chicagotribune--2020-09-09--The power of Indigenous rituals: Aztec and African ancestral dancers join forces to bridge Lawndale,

The power of Indigenous rituals: Aztec and African ancestral dancers join forces to bridge Lawndale, Little Village neighborhoods

The first-ever ceremony in 2018 was in Back of the Yards with Ayodele Drum and Dance , an all-women ’ @ @ @ @ @ and Example Setters .
In 2019 , the healing ritual took place in Little Village @ @ @ @ @ an African American women ’ s drumming group , and with African Explosion .
In @ @ @ @ @ held in Garfield Park with Najwa Dance Corps .
Each features a healing circle and @ @ @ @ @

Danza Azteca de Concheros perform in front of a Martin Luther King Jr. mural in North Lawndale on Sept. 5, 2020. The Aztec dancers then performed with a group of African traditional dancers, in a symbol of unity between the two cultures living side by side. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The scent of burning copal filled the air as Aztec dancers, bedecked in feathered headdresses and wearing shell-embellished ankle cuffs, blessed an intersection bordering Little Village and North Lawndale on a sunny morning in September. The group was getting ready to perform a Mexican ancestral prayer followed by a traditional West African ritual by African American dancers also wearing their vivid traditional textiles.
The two groups gathered Saturday to embrace and showcase each other’s ancestral ceremonies, as part of a series of similar events held since 2018 to celebrate Black and Latino unity, and to address anti-Blackness in the Latino community.
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[ Leer en español: El poder de los rituales indígenas: Danza ancestral azteca y africana une a comunidades de latinos y negros ]
This time, the beat of the drums resonated on the corner of Lawndale and Ogden avenues, the division line between Lawndale, a predominantly Black neighborhood, and Little Village, a Mexican-American community.
A mural of Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez stands near where Saturday’s ceremony took place. The site was chosen so members of each community could see it and feel encouraged to participate, said Henry Cervantes, leader of Xochitl-Quetzal Aztec Dance and organizer of the collaboration between Black and Latino Indigenous dance groups to address the racial tension between the two communities.
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“We are facing a double pandemic, the health pandemic but also a pandemic of racism,” Cervantes said in Spanish.
Members of Najwa Dance Corps perform in North Lawndale on Sept. 5, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
An Aztec dancer walked around blessing with copal the members of Najwa Dance Corps of Chicago, dedicated to reflecting the African American dance heritage; and the members of Example Setters, a Black youth poetry group. The two groups partook in the later healing ceremony and celebration.
For over three years, Cervantes’ dance group has collaborated with various African and other Aztec dance groups to perform their Indigenous rituals side by side in communities affected by violence, to try to help them find healing.
The first-ever ceremony in 2018 was in Back of the Yards with Ayodele Drum and Dance, an all-women’s African dance group, and Example Setters. In 2019, the healing ritual took place in Little Village with the Drum Divas, an African American women’s drumming group, and with African Explosion. In August, another ceremony was held in Garfield Park with Najwa Dance Corps. Each features a healing circle and conversation after the ceremony.
“These are two cultures living side by side, and we are more similar than we think,” Cervantes said.
“But the divide has always been stronger because racism and colorism are embedded in our culture, and we need to challenge ourselves to stop with the racism and prejudice that sometimes Mexicans have against Black people,” he added.
Cervantes believes showing the community the similarities between the two cultures can help to create understanding and authentic unity between Black people and Mexicans.
“By sharing culture, song, dance and dialogue, then we begin to learn about the other. That way, we stop seeing them (Black people) as the other; instead, we learn to see ourselves in them,” Cervantes explained.
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The need to address anti-Blackness within the Latino community became more urgent in Chicago and around the country after George Floyd was killed by police and officers were charged with murder in Minnesota in late May, Cervantes said.
And the need for the Danzas concheras to participate in marches and protests also became more evident.
“These aren’t dances or shows, these are our prayers,” said Sandra Payan Cataño, a dancer who has participated in various Black and brown Indigenous dance rituals with Cervantes.
The purpose of their attending protests and marches is to make their presence visible, share their energy, stand in solidarity with others and create community, she explained. That’s how they have fought for social justice.
Members of Danza Azteca watch members of Example Setters perform in North Lawndale on Sept. 5, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
“Each movement and each dance is a different prayer, our outfit has a meaning. When we participate in a demonstration, we call on the universe for strength and clarity.”
The roots of the Aztec Indigenous rite, also known as Mexica and Chichimeca, include traditions from prior to Spanish colonization and Christian traditions from colonial Mexico. It was an ancient religious ceremony that in the 20th century became a symbol of Mexican Indigenous culture. Now, the dancers popularly known as concheros carry on the tradition.
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Each piece of clothing the concheros use — featuring feathers, beadwork and headdresses — and their dance movements, honor ancestors, deities and the cosmos. The rhythm is made of different instruments including drums, flutes, maracas and shell ankle rattles.
Some drums are similar to the ones used for the African ancient dances, said Andrea “Najwii” Vinson, a member of the Najwa Dance Corps of Chicago, which has participated in the Black and brown Indigenous healing ceremony over the past years.
“Beyond the protests, it’s a blessing that we are having these conversations now and seeing that we share more similarities than differences,” Vinson added. “We can see each other’s struggle, and we can understand that we are fighting for the same thing.”
Acknowledging and accepting anti-Blackness is the first step to battle racism, and creating safe spaces to bring Black and Latino people together for dialogue sets the discussion in motion, Cervantes said.
“In these barrios there exists great power, in the cultural and traditional sense,” Cervantes said.
“What people saw today is the energy and history that exists in our neighborhood within each other, but we need to recognize it,” Cervantes said after the dancers finished their ceremony. “We need to honor each other’s history.”


chicagotribune--2020-09-09--Watch live: Lightfoot provides update after Chicago City Council meeting

Mayor Lori Lightfoot provides an update after a meeting of the Chicago City Council meeting .
Aldermen banned the sale @ @ @ @ @ approved a package protecting affordable housing around the proposed Obama center .

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chicagotribune--2020-09-09--Uncle of 8-year-old Dajore Wilson stops by scene of her killing to pause and mourn: ‘She was an ange

Uncle of 8-year-old Dajore Wilson stops by scene of her killing to pause and mourn: ‘She was an angel’

She posed in clothing her father bought her ( “ Of course she was spoiled , ” Ray said ) @ @ @ @ @ dress up as firefighters or police officers when they ’ re young and dreaming of @ @ @ @ @ when they grow up .

The clear casket carrying the body of 8-year-old shooting victim DaJore Wilson is carried out of Abundant Living Christian Center in Dolton after her funeral on Sept. 18, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Eight-year-old Dajore Wilson’s uncle sat alone against his car Wednesday morning next to the tree where his niece was killed Monday night.
Dajore was in a car with her parents and a family friend when someone fired as many as 15 shots toward the car at the intersection of 47th Street and Union Avenue.
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The car they were in wrecked against a tree. Dajore, her father and the friend were shot. Her mother was injured by broken glass. Only Dajore died.
Her uncle, 28-year-old Reggie Ray, looked at the small memorial relatives built here Tuesday night and poured himself a small drink. He came here to grieve alone.
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Balloons in shades of pink. Round, star-shaped, some Mylar, some bearing the word “princess,” some tied to a wooden cross secured to the tree with ribbon.
At the base stood extinguished candles and others lit by battery. Nylon and plastic flowers with pink and white butterflies.
Ray lay down flowers. An older couple passed. The man made the sign of the cross while looking down at the memorial and kissed his fingers without breaking stride.
“That was his heart,” Ray said of his brother’s daughter. “That was his only girl. She was stuck to him like glue. She was an angel.”
Dajore had a twin brother, and Ray said the two were always together.
“Her brother, they was always close. They’re all full of energy, all the kids. They all look alike, just happy kids, living a kid’s life.”
Dajore liked SpongeBob and Disney movies. She was into fashion and nice clothing. She liked dancing and the color pink. Her father let her have an Instagram page, and she thought of becoming a model.
She posed in clothing her father bought her (“Of course she was spoiled,” Ray said), the same way boys dress up as firefighters or police officers when they’re young and dreaming of what they want to be when they grow up.
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“She was an angel. Always happy, active, loved by her family. She was everything. It’s hard to get over something like that,” Ray said. “I’m hurt. I’m hurt.”


chicagotribune--2020-09-09--United, pilots union reach tentative deal to avoid furloughs

“ Any potential mitigation must achieve our goals : stop planned furloughs , stop displacements , and include long-term permanent @ @ @ @ @ fully recoverable modifications .
Management continues to say they want to reduce involuntary furloughs so @ @ @ @ @ future recovery ; now is the time to see if they are willing to pay @ @ @ @ @ Todd Insler , chairman of the United branch of the Air Line Pilots Association , @ @ @ @ @ members Tuesday .

Flight attendants rally at Federal Plaza calling for an extension of the Payroll Support Program on Sept. 9, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
United Airlines and the union representing its pilots have reached an agreement that would spare almost 3,000 pilots from furloughs next month.
The Chicago-based airline last week warned that it planned to furlough 2,850 of its 13,000 pilots, along with more than 13,500 employees in other roles, amid a steep decline in air travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Most of those furloughs are scheduled to start Oct. 1. Airlines that accepted federal aid this spring agreed to avoid layoffs before that date.
“Any potential mitigation must achieve our goals: stop planned furloughs, stop displacements, and include long-term permanent gains for any short-term, fully recoverable modifications. Management continues to say they want to reduce involuntary furloughs so they can excel during a future recovery; now is the time to see if they are willing to pay for that flexibility,” Todd Insler, chairman of the United branch of the Air Line Pilots Association, said in an email to members Tuesday.
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The union and United declined to comment on details of the agreement, including the number of jobs preserved or how long furloughs would be avoided.
Flight attendants march at Federal Plaza during a rally calling for extension of the Payroll Support Program on Sept. 9, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
“We continue to try and reduce the number of involuntary furloughs at United and are happy we were able to reach an agreement in principle with ALPA that can potentially save pilot jobs,” United spokeswoman Leslie Scott said in an email.
Once details of the agreement are finalized, it must be ratified by union members.
Airlines, United included, have been attempting to limit the number of involuntary job cuts by offering early retirement and other voluntary leave programs. Unions representing airline employees also have urged the federal government to provide additional aid to the industry. Flight attendants held rallies in Washington, D.C. and Chicago on Wednesday to call for a coronavirus relief package that would extend funding to preserve airline industry jobs.
Last month, American Airlines said it will have 40,000 fewer workers this fall, including about 19,000 who are expected to be involuntarily furloughed or laid off after Oct. 1.
Southwest Airlines has said 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--2020-09-09--5-year-old boy dies after fall at Oak Brook hotel

As the children were getting up , leaving the area , the boy began to slide off the sofa table @ @ @ @ @ top , and held the edge with his fingers to slow his fall .
As @ @ @ @ @ it fell on top of his head , causing significant injury , police said .

A 5-year-old Glenview boy died from an injury suffered while attending a family wedding reception at the Drake Hotel in Oak Brook. (Chuck Fieldman / Pioneer Press)
A 5-year-old Glenview boy died Friday after sustaining a traumatic head injury while at a family wedding reception at an Oak Brook hotel, Oak Brook police said.
Police and fire department personnel responded about 10 p.m. Friday to a 911 call at the Drake Hotel, 2301 N. York Road and found the boy unresponsive.
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Immediately upon arrival, police department personnel assisted an emergency medicine physician in attendance for the reception performing CPR on the boy. Oak Brook Fire Department paramedics transported the boy to Elmhurst Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead by the attending physician, police said.
Upon preliminary investigation while reviewing video from the hotel, the child was seen lying perpendicular across a sofa table directly behind a sofa in an open area where other children in the party were sitting.
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As the children were getting up, leaving the area, the boy began to slide off the sofa table, which had a granite top, and held the edge with his fingers to slow his fall. As he dismounted the table, it fell on top of his head, causing significant injury, police said.


chicagotribune--2020-09-09--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--2020-09-09--Darien woman confirmed to have first human case of West Nile virus in state this year

The state advises residents to keep doors and windows shut as much as is practical to keep mosquitoes out and @ @ @ @ @ fitting and don ’ t have holes .
It also suggests checking property for standing @ @ @ @ @ grounds for mosquitoes , such as birdbaths , ponds , flowerpots , old tires or @ @ @ @ @ .

Culex pipiens mosquito specimens, such as the one seen here as part of the Field Museum collection, are the main transmitters of West Nile virus. (E. Jason Wambsgans, Chicago Tribune)
A Darien woman in her 40s is the first confirmed human case of West Nile virus to be reported in the state of Illinois in 2020, state and DuPage County officials announced Wednesday.
The woman became ill in mid-August and is now recovering, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the DuPage County Health Department said.
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While mosquitoes captured in sampling batches in the suburban Chicago area and around the state have been confirmed to be West Nile virus carriers, this is the first case this year of a person contracting the disease, officials said.
“Approximately one in five people who are infected with WNV will develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash,” a DuPage County news release said. “Less than one percent will develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues).”
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The Illinois health department called on residents to be vigilant in protecting themselves from West Nile virus at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has demanded so much attention worldwide.
“In an effort to decrease our risk of contracting COVID-19 from indoor settings, many of us are spending more time outdoors while still socially distancing," Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the agency’s director, said in the release.
“As we enjoy the outdoors, we need to protect ourselves from other viruses carried by mosquitoes by wearing insect repellent and getting rid of standing water around our homes,” he said.
There were 28 total human cases of the virus in Illinois in 2019, resulting in one death, the state news release said.
“People older than 60 and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness from West Nile virus,” the release said.
The state advises residents to keep doors and windows shut as much as is practical to keep mosquitoes out and make sure screens are tight fitting and don’t have holes. It also suggests checking property for standing water that make great breeding grounds for mosquitoes, such as birdbaths, ponds, flowerpots, old tires or anything else that collects rain.
People also should try to wear socks, shoes and long-sleeved shirts and pants when possible, along with applying insect repellent “that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535.”
“Report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes,” the news release said.
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Local health departments can act on such reports and may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae, officials said.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-09--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--2020-09-09--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 30 new deaths, 1,337 new confirmed cases and 48,029 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 30 new deaths, 1,337 new confirmed cases and 48,029 new test results

Illinois announced 1,337 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday for a total of 253,690 .
The state also announced 30 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,214 and 48,029 new test results for a total of 4.52 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--2020-09-09--Chicago police union endorses President Trump’s reelection bid

Because board leadership is supposed to be taking the pulse of its membership , Catanzara said , the endorsement largely @ @ @ @ @ membership .
“ But there ’ s definitely people who are not going to be @ @ @ @ @ are more Democrats , locally speaking , but there ’ s even some Democrats who @ @ @ @ @ president has been very good for employment and law enforcement these days , ” Catanzara @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s support for police officers and how they carry out their duties .

Chicago’s police union, like its umbrella organization the national Fraternal Order of Police, has endorsed Republican President Donald Trump’s reelection bid, potentially helping to boost his pro-cop, law-and-order message.
While the endorsement might have been expected, it further illustrates a division between law enforcement and protesters who for months have railed against police brutality and called for racial justice after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
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The endorsement isn’t likely to hold much sway for Trump in heavily Democratic Chicago, but John Catanzara, president of the local FOP and an outspoken Trump backer, is happy to antagonize the likes of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who’s endorsed Democrat Joe Biden.
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The Chicago police union’s board of directors convened last Wednesday and voted unanimously to endorse Trump’s bid for a second term — days before the national FOP announced it was endorsing the president as the organization did in 2016.
Because board leadership is supposed to be taking the pulse of its membership, Catanzara said, the endorsement largely reflects the views of its membership. “But there’s definitely people who are not going to be happy about it. There are more Democrats, locally speaking, but there’s even some Democrats who would agree that the current president has been very good for employment and law enforcement these days,” Catanzara said, referring to the president’s support for police officers and how they carry out their duties.
Like Trump, Catanzara said the problem with protests that turn violent has been the Democratic mayors of the major metropolitan cities where they’ve taken place. Lightfoot has pushed back against that notion, saying the protests have been largely peaceful, while others have underscored that the unrest has taken place with Trump in power.
Catanzara was among those who attended Trump’s controversial speech on the White House lawn where he accepted the GOP’s nomination for a second term, which punctuated the four-day Republican National Convention. And the FOP boss said that he’d gladly stump for the president in Chicago.
“I will do whatever I can for him — clearly,” Catanzara told the Tribune. “I hope he makes a somewhat local appearance — that he doesn’t think Illinois is a lost cause and will just kind of mail it in.”
Lisa Donovan is the host of The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
ldonovan@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-09-09--Evanston police ‘may have a lead’ on identity of female body that washed ashore on Dempster Beach

There was no indication of foul play , Henry said , but he did not explain whether that meant she @ @ @ @ @ injuries .
As part of their death investigation , Henry said detectives are trying to @ @ @ @ @ previously been reported missing .

A female body that washed up along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Dempster Street Beach had not been identified Wednesday morning but investigators said they may have a lead regarding her identity.
Officers responded to the beach, 1251 Lake Shore Blvd., about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday after getting a call that a woman who appeared unresponsive was found near the beach entrance, Cmdr. Brian Henry, an Evanston police spokesman, said Tuesday.
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“We did have a female body wash up at Dempster Street Beach,” Henry said in an email. "There was a call that came in from a citizen who observed the body.“
The medical examiner’s office communicated with the Evanston Fire Department, which also responded to the beach. The woman was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m., according to medical examiner’s office spokeswoman Natalia Derevyanny. The person had not yet been identified Wednesday morning and her age was not immediately released.
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Sgt. Ken Carter, also with Evanston police, said in an email that investigators believe the woman is of Asian descent; the medical examiner’s office database also identifies her race as Asian.
Carter said investigators may already be close to determining who the woman was and how she ended up on the beach.
“At this time, the deceased has not been identified, however, the Evanston Police Department may have a lead on the deceased’s identity,” Carter said.“
There was no indication of foul play, Henry said, but he did not explain whether that meant she didn’t have obvious injuries. As part of their death investigation, Henry said detectives are trying to determine whether the woman had previously been reported missing.
“Investigators are looking at recent missing person cases from the area,” he said.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-09--Column: Barr’s Justice Department rides to Trump’s defense in case involving rape claim. Your tax do

Column: Barr’s Justice Department rides to Trump’s defense in case involving rape claim. Your tax dollars at work!

Roberta Kaplan , Carroll ’ s lawyer , said this about the Justice Department ’ s motion and its timing @ @ @ @ @ judge ’ s recent ruling : “ Realizing that there was no valid basis to @ @ @ @ @ New York courts , on the very day that he would have been required to @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Department of Justice to replace his private lawyers and argue that when he @ @ @ @ @ client , explaining that she ‘ wasn ’ t his type , ’ he was @ @ @ @ @ as president of the United States .
Even in today ’ s world , that @ @ @ @ @ offends me as a lawyer , and offends me even more as a citizen .
@ @ @ @ @ wield the power of the U.S. government to evade responsibility for his private misconduct is @ @ @ @ @ even more starkly how far he is willing to go to prevent the truth from @ @ @ @

Great news, fellow Americans. Our tax dollars may now be used to help defend President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit brought by a woman who claims Trump raped her!
I don’t know about you all, but when I think about how I want the government to use my money, the first thing that comes to mind is: Keep America safe. But the second thing is: Keep President Trump safe from a deposition and possibly a DNA test that could prove conclusively whether he raped journalist E. Jean Carroll and defamed her by calling her a liar and saying he never met her and “she’s not my type.”
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On Tuesday, attorneys with the U.S. Justice Department asked that Carroll’s defamation lawsuit be moved from New York state courts to federal court, meaning the defendant would become the U.S. government and not President Trump. The attorneys assert that Trump was “acting within the scope of his office as President of the United States” in 2019 when he denied Carroll’s allegation that he raped her more than two decades ago in a New York City department store.
This would accomplish two very sensible things: Trump won’t have to pay legal costs, because government attorneys will handle the case; if Trump loses, we, the taxpayers, get the honor of paying any damages that are awarded!
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And as a bonus, it slows Carroll’s case down. A state judge in New York recently issued a ruling that might have required President Trump to be deposed before the Nov. 3 presidential election. Who needs that kind of embarrassment, right?
Carroll sued Trump last November, saying that after she published a book alleging he raped her, Trump lied in interviews by saying he never met her. Could all this be cleared up with a simple DNA test? Probably. But it hardly seems fair that the president should be forced to do something he doesn’t want to do.
Having we the people shoulder the cost of his legal defense seems the least we can do after all this president has done for us. Things like: building a wall that exists if we believe hard enough; owning the libs; not criticizing white criminals as long as they support him; and saving America from the coronavirus by only letting 189,000 (at last count) Americans die rather than ALL Americans.
The Justice Department’s filings in federal court in Manhattan are being called “unprecedented” simply because before William Barr, no previous U.S. attorney general had the guts to interpret the laws in ways that are both nakedly corrupt and intellectually ridiculous. It’s genius, assuming you’re a patriot who cares about protecting President Trump from criticism more than you care about silly things like “laws” and “the appearance of a functioning democracy.”
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s lawyer, said this about the Justice Department’s motion and its timing relative to the New York judge’s recent ruling: “Realizing that there was no valid basis to appeal that decision in the New York courts, on the very day that he would have been required to appeal, Trump instead enlisted the U.S. Department of Justice to replace his private lawyers and argue that when he lied about sexually assaulting our client, explaining that she ‘wasn’t his type,’ he was acting in his official capacity as president of the United States. Even in today’s world, that argument is shocking. It offends me as a lawyer, and offends me even more as a citizen. Trump’s effort to wield the power of the U.S. government to evade responsibility for his private misconduct is without precedent, and shows even more starkly how far he is willing to go to prevent the truth from coming out.”
To which I say: “Blah, blah, blah.” Apparently Kaplan forgot the true motto of the America Trump has made great again: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what your country can do to help Donald Trump.”
This Justice Department move comes on the heels of reports that Trump’s reelection campaign is short on money, with a considerable chunk of its once-massive war chest already spent on legal bills. I’m sure that is in no way connected to having the government take over his legal defense in the Carroll case, but the bottom line is that we, the taxpayers, need to make sure as much of our money as possible is going to Trump.
His next move should be to order the Federal Reserve to replenish his campaign coffers. He should also make sure the DOJ is handling any Trump family legal matters, like parking tickets, bankruptcies or indictments for operating fraudulent charities.
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It would also be helpful for the president if the Department of the Interior declared all Trump properties National Historic Landmarks, NASA built a Trump Casino & Spaceport on the moon and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defined fast food as “extremely healthy.”
As an avid supporter of this president, I encourage him to use as much of my money as possible to further his own interests. Because, as the Justice Department’s intervention in Carroll’s defamation lawsuit shows us, conclusively, America and Donald Trump are now one and the same.
rhuppke@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-09--Mundelein police ask public for information on 18-year-old suspect in May fatal shooting

Jackson and his two friends entered a vehicle that was parked , which police say Botello was in with another @ @ @ @ @ release further details as to what happened in the vehicle that led to the killing @ @ @ @ @ John Monahan said information that came out initially about the nature of the incident proved @ @ @ @

Alessis Botez, 18, of Wheeling, is suspected to be the lone shooter in a homicide that took place in Mundelein in late May, police said. Officials believe him to be in the Chicagoland area. (Courtesy of the Mundelein Police Department)
Mundelein police confirmed the identity of the suspect in a homicide from earlier this year, officials said Tuesday. They are asking the public for more information on the individual’s possible whereabouts.
Alessis Botello, 18, of Wheeling, is suspected to be the shooter in the homicide of Gaville Jackson, a Mundelein teenager who was killed in late May of this year, police said Tuesday. At the time of the incident, Botello was 17, but recently had a birthday in August, according to a release from the Mundelein Police Department.
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On May 28, Jackson, 18, along with two friends walked to a Walgreens parking lot within the village to meet with two other individuals, one of which was Botello. At the time, officials believed it to be a drug transaction that went wrong, which officials have since confirmed.
Jackson and his two friends entered a vehicle that was parked, which police say Botello was in with another individual. Police did not release further details as to what happened in the vehicle that led to the killing, but Mundelein Police Chief John Monahan said information that came out initially about the nature of the incident proved to be correct.
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Officials say Jackson and his friends then proceeded to exit the vehicle and walk away. At that point, Botello got out of the car, and shot Jackson, officials said. The person in the vehicle drove off, and Botello ran away on foot. Jackson was transported to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was pronounced dead.
Police believe Botello to be the lone suspect in the case, and a warrant has been issued for him since June 1. Currently, Monahan said the last good address for Botello comes from Wheeling, but officials believe him to be somewhere in the Chicagoland area.
Marquita Love, Jackson’s mother, who resides in Mundelein, said Jackson had recently moved from Arizona and did not really know many people from Mundelein at the time of his death.
“I just pray every day they catch him because my son didn’t deserve to get killed,” she said. “I’m just so heart broken.”
Police are asking residents to provide information on where Botello might be located. Those with information are asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 847-662-2222.