANIZING, BUILDING COMMUNITY OR WORKING IN COALITION! THE MEDIA IS PROMOTING HIM! THIS ISN’T A #BlackLivesMatter MARCH! Keep Miracle name out your mouth G!#MagMile pic.twitter.com/7PvjPZOwT6 — GoodKidsMadCity (@GKMC18) August 29, 2020
When asked about the flak, Yosef defended his decision to lead the march without those groups, but he added that the door is open for future collaboration.
“I will work with anybody that has a heart and soul for the purpose of the agenda that I’m standing on,” Yosef said. “There is always opportunity to sit and talk and negotiate and air grievances because, again, we’re fighting the same oppression.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Police shoot at SUV theft suspect who rammed cop’s leg in East Hyde Park

A “ flash message ” detailing the incident was issued , and 5th District police officers saw an SUV matching @ @ @ @ @ that was stolen in the 4900 block of South Lake Shore Drive in East Hyde @ @ @ @ @ over .

A fleeing car theft suspect crashed into a Chicago police officer trying to pull him over, prompting the officer to open fire, not hitting anyone Saturday morning in the East Hyde Park neighborhood.
It began about 10:15 a.m. in the South Loop, when somebody left the sport-utility vehicle running with nobody inside and it was stolen in the 1200 block of South Prairie Avenue, police said.
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A “flash message” detailing the incident was issued, and 5th District police officers saw an SUV matching the description of the one that was stolen in the 4900 block of South Lake Shore Drive in East Hyde Park and began pulling it over.
An officer fired his gun at it when its driver rammed into the officer, injuring his leg, as the officer was trying to approach it, police said.
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Chicago and UC police at 50th/Lake Shore Drive. pic.twitter.com/xNalsm8bif — Will Lee (@MidnoirCowboy) August 29, 2020
“Detectives are still investigating, but it does not appear that anyone was hit at this time,” said Officer Ana Pacheco, a police spokeswoman, of the gunfire.
The officer was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment of the leg injury.
The stolen SUV was found later in the 6200 block of South Park Shore East Court in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood, but no arrests have been made.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--‘Daddy, why’d they shoot me so many times,’ Jacob Blake’s father recalls in emotional remarks during

‘Daddy, why’d they shoot me so many times,’ Jacob Blake’s father recalls in emotional remarks during Kenosha rally against police violence

Protesters have filled Kenosha ’ s streets every night , and on Tuesday , two people were killed by an @ @ @ @ @ of the National Guard said Friday that more than 1,000 Guard members had been deployed @ @ @ @ @ , and more were on the way .

Associated Press and Chicago Tribune staff

KENOSHA, Wis. — Nearly one week after a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake Jr. seven times in the back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, thousands of people joined Blake’s family to march through the streets of Kenosha on Saturday afternoon, calling for racial equality.
A fiery and sometimes emotional Jacob/ Blake Sr. began speaking to the crowd as the march wrapped up around 4 p.m., recounting what his son asked him when he visited him in the hospital.
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“He said, ’Daddy, why’d they shoot me so many times?’” said Blake Sr., who didn’t march, though several other relatives did, including an uncle and Blake’s sister, Latetra Widman.
Blake Sr., who spoke Friday at the March on Washington, said he would protect his son and stand up for him when he cannot stand up.
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“You cannot imagine what it feels like to look at your baby paralyzed from the waist down,” he said.
“What gave them the right to attempted murder on my child?” Blake Sr. said. “What gave them the right to treat my son like an animal?”
The rally stepped off, just after 2 p.m.
[ Police in Kenosha bash out van window, arrest members of group that serves food at protests ]
“Seven bullets, seven days!” the crowd chanted.
From Milwaukee to Chicago to Indianapolis, people descended from the Midwest to partake in the demonstration.
“I’m here to support my people,” said David Williams, who traveled from Chicago.
Carrying signs that read “Justice for Jacob” and “The Time for Change is Now,” demonstrators marched through the streets of Kenosha, calling for justice for Blake.
The shooting sparked several days of civil disorder in Kenosha, a city of 100,000 people, including arson, looting, some peaceful protest and a separate civilian shooting where two men were killed. Kenosha authorities imposed a 7 p.m. curfew that was blatantly ignored by protesters night after night.
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[ Kenosha chief defends cops’ action in letting Kyle Rittenhouse leave scene of deadly shooting; handcuffs taken off Jacob Blake ]
There have been waves of protests since Blake’s shooting, but this march was by far the largest as thousands of people flooded Kenosha’s streets, before packing into Civic Center Park for a rally.
”I want to thank the Kenosha Police Department for showing us their true colors,” Widman, Blake’s sister, said. “And I want to thank you again for recharging my melanin.”
Widman, who was surrounded by family members as she spoke on a stage, then recited a poem as most of the crowd held fists in the air.
“We are heartbroken and enraged, but we are steadfast in our demand for justice,” Tanya Mclean, a Blake family friend who helped organize the event, said in a statement. She said Blake’s shooting is not an isolated incident, but part of a “brutal, racist system.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 95 Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
“We’re here to demand an end to police violence and systemic racism in Kenosha,” Mclean said. “No more piecemeal reforms and useless committees. No more Band-Aid solutions over the bullet wounds. The time for transformational change is now.”
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Kenosha police Officer Rusten Sheskey was responding to a domestic abuse call on Sunday when he shot Blake seven times in the back. Blake is paralyzed from the shooting, his family said, and is recovering in a Milwaukee hospital.
The shooting, which was captured on cellphone video, sparked new protests against racial injustice and police brutality, just three months after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police touched off a wider reckoning on race.
Protesters have filled Kenosha’s streets every night, and on Tuesday, two people were killed by an armed civilian. The commander of the National Guard said Friday that more than 1,000 Guard members had been deployed to help keep the peace, and more were on the way.
Investigators have said little about what led to Blake’s shooting. The Kenosha police union said Blake had a knife and fought with officers, putting one of them in a headlock as two efforts to stun him with a Taser were unsuccessful.
In the cellphone footage recorded by a bystander, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of an SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns drawn and shout at him. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire. Three of Blake’s children were in the vehicle.
The man who recorded the video, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he heard police yell at Blake, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” before gunfire erupted. White said he didn’t see a knife in Blake’s hands. State investigators have said only that officers saw a knife on the floor of the car.
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Ben Crump, an attorney for Blake’s family, has said Blake did nothing to provoke police and has called for Sheskey’s arrest.
Chicago Tribune reporter Javonte Anderson reported from Kenosha. The Associated Press contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--State Sen. Terry Link leaves Lake County Democratic chairmanship more than two weeks early

“ I have been a proud Democrat all of my adult life and will continue to be a proud Democrat @ @ @ @ @ breath , ” Link wrote .
“ I sincerely hope that my successor builds upon @ @ @ @ @ , and I know in my heart I gave the party my all .
”

Longtime state Sen. Terry Link, the Vernon Hills Democrat who was charged earlier this month with federal income tax evasion, resigned as chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party on Saturday, amid calls from fellow Democrats he relinquish the leadership post immediately.
Link had previously announced his plan to resign as county party chairman a position he’s held since 1992, effective Sept. 15 — the timing of which drew a sharp rebuke from fellow party leaders, who were planning to hold a tele-meeting Monday night to oust him as chairman.
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The pushback over the timing of Link’s initially planned resignation date of Sept. 15 centered around concerns that if Link, who remains a sitting member of the Illinois Senate, were to resign his Senate seat after Sept. 11 but maintain his party chairmanship, a November special election for the seat wouldn’t be triggered, giving him a narrow window to choose his successor.
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In a resignation email sent to fellow Lake County Democratic Party leaders on Saturday, Link said the party is “definitely in a better position” than when he took the helm in 1992.
“I have been a proud Democrat all of my adult life and will continue to be a proud Democrat until I take my last breath,” Link wrote. “I sincerely hope that my successor builds upon what we have collectively achieved, and I know in my heart I gave the party my all.”
A criminal information was filed in U.S. District Court on Aug. 13, accusing Link of not reporting income on his 2016 tax return, making him the third Democratic state senator to face felony charges in just over a year. Link resigned his position on the Legislative Ethics Commission shortly after the tax evasion charge became public that day, and hasn’t spoken publicly since then.
The Tribune reported last year that Link wore a wire for the FBI as part of an investigation of former Democratic state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who prosecutors said had sought a state senator’s support on video gambling legislation that would have benefited one of his lobbying clients.
In the complaint against Arroyo, the unnamed state senator was identified only as “Cooperating Witness 1.” The Tribune has reported that the senator was Link, which he repeatedly has denied.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @by_jamiemunks


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Woman, 85, rendered unconscious from head injury during Near North Side purse-snatching, prosecutors

Woman, 85, rendered unconscious from head injury during Near North Side purse-snatching, prosecutors say

Around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday , Davis approached the victim , who is 5-foot-1 , from behind in the 100 Block @ @ @ @ @ forcibly grabbed her purse and pushed her down to the sidewalk , according to police @

A judge denied bail for a man accused of shoving an 85-year-old woman to the ground and stealing her purse on the Near North Side on Tuesday.
Tony Davis, 45, was arrested Friday for an unrelated CTA violation and identified as the man involved in the Tuesday morning attack.
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Davis, of the 6100 block of South Vernon Avenue, faces felony charges of robbery and aggravated battery to a person over 60, and one misdemeanor charge for violating CTA rules.
Davis appeared in court for a bond hearing Saturday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, audio of which was broadcast on YouTube.
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Tony Davis. (Chicago police)
Around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Davis approached the victim, who is 5-foot-1, from behind in the 100 Block of East Grand Avenue, forcibly grabbed her purse and pushed her down to the sidewalk, according to police.
When the woman fell to the ground, she hit her head and became unconscious, according to prosecutors. She eventually regained consciousness and was able to flag someone for assistance.
The 85-year-old was treated a Northwestern Memorial Hospital for a laceration to her head, which required three staples prosecutors said. She has since been released.
The attack was captured on surveillance video, according to prosecutors, and CTA cameras also placed the man in the vicinity.
Davis has 10 previous felony arrests, according to the state, and was currently on parole.


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Smoke ‘poured’ from Wicker Park building during blaze

The burning building in the 1400 block of North Wood Street is vacant and stands four stories , according to @ @ @ @ @ , who said they were alerted when smoke began “ pouring ” from the building @

No injuries were reported during a fire in the Wicker Park neighborhood on Saturday afternoon.
The burning building in the 1400 block of North Wood Street is vacant and stands four stories, according to a Chicago Fire department spokesman, who said they were alerted when smoke began “pouring” from the building.
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The scene on Milwaukee Avenue, near Wood Street, where a fire has broken out on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. (Raquel Zaldivar / Chicago Tribune) (Raquel Zaldivar / Chicago Tribune)
Police halted traffic in the area to make sure emergency crews could get through.
Check back for details.


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook made error in not removing Kenosha militia’s page, despite being flagg

Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook made error in not removing Kenosha militia’s page, despite being flagged by ’a bunch of people’

Zuckerberg did not apologize for the error and said that so far , Facebook hasn ’ t found any evidence @ @ @ @ @ the Kenosha Guard page or the invitation it posted for armed militia members to go @ @ @

From left, Matt Muchowski, Vance Wyatt, and Donald Blake hold signs outside the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Sept. 25, 2020. Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of killing two protesters days after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., faces a hearing to return him to Wisconsin to face trial on homicide charges that could put him in prison for life. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
WASHINGTON — Facebook made a mistake in not removing a militia group’s page earlier this week that called for armed civilians to enter Kenosha, Wisconsin, amid violent protests after police shot Jacob Blake, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says.
The page for the “Kenosha Guard” violated Facebook’s policies and had been flagged by “a bunch of people,” Zuckerberg said in a video posted Friday on Facebook. The social media giant has in recent weeks adopted new guidelines removing or restricting posts from groups that pose a threat to public safety.
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Facebook took down the page Wednesday, after an armed civilian allegedly killed two people and wounded a third Tuesday night amid protests in Kenosha that followed the shooting of Blake, who is Black.
“It was largely an operational mistake,” Zuckerberg said. “The contractors, the reviewers, who the initial complaints were funneled to, didn’t, basically didn’t pick this up.”
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Zuckerberg did not apologize for the error and said that so far, Facebook hasn’t found any evidence that Rittenhouse was aware of the Kenosha Guard page or the invitation it posted for armed militia members to go to Kenosha.
Facebook is now taking down posts that praise the shooting or shooter, Zuckerberg said. Yet a report Thursday by The Guardian newspaper found examples of support and even fundraising messages still being shared on Facebook and its photo-sharing service, Instagram.
Zuckerberg also contrasted the treatment of Blake, who was shot in the back by Kenosha police, and the white 17-year-old now charged in Tuesday’s slayings, Kyle Rittenhouse, who carried an AR-15-style rifle near police without being challenged. Zuckerberg also acknowledged the civil rights demonstration Friday in Washington, D.C.
I spoke to Facebook employees at our weekly company Q&A about what’s happening in Kenosha and wanted to share. Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Friday, August 28, 2020
“There’s just a sense that things really aren’t improving at the pace that they should be, and I think that’s really painful, really discouraging,” Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg also said the company is working on improving its execution, though he did not provide details. He acknowledged that the approaching presidential election would present greater challenges around polarizing content.
“There is a real risk and a continued increased risk through the election during this very sensitive and polarized and highly charged time,” he said.


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--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--2020-08-29--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 11 new deaths, 1,880  new confirmed cases and 48,784 new test res

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 11 new deaths, 1,880  new confirmed cases and 48,784 new test results

Illinois announced 1,880 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Saturday for a total of 231,363 .
The state also announced 11 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,008 and 48,784 new test results for a total of 3.97 million .

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Chicago’s Tamale Guy, Claudio Velez, hospitalized with COVID-19 and placed on ventilator

“ Hello friends , we are very sad to inform everyone that Claudio has tested positive for Covid-19 , ” @ @ @ @ @ He had a sore throat earlier in the week and has not been at the @ @ @ @ @ his test results his health rapidly declined within a couple days .
He was admitted @ @ @ @ @ on a ventilator .
His rapid test performed at the hospital confirmed a positive Covid @ @ @ @ @ improving but he will be left with extensive medical bills .
We are closing the @ @ @ @ @ make sure our team is taking the proper safety precautions .
We have been truly @ @ @ @ @ support and kindness over the last few weeks .
Please keep Claudio in your thoughts @ @ @ @ @ recovery .
”

Claudio Velez, known widely as the beloved Tamale Guy in Chicago, has been hospitalized and tested positive for the coronavirus, according to social media posts and confirmed by his partners at their newly opened restaurant, Tamale Guy Chicago, on Saturday morning.
“Hello friends, we are very sad to inform everyone that Claudio has tested positive for Covid-19,” read the statement. “He had a sore throat earlier in the week and has not been at the restaurant. While waiting for his test results his health rapidly declined within a couple days. He was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator. His rapid test performed at the hospital confirmed a positive Covid result. His condition is improving but he will be left with extensive medical bills. We are closing the restaurant until further notice to make sure our team is taking the proper safety precautions. We have been truly overwhelmed by everyone’s support and kindness over the last few weeks. Please keep Claudio in your thoughts and wish him a speedy recovery.”
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A GoFundMe campaign for Velez’s medical expenses was organized by his restaurant partner Kristin Vega. By Saturday evening, the campaign had raised nearly double its $20,000 goal. More than 1,300 people had donated nearly $38,000 — with the numbers steadily climbing.
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Vega and her husband, Pierre Vega, helped Velez open his restaurant just over two weeks ago with the nearly $35,000 from a GoFundMe campaign, organized by a Tamale Guy fan in May. The city had shut down Velez’s deliveries during the pandemic for lack of licensing.
The Tamale Guy Chicago restaurant seemed to be a success story, a welcome surprise during barrage of permanent closures. On opening day, customers told Pierre Vega that the socially distanced line stretched 10 blocks in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
“Claudio was admitted into the ICU Thursday evening and was having trouble breathing,” wrote Vega by text message. “He was under observation overnight and we got word from Friday afternoon that his fever was in fact going down and that with time he should be able to recover. We are praying for him and making sure we can do everything possible to take care of our tamalero.”
Restaurants and bars are not required to close or notify the public if owners or employees test positive for COVID-19, according to state of Illinois and city of Chicago guidelines. In the event of a positive test, businesses are required, however, to clean and disinfect. Co-workers who had close contact should, furthermore, quarantine for 14 days. A restaurant or bar is only required to notify the Chicago Department of Public Health if the business “becomes aware of two or more cases possibly associated with an establishment over a 14 day period.”


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--4 killed, 13 wounded during shootings as weekend gets underway

A 39-year-old man was struck multiple times in the lower body and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ dead .
A 66-year-old woman was shot in the shoulder and was in critical condition @ @ @ @ @ was injured by glass and transported to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition , according @ @ @

Four people were killed and at least 13 were wounded in shootings across the city from 3 p.m. Friday into Saturday morning, according to Chicago police.
The latest deadly shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Friday in the 800 Block of East 88th Place in the Burnside neighborhood. Two women were walking on the sidewalk when they heard shots and felt pain, according to police.
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A 31-year-old woman was shot in the thigh and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in fair condition, while the other woman was struck in the torso and brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. That woman’s age was unknown.
Around the same time, a 21-year-old man was shot and killed while leaving a gas station in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. The attack occurred around 8:30 p.m., in the 900 Block of North Pulaski Road when a black sedan approached the area and a person began firing shots.
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The 21-year-old man was struck multiple times and transported to Stroger Hospital, where he later died. A 20-year-old man also involved in the attack brought himself to Stroger with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He was in good condition, according to police.
Earlier Friday evening, around 7:15 p.m., three people were sitting on a porch in the 900 Block of West 50th Street in the Back of the Yards neighborhood when a person drove by in a black SUV and began firing shots.
A 39-year-old man was struck multiple times in the lower body and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. A 66-year-old woman was shot in the shoulder and was in critical condition, while a 48-year-old man was injured by glass and transported to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition, according to police.
In another deadly attack, an 18-year-old man was standing on a sidewalk in the Mayfair neighborhood when a dark-colored SUV approached, and a man exited the vehicle and began firing shots.
The shooting happened around 7 p.m in the 4600 Block of North Kasson Avenue. The 18-year-old was struck in the chest and stomach, and later pronounced dead at Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
There is no one in custody for any of the four fatal attacks.
Several others were injured during nonfatal shootings:
Shortly before 3:40 a.m. Saturday in the 6800 block of South Winchester Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood, a 66-year-old man was inside his home when someone fired shots from the porch, through the front door and window, striking the man in the foot. The 66-year-old was brought to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition.
Around 1:35 a.m., a 27-year-old man was parking his car in the 2300 Block of West Lyndale Street in the Bucktown neighborhood when a man approached on foot, asked for his gang affiliation and began firing shots into his car. The 27-year-old was shot in the arm and self-transported to Illinois Masonic in good condition. The shooter fled in a silver vehicle.
About 12:30 a.m., a 23-year-old woman was struck by a stray bullet in the 11400 Block of South King Drive in the Roseland neighborhood. She suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and was in critical condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center.
Around 12:20 a.m., a 27-year-old man was walking in the 100 Block of West Huron Street on the Near North Side when a man exited a white SUV and fired shots, striking the 27-year-old multiple times in the leg. He was driven to Rush Medical Center and then transferred to Stroger in fair condition.
Shortly before 10:15 p.m. Friday, a 22-year-old man was exiting his vehicle in the 3400 Block of West Adams Street in the Fifth City neighborhood when a black sedan approached and a person fired three shots. The 22-year-old was hit once in the left forearm and transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
About 7:00 p.m., a 32-year-old man was on a sidewalk in the 6500 Block of South Halsted Street in the Englewood neighborhood when he heard shots and felt pain. The man was struck in the leg and transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
Shortly before 4:50 p.m., a group of men were arguing in an alley in the 2900 block of North Hamlin Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood when a person produced a handgun and fired shots. One person was struck in the back and brought to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
Shortly before 4:40 p.m., a 40-year-old man was shot on a sidewalk in the 4700 block of West Ohio Street in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The man sustained a gunshot wound to the left leg and was transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
About 3:35 p.m., a 34-year-old man was shot on the sidewalk in the 4000 block of West of 15th Street in the Lawndale neighborhood . He was struck in the left thigh and lower abdomen, and transported to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.
ssherry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,880 new known COVID-19 cases and 11 additional fatalities reporte

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,880 new known COVID-19 cases and 11 additional fatalities reported as state death toll surpasses 8,000

“ Today is a solemn day in Illinois as we ’ ve now lost 8,000 lives to COVID-19 , ” @ @ @ @ @ said in a news release .
“ As we mourn the family , friends and @ @ @ @ @ too soon , let ’ s do our part to prevent more senseless tragedy .
@ @ @ @ @ your distance .
Wash your hands .
Every action counts .
”

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Sunday announced 1,992 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 233,355 known cases, including 8,019 confirmed deaths.
The state passed 8,000 fatalities for the first time on Saturday. However, the official COVID-19 death toll in Illinois may not account for at least 1,000 fatalities — and potentially far more — that could be attributable to the pandemic, according to a Tribune analysis of federal data.
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Additionally, Cook County is among the 30 counties the IDPH sounded the alarm about Friday for a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
That’s the largest number of counties that had reached “warning level” since the agency began issuing those weekly reports earlier this summer, and the first time Cook County has been on it. The warning level applies to suburban Cook County and does not apply to the city of Chicago.
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Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
Inspired by a student’s hug, principal on Chicago’s South Side pens children’s book about returning to school during COVID-19
One of Vanessa Williams Johnson’s students tried to hug her while picking up a homework packet in April. The innocent gesture, innocuous any other year, made the South Side principal realize educators would be fighting an uphill battle in helping their students cope with the new realities of the pandemic.
“When he saw me, he broke out into a run towards me,” Williams Johnson said. “It was like an avalanche coming, like ‘Wait, wait, wait, we’re not touching, we’re not hugging.’ The mom couldn’t stop him. He just wanted to come and get a hug from his principal.”
“I realized at the time that we’re really going to have to do something when it comes time for our students to come back to school after being away from us so long,” Williams Johnson said.
For Williams Johnson, one of those things turned out to be writing a children’s book for the first time. On top of transitioning W.E.B. Du Bois Elementary School to remote learning last spring, Williams Johnson wrote “No Hugs, No Bugs,” a picture book that tells the story of a group of puppies on their first day back to school during COVID-19.
Read more here. —Claire Hao
Saturday
1,880 new known COVID-19 cases, 11 additional deaths
The state Department of Public Health announced 1,880 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 231,363 cases, including 8,008 deaths.
“Today is a solemn day in Illinois as we’ve now lost 8,000 lives to COVID-19,” said Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a news release. “As we mourn the family, friends and neighbors who have been taken too soon, let’s do our part to prevent more senseless tragedy. Wear a mask. Watch your distance. Wash your hands. Every action counts.”
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—Chicago Tribune staff
Chicago’s Tamale Guy, Claudio Velez, hospitalized with COVID-19 and placed on ventilator
Claudio Velez, known widely as the beloved Tamale Guy in Chicago, has been hospitalized and tested positive for the coronavirus, according to social media posts and confirmed by his partners at their newly opened restaurant, Tamale Guy Chicago, on Saturday.
Read more here. —Louisa Chu
Friday
Northwestern University announces it won’t have freshmen and sophomores on campus and will close fraternity and sorority houses because of COVID-19
Northwestern University announced late Friday that it will not have freshmen and sophomore students back on campus for the fall term or in residencies, and will keep sorority and fraternity houses closed.
It’s a sharp departure from plans reiterated just earlier this week by Northwestern officials who spoke during a community town hall meeting reiterated their during a community town hall meeting. They said then that the campus would open but with a reduced residence hall capacity and many employees still working from home.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Police in Kenosha bash out van window, arrest members of group that serves food at protests

The early days of demonstrations and unrest after Blake ’ s shooting saw some people destroying buildings , setting fires @ @ @ @ @ , who responded at times with tear gas .
The last three nights have been @ @ @ @ @ have not fired tear gas or pepper balls .
But they have used tactics that @ @ @ @ @ .

Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
KENOSHA, Wis. — Police officers in Kenosha were on alert after days of protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake by one of their colleagues, and they’d recently gotten a tip about “suspicious vehicles” from out of state.
So, after watching a group of people fill cans at a gas station Wednesday and then hop into a minivan with Oregon plates, the officers sped in. A bystander’s video shows officers leaping out of black SUVs with guns drawn. About 25 seconds later, an officer shatters the van’s passenger-side window with her baton, unlocks its door and pulls a person out.
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The group turned out to be members of Riot Kitchen, a Seattle-based organization that serves food at demonstrations. Jennifer Scheurle, a member of its board of directors, said they were filling up gas cans to power a generator for their food truck.
The nine taken into custody in the SWAT-style operation Wednesday were among dozens of people arrested this week in the Wisconsin city. The arrests have highlighted activists’ complaints that police have been responding to protests over the white officer’s shooting that left Blake, a Black man, paralyzed, even as they’ve tolerated armed militia groups.
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The Riot Kitchen members were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, but all were free by Friday morning.
“We reject all claims that our crew was there to incite violence or build explosives,” said Scheurle, who was not among those in Kenosha. “Our nonprofit organization has always been and will always be about feeding people.”
Riot Kitchen HQ just learned that our bus crew was arrested in broad daylight in #Kenosha today - kidnapped by feds in unmarked vans.
We are currently trying to find our friends who were just there to feed people.
Please share and donate for bail via Venmo riotkitchen206 pic.twitter.com/o2TDbohvFl — riotkitchen206 (@riotkitchen206) August 27, 2020
Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said at a Friday news conference that “just under 50” people had been arrested during the protests. The department later provided a list of 58 charges, more than half of them for curfew violations, but declined to specify the number of people arrested or provide names.
“I believe everybody out there in law enforcement has been friendly to both sides,” Miskinis said.
An analysis of jail records since the day of Blake’s shooting shows about 45% the people facing charges seemingly related to the protests live outside Wisconsin.
Those arrested were almost 70% white and about two-thirds male. The vast majority were charged with misdemeanors or civil violations, although there were also some felonies. Miskinis said one person had been charged for having a “flamethrower.”
More than 20 of the people remained in jail Friday afternoon.
Adelana Akindes, a 24-year-old from Kenosha, said she spent nearly a day in a crowded cell after being arrested Wednesday while walking toward the demonstrations carrying a shield.
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Police had Akindes and three others lie on the ground as they put them in handcuffs, she said, adding that officers did not read their Miranda rights or say why they were being arrested. She was released on Thursday evening and charged with breaking curfew.
“They wanted to scare us,” said Akindes, who is Black. “They wanted to make an example of us.”
The early days of demonstrations and unrest after Blake’s shooting saw some people destroying buildings, setting fires and hurling objects at police, who responded at times with tear gas. The last three nights have been mostly peaceful, and police have not fired tear gas or pepper balls. But they have used tactics that local activists see as heavy-handed.
On Thursday night, police pulled over several cars of people headed to protests. They arrested a group of people in one vehicle and searched the car of another group.
“There has been no respect for anybody’s civil rights,” said Isaac Wallner, a 30-year-old Kenosha activist. “It’s been a police free for all. They do whatever they want.”
The Wisconsin National Guard keeps watch around the Dinosaur Discovery Museum on Aug. 27, 2020, in Kenosha. (Mark Hoffman/AP)
Wallner, who is Black, contrasted this with what he characterized as a tolerant, or even friendly, attitude police have taken toward the white men who’ve come to the city outfitted with heavy vests and long guns, including a 17-year-old charged with fatally shooting two people and wounding a third.
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Earlier in the week, sheriff’s deputies shot pepper balls at protesters and arrested them when they failed to quickly leave after being told they were breaking curfew. But officers in an armored vehicle with “Sheriff” on the side were also recorded at night tossing water bottles to men carrying rifles.
“We appreciate you guys. We really do,” someone can be heard calling from the vehicle in a video of the exchange.
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said Friday that the officer seen giving out water was not one of his deputies, and the person who said he appreciated what the armed civilians were doing “doesn’t mirror all of law enforcement’s perspective on what happened.
Bleiberg reported from Dallas. Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Jacob Blake’s grandmother talks about the family’s history with civil rights, and hopes the tragedy

Jacob Blake’s grandmother talks about the family’s history with civil rights, and hopes the tragedy of her grandson’s shooting will continue the legacy

“ Individually , collectively , no matter what organization or church you belong to , it ’ s very important @ @ @ @ @ .
We don ’ t have enough males anyway , so we can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ one , ” she said .
“ And a man with five children ?
What @ @ @ @ @ them ?
He ’ s never going to be able to work again .
Five @ @ @ @ @ s mind-boggling .
”

The family of Jacob Blake, including sister Megan Belcher, second left, father Jacob Blake Sr., center, mother Julia Jackson, second right, and sister Letetra Wideman, head to a news conference Aug. 25, 2020, in Civic Center Park in Kenosha. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
On the hottest day in August, Patricia Goudeau Blake had a lot to do at her lifelong home in Park Manor after spending nine months in Washington state.
Her beloved garden, particularly her sunbaked black-eyed Susans, desperately needed tending. The spry, active great-grandmother was also supervising a redesign of the home her family has owned for 71 years. She was the very first Black child living on the block.
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But the most difficult thing on Blake’s list was added at the last moment. The matriarch was planning a weekend trip to a Kenosha hospital to see her 29-year-old grandson, Jacob Blake, whose shooting by police has gripped the nation and stoked tensions between police and communities of color.
In this September 2019 selfie photo taken in Evanston, Adria-Joi Watkins poses with her second cousin Jacob Blake. He is recovering from being shot multiple times by Kenosha police on Aug. 23, 2020. (Adria-Joi Watkins)
Blake hopes the shooting, as tragic as it is, will somehow continue her family’s strong legacy in the fight for racial equality. Her husband was a revered pastor known for his work for civil rights, her father helped train the famed Tuskegee Airmen and her in-laws were some of the first Black judges in the Chicago area.
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“I hope (police) messed with the wrong people this time,” she said. “We have a generational family history story, and out of this tragedy things will change — it’s got to change.”
‘Something I can’t believe’
Sitting comfortably on her front porch, cane at her side and dressed in a peach-colored blouse and white slacks, Blake said she would take a break from her many chores to speak with a Tribune reporter and photographer on Thursday.
Blake, the widow of the Rev. Jacob Blake, said she prefers to stay out of the limelight and politely declined to have her photo taken.
But she said she felt compelled to speak after her grandson’s shooting, which has sparked a week of sometimes violent protests in Kenosha, including the fatal shooting of two demonstrators by an alleged vigilante.
Her otherwise busy mood quieted as she discussed the past few days. “It’s been something I can’t believe,” she said.
Blake said her family had initially been stonewalled by Kenosha authorities about her grandson’s condition until his father contacted noted civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.
“He opened up the door where my son and (Jacob Blake’s) mother could see him, and now I’ve requested that they allow me to see him,” she said. “I think I’ll feel better once I see him. I still see him as that curly headed little brownie.”
Jacob Blake, like Patricia Blake’s other grandchildren, spent part of his childhood at the sturdy two-story brick house on Wabash, helping her tend the garden and other chores.
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Blake, who was once the director of a shelter, said her grandson had donated time to senior citizens and helping feed homeless people at a local mosque. “The older people loved him. He was good with the older people. A lot of young people are afraid of older people, but he had a magnetism. He enjoyed them.”
She recalled last speaking with her grandson earlier this month before her return to Chicago. “He says to me, ‘Grandma, I’m gonna make more time to come down to visit and sit with you.’ And I said, ‘I’m gonna hold you to that.’”
Now it’s Blake who will go and see her grandson.
“It bothered me that ... he was in this condition and that he would have no face that he (recognized). That disturbed me. I just want him to see a face ... and know that we’re all pulling for him.”
According to the latest account from authorities, officers were called to a home by a woman who said her boyfriend would not leave. The officers began struggling with Jacob Blake near his SUV and deployed a Taser twice as he walked away from them and started getting into his car.
One of the officers grabbed Blake’s shirt and fired seven times into his back, they said.
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Authorities have not disclosed what initially occurred when officers arrived or what was said by them, Blake and others at the home. They also have not disclosed what happened immediately before Blake walked around the SUV and tried to get in as officers tried to stop him.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 95 Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Most of what authorities have released was caught on a cellphone video that has been widely circulated.
“I really don’t care what preceded it, actually, because the tape itself speaks to the lack of protocol, excessive police power,” Blake’s grandmother said.
“Individually, collectively, no matter what organization or church you belong to, it’s very important that we protect our future. We don’t have enough males anyway, so we can’t lose not one. Not one,” she said. “And a man with five children? What’s to become of them? He’s never going to be able to work again. Five little children. It’s mind-boggling.”
Three of Jacob Blake’s young children were in the SUV, according to his family and attorneys, who say the kids have been severely traumatized.
‘We were groundbreakers’
The Blake family story has mirrored that of other African Americans during the years of the Great Migration who had managed to thrive despite the segregation of the time.
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The Rev. Jacob Blake had been a well-paid Gary steelworker when he became a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he blended ministry with community activism to overcome systemic racism. His Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Evanston spearheaded the construction of low-income and retirement housing in the north suburb, with black labor.
Patricia Blake’s father, L’Ouveture Goudeau, was a longtime union man who worked with pioneering civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph. He was later an Air Force pilot who instructed the Tuskegee Airmen.
Goudeau later became one of the state’s highest-ranking Black officials, supervising three Illinois Department of Labor offices that processed more than 20,000 weekly unemployment claims, according to an April 1960 Tribune profile.
Patricia Blake’s mother, Jean Williamson, who graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, worked as the housekeeping supervisor at the old Illinois State Tuberculosis Hospital.
Goudeau’s sister Bernice married into the Braden family, which included the area’s first Black judges. “Four generations of judges and corporate lawyers,” Patricia Blake said. Among them was retired Associate Cook County Judge Everette Braden.
[ Family of Jacob Blake takes part in March on Washington: ]
When Patricia Blake’s parents moved into the Wabash home, they were the first Black family on the block. “We were groundbreakers in Park Manor. I was 6 years old. I’m 77 now,” she said.
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The Goudeaus had some notable neighbors as successful Blacks fled overcrowded Bronzeville: A black pediatrician lived close by. Olympic Gold medalist Jesse Owens lived a couple of blocks away with his family. Al Capone’s mother still lived in the family building on South Prairie.
Their success, however, came with limitations. “You could only go as far as 71st Street. You couldn’t bypass 71st Street, and it didn’t matter what kind of money you had.”
Patricia Blake said she hopes this tragic incident involving her grandson will be the catalyst to stop unarmed Black men from being fatally shot by police.
“I hope there’s a breakthrough,” she said. “It’s like a genocide. It’s got to change, there is no question. It can’t go on like this. It must stop and only we can stop it.”
wlee@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MidNoirCowboy