chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Ald. Ed Burke trial could be delayed to 2022 amid pandemic, mountain of evidence to sort through

Burke ’ s lawyer , Charles Sklarsky , said he was concerned that if a trial went forward under such @ @ @ @ @ to “ constitutional issues ” later on .
He questioned the government ’ s estimate @ @ @ @ @ only three weeks , saying he anticipated a cross-examination of just one key witness could @ @ @ @

The sweeping racketeering charges against Chicago Ald. Edward Burke may not go to trial until 2022 due to the ongoing pandemic and what Burke’s lawyers call a “staggering” amount of evidence yet to be turned over to the defense.
Burke was indicted in May 2019 on 14 counts including racketeering, bribery and extortion conspiracy alleging a variety of schemes where he used his powerful public office to pressure others into giving business to his private law firm.
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A trial for Burke and his two co-defendants — 14th Ward operative Peter J. Andrews and real estate developer Charles Cui — had tentatively been scheduled for mid-2021. But during a status hearing Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Dow as well as attorneys for both sides agreed that setting a firm date for such a large-scale trial seemed pointless with so many ongoing issues yet to resolve.
“I’d like to give you all a trial date, but I’d like to give you one we think will stick,” Dow said.
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The judge noted that jury trials have only recently resumed at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, which was effectively shut down for months due to COVID-19. So far, cases that have been heard have been smaller and included precautions such as masks and social distancing.
With three defendants and more than a dozen lawyers involved in Burke’s case, the only feasible place to hold the trial would be the large ceremonial courtroom on the building’s 25th floor, “and even it might not be big enough,” Dow said.
Burke’s lawyer, Charles Sklarsky, said he was concerned that if a trial went forward under such conditions, it might lead to “constitutional issues” later on. He questioned the government’s estimate that the trial would last only three weeks, saying he anticipated a cross-examination of just one key witness could last a week.
Sklarsky also said he was worried that prosecutors were not giving the defense enough time to review the “staggering” amount of so-called Giglio material — legal jargon for evidence that could possibly be used to impeach cooperating witnesses in the case.
So far, prosecutors have said they will turn over the crucial evidence six months in advance of trial. Sklarsky said that might not be good enough.
“It is, in our collective experience in all of the defense counsel in this matter, an unprecedented amount of ... material,” he said.
Dow asked the defense and prosecutors to submit sealed filings so he could take up the matter without publicly disclosing the evidence.
In the meantime, Dow also is dealing with a flurry of defense motions filed last month seeking to suppress the wiretap of Burke’s phones and dismiss certain counts against him on a variety legal grounds.
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One motion filed by Burke’s lawyers accuses prosecutors of directing their key witness, then-25th Ward Ald. Daniel Solis, to have “scripted interactions” with Burke and lie about a real estate deal to curry favor with the government. At the time, Solis had himself been recorded “committing a number of different crimes,” the motion stated.
The judge has given prosecutors until Nov. 20 to file a response, and said he would decide in February whether he needs to schedule oral arguments on the matters.
Burke, a Democratic stalwart and onetime dean of the City Council, will turn 77 in December. He is next up for reelection in 2023.
The 59-page indictment outlines a series of schemes in which Burke allegedly tried to muscle developers into hiring his law firm, Klafter & Burke, to appeal their property taxes. Among the projects Burke tried to capitalize on was the massive $800 million renovation of the old main Chicago post office in the West Loop, according to the charges.
Andrews, a longtime Burke operative, was accused in the indictment of assisting the alderman in attempting to shake down two businessmen seeking to renovate a Burger King restaurant.
The indictment also accused Cui, a developer, of hiring Burke’s law firm in exchange for the alderman’s help with a sign permit and financing deal for a project in the Portage Park neighborhood.
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All three have pleaded not guilty.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Bond set at $100,000 for Uber driver charged with sexual abuse in Elmhurst

“ While ride-sharing services are safe , there are simple precautions you can take to protect yourself .
Be aware @ @ @ @ @ at all possible , try to travel with someone .
If you must travel alone @ @ @ @ @ with others , such as where you are coming from and when and where you @ @ @ @

Bond was set at $100,000 Wednesday for an Uber driver accused of sexually abusing a 23-year-old woman upon arrival at her Elmhurst destination, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin and Elmhurst Chief of Police Michael Ruth announced.
Ghazwan Alani, 32, of the 100 block of East Nichols Road, Palatine, appeared at a bond hearing, where Judge John Kinsella set bond at $100,000 with 10% to apply. Alani has been charged with three counts of Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 4 Felony.
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Information from Berlin’s office stated that on May 19, 2019, the victim arranged for an Uber ride to bring her to a location in Elmhurst, where she arrived at approximately 1:20 a.m.
It is alleged that upon arrival, Alani exited the vehicle, opened the rear driver’s side door, entered the back seat of the vehicle and sexually abused the woman. The victim was able to escape out of the rear passenger’s side door after kicking her attacker. She reportedly ran from the vehicle and entered her destination.
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The following morning, the victim contacted the Elmhurst Police Department, which led to an investigation. The investigation included extensive forensic and DNA analysis, leading to Alani who was taken into custody Tuesday at his residence.
“The allegations against Mr. Alani are outrageous,” Berlin said in a release. “After a night out, the victim in this case protected herself and the motoring public by taking an Uber only to be allegedly sexually abused by her driver.
“While ride-sharing services are safe, there are simple precautions you can take to protect yourself. Be aware of your surroundings. If at all possible, try to travel with someone. If you must travel alone, share your ride details with others, such as where you are coming from and when and where you will arrive.”
Alani’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 24, for arraignment in front of Judge John Kinsella.


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--United Airlines plans to furlough 16,370 employees Oct. 1 unless it gets more federal aid

Airlines already received billions of dollars through the federal coronavirus aid package this spring , in exchange for agreeing to @ @ @ @ @ .
But demand for travel remains sharply reduced , and United executives have said they @ @ @ @ @ to return to normal until a vaccine is widely available .

A United pilot gets a mask and receives a thermal temperature check June 18, 2020, after arriving at work at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
United Airlines plans to furlough 16,370 employees this fall as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on air travel.
The figure marks a substantial decrease from an earlier estimate of 36,000, which has been reduced through a range of voluntary leave and separation programs.
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In a memo to employees, Chicago-based United said additional funding from the federal government is “the one thing” that could prevent job cuts and delay the impact on employees until next year.
Airlines already received billions of dollars through the federal coronavirus aid package this spring, in exchange for agreeing to avoid layoffs before Oct. 1. But demand for travel remains sharply reduced, and United executives have said they don’t expect flying to return to normal until a vaccine is widely available.
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The employees facing involuntary furloughs include 2,850 pilots, 6,920 flight attendants and 2,260 airport operations employees, including 1,683 based at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The airline also is cutting 1,400 management jobs. The vast majority of the furloughs take effect Oct. 1.
The airline warned 36,000 employees their jobs were at risk earlier this summer. About 7,400 employees have left the company through early retirement or voluntary separations. Others are participating in a variety of voluntary leave or reduced schedule programs that give United the ability to call them back quickly if demand returns, Earnest said.
United said it still hopes to reduce the number of people facing furloughs through additional voluntary programs.
Last month, American Airlines said it will have 40,000 fewer workers this fall, including about 19,000 who were involuntarily furloughed or laid off.
About 23,500 employees took buyouts, retired early, or volunteered for a leave of absence, but it wasn’t enough to avoid cuts without more federal aid, American said.
Southwest Airlines said earlier this summer that it expects to avoid furloughs or layoffs through the end of the year after 16,900 employees took voluntary extended time off or left the company, but “will continue to plan for multiple weak scenarios and maintain our preparedness.”
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Winter patios? Dining igloos? As pandemic persists, bars and restaurants are prepping for one of the

Winter patios? Dining igloos? As pandemic persists, bars and restaurants are prepping for one of the strangest winters Chicago has ever seen

He ’ s planning to keep his other bar , Kaiser Tiger in West Town , operating through much of @ @ @ @ @ heated , open-air patios that seat nearly 150 people .
He envisions serving customers as @ @ @ @ @ the 20s , closing as needed for days or weeks for the inevitable frigid dips @ @ @ @ @ warms again to a more tolerable version of cold .
With limited options for entertainment @ @ @ @ @ s optimistic the bar will do decent business .

As bad as things have been for Chicago bars and restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re about to get worse.
Winter is coming.
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The late-summer transition from sun-dappled patios to indoor tables and booths rarely occupies a second thought across Chicago and its suburbs. But amid shifting attitudes about health and safety during a persisting coronavirus pandemic, the change is likely to be far less intuitive than in years past.
“We’re in terror of it,” said Michael Roper, owner of the Hopleaf Bar. “The patio represents most of our business right now.”
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Though establishments with food licenses — that is, all restaurants and some bars — have been able to seat diners indoors at 25% capacity since June, several operators, including Roper, said most customers prefer outdoor seating, where there is a lower risk for virus transmission. Patios have helped many bars and restaurants survive this summer’s industrywide, pandemic-fueled downturn.
Falling Midwestern temperatures, however, will upend the equation. As the end of summer looms, bar and restaurant owners are exploring how to prolong outdoor service into fall, or even winter, while also trying to mitigate potentially catastrophic financial fallout. For customers, the result is likely to be one of the strangest winters in recent memory for eating and drinking out.
[ Fulton Market is closing off its streets for daily outdoor dining, expanding pandemic-driven program into weekdays ]
“If the rules are the same as they are now, I don’t know how any full-service restaurant generates enough revenue to be sustainable,” said Greg Shuff, who owns four restaurants, three of which have stayed afloat during the pandemic with the help of sidewalk cafes. (He’s planning to open one at the fourth by the end of the week.)
Shuff said he hopes to install outdoor heaters at all four patios — at DryHop Brewers, Roebuck, Corridor Brewery & Provisions and Crushed by Giants — “to extend it a few more weeks.”
Beyond that, he’s left to hope people will return indoors once cold weather arrives — while also bracing for a revenue dip.
Owner Greg Shuff at the bar Sept. 2, 2020, inside DryHop Brewers on North Broadway in East Lakeview. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“I think we’re all idling, seeing this as a singular event and battening down the hatches until we get through it,” he said. “But I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
In recent weeks, the alarm has been sounded.
Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, urged local government officials to be creative in extending outdoor dining by expanding street closures and using tents, heaters, blankets and plastic domes to give restaurants more cool-weather seating capacity. He mentioned northern European cities and Colorado ski towns, where outdoor seating remains common even as the weather turns cold.
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“We need to start thinking outside the box right now,” Toia said during a virtual speech to the City Club of Chicago in mid-August.
Last week, the city of Chicago took steps in that direction, announcing the Winter Design Challenge, which will award $5,000 each to three winners that come up with creative solutions for winter outdoor dining.
Server Alex Oslopoda takes orders as patrons dine on the outdoor sidewalk patio Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, at DryHop on North Broadway in East Lakeview. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Without a way forward, the looming problem will be twofold, said Terry Alexander, a partner in the One Off Hospitality group, which operates bars and restaurants that include Avec, The Publican, Violet Hour and Big Star.
One issue, Alexander said, is that winter business will inevitably be down due both to the 25% restriction and customers that may be wary of venturing into indoor public spaces. The other issue: a rough winter would come on the heels of a rough summer.
Winter bills, rent and salaries are often paid on the back of robust summer business — yet this summer has been anything but robust. The loss of private events alone has cost Big Star as much as 15% of its usual revenue, Alexander said. One Off has already announced the permanent closure of two well-regarded restaurants: Cafe Cancale and the group’s defining, foundational Blackbird.
“This year, when usually you make all your money, you’re going to break even,” Alexander said. “So where do you get your money in Q4 and Q1 this winter?”
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The answer, if there is one, remains elusive.
“We don’t know,” he said. “We meet every day and trust me, we’re not the only group. I’m sure every group is having the same discussion.”
Like many restaurant operators, One Off quickly clamped down on cash outflow when the pandemic began. That included pausing several projects: a Big Star location inside Half Acre Beer Co.’s Balmoral Avenue brewery, another new Big Star location in River North, and a new project Alexander said was “in a completely new location for us.”
“It’s no time to take a big financial chance,” Alexander said.
Instead, Alexander said, One Off is preparing for a winter where “guests won’t be all that comfortable sitting inside,” and is investigating the feasibility of fire pits, tents, igloos and winter beer gardens. It is also investing in the kinds of businesses that can thrive during a pandemic, including takeout and delivery service and canned Big Star margaritas, which were introduced in June.
“We don’t have a concrete direction at this current time, other than praying for this weather to hang around Chicago as long as possible,” he said.
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Short of a miraculously mild winter, restaurants in all directions are game planning for cold weather.
The Delta winterized its patio with a canopy and heat lamps before reopening in August for the first time since March. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
The Delta, a Mississippi-themed, chef-driven cocktail bar, winterized its patio with a canopy and heat lamps before reopening last week for the first time since March. Co-owner Eldridge Williams said he had long thought about doing so, but was finally pushed by the pandemic.
“The main objective will be to keep warm, but we’re treating it like the inside dining room,” Williams said. “With the canopy and natural light and greenery, it still has that patio vibe.”
Without the extra seating, there is almost no way The Delta will survive the winter, Williams said. Even with the patio, it’ll be a challenge; but the extra seats at least give them a chance, he said.
“We’re trying to keep costs down as much as possible and keep staff safe and guests safe and do what we can do,” he said. “This pandemic doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, and we’re going to have these restrictions for awhile. We’ll continue to do our best.”
Roper, who said he is enduring his most challenging time as a bar owner since launching Hopleaf in 1992, traditionally shuts down his patio in mid-October, but will keep it open as long as people are willing to use it.
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In recent days, Roper said, he looked up last year’s fall weather and was encouraged by what he saw: about 20 days in October that could be “patio weather” — dry and sunny, with highs between 50 and 80 degrees.
In the current climate, he wonders if tolerance for being outdoors might even rise as temperatures drop — maybe even all the way into the bitter cold. By December, Roper envisions installing a fire pit surrounded by chairs to create something “like a campfire experience.”
“It might be that some people want to keep their coat on and hang out outside with a beer,” he said. “I think that has a little bit of potential.”
But to keep costs and losses down, he expects to open Hopleaf with limited hours through winter, perhaps only Friday through Sunday. He would also likely furlough some of the staff he brought back during summer.
A crowded dining room is a thing of the past at Hopleaf for now, so owner Michael Roper plans to have limited hours this winter. He is hopeful that a fire pit may spur some cold weather beer drinking on the bar's patio. (Hilary Higgins / RedEye)
“Everybody I meet who has a patio is perplexed about the best solution,” Roper said. “Everyone is talking about it every single day. We’re wondering without patios, will customers stay away, or rethink their reticence and say, ‘I’m not staying home another six months.’ ”
He expects some businesses to decide to board up for the winter, as is common in resort towns. January, February and early March are already difficult enough in Chicago, he said.
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“I think you’ll see some places, at least in January and February, say ‘We’ll lose less by mothballing the place and setting the thermostat to 45 degrees,’ ” Roper said. “This will truly be an offseason.”
Pat Berger is weighing doing just that at Paddy Long’s, a Lakeview bar he has co-owned since 2007. The two outdoor tables at Paddy Long’s, which can seat a total of eight people, have done steady business through summer, Berger said. Inside hasn’t been much of a draw, and he’s not optimistic that will change during the winter.
“Without those two tables out front, I’ll probably lose less money by just shutting it down,” he said.
However, the tables will stay out front into the winter, and he’s hopeful they stay busy. If not, closing up for the winter remains a possibility.
“We’ll be gauging customers’ tolerance for sitting outside — which I think will be much higher than in the past — and whether people are comfortable sitting socially distant inside, which, right now, they’re not,” Berger said. “It will be very apparent by our sales how that is going.”
He’s planning to keep his other bar, Kaiser Tiger in West Town, operating through much of the winter, thanks to heated, open-air patios that seat nearly 150 people. He envisions serving customers as temperatures drop as low as the 20s, closing as needed for days or weeks for the inevitable frigid dips, then reopening when it warms again to a more tolerable version of cold. With limited options for entertainment this winter, he’s optimistic the bar will do decent business.
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“People will be looking for things to do,” Berger said. “It’s going to be a dreary winter.”
Berger counts himself lucky to own both his properties, which he said offers more flexibility when making such decisions.
“People leasing are in a very tough position,” he said. “I don’t know what kind of plan I’d have if I was leasing. I’d be looking at an exit plan, probably.”
Dovetail Brewery, which launched a temporary patio this summer, plans to use it until the city’s temporary patio licenses expire Dec. 31. (Whether the city will extend the licenses for emergency outdoor pandemic seating is unclear.)
“We don’t know how we’ll pull it off, but there will be outdoor service,” brewery co-founder Hagen Dost said.
There is precedent, he noted: He lived in Switzerland for three years, where he said “people tough it out to be able to enjoy a little more outdoor time; they don’t really let (cold weather) affect them.”
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The patio will be difficult to surrender, he said. With business down as much as 80% during the summer, it not only helped Dovetail survive with draft beer sales directly to consumers, but it boosted the brewery’s to-go business.
“We’re surviving, not thriving. But the danger before was not surviving,” Dost said. “It feels like we’re out of the woods, but it’s hard to know for sure.”
Fall and winter usually bring strong business for Dovetail; cooler weather usually pushes people into its cozy taproom. That won’t happen this year, even at 25% capacity; no food license means Dovetail won’t be able to serve customers inside for the foreseeable future.
What’s left is the patio, where Dovetail plans to embrace the strangeness of the situation, perhaps incorporating its glühkriek, a warm, spiced cherry beer made with cinnamon, orange peel, cardamom, cloves and simple syrup.
“You might not want to hang out for the two hours you might on a nice summer day, but we’re open to anything,” he said.
Dovetail’s winter patio is unlikely to include tents and heaters, both of which are already in high demand, Dost said. Instead, it is likely to involve customers dressing warmly and being game for an adventure, Dost said.
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The brewery will also encourage a new kind of BYOB: Bring your own blanket.
jbnoel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Long Island bar under investigation after taking bets on whether Chicago or New York would have more

Long Island bar under investigation after taking bets on whether Chicago or New York would have more shootings over Labor Day weekend

“ All it does is raise the angst and anger of others , ” Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri said .
@ @ @ @ @ box to see how many people die is something I can not fathom .
It @ @ @ @ @ are as a community .
”

MELVILLE, N.Y. — Authorities are investigating a Long Island bar that posted on Instagram that it was taking bets on whether Chicago or New York City would see more shootings over Labor Day weekend.
The Cliffton, a bar in Patchogue, New York, shared photos of a paper grid hung in the bar with patrons placing bets on the number of shootings in the two cities, Newsday reported Tuesday. The winner would take home an unspecified cash prize.
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The betting is “not only sickening, but also appears illegal under the Alcoholic Beverage Control law,” the State Liquor Authority said in a statement to the newspaper.
The state’s alcohol and beverage law prohibits gambling at establishments with a liquor license, with few exceptions.
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The caption of the post read, “Let the shooting sprees begin!” the newspaper reported. The Cliffton’s Instagram page is private.
“These reports are repugnant and those responsible for this gambling pool should be ashamed,” Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said to the newspaper.
The Long Island bar also refused to let representatives of the State Liquor Authority conduct an inspection this week, the newspaper reported, which the agency says is itself grounds to revoke the bar’s liquor license.
Brian Neal, owner of The Cliffton, did not return a request for comment from the newspaper.
“All it does is raise the angst and anger of others,” Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri said. “To be buying a box to see how many people die is something I cannot fathom. It’s not who we are as a community.”
Cities across the country have seen a surge in shootings over the summer, but the spike defies easy explanation. The increase in violence likely represents a mix of factors, including record unemployment levels, the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic, stay-at-home orders, intense stress and the weather.
In April 2019, the bar’s Instagram account drew condemnation after posting a photo that outed a patron as a transgender woman and referred to her as a man, Greater Long Island reported. The bar removed the post and apologized.


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Illinois receives approval for extra $300 in weekly jobless benefits from FEMA

The announcement comes after Illinois officials warned the funds would last only three weeks and leave out about 55,000 low-income @ @ @ @ @ be eligible because of restrictions under the new program , which is limited to those @ @ @ @ @ $ 100 in weekly unemployment benefits , either through state programs or the federal pandemic @ @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Illinois received approval Sept. 1, 2020, to pay an extra $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits under the Lost Wages Assistance program authorized by President Donald Trump through an executive order in August. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Illinois has received approval for an extra $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits authorized by President Donald Trump through an executive order in August.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is responsible for distributing the funds, said in a Tuesday news release it approved the state for the Lost Wage Assistance program, which Trump ordered last month to extend federal jobless benefits after a $600 weekly supplement expired in late July. Trump authorized the use of up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund for the payments.
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The agency said it will work with Gov. J.B. Pritzker to implement a system to pay the benefits. FEMA referred questions about when jobless workers could expect to begin receiving payments to the state, which did not respond to questions from the Tribune..
States approved for the program are guaranteed an initial three weeks of funding, and additional funding will be determined on a weekly basis, according to FEMA.
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The announcement comes after Illinois officials warned the funds would last only three weeks and leave out about 55,000 low-income claimants who won’t be eligible because of restrictions under the new program, which is limited to those who qualify for at least $100 in weekly unemployment benefits, either through state programs or the federal pandemic assistance program.
Illinois was one of the last states to apply for the program. As of Tuesday, 44 states have received approval for the benefits, according to FEMA’s website.
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Families in suburban Cook County public housing to get free internet in Comcast program funded by fe

Families in suburban Cook County public housing to get free internet in Comcast program funded by federal CARES Act dollars

Every student who lives in the public housing complexes or has a voucher qualifies for the program , which will @ @ @ @ @ months .
About 600 families are currently signed on to the service , HACC Executive @ @ @ @ @ The county is paying for the $ 9.95-per-month bundle for these families with about $ @ @ @ @ @ money .

A playground is shown in 2019 at Richard Flowers Community Housing in Robbins. The Housing Authority of Cook County announced all families with school-age children in suburban Cook County public housing buildings will be eligible for free broadband internet. (Ted Slowik/ Daily Southtown)
All families with school-age children in suburban Cook County public housing buildings will be eligible for free broadband internet under a program funded through federal coronavirus stimulus money, officials announced Wednesday.
The Housing Authority of Cook County joined Comcast under the company’s Internet Essentials Partnership Program to begin delivering internet to nearly 14,000 children in more than 6,500 households, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a news conference at Richard Flowers Community Housing in south suburban Robbins.
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“The challenges being faced today are unlike any that I encountered during my tenure. In fact, they’re greater than what we’ve ever seen in modern history,” Preckwinkle said. “And that leaves us trying to connect teachers and students in new and creative ways. We must now use technology to provide meaningful instruction to our young people.”
Every student who lives in the public housing complexes or has a voucher qualifies for the program, which will run for at least nine months. About 600 families are currently signed on to the service, HACC Executive Director Richard Monocchio said. The county is paying for the $9.95-per-month bundle for these families with about $600,000 in federal CARES Act money.
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The service follows a series of initiatives Preckwinkle announced in May to jump-start recovery in areas hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. In a speech outlining her recovery plan, Preckwinkle promised free computers and high-speed internet for southern Cook County as students grappled with lack of internet access during the arrival of online learning.
HACC resident Dshawnna Walker said that transition has been trying because of spotty internet connection on top of adjusting to learning outside the classroom.
“My kids miss being able to see their friends and learn face to face with their teachers, so I want to make sure they’re getting the best out of the remote learning,” Walker said. “It takes a lot of stress away to know they have a stable internet connection.”
About 1 in 5 Cook County residents lack broadband internet access, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Preckwinkle said many of those without internet live in Black or Latino neighborhoods.
“These children deserve the same resources for learning as children elsewhere in Cook County,” she said.
HACC also is planning to purchase computers that each cost about $150 for students who did not receive one from their school districts, Monocchio said.
The housing authority is still surveying households on need, but he said, “My guarantee is every single young person who resides in the Housing Authority of Cook County, either in one of the buildings or with a housing voucher, will get a device if they do not have one.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer .

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Illinois House Republicans call for investigation of Speaker Michael Madigan’s  actions in light of

Illinois House Republicans call for investigation of Speaker Michael Madigan’s  actions in light of federal ComEd bribery case

“ The law does not prohibit members of the General Assembly from making job recommendations , ” Madigan said Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ wants to question whether legislators should be allowed to make job recommendations , I encourage @ @ @ @ @ disclose all of the jobs he has requested or lobbyists he has recommended over the @ @ @

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, left, talks with House Speaker Michael Madigan at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield on May 23, 2020. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register)
Springfield — A newly formed Illinois House committee will launch an investigation of powerful Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan’s actions in light of an agreement between federal prosecutors and Commonwealth Edison that alleged the utility engaged in a “yearslong bribery scheme” aimed at currying favor with Madigan.
House Republicans requested the creation of the special investigating committee, which is tasked with determining whether there are grounds for disciplining Madigan.
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“Given the facts admitted by ComEd for its nine-year-long scheme to bribe Speaker Madigan, the Illinois House of Representatives must do its job and conduct a thorough investigation,” House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said in a statement.
A federal criminal complaint made public in July accused ComEd of seeking to “influence and reward” Madigan, the nation’s longest-serving speaker and the Illinois Democratic Party chairman, by providing benefits including contracts, jobs and payments to people close to him.
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As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine.
Madigan has not been charged with any wrongdoing. In a lengthy statement issued Wednesday, before the GOP request for the investigative committee was made public, he again denied making legislative decisions “with improper motives.”
The speaker called the request for the special investigative committee a “political stunt” by Republicans seeking to draw focus away from the presidential election.
“The law does not prohibit members of the General Assembly from making job recommendations,” Madigan said Wednesday. “If Rep. Durkin wants to question whether legislators should be allowed to make job recommendations, I encourage him to be transparent and disclose all of the jobs he has requested or lobbyists he has recommended over the years.”
First-term Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who repeatedly has said Madigan should answer questions raised by prosecutors’ allegations, said Wednesday that “perhaps the creation of this legislative committee will actually get some of those answers.”
Asked about Madigan’s contention that the committee represents a political stunt, Pritzker, speaking at an unrelated news conference, said, “That’s his opinion. I want to hear the answers.”
Several Democratic lawmakers have called for Madigan to step down from his seat and from his post as chairman of the state Democratic Party since the ComEd deal was unveiled. Madigan has said he has no plans to resign.
The petition requesting the creation of the special investigative committee was filed by Durkin and two other House GOP members and was delivered to Madigan’s Springfield office on Monday, the speaker said in his statement.
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Madigan “immediately recused himself from consideration of this matter,” and designated House Majority Leader Greg Harris to handle it, Harris said in a statement.
House members have the authority to review the actions of colleagues and “determine whether discipline is necessary, including overturning the results of an election or expelling a member,” Harris said in a statement, calling it a “power that should be judiciously exercised.”
ComEd’s deal with prosecutors concluded that the utility benefited by at least $150 million from state lawmakers’ approval of the Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act in 2011 and the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016.
Madigan in his statement Wednesday called the idea that the General Assembly’s approval of those bills was connected to any job hires is “seriously mistaken.”
“Those bills had the broad support of Democrats and Republican members, other legislative leaders, labor supporters, consumer advocates, and environmentalists,” Madigan said. He added that Durkin should “disclose the various actions he personally took to pass the energy bills.”
The U.S. attorney’s office has been advised of the forthcoming legislative process, and Durkin’s office said in a statement Wednesday his intention is “not to interfere in any way with the federal investigation.”
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Harris appointed Democratic state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch as the chair of the committee, and Democratic Reps. Elizabeth Hernandez and Natalie Manley as members. They will serve alongside Republican state Reps. Tom Demmer, Deanne Mazzochi and Grant Wehrli.
The six-member committee is tasked with determining whether “reasonable grounds exist to authorize charges against the member named in the petition that may result in disciplinary action by the House.”
It would require a majority vote by the committee to authorize a charge, according to House rules, meaning at least one Democrat would need to take that position.
A special investigative committee was convened in the House last year after ex-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, a Democrat, was charged with one count of federal program bribery.
Arroyo resigned before the committee could hold its first meeting, however.
In 2012, the House voted 100-6 to expel then-Rep. Derrick Smith of Chicago after he was indicted on charges he accepted a $7,000 bribe, the first time in more than a century the chamber moved to oust a member.
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Smith remained on the ballot that year and won reelection. When Smith was awaiting his criminal trial, Madigan supported his bid for another term in the March 2014 primary, but he lost, and was automatically removed from office when he was convicted of bribery and extortion later that year. He was sentenced to five months in prison.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 27 new deaths, 2,128 new confirmed cases and 32,751 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 27 new deaths, 2,128 new confirmed cases and 32,751 new test results

Illinois announced 2,128 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday for a total of 238,643 .
The state also announced 27 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,091 and 32,751 new test results for a total of 4.12 million .

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


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Will County sheriff’s office investigates double homicide at liquor store near Joliet

Inside the store , deputies found a man on the floor .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether the @ @ @ @ @ ; the East Joliet Fire Department took the man to an area hospital where he @ @ @ @ @ him as Zachary Stohr , 29 .
It was not known whether Stohr worked at @ @ @ @ @ was a customer .

Deputies were investigating a double homicide near Joliet after two men were found shot to death Tuesday night, one inside a liquor store and one in a vehicle outside the store, according to the Will County sheriff’s office.
Authorities did not immediately respond to questions about the double homicide, including whether investigators believe the men were killed during the commission of a robbery or attempted robbery.
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Deputies were dispatched just before 8:45 p.m. to Ingalls Park Food and Liquor, 1822 E. Washington St., in the Ingalls Park area of Will County near Joliet, after receiving a tip about shots fired in the area, sheriff’s Deputy Chief Dan Jungles said in a statement.
“Information relayed to deputies indicated that there was a subject inside of the store with a possible gunshot wound to the back,” Jungles said in the news release.
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Inside the store, deputies found a man on the floor. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the man had any visible injuries; the East Joliet Fire Department took the man to an area hospital where he later died. Authorities identified him as Zachary Stohr, 29. It was not known whether Stohr worked at the store or if he was a customer.
Outside, deputies found a second man in a vehicle parked in a lot next to the liquor store, officials said. The man appeared to have a gunshot wound to the head “and showed no signs life,” according to the statement.
He later was identified as Xavier Mendoza, 20. The Will County coroner’s office was expected to perform an autopsy on each man Wednesday.
The sheriff’s office asks that anyone with information about the “suspects in this homicide investigation” contact Detective Brian O’Leary at 815-727-8574, extension 4957. Tips also can be left anonymously on the sheriff’s website or by calling CrimeStoppers at 800-323-6734 or visiting its website.
“This investigation is in the early stages, and more information will be forthcoming when appropriate,” the sheriff’s office said.
Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
@312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--10 sites where anyone can get a coronavirus test: Search our map for one near you

There are many sites that are not on the state ’ s list .
Some have asked not to be @ @ @ @ @ added at a later date .

Testing for COVID-19 has greatly expanded in Illinois.
The state’s information on testing sites changes frequently. This map will be updated periodically. More from the Illinois Department of Public Health here.
There are many sites that are not on the state’s list. Some have asked not to be named. Others may be added at a later date.
Sites as of Dec. 1


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Sept. 1 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

“ In the past few days , the number of positive cases has increased at a rate that is on @ @ @ @ @ of cases every week , ” according to the UIUC release .
“ If that @ @ @ @ @ would experience 75-100 new cases each day and would expect to have as many as @ @ @ @ @ course of the semester .
”

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 1,492 new known cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 236,515 and the statewide death toll to 8,064 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 22,961 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.3%.
Meanwhile, the city of Chicago on Tuesday added North Carolina, Hawaii and Nebraska to its mandatory quarantine order, while warning that a recent spike in cases in Indiana could put that state on the list. The order for the three additional states is effective Friday, at which point 21 states and Puerto Rico will be covered under the order.
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Also on Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration announced it will crack down further on the Metro East region outside St. Louis, barring indoor bars and dining service. The state put in place a series of stricter rules in Metro East two weeks ago, but Pritzker last week called it a “mistake” to not implement the tougher rules in the Metro East from the start.
A day earlier, Mayor Lori Lightfoot laid out a $1.2 billion shortfall for what she called Chicago’s “pandemic budget” in 2021. Lightfoot cited the “catastrophic collapse of our local and national economy” because of COVID-19 and damage to local businesses from civil unrest.
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Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:45 p.m.: Chicago closes 4 more restaurants and bars for COVID-19 guideline violations
Five businesses were temporarily closed this weekend for violating COVID-19 reopening guidelines. Among them were four food and beverage establishments.
All business were closed for one night and allowed to reopen the next day.
This weekend’s citations were conducted by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Investigators check to ensure sure businesses follow social distancing, capacity and masking guidelines, including the state’s new masking guideline requiring patrons to wear one when interacting with business employees.
The enforcement team investigated 93 businesses, eight of which were at residential locations. Since June 3, BACP has conducted 1,488 investigations and issued 106 citations.
Read more here. —Grace Wong
5:35 p.m.: In Chicago visit, Dr. Birx raises alarm over growing COVID-19 positivity rates in parts of Illinois
White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx expressed concern during a visit to Chicago Tuesday about the growing number of counties in Illinois where 5% to 10% of COVID-19 tests are coming back positive.
“Over the last four weeks we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of counties that are over 10% and over 5% test positivity,” Birx said at a press conference following a private meeting with state and local officials at Rush University Medical Center.
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Illinois now has more than 60 counties where 5% or more of tests are coming back positive, and more than a dozen of those counties have test positivity rates of 10% or higher, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
She said “intensifying communication” with rural areas could help turn those numbers around, citing Ohio as an example.
“When we see those rural counties move into the 5% range and continue to increase, it’s really an alert to every rural community that you need to take the same precautions as the urban communities are taking,” Birx said.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
4:52 p.m.: NU president says decision to keep freshmen and sophomores off campus came amid worries officials would run out of quarantine space
Facing backlash from angry first- and second-year students who recently learned they can’t study at Northwestern University’s campus this fall, school president Morton Schapiro apologized Tuesday.
Schapiro said he previously was “absolutely convinced” that NU could reopen its residence halls to all students but began to worry late last week as COVID-19 cases rose in suburban Cook County and the school readjusted its capacity to quarantine students on campus.
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“I apologize for people who are so angry, and I understand that anger as a parent and as an educator,” Schapiro said. “In retrospect, I probably should have decided earlier in the week.”
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
4:35 p.m.: Pritzker orders tighter restrictions for Metro East region outside St. Louis
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration will crack down further on the Metro East region outside St. Louis on Wednesday, barring indoor bars and dining service in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Pritzker’s administration put in place a series of stricter rules in Metro East two weeks ago that included a curfew for bars and restaurants after the region was the first in the state to surpass a positivity rate threshold that triggered a reversal in the reopening of its economy.
The region that includes Will and Kankakee counties soon followed in surpassing the positivity rate threshold and seeing stricter rules as a result, but Pritzker faced criticism last week for closing indoor dining and bars in that region from the outset after allowing indoor service to continue in the Metro East.
Pritzker last week called it a “mistake” to not implement the tougher rules in the Metro East from the start.
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Under the rules that take effect Wednesday, bar service and dining in the seven-county Metro East region will only be able to be outdoors with six feet of space between tables, required reservations and an 11 p.m. curfew.
Weddings, funerals and all other gatherings and meetings will be limited to 25 people or under, or 25% of a room’s overall capacity. Casinos must also close at 11 p.m., and limit capacity to 25%.
If the region’s average positivity rate dips to 6.5% or under during a two-week period, it can return to Phase 4 rules under Pritzker’s statewide reopening plan. On the other hand, stricter rules can again be applied if the region remains steady with the elevated rate or sees an increase.
The Metro East region’s COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased since the initial reopening rollback took effect last month, and its seven-day rolling positivity rate stood at 9.6% as of Tuesday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
One trigger for scaling back the reopening in a region is when the positivity rate for COVID-19 testing reaches 8% for three consecutive days.
Pritzker’s reopening plan divides the state into 11 regions, and the other regions are all currently in Phase 4, which took effect statewide in late June, allowing for indoor dining, gathering sizes of up to 50 and a range of other activities that hadn’t been allowed since March, before Pritzker implemented a statewide stay-at-home order
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—Jamie Munks
3:55 p.m.: Illinois warns extra $300 in weekly unemployment benefits will last only three weeks and leave out thousands of jobless workers
Illinois hasn’t been approved for the extra $300 weekly unemployment benefits authorized by President Donald Trump, but is already warning the aid will be limited.
The state said Monday it has applied for the Lost Wage Assistance program, which President Donald Trump created through executive action to extend federal jobless benefits after the $600 weekly supplement ran out at the end of July.
The state said in a news release it expects the “shelf-life” of the program under the current funding model to last about three weeks. It said about 55,000 low-income claimants won’t be eligible for the funds, which are limited to those who qualify for at least $100 in weekly unemployment benefits, either through state programs or the federal pandemic assistance program.
Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
1:45 p.m.: North Carolina, Hawaii, Nebraska added to Chicago’s travel quarantine order; Indiana may be added later
The city of Chicago added North Carolina, Hawaii and Nebraska to its mandatory quarantine order, while warning that a recent spike in cases in Indiana could put that state on the list.
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The order for the three additional states is effective Friday, at which point 21 states and Puerto Rico will be covered under the order. The city adds a state to its quarantine list if the state averages more than 15 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period. People who have spent more than 24 hours in the high-risk states are required to self-quarantine for 14 days after entering Chicago.
The latest order covers Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, Idaho, Texas, Hawaii, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Florida, California and Puerto Rico.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
12:55 p.m.: North Center Catholic school switches junior high students to remote learning after teacher tests positive for coronavirus
St. Benedict Preparatory School has postponed in-person classes for junior high students after a teacher tested positive for COVID-19, the Archdiocese of Chicago confirmed.
The Catholic school located in the North Center neighborhood started classes on Aug. 24 and the teacher tested positive five days later. As a result of the test, a group of sixth-grade students was sent home to quarantine for at least 14 days, an archdiocese spokesman said in an email.
“Out of an abundance of caution, all junior high students were switched to remote learning and will resume in-person classes on Sept. 9,” the spokesman said.
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St. Benedict is the latest in a string of Chicago-area Catholic schools whose in-person learning has been disrupted because of positive COVID-19 tests.
—Javonte Anderson, Sophie Sherry
12:40 p.m.: Winnetka schools reopen, students return to the classroom in year ‘unlike any other’
A new school year “unlike any other” has begun in Winnetka, featuring reopened school buildings and students back in the classroom this week under a hybrid learning plan.
On Tuesday, Winnetka Public Schools District 36 Superintendent Trisha Kocanda said the district’s new COVID-19 health and safety measures were front and center as around 1,600 students returned to the classroom Aug. 27 for the first time since schools were shuttered in mid-March.
“I think the most rewarding thing to see was the excitement from teachers students as all of these important in-person connections were made,” Kocanda said. “The fact that we all worked together to make this happen gave me a great sense of pride. This school year we’ll have a combination of both in-person and remote instruction, and it was great to see us start with something so positive.”
Featuring a hybrid instructional model, students gather for in-person instruction for roughly half of the school day, with the second half of the day devoted to remote learning.
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Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta, Pioneer Press
12:12 p.m.: 1,492 new known COVID-19 cases and 39 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 1,492 new known cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 236,515 and the statewide death toll to 8,064 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 22,961 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.3%.
12:10 p.m.: Cook County Health puts out call for subjects in COVID-19 ‘antibody cocktail’ clinical trial with biotech company
Cook County Health is seeking adults living with someone recently diagnosed with the novel coronavirus for a study on an experimental antibody therapy that has been used to treat cancer and autoimmune disorders.
Those who are asymptomatic, negative for COVID-19 and live with an individual who recently tested positive for the virus are eligible for the clinical trial that will take about a month followed by a seven-month assessment period, according to a news release from Cook County Health.
The potential treatment involves two monoclonal antibodies known as REGN-COV2 developed by the biotech company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. In addition to successfully treating cancer and autoimmune diseases, monoclonal antibody therapies decreased deaths from the Ebola virus and are now being studied in HIV prevention, according to the news release.
“In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgency to develop safe, effective methods to prevent and treat this virus,” Dr. Sybil Hosek, a clinical psychologist and principal investigator at Cook County Health, said in a statement. “This unique antibody cocktail could have a major impact on the medical and public health need to slow the spread of the virus, as well as provide a treatment for those who are already sick.”
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Cook County Health joins other main medical centers in the U.S. to seek enrollment in the Phase III prevention trial. Besides the household members who are uninfected but live with someone who is positive, the trial also will also study hospitalized COVID-19 patients and non-hospitalized, symptomatic COVID-19 patients.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, and Regeneron are funding the study.
Those seeking more information can go to https://www.regeneron.com/covid19.
—Alice Yin
11:40 a.m.: AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine enters final testing stage, third in US to reach that goal
A handful of the dozens of experimental COVID-19 vaccines in human testing have reached the last and biggest hurdle — looking for the needed proof that they really work.
AstraZeneca announced Monday its vaccine candidate has entered the final testing stage in the U.S. The Cambridge, England-based company said the study will involve up to 30,000 adults from various racial, ethnic and geographic groups.
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Two other vaccine candidates began final testing this summer in tens of thousands of people in the U.S. One was created by the National Institutes of Health and manufactured by Moderna Inc., and the other developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech.
“To have just one vaccine enter the final stage of trials eight months after discovering a virus would be a remarkable achievement; to have three at that point with more on the way is extraordinary,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.
Read more here. —Associated Press
11 a.m.: Donald Trump tweets he had a ‘very productive conversation’ with Kevin Warren and that Big Ten football is ‘on the one yard line’
President Donald Trump is diving headfirst into Big Ten football.
He tweeted this Tuesday: “Had a very productive conversation with Kevin Warren, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, about immediately starting up Big Ten football. Would be good (great!) for everyone - Players, Fans, Country. On the one yard line!”
The reaction?
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A Big Ten football coach texted “Major Wow!!!!!!” to the Tribune.
Now to pump the brakes: No one from the Big Ten has confirmed the contents of the call or whether it took place. Two media relations officials from the conference did not immediately reply to a text.
Warren said on Aug. 18 that the decision to scrap fall football because of the coronavirus pandemic “would not be revisited.”
Read more here. —Teddy Greenstein
8:40 a.m.: The US sent $1.6 billion in stimulus checks to dead people, and 30% of that money hasn’t been repaid
The Trump administration says that it has recovered nearly 70% of the government relief payments that went to dead people.
The Government Accountability Office said Monday it had been told by the Treasury Department that nearly 70% of the $1.6 billion that had mistakenly gone to dead people had been recovered.
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Read more here. —Associated Press
8:35 a.m.: You know who’s had a good pandemic quarantine? Zoom.
Zoom’s videoconferencing service is deepening its integral role in life during the pandemic as tens of thousands more businesses and other users pay for subscriptions to get more control over their virtual meetings.
The surge in paying customers enabled Zoom to hail another quarter of explosive growth. The company on Monday reported that its revenue for the May-July period more than quadrupled from the same time last year to $663.5 million, boosted by a steadily rising number of users converting from the free to paid version of Zoom’s service.
Zoom finished its fiscal second quarter with 370,200 customers with at least 10 employees, a gain of about 105,000 customers from the end of April. Just a year ago, Zoom only had 66,300 customers with at least 10 employees paying for subscriptions.
Read more here. —Associated Press
6:45 a.m. USDA extends summer meals program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended its meal program for children through at least Dec. 31, the department announced Monday.
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The program, which allowed meals to be distributed at no cost to families through the summer months as an extension of the department’s school lunch program, makes families that wouldn’t necessarily qualify for taxpayer-supported food eligible for the meals, according to a news release from the U.S.D.A.
Waivers by the department’s Food and Nutrition Service allow meals to continue to be picked up by parents and served throughout the country, according to the release.
The Chicago Public Schools and other area schools have been distributing the free meals since the beginning of coronvirus shutdowns in March.
—Chicago Tribune staff
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Monday related to COVID-19:
Citing a “catastrophic collapse” of the economy, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Chicago faces a $1.2 billion shortfall in what she called her 2021 “pandemic budget.”
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With threats of $10,000 fines for COVID-19 violations, some restaurants say the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
Need to get your driver’s license renewed? Be prepared to wait — maybe for hours — or take advantage of extended deadlines.
Man wins freedom after COVID-19 delays, philosophical change on teenage sentences.
A Zoom Thanksgiving? COVID-19 summer could give way to a bleaker fall.


chicagotribune--2020-09-01--Providing comfort or promoting racism: Lake County politicians split along party lines about motives

Providing comfort or promoting racism: Lake County politicians split along party lines about motives for Trump’s visit to Kenosha

U.S. Rep Brad Schneider , D-Deerfield , did not criticize Trump for making the trip , but was critical of @ @ @ @ @ before and since the shooting .
He wants to see a unifier in the White @ @ @ @ @ is a divider .

A Trump supporter and Chicago activist Ja'Mal Green face off as they wait for President Donald Trump's motorcade outside Bradford High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sept. 1, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The controversy over President Donald Trump’s decision to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin Tuesday in the wake of the Aug. 23 shooting and wounding of Jacob Blake by police spilled across the state line into Lake County as local political leaders saw varying motivations behind the trip.
A number of Lake County Republicans thought Trump’s trip was the right move for the nation’s leader, while some local Democrats questioned the reasons for the visit.
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All agreed lawlessness has no place in the ongoing discourse.
Demetra DeMonte, a Lake Forest resident and Illinois Republican national committeewoman, said when the president visits a city going through a difficult time, as Kenosha has for the last 10 days since Blake’s shooting, he is doing the right thing.
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“It’s the president’s job to reassure Americans during a time of difficulty,” DeMonte said. “When people are going through a hard time, they want to hear from their president. He seemed very well-received.”
State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, criticized Trump for making the visit after Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, and Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian asked the president to stay away.
“That says everything you need to know about what Donald Trump stands for,” Morrison said. “He (went) to Kenosha for one reason -- to give a political rally cry that will ignite more racist and violent attacks.”
U.S. Rep Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield, did not criticize Trump for making the trip, but was critical of the leadership he has demonstrated before and since the shooting. He wants to see a unifier in the White House, but said Trump is a divider.
“As President (George W.) Bush did after 9/11, and President (Barack) Obama did after Charleston, I wish President Trump would rise to the moment to unite the country, rather than dividing it,” Schneider said.
Mark Shaw, the Lake County Republican chairman and a Lake Forest resident, also talked about times other presidents like Bush and Bill Clinton made trips to comfort Americans after difficult times. He felt Trump was doing the same thing.
“Typically, a president comforts people during troubled times to provide support to others,” Shaw said.
Valerie Ramirez Mukherjee of Northbrook, Schneider’s Republican opponent in the Nov. 3 election, said politics should not play a role when the president is trying to sooth people who have experienced destruction in their community.
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“We have to leave our party and ego at the door when an elected official is offering comfort,” Ramirez Mukherjee said.
During a roundtable discussion in Kenosha, Trump said he authorized $1 million for Kenosha law enforcement, $4 million to help small businesses and $42 million to be used statewide in Wisconsin to prosecute perpetrators of looting and burning during civil unrest.
Shaw, Gash, Morrison, Ramirez Mukhergee and DeMonte all said politics should play no role when it comes to charging people for destroying property.
“We’re a nation of laws,” DeMonte said “If someone is burning or looting they should be held accountable. Aren’t we a country of law and order?”
In the last few days there has been talk of former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic opponent in November, going to Kenosha.
“If he can offer comfort, it’s up to him,” Shaw said.
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“He’s made his view on this very clear,” Gash added. “Grandstanding is not his style.”
Trump’s visit began in Waukegan.
After landing at Waukegan National Airport at 12:25 p.m., Trump made brief remarks, saying he would make a couple of stops in Kenosha and adding, “We’ll have plenty to talk about.”
Trump got off the smaller Boeing 757 version of Air Force One and the presidential entourage traveled to Kenosha by motorcade, a trip of about a half-hour.
“The violence stopped from the time the National Guard came,” Trump told reporters, echoing his theme of using the guard and federal law enforcement assets to quell violence.
Trump was greeted in Waukegan by Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican. Johnson was wearing a mask.
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Also along on the trip were Attorney General Bill Barr; Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf; Ja’Ron Smith, a deputy assistant to Trump and one of the president’s few Black advisers; presidential assistant Dan Scavino and former Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus, also a former Republican National Committee chairman who is from Kenosha.
The Chicago Tribune contributed to this story.


chicagotribune--2020-09-01--Spectators allowed at Arlington racecourse in final weeks of season

“ Wearing masks and social distancing behaviors that have been adopted by the public , along with additional measures incorporated @ @ @ @ @ , allows us to have a safe environment for everyone in our outdoor grandstand facility.
@ @ @ @ @ Tony Petrillo said in the release .
“ We are confident that we will operate @ @ @ @ @ as we have operated in our backstretch and trackside facilities over the past few months @ @

In this last month of live horse racing for the year at Arlington International, the racecourse got approval to allow spectators inside starting Thursday and tickets are now on sale.
Officials from the Arlington Heights Department of Health and Human Services, Cook County Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health approved a plan Aug. 27 that had been submitted by Arlington International Racecourse, located in Arlington Heights, to allow a limited number of spectators into the outdoor areas of the facility on race days, according to a news release from the racecourse.
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The plan will be in full operation Thursday, just in time for watching the Kentucky Derby Saturday, officials said in the release.
As concerns continue over the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, social distancing and other public health precautions will be in place, the release states. Up to 300 spectators will be allowed in. Tickets went on sale as of Tuesday.
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“Wearing masks and social distancing behaviors that have been adopted by the public, along with additional measures incorporated into our plan for spectators, allows us to have a safe environment for everyone in our outdoor grandstand facility.” Arlington International Racecourse President Tony Petrillo said in the release. “We are confident that we will operate our grandstand facility as safely as we have operated in our backstretch and trackside facilities over the past few months.”
Earlier this summer, the Arlington was approved by the state to race Thursday through Saturday through Sept. 26. The earlier approval did not include having spectators in the stands. Now, the racecourse can offer outdoor seating options.
“We are thankful for the cooperation and assistance of local and State officials who helped develop and approve our plan,” Petrillo said in the release.
There are some special provisions in light of the pandemic: All tickets must be purchased online at least 24 hours in advance and access is limited to adults age 18 and older only. Children 17 and younger will not be allowed in the facility, the release states.
Tickets will be sold in sets of four.
“All guests must wear a mask at all times unless they are consuming food or beverage in their seat. Staggered entry and arrival times will be issued to each set of ticket holders to limit queuing lines and to assist patrons in maintaining social distancing as they enter the facility. No coolers or outdoor food and beverage will be allowed,” according to the release.
The release explains that a full set of health and safety guidelines and facility restrictions can be viewed on Arlington’s website at arlingtonpark.com/tickets/policies-restrictions/.


chicagotribune--2020-09-03--Daywatch: Partying leads to COVID-19 spike at University of Illinois, Joe Biden plans Kenosha trip a

Daywatch: Partying leads to COVID-19 spike at University of Illinois, Joe Biden plans Kenosha trip and captive-bred turtles are released

Despite an expansive testing program and models that predicted how many COVID-19 cases would pop up on campus , the @ @ @ @ @ is confronting a grim reality shared by other colleges attempting to stay open : Partying @ @ @ @ @ to hundreds of more infections than anticipated , jeopardizing the in-person experience for everyone .

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Good morning, Chicago. Have you ever imagined dining in an outdoor igloo or on a winter patio? As summer winds down and the pandemic persists, Chicago restaurants and bars are prepping for what should be one of the strangest winters yet.
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We’re also keeping a running list of the restaurants and bars that have closed for good because of COVID-19. Among the latest are Ramen Misoya downtown and Kroll’s South Loop.
And, as the race for a COVID-19 vaccine continues, the CDC told all 50 states to be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to some groups of people as soon as late October or early November.
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Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
Signs remind people to social distance and wear masks on the campus of the University of Illinois, where COVID-19 cases are now spiking. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Despite an expansive testing program and models that predicted how many COVID-19 cases would pop up on campus, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is confronting a grim reality shared by other colleges attempting to stay open: Partying among undergraduate students is leading to hundreds of more infections than anticipated, jeopardizing the in-person experience for everyone.
UIUC, the state’s largest university, has tallied roughly 780 new cases on its downstate campus among students, faculty and staff since classes began Aug. 24, according to Martin Burke, a chemistry professor leading the school’s testing program.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event in Pittsburgh on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will make his first 2020 campaign trip to the key battleground state of Wisconsin on Thursday, traveling to Kenosha with what he said was a message of healing.
“I’m not going to tell Kenosha what they have to do, but what we have to do together,” Biden told reporters at Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware
Mayor Lori Lightfoot gives her budget address at the Cultural Center in Chicago on Aug. 31, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is set to join an affordable housing lender on Thursday to announce a big loan program designed to improve the city’s stock of inexpensive apartments.
The Community Investment Corporation’s launch of its $330 million, five-year loan pool for private landlords to renovate or purchase units comes as the mayor seeks to gain traction for her own ambitious “Invest South/West” commercial program designed to improve struggling neighborhood shopping districts on the South and West sides using city money to jump-start private investment.
CPS school clerk Ramona Rojas says the district has not provided her with necessary safety equipment for her job. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
At more than 100 buildings, other clerks, technology coordinators and clinicians have reported unsafe conditions or lax enforcement of safety protocols, including a lack of signage, delayed PPE and people coming inside without symptom screening or masks, according to the Chicago Teachers Union.
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Dan Thompson, ecologist for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, looks over newborn endangered Blanding’s turtles before releasing older ones to the wild in a forest preserve in DuPage County on Sept. 2, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
On a sunny afternoon in northwest DuPage County, a small turtle with a smile plastered on its face slid off a log into a marsh and began its first day of life in the wild. The yearling was among a group of endangered Blanding’s turtles released into the wetlands of a forest preserve, where each dark splash into the lime green water marked, for some turtles, a jump more than a decade in the making.


chicagotribune--2020-09-03--Video shows Rochester police putting hood on Black man from Chicago, pressing his face into pavement

Video shows Rochester police putting hood on Black man from Chicago, pressing his face into pavement before his death

“ I placed a phone call for my brother to get help .
Not for my brother to get lynched @ @ @ @ @ brother , Joe Prude , said at a news conference .
“ How did you @ @ @ @ @ say , ‘ The man is defenseless , buck naked on the ground .
He @ @ @ @ @ .
Come on.
’ How many more brothers got ta die for society to understand @ @ @ @ @ ?
”

Protesters stand amid clouds of chemical irritant released by police outside the Public Safety Building in Rochester, New York, Sept. 3, 2020. Seven police officers involved in the suffocation death of Daniel Prude in Rochester were suspended Thursday by the city's mayor, who said she was misled for months about the circumstances of the fatal encounter. (Adrian Kraus / AP)
Seven police officers involved in the suffocation death of Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York, were suspended Thursday by the city’s mayor, who said she was misled for months about the circumstances of the fatal encounter.
Prude, 41, who was Black, died when he was taken off life support March 30. That was seven days after officers who encountered him running naked through the street put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting, then held him down for about two minutes until he stopped breathing.
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Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren announced the suspensions at a news conference amid criticism that city officials had kept Prude’s death secret for months.
While denying a cover-up, Warren acknowledged that Prude “was failed by the police department, our mental health care system, our society, and he was failed by me.”
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Hours after the announcement, a crowd of protesters unswayed by the suspensions demonstrated late into the night outside Rochester’s police headquarters. Officers doused some protesters with a chemical spray and fired an irritant into the crowd to keep activists from approaching metal barricades ringing the building.
The confrontation came on the second day of peaceful demonstrations over Prude’s death.
The mayor said she only became aware that Prude’s death involved the use of force on Aug. 4. Initially, she said, Police Chief La’Ron Singletary portrayed it as a drug overdose, which is “entirely different” than what Warren said she witnessed in body camera video. The mayor said she told the chief she was “deeply, personally and professionally disappointed” in his failure to accurately inform her what happened to Prude.
Warren said the seven officers would still be paid because of contract rules and that she was taking the action against the advise of attorneys.
“I understand that the union may sue the city for this. They shall feel free to do so,” she said.
Warren did not announce any action against Singletary. Approached at a community event, Singletary declined to comment but said he would speak later.
Messages left with the union representing Rochester police officers were not immediately returned Thursday.
Prude’s death happened just as the coronavirus was raging out of control in New York and received no public attention at the time.
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His family held a news conference Wednesday and released police body camera video obtained through a public records request that captured his fatal interaction with the officers.
The videos and other records detailed how police had gone looking for Prude after he bolted from his brother’s home early on March 23, hours after receiving a mental health evaluation at a hospital.
When officers found Prude he was completely naked, on the street in a light snow. He lay on the ground as they handcuffed him, then grew agitated, shouting and writhing and demanding that the officers give him a gun.
A crowd of protesters gather on Sept. 2, 2020, in Rochester, N.Y., near the site where Daniel Prude was restrained by police officers. (Adrian Kraus/AP)
Officers put a hood over his head because he had been spitting and then pressed his face into the pavement for two minutes, police video shows.
The hoods are intended to protect officers from a detainee’s saliva and have been scrutinized as a factor in the deaths of several prisoners in recent years.
The videos show Prude, his voice muffled by the hood, begging the white officer pushing his head down to let him go. As the officer, Mark Vaughn, says, “Calm down” and “Stop spitting,” Prude’s shouts became anguished whimpers and grunts.
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“OK, stop. I need it. I need it,” Prude says.
The officer lets Prude go after about two minutes when he stops moving and falls silent. Officers then notice water coming out of Prude’s mouth and call over waiting medics, who start CPR.
A medical examiner concluded that Prude’s death was a homicide caused by “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.” The report lists excited delirium and acute intoxication by phencyclidine, or PCP, as contributing factors.
In his final months, Prude, who was known to his Chicago-based family as “Rell,” had been having mental health problems and had been going back and forth between his Chicago home and his brother’s place in Rochester, relatives said.
“My father should have been met with a mental health specialist. He should not have been killed in the street,” his 18-year-old daughter, Tashyra Prude, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “He did not deserve that. He was treated like an animal. And I want this to be a step toward justice for not only my father, but justice for people like Breonna Taylor, who were killed by the police.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office took over the investigation of the death in April. It is still not complete.
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“The Prude family and the greater Rochester community deserve answers, and we will continue to work around the clock to provide them,” James said in a statement Thursday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement that he watched video of Prude’s fatal encounter with police Wednesday night.
“What I saw was deeply disturbing and I demand answers,” he said, adding that he was confident James’ investigation would be thorough. “For the sake of Mr. Prude’s family and the greater Rochester community I am calling for this case to be concluded as expeditiously as possible.”
Demonstrators came out on Thursday evening for a second straight night, about 200 of them gathering near the street corner where Prude was restrained by police. Some activists felt suspending the officers was not enough.
“This is a cover up and honestly our mayor, our police chief, they should be bought up on criminal charges,” said Justin Morris.
Earlier Thursday, Prude’s brother, Joe Prude, said all his younger brother wanted that morning was “somebody to grab him up and help him.”
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“No matter how you look at the situation, the man was absolutely in his birthday suit, handcuffed behind his back, on the ground already, in freezing weather,” Prude’s brother, Joe Prude, said. “How could you sit here and label that man a threat to you when he’s already cuffed up? How could you throw a bag over his head?
Hill reported from Albany. Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak, Ted Shaffrey and Jennifer Peltz in New York and Don Babwin in Chicago contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-09-03--Architecture in Chicago for fall 2020: A vital season awaits, despite the pandemic. Our 11 picks not

Architecture in Chicago for fall 2020: A vital season awaits, despite the pandemic. Our 11 picks not to miss.

As for the Obama Presidential Center , the long-running federal review of the project ’ s impact on historic Jackson @ @ @ @ @ line , but a ground-breaking has not yet been scheduled .
The architects are Tod @ @ @ @ @ New York .

The new Bank of America Tower along the Chicago River on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Despite the dark shadow cast by COVID-19, the fall architecture season in Chicago promises a luminous array of exhibitions, books and buildings. It will culminate the construction boom that took shape after the Great Recession. Here’s a preview:
Vista Tower reshapes the skyline: The Vista Tower, Chicago’s third tallest building and the world’s tallest building designed by a woman architect, is finally ready for its close-up.
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Designed by Chicago architect Jeanne Gang and her firm Studio Gang, the 101-story hotel and condominium tower is expected to welcome its first residents in mid-October. Work to complete the tower’s exterior is still ongoing, but it already has reshaped the city’s skyline.
From its base at 345 E. Wacker Drive, Vista rises as a cluster of three interconnected high-rises, or “stems,” as Gang calls them. Each stem appears to curve inward and outward, giving the tower a distinctly sculptural presence. In Chicago, only the Willis and Trump Towers are taller.
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The new Bank of America Tower along the Chicago River on Aug. 31. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago’s tallest office building since 1990: Another superlative is in store: Chicago’s tallest office building since the completion of Two Prudential Plaza in 1990.
It’s the Bank of America Tower, designed by Chicago’s Goettsch Partners and located at 110 N. Wacker Drive. Although it has 56 stories, the high-rise climbs to a height of 815 feet because of its higher-than-average ceiling heights and 45-foot-high lobby.
Replacing the low-rise General Growth building, the glassy tower sits alongside the south branch of the Chicago River. Architectural highlights along the river include a strongly vertical, serrated facade and a covered, 45-foot-wide riverwalk framed by exposed structural columns. Completion is expected in September.
A new hotel on Navy Pier: With relatively few visitors because of the coronavirus pandemic, Navy Pier closed Sept. 8 until next spring to save money. But the lakefront attraction is still expected to get the first hotel in its 104-year history.
Designed by Chicago’s Koo architects, the hotel has been built atop existing structures near the pier’s east end. Part of the Hilton Curio Collection, it has about 220 rooms and is named The Sable in honor of a World War II training ship, an aircraft carrier, that docked at Navy Pier.
The hotel’s developer is aiming for a Nov. 1 opening. Koo’s design includes subtle nautical references and framed views of Lake Michigan and the skyline.
A head-turner at the U of C: Construction is expected to wrap up this fall on the University of Chicago’s David Rubenstein Forum, a high-rise meeting place designed by New York architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
Located on the south side of the Midway Plaisance, the glass-sheathed building consists of a two-story base and an eight-story tower. The tower flaunts a series of stacked boxes, several of which are dramatically cantilevered. It will house multi-purpose meeting spaces for workshops, academic symposia and lectures.
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The building’s ground floor will include a wine bar and cafe. The university plans to hold some classes in the Rubenstein Forum this fall, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, the building won’t be fully operational or formally opened until next year.
The work of Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi will be showcased in a traveling exhibition titled “Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People,” coming to Chicago's Wrightwood 659 gallery. (Iwan Baan/Wrightwood 659 Gallery)
Chicago showcase for an Indian master: In 2018, Balkrishna Doshi became the first Indian architect to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the field’s highest honor.
This fall in Chicago, about 20 of Doshi’s projects, from private homes to entire cities, will be showcased in a traveling exhibition billed as the first U.S. exhibition of his work.
Called “Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People,” the show appears at the Wrightwood 659 gallery, at 659 W. Wrightwood Ave. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, Sept. 9 to Dec. 12. On view will be drawings, models, sketches, films, photography and full-scale installations that illustrate the experience of Doshi’s buildings. Tickets are only available online; wrightwood659.org.
Open House adapts to COVID-19: Open House Chicago, the popular festival that gave participants a free, behind-the-facade peek at interiors throughout the city, will have a new (and, I hope, temporary) format this fall, one forced by the coronavirus pandemic.
The festival will present self-guided exterior tours and online explorations of buildings and urban spaces in more than 20 city neighborhoods, as well as the neighboring suburbs of Evanston and Oak Park. The neighborhoods will include 10 areas on the South and West Sides that are the focus of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Invest South/West program, which seeks to revive struggling business districts.
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To celebrate Open House Chicago’s 10th anniversary, the festival will run 10 days, for Oct. 16-25, instead of the usual two days. For more information, go to openhousechicago.org.
The Farnsworth House's photo exhibition “Side by Side: Farnsworth House + The Philip Johnson Glass House" compares and contrasts the house with a modernist icon it influenced. (Robin Hill photo)
The Farnsworth House and the Glass House: The Farnsworth House, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s modernist masterpiece in far southwest suburban Plano, will mount a photo exhibition that compares and contrasts the house with a modernist icon it influenced, Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Conn.
Called “Side by Side: Farnsworth House + The Philip Johnson Glass House,” and scheduled to run Sept. 13 to Nov. 22, the exhibit will display pairs of images of the two houses by photographer Robin Hill. It will appear in a gallery alongside the house’s visitor center.
Admission is included with a guided tour of the Farnsworth House, which will continue the fascinating exhibit “Edith Farnsworth’s Country House.” That show fills the house with furnishings that resemble those of its namesake, Chicago kidney doctor Edith Farnsworth.
Does one size fit all? From the size of credit cards to batteries, global standards are ubiquitous. Yet not everything is uniform. Airline guidelines for carry-on bags differ, for example.
The Art Institute will explore the impact of standards and deviations from them in a new exhibition, “Ambiguous Standards Institute: An Institute Within an Institute,” that runs Nov. 21 to May 3, 2021.
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Wooden crates will display 10 case studies of standards investigated by the Ambiguous Standards Institute of Istanbul, a research and education establishment.
An empty stairwell to the State/Lake CTA "L" station during the evening rush hour March 17 in Chicago's Loop. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago’s heavy-metal heart: Chicago’s Loop wouldn’t be the same without the elevated tracks and CTA trains that form its thunderously loud core. But how did the “L” come about? And who saved it from being torn down in the 1970s?
In November, Southern Illinois University Press will publish a book, by former Chicago Tribune reporter Patrick T. Reardon, that addresses these and other questions.
Titled “The Loop: The ’L’ Tracks That Shaped and Saved Chicago,” the illustrated, 304-page book calls the “L” “the most important structure ever built in the city.”
Midcentury houses for the Midwest: Fans of mid-20th century modernism, especially as it took shape in the Midwest, will likely want to check out another book that went on sale in late August, “Modern in the Middle: Chicago Houses 1929-1975.”
Published by Monacelli Press and written by architectural historian Susan Benjamin and Michelangelo Sabatino, an architecture professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the book explores how Chicago and its suburbs played a pivotal but overlooked role in developing the modern single-family house.
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More than 50 houses are surveyed, including homes by such noted architects John Vinci and Henry Dubin. The book contains 325 historic images, many from the archives of Chicago photography firm Hedrich Blessing.
Elsewhere: Eisenhower Memorial opens (finally): After years of controversy and design changes, the Eisenhower Memorial is scheduled to open in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 17. The architect is Los Angeles-based Frank Gehry, whose Chicago works include Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion.
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Honoring the nation’s 34th president and commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II, the memorial is a four-acre park just off the National Mall. The site, alongside the U.S. Department of Education building, has a view of Capitol Hill.
Key design elements at the heart of the memorial include a transparent stainless steel tapestry that represents the cliffs of the Normandy coastline, site of the D-Day invasion, in peacetime; large-scale bronze statues and stone bas reliefs.
Speaking of tributes to former presidents ... Studio Gang is one of three finalists vying to design the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Its competitors are Copenhagen-based Henning Larsen and Oslo-based Snohetta. A winner is expected to be named in September.
As for the Obama Presidential Center, the long-running federal review of the project’s impact on historic Jackson Park is nearing the finish line, but a ground-breaking has not yet been scheduled. The architects are Tod Williams and Billie Tsien of New York.
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Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.
bkamin@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @BlairKamin