chicagotribune--2020-09-11--Beard Papa’s cream puffs return with the rise of a cute food boom in Chicago

The self-described co-moms of Mom ’ s , chefs Kelly Ijichi and Randi Howry , last had a home at @ @ @ @ @ reopened food hall in the West Loop .
I adored their katsu sando there , @ @ @ @ @ a fried pork sandwich , but a seasonal ube cream puff even more .
Our @ @ @ @ @ , and have landed at Marz , the brewery taproom in Bridgeport .
Whatever ’ @ @ @ @ @ menu , get the milk bread doughnut , like the summery corn and blueberry creation @ @ @ @ @ previous musubi packed more flavor , and my wishes have been granted with the new @ @ @ @ @ tempura crumbles .

Beard Papa’s, the Japanese cream puff brand, returned recently to Chicago. The French-inspired pastries join a new and burgeoning culture of cute food in the city. The aesthetic, backed by culinary chops, seems to be just the relief we need in these times.
“It needs to taste good, but it also needs to look good on Instagram and other social media platforms,” said Hassan Jaffrani, owner of the new Beard Papa’s location in the Bucktown neighborhood. There are more than 400 stores in 15 countries, according to the company. “If you can’t do that, then you just can’t make it right now.”
Beard Papa’s is just the latest in a mini kawaii konbini boom in Chicago. Kawaii is Japanese for the culture of cuteness. Konbini is a curious re-borrowed word for a convenience store, like 7-Eleven. In Asia, konbini sell high quality and luxury brand name drinks and snacks, alongside sundry staples.
Another former Beard Papa’s franchise owner closed the location at Block 37 on the Pedway in 2012. That’s where Jaffrani and many fans first became obsessed with the delicately sweet yet surprisingly satisfying puffs. Jaffrani is also the co-founder of I Dream of Falafel, the local Mediterranean fast casual restaurant chain, which shares the new cream puff space, previously a frozen yogurt shop.
“We’ve been going through our fair share of COVID depression,” said Jaffrani about business at the falafel restaurant. He was nervous about the new double opening. “I was stunned that so many people came out during a pandemic.”
“We had about a 2½-hour wait on our grand opening day, which is unbelievable,” he said. They sold out of more than 2,000 puffs that first day. The shop currently employs 14 people. “I think it’s the following, but we did have some good viral content on TikTok that had about 200,000 views before we opened.”
Speaking of cute, the Hello Kitty food truck returns to Oak Brook on Oct. 3 and Naperville on Oct. 10. The truck opens at 10 a.m., then closes at 7 p.m. or until sold out. The truck’s first year in the Chicago area, it sold out early, leaving a line of crying kids.
Here’s a look at a few new local kawaii and konbini offerings, listed alphabetically, with my pro tips for each.
Beard Papa’s
Original cream puff shell from Beard Papa's in Chicago on Aug. 28, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
Create your own dream puff at Beard Papa’s by choosing from a menu of crisp shells, then creamy fillings. The original powdered sugar dusted shell and vanilla custard filling are the two most popular flavors, said Jaffrani, but “everyone does matcha on matcha” too. The brown sugar boba filling, with perfect tapioca texture and tannic tea balance, sells out every night though. It’s available only until the end of September, so get it while you can.
Pro tips: You can call in to order and pay ahead, then skip the line to pick up at the counter. Seating is available inside only. Beard Papa’s plans to add curbside pick-up and delivery in a couple of weeks.
Brown sugar boba filling in original cream puff shell from Beard Papa's in Chicago on Aug. 28, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
1924 W. North Ave., 773-904-7280, beardpapas.com/locations/chicago
Kaisho Grab and Go at Yugen
Seasonal macaron and matcha cookies by chef Mari Katsumura from Kaisho Grab and Go at Yugen restaurant in Chicago on Aug. 28, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
Michelin-starred executive and pastry chef Mari Katsumura has transformed the Yugen restaurant front window space into Kaisho Grab and Go, a luxurious konbini-inspired experience. It’s more of a first class, Asian airport club vibe, where you help yourself to lovely drinks and snacks, with a helpful attendant standing by. Pink, edible flower-flecked, seasonal berry macarons are some of the prettiest I’ve seen anywhere in the world. I wish the egg salad sandwich was a little cuter, and the mostly crust-free Japanese milk bread a touch softer, but it’s a hearty handful.
Pro tips: Kaisho, in the West Loop, is open Thursdays through Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m., with outdoor seating only. On Saturdays, everything is buy one, get one free, including the boozy slushies, since they’re closed on Sundays.
Egg salad sandwich on milk bread by chef Mari Katsumura from Kaisho Grab and Go at Yugen restaurant in Chicago on Aug. 28, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
652 W. Randolph St., 312-265-1008, yugenchicago.com
Mom’s at Marz Brewing
Seasonal corn and blueberry milk bread doughnut from Mom's pop-up restaurant at Marz Brewing in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2020 (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
The self-described co-moms of Mom’s, chefs Kelly Ijichi and Randi Howry, last had a home at Politan Row, the recently reopened food hall in the West Loop. I adored their katsu sando there, a puffy winter coat of a fried pork sandwich, but a seasonal ube cream puff even more. Our moms now make seasonal doughnuts, and have landed at Marz, the brewery taproom in Bridgeport. Whatever’s on the weekly changing menu, get the milk bread doughnut, like the summery corn and blueberry creation. I had wished their previous musubi packed more flavor, and my wishes have been granted with the new iteration, gilded with crisp tempura crumbles.
Pro tips: Mom’s food is currently available Thursdays through Sundays only. Outdoor seating is available behind the building in a huge, dog-friendly space. Pair food with Marz beer, alcohol-free CBD sparkling water, or their CBD nitro coffee, Tokyo Drift.
Spam musubi from Mom's pop-up restaurant at Marz Brewing in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
Mom’s on Marz, 3630 S. Iron St., 773-579-1935, marz.beer/taproom
Nine Bar
Tokyo Dog from Nine Bar pop-up restaurant in Chicago on July 30, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
This new konbini-inspired virtual market pops up in the East Pilsen neighborhood and beyond, thanks to partners Joe Briglio and Lily Wang. He’s the beverage director at Blind Barber, the barbershop and bar brand with a location in the West Loop. She’s a bartender at Estereo in Logan Square, and daughter of the owners of Moon Palace restaurant in Chinatown. Follow Nine Bar on Instagram for each week’s menu release of house-made food, bottled cocktails, Asian snacks and alcohol-free drinks, plus pick up location.
Pro tips: Get the latest Asian hot dog when available. It looks way messy, but is surprisingly neat to eat. Head over to Ping Tom Memorial Park to dine under the pagoda, or other covered spaces protected in any weather, some with beautiful hidden murals, plus a field house with free parking for a cute car picnic and clean public restrooms open weekdays. Visit Chinatown while you’re there.
Chile tofu rice from Nine Bar pop-up restaurant in Chicago on July 30, 2020. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
Check Nine Bar’s Instagram for its pop-up location. instagram.com/ninebarchicago


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 32 new deaths, 2,145 new confirmed cases and 56,661 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 32 new deaths, 2,145 new confirmed cases and 56,661 new test results

Illinois announced 2,145 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Friday for a total of 257,788 .
The state also announced 32 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,273 and 56,661 new test results for a total of 4.63 million .

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


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--Chicago still cleaning up debris, fallen trees from August derecho storm: ‘The aftermath was felt ac

Chicago still cleaning up debris, fallen trees from August derecho storm: ‘The aftermath was felt across the city’

Streets and Sanitation crews were still working to determine the extent of the damage and plan to continue scheduling trees @ @ @ @ @ re considered a danger to the public .
Trees were downed throughout the city , @ @ @ @ @ , which had to close for weeks because of all the damage .

Chicago Park District tree surgeons Jose Trujillo, left, and Juan Perez consolidate trees for pickup as large fallen trees lie scattered from Recreational Drive to Irving Park Road along the lakefront on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Crews are still cleaning up the city from a derecho storm that tore through the region a month ago, spawning 15 tornadoes — and downing more than 550 trees in Chicago parks alone.
The Chicago Park District said fewer than 50 fallen trees still need to be removed after tornadoes and straight-line wind gusts damaged and uprooted them Aug. 10. City crews were also still picking up debris from backyards, parkways and alleys after fielding more than 12,000 emergency tree calls in the aftermath of the storm.
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“We are still surveying and figuring out how many (trees) are left standing but damaged and need to be removed,” said Cristina Villarreal, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation.
Residents have been clearing debris from their private yards and stacking it for crews to pick up, Villarreal said. Parked cars have been the department’s biggest challenge because drivers often leave their vehicles in front of the stacked debris.
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 20 Corbett Wilkinson climbs on a downed tree in Rogers Park after a powerful storm tore through the area Monday evening in the West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
“We knew this would be a long process, but we have cleared all of the emergency tree situations and continue to work on the cleanup and responding to the longer-term effects,” Villarreal said.
The Chicago Park District lost roughly 550 of its trees from the storm and was 92% done with cleanup by Friday morning. Employees have been working with Streets and Sanitation to mulch the fallen trees for reuse, according to Michele Lemons, a Park District spokesperson.
“The biggest challenge was just the sheer volume of cleanup work to do,” Lemons said in an email. “Many of the fallen trees were quite large.”
Lemons said the Park District expects to have the trees removed by the end of next week, weather permitting.
Streets and Sanitation crews were still working to determine the extent of the damage and plan to continue scheduling trees for removal if they’re considered a danger to the public. Trees were downed throughout the city, including in historic Graceland Cemetery, which had to close for weeks because of all the damage.
Large fallen trees lie scattered from Recreational Drive to Irving Park Road along the lakefront on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The final stage of the department’s response will include planting new trees, she added. Residents can call 311 to request a new tree to replace any damaged city parkway tree. Villarreal also encouraged people to call 311 to report additional tree emergencies or debris.
“This storm was unusual, not only because it was the largest storm in over 10 years, but because the aftermath was felt across the city,” Villarreal said, noting that city crews worked 16-hour days to clear all of the emergency tree calls in the days after the storm.
The 311 call center had reported 23,456 service requests by Aug. 18 regarding downed trees, traffic signals out and storm-related damage, according to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. The storm injured at least seven people and caused hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents to lose power.
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“Usually a storm is concentrated in one area and we can send extra resources to that part of the city, but this storm spanned the entire city,” Villarreal said.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--Watch live: Gov. Pritzker to announce jobs programs in Chicago

Following up on an announcement made Thursday in Rockford , Gov .
J.B. is scheduled Friday “ to join local @ @ @ @ @ expand job opportunities in Chicago for those who have become unemployed due to the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ a news release .

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chicagotribune--2020-09-11--AJ Freund saga: The family’s interactions with DCFS and how the tragedy unfolded

The plight of missing Crystal Lake 5-year-old Andrew “ AJ ” Freund came to a tragic end April 24 , @ @ @ @ @ his body wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave near Woodstock .
Parents JoAnn Cunningham @ @ @ @ @ multiple charges in the boy ’ s death .

The plight of missing Crystal Lake 5-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund came to a tragic end April 24, 2019, when authorities found his body wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave near Woodstock. Parents JoAnn Cunningham and Andrew Freund both face multiple charges in the boy’s death.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services had at least 10 prior hotline calls concerning Cunningham’s care of children, including four before AJ was born.
Here is how the case unfolded:


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--24 Oak Park and River Forest High School students test positive for COVID-19, officials say

`` It is only by working together as a community that we will be able to halt the spread of @ @ @ @ @ “ We all look forward to the day when we are able to return to @ @ @ @ @ , and with cooperation of each and every one of you , the sooner we @ @ @ @ @ ”

Oak Park and River Forest High School administrators are pleading with the community to take precautions after at least 24 students tested positive for COVID-19 between Aug. 15 and Sept. 9. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
The Oak Park Department of Public Health has reported at least 24 Oak Park and River Forest High School students tested positive for COVID-19 between Aug. 15 and Sept. 9.
In a letter released Thursday, superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams said she had “deep concern” about the report, saying a number of the cases can be traced to a recent large social gathering.
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“We have received information from both parents and students that a large indoor gathering of students recently was held at a local home, where mask-wearing and social-distancing were not observed,” Pruitt-Adams said. “A significant number of positive cases are believed to have resulted from the event.”
While the village’s department of public health cannot and does not share the names of those who test positive, Pruitt-Adams is encouraging everyone at the school, and in the community, to take precautions.
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“Students, I implore you: Please stop engaging in risky behaviors,” Pruitt-Adams said. “They put not just you and your families, but our entire community at risk.”
Pruitt-Adams also urged community members to cooperate with the public health department in its effort to conduct contact tracing.
“I understand that sharing information about unsafe behavior may be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but providing details about whom an exposed person has been with, for how long, where they were, etc., is essential to stopping the spread of COVID-19," she said.
Earlier this summer, OPRF officials announced plans to begin the fall semester of the 2020-21 school year with full remote learning. Plans for the spring semester are expected to be released at a later date.
Public health officials ask everyone to wear face coverings when out in public, not to attend large social gatherings, to maintain social distancing and stay at home when sick. More information about testing and quarantining has been provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health here.
Anyone who has been in close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 should self-quarantine for 14 days, whether symptomatic or not.
"It is only by working together as a community that we will be able to halt the spread of COVID-19, Pruitt-Adams said. “We all look forward to the day when we are able to return to some level of in-person classes, and with cooperation of each and every one of you, the sooner we can make that happen.”
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
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Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls for return to Sept. 11 unity

“ I remember very clearly being by the mural building on the Kennedy , driving into downtown , and traffic @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ And I remember thinking something was going on .
And at @ @ @ @ @ mornings listening to sports talk radio , but I turned over to one of the @ @ @ @ @ the news of what had happened in New York , that there were planes missing @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon and , obviously , in Shanksville ( Pennsylvania ) .
”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot recalled on Friday how she learned about the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings and attacks, and said she hopes America can again find the kind of unity and strength that characterized the nation following the tragedies.
“We unfortunately are living in a time where, too often, we are talking past each other, where we are vilifying others that don’t share our particular views, whether it’s on politics or policy,” Lightfoot said after joining firefighters downtown to commemorate the attacks and the many firefighters who died attempting rescues at the World Trade Center in New York.
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“That’s a lost opportunity to come together. And I think if nothing more, on this day of all days, we need to think about how we can continue to build community, to build bridges to each other over which we can travel to others and they can travel to us.”
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Lightfoot said she was driving to go to court as a federal prosecutor on 9/11 when she realized something was amiss.
“I remember very clearly being by the mural building on the Kennedy, driving into downtown, and traffic was unusually slow,” she said. “And I remember thinking something was going on. And at that time I spent my mornings listening to sports talk radio, but I turned over to one of the news stations and started hearing the news of what had happened in New York, that there were planes missing, and then subsequently the Pentagon and, obviously, in Shanksville (Pennsylvania).”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--Postal officials offer $50,000 reward in shooting of mail carrier on Far South Side

Police are also looking for help from the community and have asked anyone with tips to call Area 2 detectives @ @ @ @ @ may call the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service tip line at 1-877-876-2455 ( say “ @ @ @ @ @ reference Case No .
3157692 .

Police officers from the U.S. Postal Service and Chicago police detectives investigate at the scene where a mail carrier was shot, in the 9100 block of South Ellis Avenue, on Sept. 10, 2020. The mail carrier was transported to University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, according to police. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
A mail carrier was shot and seriously wounded on the Far South Side late Thursday morning and authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to her shooter, officials said.
The shooting happened about 11:30 a.m. in the 9100 block of South Ellis Avenue in the Burnside neighborhood, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.
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Gunmen in vehicles that sped past her at high speed fired shots at the woman, who was working at the time, said Kellie Bartoli, a police spokeswoman.
The 24-year-old woman was shot in both legs, the buttocks and the back of the head, police said. One of the bullets traveled into her abdomen.
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The woman, who did not appear to be the intended target, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, Bartoli said.
The Postal Service has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the attack, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Police are also looking for help from the community and have asked anyone with tips to call Area 2 detectives, 312-747-8271. People also may call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service tip line at 1-877-876-2455 (say “Law Enforcement”) and reference Case No. 3157692.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--Daywatch: COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising in Illinois, why a flood of bankruptcies could be com

Daywatch: COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising in Illinois, why a flood of bankruptcies could be coming and a deep dive into Bears' numbers

The NFL season has arrived , and the Bears march in with a top-notch defense that feels connected and confident @ @ @ @ @ one of the best in the league .
Yet the team still has no idea @ @ @ @ @ be , with major questions lingering at quarterback after the Mitch Trubisky-Nick Foles competition didn @ @ @ @ @ at Halas Hall .

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. Illinois health officials reported 1,953 new known cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and 28 more deaths. The news came as the state announced a nearly $17 million effort to help unemployed residents.
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Meanwhile, as we’ve been going through this pandemic, we’ve heard a lot references to the 1918 Spanish flu. Have you ever wondered how the novel coronavirus compares with that pandemic, or other major global events? This is what historians told the Tribune’s Nara Schoenberg.
Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker answers a reporter's question after making a job training announcement at The Workforce Connection on Sept. 10, 2020, in Rockford. (Scott P. Yates/Rockford Register Star)
The percentage of positive coronavirus tests appears to be trending downward in Illinois after rising for much of the summer, but state officials remain concerned about stubbornly high positivity rates in certain regions as well as rising hospitalizations.
“We can’t outrun this virus. It hasn’t gone away,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday during a news conference at the James R. Thompson Center in the Loop. “We can’t pretend that we can fully restore our economic vitality as long as it’s here without any way to temper or prevent it.”
Jaime Espinoza shows the eviction notice he received, outside his apartment in Hillside. Six months into the pandemic, and residents like Espinosa are receiving eviction notices, despite the ongoing extensions of the moratorium. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Some Illinois renters find themselves in housing limbo as they struggle to pay rent due to the financial constraints brought on by COVID-19. And despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s latest extension on the statewide eviction moratorium (currently set to expire Sept. 19) and a federal halt on some evictions through 2020, some people continue to receive warnings of evictions that can seem like the real thing.
Employees work the front desk at Spa Bleu in West Dundee on July 9, 2020. PPP loans enabled owner Tammy Coakley to hire back 70 furloughed employees and reopen her salons on June 1. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
More than 225,000 PPP loans worth nearly $23 billion were approved in Illinois alone. Without additional federal relief, some experts project a flood of small-business bankruptcies this fall as the PPP money runs dry.
Ben Meeder rides his new bike, Sept. 9, 2020, on the Lakefront Trail in Chicago. His employer, software company ServiceNow, paid for the bike. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Six months into the coronavirus pandemic and with no return to the office in sight, Chicago-area employers are realizing that working remotely through a global health crisis requires more than helping employees pay for a comfy office chair. They are investing in intangibles that can help with mental wellness, like exercise, online tutoring for kids, or sessions with a life coach.
Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack during training camp Aug. 25, 2020 at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The NFL season has arrived, and the Bears march in with a top-notch defense that feels connected and confident and believes it can be one of the best in the league. Yet the team still has no idea what its offensive identity will be, with major questions lingering at quarterback after the Mitch Trubisky-Nick Foles competition didn’t ignite much inspiration at Halas Hall.


chicagotribune--2020-09-10--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Sept. 10 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

DuPage County is on Illinois ' latest list of counties that have reached a “ warning level ” for a resurgence of COVID-19 .
The ever-changing weekly list this week covered 30 counties the state said had reached two or more bench marks that indicate the virus is spreading there .
The warning list came as the state announced 2,145 newly diagnosed cases of coronavirus and 32 additional deaths of people with COVID-19 on Friday , bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 257,788 and the statewide death toll to 8,273 since the start of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day of Chicago Public Schools ' remote fall quarter this week varied from a low below 42 % to a high of 100 % at each of more than 500 district-run schools .
Citywide , 84.2 % of students at district schools attended a remote learning class on Tuesday , increasing to 88.5 % on Wednesday and 90.2 % on Thursday , according to data released Friday .
And in the suburbs , the Oak Park Department of Public Health has reported at least 24 Oak Park and River Forest High School students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sept. 9 .
In a letter released Thursday , superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams said she had “ deep concern ” about the report , saying a number of the cases can be traced to a recent large social gathering .
7:05 p.m. : The first COVID-19 patients in Illinois faced stigma , bigotry .
But experts say their contributions to science taught the US much about the virus .
The Chicago woman in her 60s had traveled on Christmas Day to Wuhan , China , where she cared for her elderly father who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undiagnosed respiratory sickness .
After returning to Chicago in mid-January , her own symptoms emerged : fever , cough and fatigue , followed by nausea and dizziness .
While hospitalized for pneumonia , she became the first patient in Illinois and the second in the nation to test positive for the novel coronavirus , a new and little-understood illness that would soon burgeon into an international pandemic , sickening millions and altering all aspects of daily life across the globe .
Her husband , who had not gone to China , also tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documented case of person-to-person transmission in the United States .
What medical experts learned from that local couple — through lengthy interviews , rigorous coronavirus testing and analysis of so many of their specimens — helped shape much of the nation ’ s earliest knowledge of the virus , which would later be called COVID-19 .
5:20 p.m. : Cook County health department announces plans to spend up to $ 5.4M fighting COVID-19 in most-affected areas The Cook County Department of Public Health announced Friday it is planning to spend up to $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracing , provide services to quarantined and isolated suburban county residents and facilitate setting up more COVID-19 testing sites .
The department is issuing a request for proposals to community-based organizations to do that work in areas most affected by COVID-19 .
Proposals submitted will be scored by the non-profit Hektoen Institute of Medicine , a health service and research organization that administers grant awards for underserved people .
Contact tracing , which Gov .
J.B. Pritzker repeatedly has said is crucial to reopening the economy , involves reaching out to people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolate and provide the names of people with whom they had close , prolonged encounters in previous days .
They then reach out to the contacts and urge them to get tested and go into quarantine , so they can ’ t spread the disease .
The main aim of the proposed county program is to “ develop trust in these communities so they will pick up the phone when we call , ” said Dr. Rachel Rubin , one of the department ’ s two chiefs .
She said folks contacted should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them and their families and their communities.
” 4:25 p.m. : Dr. Anthony Fauci says life won ’ t return to normal until deep into 2021 Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious disease expert , said Friday that normal times won ’ t replace America ’ s long coronavirus nightmare until deep into 2021 , explaining that it will take months to widely administer a vaccine .
The 79-year-old immunologist said he continues to expect a vaccine to be available by the beginning of 2021 .
“ But by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine and get a majority or more of the population vaccinated and protected , that ’ s likely not going to happen until the end of 2021 , ” Fauci told MSNBC .
“ If you ’ re talking about getting back to a degree of normality prior to COVID , it ’ s going to be well into 2021 , maybe even towards the end of 2021.
” The ever-changing weekly list this week covered 30 counties the state said had reached two or more bench marks that indicate the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came as the state announced 2,145 newly diagnosed cases of coronavirus and 32 additional deaths of people with COVID-19 on Friday .
Speaking Friday morning at an unrelated news conference in Chicago , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker noted that the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks comes as Illinois and the U.S. are grappling with “ yet another tragedy ” — a pandemic that has killed more than 190,000 Americans , including 8,273 in Illinois .
Nearly 3,000 died in the 9/11 attacks .
“ I believe the lessons of community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States in the aftermath of 9/11 ought to guide us today as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic , ” Pritzker said .
12:12 p.m. : CPS first-day attendance down from last year as remote learning begins ; some schools see fewer than 50 % of students participate Attendance for the first day of Chicago Public Schools ' remote fall quarter varied from a low below 42 % to a high of 100 % at each of more than 500 district-run schools .
Citywide , 84.2 % of students at district schools attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing to 88.5 % on Wednesday and 90.2 % on Thursday , according to data released Friday .
The day-one numbers are 10 percentage points lower than the first day of school last year , before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the move to remote learning and 94.2 % of students were marked in attendance .
Between the three prior school years , first-day attendance ranged from 93.9 % to 94.7 % .
12:07 p.m. : 2,145 new known cases and 32 more deaths reported Illinois health officials Friday announced 2,145 new known cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 257,788 and the statewide death toll to 8,273 since the start of the pandemic .
11:04 a.m. : Coronavirus updates : Daily US deaths decline , but trend may reverse in fall The number of daily U.S. deaths from the coronavirus is declining again after peaking in early August , but scientists warn that a new bout with the disease this fall could claim more lives .
The arrival of cooler weather and the likelihood of more indoor gatherings will add to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say .
“ We have to change the way we live until we have a vaccine , ” said Ali Mokdad , professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle .
In other words : Wear a mask .
Stay home .
Wash your hands .
The U.S. has seen two distinct peaks in daily deaths .
The nation ’ s summertime surge crested at about half the size of the first deadly wave in April .
10:58 a.m. : They ’ re still working .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still scared .
What the past six months have been like for essential workers .
They were the drivers , grocery clerks , janitors and others who braved the early unease of the pandemic to show up for work , exempt from the state ’ s stay-at-home order because they were deemed too important .
The Tribune profiled five essential workers in March just as the state ’ s shutdown set in .
Six months later , all remain at their jobs , with perspectives to share about experiencing the pandemic outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Schools that are mostly Black , Latino favor starting online , according to new study Districts where the vast majority of students are white are more than three times as likely as school districts that enroll mostly students of color to be open for some in-person learning , according to an analysis conducted by The Associated Press and Chalkbeat .
While that stark divide often reflects the preferences of parents , it ’ s one that could further exacerbate inequities in education .
In every state , the AP and Chalkbeat surveyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four categories set by the National Center for Education Statistics : urban , suburban , town and rural .
8:59 a.m. : 24 Oak Park and River Forest High School students test positive for COVID-19 , officials say The Oak Park Department of Public Health has reported at least 24 Oak Park and River Forest High School students tested positive for COVID-19 between Aug. 15 and Sept. 9 .
In a letter released Thursday , superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams said she had “ deep concern ” about the report , saying a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent large social gathering .
“ We have received information from both parents and students that a large indoor gathering of students recently was held at a local home , where mask-wearing and social-distancing were not observed , ” Pruitt-Adams said .
“ A significant number of positive cases are believed to have resulted from the event.
” 8:58 a.m. : Will airlines get more aid ?
Time is running out , unions warn .
40,000 workers face furloughs or layoffs .
A couple of hundred flight attendants and pilots rallied this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , asking them for $ 25 billion in additional federal funds to prevent airline furloughs next month .
More than half of Congress is on record as supporting the request by airlines and their unions , and President Donald Trump says he wants to help an industry that has been devastated by the pandemic .
Any chance that Washington will give airlines more money soon hinges on Congress and the White House approving a comprehensive coronavirus relief package — there won ’ t be a plan that only helps airlines .
8:44 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to get restaurant restrictions eased Despite efforts by area chambers of commerce , restaurants and bars in Will County will remain under restrictions barring any indoor service until the area ’ s COVID-19 positivity rates improve .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker noted Thursday the region ’ s positivity rates appear to be on a downward trend .
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health ’ s website , the latest information recorded shows Region 7 with a positivity rate of 7.5 % on Monday .
On Sept. 1 , the recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the public health website .
6 a.m. : Disinformation scams are becoming more aggressive as Election Day nears One of the most widespread challenges facing modern elections is false information .
In Illinois , officials say misinformation and disinformation schemes are getting more aggressive .
“ As we get closer to Election Day , I think we ’ re going to have more and more misinformation schemes , ” said Marisel Hernandez , chairwoman of the Chicago Board of Elections .
“ But we ’ re determined to be ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what is correct and what isn ’ t. ” With many more people planning to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic , the Tribune has fact-checked reported scams circulating in Illinois .
5 a.m. : Chicago-area renters are still being pushed out of their homes with threats of lockouts and notices on doors , despite COVID-19 eviction moratorium Before the pandemic , Jaime Espinoza , 28 , was making ends meet with DJ and security jobs .
Working under the moniker DJ WrcksIt for eight years , the Hillside resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 to , this year , hosting $ 5 open mic showcases in Melrose Park to cover his $ 850 monthly rent , car payment and groceries .
After informing his landlord that he would have trouble paying rent in April , Espinoza started receiving notices on his door saying he had days to come current .
When the landlord told him they would change the locks , he asked his family for money to keep him afloat .
But he still owes thousands of dollars in back rent .
Changing the locks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s moratorium on evictions means Espinoza can ’ t be forced from his home until the crisis spurred by the coronavirus has passed .
But his experience is all too familiar for some Illinois renters , who find themselves in housing limbo as they struggle to pay rent due to the financial constraints brought on by COVID-19 .
And despite Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s latest extension on the statewide eviction moratorium ( currently set to expire Sept. 19 ) and a federal halt on some evictions through 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of evictions that can seem like the real thing .
Read more here .
—Darcel Rockett and Hannah Herrera Greenspan Here are five stories from Wednesday related to COVID-19 :

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois health officials Thursday announced 1,953 new known cases of COVID-19 and 28 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 255,643 and the statewide death toll to 8,242 since the start of the pandemic.
Also Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined local officials in Rockford to announce a nearly $17 million effort to connect roughly 1,300 people who are unemployed amid the coronavirus pandemic with training and jobs, including temporary jobs assisting with the response to COVID-19.
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Two federal grants totaling $16.6 million will be distributed to a dozen local workforce agencies across the state to help train and employ out-of-work residents for jobs such as contact tracing, building sanitation, temperature screening, and food preparation and distribution. Priority will be given to applicants who have lost their jobs during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, after 1,044 students and 26 employees tested positive for the virus since Aug. 6, according to data from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the school is now moving all classes online and quarantining students in two of its largest dorms.
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The city-county public health department said there are at least 46 separate outbreaks currently tied to UW-Madison.
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
4:45 p.m.: Money for $300 unemployment boost is about to run out, with no extension in sight
The temporary $300-a-week unemployment insurance boost implemented by President Donald Trump is about to end, with no extension in sight.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that it has distributed $30 billion of the $44 billion it had set aside for the benefit. The agency said the fund was enough to cover six weeks of additional jobless aid starting Aug. 1, so unemployed workers won’t receive any more after this week.
FEMA emphasized that all eligible recipients will get the $300 boost to cover six weeks, a period that ended Sept. 5.
Read more here. —Associated Press
4:25 p.m.: CTA expands tool to let passengers know when buses and trains get too crowded
Starting Thursday, CTA passengers can see how crowded trains are before boarding to allow for social distancing measures recommended to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.
The CTA has seen a slight uptick in passengers in June since the state entered phase four of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase reopening plan, spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski said. Still, ridership has been down by about 70% since the start of the pandemic, she said.
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Initially for bus routes, the CTA launched its ridership information dashboard on its website as a way to help passengers avoid buses that are too crowded.
The addition of the rail dashboard provides a range for the average number of seats taken at each station, with an icon depicting three people to show typical crowding levels along each route.
When there is a high level of ridership on trains, all three people icons are filled in for a station, showing that 20 seats or more are taken. For lower levels of ridership, one of the three people icons are filled in for a station, showing up to 10 seats being occupied per rail car. And for medium levels of ridership, two of the three people are filled in for a station, showing that between 10 to 20 seats are occupied per rail car.
Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
4:15 p.m.: Illinois' COVID-19 positive test rate down but hospitalizations rising
The percentage of positive coronavirus tests appears to be trending downward in Illinois after rising for much of the summer, but state officials remain concerned about stubbornly high positivity rates in certain regions as well as rising hospitalizations.
“We can’t outrun this virus. It hasn’t gone away,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday during a news conference at the James R. Thompson Center in the Loop. “We can’t pretend that we can fully restore our economic vitality as long as it’s here without any way to temper or prevent it.”
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Read more here. —Dan Petrella
2:22 p.m.: PPP loans kept many small businesses afloat this summer. Without more funds, experts say a wave of bankruptcies is coming.
For six months, small businesses have relied on PPP loans, operational pivots and no small measure of hope to keep their doors open during the pandemic.
They may be on borrowed time.
More than 225,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans worth nearly $23 billion were approved in Illinois alone. Without additional federal relief, some experts project a flood of small business bankruptcies this fall as the PPP money runs dry.
Read more here. —Robert Channick
1:44 p.m.: Marriage and dating 6 months into a pandemic: more pressure, less sex
Divorce is hard. Add a global pandemic and it may cause you to rethink some things. That was the reality for three couples whom attorney Susan Myres counseled on divorce. At the beginning of the pandemic, they all decided to step back and reconsider going through with separating in the midst of a global crisis.
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“I think COVID, for people with a kindness and generosity in their heart, made them kind of sit up straight and think about, ‘Is this really what I want to do?’,” said Myres, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, which is based in Chicago.
About six months into COVID-19, many people are working from home, meaning they may be spending a lot more time with their significant others. But regardless of if you’re just dating or thinking of starting a family, many relationships are under significant stress.
Read more here. —Milan Polk
1:33 p.m.: Coronavirus vaccine trial stopped after woman develops severe neurological symptoms
A woman who received an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed severe neurological symptoms that prompted a pause in testing, a spokesman for drugmaker AstraZeneca said Thursday.
The study participant in late-stage testing reported symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis, a rare inflammation of the spinal cord, said company spokesman Matthew Kent.
“We don’t know if it is (transverse myelitis),” Kent said. “More tests are being done now as part of the follow-up.”
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Read more here. —Associated Press
2:35 p.m.: GOP’s slimmed-down coronavirus aid bill scuttled by Senate Democrats
Senate Democrats scuttled a scaled-back GOP coronavirus rescue package on Thursday, saying the measure shortchanged too many pressing needs as the pandemic continues its assault on the country.
The mostly party-line vote capped weeks of wrangling over a fifth relief bill that all sides say they want but are unable to deliver. The bipartisan spirit that powered earlier aid measures has given way to election-season political combat and name-calling. The 52-47 vote fell well short of what was needed to overcome a filibuster and seems likely to end hopes for coronavirus relief before the November election.
Read more here. —Associated Press
12:20 p.m.: Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces funding to connect 1,300 unemployed residents with training and jobs, some in coronavirus response
Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined local officials in Rockford on Thursday to announce a nearly $17 million effort to connect roughly 1,300 people who are unemployed amid the coronavirus pandemic with training and jobs, including temporary jobs assisting with the response to COVID-19.
Two federal grants totaling $16.6 million will be distributed to a dozen local workforce agencies across the state to help train and employ out-of-work residents for jobs such as contact tracing, building sanitation, temperature screening, and food preparation and distribution. Priority will be given to applicants who have lost their jobs during the pandemic.
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More information is available here.
Read more here. —Dan Petrella
12:05 p.m.: 1,953 new known COVID-19 cases and 28 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials Thursday announced 1,953 new known cases of COVID-19 and 28 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 255,643 and the statewide death toll to 8,242 since the start of the pandemic.
—Chicago Tribune staff
11:47 a.m.: As homes become offices, gyms and more, COVID-19 has upended how we think our living spaces should work
Your home is working overtime during the pandemic. For many, what was once just a dwelling has become classroom, office, restaurant, gym, movie theater and more. COVID-19 has not only kept most of us confined to our quarters for the past six months — it has also altered the very definition of home.
As homebuyers increasingly seek out pandemic-friendly features like home offices and expansive outdoor space, Chicago-area real estate developers, designers and agents are helping them find the features they need to live in this new normal.
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Read more here. —Lauren Leazenby
9:39 a.m.: Trump’s own words in Bob Woodward book refocus attention on his handling of the coronavirus
Try as he might to change the subject, President Donald Trump can’t escape the coronavirus.
In April, the president tried to shift the public’s focus to the economy. In July, to defending the country’s “heritage.” In September, to enforcing “law and order.” But all along the way, the death toll from the coronavirus continued to mount.
And now, Trump’s own words are redirecting attention to his handling of the pandemic when he can least afford it — less than two months before Election Day.
Read more here. —Associated Press
8:04 a.m.: From speedier Wi-Fi to new bikes: As the pandemic drags on, companies paying for work-from-home perks beyond the basics
Six months into the coronavirus pandemic and with no return to the office in sight, Chicago-area employers are realizing that working remotely through a global health crisis requires more than helping employees pay for a comfy office chair. They are investing in intangibles that can help with mental wellness, like exercise, online tutoring for kids, or sessions with a life coach.
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Not every company is pouring money into their employees' remote work setups. In the midst of an economic downturn and an ongoing unemployment crisis, the investments are a luxury not all can afford.
Read more here. —Ally Marotti
7:56 a.m.: US unemployment claims hold steady at 884,000
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits was unchanged last week at 884,000, a sign that layoffs are stuck at a historically high level six months after the viral pandemic flattened the economy.
The latest figure released by the Labor Department Thursday still far exceeds the number who sought benefits in any week on record before this year.
In Illinois last week, 23,305 people filed initial claims for unemployment benefits, down from 26,194 initial claims a week earlier.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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7:47 a.m.: University of Wisconsin-Madison moves classes online, quarantines students in two dorms as coronavirus cases spike on campus
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is moving all classes online and quarantining students in two of its largest dorms as it deals with rising cases of COVID-19.
Colleges across the country have been grappling with outbreaks in recent weeks after choosing to return to in-person instruction, but system President Tommy Thompson insisted on opening campuses this fall despite the warning signs.
According to UW-Madison data, 1,044 students and 26 employees have tested positive for the virus since Aug. 6. The city-county public health department said there are at least 46 separate outbreaks currently tied to UW-Madison.
Read more here. —Associated Press
7 a.m.: State to announce new support for Illinois residents who have lost jobs because of COVID-19
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was scheduled to be in Rockford on Thursday to announce “investments to expand job opportunities” for people in Illinois who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus.
Pritzker was scheduled to make the announcement at a federal- and state-taxpayer funded center, The Workford Connection, which is one of 22 local state-chartered boards designed to connect people who are unemployed and those seeking workers and provide job training.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
6 a.m.: 10 things science has learned about COVID-19 in less than a year
It’s been only nine months since the world learned of a new coronavirus that would trigger a pandemic declaration in March and ultimately disrupt billions of lives.
That’s little more than a blink of the eye when it comes to understanding a novel disease, and the advice from scientists and doctors is still evolving as they accumulate experience with COVID-19.
But there are a few things that science has learned — so far — about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the disease it causes, including the benefits of wearing a face mask and that sometimes 6 feet of social distance isn’t enough.
Read more here. —Hal Dardick
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 Wednesday related to COVID-19.


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--Supervised remote learning program

Supervised remote learning program

Students from Arlington Heights School District 25 do remote learning in the multipurpose room in South Middle School .
The @ @ @ @ @ fee-based park district program called Children at Play ( CAP + ) .


chicagotribune--2020-09-11--Newly released video shows police shooting in Chicago music school. A year later, teen caught in lin

Newly released video shows police shooting in Chicago music school. A year later, teen caught in line of fire still struggles to play guitar.

“ This young man was given a gift , ” said Timothy Cavanagh , the family ’ s attorney who @ @ @ @ @ video images from inside the school on that November day .
“ To have that @ @ @ @ @ s had nothing to do with this — he didn ’ t do anything wrong @ @ @ @ @ own — it ’ s just heartbreaking .
”

Rylan Wilder remembers how to press down on the guitar strings, but the 16-year-old’s left hand can’t keep up.
It’s been nearly a year since a Des Plaines police officer, chasing a bank robbery suspect, fired a rifle round through Rylan’s arm as the teen was running for cover inside a music school.
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“This young man was given a gift,” said Timothy Cavanagh, the family’s attorney who this week released the first video images from inside the school on that November day. “To have that ripped away where he’s had nothing to do with this — he didn’t do anything wrong, no fault of his own — it’s just heartbreaking.”
In the security camera footage, Rylan is seen tidying up a room full of keyboards when flashing police lights fill the windows of UpBeat Music and Arts on the Northwest Side. The suspect bursts through the front door and rushes past Rylan.
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An officer runs through the door and yells, “Drop it,” as Rylan tries to get out of his way. The officer fires a semi-automatic rifle with Rylan still between him and the suspect. Rylan escapes from the room through a side door as the officer keeps firing, killing the suspect, Christopher Willis. The officer fires about a dozen rounds.
An image from surveillance video shows the moment a Des Plaines police officer, left, opens fire with an AR-15 rifle at a robbery suspect, not shown, and strikes 15-year-old Rylan Wilder, right, in the arm and abdomen inside UpBeat Music and Arts, in Chicago on Nov. 19, 2019. (MediaPros 24/7)
Willis and a second man had robbed a Bank of America branch in Des Plaines hours earlier on Nov. 19. Afterward, Willis carjacked a couple and led officers on a high-speed chase on the Kennedy Expressway that ended at the music school in the 4300 block of West Irving Park Road shortly before 7 p.m., Chicago police have said.
Willis shot a Chicago police officer before running into the school, where Rylan was interning. He was a sophomore at Lane Tech College Prep, and lead guitarist and singer for the rock band Monarchy Over Monday.
Since then, Rylan had about 14 surgeries and is still in pain as he works through physical therapy. But the teen remains optimistic.
“He’s a pretty amazing young man,” Cavanagh said. “No doubt he’s had some very, very tough times, but he’s resilient and he’s hopeful. And he’s worked incredibly, incredibly hard.”
In releasing the video, Cavanagh said the family has questions about the actions of the officer.
“They want some answers to why Des Plaines was in the city of Chicago and this pursuit, they want to know why this officer was using an AR-15 — a personal weapon, a weapon of war,” Cavanagh said. “This is not a normal weapon. This ripped his arm apart.”
Rylan Wilder, lead guitarist and singer for the rock band Monarchy Over Monday. (Jared Callaway Photography)
Rylan’s family later filed a lawsuit against Willis' alleged accomplice, Maurice Murphy. In an amended complaint filed in August, the lawsuit names the officer who shot Rylan and the city of Des Plaines.
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Cavanagh said he obtained a copy of Des Plaines police’s pursuit policy that states: “If two units from the other agency are actively involved in the pursuit, the officers will not engage in the pursuit unless directed to do so by a supervisor.”
Cavanagh said his reading of the policy means the suburban police officer should never have entered the school.
Des Plaines police Chief William Kushner did not respond to questions about the pursuit policy or about the officer carrying his own rifle, but said a third-party investigation found the officer complied with the department’s policies.
He did not respond to a question about who conducted the independent review. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office declined to comment Friday, citing an ongoing investigation.
“While it is certainly a tragedy that Mr. Wilder was injured during the commission of this violent crime spree, the DPPD’s officer’s actions were necessary, proper and likely saved lives,” Kushner wrote in a statement. “It is unfortunate that Christopher Willis, an armed bank robber, put Mr. Wilder and several other innocent bystanders in harm’s way.”
Kushner added that his department “empathizes with Mr. Wilder, his family and friends and wishes him a full recovery with the hopes that he and his family can soon put this incident behind them.”
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But Cavanagh said those sentiments are not enough.
“We’ll engage in the discovery in the case and get our own answers,” Cavanagh said. “That’s a self-serving (statement). Of course the police are going to say their actions were warranted. We’ve seen hundreds of situations where they claim their actions were warranted and you dig deep and you find out that’s just not the case.”


chicagotribune--2020-09-13--In text messages, Eric Trump expressed gratitude for Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s call during Chicago unre

In text messages, Eric Trump expressed gratitude for Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s call during Chicago unrest: ‘Mrs. Mayor – know that I have been thinking about you’

On Saturday morning , Lightfoot tweeted about the Eric Trump messages and said they were `` a very different tune @ @ @ @ @ from the White House .
It ’ s no secret that I ’ m no @ @ @ @ @ But part of my job is to protect residents , regardless of who their landlord @ @ @ @ @ I agree with their politics .

In this file photo, Chicago police officers guard the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago on May 30, 2020, to keep protesters from approaching during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
As civil unrest surged across the country and Chicago at the end of May, Mayor Lori Lightfoot called President Donald Trump’s son Eric to express her support, according to text messages he sent her. The city said Lightfoot reached out to numerous downtown groups and businesses to update them about public safety plans.
Lightfoot referenced the texts last month, after President Trump made an issue of her decision to raise the downtown bridges following a second round of looting. At a Wisconsin event, Trump said Lightfoot “literally raised up the drawbridges to prevent hordes of rioters from ransacking the city.”
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In response, Lightfoot said, “One of the bridges we put up is near Trump Tower because our protesters and vigilantes would love nothing more than to attack Trump Tower.”
“So those little notes that I get from Eric Trump after every time that we’ve protected that property, if they want us to stop, say the word,” Lightfoot added.
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The Tribune subsequently filed an open records request for any texts or emails between Lightfoot and Eric Trump.
In text messages obtained by the Tribune, Eric Trump expressed gratitude to Mayor Lori Lightfoot after she called the president's son following civil unrest in Chicago.
On June 1, as the city was cleaning up from widespread looting over the weekend, the younger Trump texted Lightfoot.
“Mrs. Mayor, I am thinking about you. I really appreciated your call on Saturday – it was incredibly kind," he wrote. “I have passed along your support to our team and residences. Please know, I and we truly appreciate you.”
The city did not release any records showing whether she replied.
Weeks later, on July 24, Eric Trump texted her again.
“Mrs. Mayor – know that I have been thinking about you. I still appreciate the call you made to me which was a class act,” he wrote. “I only imagine how difficult the situation is but know we are all rooting for Chicago . . . I hope you are well. Eric T.”
Late Friday, the city released a statement saying Lightfoot reached out to numerous downtown groups and businesses on May 30 “during a day of planned protests, demonstrations and unprecedented civil unrest” to update them about the city’s public safety plans. The mayor reached out to Trump as part of that effort, the city said.
News of contacts between Eric Trump and Lightfoot has drawn criticism her way from local progressives. During a City Council meeting, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, last month said Trump has an easier time getting responses from Lightfoot “than people on the South and West Side of Chicago.”
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On Saturday morning, Lightfoot tweeted about the Eric Trump messages and said they were "a very different tune from the barrage of attacks from the White House. It’s no secret that I’m no fan of Donald Trump. But part of my job is to protect residents, regardless of who their landlord is and whether or not I agree with their politics.
Lightfoot has frequently thrown barbs at President Trump, who regularly invokes Chicago to bolster his “law and order” campaign theme.
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Although the mayor has sparred with Trump, she also has made attempts to work him and his family. He called her after she defeated Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle with congratulations.
Before she was sworn in as mayor, Lightfoot went to Washington, D.C., and had a meeting with Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and a White House adviser.
But the relationship between Lightfoot and the Trumps has coarsened over time. Lightfoot ripped Ivanka Trump last year for a tweet about Chicago violence.
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Earlier this year, she also blasted Jared Kushner, Ivanka’s husband and fellow White House adviser.
Lightfoot in May responded to Trump tweeting a message that included, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts” in reply to rioting in Minneapolis and elsewhere following George Floyd’s death by accusing the president of destabilizing the country and using a thinly veiled profanity.
“He wants to show failures on the part of Democratic local leaders, to throw red meat to his base,” Lightfoot said at the time. “His goal is to polarize, to destabilize local government and inflame racist urges. We can absolutely not let him prevail. And I will code what I really want to say to Donald Trump. It’s two words. It begins with F and it ends with U.”
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @royalpratt


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 2,121 new known COVID-19 cases and 22 additional deaths reported Sa

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 2,121 new known COVID-19 cases and 22 additional deaths reported Saturday

As tumultuous as the last six months have been , what happens in the next six — from the presidential @ @ @ @ @ of a coronavirus vaccine — could do even more to determine whether downtown reaffirms its @ @ @ @ @ of a region of nearly 9.5 million people , the largest metro area in the @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois health officials on Sunday announced 1,462 new known cases of COVID-19 and 14 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 261,371 and the statewide death toll to 8,309.
On Friday, the state reported that DuPage County is on Illinois' latest list of counties that have reached a “warning level” for a resurgence of COVID-19. The ever-changing weekly list this week covered 30 counties the state said had reached two or more bench marks that indicate the virus is spreading there.
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Meanwhile, attendance for the first day of Chicago Public Schools' remote fall quarter this week varied from a low below 42% to a high of 100% at each of more than 500 district-run schools.
Citywide, 84.2% of students at district schools attended a remote learning class on Tuesday, increasing to 88.5% on Wednesday and 90.2% on Thursday, according to data released Friday.
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And in vaccine news, days after being paused due to a reported side-effect in a patient in the U.K., Oxford University says trials of a coronavirus vaccine that it is developing with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will resume.
Though it would not disclose information about the patient’s illness for reasons of participant confidentiality, an AstraZeneca spokesman said earlier this week that a woman had developed severe neurological symptoms that prompted the pause in testing.
Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
Coronavirus vaccine-makers keep safety details quiet, alarming scientists
The morning after the world learned that a closely watched clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine had been halted last week over safety concerns, the company’s chief executive disclosed that a person given the vaccine had experienced serious neurological symptoms.
But the remarks were not public. Instead, the chief executive, Pascal Soriot of AstraZeneca, spoke at a closed meeting organized by J.P. Morgan, the investment bank.
AstraZeneca said Saturday that an outside panel had cleared its trial in Britain to begin again, but the company still has not given any details about the patient’s medical condition, nor has it released a transcript of Soriot’s remarks to investors, which were reported by the news outlet STAT and later confirmed by an analyst for J.P. Morgan.
Another front-runner in the vaccine race, Pfizer, made a similarly terse announcement Saturday: The company is proposing to expand its clinical trial to include thousands more participants, but it gave few other details about its plan, including how it would determine the effectiveness of the vaccine in its larger study.
It is standard for drug companies to withhold details of clinical trials until after they are completed, tenaciously guarding their intellectual property and competitive edge. But these are extraordinary times, and now there is a growing outcry among independent scientists and public health experts who are pushing the companies to be far more open with the public in the midst of a pandemic that has killed more than 193,000 people in the United States.
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Read more here. —The New York Times
1,462 new known COVID-19 cases and 14 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Sunday announced 1,462 new known cases of COVID-19 and 14 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 261,371 and the statewide death toll to 8,309 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 46,890 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.7%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
As President Trump played down COVID-19 threat in public, health experts' alarm was growing
Public health officials were already warning Americans about the need to prepare for the coronavirus threat in early February when President Donald Trump called it “deadly stuff” in a private conversation that has only now has come to light.
At the time, the virus was mostly a problem in China, with just 11 cases confirmed in the United States.
There was uncertainty about how the U.S. ultimately would be affected, and top U.S. officials would deliver some mixed messages along the way. But their overall thrust was to take the thing seriously.
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“We’re preparing as if this is a pandemic,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters on Feb. 5. “This is just good commonsense public health.”
Trump, however, had a louder megaphone than his health experts, and in public he was playing down the threat. Three days after delivering his “deadly” assessment in a private call with journalist Bob Woodward, he told a New Hampshire rally on Feb. 10, “It’s going to be fine.”
Trump’s acknowledgment in Woodward’s new book “Rage” that he was minimizing the severity of the virus in public to avoid causing panic has triggered waves of criticism that he wasn’t leveling with the American people.
Read more here. —Associated Press
Closed doors, virtual services and lawsuits: Here’s how the pandemic has affected religion in Chicagoland
One recent Sunday morning, the Rev. Manuel Dorantes stood at the altar of St. Mary of the Lake, looking out into the pews. He couldn’t see faces, only eyeballs, face masks and a mostly empty sanctuary.
But before the service began, someone from the parish’s hospitality and reopening committee made an announcement:
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“To ensure the safety of everyone participating in today’s liturgy, please keep your mask or facial covering on … refrain from physical contact during the sign of peace, refrain from holding hands with individuals not in your party during the Lord’s Prayer, and receive communion with open hands.”
For at least the near future, this is the new normal for in-person worship — social distancing, face masks and sanitizing.
Read more here. —Javonte Anderson
Saturday
2,121 new known cases and 22 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials Saturday announced 2,121 new known cases of COVID-19 and 22 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 259,909 and the statewide death toll to 8,295 since the start of the pandemic.
—Chicago Tribune staff
Six months into the pandemic, downtown Chicago is a humbled giant. Can it get back on its feet?
Six months after the COVID-19 pandemic first shook Chicago, the city’s once-mighty downtown — with its towering skyscrapers, glamorous shops and glittering public spaces — is a humbled giant, taking only tentative steps toward recovery.
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Depressed by two waves of looting that stunned Chicago, foot traffic on and around the Magnificent Mile shopping district was less than half what it usually is. Occupancy rates for downtown apartments are the lowest they’ve been in 18 years.
As tumultuous as the last six months have been, what happens in the next six — from the presidential election to the possible development of a coronavirus vaccine — could do even more to determine whether downtown reaffirms its role as the undisputed hub of a region of nearly 9.5 million people, the largest metro area in the Midwest.
Read more here. —Blair Kamin, Ryan Ori and Lauren Zumbach
Number of COVID-19 infections rising in the Dakotas, bringing impassioned debates about personal freedom versus masks
Coronavirus infections in the Dakotas are growing faster than anywhere else in the nation, fueling impassioned debates over masks and personal freedom after months in which the two states avoided the worst of the pandemic.
The argument over masks raged this week in Brookings, South Dakota, as the city council considered requiring face coverings in businesses. The city was forced to move its meeting to a local arena to accommodate intense interest, with many citizens speaking against it, before the mask requirement ultimately passed.
Amid the brute force of the pandemic, health experts warn that the infections must be contained before care systems are overwhelmed. North Dakota and South Dakota lead the country in new cases per capita over the last two weeks, ranking first and second respectively, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.
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Read more here. —Associated Press
AstraZeneca and Oxford University to resume coronavirus vaccine trial that was paused due to a reported side effect in a participant
Oxford University says trials of a coronavirus vaccine that it is developing with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will resume, days after being paused due to a reported side-effect in a patient in the U.K.
In a statement, the university said in large trials such as this “it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety.”
It said that globally some 18,000 people have received the vaccine as part of the trial.
Read more here. —Associated Press
Friday
The first COVID-19 patients in Illinois faced stigma, bigotry. But experts say their contributions to science taught the US much about the virus.
She was known as Patient 1.
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The Chicago woman in her 60s had traveled on Christmas Day to Wuhan, China, where she cared for her elderly father who had fallen ill to a mysterious, undiagnosed respiratory sickness.
After returning to Chicago in mid-January, her own symptoms emerged: fever, cough and fatigue, followed by nausea and dizziness.
While hospitalized for pneumonia, she became the first patient in Illinois and the second in the nation to test positive for the novel coronavirus, a new and little-understood illness that would soon burgeon into an international pandemic, sickening millions and altering all aspects of daily life across the globe.
Her husband, who had not gone to China, also tested positive days later, marking the first documented case of person-to-person transmission in the United States.
What medical experts learned from that local couple — through lengthy interviews, rigorous coronavirus testing and analysis of so many of their specimens — helped shape much of the nation’s earliest knowledge of the virus, which would later be called COVID-19.
Read more here. —Angie Leventis Lourgos
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Dr. Anthony Fauci says life won’t return to normal until deep into 2021
The government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Friday that normal times won’t replace America’s long coronavirus nightmare until deep into 2021, explaining that it will take months to widely administer a vaccine.
The 79-year-old immunologist said he continues to expect a vaccine to be available by the beginning of 2021.
“But by the time you mobilize the distribution of the vaccine and get a majority or more of the population vaccinated and protected, that’s likely not going to happen until the end of 2021,” Fauci told MSNBC. “If you’re talking about getting back to a degree of normality prior to COVID, it’s going to be well into 2021, maybe even towards the end of 2021.”
Read more here. —The Los Angeles Times


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--March death of West Side infant declared homicide, officials say

At that time , a girl and two other boys between the ages of 2 and 5 were all removed @ @ @ @ @ 500 block of South California Avenue and taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment of malnutrition @ @ @ @ @ welts , police said .
Police said the family had no prior history with the @ @ @ @ @ Family Services .

Six months after a man walked into a West Side police station and announced that he had “killed his baby,” the Cook County medical examiner’s office officially ruled the infant’s death a homicide.
Solomon Greer died of a head injury caused by child abuse, the medical examiner’s office said Wednesday.
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Solomon was 5 months old when he died on March 13, and an autopsy was performed but the results were inconclusive at that time, pending further studies and a police investigation.
At that time, a girl and two other boys between the ages of 2 and 5 were all removed from their home in the 500 block of South California Avenue and taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment of malnutrition, bruises, scarring and welts, police said. Police said the family had no prior history with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
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Meanwhile, charges have not yet been upgraded for the boy’s parents, William Greer and Mariah Greer, both of whom are 26 and remain held on $1 million and $750,000 bonds, respectively, at the Cook County Jail after being charged with aggravated battery to a child, records show.
William Greer
Officials became aware of Solomon’s death about 1:30 p.m. March 14 when William Greer walked into the 11th District police station, 3151 W. Harrison St., and told desk officers that he killed his baby the day before, police said.
Mariah Greer
Officers went to the home on California and found Solomon, showing no signs of life, wrapped in a towel and a blanket. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 1:56 p.m.
According to a police report, Greer told officers his baby would not stop crying so he “struck him in the back for 30 minutes until he became unresponsive.”
William Greer was scheduled return to court on Oct. 20 and Mariah Greer on Sept. 28, records show.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 22 new deaths, 2,121 new confirmed cases and 56,594 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 22 new deaths, 2,121 new confirmed cases and 56,594 new test results

Illinois announced 2,121 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Saturday for a total of 259,909 .
The state also announced 22 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,295 and 56,594 new test results for a total of 4.69 million .


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--Arrest made, no one hit after Chicago police officers exchange gunfire with man on Far South Side

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability , which investigates instances of officers using their weapons , was responding to the @ @ @ @ @ to a statement on social media .
The agency asked anyone with information to call @ @

Chicago police officers fired shots after police said a 49-year-old man shot at officers through a door Saturday morning on the Far South Side after officers arrived there for a call of shots fired, according to the Chicago Police Department.
No one was hit in the exchange of gunfire that happened around 8:45 a.m. in the 11500 block of South Wentworth Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood, according to police.
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“Police returned fire without striking the subject or anyone in the area. SWAT team members were called in to resolve the situation,” the department said in a statement.
The man was taken into custody, police said.
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The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which investigates instances of officers using their weapons, was responding to the scene on Saturday, according to a statement on social media. The agency asked anyone with information to call 312-746-3608.


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--2 wounded Saturday morning in shooting on West Side

The shooting occurred about 9:15 a.m. in the 4000 block of West Wilcox Street .
A 27-year-old man suffered a @ @ @ @ @ and got himself to Stroger Hospital , where he was listed in fair condition .

Two men were wounded Saturday morning in a shooting on the West Side in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, Chicago police said.
The shooting occurred about 9:15 a.m. in the 4000 block of West Wilcox Street. A 27-year-old man suffered a wound to the right calf and got himself to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition.
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A 28-year-old man was shot in the torso and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition.
No one was in custody, and detectives were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-09-12--Six months into the pandemic, downtown Chicago is a humbled giant. Can it get back on its feet?

Police are stationed on North Michigan Avenue near a boarded-up store on Sept. 4, 2020, in downtown Chicago. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Six months after the COVID-19 pandemic first shook Chicago, the city’s once-mighty downtown — with its towering skyscrapers, glamorous shops and glittering public spaces — is a humbled giant, taking only tentative steps toward recovery.
At the city’s tallest building, Willis Tower, 15,000 office workers poured through the lobby on a typical day before the pandemic. On Thursday, between 8 and 9 a.m., Tribune reporters counted 75 people passing through its main entrance.
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A single pedestrian walks near the Wacker Drive entrance of Willis Tower during the afternoon commute hour on Sept. 10, 2020, in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Depressed by two waves of looting that stunned Chicago, foot traffic on and around the Magnificent Mile shopping district was less than half what it usually is. Occupancy rates for downtown apartments are the lowest they’ve been in 18 years.
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As tumultuous as the last six months have been, what happens in the next six — from the presidential election to the possible development of a coronavirus vaccine — could do even more to determine whether downtown reaffirms its role as the undisputed hub of a region of nearly 9.5 million people, the largest metro area in the Midwest.
In Chicago, as in other American cities hammered by the pandemic, the stakes are enormous. Largely due to the COVID-19 slowdown, which has cut deeply into tax revenues from hotels, restaurants, retailers and ride-sharing companies, Chicago is projecting the largest budget deficit in its history, $1.2 billion, for fiscal 2021.
“If we can’t get back to reopening the economy and people wanting to congregate, the attractiveness of all cities is in question,” said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a budget watchdog group.
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Bounded by North Avenue on the north, the Stevenson Expressway on the south, Ashland Avenue on the west and Lake Michigan on the east, downtown Chicago is a powerful revenue generator as well as the home of tourist attractions and architectural wonders. According to the Civic Federation, it accounts for roughly 40% of Chicago’s real estate property tax revenue, lessening the property tax burden elsewhere in the city.
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To be sure, downtown has overcome a host of past challenges, from the catastrophic property damage and loss of life wrought by the Great Fire of 1871 to the economic collapse of the Great Depression.
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After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, some doomsayers predicted that no one would want to live or work in skyscrapers — a forecast that proved spectacularly wrong, not just in New York, but in Chicago.
What makes this crisis different are digital technologies, like Zoom, the videoconferencing app that allows white-collar employees to work from home. During the 1918 flu pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million worldwide, people still went to work in Chicago’s Loop, although city officials ordered them to arrive at staggered times so they would not overload street cars and elevated trains.
A few pedestrians cross the Adams Street bridge near Union Station on Sept. 10, 2020, during what was once afternoon rush hour in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
“Technology can bring so many things into your home. That was not the case” in 1918, said Tim Samuelson, Chicago’s official cultural historian.
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As a result, the pandemic’s impact is rippling through, and beyond, downtown, disrupting daily routines throughout the region.
Fewer commuters
On a typical pre-pandemic September weekday last year, Metra’s 11 commuter railroad lines had a ridership of almost 275,000, according to the rail agency. On Sept. 3, that figure stood at about 25,000, 9% of normal — up just slightly from the 3% low point of April 10.
Absent downtown’s magnetic pull, suburban train stations sit empty, as do their once-coveted parking spaces. At a Lake Forest station, “people were fighting to get a spot at 9 in the morning. Now there’s three cars there,” said Michael H. Ebner, professor emeritus of history at Lake Forest College and author of a book about the development of Chicago’s North Shore.
Traffic volumes on downtown streets reflect office workers' absence.
During the week of Aug. 23-29, traffic was only 62% of what it was in the comparable week of August 2019. In contrast, traffic volumes citywide are back to 88% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.
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Empty offices
Downtown foot traffic also has dropped precipitously, as evidenced by the trickle of people entering Wills Tower’s main entrance at 233 S. Wacker Drive on Thursday.
Elsewhere on the north-south leg of Wacker, the sidewalks were almost empty, in contrast to the thick crowds that typically head into the Loop from Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center.
Willis Tower exemplifies the struggles, and high financial stakes, of the downtown office market.
In 2015, New York-based private equity behemoth Blackstone Group paid $1.3 billion for the 110-story skyscraper, a record for any U.S. office building outside Manhattan.
Blackstone undertook one of the priciest redevelopments in Chicago history, a $500 million renovation and 300,000-square-foot expansion to add an indoor mall called Catalog, which will include a food hall, restaurants, shops and other amenities to the tower’s lower levels.
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Then the pandemic struck and companies, including those in Willis Tower, told their workers to stay home. (A spokesman for EQ Office, Blackstone’s office unit, declined to say how many people work in the tower each day.)
Office tenant brokers are advising companies not to sign leases unless necessary, to allow more time to evaluate an unprecedented situation and because they’re likely to have more — and cheaper — options in the months to come. Companies including Uber and Groupon already have made blocks of office space available for sublease.
As companies downsize, a glut of available space could drive down rents after more than a decade of strong real estate conditions.
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The impact of absent office workers already is apparent a block east of Willis Tower, at a Dunkin’ at 229 W. Jackson Boulevard.
Because business is down sharply, two or three people were working the counter instead of the usual eight or nine, said employee Jorge Rios. With fewer office workers around, the store cut the number of doughnut varieties it offers, sticking with old favorites like glazed doughnuts.
“The people keeping us afloat right now are the construction workers,” Rios said.
Retailing blues
The pandemic and two waves of looting have rocked much fancier stores on North Michigan Avenue, the city’s Magnificent Mile.
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The first, in late May, amid civil unrest that followed George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, hit just as stores were preparing to reopen to shoppers. Some retailers were hit by looting again in August, following a police-involved shooting in Englewood.
A pedestrian walks past a boarded-up store Sept. 4, 2020, at 500 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Many have reopened in a defensive crouch, keeping their windows boarded up.
Foot traffic in the area was down between 60% and 70% in August, according to a report by Unacast, a company that tracks aggregated location data from apps on consumers’ phones.
In contrast, the foot traffic in and around powerhouse suburban shopping center Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg was down about 29%. In the area in and around Old Orchard, in Skokie, foot traffic was down 20% to 37%, according to the Unacast report.
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At The Shops at North Bridge indoor mall along North Michigan, the owners of the Giuseppa Collection, which sells Italian-inspired women’s clothing, said sales were down about 75% compared with last summer in June and July. After the second round of looting, it got even quieter.
“Last year there were so many tourists, so many local people,” said owner and founder Grace Krynski. “It’s a completely empty street.”
Shoppers walk by a concrete barrier Sept. 4, 2020, outside the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago on North Michigan Avenue. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
During August’s unrest, people broke in, stole merchandise and left mannequins in pieces on the floor, she said.
Krynski and her daughter Pauline said the family is considering whether to remain on Michigan Avenue.
Apartment vacancies
Downtown apartments, popular with city-loving millennials, students and empty-nesters, are hurting too.
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In July, the occupancy rate for downtown apartment buildings fell below 90% for the first time since 2002, according to Gail Lissner, managing director of Integra Realty Resources, which tracks occupancy rates at 130 apartment buildings downtown. The rate was nearly 95% a year ago.
In the early months of the pandemic, many tenants renewed their leases, Lissner said. Yet with COVID-19 still posing a threat, more opted out.
“All the reasons for living downtown simply disappeared,” Lissner said. “People wanted to be close to work, dining, shopping, entertainment. All of a sudden, all those amenities were gone.”
“Density was something that we really cherished, pre-COVID," she said. “Now density has become a scary term. People are looking for those wide-open spaces.”
From the first quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of 2020, rents dropped 3.65% in newer luxury buildings and 7.48 % in older buildings, she said. Prices of condo units have held steady so far, Lissner said.
Some real estate developers are taking a bullish view, portraying the current crisis as a pause, not a fundamental shift. They argue downtown will continue to be a draw for both residents and companies, and that its current travails are merely temporary.
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“We need to work with others. It’s about teamwork and relationships and the social aspect of going to the office. To get all of that, you need to be in an office.” said Jim Letchinger, CEO of JDL Development, which just proposed a massive residential development on 8 acres of Near North Side land it plans to buy from Moody Bible Institute
Visitors vanish
The pandemic also has hit air travel hard, depriving downtown of two significant sources of revenue and tax dollars: tourists and convention attendees.
Passenger counts at O’Hare International Airport were down 84.6% in June compared with a year earlier. At Midway, the drop was nearly 63%, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.
Since March, 150 McCormick Place trade shows have been scrapped because of the coronavirus. Those shows were expected to generate more than $2 billion, including spending at hotels, restaurants, transportation options and entertainment, according to the convention center.
In August, the owner of the historic Palmer House Hilton, New York-based Thor Equities, was sued for almost $338 million in missed loan payments, in the largest Chicago foreclosure case to emerge from the pandemic.
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The owner of the Palmer House Hilton has been sued for $338 million in missed loan payments, the largest Chicago foreclosure case to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
On Labor Day, Navy Pier closed until spring when attendance reached only 15% of its normal levels. At Willis Tower, the Skydeck observation area on the 103rd floor is open just three days a week instead of the usual seven.
Not all the news is bad. Construction has continued during the pandemic, with projects like the 60-story Salesforce Tower at Wolf Point moving forward. On Thursday, developers Sterling Bay and Magellan Development Group broke ground on a 47-story apartment and hotel tower at 300 N. Michigan Ave.
“I’m still having development meetings week in and week out,” downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly said after the event. “My queue of potential projects in the 42nd Ward is still around 50. They wouldn’t be paying lawyers and architects and traffic consultants to come spend hours with me if those weren’t real.”
Also Thursday, the Chicago Loop Alliance released a report which showed modest upticks in office, pedestrian, parking and hotel activity in downtown’s core. But only parking had climbed back to more than 40% of its 2019 levels, reflecting how many downtown workers are shunning public transit in favor of commuting by car. The report was based on a survey of nearly 45 businesses in August.
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Future uncertain
A vaccine could create an eventual return to the pre-pandemic downtown. But even with a vaccine, some companies could stick with hybrid arrangements that let employees partially work at home. Surveys show that many employees like the arrangement, which saves them money and commuting time.
If the desire to escape the dense downtown persists, it also could boost the suburban office market as well as planned office and apartment megaprojects near the fringes of downtown, like Lincoln Yards and The 78.
"We stand on the possibility that we might have a reversal or a transformative effect that was entirely unpredictable,” said Ebner, the Lake Forest history professor.
But he and other historians emphasize that such reversals have been predicted before, only to see downtown Chicago reinvent itself with such features as Millennium Park and the downtown Riverwalk, leading not just to a rebound but to spectacular bursts of growth.
After 9/11, Lissner said she wondered if anyone would want to live or work above the eighth floor, but they did. “I don’t think this is the demise of downtown living or downtown working,” Lissner said of the current crisis.
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Reilly acknowledged a likely long road back for many aspects of the downtown economy, such as tourism and retail, calling it “nearly a certainty that 20% of our bars and restaurants will close and will not come back.”
It will take more federal aid and flexibility in city regulations, such as increasing capacity levels, liquor-serving hours and street closures to create outdoor seating, for the rest of the bars and restaurants to hang on, Reilly said.
“Take a pandemic, layer on top of that an economic disaster greater than the Great Depression and then sprinkle in some civil unrest,” Reilly said. “No one could contemplate this happening 12 months ago, all at once. But Chicago has survived worse. We survived the fire, for crying out loud. We’re going to get through this."
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bkamin@chicagotribune.com
rori@chicagotribune.com
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com