chicagotribune--2020-07-18--C.T. Vivian, civil rights activist who led sit-ins in Peoria, studied with John Lewis and advised ML

C.T. Vivian, civil rights activist who led sit-ins in Peoria, studied with John Lewis and advised MLK, dies at 95

“ You can turn your back now and you can keep your club in your hand , but you can @ @ @ @ @ And we will register to vote because as citizens of these United States we have @ @ @ @ @ , ” Vivian declared , wagging his index finger at Sheriff Jim Clark as the @ @ @

C. T. Vivian, the civil rights activist and organizer, at home in Atlanta in 2016. Vivian, a field general for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, died on July 17, 2020. He was 95. (Kevin D. Liles/The New York Times)
ATLANTA — The Rev. C.T. Vivian, an early and key adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who organized pivotal civil rights campaigns and spent decades advocating for justice and equality, died Friday at the age of 95.
Vivian began staging sit-ins against segregation in Peoria, Illinois, in the 1940s — a dozen years before lunch-counter protests by college students made national news. He met King soon after the budding civil rights leader’s leadership of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, and helped translate ideas into action by organizing the Freedom Rides that forced federal intervention across the South.
Advertisement
Vivian studied theology alongside future civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis at the American Baptist College in Nashville, Tennessee, where they trained waves of activists in nonviolent protest. Lewis died Friday night.
Vivian boldly challenged a segregationist sheriff while trying to register Black voters in Selma, Alabama, where hundreds, then thousands, later marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Advertisement
“You can turn your back now and you can keep your club in your hand, but you cannot beat down justice. And we will register to vote because as citizens of these United States we have the right to do it,” Vivian declared, wagging his index finger at Sheriff Jim Clark as the cameras rolled.
The sheriff then punched him, and news coverage of the assault helped turned a local registration drive into a national phenomenon.
Former diplomat and congressman Andrew Young, another close King confidant, said Vivian was always “one of the people who had the most insight, wisdom, integrity and dedication.”
Barack Obama, who honored Vivian with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, tweeted Friday that “he was always one of the first in the action — a Freedom Rider, a marcher in Selma, beaten, jailed, almost killed, absorbing blows in hopes that fewer of us would have to.”
President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to C.T. Vivian at the White House on Nov. 20, 2013. (Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times)
“He waged nonviolent campaigns for integration across the south, and campaigns for economic justice throughout the north, knowing that even after the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act that he helped win, our long journey to equality was nowhere near finished,” Obama wrote.
Obama also drew a direct line from “Vivian and all the heroes in that Civil Rights Generation” to today’s generation of activists, saying “I have to imagine that seeing the largest protest movement in history unfold over his final months gave the Reverend a final dose of hope.”
Among many other tributes, The King Center in Atlanta tweeted: “Rev. C.T. Vivian. Courageous. Brilliant. Sacrificial. A powerfully well-lived life that lifted humanity. We will miss you.” And the Rev. Al Sharpton, who heads the National Action Network, tweeted that Vivian “made this nation and world a better place. ... RIP, my friend.”
Rev. C.T. Vivian.
Courageous. Brilliant. Sacrificial.
A powerfully well-lived life that lifted humanity. We will miss you.
Thank you, sir. pic.twitter.com/Bd9QSLitN1 — The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center (@TheKingCenter) July 17, 2020
Speaking with students in Tennessee 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, Vivian urged them to act strategically as they advocated for justice and equality. The civil rights movement was effective not only because of its nonviolence, but because activists made sure their messages were amplified, he said.
Advertisement
“This is what made the movement: Our voice was really heard. But it didn’t happen by accident; we made certain it was heard,” Vivian said.
Cordy Tindell Vivian was born July 28, 1924, in Howard County, Missouri, but moved to Macomb, Illinois, with his mother as a young boy.
King made Vivian his national director of affiliates at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and sent him around the South to register voters, an effort that brought Vivian to Selma in 1965. Standing on the Dallas County courthouse steps as a line of Black people stretched down the block behind him, he argued for their voting rights until Clark’s punch knocked him flat.
Vivian stood back up and kept talking before he was stitched up and jailed, and his mistreatment helped draw thousands of protesters, whose determination to march from Selma to Montgomery pressured Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act later that year.
Vivian continued to serve in the SCLC after King’s assassination in 1968, and became its interim president in 2012, lending renewed credibility after the organization stagnated for years. He also co-founded VISION, the precursor to Outward Bound; the Center for Democratic Renewal; and a consulting firm that encouraged improvements in race relations.
“There must always be the understanding of what Martin had in mind for this organization,” Vivian said in a 2012 interview. “Nonviolent, direct action makes us successful. We learned how to solve social problems without violence. We cannot allow the nation or the world to ever forget that.”
Advertisement
[ From 2017: Civil rights activist remembers MLK at St. Sabina: 'We found that if you love, you win' ]
Vivian died at home in Atlanta of natural causes Friday morning, his friend and business partner Don Rivers confirmed to The Associated Press.
Vivian had a stroke about two months ago but seemed to recover, Rivers said. Then, “he just stopped eating,” he said.
Rivers, 67, said he was 21 when he met Vivian at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Back then, he worked as an audio director when Vivian was the dean of the university’s divinity school. The two remained close over the years and Rivers said he handled the business side of Vivian’s work.
“He’s such a nice, gentle, courageous man,” Rivers said, adding that the reverend wasn’t in it for the money. “He was always giving, giving, giving.”


chicagotribune--2020-07-18--Attempt to topple Christopher Columbus statue in Chicago’s Grant Park prompts standoff with police,

Attempt to topple Christopher Columbus statue in Chicago’s Grant Park prompts standoff with police, arrests and rebuke of mayor

By 7:40 p.m. , police reinforcements had arrived at the scene , leading to a standoff in front of the @ @ @ @ @ later by more officers , who soon released an aerosol that stung the eyes of @ @ @ @ @ some coughing in tears .
Police forced out those inside the wall surrounding the statue @ @ @ @ @

The Christopher Columbus statue is transported after being removed in Grant Park in the early hours of July 24, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
At least 1,000 people swarmed the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park on Friday evening in a failed attempt to topple it after a march turned tense and chaotic when some people began throwing fireworks and cans at the police, who in turn struck members of the crowd with batons.
Advertisement
Following a rally in support of Black and Indigenous people, hundreds of protesters marched south on Columbus Drive shortly after 7 p.m. Then a person shouted that some Chicago police units, whom they had been trying to separate the crowd from by using bike-wielding citizen “marshals,” had left to protect the statue of the controversial historical figure.
The confrontation resulted in at least 12 arrests, according to the police department. A group of elected officials also released a statement condemning what they said were aggressive tactics used to quell protesters and journalists.
Advertisement
“We unequivocally condemn Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to send the Chicago police to beat, arrest, and terrorize the demonstrators and journalists gathered in Grant Park tonight,” read the statement, released late Friday.
It was signed by Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez, Alderman Carlos Ramirez Rosa, State Rep. Representative Delia Ramirez, democratic nominee LaKesia Collins and State Sen. Robert Peters.
Dozens of people in the crowd who were clad in all-black clothing rushed the nearby statue, surrounding the short stone wall that circled it. Some began throwing objects, such as cans and fireworks, at the officers. A few people tried to climb over the wall and were met with officers smacking their batons at them.
“This is not the way! ... We don’t want them to shoot us,” a man shouted to the group throwing items. He was told by someone in the crowd to back off.
Soon, the police were pushed back, and dozens of people climbed over the wall, wading through the thinning smoke from earlier fireworks and other incendiary devices. Someone scaled the statue and caught a rope that was tossed up from the crowd, beginning about a half-hour-long attempt to yank down the statue.
At one point, demonstrators held onto two lines of rope attached to the statue as the crowd cheered on, “Columbus was a murderer. Columbus was a thief.”
A person has scaled the top of the statue. Someone is throwing a rope up at them. pic.twitter.com/ZqWfD18W9Q — Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) July 18, 2020
Advertisement
By 7:40 p.m., police reinforcements had arrived at the scene, leading to a standoff in front of the statue. They were joined later by more officers, who soon released an aerosol that stung the eyes of the crowd and led to some coughing in tears. Police forced out those inside the wall surrounding the statue and circled the perimeter.
As officers moved down the hill, they pushed aside the bike-wielding protesters trying to stop them, sometimes whipping out batons or shoving the bicycles at them. The standoff shifted to north of the statue, as the crowd, still out-numbering the cops, began clapping in unison despite having a few hundred people leave by that point.
A heavy influx of police officers around the area pushed protesters away from the statue by 8:30 p.m., according to a livestream from WBBM-Ch.2.
About 18 officers were injured, some of whom were treated at the scene and others at area hospitals, Chicago police spokesman Thomas Ahern said. About a dozen people were arrested and face pending charges ranging from battery to a police officer to mob action, Ahern said. He said the aerosol used by officers was pepper spray.
“Officers were there to not only protect the property, but they were to ensure the safety of the protestors and their First Amendment right to protest peacefully when the crowd turned on the police, literally ambushed the police with all their projectiles,” Ahern said.
At least five civilians were hospitalized from the area, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.
Advertisement
This is not the way, a man shouts as someone throws something incendiary at the cops pic.twitter.com/AtOUAqFXAM — Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) July 18, 2020
Protesters launch fireworks and other items at Chicago police officers guarding Columbus statue in Grant Park pic.twitter.com/WCga8c47Ty — WGN TV News (@WGNNews) July 18, 2020
Though the statue remained standing by the time the crowd left, it and the surrounding wall were sheathed in overlapping anti-police graffiti messages.
The Columbus statues in Grant Park and the city’s Little Italy neighborhood have been the source of recent controversy and targets for vandalism. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said she doesn’t want them taken down, but instead used to help educate people about “the full history” of the U.S.
[ Activists, elected officials urge Lightfoot to take down Columbus statue after confrontations at Grant Park. Mayor says city reviewing ‘public icons.' ]
Madeline Buckley contributed
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-18--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened July 17 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

“ I ’ ve lost two family members to COVID , my cousin and my great uncle , so I @ @ @ @ @ who are taking this situation very lightly , because they just don ’ t understand @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I have asthma , and one of my sons , who ’ @ @ @ @ @ has diabetes .
If we ’ re back in the classroom , I ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ , and could bring COVID home to my own family .
This is not time @ @ @ @ @ together , as having their lives at risk is just not an option .
”

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)
Chicago Public Schools released a much-anticipated blueprint for fall instruction on Friday, saying it plans to adopt a hybrid-learning model that will bring most students back for two-consecutive days of in-person learning on a rotating basis if public health officials say it can be done safely.
Nothing in the framework is finalized. CPS says it will solicit feedback from parents in five virtual meetings through the end of July, with sessions held in English and Spanish, and parents can also their reactions in a new survey launched by the district. The district will share the final plan in early August.
Advertisement
And with difficult decisions lying ahead on how to open schools across the state this fall, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has taken the unusual step of going to court to ensure school children wear face coverings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
A lawsuit filed late Thursday seeks a judge’s approval of Pritzker’s order that schoolchildren, teachers and staff wear coverings over mouths and noses among other measures to reduce the chance that the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus can spread. A public school district and two private academies contend Pritzker no longer has authority under emergency powers to require face masks in schools, even as new cases of COVID-19 are growing in Illinois and across the country.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Illinois health officials on Friday announced 1,384 new cases of COVID-19 and 22 additional fatalities. Officials also reported 43,692 new tests in the last 24 hours, the second day in a row the state set a testing record. Only five days have more than 35,000 tests reported.
[ Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ Schools reopening tracker: What suburban Chicago districts are planning for the fall ]
[ 20 questions about assessing your COVID-19 risk at restaurants, gyms and more ]
Here’s what’s happening Friday regarding COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:22 p.m.: As schools weigh whether to reopen in the fall, anxiety is high among parents and teachers
As a longtime teacher in public schools and the mother of four sons, Gladys Marquez was hopeful that all of her kids — her students at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island and her youngest child still under her roof — would be heading back to the classroom this fall.
But Marquez said her early optimism has been replaced with fear and apprehension in recent weeks, as a surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide — especially among young adults — underscores the potential dangers of a premature return to school as “normal” when the virus continues to rage.
“I’ve lost two family members to COVID, my cousin and my great uncle, so I’m frustrated by those who are taking this situation very lightly, because they just don’t understand the risks,” Marquez said. “I have asthma, and one of my sons, who’s also a teacher, has diabetes. If we’re back in the classroom, I’ll be exposed to 1,800 students, and could bring COVID home to my own family. This is not time to be getting students back together, as having their lives at risk is just not an option.”
As Chicago-area school districts begin to unveil their back-to-schools plans — in many cases still tentative — they are under pressure both to reopen their buildings and to keep them closed. And anxiety is running high for parents, teachers and administrators.
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta and Sophie Sherry
7:14 p.m.: How does COVID-19 affect kids? Science has answers — and gaps.
What role children play in the coronavirus pandemic is the hot-button question of the summer as kids relish their free time while schools labor over how to resume classes.
Advertisement
The Trump administration says the science “is very clear,” but many doctors who specialize in pediatrics and infectious diseases say much of the evidence is inconclusive.
“There are still a lot of unanswered questions. That is the biggest challenge,” said Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a pediatrics professor at the University of Florida and former scientist at the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more here. —Associated Press
5:55 p.m.: Franklin Park students can do e-learning at park district this fall, freeing up District 84 parents to go to work
Parents in Franklin Park School District 84 will have a place to send their children this fall when school returns in a hybrid remote and in-person learning format. The Park District of Franklin Park is offering a way children can do remote learning in a supervised environment.
D84 and the Park District are partnering to offer a low-cost remote learning day camp starting in August when the new school year begins, according to a news release.
“Generally, we recognize that when parents have historically had an expectation that kids were going to be in school five days a week ... they’re going to need some level of support,” District 84 Superintendent David Katzin said. “This was something that we were conscientious of from the beginnings of the development of our plan.”
Advertisement
The camp will cost $10 per day for each child from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and an additional $10 for the late afternoon childcare option from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m, according to the school district.
Read more here. —Anna Kim
5:30 p.m.: Chicago offices are reopening with mandatory masks, empty desks and new rules
When Cushman & Wakefield’s employees started trickling back into the office Monday, they were given face masks, hand sanitizer and sticky notes.
The face masks and hand sanitizer were fairly obvious pandemic accoutrements, but the sticky notes? The commercial real estate firm is using them to make sure there aren’t more than two people in a bathroom at a time.
“I’ve got a sticky, so when I go to the bathroom I put it on the door,” said Vicki Noonan, managing principal and Chicago market lead for the company. “There shouldn’t be more than two stickies on the door.”
Some Chicago offices are starting to reopen with a limited number of employees who are volunteering to return. As they do, companies are piloting new safety policies to protect workers from a health crisis that shows few signs of waning. The early steps, from practical safeguards to quirky solutions, offer a glimpse at what office life might be like once more companies bring employees back.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Ally Marotti and Lauren Zumbach
4:33 p.m.: Cubs Convention canceled for 2021 because of COVID-19
The Cubs Convention, the longest running fan fest in pro sports, is the latest event to be canceled because of COVID-19. The 2021 convention was scheduled for Jan. 15-17 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, where it has been held for the last eight years.
“When we thought about producing an event of this size and magnitude in a pandemic environment, it was just not practical given the constraints of unknown hotel constrictions,” Cubs spokesman Julian Green said. “We still don’t know what’s possible in a hotel environment and given an unknown capacity for mass gatherings and events in the future, and other circumstances beyond our control, we felt the practical decision was to cancel it for next January.”
The Cubs Convention began in 1986, spawning an offseason marketing event that has since been emulated by dozens of other pro teams.
Green said the Cubs could hold some virtual events for fans, as they’ve done with season ticket holders in the last few months, featuring Cubs President Theo Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer and Chairman Tom Ricketts.
“There is no other choice for organizations than to be creative in this environment,” Green said.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Paul Sullivan
3:50 p.m.: Suburban Cook County to require anyone coming from 17 states struggling with high COVID-19 rates to quarantine for 14 days
Suburban Cook County is joining the city of Chicago in requiring people coming to Illinois from states with high rates of COVID-19 infection to quarantine upon arrival for 14 days.
The decision was announced Friday by the Cook County Department of Public Health, which has jurisdiction throughout Cook County suburbs with the exceptions of Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and Stickney Township, each of which have their own health departments.
The requirement applies to states that have greater than 15 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents a day, over a seven-day rolling average. In suburban Cook, with the areas not covered by the county public health department, the rate is running about 9 per 100,000.
Read more here. —Hal Dardick
2:35 p.m.: 1,384 new known COVID-19 cases, 22 additional deaths
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 1,384 new cases of COVID-19 and 22 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 159,334 and the statewide death toll to 7,272 since the start of the pandemic.
Advertisement
Officials also reported 43,692 new tests in the last 24 hours, a new daily record. Only four days — five including today’s numbers — have more than 35,000 tests reported.
—Chicago Tribune staff
2:34 p.m.: Iowa governor overrides schools, requires in-person classes despite the coronavirus threat to teachers, students
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Friday that she would override local school districts and require students to spend at least half of their schooling in classrooms despite the threat to teachers, students an their families from the surge in coronavirus cases in the state.
Reynolds' proclamation drew immediate criticism from the state teachers union, which called it short-sighted for unnecessarily exposing students and school employees to a health risk. A leading Democratic state senator accused Reynolds of ignoring science and common sense.
Her order did make an exception for parents who want their children to shift completely to remote learning. it also said accommodations must also be made for any student to learn remotely if they, a caregiver, or a person they live with has a health condition that would increase their risk of COVID-19.
Reynolds’ decision will invalidate plans implemented by some districts, including the state’s largest, Des Moines, which planned to limit in-person classes to one day a week for most students, with online learning on other days.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Associated Press
1:57 p.m.: Adapting a restaurant during coronavirus: Pivot and then pivot some more
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, many restaurants scrambled to find a way to adapt. Chef Lee Wolen of Boka found four.
In the pre-pandemic days, Boka, the flagship restaurant of the Boka Restaurant Group, was one the finest restaurants in Chicago. The restaurant was a semifinalist this year in the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant category, and Wolen was nominated — for the fifth consecutive year — for Best Chef in the Great Lakes region.
Reservations could be hard to come by. “We were full every night back then,” said Wolen, wistfully.
And then came the mid-March shutdown, and it was time to rethink everything.
Read more here. —Phil Vettel
Advertisement
1:33 p.m.: Despite White House broadsides, polls show most Americans stick by Dr. Anthony Fauci
The Trump administration is engaged in a not-so-quiet whisper campaign to cast doubt on Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, and other public health officials.
President Donald Trump’s team has increasingly questioned Fauci’s track record, and this week the White House moved to strip the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of control over collection of data on the coronavirus’s spread.
All of this lines up with Trump’s attempts to speed up the reopening process, often despite his health advisers’ warnings. Presumably, Trump is playing the long game, hoping that a return to normal will bring the economy booming back in time for the November election and that the virus could either “fade away” or become preventable by a vaccine.
But none of those things have happened so far, and when it comes to public opinion, the president appears to have boxed himself into a corner.
Read more here. —Associated Press
1:22 p.m.: Second stimulus check update: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin calls for Congress to pass more coronavirus relief this month
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday called on Congress to work with the Trump administration to pass additional stimulus legislation by the end of the month as the resurgent coronavirus pandemic left the trajectory of the economic recovery uncertain.
Advertisement
The request comes as millions of Americans are about to see their expanded unemployment insurance benefits expire and as lawmakers embark on an intense week of negotiations over what would be the fourth significant bailout package since the virus shuttered large swaths of the U.S. economy earlier this year.
Read more here. —The New York Times
11:05 a.m.: Evanston high school district announces students will not attend fall classes in person, reversing earlier statement
Students in Evanston Township High School District 202 will continue e-learning this fall and will not participate in a hybrid in-person/remote-learning plan as originally announced earlier in the week.
“Beginning Monday, August 17, all ETHS students will participate in enhanced e-learning until further notice,” reads a statement posted today on the District 202 website announcing the 2020 fall reopening plan.
ETHS will transition to a hybrid model that includes in-person instruction only “if conditions permit,” the statement reads.
Read more here. —Genevieve Bookwalter
Advertisement
10:57 a.m.: Coronavirus mask donations dwindle. Group puts out call for more face coverings for new moms.
When the coronavirus crisis hit Illinois, many people began firing up their sewing machines to make face coverings for themselves and to donate.
Organizations across Chicago received donations. But now, it seems, mask-making fatigue might have set in while there is still a need for donations.
“People are just burned out, moved on,” said Arden Handler, a doctor who organizes mask collection to be distributed throughout the city by Masks for Moms, which collects reusable cloth face masks for pregnant and postpartum women.
Read more here. —Alison Bowen
10:45 a.m.: Chicago Public Schools proposes hybrid of online and in-person classes for fall, despite union opposition
Chicago Public Schools has released a much-anticipated blueprint for fall instruction, saying it plans to adopt a hybrid-learning model that will bring most students back for two-consecutive days of in-person learning on a rotating basis if public health officials say it can be done safely.
Under the “preliminary framework” shared Friday, students in kindergarten through 10th grade will have two days of in-person learning and two days of remote work at home and real-time virtual instruction each Wednesday. When at school, they’ll be grouped into pods of 15 to minimize contact with classmates. High school seniors and juniors will mostly continue to learn at home, except for those who need additional support or those in vocational programs.
Advertisement
[ Read the Chicago Public Schools’ blueprint for hybrid-learning for fall instruction ]
The district also outlined increased hygiene protocols for its buildings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus: 400 additional custodians have been hired to clean facilities, students will have to wear cloth masks and comply with daily temperature checks before entering school and a supply of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be available in every classroom.
Nothing in the framework is finalized. CPS says it will solicit feedback from parents in five virtual meetings through the end of July, with sessions held in English and Spanish, and parents can also their reactions in a new survey launched by the district. The district will share the final plan in early August.
Read more here. —John Byrne, Elyssa Cherney and Sophie Sherry
7 a.m.: Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes unusual step of filing a lawsuit to ensure school children wear face coverings
The action filed late Thursday in Sangamon County Circuit Court by the state attorney general seeks a judge’s approval of Pritzker’s order that schoolchildren, teachers and staff wear coverings over mouths and noses among other measures to reduce the chance that the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus can spread.
It’s typical for the governor to be in court as a defendant seeking validation of a policy or action. In this instance, no lawsuit has been filed, but a public school district and two private academies have informed the Illinois State Board of Education that Pritzker no longer has authority under emergency rule-making to require face masks in schools and that they will be developing their own safety rules.
It was time to get ahead of the issue, Ann Spillane, Pritzker’s chief legal counsel, told The Associated Press.
Advertisement
With the surging spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, Pritzker on March 13 ordered public schools closed — eventually for the rest of the term. Despite a leveling off of cases in Illinois, there are concerns here and, especially in other parts of the nation where case numbers are rising again, about reopening the classic community center, the school, in an age where people are urged to wear face masks, stay 6 feet apart, and step up the hygiene protocol dramatically.
Pritzker in June released of a set of guidelines for safe congregation in schools from kindergarten through college, but among others, the state’s two major teachers’ unions have continued worries about keeping congested classrooms, hallways and playgrounds safe.
—Associated Press
6:45 a.m.: What is herd immunity? And how do we get there on COVID-19?
Add to the pandemic lexicon another once-obscure term that’s come into common usage: “herd immunity.”
Along with “flatten the curve,” “social distancing” and “super spreader,” it’s a phrase that prior to COVID-19 was casually uttered mainly by epidemiologists and public health officials. But while the meanings of those other terms are now clear to many, herd immunity is a concept that is more complex, more nuanced and often misunderstood, scientists say.
With no end to the pandemic in sight, some public figures are arguing that nearly all restrictions and required precautions should be lifted so enough people become sick to achieve herd immunity. But epidemiologists and other public health experts say that’s a really lousy idea.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Hal Dardick
6:30 a.m.: Abbott earnings top expectations, with $615M in sales from COVID-19 testing
Abbott Laboratories on Thursday reported second-quarter net income of $537 million.
The company, based in the north suburbs, recorded worldwide sales of $7.3 billion in the second quarter, and noted that $615 million of that was related to COVID-19 diagnostic testing.
Read more here. —Associated Press


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Man killed, woman injured in downtown Chicago shooting

The shooting appeared to have happened on the Wabash Avenue bridge and the driver of the victims ’ vehicle turned @ @ @ @ @ witnesses said .
The male victim was in the front-passenger seat and he appeared to @ @ @ @ @ get out before slumping to the ground .

A man was killed and a woman was injured during a shooting that occurred about 2:30 a.m. July 19, 2020 in the 300 block of North Wabash Avenue, according to Chicago police. (Paige Fry/Chicago Tribune)
Two people were shot, one fatally, as they sat in their car amid a gathering of hundreds of people near the Wabash Avenue Bridge in downtown Chicago early Sunday, according to police and witnesses.
Around 2:30 a.m., officers were waved down by two people in a car who needed medical assistance after being shot in the 300 block of North Wabash Avenue in the Near North neighborhood, police said.
Advertisement
A 35-year-old man was shot once in the neck and he was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died, police said. A 25-year-old woman was shot twice in the left arm and taken to Northwestern where she had been listed in good condition. The man was later was identified as Gregory Crawford, of Maywood, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Witnesses said the shooting happened while as many as a thousand people were drinking and hanging out by the riverfront on Wacker Drive. There were four to six shots, then people started running, according to a witness who asked not to be named.
Advertisement
A manager of at least one neighboring business recently asked authorities for assistance dispersing people from the impromptu gatherings, most often taking place after dark on hot weekend nights, because intoxicated individuals were harassing employees going home after their shift, said a law enforcement source who asked to remain anonymous. The manager said it appeared people, many with coolers of alcohol, were parking along Wacker Drive before setting up chairs near the riverfront, the source said.
A police spokeswoman, Maggie Huynh, said the Chicago Police Department recently learned from patrol officers that sizable groups were gathering near the river, but did not say whether business managers made a complaint. It wasn’t clear when they first noticed the street parties, or when they began to assign additional officers to patrol that part of the Central District in response.
“CPD has been made aware of individuals congregating in the area in recent weeks and as a result, we have dedicated extra officers to the area. We will continue to monitor activity to ensure the safety of residents and those working in the area,” she said in an email.
The shooting appeared to have happened on the Wabash Avenue Bridge, and the driver of the victims’ vehicle turned east onto Wacker Drive, witnesses said. Crawford was in the front passenger seat and he appeared to open the car door to get out before slumping to the ground.
Some people ran up to him and started crying, a witness said. A squad car was parked near where the dark-colored sedan came to a rest, outside the River Hotel, and the officers ran over to the victims. The law enforcement source said while the Crawford was conscious, he refused to answer officers’ questions about the shooting and the 25-year-old woman also was uncooperative.
A crime scene was blocked off Sunday morning on Wacker Drive from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue. A second area was blocked off on and near the Wabash Avenue Bridge.
No arrests have been made.
Authorities said there were not any protests or events that they were aware of nearby that would have accounted for such a large group of people congregating in the area. But patrol officers saw the street parties taking place weeks ago and additional patrols have been common for at least the last two weekends, officials said.
Advertisement
Such street parties have not previously been common on the Near North Side, where parking is strictly enforced, the source said. But parking enforcement had not been a priority during the pandemic, they said.
Officials said parking restrictions “were implemented to ease vehicle congestion in that area,” and that parking enforcement will continue for vehicles that pose a safety threat. Chicago police also are working with local aldermen to “ensure safety for residents and businesses in the area.”
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Chicago Ridge Mall shut down Saturday after fight broke out, police say

There were reports of shots fired but they were unfounded , police said .
The mall closed for the rest @ @ @ @ @ incident as a precautionary measure .

The Chicago Ridge Mall shut down Saturday afternoon after a fight among juveniles broke out, according to the Chicago Ridge Police Department.
Officers responded to the mall, located at 9500 Ridgeland Ave., for a call of a disturbance, the department wrote about 4:45 p.m. on its Facebook page. They found juveniles fighting in the food court.
Advertisement
There were reports of shots fired but they were unfounded, police said. The mall closed for the rest of the day following the incident as a precautionary measure.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Advertisement
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Man, 21, faces charges in Old Town shooting of 5-month-old and 2 men, police say

The shooting occurred when an SUV pulled up in front of the Marshall Field Garden Apartments and someone inside opened @ @ @ @ @ It sped off but was seen on Lake Shore Drive and police began chasing it @

A 21-year-old man is facing charges in Thursday’s shooting that injured a 5-month-old boy and two young men in the Old Town neighborhood, according to Chicago police.
Teantun Davis, of Bronzeville, was arrested around 7:15 p.m. Thursday in the 200 block of West 37th Place in Wentworth Gardens in connection to a shooting that took place about 15 minutes earlier in the 1300 block of North Hudson Avenue, police said.
Advertisement
Davis if facing three counts of aggravated battery and one count of possession of a weapon, police said.
The shooting occurred when an SUV pulled up in front of the Marshall Field Garden Apartments and someone inside opened fire, police said. It sped off but was seen on Lake Shore Drive and police began chasing it.
Advertisement
Teantun Davis. (Chicago Police Department)
The pursuit continued on the Dan Ryan Expressway and ended near 37th Street and Princeton Avenue, police said. Two men jumped out of he SUV and started running, but police arrested them. Two guns were recovered.
All three of the victims were taken to hospitals in good condition, police said.
A 35-year-old man was hit in the buttock and a 19-year-old man was hit in the shoulder, police said.
Police had later said the 5-month-old boy was “resting comfortably” at Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he was being treated for a graze wound to the head.
Detectives identified Davis through video surveillance as the man who got out of the vehicle and fired shots at the crowd, police said.
A judge will set his bond at a hearing Sunday.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-07-18--Lightfoot urged to take down Columbus statue after protesters, cops clash at Grant Park. Mayor says

Lightfoot urged to take down Columbus statue after protesters, cops clash at Grant Park. Mayor says city reviewing ‘public icons.'

“ For several weeks , my team has been working to develop a plan to pursue that public conversation , @ @ @ @ @ comprehensive review of our public icons to identify which should change , and where we @ @ @ @ @ to be erected to ensure the full , robust history of our city is told @ @ @ @ @

The Christopher Columbus statue is transported after being removed in Grant Park in the early hours of July 24, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Activists and elected officials on Saturday morning called on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to take down the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park, after confrontations Friday night between police and protesters resulted in injuries to officers and protesters, and at least 12 arrests.
The officials also condemned what they said were violent tactics on the part of police officers to quell the protest, including one instance where they said an officer hit an 18-year-old woman, knocking her teeth out.
Advertisement
Lightfoot responded with a statement on Saturday afternoon, writing that she supports peaceful protest but that “a portion of the protesters turned violent.”
Lightfoot also said there were “several reports of excessive force by the police.” She called them “unacceptable” and said she has spoken to the director of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which will investigate the complaints.
Advertisement
In a statement Saturday afternoon, COPA said it had received “numerous complaints” and had opened “preliminary investigations into the most egregious” ones.
At least 1,000 people gathered around the statue in Grant Park on Friday after a rally in support of Black and Indigenous people, with some trying to topple it.
“That statue has to be taken down,” said Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, speaking at a news conference Saturday morning in front of the statue. “When you have a statue in a public square, you’re saying that is someone who should be celebrated.”
Lightfoot, who last month said she opposed the removal of Columbus statues in the city, said Saturday her team has been developing a plan for a “comprehensive review of our public icons.”
Chicago police keep watch as Chicago Park District workers fence off the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park on July 18, 2020, after protesters tried to take it down the previous night. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Columbus has been condemned by activists around the country who point to the Italian explorer’s mistreatment of Indigenous people after he landed in the Americas in 1492.
The protest Friday began peacefully, with hundreds marching south on Columbus Drive. Later, protesters were alerted that some police units had left to protect the statue, and crowds swarmed the area around the statue, resulting in an increasingly chaotic scene.
Dozens rushed at the statue, and some threw fireworks, rocks, frozen bottles and other objects at officers. Someone scaled the statue and caught a rope that was tossed up from the crowd, beginning an unsuccessful attempt to topple the statue.
A person has scaled the top of the statue. Someone is throwing a rope up at them. pic.twitter.com/ZqWfD18W9Q — Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) July 18, 2020
A heavy police presence began pushing the crowd away from the statue, clashing with protesters, sometimes using batons or an aerosol spray.
Advertisement
A group of city and state officials released a statement late Friday that referenced reports on social media of police using pepper spray and other aggressive actions against protesters and journalists.
“We unequivocally condemn Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to send the Chicago police to beat, arrest, and terrorize the demonstrators and journalists gathered in Grant Park tonight,” read the statement.
It was signed by Ramirez-Rosa, Ald. Jeanette Taylor, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez, state Rep. Delia Ramirez, Illinois House Democratic nominee Lakesia Collins and state Sen. Robert Peters. Later, more officials added their names, including Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, state Sen. Celina Villanueva, state Rep. Theresa Mah and Ald. Daniel La Spata.
The officials wrote in the statement that they are ready to “work to defund the Chicago Police Department immediately.”
The ACLU of Illinois also weighed in on Saturday, calling on Lightfoot and the Police d Department to investigate complaints of excessive force and “provide a full, public accounting” about the police action taken on Friday.
“It is most disturbing that police thought violence against protestors, legal observers, and journalists was a measured reaction to protect a statue,” Colleen Connell, executive director of ACLU of Illinois, said in a statement.
Advertisement
Lightfoot, though, denounced the actions of some of the participants who threw incendiary material and other items at police officers.
“These violent acts are unacceptable and put everyone at risk,” she said in a statement.
Activists and officials criticized the use of pepper spray and said an officer knocked the teeth out of an 18-year-old protester who has been active in working to reduce violence in city neighborhoods.
“They pepper-sprayed until the air was thick with tear gas,” said Amika Tendaji, with Black Lives Matter Chicago.
State Sen. Peters said 18-year-old Miracle Boyd, to whom he had offered an internship last week because of her violence prevention work, was hit in the face by an officer, which knocked some of her teeth out.
An anti-violence organization, GoodKids MadCity, shared a photo of Boyd on social media that shows the teen with a cut lip and missing teeth. The organization also posted a video that appears to show an officer hitting a protester.
Advertisement
“(She) fights every day for gun violence prevention,” Peters said. “And what does she get? Abuse.”
Police Department spokesman Tom Ahern said Saturday afternoon that the department had begun an investigation of the allegation.
“The Chicago Police Department (CPD) strives to treat all individuals our officers encounter with respect,” Ahern said in the statement. “We do not tolerate misconduct of any kind and if any wrongdoing is discovered, officers will be held accountable.”
The department said in a statement that protesters threw fireworks, rocks, frozen bottles and other objects at officers. About 18 officers were injured, with some taken to area hospitals.
At least five civilians were hospitalized from the area, Chicago Fire Department officials said.
Advertisement
This is not the way, a man shouts as someone throws something incendiary at the cops pic.twitter.com/AtOUAqFXAM — Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) July 18, 2020
Police arrested 12 people who could face charges of “Battery to a Police Officer, Mob Action, and/or other felonies,” according to the department.
On Saturday morning, the statue remained covered and guarded by a fence, Park District vehicles and at least one police vehicle.
Ramirez-Rosa criticized the city for spending money “protecting this statue.”
La Spata, alderman of the 1st Ward, spoke out Saturday, saying he is part of a new generation of “Italian Americans trying to fight back.”
“I would tear down that statue with my own two hands if I could,” he said.
Lightfoot last month said Columbus statues could be used to help educate people about “the full history” of the U.S.
Advertisement
In her statement Saturday, Lightfoot said that details for the plan to review public statues will be forthcoming.
“For several weeks, my team has been working to develop a plan to pursue that public conversation, and to engage in a comprehensive review of our public icons to identify which should change, and where we need new monuments and icons to be erected to ensure the full, robust history of our city is told,” she said.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-20--Man killed, woman injured in downtown Chicago shooting where hundreds of people had gathered for a s

Man killed, woman injured in downtown Chicago shooting where hundreds of people had gathered for a street party

A 35-year-old man was shot once in the neck and he was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital , where he @ @ @ @ @ A 25-year-old woman was shot twice in the left arm and taken to Northwestern where @ @ @ @ @ good condition .
The man was later was identified as Gregory Crawford , of Maywood @ @ @ @ @ examiner ’ s office .


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Two boys injured in Sunday shooting in Gresham neighborhood

The 10-year-old boy was wounded in the ankle and calf , and the 11-year-old boy was struck in the arm @ @ @ @ @ were taken to Comer Children ’ s Hospital in good condition , according to police @

Family members gather in prayer July 19, 2020, after a shooting injured three family members, including two boys, in the 8200 block of South Ada Street. A 10-year-old boy was wounded in the ankle and calf, and an 11-year-old boy was struck in the arm, police said. They were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, according to police. A 27-year-old, struck in the leg and arm, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Two boys were among three people shot Sunday in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side, officials said.
Shortly after 4:30 p.m. in the 8200 block of South Ada Street, a 10-year-old boy, an 11-year-old boy and a 27-year-old man were in front of a residence when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside fired shots, police said.
Advertisement
The 10-year-old boy was wounded in the ankle and calf, and the 11-year-old boy was struck in the arm, police said. They were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, according to police.
The 27-year-old, struck in the leg and arm, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said.
Advertisement
No one was in custody and detectives are investigating.
On Thursday evening, a 5-month-old boy suffered a graze wound to the head while in the Old Town neighborhood, marking at least the 12th time in a month a young child was shot in Chicago.
On Saturday afternoon, a 14-year-old boy was among two teenagers wounded in the Lawndale neighborhood, police said. Another 14-year-old boy was wounded Friday in the East Chatham neighborhood.
At least four young children have been shot and killed in Chicago in the last several weeks, including 7-year-old Natalia Wallace on July 4, 10-year-old Lena Nunez on June 28, 20-month-old Sincere Gaston on June 27 and 3-year-old Mekhi James on June 20.
Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--13 people shot near Peoria riverfront after a fight broke out in a crowd of nearly 200, police say

Officers first were called to the area of Water and Hamilton streets about 4:45 a.m. for reports of a large @ @ @ @ @ people gathered there .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear why they had gathered or @ @ @ @ @ , officials said .

A police vehicle cruises through the intersection of Hamilton Boulevard and Water Street in Peoria on July 19, 2020, where hours before gunfire broke out at a large gathering, injuring multiple people. (David Zalaznik./Journal Star )
Peoria authorities on Sunday said there were “multiple people firing weapons” into a crowd of nearly 200 gathered near the riverfront, leaving 13 people suffering from gunshot wounds.
Seven women and six men, all adults, were shot. None of their injuries were considered life-threatening, according to a statement from Peoria police.
Advertisement
Officers first were called to the area of Water and Hamilton streets about 4:45 a.m. for reports of a large fight among the nearly 200 people gathered there. It wasn’t immediately clear why they had gathered or what led to the fight, officials said.
Officers located two injured people at the scene. A man had been shot in the neck and a woman had been shot in the back. Each was taken by ambulance to an area hospital in serious condition, according to the statement.
Advertisement
Eleven other people suffering from gunshot wounds “to their extremities” were taken to various hospitals by car, police said.
Investigators said they determined there was more than one shooter. No arrests have been made.
“This incident occurred as a result of a dispute among groups of people gathered at the riverfront,” according to the statement.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call Peoria police at 309-673-4521. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 309-673-9000.
Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts

The plan also includes mitigation steps unique to different categories , like restaurants and bars , offices or salons , @ @ @ @ @ specifically respond to a type of outbreak in a specific part of the state .
@ @ @ @ @ s plan here .

Jemal R. Brinson, Nausheen Husain, Jonathon Berlin

Amid an uptick of COVID-19 cases over the past month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid out a new approach to managing any resurgence across the state.
The new approach is more surgical, dividing the state into 11 regions — Illinois’ existing Emergency Medical Services regions — and tightening the metrics officials will watch to determine if any action is warranted.
The plan also includes mitigation steps unique to different categories, like restaurants and bars, offices or salons, that could be used to specifically respond to a type of outbreak in a specific part of the state. Read more on Pritzker’s plan here.
Check our tracker for daily metrics for each region.
Here is a breakdown of the plan.


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--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--2020-07-19--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,295 deaths, 161,575 confirmed cases and 2.24 million tests

Illinois announced a 935 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday , as well as 6 additional deaths .
The totals @ @ @ @ @ but so was the number of test results announced : 32,113 .

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--2020-07-19--Bronzeville man held without bond in Old Town shooting of 5-month-old, 2 men

The SUV traveled east and fled from police after it was spotted near North Avenue and Lake Shore Drive about @ @ @ @ @ said .
The vehicle came to a crashing halt in a parking lot near 3900 @ @ @ @ @ Davis was apprehended as he , the driver and a second passenger ran away , @ @ @

A 21-year-old man accused of shooting three people — including a 5-month-old boy sitting in a stroller — in Old Town last week will be held without bond, a Cook County judge ruled Sunday.
Teantun Davis, of Bronzeville, is charged with three counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and possession of a firearm stemming from Thursday’s shooting, during which two adult men also were struck. All three were in good condition in the days following the shooting, police said.
Advertisement
Around 7 p.m. Thursday, a red Hyundai SUV pulled up to the intersection of West Blackhawk Street and North Hudson Avenue, and Davis exited the vehicle in a black sweatshirt with a hood pulled tightly around his face, prosecutors alleged. He then pulled out a 9 mm gun and fired approximately 14 shots, prosecutors said.
Teantun Davis, 21, was arrested July 16, 2020, in connection with a shooting in the 1400 block of North Hudson. (Chicago Police Department / HANDOUT)
A 25-year-old man was hit in the left thigh and a 19-year-old man was hit in the shoulder and back, prosecutors said. The 5-month-old suffered a graze wound to the face near the eye, officials said.
Advertisement
The SUV traveled east and fled from police after it was spotted near North Avenue and Lake Shore Drive about 10 minutes later, prosecutors said. The vehicle came to a crashing halt in a parking lot near 3900 S. Wentworth Ave., and Davis was apprehended as he, the driver and a second passenger ran away, officials said.
Officers reported seeing Davis toss a black sweatshirt and a 9 mm gun as he ran, and shell casings found at the scene matched the recovered weapon, prosecutors said. The gun was reported as stolen in 2018, and a second firearm was found in the vehicle, they said.
Police body camera footage shows Davis fleeing, and video surveillance footage captured the earlier shooting, prosecutors said. The victims could not see the shooter’s face because of the hooded sweatshirt, but one was able to recount the vehicle’s make and license plate for police, they said.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. cited the surveillance footage and the alleged shooter’s “utter disregard” for bystanders as cause for denying bond.
“One of these rounds hit a 5-month-old baby that has nothing to do with this defendant or the other two he was trying to kill,” Lyke said. “He was totally innocent.”
Davis denied being the shooter through his attorney, Steve Greenberg, who also said his client has no history of violence. Davis graduated high school and completed one year of college, Greenberg said, and was set to begin work at Wrigley Field when the delayed baseball season commenced.
Davis is also accused of violating probation for a 2019 conviction of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
archeung@chicagotribune.com


Chicago weekend violence

A five-bedroom , midcentury colonial-style house in Wilmette that singer Donny Osmond owned for two years in the 1990s was @ @ @ @ @ 1.25 million .

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10
Family members gather in prayer July 19, 2020, after a shooting injured three family members, including two boys, in the 8200 block of South Ada Street. A 10-year-old boy was wounded in the ankle and calf, and an 11-year-old boy was struck in the arm, police said. They were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, according to police. A 27-year-old, struck in the leg and arm, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 965 new confirmed cases, 6 new deaths reported in state

We might not know .
And that ’ s no surprise to Nicole Woitowich , associate director for the Women @ @ @ @ @ at Northwestern University .
Woitowich recently finished a 10-year review examining whether medical studies included @ @ @ @ @ and if data was analyzed by sex .
She found that although more studies included @ @ @ @ @ no improvement on breaking down results among males and females .
This matters because without @ @ @ @ @ she said , it ’ s hard to assess whether men and women react differently @ @ @

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 reported 965 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s total case number to 161,575.
State health officials also said six more people have died after contracting the virus. So far, 7,295 people have died in Illinois.
Advertisement
The state also reported 32,113 new COVID-19 tests in a span of 24 hours, a day after setting a record with 46,099 tests.
On Friday, suburban Cook County announced it was joining the city of Chicago in requiring people coming to Illinois from states with high rates of COVID-19 infection to quarantine upon arrival for 14 days.
Advertisement
That news came after Chicago Public Schools released a much-anticipated blueprint for fall instruction, saying it plans to adopt a hybrid-learning model that will bring most students back for two-consecutive days of in-person learning on a rotating basis if public health officials say it can be done safely.
CPS says it will solicit feedback from parents in five virtual meetings through the end of July, with sessions held in English and Spanish, and parents can also their reactions in a new survey launched by the district. The district will share the final plan in early August.
[ Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ Schools reopening tracker: What suburban Chicago districts are planning for the fall ]
[ 20 questions about assessing your COVID-19 risk at restaurants, gyms and more ]
Here’s what’s happening this weekend regarding COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
1:50 p.m.: Craving some Chicago baseball? Here’s how to watch Cubs and White Sox exhibition games.
After a renewed spring training limited to intrasquad games so far due to the coronavirus, the Cubs and White Sox are scheduled to play exhibition games against each other at 7:05 p.m. Sunday at Wrigley Field and at 7:10 p.m. Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
On Wednesday night, the Cubs host the Minnesota Twins at 6:05 and the Sox welcome the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:10 as a prelude to season openers Friday. Here’s how to watch. —Phil Rosenthal
1:45 p.m.: Trump calls Dr. Anthony Fauci an ‘alarmist’ about COVID-19
President Donald Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News, described the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, as a “a little bit of an alarmist” about the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump stuck to what he had said back in February — that the virus is “going to disappear.” On Fox, he said, “I’ll be right eventually.” The United States tops the global death toll list with over 140,000 and confirmed infections, with 3.7 million.
Questioned about the coronavirus, Trump chided Fauci, the National Institutes of Health expert, and repeated false claims that anybody could get a test and that increased testing was the only reason that the U.S. was seeing more cases. When Wallace cited criticism about the lack of a national plan to confront the virus, Trump said, “I take responsibility always for everything because it’s ultimately my job, too,” and claimed, “I supplied everybody.”
Advertisement
Case are rising because people are infecting each other more than they were when most everyone was hunkered down. The percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus has been on the rise across nearly the entire country. Read more here. —The Associated Press
10:30 a.m.: How will the first COVID-19 vaccine impact women? ‘This leaves a big question mark.’
When it finally arrives, will a COVID-19 vaccine work the same for women as for men? What about for women who are pregnant or going through menopause?
We might not know. And that’s no surprise to Nicole Woitowich, associate director for the Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern University. Woitowich recently finished a 10-year review examining whether medical studies included male and female subjects, and if data was analyzed by sex. She found that although more studies included both sexes, there was no improvement on breaking down results among males and females. This matters because without analyzing results by sex, she said, it’s hard to assess whether men and women react differently to treatment.
When Woitowich read about the potentially promising COVID-19 vaccine trial results in the U.S. last week, she saw that men and women took part, but was disappointed that it did not mention if the data was analyzed by sex.
“I was incredibly frustrated,” she said.
Woitowich said that although the study did not show a results breakdown by sex, it doesn’t mean that analysis isn’t happening, but if it is, it’s not mentioned. Even this is concerning, she said, because sex should be a consideration in a vaccine made for everyone.
Advertisement
“If we are developing a vaccine that is going to be implemented on a global scale, we need to know if that vaccine is going to be safe for both men and women, and effective for both men and women,” she said. “This leaves a big question mark.” Read more here. —Alison Bowen
Saturday
7:35 p.m.: Mistrust of a coronavirus vaccine could imperil widespread immunity
Almost daily, President Donald Trump and leaders worldwide say they are racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine, in perhaps the most urgent mission in the history of medical science. But the repeated assurances of near-miraculous speed are exacerbating a problem that has largely been overlooked and one that public health experts say must be addressed now: persuading people to actually get the shot.
A growing number of polls find so many people saying they would not get a coronavirus vaccine that its potential to shut down the pandemic could be in jeopardy. Distrust of it is particularly pronounced in African American communities, which have been disproportionately devastated by the virus. But even many staunch supporters of immunization say they are wary of this vaccine.
Read more here. —The New York Times
6:25 p.m.: Patients lying in hallways, nurses working extra shifts: As coronavirus surges in some US states, emergency rooms are being swamped
A fast-rising tide of new coronavirus cases is flooding emergency rooms in parts of the United States, with some patients moved into hallways and nurses working extra shifts to keep up with the surge.
Advertisement
Patients struggling to breathe are being placed on ventilators in emergency wards since intensive care units are full, officials say, and the near-constant care they require is overtaxing workers who also are treating more typical ER cases like chest pains, infections, and fractures.
In Texas, Dr. Alison Haddock of the Baylor College of Medicine said the current situation is worse than after Hurricane Harvey, which swamped Houston with floodwaters in 2017. The state reported a new daily record for virus deaths Friday and more than 10,000 confirmed cases for the fourth consecutive day.
“I’ve never seen anything like this COVID surge,” said Haddock, who has worked in emergency rooms since 2007. “We’re doing our best, but we’re not an ICU.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
6:20 p.m.: Older children spread the coronavirus just as much as adults, study finds
In the heated debate over reopening schools, one burning question has been whether and how efficiently children can spread the virus to others.
A large new study from South Korea offers an answer: Children younger than age 10 transmit to others much less often than adults do, but the risk is not zero. And those between the ages of 10-19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do.
Advertisement
The findings suggest that as schools reopen, communities will see clusters of infection take root that include children of all ages, several experts cautioned.
Read more here. —The New York Times
2:35 p.m.: Illinois COVID-19 cases surpass 160,000; state sets one-day record for number of tests
Illinois reported 1,276 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the state’s total case number to 160,610.
State health officials also said 18 more people have died after contracting the virus. So far, 7,290 people in 102 counties have died in Illinois.
The state also set a record on Saturday for COVID-19 tests reported in a span of 24 hours, with 46,099 tests completed, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. It was the third consecutive day with more than 40,000 tests conducted.
Two male teenagers were among the 18 who died on Saturday, officials said.
Advertisement
On Friday, the state reported 1,384 new cases and 22 deaths.
—Madeline Buckley
Saturday 10:35 a.m.: Normal life still far away: Coronavirus numbers continue marching up in United States, around the world
South Africa was poised Saturday to join the top five countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, while breathtaking infection numbers around the world were a reminder that a return to normal life is still far from sight.
The country’s 337,000 cases make up roughly half of all confirmed infections on the African continent and its struggles are a sign of trouble to come for nations with fewer health care resources. South Africa was on track to join the U.S., Brazil, India and Russia as current trends show it will surpass Peru.
“The simple fact is that many South Africans are sitting ducks because they cannot comply with World Health Organization protocols on improved hygiene and social distancing,” the foundation of former South African archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and his wife, Leah, warned in a statement.
The development comes a day after the World Health Organization reported a single-day record of new infections at over 237,000. Daily death tolls have been reaching new highs in several U.S. states and India’s infections are over 1 million. Experts believe the true numbers around the world are higher because of testing shortages and data collection issues in some nations.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Associated Press
Friday 7:22 p.m.: As schools weigh whether to reopen in the fall, anxiety is high among parents and teachers
As a longtime teacher in public schools and the mother of four sons, Gladys Marquez was hopeful that all of her kids — her students at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island and her youngest child still under her roof — would be heading back to the classroom this fall.
But Marquez said her early optimism has been replaced with fear and apprehension in recent weeks, as a surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide — especially among young adults — underscores the potential dangers of a premature return to school as “normal” when the virus continues to rage.
“I’ve lost two family members to COVID, my cousin and my great uncle, so I’m frustrated by those who are taking this situation very lightly, because they just don’t understand the risks,” Marquez said. “I have asthma, and one of my sons, who’s also a teacher, has diabetes. If we’re back in the classroom, I’ll be exposed to 1,800 students, and could bring COVID home to my own family. This is not time to be getting students back together, as having their lives at risk is just not an option.”
As Chicago-area school districts begin to unveil their back-to-schools plans — in many cases still tentative — they are under pressure both to reopen their buildings and to keep them closed. And anxiety is running high for parents, teachers and administrators.
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta and Sophie Sherry
Advertisement
Friday 7:14 p.m.: How does COVID-19 affect kids? Science has answers — and gaps.
What role children play in the coronavirus pandemic is the hot-button question of the summer as kids relish their free time while schools labor over how to resume classes.
The Trump administration says the science “is very clear,” but many doctors who specialize in pediatrics and infectious diseases say much of the evidence is inconclusive.
“There are still a lot of unanswered questions. That is the biggest challenge,” said Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a pediatrics professor at the University of Florida and former scientist at the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more here. —Associated Press


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Pedestrian killed during string of hit-and-run crashes

No arrests had been made and investigators were looking for additional information as of Sunday .
Anyone who witnessed the @ @ @ @ @ or around the area and may have information to share is encouraged to contact the @ @ @ @

Two hit-and-run crashes led to the death of a pedestrian and Illinois State Police searching for the drivers who took off running from the two accident sites early Friday.
Just after midnight authorities were called to Interstate 94 south at 83rd Street for a report of a crash in which a silver Ford hit the rear of a black Hyundai, according to information from state police. The occupants of the Ford took off running.
Advertisement
The 30-year-old Chicago Heights man who was driving the Hyundai moved it to the top of the ramp to 83rd Street to call authorities, state police said.
Soon after, a pedestrian was standing near the abandoned Ford for an unknown reason when a green Subaru approached and hit the 27-year-old man, officials said. Then the Subaru left the road, parked, and all occupants of that vehicle took off on foot, also.
Advertisement
All southbound lanes were closed at 12:10 a.m. as the two crashes were investigated. All lanes reopened at 10 a.m. that day. The fatal crash remains under investigation.
No arrests had been made and investigators were looking for additional information as of Sunday. Anyone who witnessed the crash or was traveling in or around the area and may have information to share is encouraged to contact the state police 847-294-4400.


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Man drowns in Lake Michigan in Milwaukee while helping two young relatives get back to shore

Bankhead was able to get one of the children to shore safely .
The other child was able to make @ @ @ @ @ Bankhead was swept under the water .
He was taken to a hospital where he @ @ @ @ @ of the children were unhurt .

MILWAUKEE — A 19-year-old man has drowned while trying to help get two family members to shore at McKinley Beach in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County sheriff's authorities said.
Sheriff’s office spokesman Scott Stiff said deputies were called around 8:45 p.m. Saturday about a person in distress in the water. Stiff told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Jvarius Bankhead was wading in the water with two young relatives when they started having difficulty getting to shore due to the size of the waves.
Advertisement
Bankhead was able to get one of the children to shore safely. The other child was able to make it to shore, but Bankhead was swept under the water. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Both of the children were unhurt.


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--How will the first COVID-19 vaccine affect women? ‘This leaves a big question mark.’

In this March 16, 2020 file photo, a subject receives a shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine by Moderna for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren/AP)
When it finally arrives, will a COVID-19 vaccine work the same for women as for men? What about for women who are pregnant or going through menopause?
We might not know. And that’s no surprise to Nicole Woitowich, associate director for the Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern University. Woitowich recently finished a 10-year review examining whether medical studies included male and female subjects, and if data was analyzed by sex. She found that although more studies included both sexes, there was no improvement on breaking down results among males and females. This matters because without analyzing results by sex, she said, it’s hard to assess whether men and women react differently to treatment.
Advertisement
When Woitowich read about the potentially promising COVID-19 vaccine trial results in the U.S. last week, she saw that men and women took part, but was disappointed that it did not mention if the data was analyzed by sex.
“I was incredibly frustrated,” she said.
Advertisement
Woitowich said that although the study did not show a results breakdown by sex, it doesn’t mean that analysis isn’t happening, but if it is, it’s not mentioned. Even this is concerning, she said, because sex should be a consideration in a vaccine made for everyone.
“If we are developing a vaccine that is going to be implemented on a global scale, we need to know if that vaccine is going to be safe for both men and women, and effective for both men and women,” she said. “This leaves a big question mark.”
The experimental COVID-19 vaccine was co-developed by Moderna, Inc., and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health. According to NIAID, researchers do not plan to perform analysis by sex, saying with limited participants, it would be difficult to interpret that data accurately. But later, larger studies may be able to incorporate this.
Historically, women have been under-researched, in part because fluctuations in their hormones — like estrogen and progesterone — were thought to skew results. But that’s exactly the point, many researchers emphasize. Drugs may work differently in different bodies. And women experience hormonal changes in different life stages, such as childbearing years and menopause.
“We have to consider women, and we have to consider women at all points in their life,” Woitowich said.
It was only in 1993 that the National Institutes of Health mandated that clinical trials include women. Since 2016, the NIH has asked researchers to consider sex as a biological variable. Women are about half of all participants in NIH-supported clinical research, according to the agency, which acknowledges research has more often focused on male animals and cells. Relying on males, according to the NIH, “may obscure understanding of key sex influences on health processes and outcomes.”
The NIH suggests studies be designed to take sex into account, have data tabulated by sex and analyzed by sex, and that reports should communicate this as well.
This matters in many scenarios, but with the world awaiting a COVID-19 vaccine, Woitowich said it’s even more important that any differences between men and women are cataloged and considered. Studying and analyzing women’s reactions to drugs matters for scenarios like how long it takes a body to break down a drug or what types of side effects people encounter.
Advertisement
As a professor in the University of Chicago’s Department of Psychology, Brian Prendergast has studied the impact of pharmaceuticals on women, including anesthesia and pain medications, as well as drugs that target the brain and cardiovascular systems.
His June study in Biology of Sex Differences found 86 drugs with clear differences in how they acted in men’s and women’s bodies — nearly all with more adverse side effects for women, including nausea, seizures and cardiac arrhythmias. Prendergast said the adverse side effects are in part because dosages were calculated based on studies using male-only subjects.
Now women are “being included, just ignored,” he said.
Typically, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding have been excluded from treatment and vaccine trials. A group led by John Hopkins experts, the Pregnancy Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics and New Technologies, notes ethical and legal concerns but emphasizes that considering pregnancy during vaccine development is vital.
Pregnant women are uniquely impacted by the lack of research on women. In June, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists noted data showing pregnant women are more at risk of complications and being hospitalized should they contract COVID-19. This makes the absence of pregnant women within clinical trials “even more concerning,” ACOG noted.
“The new information from the CDC highlights the importance of pregnant patients being prioritized for a coronavirus vaccine once it becomes available,” the group said in a statement.
Advertisement
“Pregnant women, they’re essentially the last orphan of clinical research,” Woitowich said.
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-19--Sunday showers to fizzle across the city, lower ‘more comfortable’ humidity level expected, meteorol

Sunday showers to fizzle across the city, lower ‘more comfortable’ humidity level expected, meteorologists say

“ The south of the city will see the highest level of activity , ” he said .
“ Chicago @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the day .
There ’ s been some scattered showers and storms @ @ @ @ @ be mostly all we ’ ll see .
”

Widely scattered shower and thunderstorms hit the Chicago area Sunday morning but were expected to subside by early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Severe thunderstorm warnings have been canceled for all of Cook County said Charles Mott, a meteorologist with the weather service.
Advertisement
Storm activity will move to the south and west suburbs of Chicago said Brett Borchardt, a meteorologist with the weather service. The thunderstorms will move into Joilet, Tinley Park, and Valparaiso, Borchardt added.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued late Sunday morning for parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, according to the weather service. Suburbs across Northwest Illinois including Joliet, Plainfield and Lockport are reported to see possible winds of up to 60 mph and penny-sized hail.
Advertisement
“The south of the city will see the highest level of activity,” he said. “Chicago will remain mainly dry for the rest of the day. There’s been some scattered showers and storms here so far which will be mostly all we’ll see.”
Those suburbs could see heavy rains, frequent lightning, and gusty winds, he said. Showers are expected to return by mid-week. Cloud coverage from the passing storms will impact the temperature and drop humidity levels, Borchardt said. Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-80s throughout the day.
“The afternoon humidity level will drop and make everything feel more comfortable,” Borchardt said.
@JessicaVillag


chicagotribune--2020-07-20--Off-duty Chicago officer bitten while trying to deescalate argument, police say

An off-duty CPD officer who is familiar with the man tried to defuse the argument , but while trying to @ @ @ @ @ was cut when he fell to the ground , police said .
The man also @ @ @ @ @ hand during the struggle .

An off-duty Chicago police officer was injured Sunday afternoon on the Far South Side while trying to intervene in an argument, according to Chicago police.
A 47-year-old man kicked in the foot a boy who was tying his shoe and also started arguing with a couple at 4:50 p.m. Sunday in the 1600 block of East 55th Street in the East Hyde Park neighborhood, police said.
Advertisement
An off-duty CPD officer who is familiar with the man tried to defuse the argument, but while trying to detain the man, he was cut when he fell to the ground, police said. The man also bit the officer in the hand during the struggle, police said.
The officer was treated at the scene, police said. The man was held by the officer until University of Chicago police officers took him into custody and brought him to Jackson Park Hospital for a mental health evaluation. The man was not in Chicago police custody.
Advertisement
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-07-20--Daywatch: Fears of a COVID-19 death surge in Illinois, opioid overdoses skyrocket and what to expect

Daywatch: Fears of a COVID-19 death surge in Illinois, opioid overdoses skyrocket and what to expect upon return to the office

When public swimming pools and beaches closed , the key to surviving a sweltering Chicago summer during the pandemic was @ @ @ @ @ afford it : Buy a pool .
For the rest of us , the options @ @ @ @ @ , like sneaking a swim in sometimes-dangerous waters where there are no lifeguards .
And @ @ @ @ @ safety experts , who say the risk of drownings has rarely been higher as Chicago @ @ @ @ @ hottest summers .

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. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
Advertisement
Illinois reported 965 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s total case number to 161,575. State health officials also said six more people have died after contracting the virus.
The positivity rate for the state’s Northeast region — which includes Chicago and its suburbs — stands at 4.1%. Here’s where each region stands on key COVID-19 metrics.
Want to know how many COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in your neighborhood? Search our database by ZIP code.
Members of the Illinois National Guard work at the COVID-19 test site at South Suburban College in South Holland on July 2, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States, Illinois was one of the first hot spots in the country, fueling a death toll that remains among the nation’s highest. Now — after big drops in daily deaths in Illinois and other hard-hit states — the Sun Belt is seeing a massive surge.
The sharp increases in deaths in these Southern and Western states have added to growing unease in Illinois, where the downward trends on cases and positive test results have started to inch back up. Researchers say that while the latest data is not cause for outright alarm, it does suggest that the state, without changes, could be on the verge of another deadly surge.
Advertisement
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, center, leaves after a House Democratic caucus meeting on Nov. 12, 2019, at the Illinois State Capitol. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
For decades, the diminutive Michael J. Madigan has stood tall as a political constant in Illinois, displaying equal parts of power, arrogance, defiance and vindictiveness, while holding a singular ability to dictate much of the state’s policy agenda under governors both Democratic and Republican.
The extent of Madigan’s power over Democratic politics was evident from the muted responses of a number of members of his own House majority after federal prosecutors implicated the nation’s longest-serving statehouse leader as the beneficiary of a near-decadelong bribery and influence scheme conducted through Commonwealth Edison.
In Cook County, opioid overdose deaths this year are on pace to double last year’s figures, with the long-simmering public health crisis spiking while Chicago also faces increased gun violence and continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deaths in the three overlapping crises are disproportionately impacting the Black community, highlighting racial inequities in health care, housing, education and other areas. The toll is particularly heavy on the city’s West Side, where since late March, nearly 80 people have died in just a few ZIP codes.
Crowds cool off along the Chicago lakefront near Diversey on July 14, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
When public swimming pools and beaches closed, the key to surviving a sweltering Chicago summer during the pandemic was simple for those who could afford it: Buy a pool. For the rest of us, the options are scarce and mostly illegal, like sneaking a swim in sometimes-dangerous waters where there are no lifeguards. And that’s increasingly worrying safety experts, who say the risk of drownings has rarely been higher as Chicago suffers through one of its hottest summers.
A sign on a coffee pot reminds employees at Cushman & Wakefield to sanitize hands, on July 17, 2020, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Some Chicago offices are starting to reopen with a limited number of employees who are volunteering to return. As they do, companies are using new safety policies to protect workers from COVID-19. The early steps, from practical safeguards to quirky solutions, such as sticky notes on the bathroom door to prevent overcrowding, offer a glimpse at what office life might be like once more companies bring employees back.


chicagotribune--2020-07-20--Bricks thrown through windows of alderman’s office Sunday night, police say

“ When you Mayor , refuse to call out the terror attacks on our communities , especially on their electeds @ @ @ @ @ emboldened to continue their reign , ” he wrote .
“ Glass can be replaced @ @ @ @ @ security can not .
Your silence is destroying this city !
”

Two people threw bricks into the windows of 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez’s office Sunday night, according to Chicago police.
The incident occurred about 11:40 p.m. at the office, located at 2736 W. 47th St. in Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side, police said. No arrests had been made Monday morning.
Advertisement
Lopez posted photos on the damages on his Twitter account.
“When you Mayor, refuse to call out the terror attacks on our communities, especially on their electeds, criminals only feel more emboldened to continue their reign,” he wrote. “Glass can be replaced, peace of mind and security cannot. Your silence is destroying this city!”
Advertisement
When you Mayor, refuse to call out the terror attacks on our communities, especially on their electeds, criminals only feel more emboldened to continue their reign. Glass can be replaced, peace of mind and security cannot. Your silence is destroying this city! pic.twitter.com/n0lBBgnb9o — Ald. Raymond Lopez (@RLopez15thWard) July 20, 2020
Lopez’s home had bricks thrown at it early July 9, and he blamed the attack on gangs who have targeted him in the past.
After Lopez’s house was attacked, Lightfoot said police officials were in contact with the alderman to make sure his security needs were addressed. In light of this new attack, Lightfoot said they are again in touch with him.
“We’re not going to tolerate anyone attacking elected officials and engaging in criminal conduct against them, period,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday morning.
The Chicago Tribune’s Gregory Pratt contributed.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-07-20--5 shot, 2 fatally in Morgan Park shooting, police say

A man walked up to the scene shortly after the shooting and asked police officers if he could just take @ @ @ @ @ was related to the victim .
“ The hat .
I just want the hat @ @ @ @ @ The officers denied , saying the scene had to be processed and the hat would @ @ @ @ @ .

Five people were shot, two fatally, around 11:50 p.m. July 19, 2020, in the 11300 block of South Carpenter Street in the Morgan Park neighborhood, according to Chicago police.
Two people were killed and three others injured in a shooting Sunday night on the Far South Side, according to Chicago police.
About 11:50 p.m., a group of people was on the street in the 11300 block of South Carpenter Street in the Morgan Park neighborhood when someone began firing shots toward them, police said.
Advertisement
A 26-year-old man was shot multiple times in the head and body, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition and died soon after. He later was identified as Devonte Merrill of Country Club Hills, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
A 41-year-old man was shot in the back of the head and taken to Roseland Community Hospital in critical condition, police said. He was later pronounced dead.
Advertisement
A 26-year-old man was shot in the head and taken to Christ Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
A 37-year-old man was shot in the lower left leg and taken to Roseland Community Hospital in good condition, police said.
A 48-year-old man was shot in the left side and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
A neighbor, who asked not to be named, said at the scene that he called police about 30 minutes before the shooting because of a party and loud music.
The call taker said a squad car would come out to the area, but the music continued until the neighbor heard at least 12 shots come from the same place, the neighbor said.
He called 911 again. While on the phone, he heard another six shots and women screaming.
The scene early Monday stretched across 113th Place. At least 33 evidence markers were placed in the intersection of 113th and Carpenter, and 15 more were placed east of the intersection. A small puddle of blood and an upside-down hat lay on the street.
Neighbors stood around the scene. Many said the shots woke them up, but they hadn’t seen what happened.
Advertisement
A man walked up to the scene soon after the shooting and asked police officers if he could just take the hat and said he was related to the victim.
“The hat. I just want the hat,” he said. The officers said he couldn’t take it, saying the scene had to be processed and the hat would likely be taken into evidence.
As detectives and evidence technicians continued working the scene and neighbors went back inside, a car with two men inside drove up to them. One of the men had a gunshot wound to the arm, a law enforcement source said.
The man was shot in the right forearm in a separate attack around 3:35 a.m. in the 11700 block of South Loomis Street in the West Pullman neighborhood, police later said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in good condition.
No arrests had been made in either shooting.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Advertisement
Twitter @paigexfry