chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Column: In a summer of COVID-19 and racial reckoning, Chadwick Boseman’s death hits especially hard

He chose to reveal it only to the people he felt needed to know .
Some fans were disappointed that @ @ @ @ @ the public know .
But what could anyone have done except feel sorry for him @ @ @ @ @ s exactly what he did not want .

Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic Hope, leads a "Wakanda Forever!" salute from the 2018 film "Black Panther," during a news conference to celebrate the actor Chadwick Boseman, Aug. 29. 2020, in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello / AP)
Chadwick Boseman’s death hit African Americans particularly hard. In part, it is because it came so unexpectedly. But he also died as Black people were already grieving.
Over the last six months, so many Black lives have been taken by the pandemic. Our grief has been compounded by the unjustified killings of unarmed Black people by police officers and vigilantes administering their own form of justice.
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All of America is consumed by death right now. But for many African Americans, the despair is overwhelming. Nearly every day, there is someone new to mourn.
It seemed particularly cruel that another Black man would be taken away from us at the age of 43 by colon cancer — an illness so rare among younger people that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long recommended that only those ages 50 and older undergo regular screenings.
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In our minds, Boseman is T’Challa, the African king who transforms into the daring Black Panther and tackles adversity with undefeatable resolve. This isn’t how a superhero is supposed to die. It seemed like another senseless loss. It felt as unfair as the unconscionable killings we have seen this summer.
What many of us didn’t realize is that the rate of colorectal cancer has risen in people under the age of 50 in recent years. The American Cancer Society now recommends that everyone begin getting screenings at age 45, and those with a family history of colon cancer should start by age 40.
In America’s unjust system of medical disparities, colon cancer — like COVID-19 and just about every other life-threatening illness — takes a disproportionate toll on Black people. African Americans are 20% more likely to develop colon cancer than whites and are also more likely to die of it.
Still, it seemed unnatural for it to happen to Boseman. Though we had no idea, he was diagnosed four years ago and was battling the disease even while filming the rigorous role of the Black Panther.
He chose to reveal it only to the people he felt needed to know. Some fans were disappointed that he didn’t let the public know. But what could anyone have done except feel sorry for him? Obviously, that’s exactly what he did not want.
We didn’t know Boseman personally, but it felt as though we did. We’d never met George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks or Ahmaud Arbery either, but Black people mourned their deaths as though they were family.
We knew Boseman only from afar, but he managed to penetrate our lives so deeply over the course of a two-hour film that we walked away feeling better about ourselves than we did going in. That was his greatest strength.
He didn’t have an Oscar or an Emmy to validate him as a Hollywood superstar, yet the roles he chose were among the most significant and memorable of any on the big screen. He memorialized some American icons, and we left the theater feeling as though we knew them too.
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Entertainer James Brown, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in Major League Baseball, broke through some of the toughest racial barriers that Black people have encountered on our journey as Americans.
Boseman said he deliberately chose to play those roles because he wanted to uplift the image of African Americans, particularly Black men.
In some ways, Black Panther, the first African American superhero in “mainstream comics,” symbolizes the Black man’s inherent ability to rescue his own community from internal and external destruction.
In donning that leather cat suit and bravely protecting his make-believe Wakanda nation from evil predators, Boseman — the man — became Black America’s idol. He personified the best of African American men in a country that throughout history has sought to hold them down.
In a time of crisis, all of us tend to try and hold on to the familiar. Boseman was our son, our grandson and our brother. He was smart, talented and ambitious. We loved his charming smile, his twisted hair, his preacher’s voice and his wisdom.
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He represented the vision we hold for every young Black man we know — someone who figures out how to overcome incredible odds and pursue their dream, even in an exclusive industry that does not always value their worth.
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The most powerful scene in the “Black Panther” film is when the young King T’Challa sees his dead father’s spirit and kneels at his feet. And the old man says to him, “Stand up, you’re a king.”
Every young Black male in America needs to hear those words. It is easy in a country that allows police to recklessly kill African Americans for Black boys and men to forget they are worthy of better treatment.
Boseman can no longer bring characters of brave Black men to life. But hopefully, his work has planted a seed in a new generation of young African American actors to demand roles other than stereotypical drug dealers, criminals or deadbeat dads.
In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, Boseman’s death gained the attention it deserved. Still, for many African Americans, it will be recorded as yet another painful casualty of the dreadful summer of 2020.
dglanton@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @dahleeng


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Column: Trump’s ‘Air Antifa’ plane story is true (maybe). I know because I was there (maybe).

He continued : “ There are people that are on the streets .
There are people that are controlling the @ @ @ @ @ get on a plane from a certain city this weekend , and in the plane @ @ @ @ @ loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms , black uniforms with gear and this and @ @ @ @ @ on a plane .
… But they came from a certain city , and this @ @ @ @ @ Republican National Convention .
”

Lightning flashes behind President Donald Trump, carrying an umbrella, as he exits Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Aug. 28, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
Donald Trump has found an important new issue to address, and it’s purely a coincidence that it has nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic, the 180,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19 or the country’s failure to contain the virus.
No, this is an issue of great import. It involves a plane. It involves thugs and anarchists and looters. And it involves people in the dark shadows.
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In an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News this week, Trump explained that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is being controlled by people “that you’ve never heard of. People that are in the dark shadows.”
He continued: “There are people that are on the streets. There are people that are controlling the streets. We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane, it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms with gear and this and that. They’re on a plane. … But they came from a certain city, and this person was coming to the Republican National Convention.”
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Which plane traveling to Washington, D.C., was this, and who were these black-clad thugs and who relayed this information?
Trump wouldn’t say. But I will: It was me. I was on that black-clad thug plane. I am President Trump’s source for this harrowing tale of rioters flying commercial.
When asked about the story by reporters Tuesday, Trump changed the plane’s direction and said it was “a plane going from Washington to wherever.” That was a smart move by the president. By not keeping the story consistent, he’ll keep the people in the dark shadows off balance.
Trump continued: “That person was on a plane, said that there were about six people like that person, more or less, and what happened is the entire plane filled up with the looters, the anarchists, the rioters — people that obviously were looking for trouble.”
Again, “that person” is me. And let me tell you, the looters, the anarchists and the rioters were DEFINITELY looking for trouble. I know because I asked them what they were looking for and they said, “Trouble.”
I’ll explain the whole thing. And like the president, I’ll do it in a way that lacks specific details, sounds wildly unhinged and makes you wonder if you should start slowly walking away, careful not to make any sudden movements.
It was August-whatever, and I was catching the Air Leftist “looters & anarchists” flight out of O’Hare at a time I will not reveal. I try to avoid that airline — they try to turn you socialist by evenly redistributing peanuts among the passengers — but it was the cheapest fare I could find.
Just before I got on board, someone in a dark shadow of the terminal started talking to me about the coronavirus and how Trump had mishandled the pandemic and made America a global laughingstock. I shouted, “LAW AND ORDER!” at the guy, and that made him go away.
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Next we boarded the plane in order from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
I sat down and took out some meat I had killed with my gun earlier in the day, and that’s when I noticed it: black-clad thugs, everywhere. I felt very uncomfortable, particularly when two of them sat down in my row.
I asked the first one what he does, and he said: “I’m a looter. I just bought this $300 plane ticket so I could travel to wherever and steal $100 worth of clothes, which is something that definitely happens because it makes sense.”
The other guy nodded and said, “I’m an anarchist. And I’m hoping to destroy America while also collecting valuable mileage points for future travel.”
I kept silent for a moment, afraid they would beat me up or destroy my suburb. Then I asked: “So what are you all looking for?”
They both said: “Trouble.”
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It’s the truth. I know it sounds far-fetched and like something a lunatic on Facebook would fabricate and use to stoke fear among people who lack critical thinking skills.
But that’s simply not the case. And here’s the proof.
On Tuesday, NBC News reported this about Trump’s thugs-on-a-plane story: “The claim about the flight matches a viral Facebook post from June 1 that falsely claimed, ‘At least a dozen males got off the plane in Boise from Seattle, dressed head to toe in black.’ … That post was shared over 3,000 times on Facebook.”
See? Do you think the president of the United States of America would try to frighten the people he serves by simply regurgitating nonsense he read on Facebook in an effort to distract from the deadly virus still spreading unchecked across the country?
That’s unpossible.
No, the plane-load-o’-looters story is correct. I can vouch for it, because I was there. And at some point I might provide evidence to back that claim up, but I can’t right now because it’s sensitive information and the people in the shadows might come after me.
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Hey, why are you slowly walking away from me?
YOU BETTER NOT MAKE ANY SUDDEN MOVEMENTS?!?!
rhuppke@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Where’s your closest drive-thru COVID-19 test site? Can you avoid that deep nasal swab? Your top 10

Where’s your closest drive-thru COVID-19 test site? Can you avoid that deep nasal swab? Your top 10 questions about coronavirus testing, answered.

COVID-19 testing is free at the state locations .
If you have insurance , your insurance company will be billed @ @ @ @ @ insurance has to cover the full cost of the test , but only if the @ @ @ @ @ appropriate.
” Translation : Your insurance company may require that you have symptoms and a @ @ @ @ @

Want to get a COVID-19 test solely because you’re visiting your grandparents?
In Illinois, there’s nothing stopping you.
COVID-19 testing has come a long way since May. You don’t need symptoms — or a doctor’s OK — to find out if you’re infected with the highly contagious virus. Drive-thru testing is common, and the wait can be short or nonexistent.
Hospitals, individual doctors and the state of Illinois are offering multiple options — including, in some cases, a less invasive testing method, in which the swab doesn’t go far up your nose or goes in your mouth.
“For our patients, we’ve made it pretty convenient and easy to get tested,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kopin, chief medical officer at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.
We asked Kopin, Illinois Department of Public Health spokesperson Melaney Arnold and the Cook County Department of Public Health what you need to know to navigate the new testing landscape. Here are their answers, supplemented by information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
1.
Do I need to make an appointment for COVID-19 testing in Illinois?
State-operated COVID-19 testing sites do not require appointments. You will need to make an appointment if you get tested at a doctor’s office or at a testing site run by a hospital or clinic.
2.
Do I have to have COVID-19 symptoms?
No, state testing sites offer testing on demand — without symptoms or a doctor’s order. Other testing sites may have different requirements, such as symptoms, exposure to someone with COVID-19 or a referral from a doctor.
3.
What should I bring?
Bring your ID and insurance information.
4.
Do I have to do that test where they put the swab way up your nose?
No. The state testing sites actually use a technique in which the swab is not inserted deeply, and City of Chicago tests sites use shallow mouth swabs. Many doctors’ offices use shallow nose insertion, Kopin said. But some medical professionals prefer the deeper nasal test: “At Northwestern Medicine, that’s the one we have the most trust in currently,” Kopin said.
5.
How is the sample taken in each case?
The deeper method, known as the nasopharyngeal swab, requires that a 6-inch swab be inserted up the nose to the back of the throat. For the shallower anterior nasal swab, the swab is inserted less than half an inch. City of Chicago tests sites offer a comfortable shallow mouth swab.
6.
Is one more accurate?
A deep nasal swab is the gold standard of COVID testing, but the CDC accepts the shallow nasal swab. The shallow mouth swab used at City of Chicago test sites has emergency use authorization from the FDA.
7.
How long will it take to get results?
Most testing locations get results back in 48 to 72 hours, Kopin said.
8.
How do I find my closest testing site?
The Illinois Department of Public Health offers locations at its website; you can also contact your doctor or health clinic.
9.
How do I find a site that offers drive-thru testing?
The state locations offer drive-thru testing.
10.
What does testing cost with insurance? Without?
COVID-19 testing is free at the state locations. If you have insurance, your insurance company will be billed. At other sites, insurance has to cover the full cost of the test, but only if the test is deemed “medically appropriate.” Translation: Your insurance company may require that you have symptoms and a referral from a doctor.
nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Universities are suspending students who party without masks and flout social distancing: ‘If you do

Universities are suspending students who party without masks and flout social distancing: ‘If you don’t abide by the rules, there’s no place for you here’

As colleges across the country allow students to return for fall classes , many are ramping up enforcement of new @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 .
The stakes are high : Universities that can ’ t contain the @ @ @ @ @ in-person classes or reverted to remote learning entirely , sending students home for the rest @ @ @ @

Unmasked students walk on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on Aug. 18, 2020. (Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune)
College students, beware: You could temporarily lose your spot on campus ― or worse, get expelled ― for partying with your peers this fall.
It happened at Purdue University in Indiana, where 36 students received “summary suspensions” last month for attending an off-campus gathering that lacked face masks and social distancing, just hours after a warning from administrators.
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The Ohio State University issued about 225 interim suspensions for off-campus parties and gatherings between Aug. 19 and 23, spokesman Benjamin Johnson said. More than half of the suspensions were lifted after students showed they did not attend, host or participate in unsafe activities, Johnson said.
And on the East Coast, Pennsylvania State University suspended a fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, and its student leaders for holding an event with 70 people on Aug. 22, while Syracuse University in New York took action after a large group of freshmen met up in a campus quad.
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As colleges across the country allow students to return for fall classes, many are ramping up enforcement of new rules to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The stakes are high: Universities that can’t contain the virus on campus have paused in-person classes or reverted to remote learning entirely, sending students home for the rest of the semester.
In recent weeks, some colleges have said they will check social media to monitor student behavior, review security footage when students mingle in large groups and, most severely, kick students out of classes for violating school policy.
At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the state’s largest college, disciplinary cases are pending as well, according to spokeswoman Robin Kaler.
As of Tuesday, two students were issued interim suspensions, one faced disciplinary action and a fraternity — Pi Kappa Phi — was placed on interim suspension, Kaler said.
The suspended students were accused of hosting a large apartment party Friday and violating a quarantine order Saturday, Kaler said. The fraternity was also accused of hosting a large party last weekend. The student facing discipline allegedly posted a social media video showing how to override the school’s COVID-19 tracking application, Kaler said.
In Indiana, the University of Notre Dame, which confronted a surge in infections attributed to off-campus parties, is also cracking down on irresponsible behavior. The school assured students the information would not be used against them if it was volunteered during contact tracing.
“We will continue to adhere to this policy because we want students to be forthright with us so that we can discover the source of the infections in order to keep the community safe,” said the Rev. John Jenkins, the school’s president, during a recent video address.
But if Notre Dame learns about “serious” violations from other sources, they will be referred to the university conduct review process, Jenkins said.
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Also in the Hoosier state, Indiana University’s board of trustees passed a policy Aug. 5 underscoring that students who fail or refuse to comply with health and safety directives related to COVID-19 can be suspended or expelled.
That policy will be applied to a recent gathering of about 100 people off campus in Bloomington. A video of the event circulated on Twitter but has since been removed from public viewing.
IU spokesman Chuck Carney said the school began contacting involved students last week and planned to issue suspensions, though he did not know how many students were affected. The off-campus party violated local prohibitions on gatherings of more than 50 people, he said. The city has since reduced the limit to 15.
With many Illinois colleges beginning classes in the last two weeks, few local examples have emerged so far. But many of the policies are consistent with what’s transpired at other campuses.
In one of the more forceful approaches, Northwestern University is effectively enlisting nearby residents to help monitor off-campus behavior.
During a community town hall last week, interim Dean of Students Mona Dugo asked neighbors in Evanston to use an online form to report social gatherings that don’t follow health precautions. She said that providing photo evidence and specific information, such as the address of the event, will help NU follow up.
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On its website, NU says students who don’t comply with a host of requirements for returning to campus — such as taking an online safety training — could be subject to disciplinary action.
“Northwestern will address the range of student behaviors, from isolated low-level incidents, like failure to wear a face covering, to the most severe cases, such as hosting a gathering that does not comply with expectations, that could lead to suspension or expulsion,” the website says.
In addition, students must agree to a set of “community standards” that includes social distancing, limiting gatherings, hygiene protocols and cleaning shared surfaces.
Northwestern had been planning to open residence halls to everyone but announced Friday that only third- and fourth-year and graduate students would be allowed to return for classes, which starts Sept. 16.
The University of Illinois at Chicago will also suspend or expel students, in accordance with its student disciplinary policy, based on the severity of the misconduct, spokeswoman Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez said.
“UIC expects that all students comply with all public health directives made by the university, local and state officials,” she said in an email, adding that students can report concerns about peers or student organizations with an online form.
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Students were also asked to sign a pledge that states violations of COVID-19 protocols can be reviewed by the Office of the Dean of Students and possibly result in campus restrictions or disciplinary action.
At Purdue, students learned their lesson quickly.
On Aug. 19, Purdue announced its code of conduct had been amended to include repercussions for violating its student pledge — called the Protect Purdue Pledge. The revisions spelled out the consequences for students caught partying without masks and without social distancing.
On the same day, Dean of Students Katherine Sermersheim emphasized Purdue’s stance in an online message. She said Purdue was taking “a hard line” on misconduct and cautioned: “If you don’t abide by rules, there is no place for you here.”
But that night, officials learned about a gathering at an off-campus residence. And the next day, Purdue moved to suspend 36 students who allegedly partied at the Circle Pines Men’s Cooperative.
A school spokesman said the organization and the students can appeal the suspension, and that a final decision will be made after an administrative hearing.
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“Students had to sign the Protect Purdue Pledge and were told that violating it could lead to disciplinary action,” spokesman Tim Doty said in an email, stressing that the expectations were clearly communicated.
Asked if more gatherings had subsequently come to light, Doty said that Purdue will not comment on every alleged party or student disciplinary investigation.
Kaler of UIUC said administrators will respond to student misconduct based on the frequency and severity of reports.
Hosting a large event without masks or social distancing could be considered an “egregious” act, resulting in interim suspension or dismissal, according to a summary of the protocol provided by UIUC.
Students will also have to follow local regulations prohibiting large gatherings, or face fines.
The cities of Urbana and Champaign both recently issued orders capping parties at 10 people ― excluding the host, the host’s immediate family or other members of the household. Hosts can be fined up to $750 per violation per day.
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UIUC informed students about the emergency orders, which were implemented immediately, through an email Aug. 20.
Kaler said conduct complaints will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and that educating students about the new expectations is a priority.
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Column: It’s September. Already. Again. This year many wish we could skip ahead as an election and c

Column: It’s September. Already. Again. This year many wish we could skip ahead as an election and cabin fever loom.

“ Can we please just fast-forward to Nov. 4 ?
” I ’ ve heard people say , as if @ @ @ @ @ but desirable to leapfrog into the future , an imaginary time when democracy will be @ @ @ @ @ civil , justice will mean justice for all , and the president of the United @ @ @ @ @ a man of dignity .

A man jogs with his dog along the lakefront near Monroe Street in Chicago on Aug. 31, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
It’s September. Already. Again.
But not just any September, not just the September of wistful songs and melancholy poems. Not just that familiar kind of September that makes us speak of waning light and fading flowers and the double-edged thrill of heading back to school.
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No. This is September 2020. Only two months until the presidential election. Nine weeks from a vote that could rock the world. To be precise, a vote that will occur a mere 62 days, 11 hours, and 4 minutes from the time I started writing this on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
In other words, Election Day, Nov. 3, will be here as fast as you can say “tempus fugit,” and still, for a lot of people, that’s not fast enough.
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“Can we please just fast-forward to Nov. 4?” I’ve heard people say, as if it were not only possible but desirable to leapfrog into the future, an imaginary time when democracy will be safe, Americans will be civil, justice will mean justice for all, and the president of the United States will once again be a man of dignity.
“So glad this August is over,” I’ve heard people lament, in a variation on the theme, as if flipping a page on an old-fashioned calendar will calm the chaos of this pandemic summer.
I’ve heard other variations on that theme too: “Please let 2020 be over” and “This year cannot be over soon enough” and “Wake me up when this nightmare’s done.”
Such comments started before September, but my unscientific survey of social media suggests that September’s arrival has amplified this line of thinking.
“Only 63 more days!” someone posted on Facebook Tuesday, and while I empathized with the impatience, I also thought: Don’t wish your life away. Sixty-three days is a lot of living. What’s the rush?
Think back to 63 days ago. July. Remember? Think of all the life you’ve lived in the two months since, some of it hard, no doubt, but a lot of it fulfilling. Would you have wanted to forfeit all those days and nights just to be spared the hard parts? Most of us would say no.
Of course, there’s another kind of lament heard in this new September, the more familiar kind common to summer lovers in the Northern climates. It’s the lament that rises whenever summer fades. This lament comes from people who want to slow time down. It’s not that they mind September, but they — by they I mean we — mind the message that rides on the September breeze: Warning! Gray skies, bitter winds, slushy sidewalks, cabin fever ahead!
It’s a feeling summed up in Mary Jo Salter’s poem “Absolute September,” which a friend recently introduced me to. It begins:
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How hard it is to take September
straight — not as a harbinger
of something harder.
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In 2020, the “something harder” includes a new dread. What will winter be like in the pandemic, when cabin fever meets the coronavirus? Goodbye to socially distanced outdoor dining and socially distanced picnics in the park. Hello to Zoom Thanksgiving and Zoom Hanukkah and Zoom Christmas carols.
“I just want it to be spring,” I heard someone whimper the other day, “so we have a vaccine and can get on with life.”
We can all relate. But this is life. Today. September 2020. We don’t really want to wish our days away, do we?
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It’s the nature of the human mind to push our thoughts into the future even as we gaze toward the past. Sitting in the present — as the great philosophers have told us — is the hardest, most essential thing we’re called upon to do.
Besides, time doesn’t care what we want. It’s going to do its own thing at its own pace. The election will come when it comes. One day the pandemic will be history. Those summer flowers are going to die and next summer there will be new ones.
So we may as well accept the rhythm and settle into these September days, and into the October days that follow. They will be beautiful, and odds are we’ll look back and think they passed too fast.
mschmich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Family demands answers after Chicago police fatally shoot man when shots are fired at officers in Pi

Family demands answers after Chicago police fatally shoot man when shots are fired at officers in Pilsen

Vega , the father of two , had no record of gun charges .
He was the oldest of four @ @ @ @ @ in Calumet City , though he grew up in the Pilsen area on the same @ @ @ @ @ , his family said .

Laura Rodríguez Presa, Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas

The family of Miguel Vega — father Miguel Vega Sr., from left, mother Maria Vega and brother Erik Vega — speak with members of the news media near the intersection of 18th Street and Blue Island Avenue on Oct. 1, 2020, in Chicago. Miguel Vega was fatally shot by police on Aug. 31 on the 1300 block of West 19th Street. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
First thing Tuesday morning, the family of Miguel Vega walked up and down the block in Pilsen where hours earlier he had been shot and killed by Chicago police after shots were fired at their unmarked car.
They searched for witnesses, asked about surveillance video that would show the confrontation in the 1300 block of West 19th Street. By late morning, they were still looking.
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“I want answers from the police and justice for my son,” Maria Vega said. “If my son was at fault, I’ll accept it, but it doesn’t make sense right now.”
Chicago police say Vega was shot after officers were fired upon as they got out of their car about 10:45 p.m. The officers had been responding to a call of a suspicious person when they noticed a group standing on the sidewalk, police said.
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“Officers were driving down the street, observed five individuals, attempted to exit their vehicle and were immediately fired upon,” Chicago police Deputy Chief Daniel O’Shea told reporters.
Officers returned fire and hit Vega, according to the statement. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died hours later, his family said. Two people were arrested and two others remained at large. A gun was recovered from the scene, police said.
The department’s preliminary statement does not include many details, including whether Vega was seen firing a gun or whether anyone else in the group was armed. No charges have been announced against those taken into custody.
Vega, the father of two, had no record of gun charges. He was the oldest of four and lived with his parents in Calumet City, though he grew up in the Pilsen area on the same block where he was killed, his family said.
He had many friends in the area and his family said he was not involved with any gang activity. They believe he was simply with the wrong people at the wrong time.
“It doesn’t matter how the altercation developed, police shouldn’t have shot my son on the back to his head,” Maria Vega cried. “Police say he was shooting, but how was he going to be shooting at them if they shot him to the back of his head?”
The family learned Vega had been shot and “was laying in a pool of blood” after someone ran to their home not far away, according to an uncle, Oscar Vega.
In the morning, Vega’s parents and an aunt said they went to the Near West District police station for information. Vega’s parents do not speak English, and Griselda Vega said she translated for them.
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“Police aren’t giving us clear answers,” Griselda Vega said.
Maria Vega demanded that authorities release video from body cameras worn by the officers. “I want to see those videos.”
Any videos of the shooting will be released through the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which is investigating the shooting. The city has 60 days, generally, to make the videos publicly available.
“COPA is currently investigating the actions of the officer to determine if the use of deadly force is in accordance with department policy,” the agency said in a statement.
The shooting happened a day after police Superintendent David Brown said people seemed to be targeting police officers in Chicago. He noted that more than 50 officers have been fired upon so far this year, and 10 of them were hit.
Two officers were shot early Sunday in an exchange of gunfire that also wounded the suspect, Jeffon Williams, 19. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder and appeared in bond court Monday, where Circuit Judge John Lyke Jr. ordered him held in lieu of a $10 million cash bail.
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“Violent offenders have acted with impunity much more than we’ve seen in the past so far this year,” Brown said Monday.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--‘Chicago. Total disaster.’ When Trump talks about Chicago, we track it.

Since becoming president Trump has returned the theme frequently bashing the city in Tweets and interviews .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ .
In a 2016 interview with Fox ’ s Sean Hannity Trump said : “ @ @ @ @ @ have big investments in Chicago , and I think it ’ s a great city @ @

Chicago and its violence have been a frequent subject of President Donald Trump’s attention. It was a common campaign thread Trump used to hammer Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama and now Joe Biden.
Since becoming president Trump has returned the theme frequently bashing the city in Tweets and interviews. It’s not all vinegar, though. In a 2016 interview with Fox’s Sean Hannity Trump said: “I love Chicago. I have big investments in Chicago, and I think it’s a great city.”
Here are Trump’s mentions of Chicago — and the state of Illinois — with annotations where appropriate.


chicagotribune--2020-09-03--‘Irresponsible and dangerous’ partying by some students leads University of Illinois to crack down o

‘Irresponsible and dangerous’ partying by some students leads University of Illinois to crack down on social activity and warn of suspensions as campus COVID-19 cases near 800

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

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. Earlier Wednesday, the school had characterized the number as “more than 400″ before clarifying during a news conference.
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To deal with the surge, UIUC officials announced a number of changes to its contact tracing efforts, stricter disciplinary actions against students flouting the rules and a crackdown on social activity through Sept. 16.
Students were instructed to stay in their residences for two weeks and leave only for essential purposes, such as attending class, going to the grocery store or getting tested for COVID-19. They are also discouraged from “gathering in small or large groups under any circumstances,” the school says.
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“In the past few days, the number of positive cases has increased at a rate that is on track to double the number of cases every week,” UIUC leaders said in a news release. “If that trend continues, the university would experience 75-100 new cases each day and would expect to have as many as 8,000 positive cases over the course of the semester.”
On Monday, the latest day for which data was publicly available, 230 new cases were identified on campus — the most in a single day since the school’s testing program began, according to the school’s data. That breaks the previous one-day record of 104 new cases on Sunday, marking a steep rise since students returned for move-in starting Aug. 16 and just seven new cases were detected.
During a virtual news conference Wednesday afternoon, Provost Andreas Cangellaris said the school is prepared to clear out dorms and revert to remote learning, as happened in the spring, if cases don’t decline. In the news release, officials cited concerns that hospitalizations would be required if infections continued to spread at a rapid rate.
“If we do not make the progress that we expect over the next two weeks, we are going to be forced to send everyone home,” Cangellaris said, noting that students had continuously expressed a desire to return to campus for the fall.
People walk on Green Street near the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in July. Hundreds of COVID-19 cases have been detected on campus since students returned for the fall term. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Cangellaris also cited the school’s rolling seven-day positivity rate, most recently recorded as 1.16% based on Monday’s test results, to show UIUC was taking proactive action before cases got out of control. Still, that’s up from about .75% last week.
Part of UIUC’s revamped approach will include stiffer penalties for student misconduct. Those who host parties or who don’t comply with quarantine or isolation directions will face “immediate suspension,” officials said. As of Wednesday, two students were suspended, a fraternity had been issued an interim suspension for hosting a large party, and more than 100 additional students and organizations were being investigated for infractions.
[ Universities are suspending students who party without masks and flout social distancing: ‘If you don’t abide by the rules, there’s no place for you here’ ]
The downstate campus, which had more than 50,000 students last year, has received national attention for a saliva test its researchers developed to quickly and easily find asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19. Students are required to take the tests twice a week if they are living in dorms or visiting campus.
While some students have said test results are taking up to 48 hours and about 5% of saliva samples are coming back as invalid, school officials defended the testing program Wednesday and instead sought to place blame on a minority of students not abiding by campus protocols.
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“The irresponsible, and I might add dangerous, actions of a small number of our students has created the very real possibility of ending an in-person semester for all of us here at Illinois,” Chancellor Robert Jones said as he opened the news conference. “There are poor choices that led to a concerning and rapid increase in the number of new undergraduate COVID-19 positive cases.”
In addition to throwing large parties and failing to wear facial coverings, UIUC said some students ignored calls from contact tracers from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District or violated their required quarantines after testing positive.
UIUC had predicted a rise in COVID-19 cases when students began moving into dorms last month, but thought it would be able to identify, isolate and snuff out the virus with the school’s frequent testing and quarantine requirements. UIUC has performed about 182,060 saliva tests since the technology was unveiled in early July.
But Nigel Goldenfeld, a physics professor who helped the school with modeling, said UIUC’s predictions did not take into account the level of noncompliance seen among students in recent weeks. The models did assume that some students would party, go to bars and fail to wear masks.
“What is not in the models is that students would actually fail to isolate,” he said. “That they would not respond to methods to reach them by (the public health department). That they would go to a party even if they knew they were COVID positive, or that they would host a party when they were COVID positive.”
In its news release, UIUC acknowledges that the “numbers did not go down as predicted” despite complex modeling efforts over the summer.
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About 800 students were in quarantine, and the school estimates that between 300 to 400 people would need to be added to quarantine every day if cases continue to rise, UIUC said.
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-03--Captive-bred Blanding’s turtles released into the wild: ‘To bring them back from the brink of extinc

Captive-bred Blanding’s turtles released into the wild: ‘To bring them back from the brink of extinction is a monumental undertaking.’

In the coming days , the turtles will acclimate to their new world in natural waters .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ out on their own , already on alert for predators .
When temperatures start to @ @ @ @ @ start shutting down .
They ’ ll enter brumation , the coldblooded equivalent of hibernation @ @ @ @ @ ll come up from the water again in the spring .

Dan Thompson, ecologist for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County holds an endangered Blanding’s turtle before releasing it to the wild in a forest preserve in northwest DuPage County on Sept. 2, 2020. Blanding’s turtles are bred and hatched in managed care at Brookfield Zoo before being released into a grassy marsh habitat which gives hatchlings a better chance at survival. (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.
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The DuPage Forest Preserve District’s head-start program has helped raise and release young Blanding’s turtles for years. But Wednesday’s journey into the marsh featured the first cohort in the program’s 25 years that included captive-bred turtles from Brookfield Zoo.
“Because it is a long-term project, we’ve been twiddling thumbs for several years now, thinking, is it this year, is it this year?” said Andy Snider, curator of herpetology and aquatics for the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo.
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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)
Last year, some of the females in the pond began to breed. It can take Blanding’s turtles up to two decades to reach their reproductive years, so waiting around was part of the process.
Dan Thompson, ecologist for the DuPage Forest Preserve District, said the captive-bred turtles are the descendants of some deceased turtles — maybe crushed by a car or snatched by a predator — whose genetic material has long been missing from the population. The “grandturtles,” he joked, are carrying on grandma’s legacy.
“We’ve got a story about this species that’s struggling for existence right here in our own backyard and most people don’t even know or recognize it,” Thompson said. “To bring them back from the brink of extinction is a monumental undertaking.”
‘Mischief on their minds’
Jeff Bocek, a senior animal care specialist with the Chicago Zoological Society, has been on the lookout for nests at the Brookfield Zoo pond.
“It’s pretty special to have it come full circle,” Bocek said. “When you go out there and you find the little hatchlings, they’re so cute.”
Jeff Bocek, senior animal care specialist for the Chicago Zoological Society, releases endangered Blanding’s turtles to the wild in a forest preserve in DuPage County on Sept. 2, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“They definitely have a personality,” Bocek said. “When you see them basking, you can see their super long necks outstretched — something you don’t normally see in other species of turtles.”
And they have that smile, Bocek said. “It always looks like they’ve got mischief on their minds.”
You’ve probably never seen a Blanding’s turtle, a state-endangered species. But if you do spot one, you can tell it’s a Blanding’s from its convex mouth, permanently fixed in a tiny grin.
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Named for the naturalist William Blanding, the turtles’ core population can be found around the Great Lakes. During nice weather, like Wednesday’s early afternoon sun, they might be out basking. In Illinois, they’ve inspired “turtle crossing” signs and even a protest after construction of a suburban Walgreens threatened their safety.
Blanding’s turtles are long-lived — sometimes 80 years — but slow to mature, not reaching reproductive age until their teens at the earliest.
Jeff Bocek, senior animal care specialist for the Chicago Zoological Society, and Dan Thompson, ecologist for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, weigh a turtle before releasing it on Sept. 2, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“So that’s an awful long time to release a turtle and hope that it survives in a relatively hostile environment,” Thompson said. “Because we have been doing this for 25 years now, we’re fortunate enough to know that we’ve got multiple head-start turtles that we have hatched from eggs, raised and released that have now managed to persist and survive.”
‘It isn’t happening overnight’
The exact population of the Blanding’s turtles in the area isn’t known; a range can be estimated from years of trapping. In DuPage County, predators wipe out 90% of the eggs and nests, Thompson said. Even when eggs become hatchlings, it’s tough to maintain the population.
In 2002, the Tribune reported the number of known communities of Blanding’s turtles in Illinois dropped to fewer than three dozen.
Since the program began, more than 3,000 turtles have hatched. Years ago, the population may have hovered around 150, Thompson said. Now it’s likely topped 200, and could be as high as 400.
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“We are seeing our populations build,” Thompson said. “It isn’t happening overnight, though. It’s a slow process. It’s heading in the right direction. But there’s a lot of work to be done.”
On Wednesday afternoon, before the turtles were plopped into the marsh by Thompson and Bocek, both knee deep in the water, the yearlings climbed over each other in two blue bins. One pancake-sized critter pushed another’s head down with its stubby leg, causing a sudden dip back into the shell.
Thompson showed off one of the yearlings, who stretched its head out and twizzled it around, its bright yellow throat blowing out like a bubble, legs flailing in the air.
He also showed where a raccoon — skilled at finding nests, eating eggs and killing baby turtles — could sever its body in half.
If Blanding’s turtles completely disappeared, the cascading effects could be like the precarious existence of a bicycle dependent on its parts, Thompson said.
Jeff Bocek, left, senior animal care specialist for the Chicago Zoological Society, and Dan Thompson, ecologist for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, release endangered Blanding’s turtles into a forest preserve in DuPage County. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“You’ve got the spokes on your bicycle wheel. Each one supports it a little bit. But as you lose a species, you lose a spoke. Can the wheel still function? Yes. But is it weaker? Yes,” Thompson said. “And certain species, you just don’t really understand the role they play. And once they’re lost, you’re stuck with that void.”
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‘A lot of roads to cross’
Blanding’s turtles are an indicator species, Thompson said, meaning that if you’re seeing the endangered reptile in an area, the habitat is likely doing all right.
“You’re actually helping to serve and maintain a lot of the more common species, like the painted turtle and the snapping turtle,” Thompson said. “So truly, while we are working with the Blanding’s turtle, the effort is actually all about ecological health and balance.”
Among the challenges faced by the happy-looking turtles: human activity, habitat loss, increased flooding, an abundance of raccoons.
“It’s a tough world out there,” Thompson said. “A lot of predators. A lot of challenges. A lot of roads to cross.”
The turtles’ need for a wetland area as well as nearby sandy upland for nesting can lead to a search for the ideal habitat, Snider said, and traveling carries risk as the turtles face roads and cars.
As for what the average person can do to help the turtles, keeping eyes on the road is a start.
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“I understand a rabbit, a squirrel, they dart out in front of you sometimes,” Thompson said. “Turtles don’t dart out in front of you.”
Also, said Thompson, don’t take one home from a marsh if you think it’s cute — that’s illegal.
As hatchlings, Blanding’s are about the size of a quarter. The larger yearlings have a better shot at survival. At 2 years, the turtles are even more raccoon-proof, but the program is careful about weighing the protections of captivity against the dulling of their instincts.
“They know to be very wary,” Thompson said. “They know that they’re vulnerable so they’re very cautious of predators. But unfortunately because of their small size, it’s tough to avoid everybody.”
Tracking the turtles has helped gather data on their habitats, growth and survival rates. On Wednesday, one turtle, undeterred by the drilling sounds, was microchipped and had its shell notched, both identifiers that can help collect its stories. The program even takes photos of the unique patterns on the bottom plastron of each shell as another backup.
“Saving the Blanding’s is just a small component of that bigger picture,” Thompson said. “We’ve got to do a better job of coexisting on this planet, looking out for one another and living in a manner that’s not negatively impacting the environment.”
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In the coming days, the turtles will acclimate to their new world in natural waters. They’re hardwired for survival, hatching out on their own, already on alert for predators. When temperatures start to drop, the turtles will start shutting down. They’ll enter brumation, the coldblooded equivalent of hibernation. And then they’ll come up from the water again in the spring.


chicagotribune--2020-09-03--Aldermen debate Chicago state of emergency, asking Pritzker for National Guard help

Even if the committee and the full City Council pass the resolution , however , it ’ s simply a @ @ @ @ @ a state of emergency in Chicago , and he would be hard-pressed to call in @ @ @ @ @ Lightfoot asking him to do so .

Aldermen on Wednesday took up the politically charged idea of asking Gov. J.B. Pritzker to call in the National Guard to patrol violence-plagued Chicago streets.
The Public Safety Committee did not vote on the proposal, but committee Chairman Ald. Chris Taliaferro said he would do so next week.
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Even if the committee and the full City Council pass the resolution, however, it’s simply a request of Pritzker to declare a state of emergency in Chicago, and he would be hard-pressed to call in the guard without Mayor Lori Lightfoot asking him to do so.
Lightfoot has taken a dim view of the idea, and her hand-picked police superintendent, David Brown, testified against it Wednesday.
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He acknowledged the summer violence has pushed the city to the limit, but cited the recent creation of a new mobile Police Department team to address violence as evidence neighborhood safety is being prioritized.
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“But the role of the Chicago police officer and the role of the guardsman are different,” he said.
While police train to deal with mental health problems they might encounter and to de-escalate situations, the guard trains for national disasters and upheaval, Brown said. In addition, guard members can’t make arrests, making them ill-equipped to police civilian areas on U.S. soil, he said.
“I firmly believe Chicago needs to solve its own problems,” Brown said. He called on law-abiding citizens to call 911 if they see something suspicious.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Milan — who co-authored a 2017 report calling for the National Guard to patrol Chicago with James Smith, who went on to become Lightfoot’s private security chief — testified in favor of the idea on Wednesday.
Lightfoot dismissed Smith and Milan’s report shortly after she was elected, and has repeatedly said in recent months that she opposes the idea of bringing in the National Guard.
Smith recently stepped down as the head of the mayor’s security detail.
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Milan on Wednesday acknowledged it’s “an extreme plan,” but said something has to be done to deal with the decades-old scourge of gang violence.
“If you don’t like my plan, come up with something else,” he said. “But I haven’t seen one, ever.”
Alicia Tate-Nadeau, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, said the National Guard could only be brought in to aid the Chicago police, and only after local officials determine all options have been exhausted.
And she cautioned that the presence of armed soldiers on Chicago streets could worsen the relationship between citizens and law enforcement, and stigmatize the residents of those neighborhoods.
But Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, the Lightfoot critic who sponsored the resolution, said these are “extraordinary times,” and Chicago residents don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods.
Lopez said he simply wants the National Guard to do things like protect property around the city from looters, so police can do their jobs. “What we have seen through the past several weeks is horrifying,” Lopez said, citing recent shooting statistics.
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Asked about it last month, Pritzker noted the National Guard helped form a perimeter around downtown during protests following George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. And he said he had spoken to Lightfoot several times “to make sure she knows the National Guard is available.”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Grandson charged with murder in stabbing deaths of grandparents in Markham

He had been held after police responded to the home of Gabriel Tyson Sr. , 66 , and his 65-year-old @ @ @ @ @ for a well-being check .
The grandson was in the home at the time .

A 21-year-old Markham man was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing deaths of his grandparents in their home, according to a city spokesman.
Romel D. Tyson was expected to appear Thursday morning for a bond hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago.
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He had been held after police responded to the home of Gabriel Tyson Sr., 66, and his 65-year-old wife, Carmella Tyson, for a well-being check. The grandson was in the home at the time.
Romel Tyson (City of Markham)
The two were pronounced dead shortly after 5 p.m. Monday and the Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled their deaths homicides as a result of multiple sharp force injuries.
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Romel Tyson had been living with his grandparents in their home in the 16600 block of Sawyer Avenue in Markham since being paroled from prison, said Michael Taylor, a spokesman for the city.
The Illinois Department of Corrections website shows he was released June 22 after serving a sentence for a residential burglary conviction in Cook County.
The charges of first-degree murder were approved Wednesday by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, he said.
It wasn’t immediately clear how long the couple had been dead, he said.
mnolan@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Fire at Indonesian Consulate General residence in Winnetka prompts evacuation, assistance from neigh

Fire at Indonesian Consulate General residence in Winnetka prompts evacuation, assistance from neighboring departments

“ When we arrived at the scene , we could see heavy smoke conditions from the northwest corner of the @ @ @ @ @ evacuated , and started fighting the fire , which we believed started in the attic @ @ @ @ @ of fire in the roof , ” Berkowsky said .

A Wednesday afternoon fire at the Indonesian Consulate General’s residence in Winnetka prompted an evacuation of the stately home and required assistance from several neighboring fire departments, authorities said.
The fire in the 600 block of Pine Lane, near Hibbard Road, was reported around 12:40 p.m., and required the evacuation of a dozen visitors to the two-story, single-family home, which is flanked by artwork and decorative statuary, Winnetka Fire Chief Alan Berkowsky said.
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A firefighter was treated at the scene, and there were no other injuries, Berkowsky said.
When reached by phone Wednesday evening, officials at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Chicago declined to comment on the incident.
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But Berkowsky said authorities believe the home is used as both a residence and a meeting place for visiting dignitaries.
“When we arrived at the scene, we could see heavy smoke conditions from the northwest corner of the building, which we immediately evacuated, and started fighting the fire, which we believed started in the attic, with quite a bit of fire in the roof,” Berkowsky said.
The blaze was determined to be serious enough to prompt a mutual aid response from neighboring fire departments, including crews from Deerfield, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Northfield, North Maine, Skokie, Wilmette and Wheeling.
As the narrow lane where the home is located did not have room for more than one fire engine, Berkowsky said firefighters relied on a relay operation that required pumping water from a nearby hydrant, then transferring the water to another engine, then pointing the hose line directly at the fire.
In total, the firefighters used three hose lines inside the home and two outside, Berkowsky said.
“This was a very aggressive fire, and all of the firefighters on the scene did a great job of stopping it before it consumed the entire building,” Berkowsky said.
While the home is uninhabitable, Berkowsky said the damage was limited primarily one area of the structure, and it will likely be able to be reconstructed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 2,128 new known COVID-19 cases and 27 additional deaths reported as

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 2,128 new known COVID-19 cases and 27 additional deaths reported as infections spike at U. of I. after large weekend parties

“ 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 .
”

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is reporting a spike in positive COVID-19 cases among undergraduate students, saying the infections are tied to large parties and gatherings over the weekend, according to a media release.
About 780 new cases have been identified since classes began Aug. 24, said Martin Burke, a chemistry professor leading the school’s testing program, during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. He corrected a previous figure released by the school that said more than 400 cases had been identified.
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Meanwhile, Illinois health officials on Wednesday announced 2,128 new known cases of COVID-19 and 27 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 238,643 and the statewide death toll to 8,091. Officials also reported 32,751 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.5%.
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
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8 p.m. (update): ‘Irresponsible and dangerous’ partying by some students leads U. of I. to crack down on social activity and warn of suspensions
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. Earlier Wednesday, the school had characterized the number as “more than 400″ before clarifying during a news conference.
To deal with the surge, UIUC officials announced a number of changes to its contact tracing efforts, stricter disciplinary actions against students flouting the rules and a crackdown on social activity through Sept. 16.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
5:30 p.m. (update): COVID-19 cases spike at University of Illinois after large weekend parties
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is reporting a spike in positive COVID-19 cases among undergraduate students, saying the infections are tied to large parties and gatherings over the weekend, according to a media release.
About 780 new cases have been identified since classes began Aug. 24, said Martin Burke, a chemistry professor leading the school’s testing program, during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. He corrected a previous figure released by the school that said more than 400 cases had been identified.
“In the past few days, the number of positive cases has increased at a rate that is on track to double the number of cases every week,” according to the UIUC release. “If that trend continues, the university would experience 75-100 new cases each day and would expect to have as many as 8,000 positive cases over the course of the semester.”
School leaders also said Wednesday that some infected people could require hospitalization if cases the virus continues to spread.
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Officials detailed plans to counteract the increase at a 3:30 p.m. news conference. The strategy includes increasing staffing to monitor student behavior, contacting students who test positive more quickly and asking undergraduates to limit non-essential social events.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
4:25 p.m.: CDC tells states to prepare for COVID-19 vaccine by late October or early November
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified public health officials in all 50 states and five large cities to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to health care workers and other high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November.
The new CDC guidance is the latest sign of an accelerating race for a vaccine to greatly ease a pandemic that has killed more than 184,000 Americans. The documents were sent out on the same day that President Donald Trump told the nation in his speech to the Republican National Convention that a vaccine might arrive before the end of the year.
Over the past week, both Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, who heads the Food and Drug Administration, have said in interviews with news organizations that a vaccine could be available for certain groups before clinical trials have been completed, if the data is overwhelmingly positive.
Public health experts agree that agencies at all levels of government should urgently prepare for what will eventually be a vast, complex effort to vaccinate hundreds of millions of Americans. But the possibility of a rollout in late October or early November has also heightened concerns that the Trump administration is seeking to rush the distribution of a vaccine — or simply to hype that one is possible — before Election Day on Nov. 3.
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Read more here. —The New York Times
4 p.m.: As Aurora hits 5,000th case of coronavirus, mayor stresses preventative measures
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin Wednesday recommitted to the tenets of the Mask Up Aurora campaign.
Speaking a day after Aurora reached its 5,000th confirmed case of COVID-19 – which includes a total of 118 deaths – Irvin said the city remains committed to the three W’s: washing hands often and using hand sanitizer; watching your distance from other people; and wearing a mask.
“It’s a simple thing that can have a huge impact,” Irvin said of mask-wearing. “But it only works if you wear it.”
Read more here. —Steve Lord
2:46 p.m.: Federal Reserve survey finds widespread pessimism about US economic future
The latest Federal Reserve survey of U.S. economic activity found generally modest gains in August but also pessimism about the future given the threats posed by the coronavirus.
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The Fed report made public Wednesday said that a theme echoed across the country is the continued uncertainty stemming from the pandemic and its negative effect on consumer and business activity.
The report, based on responses gathered before Aug. 24, found that economic activity had increased modestly from late July but remained well below levels seen before the pandemic hit in March.
The coronavirus outbreak has pushed the country into a deep recession and resulted in millions of people losing their jobs and thousands of businesses struggling to survive. This despite the Fed and Congress providing massive amounts of economic support.
Read more here. —Associated Press
2:40 p.m.: Amid COVID-19 spike blamed on weekend parties, U. of I. tells students to stay home
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is seeing a large uptick in COVID-19 cases after some undergraduates partied over the weekend without masks or social distancing, officials say.
They plan to crack down even more on social gatherings, saying students could face immediate suspensions. Students are being asked to stay int their residences for the next two weeks, only leave home for essential needs and avoid gathering even in small groups.
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If the current trend isn’t reversed, the campus could end up with 8,000 cases by the end of the semester, officials warned.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
2 p.m.: Winter patios? Dining igloos? As pandemic persists, bars and restaurants are prepping for one of the strangest winters Chicago has ever seen
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.
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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Read more here. —Josh Noel
12:15 p.m.: Families in suburban Cook County public housing to get free internet in Comcast program funded by federal CARES Act dollars
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 Robbins.
”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.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
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12:11 p.m.: 2,128 new known COVID-19 cases and 27 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Wednesday announced 2,128 new known cases of COVID-19 and 27 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 238,643 and the statewide death toll to 8,091 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 32,751 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.5%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
11:06 a.m.: Steroids confirmed to improve survival rates for severely ill coronavirus patients, studies show
New studies confirm that multiple types of steroids improve survival for severely ill COVID-19 patients, cementing the cheap drugs as a standard of care.
An analysis of pooled results from seven studies, led by the World Health Organization and published Wednesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that steroids reduced the risk of death in the first month by about one-third compared to placebo treatment or usual care alone in these seriously ill patients who needed extra oxygen.
Read more here. —Associated Press
10:52 a.m.: Illinois receives approval for extra $300 in weekly jobless benefits from FEMA
Illinois received approval Tuesday for an extra $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits authorized by President Donald Trump through an executive order in August.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is responsible for doling out the funds, said in a Tuesday news release it approved the state for the Lost Wage Assistance program, which President 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.
The agency said it will work with Gov. J.B. Pritzker to implement a system to pay the benefits. Neither the state nor FEMA immediately responded to a question Wednesday about when jobless workers could expect to begin receiving the payments.
Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
10:33 a.m.: United Airlines plans to furlough 16,370 employees Oct. 1 unless it gets more federal aid
United Airlines plans to furlough 16,370 employees this fall as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on air travel.
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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Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
8:36 a.m.: CDC halts evictions for some renters due to COVID-19. Here’s who qualifies.
The Trump administration has issued a directive halting the eviction of certain renters through the end of 2020 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Federal, state and local governments have approved eviction moratoriums during the course of the pandemic for many renters, but those protections are expiring rapidly.
A recent report from one think tank, the Aspen Institute, stated that more than 20 million renters live in households that have suffered COVID-19-related job loss and concluded that millions more are at risk of eviction in the next several months.
Read more here. —Associated Press
7:48 a.m.: ‘Additional ventilators ... are no longer required’: Feds say national stockpile is full, cancel orders
The Trump administration is canceling some of its remaining orders for ventilators, after rushing to sign nearly $3 billion in emergency contracts as the COVID-19 pandemic surged in the spring.
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The Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement Tuesday affirming that the national stockpile has now reached its maximum capacity for the life-saving breathing machines, with nearly 120,000 available for deployment to state and local health officials if needed. Though the orders were billed as a cost-saving measure, Democrats said the cancellations show the White House vastly overspent in its quest to fulfill President Donald Trump’s pledge to make the United States the “King of Ventilators.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
6:45 a.m.: Chicago sports teams, city officials tout mask wearing in One Home Team campaign
Several Chicago sports teams planned to join city officials to encourage young people to wear masks and following other health guidelines as part of the city’s We Are All One Home Team campaign, according to the mayor’s office.
The Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, Sky, and White Sox will join the city in flying flags for the public relations campaign, according to a release from the mayor’s office.
The city previously released a Snapchat filter allowing people to add a mask to photos and handed out 30,000 masks as part of the campaign, which also has included billboards and social media ads.
“The City encourages all residents to participate in the campaign by posting and sharing photos of their masks on social media using the hashtag #TeamUpMaskUp,” according to the release.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
6 a.m.: Universities suspending students who party without masks and flout social distancing
College students, beware: You could temporarily lose your spot on campus ― or worse, get expelled ― for partying with your peers this fall.
It happened at Purdue University in Indiana, where 36 students received “summary suspensions” earlier this month for attending an off-campus gathering that lacked face masks and social distancing, just hours after a warning from administrators.
As colleges across the country allow students to return for fall classes, many are ramping up enforcement of new rules to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The stakes are high: Universities that can’t contain the virus on campus have paused in-person classes or reverted to remote learning entirely, sending students home for the rest of the semester.
In recent weeks, some colleges have said they will check social media to monitor student behavior, review security footage when students mingle in large groups and, most severely, kick students out of classes for violating school policy.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
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6 a.m.: Your top 10 questions about coronavirus testing, answered
Want to get a COVID-19 test solely because you’re visiting your grandparents?
In Illinois, there’s nothing stopping you.
COVID-19 testing has come a long way since May. You don’t need symptoms — or a doctor’s OK — to find out if you’re infected with the highly contagious virus. Drive-thru testing is common, and the wait can be short or nonexistent.
Hospitals, individual doctors and the state of Illinois are offering multiple options — including, in some cases, a less invasive testing method, in which the swab doesn’t go far up your nose.
We asked health experts what you need to know to navigate the new testing landscape.
Read more here. —Nara Schoenberg
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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 Tuesday related to COVID-19.


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--The Spin: Biden wants to bring healing message to Kenosha tomorrow | Madigan vs. House GOP over ComE

The Spin: Biden wants to bring healing message to Kenosha tomorrow | Madigan vs. House GOP over ComEd | Pritzker says state unemployment agency workers threatened

Closer to home : After protesters damage property at the Oak Park mayor ’ s home , tension on village @ @ @ @ @ village ’ s decision not to advance a measure to reappropriate police funds , protesters @ @ @ @ @ ’ s front and back yards , ripped up his garden and caused property damage @ @ @ @ @ the Oak Leaves .
He writes : “ In the aftermath , the Oak Park @ @ @ @ @ happened that night , with all but one trustee condemning the damage and the mayor @ @ @ @ @ her refusal to criticize the destruction.
” Full story here .

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives to receive a briefing from education leaders and experts in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is making his first trip to the battleground state of Wisconsin tomorrow where he’s expected to offer a message of “healing.” Biden’s expected to give a rebuttal to Republican President Donald Trump’s law-and-order-themed visit yesterday in Kenosha, a city that’s become a flashpoint over race and policing since an officer shot a Black resident in the back late last month.
The Democrat vs. Republican divide in the Illinois legislature was on full display this morning. At the request of its GOP members, the Illinois House announced it’s convening a committee to look into whether Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan should be disciplined in light of Commonwealth Edison’s agreement with federal prosecutors that alleged the utility engaged in a “yearslong bribery scheme” that sought to curry favor with him, my Tribune colleague Jamie Munks writes.
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Before GOP members made the announcement public, Madigan’s office fired off a response, blasting the move as a “political stunt” in an election year.
And during a news conference today, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois Department of Employment Security employees have been threatened as the state agency has struggled to keep up with record unemployment filings amid the pandemic. NBC 5 notes that the governor didn’t specify the nature of those threats.
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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden vowed to members of the National Guard he’ll never exploit them for political purposes, his latest effort to draw a contrast between himself and President Donald Trump. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)
The news release came out this morning: Biden and his wife, Jill, are heading to Wisconsin tomorrow where he’ll hold a community meeting in Kenosha “to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face.”
The city just an hour’s drive north of Chicago has become the latest stage for unrest along with social and political debate about race and policing after an officer shot Jacob Blake in the back on Aug. 23. The former vice president said last week on MSNBC that he was considering a visit there and talked in broad strokes about what he hoped to accomplish.
“If I went, what I’d be doing is try to pull together the Black community, as well as the white community, and sit down and talk about how we get through this.”
He said he wants to put a stop to a racist narrative: “This is not about” all white people agreeing with white supremacy and all Black people agreeing with looting.
“I don’t think that’s what Kenosha’s about. I don’t think that’s what Black and white America is about,” he said. “But that’s what’s being seen now, and it has to stop.” Watch the MSNBC interview here or read The Hill newspaper’s account here. My Tribune colleagues also have a preview of Biden’s visit here.
Biden plans to meet with the family of Jacob Blake tomorrow; Blake remains hospitalized after police shot him Aug. 23.
Trump did not meet with the Blake family during his Kenosha visit yesterday. He also steered clear of discussing Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch charged with killing two protesters and wounding a third. Earlier this week, Trump refused to denounce the accused vigilante who turned up at a Trump rally in Des Moines in January.
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Trump did tour an area damaged in unrest, met with law enforcement and fielded a question about whether system racism plagues law enforcement agencies, as the nation continue to grapple with officers shooting and killing a disproportionate number of Black residents in this country.
“I don’t believe that at all. I’ve met so many police. I have the endorsement of like so many, maybe everybody. And, frankly, I think they’re incredible people. They want to do the right thing,” Trump said.
Lake County politicians split along party lines about motives for Trump’s visit to Kenosha: Steve Sadin examines the divide in this piece in the Lake County News-Sun.
Closer to home: After protesters damage property at the Oak Park mayor’s home, tension on village board — Upset with the village’s decision not to advance a measure to reappropriate police funds, protesters walked into Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb’s front and back yards, ripped up his garden and caused property damage, Steve Schering reports in the Oak Leaves. He writes: “In the aftermath, the Oak Park board remains divided about what happened that night, with all but one trustee condemning the damage and the mayor saying he feels betrayed by her refusal to criticize the destruction.” Full story here.
Related: Sen. Bernie Sanders, CTU boss among those attending virtual anti-Trump, pro-labor town hall in Wisconsin — The Saturday event, which gets underway at 1 p.m. Chicago time, includes Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Stacy Davis Gates among those in attendance. The forum will “highlight the work being done across the country to expand the labor movement and fight back against Trump’s efforts to dismantle unions and take away worker power,” Sanders’ political team said in a statement. The town hall will be livestreamed at live.berniesanders.com and on Sanders’ social media pages.
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Officers stand near crime scene tape after an argument erupted between police and residents at the scene of a police-involved shooting near the 5700 block of South Racine Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood Sunday Aug. 9, 2020 in Chicago.(Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s John Byrne: Aldermen today took up the politically charged idea of asking the governor to call in the National Guard to patrol violence-plagued Chicago streets.
The Public Safety Committee did not vote on the proposal, but committee Chairman Ald. Chris Taliaferro said he would do so next week. Even if the committee and the full City Council pass the resolution, however, it’s simply a request of Pritzker to declare a state of emergency in Chicago, and he would be hard-pressed to call in the guard without Mayor Lori Lightfoot asking him to do so.
Lightfoot has taken a dim view of the idea, and her hand-picked police superintendent, David Brown, testified against it Wednesday.
But Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, the Lightfoot critic who sponsored the resolution, said he wants the National Guard to do things like protect property around the city from looters, so police can do their jobs. “What we have seen through the past several weeks is horrifying,” Lopez said, citing recent shooting statistics. Read the full story here.
Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, left, and Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan, D-Chicago, part ways after conversing on the floor during the spring legislative session on May 21, 2020. (Ted Schurter/AP)
At the request of its Republican members, the Illinois House is convening a committee to look into whether Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan should be disciplined in light of Commonwealth Edison’s agreement with federal prosecutors that alleged the utility engaged in a “yearslong bribery scheme” that sought to curry favor with Madigan.
“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.
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Madigan, in a lengthy statement issued today before the GOP could even announce the move, denied any wrongdoing and called the request for the special investigative committee a “political stunt” by Durkin on the eve of the November election.
Madigan said Republicans are making the move in order to distract from some of the problems Trump is facing as he enters the final stretch of the election season, which could have an impact on downballot GOP races.
“The Republicans don’t want people to focus on the nearly 200,000 COVID-19 deaths or the countless number of Illinoisans who have lost their jobs, healthcare coverage and retirement savings due to Trump’s mismanaged COVID-19 response,” Madigan said in a statement. “They certainly don’t want people to draw attention to the intense racial divisions Donald Trump relishes.”
Pritzker, a first-term Democrat, repeatedly has said Madigan should answer questions raised by prosecutors’ allegations. During an unrelated news conference this afternoon, the governor said 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 said “that’s his opinion, I want to hear the answers.”
Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, attends a City Council meeting at City Hall in Chicago on July 24, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jason Meisner: “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.
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“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.
“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.” Read the full story here.
Information signs are posted at the Illinois Department of Employment Security on June 5, 2020, in Chicago. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Employees at the Illinois Department of Employment Security have been threatened as the office is bombarded by requests amid record unemployment levels, the governor said today.
“The people who work at IDES have been receiving literally threats,” Pritzker told reporters, saying the threats have made reopening some offices to do in-person business difficult. WMAQ/NBC-5 Chicago has the full story here.
Datapoints: Ahead of the Labor Day weekend, Illinois health officials reminded the public to wear masks and social distance to stem the spread of the COVID-19 today announced 2,128 new known cases of COVID-19 and 27 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 238,643 and the statewide death toll to 8,091 since the start of the pandemic. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.5%.
CDC tells states to prepare for COVID-19 vaccine by late October or early November: The New York Times has the story here.
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Steroids confirmed to improve survival rates for severely ill coronavirus patients, studies show: The Associated Press has the details here.
Where’s your closest drive-thru COVID-19 test site? Can you avoid that deep nasal swab? Your top 10 questions about coronavirus testing, answered. The Tribune’s Nara Schoenburg has the details here.
Universities are suspending students who party without masks and flout social distancing: Elyssa Cherney has the details here.
RELATED: Palmer House blues — My Tribune colleague Ryan Ori reported earlier this week: “The owner of the historic Palmer House Hilton has been sued for almost $338 million in missed loan payments, in the largest Chicago foreclosure case to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.”
The stately downtown Chicago hotel Palmer House has been closed temporarily since March, when the virus took hold in the city and state.
Ori notes that the “Palmer House and other hotels throughout the country have been hammered by the pandemic,” as “two-thirds of U.S. hotels continue to operate at less than 50% capacity, and 4 in 10 hotel workers remain out of work, according to a report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Urban hotels are hit particularly hard, with occupancy of 38%, well below the national average.”
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Landscaping work awaits completion around new equipment installed in a playground at the Richard Flowers Homes in Robbins on Feb. 5, 2019. The Housing Authority of Cook County has invested $200 million in rehab work throughout the suburbs since 2015. (Ted Slowik/ Daily Southtown)
The Tribune’s Alice Yin writes: 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.
Concerns over the digital divide have heightened amid a pandemic that has shuttered schools across the nation. In June, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced an ambitious plan to provide free Wi-Fi to 100,000 school-age children and their families.
Last week, a photo of two school-age girls in California using free Wi-Fi in a fast-food parking lot to do their schoolwork went viral and prompted a fundraising effort that’s netted over $100,000, USA Today and other news outlets report.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan