chicagotribune--2020-03-19--‘The severity of this can’t be understated.’ Librarians say it’s dangerous for themselves and patron

‘The severity of this can’t be understated.’ Librarians say it’s dangerous for themselves and patrons to keep Chicago libraries open

“ We ’ re actually going to be circulating more around the city , which is to me an even @ @ @ @ @ another librarian , also asking that her name not be used .
“ Not only @ @ @ @ @ to different branches , but a lot of our employees travel via public transit .
@ @ @ @ @ themselves at risk double , or more , than what they would be by just @ @ @ @ @ every day .
”

Library page Tenille Curtis, left, helps patrons at the circulation desk of the West Pullman branch of Chicago Public Library in Chicago on March 19, 2020. West Pullman is one of the branches remaining open. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
All around them, bars and restaurants are closing and more and more people are working from home. But librarians are still showing up at Chicago’s public libraries — whether they want to or not.
The union that represents them has called on the city to close all libraries during the coronavirus outbreak, but the city has decided to leave nearly two dozen open “to ensure Chicagoans in dire need are still able to rely on libraries for basic services.”
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Starting this weekend, 61 branches will be closed. But the Harold Washington Library Center and 19 local and regional branches will stay open at reduced hours to “provide for those who have no other place to go for basic access to the internet or other resources,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Alison Arwady, adding she was confident that library workers “can provide these services in a way that is safe and sanitary.”
But librarians contacted by the Tribune said they worry about the safety of themselves and patrons, noting that some branches have been crowded and that it has been impossible to maintain safe distances.
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A library patron walks in the Lincoln Belmont branch library in Chicago on March 19, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“People trust us," said one librarian, who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for her job. “And if we are open, we are telling them that we are still trustworthy, that they should feel safe in our spaces, and I don’t think there is any CPL (Chicago Public Library) staff who feel we have been able to make our spaces safe for the public now.
“It feels like a betrayal and a lie,” she added. “We can’t stand in for all of the social services that have been cut and not replaced in past years. We are librarians, we are not trained social workers.”
Some full-time employees at the closed branches will be rotated to a library that’s staying open.
“We’re actually going to be circulating more around the city, which is to me an even bigger concern,” said another librarian, also asking that her name not be used. “Not only because we’re traveling to different branches, but a lot of our employees travel via public transit. So they’re putting themselves at risk double, or more, than what they would be by just going to their regular job every day.”
According to this librarian, the staff was told that printing and checking out books will no longer be allowed starting next week, but patrons will still be able to use the computers.
“In the branch that I am in, the (cleaning employee) comes around once an hour and wipes off the keyboards and the tables,” the librarian said. “But there is no way that this person would be able to clean off all the surfaces. Is every doorknob getting cleaned? Is every counter getting cleaned?
“The severity of this can’t be understated," the librarian continued. "In my own branch there have been more people than usual, and I know a lot of people are reporting that. And some of the busier branches are very busy. We did take away half the seating, but even then people are only sitting about 3 feet apart. There’s still two people to every table, and sometimes all of those chairs are being used.
“There’s really not the social distancing that is necessary at this point, and I’m not sure how they are going to enforce that by just having more security guards walking around,” the librarian said.
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In a statement Wednesday, the Chicago Public Library said it will work with the city’s health department to ensure hygiene measures are followed.
“Chicago libraries serve as social safety nets for our communities — where our young people become lifelong learners and technology centers connect our residents to the world,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in the statement. “Although some libraries will close to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we know residents and neighborhoods will continue to need access to the resources they provide.”
Her statement said “extra custodial services” will be provided and “all employees will be equipped with the supplies they need to practice good hygiene.”
Teresa Groat, a part-time associate at the Thomas Hughes Children’s Library in downtown’s Harold Washington Library Center, said she understands the mayor’s commitment, but believes this situation exposes a much larger problem in the city.
Luan Pablo Aldana, left, and his son, Pablo Aldana, leave on Thursday, March 19, 2020, after visiting the Thurgood Marshall Branch, a Chicago Public Library branch in the South Side's Gresham neighborhood, which the city plans to keep open. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
“There are people who will not be served if we close, there will be people left without the resources they so need,” Groat acknowledged. “And I think this kind of brings up a situation that’s in the city — that maybe we are serving too many purposes, maybe there should be other alternatives for our homeless population. ... I really commend my co-workers for soldiering through this. We’re a pretty committed group and were pretty committed to our public.”
Closing all the libraries “is a stance that is kind of painful to take,” she added. “The library is for no one person but it’s for everyone, and this just raises such a harsh reality about our city.”
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The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, representing 900 Chicago library employees, has condemned the city’s decision to keep some libraries open.
“The heart and soul of our libraries are the staff who welcome, assist and uplift patrons of every age and background every day," the union said in a statement. “CPL will not be able to fulfill its mission if those employees are fearful and feeling abandoned by those who should be concerned with their well-being.”
Starting on Monday, March 23, the 20 libraries staying open will operate Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Besides the Harold Washington Library Center in the Loop, those remaining open are: Sulzer Regional, Woodson Regional, Edgewater, Lincoln Belmont, Albany Park, Roden, West Belmont, Humboldt Park, Austin, Douglass, Lozano, King, Brighton Park, West Lawn, Thurgood Marshall, Whitney Young, South Chicago, West Pullman and Vodak-East Side.


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Elk Grove Village reportedly ends $300,000 sponsorship of the Bahamas Bowl after 2 seasons

“ Elk Grove Village/Makers Wanted will not be returning as the title sponsor of the Bahamas Bowl , ” an @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We thank them for their support of our game and community over the @ @ @ @ @

We’ll always have Nassau?
Elk Grove Village reportedly is ending its sponsorship of the Bahamas Bowl after a two-year run, according to the Bahamas Tribune.
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“Elk Grove Village/Makers Wanted will not be returning as the title sponsor of the Bahamas Bowl,” an ESPN spokesperson told the outlet. “We thank them for their support of our game and community over the last two years.”
The northwest suburb made headlines in 2018 when it took over from Popeye’s as the sponsor for the annual college football game held at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau.
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Elk Grove Village officials voted to pay $300,000 each year to sponsor the game, which the village used as a platform to market its large industrial park. The village’s business slogan — “Makers Wanted” — was attached to the game.
The 2018 edition of the game saw Florida International beat Toledo 35-32, while Buffalo beat Charlotte 31-9 last season.
According to the Bahamas Tribune, Elk Grove Village had a March 1 deadline from ESPN, which airs the game.


chicagotribune--2020-03-16--Widowed dad of triplets finds love with woman with similar past.

Brynn Randal , l her fiance , Charlie Whitmer , and their children look outside at the birds and squirrels @ @ @ @ @ March 12 , 2020 .
( Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune )

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chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Dorothy Brown blinks on clerks’ hours during court shutdown over coronavirus, as some walk off job

Clerks at the Leighton Criminal Court Building , the county ’ s busiest , have complained for days that they @ @ @ @ @ court despite a slowdown in operations .
They also said they were not given proper @ @ @ @ @ spread of the coronavirus , such as hand sanitizer .

Court clerks at a Southwest suburban courthouse walked off the job Friday, the culmination of a week of complaints about whether their boss, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, was doing enough to protect them and the public from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brown’s spokeswoman confirmed the walkout at the Markham courthouse and said clerks from the nearby Bridgeview courthouse were brought in to shore up court operations. The number of clerks who left the courthouse was not known.
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The union that represents the clerks, Teamsters Local 700, did not respond Friday to messages seeking comment.
The walkout came the day after the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said one of its employees had significant contact with someone suspected of having the coronavirus. That state’s attorney employee was in the Markham courthouse on Monday, according to an email obtained by the Tribune.
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Tommy Brewer, the presiding judge of the Markham courthouse, acknowledged there was “a situation” at the southwest suburban courthouse and declined to comment. He referred questions to the court’s spokesman, Pat Milhizer. Milhizer did not immediately respond.
Brown on Friday also announced a major shift in how she will staff courthouses, ordering senior management to handle on-the-ground operations in a “skeleton crew” and permitting many other employees to work from home, according to a statement from spokeswoman Jalyne Strong-Shaw.
Strong-Shaw said Brown plans to ask Chief Judge Timothy Evans, who presides over the sprawling court system, to close all county courthouses. Such a drastic measure is unlikely to occur.
Brown has taken fire from the clerks’ union all week over how she has handled courtroom staff during the global pandemic.
Clerks at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, the county’s busiest, have complained for days that they were required to come to court despite a slowdown in operations. They also said they were not given proper materials to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, such as hand sanitizer.
Ramon D. Williams, the president of Local 700, said in a statement Tuesday that Brown had put the public and employees at risk, calling out her “extreme lack of leadership.”
“She states that there aren’t any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any of the districts, so employees should just keep taking proper measures to make sure they wash their hands and stay six feet away from each other," the statement read. “That is NOT enough.”
Strong-Shaw told the Tribune that Brown has walked through the Daley Center to see whether proper procedures are being followed and that clerks have adequate supplies.
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Strong-Shaw said the office had not been told by any employee or public health agency that any clerk has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
“We even asked the (Cook County Department of Public Health) to look up the name of an employee, whom the union provided as a suspected coronavirus case, and the CCDPH informed the Clerk’s Office that the person was not on the list of confirmed cases,” Strong-Shaw wrote in an email to the Tribune.
In a memo sent to clerks Thursday and obtained by the Tribune, Brown promised to scale back staffing and give clerks up to five days of compensatory time for working during the massive court shutdown, saying she wanted to show “appreciation for all of our hardworking and dedicated employees.”
In addition, beginning Friday, only a “skeleton crew” of staffers would be working, and procedures will be put in place to allow “employees in the high-risk categories” to work from home, according to the memo.
But clerks at the criminal courthouse noted on Friday that the “skeleton crew” policy still required nearly everyone to show up for work — it simply let them shift their schedules around and work fewer hours.
Evans has ordered nearly all criminal and civil court operations postponed until April 15. Courthouses remain open, but with far fewer cases and courtroom activity. Still, many clerks have been required to go into work.
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Several judges, who work side by side with clerks, told the Tribune they were outraged at the treatment of the integral court staffers.
One judge who presides over civil cases in the Daley Center said clerks are sitting in empty courtrooms with little to do. “The judges aren’t there but their clerks are," the judge said. "It makes no sense.”
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
tlighty@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Coronavirus is pushing thousands of Illinois kids into e-learning. But the school that pioneered the

Coronavirus is pushing thousands of Illinois kids into e-learning. But the school that pioneered the model in Chicago has just been forced to close.

“ Our families are very concerned about having to now , in our current climate with coronavirus specifically , having @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We understand ( Chicago Public Schools ) is looking into e-learning , @ @ @ @ @ plans we have been informed of.
” Families have attended meetings about their options next @ @ @ @ @ made no promises about seats at specific schools , she said .


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Share-watch shows with your friends remotely while social distancing

According to the site ’ s frequently asked questions page , each participant must have their own accounts and login @ @ @ @ @ and HBO to watch together .
If the streaming provider allows multiple users on the @ @ @ @ @ can use the same account on Twoseven as well .

You can now share-watch your favorite movies and TV shows with your friends while social distancing. Chicagoan Jessica Batten in the dating pods on Netflix's "Love is Blind." (Courtesy of Netflix )
Tired of watching Netflix alone while quarantined due to the coronavirus pandemic?
Twoseven, a share-watching streaming platform allows users to watch their favorite television shows, movies and Youtube videos together while social distancing.
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Users can sign-up for a free account through their email, Google or Facebook accounts. All invited viewers must have an account with Twoseven.
According to the site’s frequently asked questions page, each participant must have their own accounts and login information for Netflix, Amazon and HBO to watch together. If the streaming provider allows multiple users on the same account, then users can use the same account on Twoseven as well.
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Twoseven users can watch videos together by using the internet browser Chrome, as the site calls for an additional Chrome extension download.
After deciding who they would like to watch with, participants can figure out what to watch on Twoseven by send messages to one another within the messaging tool.
When watching shows on Twoseven, users can pause and rewind in real-time, which reflect on every participant’s screen.
We had trouble accessing Netflix through Twoseven and the site notes this error on its homepage. To access Netflix, you’ll need to download an extension that is currently only available on Firefox.
If users had their hearts set on share-watching content on Netflix, the streaming giant created its own version called Netflix Party.
On Netflix Party — another free platform — users also need to have a Netflix account and download a Google extension to participate. Once users figure out what to watch, they click on the content and select the Netflix Party extension from their browser to generate a link to share watch.
The one downside to Netflix Party is that the site doesn’t play or pause the video in real-time like Twoseven. Users can still message one another on this platform.
If you need some inspiration on what to share-watch, take a look at this list of shows to stream.
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hgreenspan@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--New Trier, feeder elementary schools extend shutdown through April 13

“ I would like to acknowledge the hard work , innovation , and creativity of our staff and teachers , @ @ @ @ @ period to completely rethink the way they engage students and are putting those students first @ @ @ @ @ needs of their own families , ” Sally said .

New Trier High School and several North Shore feeder elementary schools are expected to remain closed through the middle of April to help halt the spread of COVID-19, officials announced Thursday.
While the high school’s spring break will take place next week as scheduled, officials said they are extending the closures of both the Winnetka and Northfield campuses through Monday, April 13.
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Officials at Winnetka School District 36, Glencoe School District 35 and Kenilworth School District 38 said their elementary schools will also remain shuttered through April 13, and Wilmette School District 39, Avoca School District 37, and Sunset Ridge School District 29 will also remain closed until further notice.
At New Trier, Monday, March 30, is currently scheduled as a staff work and professional development day with no remote learning, with online instruction for students slated to resume on Tuesday, March 31.
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“We continue to be amazed by our students’ commitment to remote learning and their quick adjustment to a new type of instruction,” New Trier Superintendent Paul Sally said in a Thursday statement.
Sally said two planned staff work days will allow the high school’s faculty time to continue to develop different tools for learning, including videoconferencing, remote assessments, and the use of other apps that will keep students engaged from home.
“I would like to acknowledge the hard work, innovation, and creativity of our staff and teachers, who had a very short period to completely rethink the way they engage students and are putting those students first even as they balance the needs of their own families,” Sally said.
While the high school will be issuing third quarter grades in PowerSchool on or near the original timeline, which was shortly after spring break, Sally said the grades that will not appear on student transcripts, and instead, will indicate progress thus far.
"There will be plenty of time for students to improve grades in the fourth quarter,” Sally said.
In addition, Sally said for third quarter grades, officials have asked teachers to not count work that may be waiting for students in the test make-up center.
“That does not mean they do not need to make up this work; teachers will let students know how to make up tests in the future or may provide an alternative depending on the subject and the length of our school closure,” Sally said.
For students who have missing assignments through March 12 that can be made up remotely, Sally said, “they need to submit that work to teachers immediately.”
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Officials are also planning to help teachers offer “real-time instruction (such as Zoom meetings) more regularly with their classes,” Sally said.
Despite the extended closure of the high school, Sally said officials are “working to make sure we can appropriately honor our fantastic seniors, the Class of 2020.”
Officials have tentatively rescheduled New Trier’s prom from Saturday, April 25, to Saturday, May 16, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Sally said, as the original date fell within the governor’s ban on gatherings of 1,000 or more people through May 1.
Commencement remains scheduled for Sunday, May 31, and Sally said officials are in contact with the Sears Centre Arena “for contingency plans should we need to move that date.”
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--As coronavirus shuts church doors, Catholic parishes fight drastic drop in collections and archdioce

As coronavirus shuts church doors, Catholic parishes fight drastic drop in collections and archdiocese sets up emergency fund for parishes and those in need

With more than 300 parishes , the archdiocese can ’ t afford to financially bail out every church that may @ @ @ @ @ .
But as part of its efforts to ease the pain for Chicago-area residents , @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , the archdiocese Friday announced a special fund dedicated to those affected by @ @ @ @ @

Multimedia producer Michael May videotapes Father Ramil Fajardo during the taping of a live Catholic mass at Saint James Chapel in the Quigley Center on Friday, March 20, 2020 in Chicago. The Archdiocese is filming multiple masses twice a week, some of them produced in multiple languages. The masses are not open to the public but can be viewed on facebook and youtube.(Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Last week, the Archdiocese of Chicago made the unprecedented decision to suspend all religious services in response to the escalating coronavirus outbreak.
“This was not a decision made I made lightly,” Cardinal Blase Cupich said. “The Eucharist is the source and summit of our life as Catholics.”
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As the government and health officials try to manage the pandemic, the financial ramifications are far-reaching for one of the nation’s largest religious institutions.
No ushers with collection baskets moving up the aisles during Sunday Mass has eliminated one of the archdiocese’s largest revenue streams, which could threaten the financial security of parishes across the archdiocese.
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Producer Michael May records the Rev. Ramil Fajardo celebrating Mass at St. James Chapel, in the Archbishop Quigley Center, March 20, 2019 in Chicago. The services are not open to the public, but can be viewed on Facebook and YouTube. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
“There’s no doubt about the financial risk when most of the revenue goes away —i t’s very significant,” said Betsy Bohlen, the archdiocese’s chief operating officer.
The mounting financial pressure comes at a time when the archdiocese is undertaking a sweeping reorganization of the church in response to fewer Catholics in the pews and fewer priests to minister to them. In recent years, dozens of Catholic schools have been shuttered, and a growing number of parishes have merged.
And just because Mass services were canceled, churches and the archdiocese still have operating costs.
Although 70% of parishes have some form of online giving, only 10% of total collections is donated electronically, church officials said.
So with Mass suspended and moved to online streaming services, including during Holy Week and Easter, when many Catholics who rarely attend Mass come back to church, the archdiocese and parishes are working to communicate the importance of donating even if people can’t physically attend Mass.
"The first thing we’re working on is trying to stabilize revenue and our contributions through some online and other (electronic) giving efforts," Bohlen said.
The archdiocese Friday set up an emergency fund to help people affected by the coronavirus and set up a program that allows people to make an electronic donation to their respective parish.
The Rev. Lou Tylka, pastor of St. Julie Billiart in Tinley Park, said about 20% of the parish’s donations come in electronically.
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"But that's not enough to sustain us for the long haul," he said.
On March 8, before Cupich announced the suspension of all religious services, St. Julie Billiart collected $11,895 at Sunday Mass. The next week, with its church doors closed, the parish collected $2,479, according to the parish bulletin.
The scenario played out at many parishes across the archdiocese, jeopardizing the long-term future of parishes.
Producer Michael May records the Rev. Ramil Fajardo celebrate Mass. for a livestream service on Facebook and YouTube. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Producer Brian Brach operates a camera in the choir loft during Mass at St. James Chapel, in the Archbishop Quigley Center, March 20, 2019 in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
“It is a huge hit for us because, like many families who live paycheck-to-paycheck is a sense, a lot of churches live collection-to-collection,” Tylka said.
The Rev. Robert Fedek, pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish, 7211 W. Talcott Ave., in the Norwood Park West neighborhood, shared Watts’ concerns.
Although people can drop off cash donations or mail checks, parishes such as Immaculate Conception are trying to get any parishioners who can to donate online. With only 25% of the church donating electronically, Fedek said the parish has made a push to encourage electronic donations.
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“It will have an impact on our ministry in the weeks and months to come,” Fedek said about the sharp decline in donations.
“Hopefully, the generosity of our parishioners will be great, and we’ll be able to pay our bills and continue our mission during this challenging period.”
Saints Joseph and Francis Xavier in Wilmette has successfully increased its members’ electronic giving. Today, roughly 65% of the parish’s weekly donations come from electronic giving, the Rev. Wayne Watts said.
Although the majority of the church’s donations are received electronically, the parish still lost roughly $10,000 with no in-person Sunday Mass, Watts said.
But after notifying parishioners of the financial loss, Watts said two people reached out to him to cover what the church had lost in donations.
“I’ve been really blown away by people’s faith and by their willingness to help in the midst of this dark time,” Watts said.
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The archdiocese is cognizant of the financial threat some parishes face as church doors remain closed.
"We are thinking very hard about that fact and that our parishes may run out the ability to pay for bills,” Bohlen said.
With more than 300 parishes, the archdiocese can’t afford to financially bail out every church that may need help, Bohlen said. But as part of its efforts to ease the pain for Chicago-area residents, parishioners and churches hit by the coronavirus, the archdiocese Friday announced a special fund dedicated to those affected by coronavirus and its repercussions.
jaanderson@chicagotribune


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--State crime lab scales back operations amid coronavirus spread, leading to shelving of drug cases

“ At the time the cases are dismissed , ( prosecutors ) are to ask the judge to inform the @ @ @ @ @ may be indicted at a later date and that they should not disregard a letter @ @ @ @ @ have been indicted and return to court as directed , ” according to an internal @ @ @ @

Cook County prosecutors will be dropping all new drug cases as the coronavirus outbreak has led the state crime lab to reduce its operations to only urgent work involving violent crime.
The Illinois State Police laboratory is cutting down drastically on the number of forensic tests it is performing, so routine testing to confirm whether any suspected drugs are, in fact, narcotics, has been put on pause.
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As a result, prosecutors have been instructed to dismiss all drug cases that have not yet been indicted or had a preliminary hearing — the early procedural hurdles a case must clear before it can continue to trial — if testing is not complete on those cases, according to documents obtained by the Tribune.
Without proper testing on narcotics, prosecutors do not have a “good faith” basis to proceed with charges, officials said. Cases that are dropped will be reevaluated after the lab begins testing again, to determine if they are eligible to be indicted by a grand jury.
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“At the time the cases are dismissed, (prosecutors) are to ask the judge to inform the defendant that he or she may be indicted at a later date and that they should not disregard a letter or notice informing them they have been indicted and return to court as directed,” according to an internal memo to prosecutors.
A statement from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office on Friday noted that it is declining to prosecute nonviolent low-level drug offenses during the epidemic, framing it as an “exercise of prosecutorial discretion ... aimed at protecting the health and safety of police officers, first responders, medical professionals, and jail staff and the Cook County community at large.”
"Out of an abundance of caution for the health of law enforcement and the community at large, the state’s attorney’s office will not be pursuing cases which pose little to no risk to public safety at this time,” said State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in a statement.
The office is also reviewing whether to prosecute other types of charges on a case-by-case basis in light of drastically reduced courtroom operations, according to the statement.
The Illinois State Police confirmed Friday that its cutting back on staffing at its forensic services facilities due to the pandemic.
“In an effort to facilitate social distancing to protect our community and our employees during the national emergency surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, the ISP has limited the number of staff working in office facilities, to include the forensic science laboratories,” state police Sgt. Jacqueline Cepeda said in an email. “At this time, the laboratories remain open and are accepting evidence for cases involving violent crimes; however, routine submissions are requested to be held until further notice.”
Cepeda also said the state police would be monitoring the seriousness of the pandemic and the needs of law enforcement throughout Illinois to decide where staffing and policies should change when needed.
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An Illinois State Police trooper holds drug-related items recovered from a woman's car after she was stopped in Oak Park in 2014. (Anthony Souffle, Chicago Tribune)
Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago police spokesman, said that while lab testing for drug cases may not happen right away at the state police facilities, that doesn't mean officers will stop making drug arrests for "large levels" of narcotics.
"It's the drug trade, the gun trade, that fuels street violence and we are going to have officers that monitor that," he said.
Guglielmi also downplayed the affect the limited staff would have at the state police crime lab because CPD’s most serious narcotics investigations are already long-term cases. He also said CPD can use federal law enforcement crime labs when necessary.
"We can make an arrest. An individual could be released pending further investigation. So just because the drugs aren't being tested right away, it doesn't prohibit our ability to do our job," Guglielmi also said. "It will prolong it. But we can certainly conduct narcotics investigations that extend when the state lab reopens."
But because of the pandemic, Guglielmi said, CPD was trying to reduce the health risks for the public and the officers who may come in contact with one another. The department has advised officers to issue ordinance violations in response to low-level crimes as opposed to making physical arrests.
The state police requests to police agencies around Illinois that submissions for narcotics cases not involving violent crimes, or other nonviolent crimes, be held until further notice, Cepeda said.
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“Investigating agencies and state’s attorney’s offices are encouraged to contact the lab to discuss what cases meet the criteria to be accepted during the COVID-19 emergency,” Cepeda said.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
jgorner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Watch live: Gov. J. B. Pritzker and health officials discuss Illinois coronavirus cases

Watch live as Illinois Gov .
J .
B. Pritzker and health officials discuss coronavirus cases in a news briefing @ @ @ @ @ Get the latest updates here .


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Racketeering charges allege violent Chicago street gang behind 2015 slaying of Urban Prep student

The Tribune reported at the time that at least two gunmen , one armed with a handgun and the other @ @ @ @ @ from a nearby gangway and opened fire on a crowd in the park , striking @ @ @

Urban Prep student Deonte Hoard, 17, was shot and killed near his home in the South Deering neighborhood of Chicago on March 2, 2015. (Family photo)
Federal racketeering charges filed this week allege a South Side street gang was responsible for a wave of violence over the course of more than a decade, including the 2015 slaying of a promising Urban Prep student who was walking to a pickup basketball game.
An indictment handed down in U.S. District Court charged 10 alleged members of the LAFA gang, a faction of the Gangster Disciples, with racketeering conspiracy involving at least four murders and 13 attempted murders dating back to 2008.
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The 43-page indictment accused the gang of using gun violence, robbery, witness intimidation and other means to control drug turf and terrorize neighborhoods amid an ongoing feud with a rival gang called the Merrill Park Gangster Disciples.
Among the victims was Deonte Hoard, a 17-year-old senior at Urban Prep high school who was gunned down March 2, 2015, as he walked with a friend from a store to play pickup basketball at a park.
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Hoard was killed by a bullet fired from a black SUV in the 10500 block of South Yates Boulevard, not far from his home in the South Deering neighborhood, the Chicago Tribune reported.
At the time, Hoard had been accepted to a dozen colleges and universities and was leaning toward attending Michigan State University.
The indictment alleged LAFA members Mardi Lane, 31, and Reginald Jones, 26, were involved in Hoard’s slaying, although the charges do not elaborate on how the shooting was carried out or any potential motive.
Much of the violence alleged in the indictment revolved around Merrill Park, a popular hangout in the 2100 block of East 96th Place that was dubbed “Murder Park” by residents because of the propensity for bloody gang conflict.
The indictment alleged that as part of the same gang conspiracy, reputed LAFA member Akeen Asad, 28, opened fire at the park on July 23, 2012, killing 17-year-old Alixi Johnson and Janeen Hancock, 34, a mother of three.
The Tribune reported at the time that at least two gunmen, one armed with a handgun and the other with a rifle, emerged from a nearby gangway and opened fire on a crowd in the park, striking four victims.
Two years later, on June 1, 2014, LAFA members Martez Easter, 27, and Cottrell Mackey, 26, allegedly killed Denero Appleton, according to the charges. The Tribune reported the 31-year-old victim was shot multiple times in the 9600 block of South Brennan Avenue and died later at a nearby hospital.
The indictment supersedes drug and firearms charges originally filed in 2017 against eleven defendants, including a woman and two of her sons.
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In addition to the murder allegations, three other defendants — Carey Hinton, 27, Tony Parker, 25, and Quentin Lucious, 29 — were charged with committing attempted murders on behalf of the gang.
The charges involving murder carry a potential sentence of life in prison.
Lane was arraigned this week in federal court in Chicago, where he pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bond, records show. Arraignment dates for the other defendants have not yet been scheduled.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Low-risk inmates begin exiting Cook County Jail amid coronavirus threat

Hartman ’ s attorney , who has long maintained that she is not a public threat and should not be @ @ @ @ @ fought to seek her release on bond in her various cases .
This time , @ @ @ @ @ of a global pandemic to get her out from behind bars .

Detainees wait for court appearances in a holding cell at the Cook County Jail in December 2019. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
A number of Cook County Jail detainees — including “serial stowaway” Marilyn Hartman — have been quietly ordered released this week to help relieve jail crowding amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The hearings to formally release the detainees began this week, unannounced and separate from the two duty courtrooms that remain open to hear emergency matters during a widespread court shutdown.
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Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli said she has spent the past week working with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Sheriff Tom Dart on the releases.
Campanelli said she sought information from jail officials on detainees who fall into specific categories, including those serving nonviolent offenses, are elderly, pregnant or facing health issues. She then worked with the state’s attorney’s office to secure up to 100 releases in the suburbs and Chicago.
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“We are working closely with the state’s attorney and the sheriff’s office,” Campanelli said. “We are all working together.”
Campanelli, however, said their work was not over.
“I am absolutely happy that we have gotten some people out," she continued. "We have to put our heads together and really delve into this on a much bigger scale.”
With that in mind, Campanelli has filed a request for the mass release of detainees in several categories, including people with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, those detained for nonviolent offenses and anyone who is locked up since they cannot afford to pay bail.
“Bold, forceful action is a necessity here in Cook County, not only for the health and well-being of all those confined in the Jail but also for the safety of the larger community,” Campanelli wrote in the filing.
No case of COVID-19 has yet been identified inside the sprawling jail complex near 26th Street and California Avenue. The jail is one of the largest pretrial detention centers in America, regularly housing more than 5,000 inmates.
But advocates who have been pushing for the releases said the potential problem was large and required urgent action.
“At this point we’re very worried there is already infection that will spread rapidly,” said Sharlyn Grace, the executive director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund. "It’s about the safety of people in the jail but also the entire community of Cook County because it is about slowing the pace of infection. People are constantly cycling in and out.”
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The defendants themselves were not present for hearings on their releases in the quietly held court proceedings Friday. Due to coronavirus concerns, Cook County sheriffs have cut down on the number of detainees brought over from the jail to the courtrooms.
Among Friday’s releases was Hartman, 68, known as the “serial stowaway” due to her long history of trying to sneak onto flights in Chicago and around the country.
Hartman’s attorney, who has long maintained that she is not a public threat and should not be in jail, has consistently fought to seek her release on bond in her various cases. This time, it took the extraordinary circumstance of a global pandemic to get her out from behind bars.
Hartman was ordered released on a recognizance bond Friday, meaning she can leave the jail without paying bail. Her next hearing will be at the end of April, after courts are expected to resume normal operations.
Hartman had been held without bail since October after she was arrested at O’Hare yet again just as she was trying to pass the second of two security checkpoints, prosecutors have said. The arrest violated her probation sentence for sneaking past O’Hare security in January 2018, boarding a jet and flying to London’s Heathrow Airport without a ticket.
Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered her held without bail on the probation violation.
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Previous efforts to get Hartman out of custody have been coupled with assurances that she has a place to stay in a supportive environment where she can be monitored for any attempts to sneak away to an airport. It was unclear where Hartman would stay after being released Friday.
Hartman has been accused since early 2014 of trying to sneak onto flights in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Arizona and Minnesota in addition to repeated attempts in Chicago.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
asweeney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--What do people in recovery from alcohol or drug use do now that coronavirus has shuttered many churc

What do people in recovery from alcohol or drug use do now that coronavirus has shuttered many churches and community centers?

Fry also stressed that friends and family should check in on loved ones who might be having a hard time @ @ @ @ @ this week texting and Facebook messaging people she knows who are still using or who @ @ @ @

Live4Lali Director of Harm Reduction and Outreach Services Ana Gossman outside the new Live4Lali van on March 4, 2020, in North Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
In her position as chief programs officer at Arlington Heights-based Live4Lali Community Recovery Center, Laura Fry is used to establishing personal connections with her clients.
The organization helps people in recovery and helps clients get clean needles and supplies if they still use.
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This week, Fry dropped off a bag of supplies on a client’s doorstep and, without going inside, went back to her car, an effort to protect against COVID-19.
The client then opened the door, picked up the bag and gave a thumbs up before returning inside, Fry said.
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“Would I have loved to give this person a big hug like I usually do? Absolutely,” Fry said.
As many churches, coffee shops and community centers have closed their doors in an effort to help reduce the spread of coronavirus, those in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction say they have been forced to change their routines. Group therapy, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and individual therapy sessions are being replaced by phone calls and remote outreach efforts.
Those dealing with drug and alcohol addictions, and the professionals who work to support them, say they fear many people will relapse without the community and accountability often required to stay clean.
Whether the addiction is to alcohol, opioids or another addictive substance, the concern is the same, experts said.
“I can’t even tell you how worried we are,” said Chelsea Laliberte Barnes, co-founder and executive director of Live4Lali Community Recovery Center. “Substance use disorder is a disease of isolation.”
An Evanston man who is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous said it’s a scary time for those dealing with addiction.
“One of the keys to (recovery) is getting in a room and sharing,” said the man, who did not wish to be named.
But, he said, he understands the risk of coronavirus. He called a gathering of 50 people in a church basement “a petri dish.”
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The move away from group gatherings has left many scrambling to staff hotlines, create meetings online and reach out to loved ones who have fought addiction.
The moves are part of a necessary effort to remind those dealing with addiction that they are loved and supported, experts said.
In the Chicago Area Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous, the call volume has doubled, said Katie, a manager at the AA office, who declined to give her last name, citing the organization’s policy of anonymity.
While some calls are to keep the office informed of meeting changes and community issues, many others are from people seeking help.
“When you’re bunkered up in the house with no one but your own thoughts, that’s not a good place for anyone to be,” she said.
There are typically more than 2,900 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Cook County and most have been canceled due to the coronavirus threat, Katie said.
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At the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, a national group of drug and alcohol treatment centers, Chief Medical Officer Marvin Seppala said patients are still being admitted. The group offers inpatient and outpatient services, with one location in Chicago.
He predicts more patients will seek help the longer people are asked to remain at home.
“It actually could get worse with social isolation,” Seppala said. “We look at it as we’re confronting two crises: the opioid crisis and coronavirus."
Group meetings are continuing at Hazelden Betty Ford, Seppala said, but everyone entering the building must have their temperatures taken before they come in the door, a rule that applies to both patients and staff members.
As new patients are admitted, they go through an extensive phone screening about any symptoms, recent travel and possible exposure to COVID-19, Seppala said.
Live4Lali Chief Programs Officer Laura Fry sits outside the new Live4Lali van on March 4, 2020, in North Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
In Fox Lake, Sarah Baker, program director for Mathers Recovery Fox Lake, faces a different challenge as she works to keep patients safe while they wait in line for methadone prescriptions.
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Mathers Recovery operates three opiate and mental health clinics in northern Illinois.
Methadone is typically prescribed to those recovering from heroin addiction, and Baker said lines for the medication usually form at the door to her clinic twice a morning as patients wait for their dosage.
“We’re just trying to be really careful,” Baker said, and “make sure our clients remain calm.”
Along with social distancing recommendations, such as asking visitors to stand six feet apart while waiting in line, Baker said her group has considered requesting that more methadone be dispensed at once.
That would save patients one or more trips, thereby limiting the number of people at the clinic at one time.
Coronavirus isn’t the only threat to many of her patients, Baker said. Because those recovering from heroin addiction often have compromised immune systems, among other health issues, they also are at higher risk of contracting diseases like Hepatitis C.
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Many addiction experts stressed the importance of asking for help if you feel tempted to use drugs or alcohol while you’re stuck at home for days on end.
Katie, with Chicago AA, encouraged area residents to call the Chicago-area service office of AA.
“The help is still there if they’re willing to reach out,” she said.
The Chicago AA website also has links for phone and web-based meetings, as well as information on how to set up virtual meetings online.
The Evanston member of AA recommended those recovering from addiction also call a friend or relative, in addition to attending AA meetings online or over the phone. That community support is especially crucial right now, he said.
“It is important to be around people who understand how we react to freaky situations, which is often to make not-good decisions,” he said.
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If he were newly sober and facing the coronavirus restrictions, the man said, “I would have been worried that something that seemed safe and stable and supportive was being pulled out from under my feet."
Fry also stressed that friends and family should check in on loved ones who might be having a hard time. She spent one night this week texting and Facebook messaging people she knows who are still using or who are in recovery.
“This isn’t the end of our connection. We just need to do things differently,” Fry said. “A simple phone call can turn the tide for one person.”
Those in need of assistance can reach the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration help line at 1 (800) 662-4357.
gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Meet the 3 Chicago-area natives competing on ‘The Voice’ Season 18

“ Me winning ‘ The Voice , ’ that would mean so much for me and even for Chicago , @ @ @ @ @ just having something where they know somebody is out there winning .
That means the @ @ @ @ @ 30-year-old musician , who is on Legend ’ s team .
“ While I ’ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m going to be doing some big things , because this is ‘ The @ @ @ @ @ go the other way , or even after ‘ The Voice , ’ Darious Lyles @ @ @ @ @ that you want to tune in to .
”

To convince Mount Prospect singer-songwriter Kevin Farris to join his team on “The Voice,” coach Nick Jonas jumped on stage and sang the Jonas Brothers hit “Lovebug” with Farris. The stunt worked — Farris chose Jonas, the show’s newest mentor, over John Legend.
“I’m such a huge fan of Nick and John, but I think the icing on the cake really was Nick coming up on stage. That kind of forced my hand. It was a tough choice, because I have so much respect for John as well, but being able to jam with Nick was kind of what turned the tide and made me go that route,” Farris, 33, told the Tribune.
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Farris, who grew up in Arlington Heights, is one of three Chicago-area men who successfully auditioned for the four celebrity mentors on “The Voice” Season 18. Next up is the pre-taped battle round, where two teammates face off in a duet to impress their coach. The battles are scheduled to begin airing at 7 p.m. Monday on WMAQ-Ch. 5.
A Chicago contestant has never won “The Voice,” though Jefferson Park singer Katie Kadan came the closest with a third-place finish last season. Darious Lyles, a Season 18 contestant who grew up on the Southwest Side and now lives in the south suburbs, said this could be the year the recording contract prize goes to a Chicago-area native.
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“Me winning ‘The Voice,’ that would mean so much for me and even for Chicago, where I come from, just having something where they know somebody is out there winning. That means the world,” said the 30-year-old musician, who is on Legend’s team. “While I’m on the show I’m going to be doing some big things, because this is ‘The Voice.’ But if things go the other way, or even after ‘The Voice,’ Darious Lyles is the kind of artist that you want to tune in to.”
Jamal Corrie, who spent part of his childhood in Skokie and now lives in California, is on Blake Shelton’s team. He said he’s been a street performer for about five years. He woke up one morning and decided to audition for “The Voice.” He said he can play piano, guitar, trumpet, saxophone, violin, ukulele, cello and drums.
“I finally got into singing about 18, 19, because I sold all my instruments," said Corrie, 27. "I don’t know why. I guess out of rebellion or something and frustration. It took me, honestly, just a really long time to find my voice, and it’s still something that I’m trying to find.”
There are several rounds of competition before a “Voice” winner is crowned. The contestants typically perform live in front of the coaches and a studio audience near the end of the season, but it’s unclear if or when these performances would happen amid the worldwide coronavirus outbreak. Some TV shows have suspended production. NBC hasn’t announced a decision yet about the live component of “The Voice.”
Corrie said he’s more concerned for his music career than the TV show.
“I haven’t been able to really make money with my gigs at all,” he said. “I think the show is definitely going to keep going on, because most people are at home. We actually need ‘The Voice’ more than ever.”
tswartz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Obamacare is turning 10 years old amid the coronavirus pandemic. Far more Illinoisans have insurance

Obamacare is turning 10 years old amid the coronavirus pandemic. Far more Illinoisans have insurance, but for some the law falls short.

“ It ’ s frustrating because there ’ s not a lot of choice , ” said Jessica Wanek , @ @ @ @ @ s been selling insurance since 1999 .
“ As a broker , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ premiums that are so high and , no , your doctors are not going to @ @ @ @ @ broker , you always want to have options for your clients , and there are @ @ @ @ @ to be .
”

Traci Fine gets a vaccine at the office of Dr. Michael Melnick on March 10, 2020, in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Fine is a freelance makeup artist and relies on the Affordable Care Act for insurance. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
As COVID-19 continues to spread, many people are scared they or their loved ones will fall ill.
Those fears are especially acute for those who don’t have health insurance — some of whom lack coverage because they can’t afford plans sold on the Affordable Care Act exchange.
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But far fewer people in Illinois are uninsured now than a decade ago, before the law was signed.
This month marks 10 years since President Barack Obama signed the law — an anniversary that’s colliding with an unprecedented health care crisis. It’s a turn of events that will undoubtedly highlight both how the law has improved access to health insurance for many, and how it’s fallen short.
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The law’s supporters note that without the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, more people would be uninsured. More than 1.7 million Illinois residents — nearly 14% of the state’s population — were uninsured, on average, between 2008 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2018, that percentage had been cut in half, to about 7%, or about 875,000 people.
People with preexisting conditions can no longer be denied coverage, and insurance companies no longer can cap how much they’ll spend on a person’s care. Preventative care, such as physicals, are now free. And most individual insurance plans must cover at least 10 major areas of care, including mental health, prescription drugs and pregnancy.
More than 570,000 low-income people in Illinois have gained insurance through the law’s expansion of Medicaid, a state and federally funded health insurance program that was closed to most able-bodied adults before Obamacare.
And many people who make too much for Medicaid can get tax credits to offset the cost of insurance purchased through the exchange.
“What we’re facing today with coronavirus and the threat of a pandemic is a grim reminder of how important public health is and how important it is to have good health insurance when you need it,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who was among those who voted for the law.
But the law hasn’t been good news for everyone in Illinois. Individuals who make more than $51,040 a year and families of four who make more than $104,800 don’t quality for tax credits, leaving some to pay sky-high premiums for coverage. Also, choices on the exchange are limited, after some insurance companies pulled out of the state’s marketplace and others changed their offerings.
“There are positives and negatives to the Affordable Care Act,” said Robert Slayton, a Naperville insurance broker and past president of the Illinois State Association of Health Underwriters. “Everyone who wants insurance can get it, regardless of health, and they don’t pay more if they have a health condition. That’s huge.”
But for people who make too much to qualify for the subsidies, “It’s been mixed to say the least,” he said.
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Expanded coverage
The Affordable Care Act touched every part of the health care system, but its most basic goal was to expand access to quality, affordable health insurance.
In Illinois, many people obtained coverage through the state’s decision to expand Medicaid under the law. Not all states did, after a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling made expansion optional.
Previously, only low-income people with disabilities, children or certain other circumstances qualified for Medicaid coverage. Now, it’s available to people without children or disabilities, with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level.
As of last year, 570,000 Illinois adults had coverage because of the Medicaid expansion. That expanded coverage also has meant more payments for Illinois hospitals, which otherwise often have to absorb the costs of treating uninsured patients.
“What the Medicaid expansion did is it brought in millions of dollars of federal money into the state,” said Stephani Becker, associate director for health care justice at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law in Chicago. The federal government pays 90% of the costs for Illinois residents covered under the expansion, and the state pays the rest.
Those payments may be especially important to hospitals as they gear up to treat potentially large numbers of people with COVID-19.
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“It’s important, first for patients, that they get the health care they need when they need it; because if you delay or don’t get care, you’re worse off, you’re sicker,” said Danny Chun, a spokesman for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. “And it’s helped stabilize the finances of many hospitals.”
Price increases
The law has been tough, however, on the finances of some of the people it was supposed to help, as prices for exchange plans climbed in recent years.
Before the Affordable Care Act, Miranda Wilgus, of North Chicago, didn’t have health insurance because her employer didn’t offer it, and a preexisting condition made buying her own policy unaffordable. During that time, she had emergency gallbladder surgery, a procedure that took her five years to pay off.
Obamacare was supposed to fix all that. “The first year, I was able to get a decent plan for $197 a month. I could go to the doctor," she said. She was thrilled.
But as the years went by, prices surged. Now, in 2020, Wilgus, who works as an office manager at a political nonprofit, is again uninsured. Her monthly premium would have been about $400 this year, and she couldn’t afford it.
She said she’s now terrified of being uninsured amid the spread of the new coronavirus. “As much as I see the irony and hypocrisy of me being an Affordable Care Act advocate, and not being able to afford insurance, there’s no choice,” she said.
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In 2014, the first year people had insurance through the exchange, prices were often relatively low.
A 25-year-old Chicagoan could have paid $120 a month for a bronze plan, a type of plan with low premiums but a higher deductible. This year, Chicagoans of a similar age pay about twice as much for the same type of plan. Many people in Illinois pay far more.
During that time, prices also have increased for plans offered through employers, which is how most Illinoisans get their insurance. Employer-sponsored health insurance for a family of four cost an average of $20,576 a year in annual premiums in 2019 — a record high, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Workers pay about $6,015 of that, and employers cover the rest.
Experts say most of that increase likely wasn’t caused by the Affordable Care Act, but rather rising medical and drug costs that also contributed to higher rates on the exchanges.
When the exchanges first opened, many insurance companies weren’t sure what to charge, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. Insurers lost money as more sick people, and fewer healthy ones, signed up for coverage than anticipated. Also, a federal program called reinsurance that helped fund insurers expired after 2016, adding to their financial woes.
Experts debate which other factors led to the price increases. Some blame the basic structure of the law. Overcharging healthy people for insurance to give sick people a better deal never was going to be sustainable, said Avik Roy, who served as a health care adviser to former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and founded the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity.
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Healthy people opt not to buy insurance, leading to increasingly expensive plans for those on the exchanges, he said. The law originally required everyone to buy insurance or pay a penalty, but Roy said the penalty was never enough to compel everyone to buy coverage.
Others blame efforts by congressional Republicans, and then President Donald Trump, to weaken the law and decrease funding.
Regardless of the reason, insurance companies reacted to the losses. UnitedHealthcare and Aetna exited the exchange in Illinois, limiting options for consumers. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois stayed on the exchange but eliminated a popular PPO plan that included many of the state’s top hospitals.
Other insurers, like Land of Lincoln, folded. Land of Lincoln sent nearly 50,000 Illinois residents scrambling for coverage when it collapsed in mid-2016. It was a co-op, a nonprofit created under the Affordable Care Act to help drive competition on the exchange.
Co-ops across the country failed, in part, many say, because Congress limited their federal funding. Land of Lincoln and other co-ops sued the federal government over the loss of those payments — an issue that’s now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Insurance companies that remained on the exchange increased their prices significantly. In Illinois in 2016, average rates for many of the lowest-cost plans increased by 5% to 11%. Some consumers saw increases of nearly 40%.
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For people receiving tax credits, those increases weren’t devastating, because the credits, in many cases, offset the increases. About 87% of the 288,000 people who bought health insurance on the state’s exchange last year received tax credits, which averaged about $524 a month.
Traci Fine, a 56-year-old Vernon Hills makeup artist, pays about $100 a month for her exchange coverage after the tax credit she receives.
Before Obamacare she spent years uninsured. If it weren’t for the law, she might have been tethered to a job just for the benefits, she said.
“I make more money than I did in a dead-end job,” Fine said. “I like life more. I’m happier and I have insurance. I’m able to do that because of Obamacare.”
People who don’t qualify for subsidies, however, are paying top dollar.
Gloria Charland, of Ingleside, is also self-employed. The 62-year-old woman teaches part-time and owns rental properties. Before the Affordable Care Act, she worried she’d be denied coverage because of a preexisting condition.
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Charland no longer has that fear. But she’s paying mightily — about $896 a month for a bronze-level HMO plan.
“I make a little too much money to get a subsidy but not enough to afford a good policy,” Charland said.
‘Not a lot of choice’
Like others, Charland didn’t have a lot of options when it came to buying an exchange plan.
As there was only one company selling plans in Lake County this year, “it was an easy choice,” Charland said. “I just went with the cheapest one.”
Other Illinois residents have found themselves with more choices. On the whole, Illinois has fared better than many other states. Five insurance companies offer exchange plans this year in Illinois, including three that sell plans in Cook County.
Still, it’s a far cry from 2015, when 10 insurers were part of the exchange.
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“It’s frustrating because there’s not a lot of choice,” said Jessica Wanek, a Plainfield broker who’s been selling insurance since 1999. “As a broker, it’s really hard to show people premiums that are so high and, no, your doctors are not going to take this. As a broker, you always want to have options for your clients, and there are less options than there used to be.”
Many insurers narrowed the networks of hospitals and doctors as a way to lower monthly premiums, Corlette said.
Before the Affordable Care Act, people who bought their own insurance plans, rather than getting them through an employer or government program, had an array of options of what services they wanted covered and what ones they did not, Wanek said. Plans didn’t have to cover what are now known as the 10 essential health benefits, which include prescriptions, pregnancy, lab services and preventative care.
Many Illinois consumers, however, have seen their choices expand significantly under the Affordable Care Act. “If you’re somebody who has a preexisting condition, then you do have more choice,” Corlette said.
Before Obamacare, people with preexisting conditions in Illinois could get coverage through a state program called the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan if they couldn’t find it elsewhere. But they had to pay 125% to 150% of what others in the state paid for comparable plans.
“It was extremely expensive, and what it demonstrated, really, was the acute need across the state for Illinoisans of all income levels to have access to care, to health insurance that was affordable,” said Michael McRaith, who was director of the Illinois Department of Insurance from 2005 to 2011.
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‘A first step’
The law has changed in many ways since it was signed a decade ago. In 2017, congressional Republicans failed to garner enough votes to repeal the law, but the Trump administration and Congress have made other changes.
One of the biggest was when Congress erased the penalty people had to pay for being uninsured, a change that took effect last year. The number of people in Illinois without insurance has again been climbing, since 2017, but it’s unclear whether that’s because the penalty is gone, insurance is expensive, the Trump administration cut back on advertising and outreach surrounding the exchanges, or other factors.
The law will face another major test later this year, when the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether the mandate to buy insurance, and in turn the law, is still constitutional without the penalty.
Roy, with the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, believes it’s more likely the court will strike down parts of the law rather than nix it entirely. If it is struck down, "it would be kind of unimaginably disruptive,” said Katherine Hempstead, a senior adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
If the law is upheld, supporters acknowledge there’s more work to be done, such as addressing the high costs of prescription drugs, Durbin said.
“We dropped the ball on that,” he said. “We didn’t do everything we could do on prescription drugs.”
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Those behind the law prioritized expanding insurance coverage and arguably missed an opportunity to clamp down on rising health care costs, said Corlette, the Georgetown University research professor.
Congress might get a chance to make those improvements, especially if a Democrat is elected to the White House.
Wilgus, the North Chicago woman who is again uninsured because of high prices on the exchange, hopes the law survives. She runs a Facebook group with other women for consumers who rely on the exchange. She’s since partnered with other groups to support the law and efforts to build on it.
“People don’t necessarily know how big the Affordable Care Act is and how it impacts everyone,” Wilgus said. “It was never meant to be the end-all-be-all. It was meant to be a first step.”
lschencker@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Column: After traumatic childhood, local woman finds healing through forgiveness

Why his intense anger ?
Kaplan ’ s father was a Holocaust survivor with his own traumatizing past .
He @ @ @ @ @ in Poland when in 1941 , they became victims of a home invasion by the @ @ @ @ @ the time , her father watched the killing of his mother and two sisters , @ @ @ @ @ to escape into a nearby forest , where he lived alone for more than three @ @

For Karen Kaplan, a Highland Park-based author and speaker, true inner healing can only come through forgiveness.
Kaplan, a mom of three, is no stranger to pain nor forgiveness. She has spent years — decades, actually, learning how to forgive and cope with her own heartbreaking past. She has also helped others do the same through her private practice, her memoir, speaking engagements and her new screenplay, “An Authentic Life” which was recently chosen as a finalist for the Los Angeles Live Film Festival.
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I sat down with Kaplan to hear her story and to talk about why forgiveness, something that is so difficult for people, not only has benefits, but can be life-changing.
Growing up in West Rogers Park in the 1960s, Kaplan described her childhood as “traumatizing,” due to her father’s deep-rooted anger.
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“There was always fighting and yelling and physical abuse to my mother and my older brothers,” said Kaplan, who was the youngest of three children. “When my father took out the strap and I would see my brothers being whipped, I would run into my bedroom closet and hide. Life was about how to work around my father’s craziness.”
Why his intense anger? Kaplan’s father was a Holocaust survivor with his own traumatizing past. He and his family were living in Poland when in 1941, they became victims of a home invasion by the Nazis. Nineteen years-old at the time, her father watched the killing of his mother and two sisters, Kaplan said. He managed to escape into a nearby forest, where he lived alone for more than three years.
“He lived like a mountain man is how I describe it,” said Kaplan of her father. “During the warm seasons he lived off the land and when it was cold he hid in barns.”
At the end of the war, he lived in a refugee camp and in 1950, came to Chicago. He got a job, got married and tried to have a happy family. Unfortunately, the scars were just too deep.
“He was financially abusive and very controlling. My mother had to give him her check every week, and we couldn’t go to the doctor if we were sick,” said Kaplan. “I remember very few moments when I would sit on my father’s lap on Shabbat dinner, but you never knew where the night was ending up.”
Kaplan’s mother died of cancer in 1997 at the age of 62. Despite her father’s behavior, Kaplan took care of him as he aged.
“I wasn’t the loving daughter, I was the dutiful daughter who came to check on him every day, to take him to the doctor, and to get his groceries,” she said.
It wasn’t until 2007, when Kaplan, who at the time was divorced with three children, began her journey of forgiveness.
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“I started working with a therapist and I realized I was holding in all of this anger, and that I needed to delve into my life and understand it so that I wouldn’t repeat my father’s behavior,” she said. “I was unhappy and didn’t feel fulfilled. I knew something needed to change.”
She said she learned how to redefine what forgiveness meant to her.
“Forgiveness isn’t about what the other person did. Forgiveness is about how you can grow from being a victim. If you forgive, you can learn to heal and move beyond what happened,” said Kaplan, who became a spiritual director with a private practice.
Kaplan said it took her almost two years to grieve what happened in her childhood.
“I cried and cried and cried. I was like a volcano purging the sadness and bitterness, and finally I had no more tears left,” she said.
Her father died in 2010 at the age of 89. Sitting on his deathbed, Kaplan said her heart started to fill with compassion.
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“I said, ‘Daddy, it’s time to let go. You’ve suffered your entire life. You don’t have to suffer in death. I forgive you. I want you to know that I honestly forgive you,’” Kaplan said. “When I buried him, I knew I had buried him with a compassionate and a loving heart, and I finally felt liberated from all this emotional pain that I had kept within me. I felt free.”
In 2014, after traveling to Poland to visit her father’s hometown, Kaplan published her memoir, “Descendants of Rajgród” and began speaking publicly about her journey of forgiveness.
“Many of us have gone through a difficult childhood or other life experience where we were neglected, abused, abandoned or hurt and are still clinging to those negative experiences,” Kaplan said.
According to Kaplan, the process of forgiveness includes:
1. Realizing that you are carrying anger from the past and letting yourself feel those emotions.
2. Learning to have compassion for the perpetrator.
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3. Uttering the words, “I forgive you.”
Kaplan remarried in 2014. She said she’s still a work in progress, but described herself as “softer, kinder and less judgmental.”
“I’m not living in the past,” she said. “I look at others and can truly empathize and understand that everyone has demons in their closet. Forgiving allows you to open your heart up to love, which includes romantic love. You can either love or hate. You can’t carry both emotions.”
Jackie Pilossoph is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press. She is also the creator of her divorce support website, Divorced Girl Smiling.