chicagotribune--2020-12-19--The Spin: Illinois surpasses 15,000 COVID-19 deaths | City won’t seek sanctions against Anjanette Yo

The Spin: Illinois surpasses 15,000 COVID-19 deaths | City won’t seek sanctions against Anjanette Young or her lawyer | Federal government shutdown looms over pandemic relief

“ The state passed another grim milestone as the immunization of health care workers against the deadly virus gets underway @ @ @ @ @ start .
As of Friday , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said , more than 17,000 @ @ @ @ @ Chicago have received their first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine , which first @ @ @ @ @ .
A day earlier , only 3,500 people had gotten their first dose.
” Read @ @ @ @ @ here .

Vice President Mike Pence receives a COVID-19 vaccine at the White House in Washington on Dec. 18, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
Illinois has surpassed yet another grim milestone, exceeding 15,000 coronavirus deaths.
Fallout continues from the February 2019 wrongful police raid on the home of social worker Anjanette Young, but the city announced Friday it would not seek sanctions against Young or her attorney.
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Agreement on a nearly $1 trillion COVID-19 pandemic relief package is reportedly close, but still unsettled. The House passed a two-day funding bill late Friday aimed at avoiding a shutdown, but it was uncertain whether it would clear the Senate. Negotiations are expected to bleed into the weekend.
Welcome to The Spin.
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes off his mask to speak while giving a coronavirus update from the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago on Dec. 1, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Dan Petrella: “Illinois on Friday surpassed 15,000 recorded deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, one week after the state’s death toll climbed above 14,000.
“State health officials reported 181 deaths on Friday, the 11th day in a row with more than 100 fatalities. Over the past week, the state has averaged 138 deaths from COVID-19 per day. While that remains well above the spring peak of 118 deaths per day in mid-May, the seven-day average is down from a peak of 155 daily deaths during the week ending Dec. 8.
“Since Illinois’ first death in March, the state has recorded 15,015. December is on pace to eclipse May as the deadliest month of the pandemic.
“The state passed another grim milestone as the immunization of health care workers against the deadly virus gets underway in earnest after a slow start. As of Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said, more than 17,000 health care workers outside of Chicago have received their first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which first arrived in the state Monday. A day earlier, only 3,500 people had gotten their first dose.” Read the rest of the story here.
* COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area
* Here’s when Walgreens and CVS predict you’ll be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine at a drugstore
Vice President Mike Pence prepares to receive a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex in Washington on Dec. 18, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
From The Associated Press: “Vice President Mike Pence became the highest-ranking U.S. official to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday in a live-television event aimed at reassuring Americans the shot is safe. He celebrated the milestone as “a medical miracle” that could eventually contain the raging pandemic.
“Conspicuously missing from the victory lap: President Donald Trump, who has remained largely out of sight five days into the largest vaccination campaign in the nation’s history.
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“Pence, meanwhile, has taken an increasingly visible role in highlighting the safety and efficacy of the shots, including touring a vaccine production facility this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also received COVID-19 vaccinations Friday. And President-elect Joe Biden and his wife will be getting the vaccine Monday, while Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband are set to receive it the week after next.” Click here for the rest of the story.
* Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, 14th, both put out statements that they received their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine as well.
“The Congresswoman has always stated that she would get the vaccine as soon as possible. So, today she joined her Democratic and Republican colleagues in Congress to do just that,” an Underwood spokeswoman said.
And in a statement, Durbin said: “I trust our public health and medical experts and encourage everyone, in consultation with your personal physician, to do the same as the distribution process continues so we can collectively end this pandemic.”
A small group holds a news conference in front of Chicago Police Headquarters on Dec. 17, 2020, to voice their opposition to the Chicago police wrongly raiding the home of Anjanette Young. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s John Byrne and Gregory Pratt: “Furor over a wrongful Chicago police raid of a social worker’s home and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s handling of the fallout continued Friday, as a group of aldermen sought a special City Council meeting to address the matter before ultimately relenting.
“A group of aldermen had called for a meeting of the full City Council just days before Christmas, but dropped it hours later after Lightfoot’s administration ordered the Law Department to drop its request for sanctions against Anjanette Young’s attorney, Keenan Saulter.” Read the rest here.
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*From the Post-Tribune: Lightfoot and Hammond, Ind., Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. were in Joliet last night to pitch their cities’ plans to provide it Lake Michigan water.
According to the Post-Tribune: “Hammond’s plan would cost more upfront, but give Joliet ownership and more control over local rates. Chicago’s pitch requires less money now, but would tie Joliet to rates set by outsiders.
“It is the last step in a yearslong process to find a new water source. Joliet city council members narrowed down their options to Hammond and Chicago and are expected to make a decision at their Jan. 28 meeting.” Read the rest of Alicia Fabbre’s story here.
* Lightfoot spokeswoman leaving: Friday marked Lightfoot press secretary Anel Ruiz’s last day working for the administration. She has not said where she is going except that it’s in the private sector.
A former spokeswoman at the public health department who previously worked for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Ruiz joined Lightfoot as press secretary for her transition before joining the mayor at City Hall in that role. The job is one of a mayoral administration’s most visible and stressful. Ruiz served Lightfoot through a tumultuous first year and seven months that included the 2019 Chicago teachers strike, former police Superintendent Eddie Johnson’s firing, civil unrest and a pandemic.
She was generally known for being direct with reporters and respectful even during contentious moments, and also for winding down news conferences by calling, “last two questions!” When news broke of her imminent departure, several reporters posted tributes on Twitter. (Gregory Pratt)
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* From the Daily Southtown: Longtime Evergreen Park mayor not running, backs state Rep. Kelly Burke for the job
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot cheers on CPS CEO Janice Jackson as she rings the school bell during the first day of school at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy of Social Justice on Sept. 8, 2020. No students were in school but were all remote learning by computer and internet. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Hannah Leone: “Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson is getting a $40,000 raise, bringing her annual base pay up to $300,000.
“Chicago Board of Education members approved the pay increase Wednesday, saying they considered the district’s performance under her leadership and compensation of leaders of comparable districts.
“After emerging from a closed session, board President Miguel del Valle said Jackson’s raise was approved ‘unanimously and vigorously.’” Read more here.
Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge 7 President John Catanzara Jr. gives an interview at his office in the 1400 block of West Washington Boulevard on June 18, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner: John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, is facing possible dismissal from the Chicago Police Department for offensive posts on social media, it was disclosed at the monthly meeting of the city’s police disciplinary panel.
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“The case could be decided by the full Chicago Police Board in the coming months.
“Chicago police Superintendent David Brown was overruled by a member of the panel in deciding a punishment for Catanzara, leader of the largest union of Chicago police officers.
“According to information from the Police Board made public late Thursday, Catanzara in 2016 posted offensive messages on Facebook. One message read, ‘Wtf its seriously time to kill these (expletives),’ without mentioning exactly who Catanzara was writing about.
“In another post in 2017, according to the board, Catanzara made a statement on Facebook that was disparaging to Muslims, reading, ‘Savages they all deserve a bullet.’ Catanzara did not become FOP president until May.” Read more here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Host Lisa Donovan is off. But if you have a tip, email her at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.


chicagotribune--2020-12-19--Column: As the light returns, it’s time to make a list of what we’ve missed, and appreciated, in thi

Column: As the light returns, it’s time to make a list of what we’ve missed, and appreciated, in this dark year

Before the pandemic , most of us made plans .
For trips .
Get-togethers .
The future .
Wise people @ @ @ @ @ nature of the best-laid plans , etc.
, and people without money tend to know @ @ @ @ @ many of us enjoyed the fiction that we could control the time ahead .
Now @ @ @ @ @ world of the day-by-day , which is disorienting but closer to reality .

And now the light comes back.
At 4:02 a.m. Monday, Chicago time, the winter solstice arrives. It’s the moment we begin the slow climb out of the darkness, like weary miners exiting the pit. This year more than ever the shift feels psychological as well as astronomical, so today’s a good day to take account of things we’ve missed during this dark time, along with what has provided some light in spite of it all.
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In that spirit, I’ve made two lists. I encourage you to make your own.
________
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Columns are opinion content that reflect the views of the writers.
________
Things I’ve Missed
1. The ability to plan
Before the pandemic, most of us made plans. For trips. Get-togethers. The future. Wise people have always known the precarious nature of the best-laid plans, etc., and people without money tend to know it. But until March many of us enjoyed the fiction that we could control the time ahead. Now we live in the wobblier world of the day-by-day, which is disorienting but closer to reality.
2. Chitchat
Remember the idle but vital conversation you used to have with people at the coffeehouse or at work or church? Until you’re deprived of chitchat, you don’t notice how much those seemingly small connections and conversations educate and sustain you.
3. Coffeehouses
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Nothing like a chilly December day to make you yearn for that cozy place outside the house where you can think, read or chitchat.
4. Airplanes
In a movie scene the other night, I saw a man on an airplane and felt an unexpected jolt of nostalgia. Was I really nostalgic for the feel of pulling down the tray table? I was.
5. Travel
I miss the visits to friends and family. The possibility of exploring new and distant places. The change of view. The sense of movement.
6. Casual touch
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Remember the hello hug, the goodbye hug, the it’ll-be-OK hug? The friendly hand on an elbow? The firm handshake? How long before those seem OK again?
7. Live music and theater
One day this summer I stopped to listen to a band playing in a neighborhood park. I saw a couple of bystanders with tears in their eyes and felt the same way. Virtual performances are better than nothing, but they simply can’t match the energy of live ones.
8. Wearing dresses
I love a good, simple dress. But what’s the point in a pandemic?
9. People I love
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We talk, we email, we have dinner across the Zoom screen. That’s better than nothing — “better than nothing” is a mantra for our times — but it’s not the same. And yet, the separation has made me realize how much I love and depend on friends and family. Missing them makes me appreciate them more. Which leads to the second list.
Things I’ve Appreciated More
1. Health care workers. Grocery clerks. Delivery people. Postal carriers. Poll workers. Journalists who go out into the world seeking sense in the chaos. Those are just some of the people the pandemic has taught us to call “essential.” They were essential before, but rarely recognized that way.
Also, newspaper carriers. It’s a good season to tip yours, by the way.
2. Small businesses, and the people who work in them
Local shops and restaurants give life and flavor to our neighborhoods. As they struggle to stay alive in the pandemic, we realize their value more acutely.
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3. Birds, bugs and trees
Nothing like being stuck at home to make you notice what lives around you.
4. Reliable Wi-Fi
As we’ve become more dependent on Wi-Fi, we’ve also learned how many people are deprived of it. Access to Wi-Fi is just one of the inequities the pandemic has exposed.
5. White vinegar
Staying home has turned many people into maniacal cleaners. I grew up washing windows with vinegar and newspapers, so the miraculous properties of white vinegar aren’t a revelation. But the pandemic has expanded my repertoire. Cut the vinegar with dish soap and water to clean kitchen counters. Mix it with water to wash berries and keep them from spoiling. The opportunities are endless.
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6. My neighbors
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The pandemic has forced us outside — to eat, to exercise, to socialize — and, like many people, I’ve gotten to know my neighbors better as a result.
7. Good walking shoes
I recently wrote about the psychological benefits of walking through the pandemic. Many people replied with a question: What shoes do you wear? I hesitate to recommend shoes because feet are idiosyncratic. But for the past couple of years I’ve sworn by the On Cloud (aka On or OC) basic “Cloud” shoe, made for running and walking. (I saw a photo of Jill Biden in a pair the other day.)
8. Good novels about plagues
It’s weirdly consoling to read about other plagues in distant times. Those stories put this plague into perspective. A few favorites: “Year of Wonders” by Geraldine Brooks. “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel. “The End of October” by Lawrence Wright. “Hamnet” by Maggie O’Farrell. “The Plague” by Albert Camus.
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9. Being alive long enough to watch the light return.
mschmich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-19--Illinois surpasses 15,000 coronavirus deaths, one week after eclipsing 14,000

“ I am happy to say that we did not see the significant surge that we were very much concerned @ @ @ @ @ the reports that we saw of the large amounts of travel here in the state @ @ @ @ @ said Friday , adding that the final numbers for the week will be available in @ @ @ @

Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois on Friday surpassed 15,000 recorded deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, one week after the state’s death toll climbed above 14,000.
State health officials reported 181 deaths on Friday, the 11th day in a row with more than 100 fatalities. Over the past week, the state has averaged 138 deaths from COVID-19 per day. While that remains well above the spring peak of 118 deaths per day in mid-May, the seven-day average is down from a peak of 155 daily deaths during the week ending Dec. 8.
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Since Illinois’ first death in March, the state has recorded 15,015. December is on pace to eclipse May as the deadliest month of the pandemic.
The state passed another grim milestone as the immunization of health care workers against the deadly virus gets underway in earnest after a slow start. As of Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said, more than 17,000 health care workers outside of Chicago have received their first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which first arrived in the state Monday. A day earlier, only 3,500 people had gotten their first dose.
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The city doesn’t yet have a count of how many doses have been administered, Chicago Department of Public Health spokesman Andrew Buchanan said.
Illinois hospitals should begin receiving shipments of a second vaccine, developed by Moderna, early next week, Pritzker said at his final daily coronavirus briefing before the holidays. Later Friday, the federal Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine for emergency use.
“This is yet another very, very exciting development, and it reinforces and brightens the light at the end of the tunnel for all of us who have been fighting through COVID-19,” Pritzker said.
While deaths remain high, Illinois is seeing positive trends in other measures of its battle with the pandemic.
The state reported 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus Friday, for a total of 886,805 known cases statewide since the pandemic began.
The average number of new cases per day was 7,693, down from 8,980 daily cases the prior week. The seven-day average of new cases peaked at 12,384 during the week ending Nov. 16.
The rolling seven-day case positivity rate — the percentage of cases as a share of total tests — dropped to 8% statewide for the week ending Thursday, a rate not seen since the end of October. The case positivity rate peaked at 13.2% for the week ending Nov. 12.
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The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state also continues to decline.
On Monday, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said that by week’s end, she would have a better sense of whether the state has avoided a feared post-Thanksgiving surge in new coronavirus cases.
“I am happy to say that we did not see the significant surge that we were very much concerned about in relation to all the reports that we saw of the large amounts of travel here in the state of Illinois,” Ezike said Friday, adding that the final numbers for the week will be available in a few days.
She and Pritzker credited the tighter restrictions put in place ahead of the November holiday, including lower capacity limits for most retail stores, for helping stave off another crest in cases that could have overwhelmed hospitals.
“We’re very glad things are moving in the right direction,” Pritzker said. “We’re also concerned the numbers have not come down as precipitously as we would have liked to have seen by now.
“And so that’s of great concern to us. We’re still seeing 7,000, 8,000, 9,000 cases every day, and we still have a positivity rate that’s far from the (World Health Organization) recommended 5%.”
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While some regions of the state are meeting the criteria Pritzker earlier laid out for having those restrictions eased, he said he doesn’t plan to make any changes before the new year.
The public can help ensure that the state is able to ease those restrictions by continuing to avoid gatherings and follow other public health guidelines, including wearing masks, washing hands regularly and maintaining proper distance, Ezike said.
In line with those recommendations, Pritzker said he’ll be spending the upcoming holiday weeks in Illinois, as he did at Thanksgiving, to oversee the continued rollout of the coronavirus vaccines.
Chicago Tribune’s Gregory Pratt contributed.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-19--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: State passes 15,000 deaths since beginning of COVID-19 pandemic; 7,

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: State passes 15,000 deaths since beginning of COVID-19 pandemic; 7,377 new cases and 181 additional fatalities reported Friday

In the meantime , musicians have contorted their creative energies to make ends meet and , hopefully , sustain their @ @ @ @ @ until they can make a living once again as a performer .
Their adjustments showcase @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and restrictions have had on the city ’ s entire music culture and remind @ @ @ @ @ up some of the most intimate moments of our lives .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois on Friday surpassed 15,000 recorded deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, one week after the state’s death toll climbed above 14,000.
State health officials reported 181 deaths Friday, the 11th day in a row with more than 100 fatalities. Over the past week, the state has averaged 138 deaths from COVID-19 per day. The state also reported 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus Friday, for a total of 886,805 known cases statewide since the pandemic began.
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Meanwhile, Walgreens and CVS Health predict the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to the public during the spring, and patients will most likely be able to make appointments to get the shots at pharmacies.
Also on Friday, the U.S. added a second COVID-19 vaccine to its arsenal, boosting efforts to beat back an outbreak so dire that the nation is regularly recording more than 3,000 deaths a day.
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Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7 p.m.: FDA authorizes 2nd COVID-19 vaccine
The U.S. added a second COVID-19 vaccine to its arsenal Friday, boosting efforts to beat back an outbreak so dire that the nation is regularly recording more than 3,000 deaths a day.
Much-needed doses are set to arrive Monday after the Food and Drug Administration authorized an emergency rollout of the vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health.
The move marks the world’s first authorization for Moderna’s shots. The vaccine is very similar to one from Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech that’s now being dispensed to millions of health care workers and nursing home residents as the biggest vaccination drive in U.S. history starts to ramp up.
The two work “better than we almost dared to hope,” NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins told The Associated Press. “Science is working here, science has done something amazing.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
6:25 p.m. (update): Congress approves 2-day funding bill to avert shutdown as fight continues over COVID-19 relief package
Congress swiftly passed a two-day stopgap spending bill Friday night, averting a partial government shutdown and buying time for frustratingly slow endgame negotiations on an almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package.
The virus aid talks remain on track, both sides said, but closing out final disagreements is proving difficult.
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The House passed the temporary funding bill by a 320-60 vote as lawmakers headed for a Sunday session. The Senate approved the bill by voice vote almost immediately afterward, sending it to President Donald Trump.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said both sides remain intent on closing the deal, even as Democrats launched a concerted campaign to block an effort by Republicans to rein in emergency Federal Reserve lending powers. The Democrats said the GOP proposal would deprive President-elect Joe Biden of crucial tools to manage the economy.
It appeared unlikely that there would be a deal reached Friday night, lawmakers and aides said.
Read more here. —Associated Press
2:35 p.m.: NorthShore, Glenbrook Hospital staff receive first doses of COVID-19 vaccine
When Rose Paone, a nurse and clinical coordinator in Glenbrook Hospital’s ICU, rolled up her sleeve to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Thursday, she said she felt relief and optimism for “a little glimpse of hope” following the past nine brutal months.
Paone and other NorthShore University HealthSystem staff and administrators said during a news conference at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview Friday that they’re feeling a sense of hope about an end to the pandemic with the introduction of a vaccine.
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“I’m very optimistic that this vaccine is truly a light at the end of what has been a long, dark tunnel for us,” said Glenbrook Hospital President Jesse Peterson Hall.
Staff and administrators also stressed, however, that safety protocols will continue to be essential over the next few months as people receive the vaccines at staggered times.
“We are not out of the woods by any means, and everybody still has to listen to the rules to keep everybody safe,” said Dr. Neil Freedman, head of pulmonary and critical care for NorthShore.
The five-hospital NorthShore system includes Glenbrook, Evanston, Highland Park, Skokie and Swedish hospitals. In its first round of shipments, officials said the five hospitals received about 5,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which was approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration Dec. 11.
About 30 vaccines were given at Evanston Hospital Thursday afternoon as a “practice run,” and Glenbrook Hospital began its distribution Friday morning, according to officials. Those at the news conference who received the vaccine Thursday reported feeling fine one day later.
Like Paone, fellow ICU nurse Luisa Penepacker said she felt relieved while getting the vaccine, and she also felt emotional. She said the staff was thrown into a dangerous situation in March and that everyone from doctors to nurses to housekeepers, transportation workers, respiratory therapists and others have “come together with such passion.”
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“We’ve seen the worst that COVID can do,” she said of those working on the front lines. “If everybody could just do their part and take the vaccine, then we can really end it, and then we won’t have to see so much suffering anymore.”
NorthShore officials said somewhere between 10,000 to 15,000 employees are eligible for the vaccine, so they’ve prioritized those working directly with COVID-19 patients to receive it first. Officials said they want to make sure all teams of physicians, nurses and support staff at the hospital will receive equal protection.
Read more here. —Kaitlin Edquist
2:25 p.m.: Here’s what people with allergies should know about COVID vaccines
Allergic reactions reported in two health workers who received a dose of Pfizer’s vaccine in Alaska this week have reignited concerns that people with a history of extreme immune flare-ups might not be good candidates for the newly cleared shots.
The two incidents follow another pair of cases in Britain. Three of the four were severe enough to qualify as anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction. But all four people appear to have recovered.
Health officials on both sides of the pond are vigilantly monitoring vaccinated people to see if more cases emerge. Last week, British drug regulators recommended against the use of Pfizer’s vaccine in people who have previously had anaphylactic reactions to food, medicines or vaccines.
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And on Thursday, Dr. Doran Fink, deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration’s clinical division of vaccines and related products applications, addressed the issue during a meeting about the vaccine made by Moderna that contains similar ingredients and is expected to soon receive emergency use authorization, or EUA, from the agency.
“We anticipate that there may be additional reports, which we will rapidly investigate,” Fink said, adding that robust surveillance systems were in place to detect these rare events.
Still, Fink said that “the totality of data at this time continue to support vaccinations under the Pfizer EUA, without new restrictions.”
The FDA, he added, would work with Pfizer to revise fact sheets and prescribing information for the vaccine so that the public would understand the risk of allergic reactions and know how to report them.
Read more here. —The New York Times
2:20 p.m.: City joins with One Fair Wage to distribute $1 million in grants to Chicago restaurants
The city of Chicago has joined with One Fair Wage in a program that could provide Chicago restaurants with grants of up to $30,000.
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Announced at a virtual news conference Friday, One Fair Wage — operating with $1 million provided by an anonymous donor — will make the grants available, via its High Road Kitchens program, to restaurants willing to commit to the organization’s goals.
Chief among those goals is the elimination of the tipped minimum wage, under which restaurant employees who receive tips may be paid far less than the standard minimum wage.
Restaurants who receive grants must commit to scaling up to pay a $15/hour full minimum wage — even to tipped workers — by 2026.
Read more here. —Phil Vettel
12:45 p.m.: Illinois surpasses 15,000 coronavirus deaths, one week after eclipsing 14,000
Illinois on Friday surpassed 15,000 recorded deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, one week after the state’s death toll climbed above 14,000.
State health officials reported 181 deaths Friday, the 11th day in a row with more than 100 fatalities. Over the past week, the state has averaged 138 deaths from COVID-19 per day. While that remains well above the spring peak of 118 deaths per day in mid-May, the seven-day average is down from a peak of 155 daily deaths during the week ending Dec. 8.
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Since Illinois’ first death in March, the state has recorded 15,015 casualties.
Read more here. —Dan Petrella
12:05 p.m.: 7,377 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 181 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 181 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 886,805 and the statewide death toll to 15,015 since the start of the pandemic.
Officials also reported 112,292 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 8.0% for the period ending Thursday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
12:02 p.m.: Second stimulus check updates: Lawmakers expected to work weekend; government shuts down at midnight
Bearing down on a midnight shutdown deadline, top negotiators on a must-pass, almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package are committed to sealing an agreement Friday as they resolve remaining differences in hopes of passing the legislation this weekend.
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The pressure is on. Government funding lapses at midnight Friday and a partial, low-impact shutdown would ensue if Congress fails to pass a stopgap spending bill before then. That’s not guaranteed, said Senate GOP Whip John Thune, who said some Republicans might block the stopgap measure to keep the pressure on if the talks haven’t borne fruit.
Read more here. —Associated Press
11:35 a.m.: Waukegan church stages drive-by holiday light show: ‘When we can’t rely on our old rituals, we have to make new ones’
Drive-by outdoor light shows, prevalent this holiday season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have made it to the church on time in Lake County.
St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waukegan, at 3350 N. Delany Road, has joined the movement of free light shows set to coordinated music.
At the intersection of York House and Delany roads, feel free to stop into the church’s parking lot to experience St. Mark’s Christmas Light Extravaganza.
Read more here. —Karie Angel Luc, Lake County News-Sun
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10:39 am.: With no shows in nearly 10 months, performing musicians have been searching and waiting for income and answers — here’s how some are getting on
The COVID-19 pandemic hit “pause” on the entire Chicago music scene, and performing musicians have spent the last 9 months wondering when they’ll be able to starting playing again.
Music has not come to a stop, however. Artists have still been creating — even performing in new ways — throughout the year, in spite of the pandemic. That’s the reality of being a creative — especially when being a creative is how you collect a paycheck.
With live performances on hiatus, this year has forced performing musicians to mine their creativity for both inspiration *and* income streams. The types of gatherings that often hosted live music have now become cruel intersections of pandemic-related risk: whether it’s a birthday party, a bar, or Lollapalooza, all of the usual venues for live music now seem to double as potential super-spreader events.
In the meantime, musicians have contorted their creative energies to make ends meet and, hopefully, sustain their music through the pandemic, until they can make a living once again as a performer. Their adjustments showcase the toll that the lingering pandemic and restrictions have had on the city’s entire music culture and remind us of how music fills up some of the most intimate moments of our lives.
Read more here. —Adam Lukach
8:40 am.: Second vaccine doses will ship this weekend if FDA gives OK
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says shipments of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine will begin this weekend if the FDA grants emergency use authorization as expected on Friday.
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“Trucks will roll, planes will fly this weekend, 5.9 million doses of Moderna vaccine allocated for next week,” Azar told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday.
Azar said the Moderna vaccine is “shockingly effective” and he expected to get vaccinated next week, if the White House physician cleared him to do so.
Read more here. —Associated Press
8:32 a.m.: Christmas services will look different at Southland churches, but ‘the meaning will hit more than ever’
For some, Christmas 2020 is almost Christmas as usual.
The Sauk Trail Baptist Temple in Richton Park continued drive-in services it was conducting through June, then in July returned to all services indoors.
They have continued ever since, and the Rev. Sam Waterloo said not much is changing in terms of the church’s usual Christmas plans. A children’s program has been combined with the adult choir and orchestra program, and the church supplies masks, hand sanitizer and space for social distancing.
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”Our advertising for this event has been different since we are not necessarily encouraging great crowds of people to come, but we have plenty of space for people to distance if guests did choose to attend,” Waterloo said.
Waterloo acknowledged not being entirely together as a congregation has been tough, though.
Read more here. —Bill Jones, the Daily Southtown
7:20 a.m.: Chicago Public Library announces winter break programs for students
The Chicago Public Library Foundation, Mayor Lightfoot and first lady Amy Eshleman were scheduled Friday to launch Make 2021 Yours, an effort to support city youth during public schools’ winter break, according to a news release.
The city and the library were scheduled to hold more than 150 online activities for young people, focusing on topics including culinary skills, sports and wellness, the arts, STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — skills and academic and college readiness, according to the release.
The “activities will include self-paced, pre-recorded online content as well as live, online” classes, according to the release. Young people can visit MyCHIMyFuture.org beginning Dec. 19 “to access these activities and much more. Additionally, starting on December 21st, there will be Grab & Go Activity kits for both younger children and teens filled with hands-on projects that can be picked up for free from the Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Libraries.”
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—Chicago Tribune staff
6:44 a.m.: Batavia-based Aldi, Instacart roll out online SNAP payment to 23 more states, D.C., after pilot program that included Illinois
Aldi and Instacart announced Thursday that the Batavia-based grocery store chain is now accepting the federal food assistance SNAP program in 29 states and Washington, D.C., after a pilot program that included Illinois.
The pilot program started with about 60 stories in Georgia and expanded to more than 570 stores in Illinois and other states. On Thursday, the program rolled out to 23 more states and Washington, D.C., according to a news release.
“Aldi is proud to be the first grocery retailer to accept EBT SNAP benefits as a form of payment online via Instacart for grocery delivery and Curbside pickup,” said Scott Patton, vice president for National Customer Interaction Services for Aldi U.S, in the release. “This service is now available at nearly 90% of ALDI stores, across 29 states and Washington, D.C., following successful pilots in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas.”
The economic downturn triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the number of people seeking help paying for and obtaining food, as well as participating in SNAP, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
Indiana and Wisconsin were among the states included in Thursday’s rollout, as well as Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and West Virginia.
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People who participate in the federal food assistance program can now order food from Aldi online through the Instacart app and have it delivered or readied for in-store pickup, according to the release.
—Chicago Tribune staff
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
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chicagotribune--2020-12-19--Judge declares Jackie Wilson innocent in Burge-related case, refers it for possible investigation by

Judge declares Jackie Wilson innocent in Burge-related case, refers it for possible investigation by special prosecutor

Last year , veteran attorney Dan K. Webb was appointed to look into whether anyone had committed any crimes in @ @ @ @ @ then dropping charges against former “ Empire ” actor Jussie Smollett .
Webb said that @ @ @ @ @ office committed “ substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures ” but that they did @ @ @ @ @ of warranting criminal charges .

Jackie Wilson is flanked by his wife, Sandra, left, and daughter Candice Wilson after a news conference outside the Leighton Criminal Court Building Oct. 2, 2020. His murder case was abruptly dropped after allegations that a Cook County prosecutor lied under oath. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
A man who served more than three decades behind bars for a 1982 cop killing was officially declared innocent Friday after years of alleging he was tortured and framed for a shooting his brother committed.
Jackie Wilson successfully proved that he was merely an innocent bystander as his brother, Andrew, killed two Chicago police officers, Cook County Judge William Hooks ruled.
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But that won’t bring an end to one of the strangest cases in Cook County — one involving an allegedly perjurous prosecutor, an international con man and a legacy of police violence involving notorious ex-Cmdr. Jon Burge.
Hooks referred the overall matter to Presiding Judge LeRoy Martin Jr. for him to consider appointing a special prosecutor who would investigate potential criminal wrongdoing by current or former prosecutors.
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Judge William Hooks listens during closing arguments in the Jackie Wilson case at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago in 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune )
And Hooks made no secret of his belief that some should face consequences for what he saw as a horrendously botched prosecution.
“Some (prosecutors) venture into dirty, unethical (territory) … in a very small number of cases, they become criminals themselves,” the judge said.
Hooks has called Wilson’s ordeal perhaps the most complicated Burge-related case that has surfaced.
Undisputed in the case was that Wilson’s brother, Andrew, fired the shots that killed Chicago police Officers William Fahey and Richard O’Brien in 1982. Both brothers alleged they were tortured at the hands of police after their arrest. Wilson’s first conviction was thrown out on appeal; at retrial in 1989 he was convicted of O’Brien’s murder but acquitted of Fahey’s.
In 2018, after extensive litigation, Hooks threw out Wilson’s conviction on the grounds that he was tortured into confessing by Burge and his crew.
The specially appointed private attorneys named to handle the prosecution put Wilson on trial for a third time this fall. But the case fell apart in spectacular fashion after a Cook County prosecutor, Nick Trutenko, allegedly lied on the stand.
The special prosecutors dropped the charges shortly afterward, and Trutenko was fired that evening.
Hooks on Friday said that while there is a “monstrous cloud” of police and prosecutorial misconduct hanging over the Wilson case, the case for Wilson’s innocence instead relied on uncontested eyewitness evidence that he was merely a bystander as his brother fired the shots.
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Prosecutors had argued that Wilson only came back into town to help his brother spring a friend out of custody — and that his arrival in Chicago kicked off a “common scheme,” such that he can be held legally responsible for his brother’s actions.
But there is no evidence that they were actually on their way to do so when Andrew fired the shots, Hooks said.
Andrew Wilson shot as “a spontaneous attempt to save himself,” the judge ruled, and if police had done their jobs correctly afterward, they would have treated Jackie Wilson as a witness against his brother and not a co-defendant.
Even some of Hooks’ fellow judges have come up to him and referred to Wilson as a “cop killer,” Hooks said from the bench.
“This court does not listen to those who have not read the record, studied the record,” he said. “It is our job to take the deep dive.”
The certificate of innocence could potentially be used as evidence in any future civil claims Wilson files, as well as entitle him to a significant cash payout from the state, along with potential help in finding housing and employment.
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It could also provide a measure of finality to the proceedings, which ended without a formal finding of guilty or not guilty.
In a highly unusual move, Wilson’s attorneys also had asked Hooks for wide-ranging sanctions against both Cook County prosecutors and the special prosecutors who handled Wilson’s case.
Hooks declined to impose the sanctions, instead referring the matter to Martin for consideration of a special prosecutor.
If Martin names a special prosecutor, it would be the second time in less than two years that such a prosecutor has been tasked with investigating potential misconduct by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office.
Last year, veteran attorney Dan K. Webb was appointed to look into whether anyone had committed any crimes in the course of prosecuting and then dropping charges against former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett. Webb said that some in Foxx’s office committed “substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures” but that they did not rise to the level of warranting criminal charges.
The stakes appear far higher in Wilson’s case, which was dropped in October after twists and turns usually reserved for TV courtroom dramas.
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A central witness in the case, William Coleman, had testified in 1989 that Wilson confessed to the slaying to him when they were locked up together in Cook County Jail.
Coleman was widely reputed to be a con man and a fraud, with an international rap sheet, and by the time this year’s trial rolled around, neither defense attorneys nor the team of private attorneys appointed to prosecute the case knew if he was alive or dead. Not even Coleman’s ex-wife and son knew whether he was alive.
An investigator hired by the defense said he was warned not to affirmatively declare that Coleman was dead, since “he’d been dead before.”
But on Oct. 1, Trutenko took the stand and said not only was Coleman still alive, but the two still kept in touch.
The courtroom was shocked.
But the case was not dropped until later, after Trutenko testified that he had not discussed Coleman in his previous conversations with the special prosecutors.
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Special prosecutors told Hooks that Trutenko’s testimony was false. They had, in fact, discussed Coleman with him. Then they dropped the charges against Wilson entirely.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-19--Chicago aldermen end call for special City Council meeting to address errant police raid on Anjanett

Chicago aldermen end call for special City Council meeting to address errant police raid on Anjanette Young’s home after city drops pursuit of sanctions against her lawyer

Earlier Friday , the group of aldermen called on the city to stop “ any and all legal actions ” @ @ @ @ @ lawyer .
Afterward , Lightfoot released a statement saying she wanted the Law Department to @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attorney .
She said she remains concerned that a violation of a court @ @ @ @ @ but said Young ’ s attorney should be given “ the benefit of the doubt @ @ @ @ @ that the court ’ s confidentiality order continued in full force and effect , even @ @ @ @ @ the case in March 2020 .
”

Furor over a wrongful Chicago police raid of a social worker’s home and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s handling of the fallout continued Friday, as a group of aldermen sought a special City Council meeting to address the matter before ultimately relenting.
Three aldermen had called for a meeting of the full City Council just days before Christmas, but dropped the request hours later after Lightfoot’s administration ordered the Law Department to end its request for sanctions against Anjanette Young’s attorney, Keenan Saulter.
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Aldermen Raymond Lopez, 15th, Stephanie Coleman, 17th, and Jeanette Taylor, 20th, had sought a Tuesday afternoon meeting to consider an order “to the Corporation Counsel of the City of Chicago to hereby terminate any and all efforts against Ms. Anjanette Young and her legal team as well as immediately negotiate, draft and do all things necessary to settle any legal action related to Ms. Young.”
But they dropped it later in the day, after the city’s move to end its pursuit for sanctions. In a letter, the aldermen said they discussed with the administration “that high priority be placed on immediately remedying” the situation.
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Earlier Friday, the group of aldermen called on the city to stop “any and all legal actions” against the woman and her lawyer. Afterward, Lightfoot released a statement saying she wanted the Law Department to stop trying to sanction Young’s attorney. She said she remains concerned that a violation of a court order may have occurred, but said Young’s attorney should be given “the benefit of the doubt that he did not appreciate that the court’s confidentiality order continued in full force and effect, even after the voluntary dismissal of the case in March 2020.”
Activists hold a news conference in front of Chicago police headquarters on Thursday, Dec. 17, to voice their opposition to police wrongly raiding the home of Anjanette Young. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
“I again want to reiterate and affirm my commitment to righting the wrongs in this case and moving forward with full transparency and accountability,” Lightfoot said.
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The Young raid has become a major embarrassment for Lightfoot, who initially said this week that she had only learned of the February 2019 incident after CBS-Ch. 2 aired police body camera footage that showed Young, who was handcuffed naked, repeatedly telling officers who barged into her home that they had the wrong place.
On Thursday, the mayor acknowledged that members of her team told her about the raid in November 2019, as CBS was doing continued reporting on search warrants being served at the wrong addresses, which the TV station has covered extensively.
On Wednesday, Lightfoot falsely denied that her administration withheld footage of the raid from Young. On Thursday, Lightfoot acknowledged her administration had denied an open records request submitted by Young for the footage and said that shouldn’t happen.
Lopez told the Tribune he was pushing for the meeting so that the city can stop “re-victimizing” Young. He also thinks it’s wrong for the city to pursue any sanctions against Young’s attorney over the video’s release.
“The lawyer is there as a representative of her. You cannot differentiate one from the other,” Lopez said. “Saying you’re forgiving her but not him, that’s who’s representing her, is an argument of semantics, but at the end of the day you’re still victimizing her. We should’ve done right from the very beginning.”
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Taylor said she is concerned about the city’s treatment of Black and brown residents.
“If we are supposed to be here to protect the taxpayer folks of the city of Chicago, we’re not doing it, especially as it comes to people of color,” Taylor said. “This is sad. The city, shame on us.”
Lightfoot on Thursday said her administration will no longer withhold video from residents seeking police records about their cases and acknowledged that the city’s handling of the raid harmed her relationship with Chicagoans.
The controversy erupted on Monday night after Lightfoot’s Law Department attempted to block CBS from airing body camera footage of Chicago police officers mistakenly raiding Young’s home in February 2019, before the mayor took office.
City lawyers also filed a request to have Young sanctioned for allegedly violating a confidentiality order on the video, though the city later said it only wanted her lawyer sanctioned, before dropping the matter altogether.
A federal judge rejected the Lightfoot administration’s unusual request to prevent a television station from airing a news report. The courts long have ruled against efforts to prevent news companies from publishing reports, saying it’s an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.
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Lightfoot said her administration would release its emails about the case, though they had not done so as of Friday afternoon.
“It was literally somebody saying, mayor, here’s another one, (some) words to that effect, I’m paraphrasing, and I said let’s talk about it, let’s get (former chief risk officer Tamika Puckett) involved, and there was a subsequent email from her because I was pushing her on what are we doing, where are we on revising the search warrant protocols, and she gave a detailed update,” Lightfoot said.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration famously fought to keep secret a video showing white police Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting Black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times, but a county judge ordered his administration to release the video. Emanuel has since been dogged by accusations that he covered up the scandal to preserve his 2015 reelection campaign, an allegation he’s denied.
Chicago has since instituted a rule allowing the release of police shooting videos and audio within 60 days. Lightfoot said she will pursue changes to make other video releases easier.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--Errant police raid on Anjanette Young’s home

Body camera footage shows Chicago police officers conducting an errant raid on social worker Anjanette Young ’ s home on @ @ @ @ @

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chicagotribune--2020-12-18--Chicago Public Schools chief gets $40,000 raise as district also aims to close race, gender and othe

Chicago Public Schools chief gets $40,000 raise as district also aims to close race, gender and other pay inequities among non-union staff

“ These were planned investments well before the start of this fiscal year , ” Lyons said .
“ ... @ @ @ @ @ about why now , ...
I think we can all recognize there ’ s never @ @ @ @ @ make tough choices , but fundamentally , caring about equity as an organization means doing @ @ @ @ @ and actually more than that , to seek it out intentionally if we suspect it @ @ @ @ @ this is maybe the best example of something that is within our control , of @ @ @ @ @ in this work , and everyone knows this depending on where they sit , they @ @ @ @ @ ways , but this one is within our control fully to address and on a @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s necessary and it ’ s necessary to do it as soon @ @ @ @ @

Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson is getting a $40,000 raise, bringing her annual base pay up to $300,000.
Chicago Board of Education members approved the pay increase Wednesday, saying they considered the district’s performance under her leadership and compensation of leaders of comparable districts.
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After emerging from a closed session, board President Miguel del Valle said Jackson’s raise was approved “unanimously and vigorously.”
“Dr. Jackson has demonstrated excellent and fearless leadership, an ambitious vision for every student in Chicago Public Schools, and an unwavering commitment and dedication to serving our 355,156 CPS students and their families, as well as our 38,620 employees. She is a nationally respected leader and the district is grateful to have her at the helm of the third largest school system in the country,” del Valle said.
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“Her compensation, however, is not on par with that of superintendents across the state or country,” he continued. “We took it as a matter of equity to ensure that the CEO of Chicago Public Schools is fairly compensated and this salary adjustment is a step in that direction.”
The other terms of Jackson’s contract, which started in 2018 and runs through June, were unchanged.
As of September, her base salary was $260,000 and her benefit cost was $62,839. The second-highest paid employee, Chief Financial Officer Miroslava Krug, made $230,000 with a benefit cost of $42,927. Third was Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade, with a $210,000 salary and $52,709 benefit cost. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, in comparison, has a base salary of $216,210.
Jackson’s $40,000 raise is comparable to the base salary of a school security officer, custodial worker or teacher assistant.
The board also approved new compensation guidelines intended to advance diversity and equity among nonunion staff.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s contract, reached after an 11-day strike in 2019, guarantees all CTU members a 16% raise over the course of the five-year deal. But while the CTU represents more than 25,000 CPS workers, and Service Employees Union International Local 73 represents nearly 8,000, the district’s central and network offices employ another 1,500 people who are not represented by a union.
The nonunion compensation structure hasn’t been updated in more than a decade and is not equitable or aligned to the market, said deputy talent officer Christina Jordan.
“Actively identifying inequities that hinder our ability to obtain diverse talent must be a focus of our everyday efforts,” Jordan told the board.
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The board hired consulting firm Korn Ferry and conducted a comprehensive review of central and network office jobs, comparing each to a similar role in the general labor market using local and national salary data. Roles unique to schools were “benchmarked” to nine large school districts, Jordan said.
A pay equity study and staffing analysis showed significant disparities among nonunion employees, who include administrative and support, professional and management staff along with officers, such as chief financial or education officer.
Jordan defined pay equity as compensating employees the same for doing similar jobs, while taking into account factors such as experience level, job performance and tenure.
Overall, women made closer to the market value for their jobs than men did, averaging 98.1 cents to the market dollar compared with men at 96.9 cents, according to the study. At 98.3 cents to the dollar, white employees were paid closer to market rates than Black and Latino employees, who made 96.5 cents.
But for each dollar a man working in the central or network offices is paid, women are paid only 94 cents. For every dollar a white employee makes, Black employees are paid only 83 cents and Latino employees just 78 cents, according to the presentation.
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Black people, Latinos and women are all overrepresented in lower-level nonunion roles, and Latinos ware particularly underrepresented among higher-level positions, according to the analysis.
At the helm of the district, Jackson and McDade are both Black, as are 36% of officers; another 38% of officers are white, 19% are Latino and 4% are Asian. But the number of white people in management positions is nearly double the combined total of Black and Latino managers. Management staff is about 43% white, 33% Black, 14% Latino and 6% Asian. Professional staff members are 27% white, 41% Black, 23% Latino and 6% Asian. The administrative and support staff is 9% white, 47% Black, 38% Latino and 3% Asian.
Women make up 67% of central and network staff, but are less and less represented as the job grade increases: 77% of administrative and support staff are women, then 70% of professional staff, 59% of managersand 49% of officers.
The city of Chicago is roughly equal parts Black, Latino and white, and close to 7% Asian. CPS students are 47% Latino, 36% Black, 11% white and 4% Asian. Its teaching force is about 50% white, 22% Latino, 21% Black and 4% Asian.
The under- and overrepresentation of different demographic groups has serious implications for employees’ opportunities for growth and pay equity, Jordan said.
“We can see the effects of having women, Black and Latinx employees skew toward administrative and support roles,” she said. “... It is clear here that representation matters. When we see groups that have low representation in managerial jobs, we tend to see an overall gap in pay. ... This is compounded when a group is over-represented in administrative and support roles.”
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Though central office and network staff are just a fraction of the district’s employees, CPS is still one of the state’s biggest employers, Jordan said.
“Addressing and correcting inequities in our pay practices will drive change beyond CPS by increasing the economic impact that our employees make within their communities,” she said.
Effective next month, 3% of nonunion employees paid below new minimums will have their salaries raised to meet the floor, and 18% will receive an “equity adjustment.” Others will get a 2% raise. The new compensation plan will cost $2.5 million in the current fiscal year, which district officials said is already accounted for in the budget.
New guidelines include a structure for job classification with consistent titles and guidelines for salary adjustments. That involves removing gender and race-based language from job descriptions, helping managers create consistent interviewing processes and questions, establishing diverse interviewing teams and requiring that at least half of the candidates who complete an interview process are people of color.
The district is also making changes specific to school leaders, based on feedback from more than 100 principals and assistant principals, said Chief Talent Officer Matt Lyons.
“We heard school leaders should get the same annual raises as the unions, we heard that some experienced administrators were maxed out on the step schedule and that newer assistant principals in particular were not compensated enough,” Lyons said.
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Unlike most school-based staff, school leaders haven’t seen raises since 2017, Lyons said. Now CPS plans to increase their salaries by $15,000 over four years, starting with $4,000 in July. The added cost will be $4.5 million annually, Lyons said.
The plan also sets a minimum raise of 5% for teachers who are promoted to assistant principal positions and adds a stipend for administrators who work an extended school year or summer school.
Chicago Principals and Administrators Association President Troy LaRaviere reminded the board of a time earlier in the year when he spoke to them about the issue of pay for school leaders.
“Your administrators, who are majority nonwhite, are making less than the majority white teaching force that they supervise and this is an extreme danger to the principal pipeline,” LaRaviere said. “By ... deciding to give administrators raises similar to the ones you give teachers over the next four years, you have ensured that this picture does not get worse, but you have done absolutely nothing to change that. That is an objective fact. In four years, assistant principals, who are majority people of color, will still be earning less per hour and in many case less in total earnings than the majority white teaching force they supervise. This is a time bomb for the principal pipeline. So while what you did today was appreciated and I mean that, the time bomb is still going to go off if there is not an across-the-board salary adjustment at some point in the next couple years. We look forward to working with you to address this impending crisis.”
Vice President Sendhil Revuluri said he supported the changes but asked about their timing and how the district will pay for them.
“These are worthwhile but significant financial investments for the district, and it is at at time when we are kind of crunched both on the revenue side and on the expenditure side, so there is a lot of uncertainty,” Revuluri said. “... We should have done this along time ago, but why now?”
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“These were planned investments well before the start of this fiscal year,” Lyons said. “... In terms of the question about why now, ... I think we can all recognize there’s never really a great time to make tough choices, but fundamentally, caring about equity as an organization means doing something when we find inequities and actually more than that, to seek it out intentionally if we suspect it there. And I think this is maybe the best example of something that is within our control, of all the inequities we encounter in this work, and everyone knows this depending on where they sit, they may see it in different ways, but this one is within our control fully to address and on a shorter time span than most. It’s necessary and it’s necessary to do it as soon as we can.”
hleone@chicagotribune.com


Hospital staff shortages

As the coronavirus began to menace the region in March , most Chicago-area residents took refuge inside their houses to follow the governor ’ s stay-at-home order .
Tribune photographers , as they always do , stayed on the job .
Risking their personal safety and relying upon unparalleled creativity to follow public health guidelines , they documented a year unlike any in a century .
They stepped into intensive care units where COVID-19 patients were taking their last breaths , captured the calls for social justice sparked by police killings of unarmed Black men and conveyed the anxiety over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work showed how these extraordinary events influenced our lives .
We hope the work has been fair , a broad-yet-intimate reflection of the diversity of the Chicago area .
We hope our annual Pictures of Year edition serves as a visual reminder of a rapidly changing year .
When life moves so fast , we often forget , and these images reflect the range of emotions we just lived through .
It also a platform for acknowledging the talent and dedication of Tribune photographers , and all photojournalists , in a year we @ @ @ @ @


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--Teen charged with murder in shooting death of retired Chicago firefighter after admitting to driving

Teen charged with murder in shooting death of retired Chicago firefighter after admitting to driving getaway car, prosecutors say

They waited for him to come out , and three of them left the Ford and confronted Williams , 65 @ @ @ @ @ revolver from his waistband and exchanged gunfire , police said .
Williams was hit once @ @ @ @ @ .
The three got back into the car , and Johnson sped down Artesian Avenue @

Two days after the arrest of a 15-year-old boy, a second teen has been charged with a botched carjacking that killed a retired Chicago firefighter on the Southwest Side earlier this month.
Police say Dwain Johnson, 18, of Gary, drove the getaway car after three others confronted Dwain Williams as he walked out of his favorite popcorn shop on the Southwest Side earlier this month.
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He was charged with first-degree murder, vehicle hijacking and unlawful use of an automatic weapon. Prosecutors said he admitted his role in the attack after confronted with video and other evidence placing him at the scene.
Dwain Johnson, 18, who also goes by Dwain Cunigan, was charged with first-degree murder, vehicle hijacking and unlawful use of an automatic weapon for the fatal shooting of retired Chicago Fire Department lieutenant Dwain Williams, 65, on Dec. 3, 2020 at 2402 W. 118th St. Chicago police said. (Chicago police / HANDOUT)
Johnson, who also goes by the last name Cunigan, was out on a juvenile warrant at the time for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful use of a weapon, according to Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy.
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Around 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, Johnson, the 15-year-old and two others were in a stolen black Ford Fusion when they spotted Williams driving a maroon Jeep Grand Cherokee and followed him to a popcorn shop in the 2400 block of West 118th Street in the Beverly Woods neighborhood.
They waited for him to come out, and three of them left the Ford and confronted Williams, 65. He pulled out a revolver from his waistband and exchanged gunfire, police said. Williams was hit once in the abdomen and collapsed. The three got back into the car, and Johnson sped down Artesian Avenue.
Police found Williams lying on the pavement next to his Jeep with his revolver close by. Three types of shell casings were found at the scene: 9 mm, .40 caliber and .38 caliber.
Detectives reviewed security video to track the movement of the victim and suspects. Johnson was seen driving the Fusion and staying inside during the attack, Murphy said. He then “makes good their escape.”
Johnson was arrested on Wednesday during execution of a search warrant for an unrelated case, he said. Police found two guns and linked one of them to the murder of Williams. Johnson’s Facebook profile and other information was found on the cellphone of the 15-year-old, whose fingerprints were found on the hood and inside the Fusion, Murphy said.
After being arrested, Johnson made “detailed admissions” that he was the driver and was involved in the plan to carjack Williams, Murphy said.
Assistant Public Defender Julie Koehler told the court that, before the pandemic hit, Johnson had been attending high school, where he was a senior, and living with his mother in Gary. Earlier this year, he was shot and spent a week in a hospital.
Before that, he had been working at a Chuck E. Cheese as a game manager, Koehler said.
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Denying bond, Judge Charles Beach II called Johnson a danger to the community. “This was a coordinated effort,” Beach said.
On Thursday, police announced murder charges against the 15-year-old, saying he was known to authorities as a member of a “crew” that stole cars in the south suburbs.
Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said investigators, including the FBI and south suburban police departments, learned the four were involved in other carjackings and auto thefts.


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--Chicago police fire at gunman who shot and seriously wounded a driver on the West Side, officials sa

Chicago police fire at gunman who shot and seriously wounded a driver on the West Side, officials say

The details , released by officials on the scene , were at least the third version of what happened around @ @ @ @ @ block of North Laramie Avenue .
Initially , a department spokesman said police returned fire @ @ @ @ @ then said officers had only witnessed someone getting shot and did not fire their guns @

Chicago police say an officer opened fire on a gunman who had shot and seriously wounded a man driving on the West Side Friday morning but apparently did not hit the attacker.
The details, released by officials on the scene, were at least the third version of what happened around 11:45 a.m. in the 1500 block of North Laramie Avenue. Initially, a department spokesman said police returned fire after being shot at, then said officers had only witnessed someone getting shot and did not fire their guns.
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Chief of Patrol Brian McDermott told reporters that community safety team officers saw a gunman fire several rounds at a southbound car, striking the 27-year-old man who was driving. The car crashed at LeMoyne Street and Laramie.
Chicago police officers investigate the scene of a shooting near a damaged vehicle at LeMoyne Street and Laramie Avenue in Chicago, Dec. 18, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The officers identified themselves and one of them fired three rounds at the gunman. “In the defense of the life of the victim, one of the officers involved discharged his weapon,” McDermott said.
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The gunman fled west on LeMoyne Street and was still at large. Police do not believe he was hit by the officer’s fire.
The driver suffered several wounds to the head and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--Dog fatally attacks man visiting friends in Joliet

As of Friday afternoon , the dog , which lived at the home , was in the custody of Joliet @ @ @ @ @ Friday said police have not had previous contact at the home on Arthur Avenue for @ @ @ @ @ .

A 46-year-old Joliet man is dead after being mauled by a pit bull terrier Thursday night.
Erick J. Quinn was visiting friends when the attack occurred. Quinn stepped in to calm the dog, which became agitated when two women in the home Quinn was visiting began arguing about money, said Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English.
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“He stepped in to calm the dog and that’s when the dog turned on him,” English said.
Joliet police were called to the home, located in the 1200 block of Arthur Avenue, at 6:21 p.m. Thursday. When police arrived at the home, Quinn was unresponsive and had “extensive injuries to his body,” according to a news release from the Joliet Police Department.
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Quinn was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, where he was pronounced deceased at 7:11 p.m. according to a news release from the Will County coroner’s office. An autopsy conducted Friday showed Quinn died of multiple injuries due to a dog attack.
People at the home tried to free Quinn from the 5-year-old dog, named Kaedo, but were unsuccessful. Eventually, the dog let go and those in the home secured the dog before calling 911, according to the news release.
As of Friday afternoon, the dog, which lived at the home, was in the custody of Joliet Animal Control. English on Friday said police have not had previous contact at the home on Arthur Avenue for any reports regarding the dog.
The case remains under investigation by the Joliet Police Department.


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives a COVID-19 update

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker will give an update on the state ’ s response to the coronavirus in a briefing @ @ @ @ @ the latest updates on COVID-19 in Illinois here .


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--City joins with One Fair Wage to distribute $1 million in grants to Chicago restaurants

In an official statement , Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in part , “ During the pandemic , we see that @ @ @ @ @ the ones bearing the brunt of the crisis , and I ’ m proud to @ @ @ @ @ and High Road Kitchens on this program that will give restaurants a lifeline , and @ @ @ @ @ a living wage .
”

The city of Chicago has joined with One Fair Wage in a program that could provide Chicago restaurants with grants of up to $30,000.
Announced at a virtual news conference Friday, One Fair Wage — operating with $1 million provided by an anonymous donor — will make the grants available, via its High Road Kitchens program, to restaurants willing to commit to the organization’s goals.
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Chief among those goals is the elimination of the tipped minimum wage, under which restaurant employees who receive tips may be paid far less than the standard minimum wage.
Restaurants who receive grants must commit to scaling up to pay a $15-per-hour full minimum wage — even to tipped workers — by 2026.
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In addition, restaurants must commit to serving at least 500 free meals to community members in need, and to participate in the group’s Race and Gender Equity Training and Technical Assistance program.
The grant amount is $10,000 for every 500 free meals served, up to a maximum of $30,000.
The program will have a particular emphasis on reaching out to restaurant owners of color.
In an official statement, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in part, “During the pandemic, we see that the lowest-wage front-line workers are the ones bearing the brunt of the crisis, and I’m proud to partner with One Fair Wage and High Road Kitchens on this program that will give restaurants a lifeline, and workers a chance to earn a living wage.”
The High Road Kitchens program originally launched in California and New York City, and has subsequently rolled out in Detroit and Boston. Eligible businesses must have annual revenue of less than $3 million, and have experienced loss, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, totaling at least 25% of their annual revenue.
Restaurant owners interested in participating are asked to email mikey@highroadrestaurants.com.
pvettel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--Here’s when Walgreens and CVS predict you’ll be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine at a drugstore

Five health care workers were the first in Chicago to receive COVID-19 vaccinations , which took place Tuesday at Loretto @ @ @ @ @ determine who is next in line to receive a vaccine , Brennan said it would @ @ @ @ @ based on populations who are most at risk of contracting the virus in order to @ @ @ @ @ access to the vaccine could follow shortly after , he said .

Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
With health care workers the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and residents and staff of long-term care facilities next, Americans are asking when it will be their turn to get a dose.
Walgreens and CVS Health predict the vaccine will be available to the public during the spring, and patients will most likely be able to make appointments to get the shots at pharmacies.
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“I think that the best and easiest place for people to get these vaccinations is going to be the retail pharmacies,” said Dr. Troyen Brennan, chief medical officer for CVS, during a Thursday panel discussion with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation on the vaccine rollout.
“Operation Warp Speed already contracted with 16 different pharmacy chains,” Brennan said. “Our point of view is that once we gear up in the pharmacy, we can give 20 to 25 million doses per month.”
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A vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is seen after being administered on Dec. 17, 2020, at Roseland Community Hospital on Chicago's Far South Side. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Five health care workers were the first in Chicago to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, which took place Tuesday at Loretto Hospital. Though states will determine who is next in line to receive a vaccine, Brennan said it would be best to inoculate people based on populations who are most at risk of contracting the virus in order to reduce the spread. Public access to the vaccine could follow shortly after, he said.
“My own hope — I may be ahead of myself a little bit — is that’s something that can be occurring by mid-February or end of February,” Brennan said.
On Friday, Walgreens said its pharmacists had begun administering the vaccine to residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Ohio and Connecticut. It expects to provide vaccinations in approximately 800 long-term care facilities across 12 states next week.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said during a briefing with Gov. J.B. Pritzker Friday that Walgreens and CVS are expected to begin vaccinations at long-term care facilities in Illinois the week of Dec. 28.
Dr. Kevin Ban, chief medical officer for Walgreens, said the company estimates it might be able to administer COVID-19 vaccines to the public by early March. The Deerfield-based pharmacy retailer said last week it plans to hire about 25,000 people across the U.S., including up to 9,000 pharmacists and other health care workers, to administer the vaccine.
Once the vaccines are available for mass distribution, Ban said the process might look similar to getting a flu shot, where patients schedule an appointment and have a pharmacist administer the shot inside one of its stores.
Walgreens also is looking at setting up off-site and mobile clinics to reach rural areas and communities that might have a hard time accessing a pharmacy, Ban said.
Still, supply availability will play a key role in determining how many people can access the vaccine, the companies said. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was the first to receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, with Moderna following close behind.
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There are about 760,000 people in Illinois, including health care workers and residents at long-term care facilities, currently eligible to receive a vaccine, said Garth Reynolds, executive director of the Illinois Pharmacists Association. Along with supply, the availability of workers to administer the doses will determine how fast the vaccine reaches the public, which he predicts could take until summer.
Brennan said as more pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson apply and receive emergency approval for their vaccines, access will grow.
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--Hammond, Chicago mayors bring Lake Michigan water pitches to Joliet

With the Hammond option , expected to cost $ 1.03 to $ 1.37 billion , Joliet would gain an access @ @ @ @ @ to be piped to Joliet where it would be treated and distributed .
Hammond Mayor @ @ @ @ @ the Hammond option gives Joliet more control and ownership of the water .
McDermott compared @ @ @ @ @ to renting or owning a home , noting that with Hammond , Joliet would be @ @ @ @ @ them to own and develop their own water utility to serve the region .

The mayors of Hammond and Chicago traveled to Joliet this week to pitch proposals to become the city’s source of Lake Michigan water.
Hammond’s plan would cost more upfront, but give Joliet ownership and more control over local rates. Chicago’s pitch requires less money now, but would tie Joliet to rates set by outsiders.
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It is the last step in a yearslong process to find a new water source. Joliet city council members narrowed down their options to Hammond and Chicago and are expected to make a decision at their Jan. 28 meeting.
A 2015 study completed by the Illinois State Water Survey showed decreased water levels for aquifers in Northeastern Illinois. Based on modeling completed in 2018, Joliet’s aquifer could be depleted and unable to meet demand by 2030, according to the city’s website.
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Joliet is looking for a solution that not only meets the needs of its residents but could also serve other communities in the region.
“Joliet, long term, could be in a position where we not only have a good source of water for all our citizens but that we could provide water for other communities,” Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told Joliet council members Thursday the city offers not only access to Lake Michigan water but to a “world-class” water system. With the Chicago option, Lake Michigan water would be treated at the city’s Eugene Sawyer Water Purification Plant, the eighth largest purification plant in the world. Lightfoot said the city’s water supply is continuously tested and monitored by chemists and engineers. Joliet would extend a pipeline to Durkin Park to access the water supply.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks to Joliet City Council Thursday about providing Lake Michigan water to the city. (Alicia Fabbre / Post-Tribune)
The Chicago option, expected to cost $592 to $810 million, comes with a 50-year agreement and set water fees the City of Chicago would charge Joliet.
“Developing this partnership was one of the first agenda items I undertook when I took office last year,” Lightfoot said, adding that choosing Chicago would mean a partnership with an award winning and proven system.
With the Hammond option, expected to cost $1.03 to $1.37 billion, Joliet would gain an access point for Lake Michigan water to be piped to Joliet where it would be treated and distributed. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. highlighted that the Hammond option gives Joliet more control and ownership of the water. McDermott compared the two options facing Joliet to renting or owning a home, noting that with Hammond, Joliet would be choosing an option that allows them to own and develop their own water utility to serve the region.
“You set the rates,” said McDermott, who also highlighted that, while the Hammond option costs more upfront, there are greater long-term savings. “At the end of the day it will be the Joliet Water Company.”
With both options, Joliet would have to build a pipeline, about 40 miles long, to get the water from Chicago or Hammond to Joliet.
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O’Dekirk said several neighboring communities are keeping an eye on what Joliet does to determine their next move. Some may opt to partner with Joliet on this project, he said, but those options won’t be discussed until Joliet decides which option it will chose he said.
“We’re looking for partners to do this with us,” O’Dekirk said. “Over the next 100 years we anticipate there will be a lot of demand.”
Joliet is still accepting public comment on the proposed options. Residents can log their comments at Water Conservation | Joliet Illinois | Rethink Water Joliet until Jan. 19.


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--North Chicago man’s murder indictment thrown out by Lake County judge

York had been charged in the Sept. 14 , 2019 , death of Wilson near the intersection of 10th and @ @ @ @ @ .
A short time before the fatal incident , York and his estranged wife had @ @ @ @ @ their child .
They agreed , though , to meet at the intersection to try @ @ @ @ @ according to court files .

A Lake County judge, citing a problematic presentation to grand jurors, dismissed a murder indictment Friday against a North Chicago man accused of killing his estranged wife’s boyfriend by hitting him with a car.
The ruling by Judge Daniel Shanes means that Vincent York will be released from custody in the county jail, where he had been held in the death of Brian Wilson, a 38-year-old Waukegan resident.
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Assistant State’s Attorney Eric Kalata asked for a court date so prosecutors could consider an appeal, or file a motion asking the judge to reconsider the ruling. The judge set a Wednesday court date, but added that since he had dismissed the indictment, there was no authority to keep York in custody.
In his ruling, Shanes said that the procedural errors in the case against York, which was presented three times to grand jurors, had been so problematic that the jury’s indictment could not be reliable and had violated York’s right to due process.
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“Our entire system of justice is predicated on the concept of due process,” Shanes said.
York’s attorneys Douglas Zeit and Joseph Zeit lauded Shane’s ruling, and said York was looking forward to having the case put behind him. However, prosecutors could appeal the ruling or they could also seek to have York re-indicted. Douglas Zeit, though, said he thought that a re-indictment was unlikely.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, who was sworn into office on Dec. 1, said Friday his office was reviewing the 18-page ruling.
York had been charged in the Sept. 14, 2019, death of Wilson near the intersection of 10th and Jackson streets in North Chicago. A short time before the fatal incident, York and his estranged wife had argued as he dropped off their child. They agreed, though, to meet at the intersection to try to resolve some issues, according to court files.
According to authorities, York met his wife, who had arrived in a car with Wilson and a third person. Wilson exited their vehicle and got into an altercation with York, someone fired a gun and York ended up killing Wilson by hitting him with his car before driving away, authorities said.
In October 2019, a grand jury indicted York for leaving the scene of a fatal accident, after hearing a North Chicago police detective testify that York had not called police to report hitting Wilson. However, later investigation showed York had called 911, but the call had been routed to Waukegan and not North Chicago. A month after indicting York, the same grand jury declined to indict him on the same charge. The initial indictment was dismissed by prosecutors.
In July 2020, a second grand jury heard additional evidence that had been gathered in the intervening months, and that panel returned a first-degree murder indictment against York. But Joseph Zeit argued in November that police and prosecutors had presented inaccurate or deceptive evidence to the panel, which prejudiced the grand jury.


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--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--2020-12-18--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 @ @ @ @ @ .
The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or @ @

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--2020-12-18--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 181 new deaths, 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases and 112,29

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 181 new deaths, 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases and 112,292 new test results

Illinois announced 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Friday for a total of 886,805 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 15,015 and 112,292 new test results for a total of 12.26 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--2020-12-18--FAA seeks fines against passengers for disputes over face masks on flights to Illinois

Despite requests by airline unions , the FAA has declined to make wearing a face covering a federal rule .
@ @ @ @ @ can be imposed against people who assault or threaten others on a flight .
Federal @ @ @ @ @ and jail terms for passengers who interfere with an airline crew member ’ s duties @ @ @ @ @ filed by law enforcement agencies .

Washington, D.C. — Federal officials said Friday they are seeking civil fines of $15,000 and $7,500 against two airline passengers accused of assaulting flight attendants for telling them to wear face masks.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the proposed penalties stem from separate incidents in August. The FAA, which doesn’t have authority to file criminal charges, did not name the passengers.
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The larger fine involves a passenger on an Allegiant Air flight from Clearwater, Florida, to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois. The FAA said the passenger repeatedly screamed obscenities at a flight attendant, then hit him and grabbed his phone while he was telling the captain about the passenger’s behavior. The plane made an unscheduled landing to deal with the situation.
The second incident occurred on a SkyWest Airlines flight from Atlanta to Chicago. The FAA said that passenger removed their face covering, bothered other passengers, and grabbed a female flight attendant’s buttock.
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Despite requests by airline unions, the FAA has declined to make wearing a face covering a federal rule. The FAA said civil penalties can be imposed against people who assault or threaten others on a flight. Federal law provides for criminal fines and jail terms for passengers who interfere with an airline crew member’s duties, but those must be filed by law enforcement agencies.
All leading U.S. airlines require passengers to wear coverings, with exceptions generally made for children under 2.
U.S. airlines say they have banned more than 1,000 passengers for failing to wear masks.
Both passengers have 30 days to respond to enforcement letters from the FAA.


chicagotribune--2020-12-18--One of multiple long-running federal reviews into Obama center concludes, groundbreaking tentatively

One of multiple long-running federal reviews into Obama center concludes, groundbreaking tentatively set for 2021

The presidential center ’ s location on park land was at the heart of another fight , this time in @ @ @ @ @ over the planned center ’ s campus in Jackson Park was effectively killed in August @ @ @ @ @ panel ruled the plaintiffs did not suffer actual harm and that much of their grievances @ @ @ @ @ ’ s jurisdiction .
But its chief litigant is vowing to appeal up to the @ @ @

An aerial view of the proposed site for the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park in Chicago on May 13, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
A federal review into the historic effects of former President Barack Obama’s proposed presidential center in Jackson Park officially concluded Thursday afternoon, further dashing hopes of opposition groups troubled by the impact of future construction on the storied South Side park.
Officials finalized a memorandum of agreement that caps off the presidential center’s three-year Section 106 federal review, the longest out of several triggered by the Obama Foundation’s decision to locate the future complex on historic property. Other reviews into mitigating environmental impacts as well as protecting public parkland remain ongoing, although the foundation announced earlier this month that groundbreaking for the center is slated to begin in 2021.
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“The completion of this step of the federal review is the result of years of hard work by Mayor Lightfoot, community leaders, environmentalists and park enthusiasts,” a foundation representative wrote in a statement. “We celebrate this milestone with all those who have taken the time out of their busy schedules to help us reimagine what is possible in Jackson Park with the OPC.”
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The $500 million Obama Presidential Center is expected to be a sprawling campus that will house the Obama Foundation offices and include spaces for large gatherings, an athletic center and a public library branch. In addition, the campus will have outdoor recreation areas including a sledding hill and walking paths.
But a process known as Section 106 was triggered in December 2017 because the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to sign off on changes that may affect historic properties such as Jackson Park. The Federal Highway Administration worked with the city to consider roadway changes and potential mitigations in order to allow it to approve upcoming transportation project funding.
When the first draft was rolled out this summer, the finalized MOA was met with condemnation from some local groups in support of preserving Jackson Park as is. But dozens of other parties concurred with the final report.
The nonprofit Jackson Park Watch, a dogged adversary of the presidential center’s proposed site, suggested a number of changes that were ignored, although the group was not required to sign off on it.
“It was really a travesty … that ignored the realities of what the impact on the historic resources of the park, how they would be affected by the current plans for the Obama center,” the group’s co-president Brenda Nelms said.
Under the MOA, the city will be required the rehab the English Stone Comfort Station as well as the Statue of the Republic in the park. The eastern chunk of Midway Plaisance will see a new “play area” designed by the city, which also must work up materials to educate the community about the significance of Jackson Park.
The presidential center’s location on park land was at the heart of another fight, this time in the courts. A lawsuit over the planned center’s campus in Jackson Park was effectively killed in August after a federal appeals court panel ruled the plaintiffs did not suffer actual harm and that much of their grievances were not within the court’s jurisdiction. But its chief litigant is vowing to appeal up to the Supreme Court.
ayin@chicagotribune.com