chicagotribune--2020-07-10--Thunderstorms hitting Chicago area, breaking up days of dry heat as above-normal temps hang around

“ As we say with a lot of these heat events , just if you go outside , just try @ @ @ @ @ the sun , ” Birk said .
“ Shaded areas help out .
If you @ @ @ @ @ go out , just stay in the air conditioning , keep yourself cool .

People walk along the lake front near Monroe Harbor in Chicago on a hot and muggy morning, July 8, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Strong thunderstorms with up to 70 mph winds were developing in the Chicago area Thursday evening, as temperatures remain in the 80s heading into the weekend.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 11 p.m. that affects Illinois and Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. Additionally, a special marine warning is also in effect for Lake Michigan from Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor, until about 8 p.m.
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A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Illinois and Wisconsin until 11 PM CDT pic.twitter.com/0Dm496i4Gj — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) July 9, 2020
Temperatures were forecast to remain in the high to mid-90s Thursday, with temperatures slightly cooler by Lake Michigan. The heat index, which measures how it feels when humidity and temperature are combined, was predicted to be near 100 degrees for a fourth straight day.
“It looks like for the most part, most of the Chicago area is in line for some of these showers and storms going into this evening,” said Kevin Birk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Chicago-area office.
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The forecast showed severe wind gusts potentially reaching 70 mph by Thursday evening. Predictions showed a chance of brief flash floods or hail, but those would likely be more isolated across the region, Birk said.
“Looks like we could have a potential for higher aerial coverage in the storms this evening,” Birk said. “And also the potential that some of those may be on the strong side, with strong damaging winds possibly across the area.”
This weekend temperatures were forecast to range in the 80s, breaking up days of above-normal temperatures reaching the 90s this week. July has been a hotter than normal month for Chicago, with temperatures about 5 to 10 degrees above average.
“Some places are getting quite dry, so some places need the rain a little bit,” Birk said. “It’s not necessarily a horrible thing that we’re getting the rain, but we could certainly do without the strong winds potentially with some of these storms.”
Birk said the weekend should see mostly dry weather, though there is a chance of thunderstorms late Saturday into early Sunday.
Forecasts showed possibilities of extreme heat returning later next week, Birk said. He advised Chicagoans hoping to go outside to aim for the early morning or late evening, when the weather is generally cooler.
“As we say with a lot of these heat events, just if you go outside, just try to keep yourself out of the sun,” Birk said. “Shaded areas help out. If you don’t have to go out, just stay in the air conditioning, keep yourself cool.
Check the Tribune’s weather page for forecast updates.
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kelsmith@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-10--Chicago Public Schools student athletes can start summer workouts next week, but with COVID-19 preca

Chicago Public Schools student athletes can start summer workouts next week, but with COVID-19 precautions

“ It really seems like they ’ re doing their best effort to try and make everything happen the way @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ It ’ s one of those things , only time will tell @ @ @ @ @ on the side of caution , especially when you see all of the increases in @ @ @ @ @ that opened up too soon .
...
They ’ re really looking just to avoid @ @ @ @ @ the right direction .
”

Chicago Public Schools students could start summer sports programs as soon as Monday, district officials announced Thursday. But there will be no locker room huddles or parents mingling around the soccer field.
And shortly after CPS sent families information about the new rules, developing state guidelines got in the way. The district pushed a morning call with coaches to late afternoon and indicated they were updating their plan to align with the new Illinois High School Association guidelines.
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Later Thursday night, CPS released updated guidance to incorporate more rules related to mask wearing and barring competitions.
Based on what CPS released Thursday morning, practices are to prepare players for the “potential return” of high school sports in the fall, and to allow for voluntary no-contact workouts of up to five hours.
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“We know that our students are eagerly awaiting the return of athletics,” according to a letter to CPS families from Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade and Executive Director of Sports Administration David Rosengard. Extra precautions are still needed in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the summer plan is contingent upon city and state reopening plans all remaining in phase four, they added.
Thursday afternoon, IHSA officials said that in light of an increase in COVID-19 cases among Illinois high school teams, they were working with the Illinois Department of Public Health to modify the “Return to Play” guidelines last updated on Friday.
Coming modifications will include greater restrictions on coaches and students, including more mask usage and limited physical contact, which will mean no competitions between schools in football or most other sports, according to IHSA.
The latest from the #IHSA as we work with IDPH to update the Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines... pic.twitter.com/Ob4d5aMas0 — IHSA #IHSA (@IHSA_IL) July 9, 2020
While some districts resumed athletics activities in June, CPS has held off. Though school districts must still approve their own plans and comply with local reopening phases, teams statewide were first allowed to resume practice June 6 under phase three guidelines. Phase four guidelines announced Friday allowed for athlete contact days.
Already, Lake Zurich District 95 suspended its sports camps when multiple student athletes tested positive for COVID-19 and even more reported symptoms after the first day of camp Monday, according to a letter from school leaders to camp participants. Officials have also asked participants to self-quarantine for 14 days, according to the letter from Lake Zurich High School athletic director Andrew Lambert and district Superintendent Kelley Gallt.
“While the football, poms, and baseball camps have all been halted for the remainder of the week, the district spent considerable time in communication with representatives from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Lake County Health Department (LCHD) late this afternoon,” the letter states. “After careful review of all of the information collected, including the possibility of student athletes participating in large gatherings outside of the district’s sport camps, a larger circle of potential contacts with exposed individuals has been identified.”
The decision to close all sports camps while contact tracing is underway stemmed from the “extensive” time that investigating the outbreak will take and from concern for athletes, coaches and the community, officials said.
In a statement last week, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said the focus is shifting to working with state leadership “to determine how to provide the safest environment possible for fall sports.”
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A 13-page document released before the IHSA update Thursday outlines guidelines for CPS coaches and other school staff members, who must complete online training to participate in summer programs. No spectators will be allowed.
Although most summer activities will take place outside, the initial CPS guidance states the district will allow a small number of indoor activities, such as use of pools or weight rooms, but students will not be allowed to use water fountains or shared water coolers, and are asked to bring their own equipment.
Only swimmers will be allowed to use locker rooms. Athletic equipment such as baseball bats and lacrosse helmets should be cleaned between uses, and shared equipment like balls and thud pads for batting cages are supposed to be disinfected “frequently” during sessions.
Requirements include daily temperature checks and symptom screens, facial coverings at all times indoors except when in the pool and when 6-foot social distancing isn’t possible outdoors, hand cleaning before each activity, groups capped at 50 outside or 25 inside, and strict record keeping of participants’ names and contact information.
The district will provide each coach and student with two face coverings and a reusable water bottle, and single-use water bottles will be available for students, according to the guidelines.
Students should be in fixed groups for the whole summer to limit contact among students, and no competition, interaction between groups or physical contact during workouts is allowed. Separate entrances and exits should be designated for practice areas to prevent contact among groups. Students also are asked to refrain from spitting, shouting, group cheers, huddles and high-fives.
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If someone tests positive for COVID-19, protocols include contact tracing and 14 days of home quarantine for all teammates and staff members who were in close contact with the person.
Whitney Young Magnet High School boys cross-country coach Bob Geiger said he plans to have his team start practicing five days a week on Monday. Given the difficulty of running with a mask in the summer heat, he said he was glad to hear on a call for CPS coaches Thursday afternoon that masks won’t always be required outdoors.
“It really seems like they’re doing their best effort to try and make everything happen the way it should,” he said. “It’s one of those things, only time will tell. You have to err on the side of caution, especially when you see all of the increases in states like Arizona and Georgia that opened up too soon. ... They’re really looking just to avoid a spike and move in the right direction.”
Though teams that started practicing earlier in the summer will have an edge, Geiger said sports like cross-country will be less affected because it’s easier for athletes to stay in shape on their own. Students on his team have been keeping up with training, and some have been running together on their own, he said.
Although there has been a hiring freeze for staff members categorized as “miscellaneous,” the district is lifting the freeze for coaches.
CPS “continues to plan for potential in-person instruction,” with plans for the fall not yet released. The district is also looking at extracurricular activities that could take place following current public health guidelines.
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The district will release a draft of its fall reopening plan “in the coming weeks” for parent feedback, according to the letter.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-10--The Spin: Chicago’s coronavirus task force report out | Madigan wants Obama portrait to replace Doug

The Spin: Chicago’s coronavirus task force report out | Madigan wants Obama portrait to replace Douglas at Illinois statehouse | Ald. Lopez says his home was targeted by gangs

“ A brick was thrown through the window of a city ’ s employee home in the 4300 block of @ @ @ @ @ a.m. and approximately an hour later the garage of the home next door was set @ @ @ @ @ Kellie Bartoli , a police spokeswoman .
Chicago Fire Department crews responded to the fire @ @ @ @ @ injuries .

Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks with Samuel Skinner on July 9, 2020, at the conclusion of a program regarding the release of the COVID-19 Recovery Task Force Advisory Report at South Shore Cultural Center. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s coronavirus task force came out with its plan for the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic today.
The 100-plus-page document calls for long- and short-term policies to help Chicago, including more investment in mental health services, the city’s South and West Side neighborhoods and attempting to land more film projects. What’s unclear, still, is how the city — which lost $900 million from event cancellations through April alone — will pay for the plan.
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House Speaker Michael Madigan is looking to replace a portrait in the state House of the late U.S. Sen. Stephen Douglas with one of former President Barack Obama. Madigan also wants to remove Douglas’ statue on the Illinois State Capitol grounds as well as one of Pierre Menard.
And, 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez says gang members threw bricks through his window and set fire to his neighbor’s garage in an attempt to intimidate him.
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Joshua Hahn, 6 of Flossmoor, checks out a statue of Stephen Douglas at the state Capitol in 2015. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jamie Munks: “Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on Thursday called for a portrait of the late U.S. Sen. Stephen Douglas that hangs in the Capitol’s House chamber to be removed and replaced with one of former President Barack Obama, whom he called ‘a more fitting representation of the modern-day Democratic Party.’
“Madigan also called for the removal of statues on the Illinois State Capitol grounds in Springfield of both Douglas, a staunch defender of slavery, and Pierre Menard, the state’s first lieutenant governor and a slaveholder. ...
“The speaker’s call to take down the portrait and statues is part of a movement to remove memorials of historical figures with ties to the Confederacy and slavery that has picked up momentum following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.” Read the rest here.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks July 9, 2020, at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt: “Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s task force on Chicago’s COVID-19 recovery recommends the city accelerate spending on the South and West sides to address inequities deepened by the coronavirus, though it’s unclear how the city would pay for it amid significant financial woes.
“The 104-page document released Thursday, assembled by a task force chaired by Lightfoot and former President George H.W. Bush’s onetime chief of staff, Sam Skinner, recommends the city pursue a series of big goals that have long eluded Chicago leaders.
“Chief among them is a series of recommendations aimed at fighting poverty and entrenched racism. The group’s report notes that COVID-19 has hit Black and Latino communities harder than white counterparts ‘and laid bare structural disparities in health outcomes, underlying health conditions, access to basic necessities, and safety net support.’
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“Unveiling the report Thursday at the South Shore Cultural Center, Lightfoot said the city lost $900 million from canceled events as of April 20 and a third of Chicago jobs were at risk.
“But she said the economic and public health crisis gives Chicago a chance to reinvent itself as a stronger, more equitable city — a transformation she said could be ‘the second Chicago renaissance.‘” Read more here.
* Read: The Chicago Recovery Task Force Advisory Report
*Chicago celebs combine to help raise money for the arts by belting out a blues chestnut
Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, speaks in front of his neighbor's garage July 9, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Laura Rodríguez Presa: “Security cameras caught people throwing bricks at the Brighton Park home of 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez and his neighbor’s garage was set on fire early Thursday, according to the alderman, who blamed the attacks on ‘gang intimidation.’
“A brick was thrown through the window of a city’s employee home in the 4300 block of South Artesian Avenue about 1:20 a.m. and approximately an hour later the garage of the home next door was set on fire, according to Kellie Bartoli, a police spokeswoman. Chicago Fire Department crews responded to the fire, but there were no injuries.
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“Police said that no one was in custody.
“Lopez shared photos and videos of the attacks on Twitter early Thursday and blamed the attacks on gang members retaliating against him because of his attempts to dismantle gangs.
“‘This is gang intimidation, this is meant to send a message and it failed,‘” the alderman said in a news conference Thursday morning in front of his home.” Read more here.
Brad Cole, of the Illinois Municipal League, speaks in 2019 in Chicago as Gov. J.B. Pritzker looks on. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jamie Munks: “The Illinois Municipal League is calling on the state to change a new rule governing how federal coronavirus aid money is distributed, arguing it’s burdensome and unnecessary and could result in federal funding being stripped from local governments in Illinois.
“The rule, filed last week by the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, is more restrictive than federal guidelines on the relief money and would allow the state to reallocate local funds, which would ‘strip local governments of much-needed federal dollars,’ Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole said Thursday.
“The rule allows local governments to recoup federal dollars for medical expenses, including establishing temporary medical facilities to increase the treatment and testing capacity for COVID-19; public health and payroll expenses; and other coronavirus-related expenses that are ‘reasonably necessary to the function of government.'
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“Local governments have until Nov. 1 to submit all reimbursement requests to the department, and any funds that were allotted but not claimed by that date ‘may be reallocated to other units of local government based on need,' the rule states.” Read the rest here.
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)
* More than 1,000 new known COVID-19 cases reported for first time in more than a month
Illinois announced 1,018 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the first time the state’s new daily cases topped 1,000 since June 5. The tally brought the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois to 150,450.
The high number of cases came with a record high number of test results released: 36,180.
Also announced Thursday were 20 deaths from COVID-19. — Chicago Tribune staff
* Pritzker brings in new director at Illinois Department of Employment Security
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The state’s embattled Illinois Department of Employment Security has a new director. It’s Kristin Richards, a Springfield veteran who since 2016 has been chief of staff to the state Senate president. Richards takes over from acting Director Thomas Chan.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker made the appointment as he continues to face criticism over the department’s handling of a flood of unemployment claims amid the coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdown.
“As Illinoisans have faced unimaginable hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Employment Security has processed a historic number of claims,” Pritzker said in a statement. “These are not normal times, and I remain committed to doing everything in my power to support our residents when they need it most.”
Richards served as chief of staff to former Senate President John Cullerton, and stayed on in the role when Senate President Don Harmon took the helm in January. Richards has worked in public service for 18 years and was previously a deputy chief of staff in the governor’s office.— Chicago Tribune staff
* Recipient named for scholarship memorializing political consultant
A recent Whitney Young high school graduate who’s going to Yale University in the fall will receive the 2020 Sleet Memorial Fellowship honoring Brian Sleet, the political consultant best known for his work with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
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Friends of Sleet unveiled the 2020 Sleet Memorial Fellow, Caleb Dunson, earlier this week. The fellowship is an 18-week program.
As part of the fellowship, Dunson will work with the group Chicago Votes to educate, register and turnout young people in the November election.
Dunson “has a passion for increasing civic engagement,” which led him to help organize a 2019 mayoral forum.
You can read the Tribune’s obituary on Sleet here. — Gregory Pratt
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.


chicagotribune--2020-07-09--3 ‘good members of the community’ shot — 1 fatally — while trying to thwart May 31 looting on West S

3 ‘good members of the community’ shot — 1 fatally — while trying to thwart May 31 looting on West Side, Chicago police say while announcing murder charges

A short time later , a fire was deliberately set on the second floor above the liquor store , so @ @ @ @ @ to battle the blaze , Deenihan said .
That scenario played out just as expected @ @ @ @ @ their job and once they left , unfortunately , the scene was no longer secure @ @ @ @ @

Volunteers Marlen Rosas and Jesus Hidalgo carry a broken television they found at bus stop to a dumpster while picking up trash June 1, 2020, in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
A judge denied bail Friday for a man accused of shooting three “good community members trying to do the right thing,” as they tried to stop him from looting a liquor store May 31 on the West Side during a chaotic weekend that saw George Floyd protests turn violent and left 112 people shot, including 30 fatally.
Tommie Gatewood, 27, was fatally shot about 8:20 p.m. in the 5100 block of West Madison Street, authorities said. An 18-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man were also shot but survived. Gatewood was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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The suspected gunman, Andrew Sneed, 36, was arrested Wednesday morning in North Chicago by regional fugitive task force members on a first-degree murder warrant signed by a judge late last month, according to police and court documents. Sneed, of the 20100 block of Dolphin Avenue in Lynwood, was ordered held without bond Friday afternoon during a hearing broadcast live on YouTube.
A witness told police that a man was looting Bob’s Liquor store at 5069 W. Madison St. and when people tried to stop him, the man left but returned a “short time later,” and shot the three victims, according to a Chicago police report.
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During an afternoon news conference at police headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave., police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said the victims were “good community members who were trying to do that right thing.” He also thanked community residents for assisting investigators and the officers for their dedication to the case.
Standing with an ATF official, whose agency assisted with the case, Deenihan detailed how the shooting occurred at the tail end of a scheme by Sneed — a convicted felon and a registered gun offender — to gain access to the securely locked store.
During his first attempt to case the building, Sneed encountered Gatewood and two other community members who confronted him and told him to leave the liquor and grocery business alone, Deenihan said.
A short time later, a fire was deliberately set on the second floor above the liquor store, so that firefighters would force entry to battle the blaze, Deenihan said. That scenario played out just as expected. “The firefighters did their job and once they left, unfortunately, the scene was no longer secure,” he said.
Andrew Sneed (Chicago police)
Sneed soon reappeared and looted the business. After leaving momentarily and returning, Sneed again encountered the three people who thwarted his first attempt. “And (Sneed) walked across the street and he shot three of them, causing one of them to die,” Deenihan said.
First, he tries to loot, and then decides “I’m going to shoot” the people “who don’t like what I’m doing.”
“Obviously, it was a terrible night for the city,‘' he said, while lauding the police work that helped to finalize charges.
Police secured several pieces of surveillance video of Sneed that were used to identify him as the gunman. That video including surveillance from inside the store, he said.
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Deenihan said a “group of individuals” came up with the plan to burn the store, but offered no other details aside from it still being an active investigation with their ATF partners.
Sneed has felony convictions for gun and drug possession, as well as a pending felony for driving on a revoked or suspended license, court records show.
That weekend was one of the most violent in recent years. In all, at least 112 people were shot between 3 p.m. May 29 and 6 a.m. June 1, with 30 of them dying, according to revised Tribune data accounting for shootings that police did not disclose at the time but which are recorded in police data released a week after crimes are reported and other information.
wlee@chicagotribune.com
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-09--Fired Wheaton College chaplain says reasons given for his dismissal are false. School releases furth

Fired Wheaton College chaplain says reasons given for his dismissal are false. School releases further details of allegations.

“ I ’ m very distressed at the way Wheaton has behaved in the last few days , ” Miltenberg @ @ @ @ @ tell you that the manner in which Wheaton has conducted itself in the last 48 @ @ @ @ @ to feeling compelled to sue to clear Tim ’ s name than we felt last @ @ @ @ @ s no there there .
Wheaton ’ s sort of making it up and I @ @ @ @ @ this curtain of Christianity , and yet they ’ re acting anything but Christian .
@

Wheaton College’s now-former chaplain is vigorously disputing the college’s reasons for recently dismissing him and labeling as false the college’s assertion that he had made “inappropriate comments and actions of a racial and sexual nature.”
In an exclusive interview with the Tribune, Tim Blackmon on Thursday not only took issue with the college’s statement this week of specific allegations against him, but also objected to the college’s statement that “he did not dispute that he said or did any of these things.”
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“I have categorically denied (these allegations) from the beginning, because they are a complete misconstrual of the comments,” Blackmon said.
At issue are the reasons for which Blackmon was dismissed from his role as chaplain in April, and an unsuccessful appeal process concluded on May 26.
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The Rev. Timothy Blackmon. (Wheaton College, Handout)
On July 3, the college issued a statement that he was no longer employed at the west suburban evangelical Christian college.
The college initially stated that Blackmon had “engaged in inappropriate comments and actions of a racial and sexual nature towards specific staff members in violation of our policies” and that after an investigation, the college found that while Blackmon had not engaged in “sexually immoral relationships or physical sexual misconduct, the investigation revealed conduct inconsistent with Wheaton’s policies and commitments.”
This week, however, Blackmon issued a statement through his attorneys alleging that “several of my comments have been taken completely out of their factual and in some cases, religious context.”
“There were no allegations of flirtation, inappropriate relationships, sexual misconduct or any sexual action towards anyone,” Blackmon said in his statement. “At no time did anyone, either the complainant or any witness, communicate offense or misconduct.”
Instead, Blackmon, a Netherlands native, attributed his “approach and banter” to his “Dutch directness and no-nonsense style.”
College officials on Wednesday night issued a response to Blackmon’s statement, listing a set of alleged actions, including Blackmon using a slur to refer to an Asian American employee of the chaplain’s office, suggesting that a female staff employee sit on his lap, and placing a graphically illustrated manual of sexual positions on a staff member’s desk.
In an interview Thursday, Blackmon, who is Black, called his conversation with the chaplain’s office employee a “commiseration” over the realities of them working as people of color at Wheaton College, and that it was an “act of hospitality” between two minorities at the predominantly white institution.
He said the book in question, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Kama Sutra,” was shared with him by a prankster at his last job in the Netherlands, and that there was “no ill intent” in him having it in his office.
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“There’s a book almost just like it at Wheaton College’s Buswell Library,” he said. “Of course it’s a foolish thing. I was just sharing a prank.”
And Blackmon insisted that the allegation that he had asked an employee to sit on his lap is “absolutely false.”
Blackmon’s attorney, Andrew Miltenberg, said Blackmon “never harassed anyone.”
Miltenberg criticized Wheaton College for “publicly smearing and defaming” Blackmon’s reputation “merely because he does not fall in line with whatever principles they think he has run afoul of.”
He added that while “it’s not Tim’s preference” to sue Wheaton, he believes Blackmon has a strong case.
“I’m very distressed at the way Wheaton has behaved in the last few days,” Miltenberg said. “I can tell you that the manner in which Wheaton has conducted itself in the last 48 hours has pushed us closer to feeling compelled to sue to clear Tim’s name than we felt last week. And there’s no there there. Wheaton’s sort of making it up and I feel like they hide behind this curtain of Christianity, and yet they’re acting anything but Christian.”
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Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-07-09--Illinois Municipal League says new state rule could deprive some municipalities of federal coronavir

Illinois Municipal League says new state rule could deprive some municipalities of federal coronavirus aid

“ Mayors and local officials across the state have had one hand tied behind their back because of the four @ @ @ @ @ having access to federal funding , ” Cole said .
“ Now , those mayors @ @ @ @ @ the other hand tied behind their back because of additional state regulations and restrictions that @ @ @ @ @ dollars going to their communities and more dollars being reallocated by the state .
”

Brad Cole, of the Illinois Municipal League, speaks to the media in 2019 as Gov. J.B. Pritzker looks on. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The Illinois Municipal League is calling on the state to change a new rule governing how federal coronavirus aid money is distributed, arguing it’s burdensome and unnecessary and could result in federal funding being stripped from local governments in Illinois.
The rule, filed last week by the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, is more restrictive than federal guidelines on the relief money and would allow the state to reallocate local funds, which would “strip local governments of much-needed federal dollars,” Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole said Thursday.
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The rule allows local governments to recoup federal dollars for medical expenses, including establishing temporary medical facilities to increase the treatment and testing capacity for COVID-19; public health and payroll expenses; and other coronavirus-related expenses that are “reasonably necessary to the function of government.”
Local governments have until Nov. 1 to submit all reimbursement requests to the department, and any funds that were allotted but not claimed by that date “may be reallocated to other units of local government based on need,” the rule states.
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“They will reallocate those dollars, and instead of them going to Peoria or Quincy or Decatur or Springfield or Rockford or Carbondale, they’ll go to another community that is a state priority, versus a local priority within those specific communities,” Cole said at a news conference in Springfield.
Federal rules associated with the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package Congress passed earlier this year allow state and local governments to use their share of the funds on economic development-related expenses to support local businesses, Cole said.
“The state has now made that an ineligible expense for local governments but has retained that eligible expense for themselves,” Cole said.
A spokeswoman for the department issued a statement calling the idea that the state is preventing local governments from receiving federal funds “simply false,” and also pointed to the state’s $636 million Business Interruption Grant program to help businesses recoup losses they’ve had during the pandemic.
The agency sought input from local government groups, including the Illinois Municipal League, “on how to fairly and equitably deliver the funds to cover ongoing costs for COVID response. At the same time, the state created the (Business Interruption Grant) program to directly support businesses for losses they’ve experienced,” the spokeswoman said.
The state budget that took effect July 1 dedicated $250 million of the state’s share of federal coronavirus aid to reimburse local governments that did not receive direct aid payments from the federal government, for costs they’ve incurred associated with the pandemic.
The Local Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Support program, the mechanism for distributing the $250 million to local governments in Illinois outside Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties, applies to costs incurred between March 1 and Dec. 30.
Cole, who was joined in opposition to the rule Thursday by leaders from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, asked the department to give local officials decision-making authority for how the federal funds are used in their communities.
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“Mayors and local officials across the state have had one hand tied behind their back because of the four months’ long delay in having access to federal funding,” Cole said. “Now, those mayors and local officials will have the other hand tied behind their back because of additional state regulations and restrictions that will likely result in fewer dollars going to their communities and more dollars being reallocated by the state.”
Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Retail Merchants Association, said restaurants typically need to be operating near 80% capacity “to just have a shot at profitability,” while operating at about 50% is “a lifeline” for retail stores, and as businesses continue to see lower profits, tax revenue to state and local governments is down.
“Other than the travel sector, no sector has been harder hit,” Karr said. “The perception, I think, is that because retail is largely back open to some degree, everything is fine, when in fact that’s far from the truth. We’re on life support, we’re buying time. It’s far from back to normal.”
In a statement, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office defended the state’s approach.
The “General Assembly created programs to support local governments through the pandemic using federal dollars, and the governor continues to call on Congress to pass additional state and local funding to ensure continued support throughout the pandemic response,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-09--National Guard coronavirus testing in South Holland

To come up with the best pizzas in America , The Daily Meal researched the newest and highly rated places @ @ @ @ @ of great pizzas from across the country — nearly 1,000 pizzas in total were considered @ @ @ @ @ then called upon a geographically diverse list of pizza panelists — chefs , restaurant critics @ @ @ @ @ other pizza authorities — to take the survey .
The states with the most entrants @ @ @ @ @ York ( 28 ) , Illinois ( 9 ) , California ( 7 ) , @ @ @ @ @ ( 6 ) and New Jersey ( 6 ) , but Texas , Michigan and @ @ @ @ @ as well .

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chicagotribune--2020-07-09--Bricks thrown at alderman’s home, neighbor’s garage set on fire: ‘This is gang intimidation’

Lopez has repeatedly said that he has received threats from gang members through social media .
He said the attack @ @ @ @ @ he visited a “ known gang building ” in the 4300 block South Fairfield Avenue @ @ @ @ @ the owner of the building that the city will be enforcing the Troubled Building Ordinance @ @ @ @ @ to hold landlords accountable if they are given information about tenants ’ illegal activities and @ @ @ @ @

Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez in front of his neighbor's garage on July 9, 2020, which was set on fire Thursday morning. Lopez said he was awakened overnight to bricks being thrown through the windows of his Brighton Park home and a the garage set on fire. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Security cameras caught people throwing bricks at the Brighton Park home of 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez and his neighbor’s garage was set on fire early Thursday, according to the alderman, who blamed the attacks on “gang intimidation.”
A brick was thrown through the window of a city’s employee home in the 4300 block of South Artesian Avenue about 1:20 a.m. and approximately an hour later the garage of the home next door was set on fire, according to Kellie Bartoli, a police spokeswoman. Chicago Fire Department crews responded to the fire, but there were no injuries.
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Police said that no one was in custody.
Lopez shared photos and videos of the attacks on Twitter early Thursday and blamed the attacks on gang members retaliating against him because of his attempts to dismantle gangs.
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Broken windows at the home of Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez on July 9, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“This is gang intimidation, this is meant to send a message and it failed,” the alderman said in a webstreamed news conference Thursday morning in front of his home.
The alderman also represents parts of the Back of the Yards, Gage Park and West Englewood neighborhoods.
Lopez has repeatedly said that he has received threats from gang members through social media. He said the attack was “orchestrated” after he visited a “known gang building” in the 4300 block South Fairfield Avenue on Wednesday, to inform the owner of the building that the city will be enforcing the Troubled Building Ordinance. The ordinance is designed to hold landlords accountable if they are given information about tenants’ illegal activities and do not take action.
“I’m certain that that message made its way to their gang tenants,” Lopez said and added that he is determined to “aggressively (go) after landlords who turn a blind eye to the terror that their tenants, their gangbanging, drug dealing tenants cause in our communities.”
Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, near the broken windows at his home on July 9, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Although he declined to name the gang he believes is harassing him, Lopez said he believes those responsible are the same people who threatened him in May 2017 when he said “no innocent lives were lost here,” after a shooting that killed Daniel Cordova, who police said had gang affiliations and then two others were killed when two masked gunmen opened fire with a rifle on a group congregating at Cordova’s makeshift memorial.
The Southwest Side alderman was put under police protection after those remarks.
In the news conference Thursday, Lopez said police have been patrolling the area as they investigate the recent attack against him, but said he is not yet under protection or knows if they will be offering it.
Awakened w/ bricks thrown through my windows & a garage set on fire b/c gang bangers think they can intimidate me & my family b/c I want my residents to be free of their tyranny. This attack only strengthens my resolve to rid our communities of these urban terrorists. #Enough pic.twitter.com/8RUtjHMqV4 — Ald. Raymond Lopez (@RLopez15thWard) July 9, 2020
The videos he posted from his security cameras show someone throwing a brick toward the front door of the alderman’s home, then throwing bricks through the front windows. A brick went through a window and into the house, police confirmed.
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Approximately an hour after the bricks were thrown, a man and possibly other people , apparently intending to set fire to Lopez’s garage, set fire to Lopez’s neighbor’s garage.
“This made me more resolute to put an end to the gang terror in our neighborhood,” Lopez said. “We will go after this landlord and we will go after these gangs because this is our city, this is our way of life that is under attack, and we will not tolerate this anymore.”
Lopez thanked police from the Deering District and members of the Fire Department for “being so quick and responsive.”
He said police know about the building he visited and the reputed gang members he confronted Wednesday.
larodriguez@chicagotribune.com


Corrections and clarifications

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· A graphic titled “GDP growth by state” that appeared on Page 3 of Thursday’s Business section contained an incorrect state abbreviation for New Mexico, listed in the fifth position in the rankings.
· A story Wednesday about an ordinance aimed at protecting senior citizens incorrectly stated the ward that Ald. Andre Vasquez serves. He serves the 40th Ward.
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The Tribune regrets the errors.
Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune’s news responsibility and a value shared in all our publications. Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards. Everyone in our newsroom must agree to live up to this code of conduct. Download the file.
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chicagotribune--2020-07-09--Yes, Chicago, it has been that hot: Here are 4 charts to help explain the recent heat wave

A heat index reading of about 105 degrees or above is considered dangerous , because it becomes more difficult for @ @ @ @ @ .
When the body can not cool itself adequately , or when the body becomes @ @ @ @ @ as cramps , heat exhaustion and heatstroke can develop .
Heatstroke requires emergency medical attention @ @ @ @ @

So far this year Chicago has recorded 15 days with a high temperature above 90 degrees. Normally by the end of July there have been only 10. Additionally, the daily high temperatures have been above normal 42 out of 69 days since May 1, and all but three days since summer started June 20.
The heat takes on added significance as 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of Chicago’s deadliest weather event on record — the 1995 heat wave. Nothing in the forecast looks as bad as 1995 but more heat is forecast in the weeks ahead.
Read more on the hot start to summer and heat wave here. Meanwhile, here are four charts that help put the heat in context.
Hotter than normal
Though temperatures have been regularly above normal they haven’t broken records in Chicago.
More days above 90 degrees
On average Chicago usually has one day in the 90s in May and 2020 matched that. And normally Chicago notches three days in the 90s in June, 2020 saw eight. July historically sees six days in the 90s and as of July 9, Chicago has already matched that mark.
How 2020 compares with 1995
In 1995, there were 29 days between June 1 and Sept. 1 with a high above 90 degrees and the average temperature during that span was 86 degrees. The average temperature from June 1 to present this year is 75.9 and there have been 15 days in the 90s.
Heat index high this weekend
The heat index for is forecast to be higher than 90 Friday and Saturday. The heat index is a measure of how it feels to be outside.
What is the heat index?
When humidity is high, forecasters use the heat index to predict how hot it will really feel outside.
How is it calculated?
• The heat index determines how hot it feels by factoring in both relative humidity and air temperature.
• Although the heat index involves only two variables — relative humidity and temperature — it is based on a complex mathematical equation.
• Heat index values assume that a person is in the shade and that the wind is light. If a person is in full sunshine, heat index values can increase by up to 15 degrees. Strong winds with dry air can also affect the heat index.
• The heat index calculation can produce meaningless results if temperature or relative humidity are outside the range shown on the chart below.
When is heat dangerous?
A heat index reading of about 105 degrees or above is considered dangerous, because it becomes more difficult for the body to cool itself. When the body cannot cool itself adequately, or when the body becomes dehydrated, heat-related illnesses such as cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke can develop. Heatstroke requires emergency medical attention and can be fatal.