chicagotribune--2020-05-14--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Officials report 192 deaths from COVID-19, the highest total in a 2

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Officials report 192 deaths from COVID-19, the highest total in a 24-hour period

State health officials on Wednesday announced 192 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours , a record high for one day .
The additional fatalities bring Illinois ’ death toll to 3,792 .
Officials also reported 1,677 new known cases , bringing the statewide number of known cases to 84,698 .
Officials said earlier this week that additional data shows that the state may not begin descending from its peak in the pandemic until mid-June , when previous models anticipated the peak would hit the state between late April and mid-May .
Earlier on Wednesday , Mayor Lori Lightfoot said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed , but several industries are on track to expand their services or reopen when the city reaches the next phase of its reopening plan .
It ’ s unclear when the city ’ s lakefront might reopen .
For almost two decades , Claudio Velez , aka the Tamale Guy , sold tamales out of a red cooler to appreciative late-night customers in North Side bars .
But when bars shut down in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Velez , like so many others , found himself without a source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to home delivery .
But Chicago officials say he was operating without a food license and shut down his tamale operation earlier this month , prompting an outpouring of support from the community , and raising questions about inconsistent enforcement of street vendor regulations .
Read more here .
— Laura Rodríguez Presa and Elvia Malagón The 2001 letter from then-Attorney General George Ryan to the state Emergency Management Agency director appears to respond to questions about foot and mouth disease and whether the governor could “ exercise emergency powers in excess of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster.
” According to the letter , which is among the documents filed with Bailey ’ s lawsuit , Ryan wrote that he would “ comment informally upon the questions you have raised.
” The act “ clearly authorizes the governor to exercise emergency powers for up to 30 days , ” Ryan wrote in the 2001 letter cited in the lawsuit .
“ A construction of its provisions to allow the governor to extend the 30-day period would render the limitation clause meaningless .
A more reasonable construction , taking into consideration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that the governor would be required to seek legislative approval for the exercise of extraordinary measures extending beyond 30 days.
” Bailey , of Xenia , is arguing that Pritzker has exceeded his authority by “ issuing disaster proclamations which fail to meet the definition of a disaster ” under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act , and that the act does not give the governor the authority “ to restrict the movement or activities or business closures.
” Bailey filed an initial lawsuit last month , and a downstate judge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exempting him from the stay-at-home order .
That ruling applied only to Bailey .
Pritzker has forcefully defended his stay-at-home order , and has said his actions to date are within the powers given to the governor by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act .
6:50 p.m. : OK Go has a new song/video 'All Together Now ’ in response to COVID-19 Former Chicago band OK Go has released a new song and video , titled “ All Together Now , ” that ’ s a response to the coronavirus pandemic and lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with COVID-19 .
The band , which can be known for its elaborate videos with Rube Goldberg machines or some other unexpected device as much as its songs , first posted the song and video late Tuesday .
In a phone interview from his California home -- the band decamped to Los Angeles some years back -- band leader Damian Kulash said “ All Together Now ” wasn ’ t the band ’ s usual work but the reaction has been positive .
“ I was pleased to see just how much it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Both Kulash and his wife Kristin and children caught coronavirus early in the pandemic and his wife ’ s symptoms were severe .
( All have since recovered . )
He said he was moved to write the song after she got better , and was also influenced by an essay historian Rebecca Solnit wrote for the Guardian .
The song doesn ’ t so much reflect what the world is now , he said , as the possibilities the current moment might afford .
There ’ s gratitude for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 8 p.m. applause Angelenos share with residents of other big cities , including Chicago .
“ The vertigo of normal life has been knocked out by this thing , ” Kulash said .
“ That ’ s what I want to share .
The feeling is why I feel teary when I go out to the balcony and I hear people cheering.
” Read more here .
—Doug George The Kendall County sheriff announced Wednesday that his deputies will not fine or arrest people for gathering in large groups nor will they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s orders regarding social distancing .
Kendall County was recently linked to Cook County in the state ’ s northeast region under the governor ’ s five-phase reopening plan .
Baird said he hopes Pritzker will reconsider the decision and move Kendall County into another region “ more fitting to the community we are.
” Baird said since the benchmarks were released , calls have increased from residents asking about enforcement at church services , weddings , parties or graduation celebrations .
Deputies will not fine or arrest anyone for solely violating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
“ I was elected and took an oath as your sheriff to enforce the laws and protect your constitutional rights , ” Baird said .
“ The governor ’ s executive order is not a law.
” Read more here .
—Megan Jones U of C has been doing drive-up testing at its main hospital in Chicago as well as at its Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey .
Tests are available by appointment at the Orland Park and Harvey locations to those 18 and older .
People seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered for testing if they have symptoms such as fever , cough , difficulty breathing and body aches , according to U of C Medicine .
Read more here .
— Mike Nolan The Rush University System for Health plans to not give raises this year and is asking executives to take pay cuts after suffering financial losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Rush had an operating loss of $ 43.1 million in March , according to a Rush memo obtained by the Tribune that was sent to employees this week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rush Oak Park Hospital and Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora .
Read more here .
— Lisa Schencker Officials said toll collections were about 42 % under projections for the month .
In the first four months of the year , the agency brought in about $ 73 million less than projected .
“ What ’ s important to us is that we ’ ve been able to keep folks working and keep on track with our 2020 capital plan , '' Alvarez said .
Read more here.—Mary Wisniewski 5:17 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fifth star to Chicago ’ s iconic flag ?
She ’ s floated the possibility twice in a week .
While unveiling her five-phase plan for reopening the citylast Friday , Lightfoot said , “ I want nothing less than for our efforts over the coming months to truly warrant a fifth star on our flag.
” She made the same point on Wednesday before the Economic Club of Chicago .
While announcing that the lakefront will remain closed , but several industries are on track to expand services or reopen when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening plan .
Much of the social media response to the idea has been lighthearted .
One Twitter user opined that a fifth star should honor the 90s Chicago Bulls , or else there should be a riot .
Another joked : “ The fifth star will commemorate Lightfoot memes.
” Read more here .
— Gregory Pratt After the justices heard arguments in the case during an online video conference last week , they ruled against the governor , a decision that effectively places any COVID-19 public health restrictions in the purview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans , which would hold veto power over orders issued by Evers .
—Bill Ruthhart While many schools are turning to various forms of virtual commencement events to honor their graduating seniors , others are also making tentative plans for in-person ceremonies later in the summer , if public health guidelines will allow them .
“ Fighting the coronavirus should be everyone ’ s top priority and matters like these seem inconsequential at a time like this , but this is an idea I am proposing , ” one student wrote : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having a virtual ceremony . ''
Read more here .
—Karen Ann Cullotta A south suburban healthcare agency said it is housing a handful of children who ’ ve either been exposed to or tested positive for the coronavirus at a facility it owns in Midlothian , while officials in that suburb contend that violates village zoning rules .
In the lawsuit , Aunt Martha ’ s officials said the agency received a license late last month from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to operate the center , meant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 who are under DCFS care and have either been exposed to COVID-19 or have tested positive for the virus and can ’ t remain in foster care .
Nick Valadez , an attorney for the village , said Wednesday that Aunt Martha ’ s needs a special use permit , which would require a public hearing , before the home could be used for COVID-19 youths , or anyone , under the age of 18 .
He wouldn ’ t say directly whether the village might seek a temporary restraining order , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all possible remedies ” under the law .
“ At the end of the day the village has a responsibility to its residents as well as to the clients of Aunt Martha ’ s , ” which he described as a “ well-intentioned , benevolent organization.
” Read more here .
—Mike Nolan Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday walked back his comments about Major League Baseball players from the day before , apologizing for “ leaving the impression that baseball players shouldn ’ t have the right ” to collectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
“ I want to address something that I said yesterday , regarding baseball and baseball players , ” Pritzker said .
“ I want to apologize for leaving the impression that baseball players shouldn ’ t have the right to bargain , to protect their health and safety .
I absolutely support that right .
I should have made that more clear.
” During Tuesday ’ s briefing , Pritzker said he was “ disappointed ” in baseball players for “ holding out ” for more money than the MLB proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of revenues between owners and players .
In ruling against the churches , however , Gettleman said a restraining order “ would risk the lives of congregants ... their family members , friends , co-workers and other members of their communities with whom they come in contact.
” Gettleman noted that the COVID-19 is a particular danger to spread in a church setting , regardless of how careful congregants try to be .
Read more here .
—Jason Meisner Two months into the pandemic , complaints are rising from the nursing home industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether state regulators are doing all they can to limit deadly outbreaks in Illinois ’ 1,200-plus long-term care facilities .
The homes are tied to more than 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths of residents and workers — accounting for nearly half the deaths statewide .
Industry trade groups asked the Pritzker administration weeks ago to create a “ comprehensive plan ” the industry said was long overdue .
The coalition of trade groups has pushed the state for more testing and transparency , assistance with protective gear and staffing , and a more centralized approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need more help .
We need more coordination from the Department of Public Health .
There ’ s no question about that .
And we ’ ve been begging for it from the beginning , ” said Pat Comstock , who runs one of the groups , the Health Care Council of Illinois .
State officials say they have long had a comprehensive plan in place to help facilities follow care directives .
They said they can ’ t shoulder all the responsibility of caring for residents in what ’ s largely a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more here .
—Joe Mahr 1:50 p.m. : Chicago ’ s lakefront will remain closed , but here are the industries that Mayor Lori Lightfoot says are on track to expand or reopen during next phase Chicago ’ s lakefront will remain closed , but several industries are on track to expand their services or reopen when the city reaches the next phase of its reopening plan , Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Wednesday .
But in a virtual speech to the Economic Club of Chicago , Lightfoot warned that the next six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managing new outbreaks , as has happened in Georgia , South Korea , and Singapore , and said progress will continue to be slow .
The industries that are currently on track to reopen include those that are essential to providing basic needs and fighting the COVID-19 crisis , including grocery stores , emergency healthcare services , public transportation , and social services , Lightfoot said .
The 1.5 % interest rate on late property tax payments would normally be charged each month starting Aug. 3 , when the second installment of 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ halt the interest fees until Oct. 1 , and any payments made by then would be considered on time .
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle , commissioners and other county officials crafted the proposal after over a month of discussion and are expected to vote on it during their May 21 Board of Commissioners meeting .
The county treasurer ’ s office expects about $ 7 billion in property taxes during this second round .
Illinois lawmakers will return to Springfield next week for the first time since early March with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preventing the spread of the new coronavirus , according to special session plan documents .
“ We are all looking forward to a return to some semblance of normalcy – and certainly , as legislators , we are particularly interested in resuming normal operation of the House – but we must also recognize that these are not normal times , ” Madigan wrote .
Read more here .
–Jamie Munks 11:12 a.m. : The social-distancing police are among us .
Would you call out a neighbor for unsafe practices ?
Or call 911 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they don ’ t wear uniforms .
They are not actual police officers , and no one is going to formally deputize them .
But they are watchful , and alarmed , mostly disgusted and , though it ’ s hard to see at times , idealistic .
Even well-meaning .
They don ’ t like what they see , and they hate what they must do but — YOU !
Your shopping cart !
It ’ s TOO close !
SIX FEET !
Some shout , some gesture and expect you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual police , phone an aldermen , even email their park district .
Many others , they head for Facebook , Twitter , the neighborhood app Nextdoor , where they register horror — a lack of consideration they just witnessed by a fellow Chicagoan .
They wonder why everyone is suddenly a jogger .
They report coffee houses for a lack of masks .
They call 311 to report 12 people sitting a little too close on the grass in a park .
And I wish they were me , I wish I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or post an angry Facebook tirade about the kids playing basketball next door who don ’ t belong to the same family .
I wish I could release the hounds .
But I hesitate .
The social distance police hesitate , too .
I know this because I ’ ve been talking to them .
Ultimately , they act .
They will report you .
10:41 a.m. : Little Company of Mary hospital was up against it when the coronavirus hit .
Then central Illinois nurses came to the rescue .
Without children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple decided that he should go wherever he could help most while she would stay back in central Illinois to take care of the farm .
They never planned for the possibility that Voyles , a registered nurse with experience in providing critical care , would be the one volunteering to go to the front lines .
As she moves about her duties in the ICU , Voyles wears a surgical cap with firetrucks printed all over it .
It ’ s intended to honor her fiance , but it just as easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger while others seek safer ground .
Read more here .
—Stacy St. Clair 10:35 a.m. : ‘ It was set to be a record year ’ : Great Lakes cruise operators buckle up for a rough season in wake of the pandemic May typically marks the start of the season for cruise vacations on the Great Lakes , a burgeoning segment of the market that was shaping up to have a banner year in 2020 .
The magazine Travel + Leisure dubbed the Great Lakes one of the world ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crediting much of the kudos to the region ’ s growing cruise offerings .
The number of port calls was expected to be way up in 2020 , with 11 ships making an estimated 950 stops at dozens of docks from Chicago to Montreal .
That ’ s compared with nine ships and 520 port calls in 2019 , according to the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition .
“ Now , it ’ s all come to a screeching halt , ” said Stephen Burnett , executive director of the Canada-based coalition that promotes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe to say at least half the Great Lakes cruising season is a wash at this point.
” Read more here .
—Lori Rackl Long-established elements of structural racism , from substandard housing to mass incarceration to limited job opportunities , are responsible for the disproportionate toll COVID-19 is taking on African Americans in Chicago and elsewhere , a new paper from the Chicago Urban League argues .
Read more here .
—John Keilman Fae Rose , of Evanston , had always planned to marry her high school sweetheart on the anniversary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 .
The recent graduate of Carthage College in Kenosha , Wisconsin , said she wanted her wedding to take place in Evanston .
But when it came to applying for a marriage license , the Cook County Clerk ’ s Office wasn ’ t issuing them , so Rose ended up having a livestreamed wedding on Facebook , officiated by her grandmother in Kenosha .
“ At the time , the office said they thought they ’ d have an online process up and running within a couple of weeks , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back a few weeks later but couldn ’ t reach them at first .
... Out of desperation , I left messages to our congresswoman , Jan Schakowsky .
One of her aides called me back and said , we ’ re sorry , and it doesn ’ t look like we ’ re going to have anything in place in Illinois at all .
She said she talked to a couple of other people in desperate situations who need spousal privileges.
” But the situation was urgent for Rose and her partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a higher risk for the coronavirus because she has multiple sclerosis , and they wanted to be able to make medical decisions for each other in case of serious illness .
Read more here .
—Hannah Herrera Greenspan 9:22 a.m. : Fed chief warns coronavirus recession could be lengthy , painful Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Wednesday of the threat of a prolonged recession resulting from the viral outbreak and urged Congress and the White House to act further to prevent long-lasting economic damage .
The Fed and Congress have taken far-reaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to be a severe downturn resulting from the widespread shutdown of the U.S. economy .
But Powell cautioned that widespread bankruptcies among small businesses and extended unemployment for many people remain a serious risk .
“ We ought to do what we can to avoid these outcomes , ” Powell said .
Additional rescue aid from government spending or tax policies , though costly , would be “ worth it if it helps avoid long-term economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery , ” he said .
Read more here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bracing for Mexican beer shortage as coronavirus industry shutdown persists Chicago beer drinkers could see a shortage of popular imported Mexican brands as soon as next week due to an ongoing shutdown of Mexico ’ s beer industry .
Should the shutdown persist , beers owned by Constellation Brands — which include Modelo Especial , Corona and Pacifico — may also be in shorter supply by summer .
When Mexican beer production was paused in early April due to that country ’ s government not declaring brewing an “ essential ” industry — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. — observers predicted it would be resolved quickly or wouldn ’ t translate into empty store shelves .
However , the shutdown has endured .
The Mexican government has said brewing can begin next week only in the places where COVID-19 has been curbed .
While Heineken has paused brewing in Mexico , Constellation has said it continues to brew for the U.S. market at a reduced capacity .
However , how much beer Constellation is making and importing to the U.S. remains unclear .
Read more here .
—Josh Noel 8:50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s how to avoid falling for them Never have we been so attractive as targets for fraudsters and scammers as we are right now .
That ’ s because the uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic has created more opportunities for robocallers , hackers and other thieves .
For one thing , millions of people are filing new claims for unemployment benefits and awaiting stimulus checks .
So when a phone call or an email from someone purporting to be a bank or a government official comes in , it is tougher for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people being required to work from home , our personal tech devices have become an attractive target for those looking to infiltrate businesses .
Read more here .
—The New York Times 8:02 a.m. : Longtime Naperville couple die within a month of each other , both victims of COVID-19 complications Diane and Dalis Ramonas were active members of the Naperville community — she helped foster a relationship between the Naperville Woman ’ s Club and Loaves & Fishes Community Services and he was an avid skier and ski instructor who shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After a marriage of 35 years , they died within a month of each other — both victims of complications related to COVID-19 .
Read more here .
—Erin Hegarty and Suzanne Baker 7:01 a.m. : Streets and San to restart regular street cleaning in Chicago next week After only street sweeping around parked cars for six weeks , Chicago ’ s Department of Streets and Sanitation was scheduled to start posting no-parking notices and following its regular street cleaning routes Monday , according to notices posted by aldermen and news reports .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticketing and there will not be scheduled cleanings , ” although there would be street cleaning in all wards , the department said at the time in an update on services under the lockdown .
In notices posted by aldermen Tuesday , officials said Streets and San would officially start regular street sweeping Monday , following the calendar the department set before the stay-at-home order .
“ Signs will be hung on streets to be swept prior to sweeping , however at this time there will be no enforcement or citations issued related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office of Ald .
Pat Dowell , 3rd .
The Sun-Times reported aldermen had been asking the city to start posting signs and following the regular cleaning schedule , without ticketing .
—Chicago Tribune staff 6 a.m : Black Chicago churchgoers join one-quarter of Americans who say their faith ’ s grown stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic A recent Pew Research study found that 1 in 4 Americans said the coronavirus pandemic has deepened their faith .
Only 2 % said the pandemic has weakened their faith .
The study also found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pronounced among black American adults .
Forty-one percent of black adults said their faith is stronger , compared with 20 % of white adults and 30 % of Hispanic adults .
And 56 % of people who attend historically black churches say their faith has intensified during the pandemic , higher than any other group .
Nichole Phillips , director of Black Church Studies at Emory University ’ s Candler School of Theology , said the trend of stronger faith among black Americans is linked to the role the black church historically has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The surge in faith comes as the virus infects and kills black Americans at a disproportionately higher rate .
Even as the gap has shrunk in the past few weeks , in Chicago , African Americans account for nearly more than a third of those who have tested positive and more than half of coronavirus-related fatalities , despite being less than a third of the city ’ s residents .
Latinos make up a little less than half for 40 % of infections and about a quarter of COVID-19-related deaths .
Read more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that happened Tuesday that you need to know : Here are five things that happened Monday that you need to know :

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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)
State health officials on Wednesday announced 192 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, a record high for one day. The additional fatalities bring Illinois’ death toll to 3,792. Officials also reported 1,677 new known cases, bringing the statewide number of known cases to 84,698.
Officials said earlier this week that additional data shows that the state may not begin descending from its peak in the pandemic until mid-June, when previous models anticipated the peak would hit the state between late April and mid-May.
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The higher case counts are linked to a higher rate of testing. There were 17,668 COVID-19 tests conducted over the past day, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike said Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said that Chicago’s lakefront will remain closed, but several industries are on track to expand their services or reopen when the city reaches the next phase of its reopening plan. It’s unclear when the city’s lakefront might reopen.
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[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what happened May 13 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:18 p.m.: Chicago’s legendary Tamale Guy is shut down during pandemic, but community rallies to support him
For almost two decades, Claudio Velez, aka the Tamale Guy, sold tamales out of a red cooler to appreciative late-night customers in North Side bars. But when bars shut down in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Velez, like so many others, found himself without a source of income and shifted his business model to home delivery.
With the help of others, he began taking pre-orders and sold hundreds of tamales, including at two curbside pick-up events organized by the West Loop Community Garden.
But Chicago officials say he was operating without a food license and shut down his tamale operation earlier this month, prompting an outpouring of support from the community, and raising questions about inconsistent enforcement of street vendor regulations. Read more here. — Laura Rodríguez Presa and Elvia Malagón
7:09 p.m.: Downstate legislator cites 2001 letter from then-AG Jim Ryan in amended lawsuit challenging Pritzker’s stay-at-home order
Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey has filed an amended lawsuit in a downstate court challenging Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, contending that a 2001 Illinois Attorney General document contradicts the state’s position on why the order could be extended beyond the initial 30 days.
The 2001 letter from then-Attorney General Jim Ryan to the state Emergency Management Agency director appears to respond to questions about foot and mouth disease and whether the governor could “exercise emergency powers in excess of 30 days after the declaration of a disaster.”
According to the letter, which is among the documents filed with Bailey’s lawsuit, Ryan wrote that he would “comment informally upon the questions you have raised.”
The act “clearly authorizes the governor to exercise emergency powers for up to 30 days,” Ryan wrote in the 2001 letter cited in the lawsuit. “A construction of its provisions to allow the governor to extend the 30-day period would render the limitation clause meaningless. A more reasonable construction, taking into consideration the other provisions of the act, is that the governor would be required to seek legislative approval for the exercise of extraordinary measures extending beyond 30 days.”
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Bailey, of Xenia, is arguing that Pritzker has exceeded his authority by “issuing disaster proclamations which fail to meet the definition of a disaster” under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, and that the act does not give the governor the authority “to restrict the movement or activities or business closures.”
Bailey filed an initial lawsuit last month, and a downstate judge in Clay County issued a temporary restraining order exempting him from the stay-at-home order. That ruling applied only to Bailey. Pritzker has forcefully defended his stay-at-home order, and has said his actions to date are within the powers given to the governor by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
In defending that initial lawsuit, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office countered that it relies on an erroneous reading of the act and ignores the governor’s independent authority under the Illinois Constitution.
Bailey later asked an appeals court to withdraw the order so he could refile his lawsuit with new information. Read more here. — Jamie Munks
6:50 p.m.: OK Go has a new song/video 'All Together Now’ in response to COVID-19
Former Chicago band OK Go has released a new song and video, titled “All Together Now,” that’s a response to the coronavirus pandemic and lead sing Damian Kulashs’ own frightening experience with COVID-19. The band, which can be known for its elaborate videos with Rube Goldberg machines or some other unexpected device as much as its songs, first posted the song and video late Tuesday. In a phone interview from his California home -- the band decamped to Los Angeles some years back -- band leader Damian Kulash said “All Together Now” wasn’t the band’s usual work but the reaction has been positive. “I was pleased to see just how much it was emotionally resonating with people,” he said.
Both Kulash and his wife Kristin and children caught coronavirus early in the pandemic and his wife’s symptoms were severe. (All have since recovered.) He said he was moved to write the song after she got better, and was also influenced by an essay historian Rebecca Solnit wrote for the Guardian.
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The song doesn’t so much reflect what the world is now, he said, as the possibilities the current moment might afford. There’s gratitude for healthcare workers in there too, specifically the 8 p.m. applause Angelenos share with residents of other big cities, including Chicago. “The vertigo of normal life has been knocked out by this thing,” Kulash said. “That’s what I want to share. The feeling is why I feel teary when I go out to the balcony and I hear people cheering.” Read more here. —Doug George
6:45 p.m.: Kendall County sheriff won’t bust gatherings, businesses for not following governor’s COVID-19 orders
The Kendall County sheriff announced Wednesday that his deputies will not fine or arrest people for gathering in large groups nor will they target small businesses that violate the governor’s orders regarding social distancing.
Sheriff Dwight Baird said he has received many inquires in recent weeks regarding the enforcement of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive orders regarding COVID-19 and businesses that are classified as non-essential.
Kendall County was recently linked to Cook County in the state’s northeast region under the governor’s five-phase reopening plan. Baird said he hopes Pritzker will reconsider the decision and move Kendall County into another region “more fitting to the community we are.”
Baird said since the benchmarks were released, calls have increased from residents asking about enforcement at church services, weddings, parties or graduation celebrations. Deputies will not fine or arrest anyone for solely violating the governor’s orders, Baird said in a statement.
“I was elected and took an oath as your sheriff to enforce the laws and protect your constitutional rights,” Baird said. “The governor’s executive order is not a law.” Read more here. —Megan Jones
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6:29 p.m.: UChicago Medicine expands curbside COVID-19 testing to Orland Park
University of Chicago Medicine has expanded curbside COVID-19 testing to its Orland Park outpatient center for people exhibiting symptoms of the virus.
U of C has been doing drive-up testing at its main hospital in Chicago as well as at its Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey.
Testing at the Center for Advanced Care, 14290 S. LaGrange Road, Orland Park, was launched Tuesday, according to U of C Medicine.
Tests are available by appointment at the Orland Park and Harvey locations to those 18 and older. People seeking testing will be screened and will be considered for testing if they have symptoms such as fever, cough, difficulty breathing and body aches, according to U of C Medicine. Read more here. — Mike Nolan
6:23 p.m.: Rush hospital system latest to make cuts amid COVID-19 financial struggles
The Rush University System for Health plans to not give raises this year and is asking executives to take pay cuts after suffering financial losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many Chicago-area hospitals have been making cuts in recent weeks after losing money because of canceled elective surgeries, fewer non-COVID-19 patients and the costs of handling the pandemic.
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Rush had an operating loss of $43.1 million in March, according to a Rush memo obtained by the Tribune that was sent to employees this week. The system includes Rush University Medical Center, Rush Oak Park Hospital and Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora. Read more here. — Lisa Schencker
5:46 p.m.: Illinois Tollway collections down $52 million in April due to pandemic
The Illinois Tollway brought in $52 million less in tolls during April than projected, due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on travel.
Officials said toll collections were about 42% under projections for the month. In the first four months of the year, the agency brought in about $73 million less than projected.
However, the loss has not resulted in any halts in construction or layoffs at the agency, officials said.
“We’re continuing the important work we have going,” said Tollway executive director Jose Alvarez. He noted May numbers are looking better.
“What’s important to us is that we’ve been able to keep folks working and keep on track with our 2020 capital plan," Alvarez said. Read more here.—Mary Wisniewski
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5:17 p.m.: Does Lightfoot want to add a fifth star to Chicago’s iconic flag? She’s floated the possibility twice in a week.
Twice in the past week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has raised the possibility of Chicago possibly adding a fifth red star to its iconic flag marking the city’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
It’s led many to wonder: Is she for real?
While unveiling her five-phase plan for reopening the citylast Friday, Lightfoot said, “I want nothing less than for our efforts over the coming months to truly warrant a fifth star on our flag.”
She made the same point on Wednesday before the Economic Club of Chicago. While announcing that the lakefront will remain closed, but several industries are on track to expand services or reopen when the city reaches the next phase of her reopening plan.
Much of the social media response to the idea has been lighthearted. One Twitter user opined that a fifth star should honor the 90s Chicago Bulls, or else there should be a riot. Another joked: “The fifth star will commemorate Lightfoot memes.” Read more here. — Gregory Pratt
5:12 p.m.: Wisconsin stay-at-home order struck down by state Supreme Court
Conservative justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Democratic Gov. Tony Evers months-long stay-at-home order in a ruling released Wednesday.
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The decision sided with the Republican leaders of the state legislature who argued the governor’s administration had overstepped its legal authority in extending Evers’ “safer-at-home” order until May 26.
As part of the ruling, the justices granted an one-week stay to give Evers and lawmakers time to agree on new public health rules to replace the stay-at-home order.
In the suit, GOP lawmakers contended that Evers and Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm could not continue to extend stay-at-home orders indefinitely without seeking approval from the state legislature.
Attorneys for Evers contended that the governor and the state’s top health official acted under clear emergency powers allowed for under state law.
After the justices heard arguments in the case during an online video conference last week, they ruled against the governor, a decision that effectively places any COVID-19 public health restrictions in the purview of a rule-making legislative committee controlled by Republicans, which would hold veto power over orders issued by Evers. —Bill Ruthhart
5:11 p.m.: Students launch petition drives to have graduation ceremonies later rather than never
High school and college seniors at several schools in the Chicago area have started online petitions seeking to have graduation ceremonies held after more coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted.
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While many schools are turning to various forms of virtual commencement events to honor their graduating seniors, others are also making tentative plans for in-person ceremonies later in the summer, if public health guidelines will allow them.
“Fighting the coronavirus should be everyone’s top priority and matters like these seem inconsequential at a time like this, but this is an idea I am proposing,” one student wrote: “Postpone the traditional graduation ceremony instead of having a virtual ceremony." Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
5:07 p.m.: Midlothian officials say COVID-19 home for children violates zoning laws
A south suburban healthcare agency said it is housing a handful of children who’ve either been exposed to or tested positive for the coronavirus at a facility it owns in Midlothian, while officials in that suburb contend that violates village zoning rules.
Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness filed suit Tuesday alleging Midlothian violated federal fair housing laws. The lawsuit said it is operating the quarantine facility in a single-family home previously used to provide transitional housing for homeless young adults.
In the lawsuit, Aunt Martha’s officials said the agency received a license late last month from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to operate the center, meant to house children up to the age of 18 who are under DCFS care and have either been exposed to COVID-19 or have tested positive for the virus and can’t remain in foster care.
Midlothian approved a building permit sought by Aunt Martha’s to modify the home, including installing a negative pressure ventilation system to control the spread of airborne pathogens, according to the lawsuit.
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Nick Valadez, an attorney for the village, said Wednesday that Aunt Martha’s needs a special use permit, which would require a public hearing, before the home could be used for COVID-19 youths, or anyone, under the age of 18.
He wouldn’t say directly whether the village might seek a temporary restraining order, but that it will “avail itself of all possible remedies” under the law.
“At the end of the day the village has a responsibility to its residents as well as to the clients of Aunt Martha’s,” which he described as a “well-intentioned, benevolent organization.” Read more here. —Mike Nolan
4:47 p.m.: Pritzker apologizes for his comments on MLB players ‘holding out’ for more money
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday walked back his comments about Major League Baseball players from the day before, apologizing for “leaving the impression that baseball players shouldn’t have the right” to collectively bargain with team owners over starting the season.
Before taking questions during his daily coronavirus press briefing, Pritzker returned to the subject of MLB’s proposed plan to start a shortened season in early July.
“I want to address something that I said yesterday, regarding baseball and baseball players,” Pritzker said. “I want to apologize for leaving the impression that baseball players shouldn’t have the right to bargain, to protect their health and safety. I absolutely support that right. I should have made that more clear.”
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During Tuesday’s briefing, Pritzker said he was “disappointed” in baseball players for “holding out” for more money than the MLB proposal, which calls for a 50-50 split of revenues between owners and players.
The players union hasn’t accepted or rejected the proposal, which it didn’t receive from owners until Tuesday. Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
3:49 p.m.: Federal judge spikes 2 Chicago-area churches’ legal challenge to Pritzker’s stay-at-home order
A federal judge on Wednesday denied a bid by two local churches to hold services despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s coronavirus stay-at-home order, blasting the request for a preliminary injunction as “both ill-founded and selfish.”
The lawsuit filed Thursday by the Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church on Chicago’s Northwest Side and Logos Baptist Ministries in Niles sought a temporary restraining order allowing services to continue without “threat of criminal sanctions” by state and local officials.
Leaders for both churches vowed to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines.
In ruling against the churches, however, Gettleman said a restraining order “would risk the lives of congregants...their family members, friends, co-workers and other members of their communities with whom they come in contact.”
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Gettleman noted that the COVID-19 is a particular danger to spread in a church setting, regardless of how careful congregants try to be. Read more here. —Jason Meisner
2:35 p.m.: Illinois sees highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours
There was a new record high number of daily COVID-19 related deaths reported Wednesday, 192, bringing the statewide death toll to 3,792.
Officials also reported 1,677 new known cases Wednesday, bringing the total number of known cases to 84,698 since the pandemic began.
There were 17,668 COVID-19 tests conducted over the past day, said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
The statewide seven-day rolling positivity rate among those tested was 17% as of Wednesday, according to the Department of Public Health.
With Edwards County now reporting a positive case of COVID-19, 99 of Illinois’ 102 counties have seen known positive cases. —Jamie Munks
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2:03 p.m.: Nursing home industry, consumer advocates seek more state action to help fight COVID-19
Two months into the pandemic, complaints are rising from the nursing home industry, consumer advocates and local officials over whether state regulators are doing all they can to limit deadly outbreaks in Illinois’ 1,200-plus long-term care facilities. The homes are tied to more than 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths of residents and workers — accounting for nearly half the deaths statewide.
Industry trade groups asked the Pritzker administration weeks ago to create a “comprehensive plan” the industry said was long overdue. The coalition of trade groups has pushed the state for more testing and transparency, assistance with protective gear and staffing, and a more centralized approach to managing the crisis.
“We need more help. We need more coordination from the Department of Public Health. There’s no question about that. And we’ve been begging for it from the beginning,” said Pat Comstock, who runs one of the groups, the Health Care Council of Illinois.
Others say deeper state oversight and intervention is especially important in an industry they say struggled to provide adequate care even before the pandemic.
“The state needs to step up and treat this as the emergency that it is, and it’s not,” said AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo.
State officials say they have long had a comprehensive plan in place to help facilities follow care directives. They said they can’t shoulder all the responsibility of caring for residents in what’s largely a privately run, taxpayer-subsidized industry. Read more here. —Joe Mahr
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1:50 p.m.: Chicago’s lakefront will remain closed, but here are the industries that Mayor Lori Lightfoot says are on track to expand or reopen during next phase
Chicago’s lakefront will remain closed, but several industries are on track to expand their services or reopen when the city reaches the next phase of its reopening plan, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Wednesday.
But in a virtual speech to the Economic Club of Chicago, Lightfoot warned that the next six to 12 months are likely to include managing new outbreaks, as has happened in Georgia, South Korea, and Singapore, and said progress will continue to be slow.
She also warned that the public’s continued adherence to stay-at-home social distancing rules will be key to making progress.
“Reopening will be like slowly turning on a dimmer, not flipping a light switch,” Lightfoot said.
The industries that are currently on track to reopen include those that are essential to providing basic needs and fighting the COVID-19 crisis, including grocery stores, emergency healthcare services, public transportation, and social services, Lightfoot said.
The second are industries with built-in social distancing and where protective gear is part of usual operations, including non-emergency but important medical procedures, Lightfoot said.
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It also includes construction and manufacturing previously halted, which will resume with health protocols in place, Lightfoot said.
In the next phase, Lightfoot said she wants to reopen child and adult-care services, with a focus on essential workers.
This includes industries such as child-care, which will resume operations with a focus on essential workers.
The city also will expect to reopen parks and library programming with strict health protocols, Lightfoot said.
Chicago is working to determine how best to reopen restaurants, retail, and salons – things that, Lightfoot said, “make us feel human."
Lightfoot’s announcements mark the latest guidelines she’s provided for potentially reopening the city. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
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12:20 p.m.: Cook County Board to vote on waiving 1.5% interest fee on late property tax payments through October 1
Cook County officials plan to waive late penalties on property taxes due in the summer for two months, potentially easing the strain on homeowners and commercial property owners battered financially by the coronavirus pandemic.
The 1.5% interest rate on late property tax payments would normally be charged each month starting Aug. 3, when the second installment of 2019 bills is due. The proposal would halt the interest fees until Oct. 1, and any payments made by then would be considered on time.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, commissioners and other county officials crafted the proposal after over a month of discussion and are expected to vote on it during their May 21 Board of Commissioners meeting. The county treasurer’s office expects about $7 billion in property taxes during this second round.
“These are incredibly difficult times for our residents and this measure creates much-needed breathing room for Cook County property owners,” Preckwinkle said in a Wednesday statement. Read more here. —Alice Yin
11:30 a.m.: Illinois lawmakers set to return to Springfield next week
Illinois lawmakers will return to Springfield next week for the first time since early March with a range of modifications in place aimed at preventing the spread of the new coronavirus, according to special session plan documents.
House Speaker Michael Madigan wrote in a letter to House Republican Leader Jim Durkin he will ask House Democrats to sign a pledge committing to a series of precautions approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
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“We are all looking forward to a return to some semblance of normalcy – and certainly, as legislators, we are particularly interested in resuming normal operation of the House – but we must also recognize that these are not normal times,” Madigan wrote. Read more here. –Jamie Munks
11:12 a.m.: The social-distancing police are among us. Would you call out a neighbor for unsafe practices? Or call 911?
Here come the Social Distancing Police.
They don’t carry badges, they don’t wear uniforms. They are not actual police officers, and no one is going to formally deputize them. But they are watchful, and alarmed, mostly disgusted and, though it’s hard to see at times, idealistic. Even well-meaning. They don’t like what they see, and they hate what they must do but — YOU! Your shopping cart! It’s TOO close! SIX FEET! Some shout, some gesture and expect you to get the point. Some call actual police, phone an aldermen, even email their park district.
Many others, they head for Facebook, Twitter, the neighborhood app Nextdoor, where they register horror — a lack of consideration they just witnessed by a fellow Chicagoan. They wonder why everyone is suddenly a jogger. They report coffee houses for a lack of masks. They call 311 to report 12 people sitting a little too close on the grass in a park.
They are you, they are us.
And I wish they were me, I wish I had it in me to call police or post an angry Facebook tirade about the kids playing basketball next door who don’t belong to the same family. I wish I could release the hounds. But I hesitate. The social distance police hesitate, too. I know this because I’ve been talking to them. Ultimately, they act. They will report you.
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Shame, they understand, is powerful. Read more here. —Christopher Borrelli
10:41 a.m.: Little Company of Mary hospital was up against it when the coronavirus hit. Then central Illinois nurses came to the rescue.
Shelby Voyles and her firefighter fiance, Jake Mohr, often talked about what would happen if another Sept. 11 attack occurred.
Without children or other pressing family responsibilities, the couple decided that he should go wherever he could help most while she would stay back in central Illinois to take care of the farm. They never planned for the possibility that Voyles, a registered nurse with experience in providing critical care, would be the one volunteering to go to the front lines.
Eight weeks ago, Voyles raised her hand to work the overnight shift in the intensive care unit at OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center, a 298-bed hospital serving a portion of southern Cook County hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 outbreak.
As she moves about her duties in the ICU, Voyles wears a surgical cap with firetrucks printed all over it. It’s intended to honor her fiance, but it just as easily could represent her willingness to run toward danger while others seek safer ground. Read more here. —Stacy St. Clair
10:35 a.m.: ‘It was set to be a record year’: Great Lakes cruise operators buckle up for a rough season in wake of the pandemic
May typically marks the start of the season for cruise vacations on the Great Lakes, a burgeoning segment of the market that was shaping up to have a banner year in 2020.
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Until the pandemic turned the tourism industry on its head, buzz had been building about Great Lakes cruises — and so had business.
The magazine Travel + Leisure dubbed the Great Lakes one of the world’s top 50 spots to visit this year, crediting much of the kudos to the region’s growing cruise offerings. The number of port calls was expected to be way up in 2020, with 11 ships making an estimated 950 stops at dozens of docks from Chicago to Montreal. That’s compared with nine ships and 520 port calls in 2019, according to the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition.
“Now, it’s all come to a screeching halt,” said Stephen Burnett, executive director of the Canada-based coalition that promotes passenger cruises. “It’s safe to say at least half the Great Lakes cruising season is a wash at this point.” Read more here. —Lori Rackl
10:15 a.m.: Report: Structural racism — from segregated housing to limited job opportunities — responsible for high rate of COVID-19 deaths among African Americans
Long-established elements of structural racism, from substandard housing to mass incarceration to limited job opportunities, are responsible for the disproportionate toll COVID-19 is taking on African Americans in Chicago and elsewhere, a new paper from the Chicago Urban League argues. Read more here. —John Keilman
9:30 a.m.: Grocery prices see biggest monthly increase in nearly 50 years
The coronavirus pandemic has folks paying more to stock up at the grocery store and eat at home.
Grocery prices saw their biggest monthly increase in nearly 50 years last month, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased the most among food groups, rising 4.3%. A separate index for eggs alone increased 16.1%.
The index for cereals and bakery products also rose 2.9% in April, its largest monthly increase ever.
All six major grocery store food groups increased at least 1.5% month-to-month, the Labor Department said. Read more here. —The Morning Call
9:29 a.m.: Can you get a marriage license in Cook County during the coronavirus pandemic? Well, that depends.
Imagine planning your dream Chicago wedding only to have the ceremony postponed due to the novel coronavirus. And imagine all of the hoops you would need to jump through to even get a marriage license during the pandemic.
Fae Rose, of Evanston, had always planned to marry her high school sweetheart on the anniversary of the beginning of their relationship, May 3. The recent graduate of Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said she wanted her wedding to take place in Evanston. But when it came to applying for a marriage license, the Cook County Clerk’s Office wasn’t issuing them, so Rose ended up having a livestreamed wedding on Facebook, officiated by her grandmother in Kenosha.
“At the time, the office said they thought they’d have an online process up and running within a couple of weeks,” says Rose. “I tried calling back a few weeks later but couldn’t reach them at first. ... Out of desperation, I left messages to our congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky. One of her aides called me back and said, we’re sorry, and it doesn’t look like we’re going to have anything in place in Illinois at all. She said she talked to a couple of other people in desperate situations who need spousal privileges.”
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Luckily, the clerk’s office for Kenosha County, Wisconsin, was still open. Rose said she had considered this a last resort.
But the situation was urgent for Rose and her partner for health reasons. Rose is at a higher risk for the coronavirus because she has multiple sclerosis, and they wanted to be able to make medical decisions for each other in case of serious illness. Read more here. —Hannah Herrera Greenspan
9:22 a.m.: Fed chief warns coronavirus recession could be lengthy, painful
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Wednesday of the threat of a prolonged recession resulting from the viral outbreak and urged Congress and the White House to act further to prevent long-lasting economic damage.
The Fed and Congress have taken far-reaching steps to try to counter what is likely to be a severe downturn resulting from the widespread shutdown of the U.S. economy. But Powell cautioned that widespread bankruptcies among small businesses and extended unemployment for many people remain a serious risk.
“We ought to do what we can to avoid these outcomes,” Powell said.
Additional rescue aid from government spending or tax policies, though costly, would be “worth it if it helps avoid long-term economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery,” he said. Read more here. —Associated Press
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9:10 a.m.: Chicago bracing for Mexican beer shortage as coronavirus industry shutdown persists
Chicago beer drinkers could see a shortage of popular imported Mexican brands as soon as next week due to an ongoing shutdown of Mexico’s beer industry.
Most immediately at risk are the brands owned by Heineken USA, including Dos Equis Tecate and Bohemia.
Should the shutdown persist, beers owned by Constellation Brands — which include Modelo Especial, Corona and Pacifico — may also be in shorter supply by summer.
When Mexican beer production was paused in early April due to that country’s government not declaring brewing an “essential” industry — as it has been deemed in the U.S. — observers predicted it would be resolved quickly or wouldn’t translate into empty store shelves.
However, the shutdown has endured. The Mexican government has said brewing can begin next week only in the places where COVID-19 has been curbed.
While Heineken has paused brewing in Mexico, Constellation has said it continues to brew for the U.S. market at a reduced capacity. However, how much beer Constellation is making and importing to the U.S. remains unclear. Read more here. —Josh Noel
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8:50 a.m.: Coronavirus pandemic scams: Here’s how to avoid falling for them
Never have we been so attractive as targets for fraudsters and scammers as we are right now.
That’s because the uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic has created more opportunities for robocallers, hackers and other thieves.
For one thing, millions of people are filing new claims for unemployment benefits and awaiting stimulus checks. So when a phone call or an email from someone purporting to be a bank or a government official comes in, it is tougher for us to ignore.
Plus with so many people being required to work from home, our personal tech devices have become an attractive target for those looking to infiltrate businesses. Read more here. —The New York Times
8:02 a.m.: Longtime Naperville couple die within a month of each other, both victims of COVID-19 complications
Diane and Dalis Ramonas were active members of the Naperville community — she helped foster a relationship between the Naperville Woman’s Club and Loaves & Fishes Community Services and he was an avid skier and ski instructor who shared his passion with his two children.
They built a family life in Naperville, and witnessed the city’s growth from a small town to a bustling municipality.
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After a marriage of 35 years, they died within a month of each other — both victims of complications related to COVID-19. Read more here. —Erin Hegarty and Suzanne Baker
7:01 a.m.: Streets and San to restart regular street cleaning in Chicago next week
After only street sweeping around parked cars for six weeks, Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation was scheduled to start posting no-parking notices and following its regular street cleaning routes Monday, according to notices posted by aldermen and news reports.
Streets and San announced March 31 that it wasn’t planning to post no-parking signs for street sweeping during the state’s stay-at-home order.
Officials would “not be posting or ticketing and there will not be scheduled cleanings,” although there would be street cleaning in all wards, the department said at the time in an update on services under the lockdown.
In notices posted by aldermen Tuesday, officials said Streets and San would officially start regular street sweeping Monday, following the calendar the department set before the stay-at-home order.
“Signs will be hung on streets to be swept prior to sweeping, however at this time there will be no enforcement or citations issued related to street sweeping,” according to the office of Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd.
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The Sun-Times reported aldermen had been asking the city to start posting signs and following the regular cleaning schedule, without ticketing. —Chicago Tribune staff
6 a.m: Black Chicago churchgoers join one-quarter of Americans who say their faith’s grown stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic
A recent Pew Research study found that 1 in 4 Americans said the coronavirus pandemic has deepened their faith. Only 2% said the pandemic has weakened their faith. The study also found the trend of strengthened faith was more pronounced among black American adults. Forty-one percent of black adults said their faith is stronger, compared with 20% of white adults and 30% of Hispanic adults.
And 56% of people who attend historically black churches say their faith has intensified during the pandemic, higher than any other group.
Nichole Phillips, director of Black Church Studies at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, said the trend of stronger faith among black Americans is linked to the role the black church historically has played in the African American community.
The surge in faith comes as the virus infects and kills black Americans at a disproportionately higher rate. Even as the gap has shrunk in the past few weeks, in Chicago, African Americans account for nearly more than a third of those who have tested positive and more than half of coronavirus-related fatalities, despite being less than a third of the city’s residents. Latinos make up a little less than half for 40% of infections and about a quarter of COVID-19-related deaths. Read more here. —Javonte Anderson
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chicagotribune--2020-05-14--Chicago’s legendary Tamale Guy is shut down during pandemic, but community rallies to support him

“ I don ’ t know about you , but when life gets back to some kind of normal , @ @ @ @ @ Claudio and his tamales to be there , ” wrote the organizer of the page @ @ @ @ @ name Marisa KM .
“ Let ’ s make sure that happens , Chicago .
@ @ @ @ @ is all about .
”

For almost two decades, Claudio Velez, aka the Tamale Guy, sold tamales out of a red cooler to appreciative late-night customers in North Side bars. But when bars shut down in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Velez, like so many others, found himself without a source of income and shifted his business model to home delivery.
With the help of others, he began taking pre-orders and sold hundreds of tamales, including at two curbside pick-up events organized by the West Loop Community Garden.
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But Chicago officials say he was operating without a food license and shut down his tamale operation earlier this month, prompting an outpouring of support from the community, and raising questions about inconsistent enforcement of street vendor regulations.
Cesar Valerio, left, with longtime friend Claudio Velez at a bar where Velez sold his tamales. (Cesar Valerio photo)
Velez received a cease-and-desist order from the city in early May, but needed help understanding it. He reached out to longtime friend Cesar Valerio, a Chicago police officer, to translate and explain the letter, Valerio told the Tribune.
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“I was mad and it was heartbreaking telling him what the letter said, because he was already making a fraction of what he made,” Valerio said. “Claudio was upset and hurt.”
Velez stopped making and delivering his tamales immediately, Valerio said, and has declined to comment on the situation as he tries to figure out what to do next.
“He is afraid of ruining any chance of eventually opening his restaurant; that is his dream,” Valerio said.
After Valerio shared the news on his Facebook page, word spread quickly via social media, where bartenders, bar owners, and those who have eaten his famous tamales have shown their support and raised questions about why he was singled out for enforcement.
A GoFundMe page to help Velez raised nearly $30,000 within a couple of days.
“I don’t know about you, but when life gets back to some kind of normal, I would really like for Claudio and his tamales to be there,” wrote the organizer of the page, who goes by the name Marisa KM. “Let’s make sure that happens, Chicago. This is what our city is all about.”
The Tribune tried to reach the organizer several times but did not receive a response.
Claudio Velez, aka the Tamale Guy, sells tamales to Matthew Irwin at the California Clipper bar in Chicago in 2009. (Nolan Wells / Chicago Tribune)
Many more have shared their anger toward the city and those who reported Velez. Others continue to post stories about what the Tamale Guy and his signature pork, chicken and cheese tamales meant to them.
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“Claudio, the true legend, my favorite cooler carrying entrepreneur in the city, and purveyor of the best cheese tamales you will ever eat at 3 a.m. in a bar with no kitchen, got narced on by someone who apparently lacks decency, help him out if you can,” tweeted Scott Goldstein.
The city’s actions were in response to multiple complaints about Velez, according to the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. In an email to the Tribune, BACP cited complaints to 311 about Velez from Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez and eight other individuals for selling food without a license.
Following the complaints, the city issued a cease and desist order to Velez and Moshe Tamssot, who organized the West Loop Community Garden sales, for selling food without a retail food license. According to the BACP statement, the city has the “responsibility to respond to all complaints to protect Chicagoans and ensure food safety standards are being met.”
Sigcho-Lopez, of the 25th Ward, clarified that his office followed protocol by forwarding the 311 calls and email complaints to City Hall, but noted his office “never made a recommendation or comment” regarding Velez.
Sigcho-Lopez said he is appalled by BACP’s aggressive response to the issue, pointing to the lack of action from the department regarding a number of other complaints his office has forwarded about other large, well-known businesses damaging the community’s well-being.
“We need an investigation as to how (BACP) made their decision (because) the way the community is being treated is disappointing,” Sigcho-Lopez added.
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Tamssot, manager of the West Loop Community Garden, defended the takeout events. “We didn’t profit at all; we just wanted to help the Tamale Guy, who is truly a humble man, and put our garden to good use,” Tamssot said.
After hearing that Velez was delivering, Tamssot had taken prepaid orders from his neighbors and invited Velez to deliver the tamales at the garden. Residents followed social distancing rules and picked up their tamales at the garden, Tamssot said. In the two organized orders, West Loop residents bought more than $5,000 worth of tamales from Velez.
Tamssot believes the order is unjust and says he is in conversations with the city to comply with all requirements to host another takeout event and wants to help Velez get access to a shared kitchen to get his street vendor license.
Velez is one of many vendors whose livelihood depends on selling tamales in Chicago. Though there are thousands of other street vendors, only a handful have a license.
For nearly a decade, the Chicago Community and Worker’s Rights organization has worked alongside the Street Vendor Association of Chicago to change these requirements to make them more culturally sensitive and accessible. According to the association, only one of its 150 members has a license.
Even if they wanted a certified business, vendors struggle because the process is “extremely bureaucratic” said Martin Unzueta, the executive director of Chicago Community and Worker’s Rights.
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“We want the city to be more accessible and understanding of the culture of these street vendors to help meet them halfway,” Unzueta said. “Like Claudio, many of our members are nervous because they’ve been approached by police during this pandemic.”
The BACP said it remains committed to working with local vendors to ensure they meet their food safety standards and have the proper licenses to operate.
Though the Tamale Guy’s future is unknown, he has been a staple of Chicago nightlife.
Carrying his signature red cooler, he was often spotted after midnight providing a hearty and affordable tamale to those who’d had a few drinks. On Twitter, people tracked his movements through the night. He’s become so entrenched in Chicago culture that he has his own Wikipedia page.
Despite his popularity, Velez is also known for turning down interviews. However, in 2009 he told the Tribune that he decided to start selling tamales after working for a factory for a few years. At the time, his sister helped him prepare them in his kitchen, he said.
Velez mentioned that he was prompted to sell tamales at night to make enough money to be able to send money to his two sons in California and his mother and another son in Mexico.
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“There are people who don’t have the desire to work; I have to work,” he told the Tribune in 2009 and has since dreamed of opening his own tamale restaurant.
Velez isn’t the only vendor still trying to sell food. Facing financial uncertainty, some vendors are selling food and other items on the street during the pandemic. Some vendors are registered and operate as a small business, but those who aren’t cannot access unemployment or other aid. In addition, some don’t have private health insurance and can’t seek out other types of government aid because of their immigration status.
Increase the Peace, a community organization focused on violence prevention, started a GoFundMe to help street vendors across the city. The group is figuring out the logistics of how many vendors they will help, and how much each vendor will get, said Berto Aguayo, the group’s co-founder. The group is also trying to provide more long-term help, hoping to use the opportunity to connect vendors to other resources they may need.
Aguayo said vendors in Latino communities don’t just symbolize a business but are part of the community’s culture.
“If we want to make sure that these folks are there after the pandemic, we have to support them right now,” Aguayo said.
“They really need the help.”
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larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
emalagon@chicagtribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-13--Bond set at $150,000 for Bellwood man charged with illegal videotaping in Hinsdale home

Gaspar is accused of taking dozens of photographs and video recordings of the homeowner ’ s daughters , ages 15 @ @ @ @ @ a 16-year-old girl , without their consent , while they were showering .
He reportedly @ @ @ @ @ while standing outside the home

Jose Gaspar (DuPage County State's Attorney)
Bond was set at $150,000 Wednesday for a Bellwood man accused of illegally videotaping three girls at a Hinsdale home at which he was hired to do construction work in November 2019, according to a release from the DuPage County State’s Attorney.
Jose Gaspar, 45, of the 2600 block of St. Charles Road, was charged with one count of unauthorized videotaping, residence, a Class 4 felony, and two counts of unauthorized video taping a person under 18, a Class 3 felony.
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Gaspar is accused of taking dozens of photographs and video recordings of the homeowner’s daughters, ages 15 and 22, along with a 16-year-old girl, without their consent, while they were showering. He reportedly took the photographs and videos while standing outside the home
Someone who knew Gaspar became aware of the photographs and videos and alerted a family member of the sisters, who told their father, who in turn immediately called the Hinsdale Police Department, according to the release.
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“The allegations against Mr. Gaspar are extremely disturbing.” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “Fortunately, his alleged actions were uncovered and he now finds himself facing felony charges."
Gaspar’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 8, for arraignment in front of Judge John Kinsella.


chicagotribune--2020-05-13--Father and son shot in Dolton, trustee says

A man was seen running from the scene and a firearm was recovered nearby , Holmes said , but it @ @ @ @ @ the gun was used in the shooting or just dropped or discarded by someone fleeing @ @ @

A father was killed and his adult son was critically injured after both were shot Tuesday in Dolton, Trustee Andrew Holmes said
The shooting occurred shortly after noon in the 14800 block of Michigan Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, which identified the deceased shooting victim as 49-year-old Leonard Wallace Jr., of Riverdale.
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Holmes said the second victim was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, but did not have an update on his status Wednesday.
He said an altercation involving at least four people outside a home on that block preceded the shooting, but investigators were still trying to piece together what happened.
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A man was seen running from the scene and a firearm was recovered nearby, Holmes said, but it is not yet known whether the gun was used in the shooting or just dropped or discarded by someone fleeing the scene.
While police have yet to identify any suspects in the slaying, Holmes said he was hopeful that a neighbor’s home surveillance system may have captured the shooting or its aftermath and provide officers some leads.
Holmes, a longtime anti-violence activist, encouraged anyone with information about the shooting to contact authorities.
zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-05-13--Two men charged in St. Charles home invasion

Police said Wilkins tried to break into the apartment while Kimbrough grabbed the victim as she tried to escape from @ @ @ @ @ 31 , of the 300 block of South Jackson Street , was charged with unlawful @ @

Deonte D. Wilkins, of St. Charles, (left) and Charles S. Kimbrough Jr., of Elgin (right) (St. Charles Police Department) (St. Charles Police Department / HANDOUT)
Two men were charged after a home invasion last month in St. Charles, police officials said.
Deonte D. Wilkins, of St. Charles, and Charles S. Kimbrough Jr., of Elgin, were arrested in connection to the attack that occurred around 12:30 a.m. April 24 at an apartment complex on 100 block of North 15th Street, St. Charles police said in a news release.
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Someone called the police to report the men were trying to break into a woman’s apartment. The woman previously reported to police that she had been receiving threatening phone calls, authorities said.
Police said Wilkins tried to break into the apartment while Kimbrough grabbed the victim as she tried to escape from the apartment. Kimbrough, 31, of the 300 block of South Jackson Street, was charged with unlawful restraint.
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Wilkins, 27, who lives at the same apartment complex, fled the scene and was not apprehended that night. Detectives later charged Wilkins with felony home invasion, aggravated stalking and phone harassment. He also faces misdemeanor charges of criminal damage to property and violating his bond.
Wilkins remains in custody at the Kane County Jail on $250,000 bail and is due back in court on Friday, Kane County court records show.
Kimbrough was released on a recognizance bond and is due back in court on June 26, court records show.
mejones@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-13--Wisconsin now without COVID-19 restrictions after state Supreme Court strikes down Gov. Tony Evers’

Wisconsin now without COVID-19 restrictions after state Supreme Court strikes down Gov. Tony Evers’ stay-at-home order

Along with Illinois and Michigan , Wisconsin has been one of the most cautious states in the Midwest when it @ @ @ @ @ .
All three states are run by Democratic governors .
By contrast , Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ Midwestern states controlled by Republicans have more urgently opened up sectors of their economies even @ @ @ @ @ cases in some of those states have continued to increase .

Jack Montemagni, 88, laughs with a fellow bar patron after the two shared a hug at Papa's Blue Spruce Resort pub, May 14, 2020 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Conservative justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ monthslong stay-at-home order on Wednesday, leaving the state with no public health restrictions in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 4-3 decision marked the first time a state’s high court has overturned a governor’s stay-at-home order amid the COVID-19 crisis, as a majority of Wisconsin’s justices sided with Republican legislative leaders who argued the governor’s administration had overstepped its legal authority.
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The court rejected the lawmakers’ request for a six-day stay to allow the GOP lawmakers and the governor to work out new rules, saying the two parties had two weeks since it took up the case to work "in good faith to establish a lawful rule that addresses COVID-19 and its devastating effects on Wisconsin.”
But as of late Wednesday night, neither Evers nor legislative leaders had offered an order or rules to serve as a replacement. That leaves Wisconsin as the only state in the nation without a single protective measure in place to combat the coronavirus, the governor’s office said.
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In an interview, Evers said he would work with Republicans to write new rules, but said the “arcane process” could take weeks, and by the time anything is agreed upon, “the ship may have sailed” in containing the contagious virus.
“Republican legislators convinced four members of the Supreme Court to throw the state into chaos," Evers told the Tribune. “They have no plan. People are going to get sick, and those Republicans own this chaos.”
[ Wisconsin GOP lawmakers urge Washington to reject any ‘bailout’ money for Illinois: ‘Our neighbors to the south have spent decades spending and borrowing recklessly’ ]
The top Republican lawmakers who brought the suit, state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, issued a statement applauding the decision. They also noted that Evers had declined two weeks ago to start negotiating new COVID-19 rules and instead wanted to wait for the court decision.
“We are confident Wisconsin citizens are up to the task of fighting the virus as we enter a new phase,” the lawmakers said. “This ruling allows people to once again gather with their loved ones or visit their places of worship without the fear of violating a state order.”
In the lawsuit, Republicans contended that Evers and Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm could not continue to extend stay-at-home orders indefinitely without seeking approval from the state legislature. The legislative leaders took the matter straight to the state Supreme Court after Evers’ “safer-at-home” order was extended until May 26.
Attorneys for Evers contended that the governor and the state’s top health official acted under clear emergency powers allowed for under state law.
After the justices heard arguments in the case during an online video conference last week, they ruled against the governor, a decision that effectively places any COVID-19 public health restrictions in the purview of a rule-making legislative committee controlled by Republicans that would hold veto power over directives issued by Evers and his administration.
In writing the majority opinion, Chief Justice Patience Roggensack did not weigh in on whether Evers and his administration’s actions overstepped his constitutional authority. Instead, the court ruled more narrowly that Palm’s order “confining all people to their homes, forbidding travel and closing businesses exceeded the statutory authority” granted by law to the state’s health director during an emergency. Roggensack was joined by fellow conservative Justices Annette Ziegler, Rebecca Bradley and Daniel Kelly.
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Bradley and Kelly wrote separate concurring opinions that went a step further, contending Evers’ health director had overstepped constitutional boundaries.
“Where in the constitution did the people of Wisconsin confer authority on a single, unelected Cabinet secretary to compel almost 6 million people to stay at home and close their businesses and face imprisonment if they don’t comply, with no input from the legislature, without the consent of the people?” Bradley asked during oral arguments last week. “Isn’t it the very definition of tyranny for one person to order people for being imprisoned for going to work, among other ordinarily lawful activities?”
However, fellow conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in his own dissenting opinion that “the people have not empowered this court to step in and impose our wisdom on proper governance during this pandemic; they left that to the legislative and executive branches.”
“We are a court of law," Hagedorn warned. “We are not here to do freewheeling constitutional theory. We are not here to step in and referee every intractable political stalemate.”
Hagedorn was joined in dissent by liberal Justices Rebecca Dallet and Ann Bradley, who slammed the court’s decision not to issue a stay to give lawmakers and the governor time to hash out rules to replace the overturned stay-at-home order.
“The lack of a stay would be particularly breathtaking given the testimony yesterday before Congress by one of our nation’s top infectious disease experts, Dr. Anthony Fauci,” Ann Bradley wrote. “He warned against lifting too quickly stay-at-home orders.”
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Emphasizing the immediacy of the decision, the Tavern League of Wisconsin on Wednesday night encouraged its members to reopen under guidelines from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Those include leaving two empty stools in between parties, limiting tables to six guests, spacing tables 6 feet apart and requiring employees to wear face masks.
Social media posts and media reports Wednesday night showed Wisconsinites packing into some bars with little regard to social distancing and the other state health guidelines.
45 minutes after the bars open in Wisconsin.... pic.twitter.com/xqaDlS6ajP — Nick's bar (@nicksonsec) May 14, 2020
“The Tavern League of Wisconsin emailed all their members tonight saying, ‘Open up guys, it’s time to party,’” Evers said, saying his state had become the “wild, wild West” when it comes to containing the virus.
Vos and Fitzgerald, however, insisted businesses following the state safety recommendations is the right approach.
“We urge our fellow small business owners to utilize the suggestions as a safe and effective way to open up our state,” they said. “Wisconsin now joins multiple states that don’t have extensive stay at home orders but can continue to follow good practices of social distancing, hand washing, hand sanitizer usage and telecommuting. This order does not promote people to act in a way that they believe endangers their health.”
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Vos and Fitzgerald repeatedly contended that Evers’ order went too far, but have not offered any legislation or plan of their own on how the state should balance reopening the state’s economy and keeping Wisconsinites safe.
In their statement Wednesday night, the lawmakers said they would start working with Evers on rules “in case COVID-19 reoccurs in a more aggressive way,” implying that no such rules might be instituted right away to replace the stay-at-home order.
In the wake of the court ruling, both the Republican leaders and the governor pointed to a new Marquette University Law poll to bolster their positions.
Vos and Fitzgerald noted that the poll found that 77% of Wisconsin voters said they would feel comfortable visiting a friend or family member’s home. Evers pointed to the fact that 64% of voters approved of his handling of the virus.
That approval rating for the governor’s handling of the pandemic, however, was down from 76% in March. But like many governors, public support for Evers far outpaces the approval of President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic. The poll, released Tuesday, found 44% of Wisconsin voters approved of Trump’s response to COVID-19, down from 51% in March.
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The new poll found that 53% of Wisconsin voters said they trusted Evers more to properly respond to the pandemic compared to 33% who said they trusted the state legislature more.
[ Wisconsin’s opening of nonessential stores prompts mixed reactions in Lake County border towns ]
Motorists make their way around the Wisconsin State Capitol during a rally against Gov. Tony Evers' extended stay-at-home order due to COVID-19 in Madison, Wis., on April 24, 2020. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal /AP)
The legal battle is the latest episode in a long-running and bitter political divide between the Republicans and Democrats in a crucial swing state in the fall presidential election. Trump narrowly won Wisconsin four years ago.
Fitzgerald and Vos won a similar decision before the state Supreme Court earlier this year that overturned Evers’ effort to delay the April 13 election and mail all voters a ballot amid the coronavirus pandemic. The ruling required in-person voting to be held as planned, despite a massive shortage of poll workers and a dramatic reduction in the number of voting locations.
Evers issued his initial stay-at-home order on March 18, which closed schools and shuttered nonessential businesses. On April 16, the governor extended the order until May 26, but he allowed for elective surgeries to resume, and state parks and golf courses to open.
Gov. Tony Evers declares a public health emergency in response to a growing number of cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin on March 12, 2020. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal )
At the time the Republican lawmakers sued, Wisconsin’s COVID-19 cases were still on the rise, though they now have started to decrease. All told, 10,611 people have been sickened by the virus in the state and 418 have died.
As conditions have improved in recent days, Evers also has begun to loosen restrictions under his “Badger Bounce Back Plan” to gradually reopen the state’s economy. That included an announcement this week that retail stores could reopen with a limit of five customers at a time.
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The Marquette poll found that 69% of voters thought Evers’ stay-at-home order to close businesses and schools was appropriate compared with 26% who said they were an overreaction. That marked a drop in support since March, when 86% said the governor’s actions were appropriate and only 10% said they were an overreaction.
Statewide, the percentage of positive COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin, or positivity rate, has dropped to less than 4%. By contrast, the most recent positivity rate released for Illinois is 17% overall and 20.7% in northeast Illinois.
Asked whether he was worried about Illinois residents from Chicago and the suburbs flocking over the state line to patronize Wisconsin businesses, Evers could hardly contain his disgust.
“I guess the Tavern League would like that. They’d like as many damn people in their bars as possible,” he said. “It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to understand that if you bring a lot of people together in a small place, somebody’s going to get sick.”
Along with Illinois and Michigan, Wisconsin has been one of the most cautious states in the Midwest when it comes to reopening its economy. All three states are run by Democratic governors. By contrast, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and other Midwestern states controlled by Republicans have more urgently opened up sectors of their economies even as the number of COVID-19 cases in some of those states have continued to increase.
But none of those states have the situation Wisconsin now has — no statewide restrictions whatsoever on businesses or individuals.
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The state’s 72 counties could still issue their own individual directives while Milwaukee and Madison still have their own stay-at-home orders in place. Asked if he took any solace in those backstops, Evers gruffly responded, “No, I’m the governor of the entire state."
“The idea we’ll have 72 interpretations of what the hell is going on in the state isn’t going to help anybody,” the governor said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to have more sick people.”
bruthhart@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @BillRuthhart