chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Wilmette rabbi makes rap video for his house listing while it’s stuck on the market during the COVID

Wilmette rabbi makes rap video for his house listing while it’s stuck on the market during the COVID-19 pandemic — and the whole family joins in

During a Zoom chat with his sister and three brothers — two of whom are also rabbis — the siblings @ @ @ @ @ and worked together to write the lyrics for “ Pillow My Zillow , ” a @ @ @ @ @ Teldon and his family don masks , dance around in the front yard and show @ @ @ @ @ house .

Video tours and virtual walk-throughs have become the norm for home sellers during the coronavirus pandemic, but Moshe Teldon took things one step further.
The Wilmette rabbi and his family created a chuckle-worthy music video in which he describes the $499,000 home listing and implores buyers to bite.
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“I really want to stay ahead of the curve and get some eyeballs on this (house),” said Teldon, 33. “And strange times call for extreme measures.”
Teldon and his wife listed the five-bedroom split-level in February, weeks before Illinois’ stay-at-home order put an end to open houses and limited in-person showings. They put the house up for sale after their fifth daughter was born in January, and they hope to move to a larger house in the North Shore suburb this summer.
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During a Zoom chat with his sister and three brothers — two of whom are also rabbis — the siblings thought of the music video and worked together to write the lyrics for “Pillow My Zillow,” a two-minute rap song in which Teldon and his family don masks, dance around in the front yard and show off various features of the house.
The colorful lyrics include an assortment of listing details, including “a backyard for grilling, a playroom for spilling (toys)” and a “kitchen with granite, it glows like a planet.” As he zooms around in a child’s ride-on car and consorts with a stuffed giraffe, Teldon also touches on the difficulty of selling a home during the pandemic.
“Buyers at home ... staring at screens. Even my paycheck’s quarantined,” he raps. “I don’t like all these Zooms; I’m running on fumes. But I’ve got five bedrooms.”
Teldon’s siblings also guest star in the video, offering quips and nodding off as Teldon lists details and laughing as he falls off his chair in the excitement. His daughters, dressed in an array of pink outfits, hair bows and heart-shaped sunglasses, also feature prominently.
“It was a great activity for my kids and a fun way for me and my siblings to get our minds off the craziness that’s out there,” Teldon said. “That’s the silver lining of the whole situation.”
Check out the music video below:
Teldon’s listing can be found here.
archeung@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 4,607 deaths, 102,686 confirmed cases, 672,020 tests,  34% ICU beds a

Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 4,607 deaths, 102,686 confirmed cases, 672,020 tests,  34% ICU beds and 69% ventilators open

As the coronavirus spreads and local , state and national governments work to contain and mitigate the outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ .

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--2020-05-21--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker and health officials provide update on coronavirus in Illinois

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and state health officials are scheduled to provide an update on the coronavirus in Illinois at @ @ @ @ @ the latest coronavirus updates here .

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chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Illinois House committee advances legislation to expand vote-by-mail program despite questions from

Illinois House committee advances legislation to expand vote-by-mail program despite questions from GOP

“ We don ’ t want them to do mail-in ballots because it ’ s going to lead to total @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want them to do mail-in ballots , ” Trump has said .
@ @ @ @ @ want anyone to do mail-in ballots ... now , if someone has to mail it @ @ @ @ @ sick or , by the way , because they live in the White House and @ @ @ @ @ Florida , and they won ’ t be in Florida and there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ ’ s OK. ” In March , Trump cast a vote-by-mail ballot for the Florida @ @ @ @ @ .

The Illinois House on Thursday passed legislation to significantly expand Illinois’ vote-by-mail program in advance of November’s general election after hours of debate during which Republicans took issue with various facets of the plan.
The legislation would direct election authorities to mail or email official vote-by-mail applications for the Nov. 3 general election to any voters who applied for an official ballot in the 2018 general election, the 2019 municipal elections or the March 2020 primary.
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Voters who submit their application for a mail-in ballot before Oct. 1 would receive their ballot no later than Oct. 6.
Sponsoring Rep. Kelly Burke, an Evergreen Park Democrat, said its aim is to “try to make vote-by-mail more user-friendly, efficient, secure and accessible.”
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The House voted 72-43 in favor Thursday evening. Rep. Brad Stephens of Rosemont was the lone Republican to vote in favor of the measure, which now moves to the Senate.
Nationally, efforts to expand mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic have become a focus of partisan debate, with Republicans led by President Donald Trump opposing voting by mail based in part on unsubstantiated claims that it leads to fraud.
“We don’t want them to do mail-in ballots because it’s going to lead to total election fraud, so we don’t want them to do mail-in ballots,” Trump has said. “We don’t want anyone to do mail-in ballots ... now, if someone has to mail it in because they’re sick or, by the way, because they live in the White House and they have to vote in Florida, and they won’t be in Florida and there’s a reasoning for it, that’s OK.”
In March, Trump cast a vote-by-mail ballot for the Florida primary from Washington, D.C.
Republican lawmakers raised questions Thursday about the cost of the program, the potential for “ballot-stuffing” and other security issues. They also questioned the ability of the Illinois secretary of state’s office to carry out its role in a mail-in voting expansion given pandemic-related changes in operations and past issues with the implementation of automatic voter registration.
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Burke estimated that based on the eligibility requirements set out in the legislation, it would result in applications being sent to about 5 million voters. Burke, who is sponsoring the bill in the House, said she anticipates much of the added cost to the state of the vote-by-mail expansion will be eligible for reimbursement through federal coronavirus aid and Help America Vote Act funding.
“There is some extra cost, but in the overall scheme of trying to keep people healthy and ensure access to voting in November, I think it’s worth it,” Burke said.
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Republican Rep. Ryan Spain of Peoria expressed concern about the potential for manipulation of “drop boxes” authorized by the legislation, for voters to be able to return their ballot to a location where it will be collected directly by an election worker rather than sending it through the Postal Service.
“We are creating a Pandora’s ballot box that I worry will give us a huge opportunity for additional ethical scandals in the state of Illinois,” Spain said.
After hours of debate, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin called the legislation “nothing more than a partisan power play to create an advantage” for Democrats in the November election.
“I’m not a person that believes in ultimate certainties but there are two certainties in life,” Durkin said. “One, that we will see the sun rise in the morning and the second one is that we’ll see voter fraud in November, particularly in Illinois, in robust nature, particularly with this bill.”
Among the concerns Republicans raised were about the drop boxes that allow voters to return their ballots to a designated location without mailing through the Postal Service.
Burke said the drop boxes were something county clerks have requested, and called it “common practice” in other states with larger vote-by-mail programs in place.
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“Some people have a mistrust of the postal service, some people just like to know that their ballot is going someplace that they know the next person who touches it is going to be an employee of the clerk’s office,” Burke said.
The Chicago-based organization Reform for Illinois said in a news release issued Thursday that the legislation doesn’t “go nearly far enough to ensure Illinois has a safe and smooth election in November,” and that the state should send voters ballots in the next election.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Memorial Day observances will have a different look this year in the Chicago area. Here’s a list of

Memorial Day observances will have a different look this year in the Chicago area. Here’s a list of some of them.

Memorial Day will be taking on a different look this year because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The state ’ @ @ @ @ @ picnics and other large gatherings .
And parades and observances honoring the fallen have been @ @ @ @ @ In some cases towns , communities and organizations will hold virtual ceremonies or observances .
@ @ @ @ @ some activities that will take place on Monday or over the weekend .

American flags are posted during a Memorial Day ceremony at Rosehill Cemetery in Edgewater on May 27, 2019. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Memorial Day will be taking on a different look this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The state’s stay-at-home order will curtail picnics and other large gatherings. And parades and observances honoring the fallen have been canceled or scaled back. In some cases towns, communities and organizations will hold virtual ceremonies or observances. Here is a list of some activities that will take place on Monday or over the weekend.
Archdiocese of Chicago cemeteries
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All in-person Memorial Day Masses at Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic cemeteries have been canceled because of COVID-19. But masses will be broadcast online in English, Spanish and Polish at 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to a news release from the archdiocese. The Masses will be shown at www.CatholicCemeteriesChicago.org.
Chicago
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The Wellington-Oakdale Old Glory Marching Society’s (WOOGMS) Marchers’ Memorial Day Parade in the Lakeview community is canceled this year. It will go virtual in a livestream at 11 a.m. and feature a video of neighborhood kids raising the American flag and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. It also will include video greetings from politicians.
DuPage County
DuPage County has created an online Memorial Day tribute site, which allows people to add a post honoring a family member or friend.
Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights’ usual in-person Memorial Day ceremony includes the reading of names of people from the village who have died in war. The village produced an online version of the ceremony that’s available on YouTube.
Elmhurst
Memorial Day will be commemorated with a convoy instead of the traditional parade. Starting at 10 a.m. Monday, a convoy of 15 to 20 police, fire and military vehicles will leave Elmhurst American Legion THB Post 187 on Butterfield Road at Spring Road.
The route will cover 16 miles and is designed to pass within a quarter-mile walk of every home, city officials said.
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Frankfort
Officials plan to record a video later this week of the village’s traditional Memorial Day observance, which will be posted to the village website Monday, according to Mayor Jim Holland. It was also be available on YouTube.
Homewood
As an alternative to its annual Memorial Day parade, the village will post to its website interviews Mayor Rich Hofeld has previously conducted with military veterans from the village.
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Matteson
With the village’s annual parade canceled, Jim Hogan, commander of the William Martin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 725, is planning to read the names of the war dead for a video that will be shown on the village’s community access cable channel.
Orland Park
A ceremony will be held at Ara Pace, or “Place of Peace,” memorial outside of Village Hall, but the public is being asked not to attend. A wreath laying and the playing of taps by a bugler will be part of the observance that will include the reading of the names of eight military veterans whose names are being added to the memorial, according to village spokeswoman Nabeha Zegar.
She said that “extreme accommodations” are being made to keep participants socially distant. The event will be livestreamed on the village’s YouTube channel and shown later on the village social media sites.
St. Charles
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Memorial Day ceremonies and parade will not be held, according to a news release from the city. St. Charles Mayor Raymond Rogina will have a special video message to memorialize those who have given their lives in service to our country. The video will be available on the city’s website (www.stcharlesil.gov) and YouTube channel.
Tinley Park
The public is not invited to the village’s Memorial Day ceremony, which will start at 10 a.m. at the Gen. Patrick Rea Veterans Plaza. It will include the traditional aspects of the observance including the posting of colors and speeches.
The public can watch a livestream of the event on Facebook, and later on the village’s YouTube channel.
Check back for updates.
Mike Nolan of the Daily Southtown and Kimberly Fornek of Pioneer Press contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Admiral Theatre is among a bevy of adult businesses suing to get a PPP loan. So far, the nightclubs

Admiral Theatre is among a bevy of adult businesses suing to get a PPP loan. So far, the nightclubs are winning.

In fact , the amount of available PPP funding has increased in the last week , according to the SBA @ @ @ @ @ the money under pressure from the government , which said it would not forgive the @ @ @ @ @ to alternative sources of capital .
Chicago-based Potbelly Corp. is among the companies that have @ @ @

The Admiral Theatre is seen May 30, 2018, on West Lawrence Avenue in Chicago. The adult nightclub has been closed since March 15, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its owners are seeking a loan under the federal Paycheck Protection Program. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)
The federal Payroll Protection Program has hit a few bumps in the road since its rollout last month, from blowback over alleged preferential treatment for larger businesses to growing concern over loan forgiveness requirements.
Now it’s navigating a legal challenge from adult nightclubs including Chicago’s Admiral Theatre alleging the Small Business Administration shut them out of PPP funding.
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At issue is a long-standing SBA restriction on loans to businesses that present live performances of a “prurient sexual nature.” Lawsuits brought by adult clubs in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan argue they should be eligible for federal emergency relief, just like any other small business.
“This is not an adult entertainment issue,” said Luke Lirot, a Florida attorney representing the Admiral Theater in the lawsuit, which was filed May 8 in Chicago federal court. “This a guy that sweeps the floor that’s not getting a paycheck issue.”
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On Wednesday, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago handed the adult nightclubs a major victory, refusing to block a Wisconsin federal court decision that the SBA couldn’t deny a PPP loan to a Milwaukee gentlemen’s club based solely on the prurient ineligibility standard.
Last week, the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati issued a similar order in a case involving a Flint, Michigan, adult nightclub, which also sued the SBA to become eligible for a PPP loan. In both cases, the SBA had sought to put a hold on the lower court rulings while pursuing the appeals.
“The SBA will follow what the court rules,” Andrea Roebker, a spokeswoman for the SBA’s Great Lakes Region, said Wednesday.
Both decisions may bode well for the Admiral’s lawsuit.
The Admiral has been closed since March 15, as the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s stay-at-home order shuttered nonessential businesses across Illinois.
The Admiral’s nearly $407,000 PPP loan application covering 42 employees was submitted to the SBA on April 15, according to the lawsuit. The application has been held up since then, pending an agency ruling on eligibility, the lawsuit alleges.
Launched April 3, the federal paycheck program offers businesses with fewer than 500 employees forgivable loans of up to $10 million to cover eight weeks of payroll. The initial $349 billion in funding ran out in less than two weeks, with many smaller businesses shut out, as banks allegedly prioritized larger clients ahead of mom-and-pop stores.
The $310 billion second round of PPP, which began April 27, has been more inclusive, with banks and the SBA pushing out loans to smaller businesses. The funding also isn’t being depleted as quickly, with about $147 billion left as of Friday.
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In fact, the amount of available PPP funding has increased in the last week, according to the SBA, as some businesses returned the money under pressure from the government, which said it would not forgive the loans if companies had access to alternative sources of capital. Chicago-based Potbelly Corp. is among the companies that have returned funds.
While there may still be plenty of money to go around, that doesn’t diminish the urgency of the lawsuits brought against the SBA by adult nightclubs, Lirot said.
On May 11, a Michigan federal court ruled that the DV Diamond Club of Flint could not be denied a PPP loan based on the prurient sexual nature provisions of the original SBA ineligibility rule, which went into effect in 1996. The decision noted that Congress expanded the PPP to include other previously ineligible businesses, such as nonprofit organizations and small casinos.
“While Congress may once have been willing to permit the SBA to exclude these businesses from its lending programs, that willingness evaporated when the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed the economy and threw tens of millions of Americans out of work,” the Michigan judge ruled. “Simply put, Congress did not pick winners and losers in the PPP.”
The SBA filed an appeal with the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati on May 13. Two days later, the appellate ruling opened the door to a PPP loan for the DV Diamond Club and other adult nightclubs.
The lawsuit filed April 13 in Wisconsin federal court by Camelot Banquet Rooms, which owns and operates the Silk Exotic Gentlemen’s Club in Milwaukee, may be even more relevant for the Admiral.
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The court ruled May 1 in favor of the Milwaukee gentlemen’s club, saying nude dancing is a form of expression protected by the First Amendment, and the SBA “has singled them (adult nightclubs) out for unfavorable treatment based solely on the content of their speech."
The SBA appealed the ruling May 4 in Chicago’s 7th Circuit Court.
The appellate decision Wednesday not only allows the Milwaukee club to move forward with its PPP loan application, it lays the groundwork for how other cases in the region will be decided, according to Admiral attorney Lirot.
Meanwhile, the corporate owner of another Chicago gentlemen’s club has secured millions of dollars in PPP loans — by excluding its adult properties from the application.
RCI Hospitality Holdings, a publicly traded Texas chain, owns 40 upscale gentlemen’s clubs, restaurants and bars, including Rick’s Cabaret, formerly VIP’s, on the city’s Near North Side.
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The company said it received $4.2 million in PPP loans for 10 Bombshells restaurants in Texas, $1.1 million for a “shared-services” subsidiary and $124,000 for a lounge.
“None of our adult nightclub and other non-core business subsidiaries received funding under the PPP,” the company said in a May 11 news release announcing its second-quarter earnings.
An RCI spokesman did not return a request for comment.
RCI furloughed 1,900 workers as the COVID-19 pandemic brought operations to a full stop in March. It began reopening its Texas restaurants in May, but Rick’s Cabaret in Chicago remains closed.
The Admiral, a former 1920s-era vaudeville house and longtime Northwest Side adult entertainment venue, could be among the last businesses in Chicago to welcome back customers under the state’s five-phase reopening plan.
Entertainment venues can open with limited capacity in phase four, which would likely not come until at least the end of June, according to state targets. The Chicago area is currently in phase two, which reflects a flattening of the COVID-19 infection curve.
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If the Admiral does get its PPP loan, the dancers will not necessarily benefit directly. Like many adult clubs, the Admiral treats dancers as independent contractors, not employees, and they don’t receive paychecks, working primarily for tips and fees paid by customers.
Instead, the money would be used to pay the other staff at the Admiral as an eight-week bridge to reopening the club.
“The dancers would have the right to make their own application, since in the gig economy, they’d be the same as the Uber driver or the cosmetologist that owns her own chair,” Lirot said.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Illinois struggles to keep up with crush of unemployment claims. ‘It’s been a mess from day one.’

The department also has received 74,515 claims under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program to aid the self-employed in the first @ @ @ @ @ s system went live May 11 , according to the U.S. Department of Labor .
@ @ @ @ @ the $ 2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security Act .
Applicants must @ @ @ @ @ and be rejected before they can apply for the new benefits .

A pedestrian passes the closed Chicago Workforce Center in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on May 1, 2020. Illinois Department of Employment Security offices have been closed to the public due to coronavirus concerns. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
With the release Thursday of weekly jobless claims from the U.S. Department of Labor, Illinois hit a milestone: Since mid-March, when the state’s stay-at-home order took effect, closing nonessential businesses and sending people home, more than 1 million residents of the state have applied for unemployment insurance benefits.
The state office that processes those applications says it has doubled the number of workers in call centers that assist those seeking jobless benefits.
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Yet on social media and in calls to their elected representatives, applicants continue to complain about busy signals and other problems.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security has gone from 143 call center workers before the start of the pandemic to 318, including 145 workers brought in from Deloitte Consulting to help with the massive influx of applications, said spokeswoman Rebecca Cisco.
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Cisco said another 55 Deloitte call center representatives will be phased in once their training is complete, though she could not give a date as to when that would happen.
Because applicants must provide “incredibly sensitive” information and because the unemployment system is complex, “extensive training” is required to learn how to take unemployment claims, provide information and answer questions, Cisco said.
The department processed more than a million initial claims between March 1 and May 2, compared with 78,100 initial claims during the same period in 2019, state officials have said.
The department also has received 74,515 claims under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program to aid the self-employed in the first week since the state’s system went live May 11, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The program is part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Applicants must first apply for regular unemployment and be rejected before they can apply for the new benefits.
The state encourages applicants to try to fill out claims online first, but some people run into problems and then must call the office at 800-244-5631 for help. Applicants have told the Tribune they’ve called dozens of times a day to try to find help.
A data breach in the system for gig workers last week publicly exposed personal information, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a news conference this week that the problem is being investigated.
Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, issued a news release Saturday night about a “possible massive data breach involving the private information of thousands of Illinois unemployment applicants.” A constituent contacted Bryant on Friday to say she “stumbled upon” personal information for thousands of unemployment applicants on the state website, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers and unemployment claimant identification information, Bryant said.
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In an interview, Bryant said her office gets six to 10 calls a day from people asking for help in getting through to the state’s unemployment security office. It received 12 this past Tuesday, Bryant said. “People are so frustrated they’re reaching out to their legislators,” she said.
She said the state’s system was not equipped to handle the number of applications, and while things have gotten better, many people are still having problems. “It’s been a mess from day one,” Bryant said.
It has now been 49 days since I first tried to file for Unemployment Insurance in Illinois. The online system tells me that I do not qualify, yet IDES has told my State Senator's office that I do qualify.
And yet, still no resolution. @SenatorSara6 @AldTomTunney @Croke4Illinois — Ian Lyons (@belgianrofls) May 20, 2020
Ian Lyons, 28, of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, said he has been trying to get benefits since April 1. Lyons had worked on Michael Bloomberg’s failed presidential campaign, and was paid through March.
Lyons created an online account, but was told that he had exhausted his benefits, though he had never collected unemployment insurance in Illinois.
Lyons said he would usually get a busy signal when he dialed the hotline. “When I did get through, about half the time I was immediately told via recording that they couldn’t take my call at this time, and to please file online,” Lyons said.
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Lyons has appealed to Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, a Chicago Democrat, for help, and the Department of Employment Security told her that he was eligible for benefits, Lyons said. But Lyons’ online account still shows that he’s ineligible.
“I’m continuing to try the hotline,” Lyons said.
A representative for Feigenholtz’s office was not immediately available for comment.
mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Using Zoom, Chicago hair stylists help clients cut and color their own hair at home

“ We zeroed out the scale , measured 30 grams of the first color and 10 grams of the second @ @ @ @ @ .
“ ( My client ) is a redhead , so 10 grams of the @ @ @ @ @ , helps to balance out the color so it ’ s not too fiery where @ @ @ @ @ ” Marshall wrote .
“ Her friend did a great job applying section by section @ @ @ @ @ give her a job later if she decided to get into the world of hair @ @ @ @ @ to let her process a full 45 minutes , as she has the most resistant @ @ @ @ @ off FaceTime to process and then showered and sent me photos of her roots when @ @ @ @ @ came out great and I was impressed .
”

We’re all getting to that point of quarantine fatigue. We haven’t seen our loved ones in person, we now wear masks when we leave the house and our hair has grown longer than we’re used to.
So is it possible to re-create salon services at home during the coronavirus pandemic? Thankfully, a few local stylists are coaching clients on how to cut and color their own hair through Zoom.
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Dottie Salamone, owner of Hair by Dot in Salon Loft, a working co-op for hair stylists and other folks in the beauty industry in Lincoln Square, closed her salon March 21, following the governor’s stay-at-home order.
She got the idea to coach clients on how to cut their own hair at home after she received an email from a client, Liz Parent, who was in need of a haircut. Parent asked Salamone if she could teach Parent and her husband, Mike, how to cut her hair over Zoom.
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Having never done this before, Salamone used the Zoom call as a consultation to see what Parent wanted to do with her hair. After this call, Salamone recorded a video outlining all of the steps, using a mannequin head.
“I have a ton of mannequin heads because I used to educate in the industry,” says Salamone, “so I did the haircut she wanted on the mannequin. That way, I was able to take all of their questions over Zoom, show them the hand positions and then make the video so that they could reference and go back to, if needed.”
Parent, a registered dietitian from Deerfield, was looking to cut 2 inches of hair.
Before and after photos of Liz Parent of Deerfield, who asked her husband, Mike, to cut her hair with virtual help from her stylist, Dottie Salamone. (Liz Parent photo)
She says, “Dottie showed how to section the bottom and used clips. Luckily we already owned haircut scissors and a cape so I was thankful for that because I think they may be hard to find now. ... But the video made it pretty easy to cut the bottom, and then you keep adding another layer on top, until the whole thing is cut. While it was easy to follow for a quick haircut, I will be glad to be back in Dottie’s chair when it is safe to do so.”
Mike ended up cutting off 4 inches of Liz’s hair.
“Even though he did cut off more than I originally thought,” says Parent, “now I don’t need a haircut for a while. ... My hair was really long. It sounds a lot worse than it could’ve been. But it turned out really nice anyway.”
Salamone uploaded this video and other tutorials on YouTube. She customized these videos for clients and then shared them because they show the basics of cutting hair.
Salamone says she is asking for donations for these Zoom consultations so she can buy personal protective equipment once she is allowed to reopen. As of now, she is taking Zoom calls with established clients and is open to new clients.
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Stylist Amanda Marshall, owner of Blush Hair, a studio within Sola Salon Studios in Lakeview has had four Zoom appointments.
The pandemic hit Marshall hard financially. So much so that she drove 14 hours straight to her parents’ house in Houston.
In an email, Marshall says, “I have completely run out of money, maxed out my cards, and have not received a dime of government help. I am still waiting to see if I qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The system is a nightmare and a joke, and my industry got the short end of the stick.”
She says she began Zoom hair color appointments because she did not feel comfortable giving clients take-home kits.
“But if they found the color or any color themselves — I would help them measure it and walk them through how to apply it on FaceTime or Zoom. Same thing with bang trims, little trims or cutting children’s hair,” she says.
One of her clients, with the help of a friend, bought the color line Marshall uses on Amazon. They called Marshall on FaceTime, and she walked them through how to measure out each color.
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“We zeroed out the scale, measured 30 grams of the first color and 10 grams of the second color,” Marshall says. “(My client) is a redhead, so 10 grams of the second color which is brown, helps to balance out the color so it’s not too fiery where her gray hairs are,” Marshall wrote. “Her friend did a great job applying section by section. I joked I could give her a job later if she decided to get into the world of hair! I let them know to let her process a full 45 minutes, as she has the most resistant grays ever. She hopped off FaceTime to process and then showered and sent me photos of her roots when it was done. They came out great and I was impressed.”
Marshall says she is providing these services for established clients and has not been charging clients for virtual services. She says, “I did not want it to affect my PUA, and on top of that, I didn’t feel right to charge for just a quick chat like that.”
Tracy Ftacek, owner of Pretty Convenient Salon, with locations in Oswego and Naperville, closed both salons March 13.
Ftacek also owns the Pretty Convenient app, which provides makeup and hair styling services across the nation, a new feature that began the first week of April. The app launched two years ago but now looks different from the way it did before, due to the pandemic.
During the first week of the stay-at-home order, Ftacek says, clients began asking for help and online services.
“We had many clients who had appointments for color and extension removal that first week everything was closed,” she says, “If extensions are left in for too long, they can damage the hair. They were willing to wait a little bit. But then, as time progressed, I realized their hair might get damaged if the extensions are not removed.”
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Similarly with color, Ftacek says some clients didn’t want to color the part of their hair that has regrown but wanted to make the color in the middle and on the ends prettier. So she created custom color shampoos and conditioners and sent them to clients in what Ftacek calls Pop of Pretty boxes.
“Originally, (the boxes) started off local,” says Ftacek, “But then I thought to myself, if we could launch this nationwide, it could help anyone. And it’s just another way of support for the United States Postal Service and FedEx, and all of these companies that still need to be supported somehow through all of this.”
For help with hair needs, clients can schedule their own private telebeauty appointment through the Pretty Convenient app, which is a private video call. Ftacek has coached clients on haircuts, color, styling, deep conditioning treatments and removing hand-tied hair extensions.
She says Pretty Convenient has two to three virtual appointments a week.
For folks looking to cut their own hair at home, Ftacek recommends being conservative. You can always cut more but you cannot put it back, she says.
“Hair stylists and makeup artists love people,” Ftacek says, “and it’s challenging to be away from clients because we miss them and we have meaningful relationships. ... There is nothing more special than being there with a client and providing a haircut or color or some sort of service and watching their faces light up with happiness from the results that you’ve given them. This is what stylists do. Our job is to see the pretty in everybody before they see it themselves. And I can’t wait to get back to that.”
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hgreenspan@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-20--Virtual coding camp will keep Chicago students learning during pandemic summer — while also funding

Virtual coding camp will keep Chicago students learning during pandemic summer — while also funding free classes for underserved kids

Two years ago , Caplan launched Code Your Dreams , an after-school program built out of her side job as @ @ @ @ @ about 25 volunteers have partnered with community centers on the South and West sides to @ @ @ @ @ youths so far — a needed service , as students in the poorest high schools @ @ @ @ @ access to computer science classes .

In high school and college, Brianne Caplan felt that learning to code was always out of reach for students like her — a boys’ club she couldn’t access.
“It felt like everyone was pounding at their computers already, at a level I didn’t feel like I would be able to catch up to,” Caplan said. “I felt like I didn’t belong.”
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And although her path to a career in computer science has been more winding than some, she is determined to teach coding skills to any student who wants to learn them — even amid a pandemic.
“Coding is the new literacy, and it is core to the future economy, to the current economy,” she said. “It’s something that everyone is going to need to learn.”
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From her Chicago apartment, Brianne Caplan conducts an online session of CoderHeroes, which introduces kids to the language of computer coding. She asked a student to write code for the steps in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which got the attention of her dog Piper. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Two years ago, Caplan launched Code Your Dreams, an after-school program built out of her side job as a tutor. She and about 25 volunteers have partnered with community centers on the South and West sides to teach coding to about 250 youths so far — a needed service, as students in the poorest high schools tend to have the least access to computer science classes.
“For my students, the closest free coding program would be an hour bus ride to downtown,” Caplan said. “And that doesn’t make sense to me as being right.”
She has seen its impact on students, like one sixth grader who had trouble focusing in school and experienced trauma from seeing family members shot. Through Code Your Dreams, he built a safety app that could emit a siren noise if the user feels threatened, text emergency contacts with their location and connect them with other resources.
“Coding just sparked something in him,” Caplan said.
From its beginning, Caplan has self-funded Code Your Dreams with the help of a few donors and her paycheck working as a data scientist for Edovo, a Chicago-based software company that provides education and communication programs for incarcerated people.
But the coronavirus pandemic has taken a financial toll — her salary was recently cut 40%, Caplan said. It left her motivated to get Code Your Dreams to a point where it can sustain itself without depending on her personal financial status.
The result: CoderHeroes, which has two services meant to help students citywide learn how to code, while also giving parents a little respite from the challenges of parenting under the stay-at-home order. Its buy-one-give-one model means that families who pay for classes are helping to fund Code Your Dreams programs for students in underserved neighborhoods.
Brianne Caplan has taken her summer coding camps online in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but Code Your Dreams needs more funding to address gaps in access to internet and tech equipment. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Through CoderHeroes, CoderCamp will offer six-week and two-week virtual summer camps for students ages 6-18, at a cost of about $2,100 and $800, respectively. For three hours each weekday, kids will learn how to build an app, conducting research and using Android phones to test it out. Private programs are also available.
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CoderSitters, meanwhile, provides one-on-one interactive activities for children ages 6 and up. “Sitters” work with children — virtually, for the time being — on drawing, prototyping, crafting and brainstorming skills for $35 per hour.
Caplan hopes CoderHeroes can raise $100,000 this summer for Code Your Dreams, which is offering six-week virtual programs through After School Matters and community centers. But there are challenges that come with taking Code Your Dreams virtual: Tutors usually bring wireless hot spots, laptops and Android devices to community centers during in-person classes, and Caplan estimates that half the students don’t have adequate internet service at home.
Making coding lessons available to all students can have a major impact on their future. Research suggests that taking high school coding classes makes minority students far more likely to study computer science in college, helping to bridge the diversity gap in technology.
And that’s why Caplan does what she does — to make sure students now don’t suffer the setbacks she herself faced.
“You can create anything with code. You can solve problems and use your imagination," she said. “You can make something that someone on the other side of the world can use and benefit from. You can make something real.”
archeung@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-20--Column: Two-tower plan for former Chicago Spire site moves a step closer to groundbreaking

In response to a question from Cox , Ald .
Brendan Reilly said Thursday that he will ensure the city @ @ @ @ @ to the planned $ 15 million park .
It was envisioned during the 1980s administration @ @ @ @ @ to honor Jean Baptiste Point du Sable , Chicago ’ s first non-Native American settler @

A rendering shows two residential towers of unequal height on the Chicago Spire site at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive. (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)
A developer’s plan for two skyline-altering residential skyscrapers at the former Chicago Spire site cleared a key political hurdle Thursday.
But to avoid the fate of the unbuilt Spire, a proposed 2,000-foot tower that captured the imagination of Chicago, the project will have to overcome the financial hurdle of a sharp, pandemic-induced economic downturn.
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The Chicago Plan Commission approved developer Related Midwest’s plan for the showcase site at 400 North Lake Shore Drive. The plan calls for towers rising 875 and 765 feet, with 1,100 combined apartments as well as the completion of a riverwalk along the Chicago River’s north banks and funding for the long-delayed DuSable Park.
“We’re looking at two very elegant towers that, I think, will be iconic on the lakefront skyline,” Chicago planning commissioner Maurice Cox said before the vote.
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In March, before the pandemic forced businesses nationwide to shut down and tipped the economy into what’s being called the coronavirus recession, Related Midwest executives expressed hope they could begin the $1 billion project in early 2021.
Tricia Van Horn, a spokeswoman for Related Midwest, emailed Wednesday that the developer intends to start construction next year.
The developers also have committed to contribute $10 million to the future construction of DuSable Park, which would be built on a 3.3-acre peninsula east of Lake Shore Drive that’s adjacent to their site.
In response to a question from Cox, Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, said Thursday that he will ensure the city would contribute $5 million to the planned $15 million park. It was envisioned during the 1980s administration of former Mayor Harold Washington to honor Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, Chicago’s first non-Native American settler.
Since 2008, when plans for the Spire collapsed during the Great Recession, the 2.2-acre site has contained only a 76-foot-deep, circular foundation hole that was dug for the twisting, Santiago Calatrava-designed tower.
Related Midwest’s plan is downsized from its initial proposal for the site, which included towers of 1,100 and 850 feet.
After neighbors complained that the project would worsen traffic flow in the already-congested Streeterville neighborhood, the developer made other changes, including eliminating a hotel from one of the towers and a four-story podium that would have connected the skyscrapers.
Responding to neighbors’ concerns about unruly behavior by pedestrians in Streeterville, Related also cut a previously planned walkway that would have created an east-west route along the Ogden Slip to still-to-be-completed DuSable Park.
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At Thursday’s meeting, which was conducted online, activist Butler Adams criticized that change.
“I don’t think this should be negotiated away just because wealthy residents who live along Ogden Slip hounded the alderman,” Adams said, referring to Reilly. “That’s not fair for the pedestrian access.”
Curt Bailey, Related Midwest’s president, said Thursday that there would be two entrances to DuSable Park — one from the planned riverwalk, the other from the Navy Pier Flyover bike trail.
Reilly reiterated his support for the project, saying it includes important public benefits and would be “a fantastic addition to our city skyline.”
The former Chicago Spire site sits empty behind an entry ramp off Lake Shore Drive on Oct. 22, 2018 in Streeterville as the Vista Tower rises at left. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The developer also has committed to complete the last leg of a riverwalk on the north bank of the Chicago River. The new stretch will extend to DuSable Park, and other landscaped areas of the site will include extensive security cameras and light fixtures — a response to neighbors’ concerns that large crowds on the riverwalk could create security problems. .
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Reilly also said he would require a new traffic study after the first tower is completed and before the city issues a construction permit for the second one.
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The project’s towers are designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the architect of One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.
The approximately 3½-year first phase would be completed by 2024, followed by 500 apartments, or possibly condominiums, depending on demand, in the south tower, Bailey said.
The project still needs approval from the City Council’s zoning committee and the full council.
Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.
bkamin@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @BlairKamin


chicagotribune--2020-05-20--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened May 19 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

It doesn ’ t appear that food halls in Chicago will be able to open any time soon .
According @ @ @ @ @ ’ s five-phase reopening plan , restaurants will be able to reopen their dining rooms @ @ @ @ @ phase four .
( Currently , we are in phase two . )
But food @ @ @ @ @ attracting large crowds , probably won ’ t be able to fully reopen until phase @ @ @ @ @ governor ’ s plan details , phase five won ’ t happen until a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ is widely available .
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci , the director of the National Institute @ @ @ @ @ , estimates it will take a year or more to develop a vaccine .

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)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday afternoon that Illinois has passed New York in per capita daily administration of COVID-19 tests, which he called “significant measurable progress.”
“Among the most populous states, Illinois has now overtaken New York as the No. 1 state in the nation for per capita testing over the last seven days,” Pritzker said, calling it “very exciting news.”
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Among all states, Illinois ranks No. 3 in per capita testing, behind Rhode Island and New Mexico, according to data cited by the governor’s office at covidtracking.com. New York ranks sixth behind Connecticut and North Dakota, according to the data.
Pritzker also said all four regions of the state remained on track to enter the next phase of reopening businesses on May 29.
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State officials announced 1,545 new known cases of the coronavirus from among 18,443 tests over the previous 24 hours. There were also 146 additional deaths reported, bringing the death toll to 4,379 since the pandemic began. Statewide, there have been 98,030 confirmed cases of COVID-19 from a total of 621,684 tests.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that Illinois led the nation in per capita daily COVID-19 tests. Illinois ranks No. 3 nationally in per capita testing, and leads the nation’s most populous states after passing New York.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8:57 p.m.: Rent relief in Illinois could be on its way, as state legislators rush to pass bills during three-day session
Measures for statewide rent relief — which would include help for tenants, landlords and homeowners impacted by the coronavirus pandemic — could hit Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk in a matter of days.
If signed into law, the COVID-19 Emergency and Economic Recovery Renter and Homeowner Protection Act, which Chicago Democrat Rep. Delia Ramirez introduced Friday, would cancel rent debt and suspend mortgage payments for those experiencing hardships related to COVID-19.
“We have to make housing an absolute top priority during this special session in Springfield,” Ramirez said during a livestreamed press conference Tuesday. “If we want our families to be able to get through this pandemic, they have to have a roof over their head and not have to decide if they’re going to purchase food — or pay rent.” Read more here. — Ariel Cheung
7:50 p.m.: Naperville Park District files suit against Pritzker, wants judge to give the park board authority to reopen facilities
The Naperville Park District filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking a DuPage County judge to issue an emergency ruling that would allow the park board — and not the governor — to decide when park facilities should reopen and programs resume as the coronavirus pandemic begins to recede in the city.
Board members voted 4-3 vote last week to challenge Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s decision that Naperville be included in a phased-in reopening schedule for a region that also includes Chicago and Cook County.
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The complaint seeks a temporary restraining order, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and declaratory judgment against Pritzker to “restore the balance of power and local accountability.”
“Unfortunately, in implementing (the stay-at-home order), Governor Pritzker does not always respect the limits of his power over units of local government like the Naperville Park District,” the lawsuit said.
“Rather, without any statutory authority in the (Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act) for doing so, Governor Pritzker has wrongfully displaced units of local government from their essential functions and is preventing them from addressing the specific health concerns of their respective communities.”
Priztker’s executive order directing people to stay at home prevents the Naperville Park Board from determining essential governmental functions by depriving it of the right to have jurisdiction over its property and programs, the suit said.
Pritzker’s order also stops park staff from performing “essential governmental functions" and prohibits residents from accessing park facilities and programs “that would otherwise be provided by the park district to combat this multifaceted health crisis,” the suit said.
The park district is suffering “irreparable harm” from the executive order being in place, the lawsuit charged. Read more here. —Erin Hegarty
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6:55 p.m.: Game on? National federation releases guidelines for return of high school sports
It’s a start.
The National Federation of State High School Associations released guidance Tuesday for its 51-member associations to follow while considering how to reopen athletics and activities.
The document was developed by the federation’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee in response to the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down the country, including the boys basketball state tournaments and the entire spring sports state tournaments administered by the Illinois High School Association.
The NFHS plan outlines three specific phases and defines sports as lower risk, moderate risk and higher risk. Tiers are created for essential, preferred and nonessential personnel allowed at events.
“We believe this guidance document will be a tremendous resource for our member state associations as they determine the timetables for reopening sports and activities,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, NFHS executive director.
The NFHS noted the reopening of high school sports will come on a local and regional basis. Each state will be different, and likewise, each sport will be different.
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Individual cross country, golf, individual swimming and certain individual events in track are considered lower risk. Basketball, baseball, gymnastics, hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, water polo, swimming relays, 7-on-7 football and the pole vault, high jump and long jump are moderate risk.
Football, lacrosse and wrestling are considered higher risk.
Baseball, gymnastics, softball, tennis, volleyball and the pole vault, high jump and long jump could be potentially considered lower risk with “appropriate cleaning of equipment and use of masks by participants.” Read more here.
6:52 p.m.: How Aurora-area police departments are handling enforcement of governor’s stay-at-home order
While the sheriffs of Kane and Kendall counties made announcements late last week that they will not enforce the governor’s stay-at-home and social distancing orders, not all local police departments have been as vocal about their enforcement policies.
In their announcements, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain and Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird said they will not fine or arrest people for gathering in large groups, like hosting a graduation party or wedding celebration during the coronavirus pandemic.
While not all local police departments have said they are not enforcing the governor’s order, they are aiming for voluntary compliance and, rather than arrest residents, would rather educate them on how to stop the spread of COVID-19.
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Aurora police spokesman Paris Lewbel said the department is enforcing the governor’s executive order, but no one in Aurora has faced criminal charges. The department is continuing to focus on educating residents and encouraging people to practice social distancing, he said.
Officers can use enforcement as a last resort and in extreme circumstances of non-compliance, Lewbel said.
Aurora’s City Council passed an ordinance that gives the police department the right to charge violators of the governor’s orders with disorderly conduct, but not all cities have taken that step. Read more here. —Megan Jones
6:10 p.m.: 2nd lawsuit filed against Bria of Geneva nursing home
A second lawsuit against Bria of Geneva nursing home was filed Tuesday, claiming the facility failed to implement basic precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after a number of its residents died from COVID-19 complications, attorneys said.
The family of Lucille “Lucy” James, a resident at the nursing home in Geneva who died of COVID-19 May 1, is suing the long-term care facility, claiming it failed to comply with preventative directions of the Illinois Department of Public Health and did not prevent the spread of the virus.
Bria of Geneva officials dispute the allegations brought against the facility.
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James’ son-in-law Ed Borowiak said the family did not find out she had coronavirus until after her death. James, 80, lived at the nursing home for about three-and-a-half years.
The lawsuit accuses the facility of failing to provide personal protective equipment and sufficient testing kits for residents and staff. It also failed to implement continuous screening checks on residents and staff, such as temperature checks and using a checklist to identify symptomatic residents, the lawsuit states. Read more here. —Megan Jones
5:17 p.m.: Mariano’s parent Kroger will not seek repayment from workers it overpaid during COVID-19 outbreak
Mariano’s parent company, Kroger, will not seek repayment from employees the grocery chain overpaid for time they took off to self-quarantine.
When the coronavirus pandemic started spreading through the U.S., Kroger began offering paid time off to employees who needed to self-isolate, were experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or who needed time off for another virus-related reason.
Dozens of employees at Chicago-area Mariano’s stores that had taken the paid time off recently received letters from Kroger notifying them that they had been overpaid and would need to pay the money back, said Zach Koutsky, spokesman for Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Local 881 represents more than 34,000 grocery store, drugstore and food production workers in Illinois and northwest Indiana.
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Outrage erupted on Twitter after a user posted a screenshot Monday of a letter from Kroger telling an employee to return overpaid funds. Kroger spokeswoman Kristal Howard said Tuesday in a statement that the company would not seek repayment.
“We’ve instructed our payroll department to directly inform the small number of associates affected by the recent overpayments of Emergency Leave of Absence pay that we will not seek repayment,” she said. Read more here. —Ally Marotti
4:48 p.m.: As they adjust to a new normal, some colleges are approaching fall classes a different way: by starting early
While the impulse at some college campuses may be to push back the start of fall classes amid all the pandemic uncertainty, Notre Dame and Marquette universities are taking a different approach: They’re planning to open early.
The schools’ plan — subject to change if health guidelines necessitate it — are also to reduce the length of fall breaks so that students wrap up classes for the year before Thanksgiving.
The changes are in response to concerns about a possible resurgence of COVID-19 in the late fall or winter, and the hope that condensing the term could help limit the spread of the virus by curtailing student travel. Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
4:28 p.m.: Niles home to most COVID-19 deaths among Cook County suburbs, majority reported in nursing homes, data shows
The village of Niles has experienced the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths among Cook County suburbs, the latest data available from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office shows.
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As of May 19, the medical examiner had reported 74 COVID-19-related deaths in Niles since March 16, making it the suburb with the largest number of deaths caused by the virus, a review of the data shows.
Nearly three-fourths of the deaths reported in the village have occurred within Niles nursing homes, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
IDPH data shows that as of May 14, 49 COVID-19-related deaths had been reported within six long-term care facilities in Niles. These facilities reported a total of 236 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The highest number of deaths for a single facility — 21 — occurred at Niles Nursing and Rehab Center, which had 127 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of May 15, according to the IDPH. Read more here. —Jennifer Johnson
4:10 p.m.: Pritzker offers some optimistic news, but continues to preach caution
Even though the state’s rate of testing is at a new high and hospitalizations are at their lowest point this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker continued to preach patience Tuesday before Illinois moves onto its new phase of reopening the state at the end of the month.
Pritzker’s comments come as some mayors and law enforcement officers continue to say they won’t follow Pritzker’s plans to gradually reopen the state and after the governor recently instituted a new rule to issue misdemeanor citations to those who refuse to follow public health guidelines.
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“We’re all itching to move ahead. So why can’t we just do it now?” Pritzker said. “Well, there’s no doubt this is hard, but public health means that each of is working to protect all of us. It’s about our collective impact on each other.”
Illinois transitioned into phase two of Pritzker’s reopening plan on May 1, with non-essential businesses remaining closed and a handful of outdoor activities allowed as individuals are asked to wear face coverings when they can’t practice social distancing. The governor acknowledged that the lives of many Illinoisans “didn’t change much between phase one and phase two.”
Pritzker’s plan requires 28 days of monitoring public health data in four regions of the state before each can transition to phase three as soon as May 29. In that new phase, gatherings of 10 people or fewer would be allowed for any reason, fitness and health clubs could offer one-on-one training and outdoor classes, barbershops and salons could reopen with restrictions as could manufacturing businesses, offices and retailers.
“It’s critical that we observe the full 28 day measurement period before moving forward to phase three,” Pritzker said. “The good news is we’re just 10 days from that point, and as of now, all four regions of Illinois are on track to moving forward into phase three before the end of May.” —Bill Ruthhart
4:08 p.m.: Chicago McDonald’s workers file class-action lawsuit alleging COVID-19 failures put employees and customers at risk
Five Chicago McDonald’s workers filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status Tuesday alleging the restaurant chain’s “inadequate” COVID-19 protective measures endangered employees and customers.
The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges McDonald’s failed to provide adequate personal protective equipment, allow for proper social distancing or notify employees when co-workers tested positive for COVID-19 at four restaurants across Chicago during the pandemic.
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“McDonald’s has failed to take adequate steps in response to the pandemic,” the complaint alleges. “The damage done by inadequate safety practices is not confined to the walls of a restaurant, but instead has broader public health consequences for the Chicago community.”
Chicago-based McDonald’s issued an emailed statement Tuesday calling the allegations “inaccurate characterizations … which do not represent the actual realities in our 14,000 restaurants around the country.”
Employees at the four Chicago McDonald’s restaurants, which include both franchise and corporate-owned locations, cited a number of examples in the lawsuit of “dangerous conditions” that allegedly risked spreading the disease to customers, co-workers and family members. Read more here. —Robert Channick
3:40 p.m.: South Elgin to cut residential and business water bills by $30 in June and July to help during pandemic
South Elgin residents will be getting a small bit of economic relief in the form of a $60 break on water bills to help those who have taken a financial hit during the coronavirus pandemic.
The South Elgin Village Board voted unanimously Monday to authorize $30 credits on bills paid in June and July by renters, homeowners and business owners.
“This is what we do as a village. ... We are here to do the right thing for our people," Village President Steve Ward said. "I think this is a good thing. Maybe they’ll remember it in a year from now.” Read more here. —Rafael Guerrero
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3:05 p.m.: Orland Park threatens legal action if COVID-19 restrictions not loosened soon
Orland Park officials say they will consider legal action against the state unless the General Assembly takes more aggressive steps by June 1 to reopen Illinois’ economy.
A resolution adopted Monday by the Village Board asks lawmakers, who are scheduled to meet Wednesday, to provide guidelines for the resumption of “business and civic life with reasonable and specifically targeted public health guidelines.”
Mayor Keith Pekau said that stay-at-home restrictions have “come at great cost to the economy” statewide and locally.
The village is projecting revenue from sources including sales taxes, motor fuel taxes and income taxes, to fall about $4.5 million during this budget year, which ends Dec. 31.
Orland Park is also furloughing about 140 part-time employees because of the anticipated revenue drop.
“The whole time we stay closed we continue to damage our economy,” he said. “It’s time for us to move to the next phase.” Read more here. —Mike Nolan
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2:35 p.m.: Officials report 1,545 new known cases and 146 more deaths
State officials on Tuesday announced 1,545 new known cases of the coronavirus in Illinois from among 18,443 tests over the previous 24 hours. There were also 146 additional deaths reported, bringing the death toll to 4,379 since the pandemic began. Statewide, there have been 98,030 confirmed cases of COVID-19 from a total of 621,684 tests.
2:23 p.m.: Single Chicagoans are turning to video dating in a big way during the coronavirus pandemic. And geography is no longer a barrier.
Chicagoan Rachael Jimenez has gone on first dates without ever leaving her couch.
She has had the pivotal “Are we seeing each other exclusively?” conversation with a man she has never met face-to-face. She has seen a close friend fall hard for an acquaintance of just three weeks — a man who happens to live in Scotland.
“They are in love. It’s wild,” said Jimenez, 30. “Everything that can happen that’s bizarre is happening.”
Welcome to the the upside-down world of video dating, where geography is no obstacle but the smallest physical intimacies — holding hands, kissing — are completely off the table.
In the weeks since COVID-19 left Chicagoans largely homebound, dating via apps such as FaceTime and Skype has exploded, with OkCupid reporting a 470% increase from March to April in the number of users who answered yes to the question, “Have you been on a virtual date?”
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“Video dating has had a surge,” said Stefanie Groner, co-founder of the new Chicago matchmaking service Quarantine Bae.
“What other choice do people have?” Read more here. —Nara Schoenberg
1:59 p.m.: University employees call for more federal money for student financial aid and retain faculty during pandemic
The union representing faculty at seven of Illinois’ public universities is asking Congress to set aside more money for higher education in the next stimulus bill, saying the funds are needed to increase financial aid for students and keep staff from being laid off.
In a letter sent to the Illinois delegation this month, University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100 said financial progress made by colleges in Illinois following the 2008 recession and the three-year budget impasse is now being offset because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“In the global economy and community, higher education degrees are more important now than ever ... ,” the letter says. “As the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate begin to discuss additional aid to address the harm from the Covid-19 pandemic, we are specifically asking for your strong advocacy to protect Illinois students and higher education institutions (community colleges, state universities, and non-profit private institutions).”
The letter said lawmakers should create a “state stabilization fund” to prevent state budget cuts to higher education, enhance federal financial aid for students, allow universities to keep paying faculty through the Paycheck Protection Program and increase technological support for students who don’t have access to computers or high-speed internet.
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"At a time when there is massive unemployment, the federal government must invest in its citizens by helping them earn their education, their degrees and even their certifications,” UPI president John Miller said in a virtual news conference Tuesday. “This will help the U.S. economy recover faster and will also create a greater economic stability and security in the years to come.”
The first stimulus bill, known as the CARES act, set aside $14 billion for colleges, with each able to receive an allocation based on its enrollment and the number of low-income students it serves. Half of the money was required to be used as emergency financial aid grants for students.
Miller said students need more support and that federal financial aid should be made available to part-time students, not just those taking a full course load. A second relief package passed by the U.S. House is being negotiated in the Senate. —Elyssa Cherney
1:20 p.m.: Can Chicago’s food halls survive the pandemic? Owners and chefs consider the future of what had been a hot format.
When Hayden Hall opened in February, it was simply the latest food hall in a city increasingly saturated with them. Every few months, some impeccably designed project opened promising a collection of top-notch chefs, from Time Out Market Chicago in the West Loop to Wells Street Market in the Loop. Some were even getting national attention. On Feb. 26, Margaret Pak’s Thattu in Politan Row was selected as a semifinalist for best new restaurant in the country by the James Beard Foundation.
With a few exceptions, the public’s insatiable appetite for food halls looked like it would never end. For developers, the format was an easy way to attract crowds to downtown projects. And for restaurateurs, whether aspiring or established, it was an affordable way to test new ideas.
But with all Illinois restaurant dining rooms closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the idea of stuffing hundreds of people together in one room sounding unsafe, will food halls be able to survive?
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“I’ve never felt so ill prepared to answer such a big question,” says Bruce Finkelman, managing partner of 16″ on Center, which runs Revival Food Hall in the Loop. Finkelman says he’s been focusing on the immediate issues. “It’s heartbreaking the amount of people we had to furlough,” says Finkelman. “I’ve been worried about how we pay rent. Do we have a workforce when this whole thing is over? It’s really hard to look at the bigger picture right now.”
It doesn’t appear that food halls in Chicago will be able to open any time soon. According to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase reopening plan, restaurants will be able to reopen their dining rooms with 50-person capacity limits in phase four. (Currently, we are in phase two.) But food halls, which depend on attracting large crowds, probably won’t be able to fully reopen until phase five. And as the governor’s plan details, phase five won’t happen until a vaccine or some other effective treatment is widely available. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, estimates it will take a year or more to develop a vaccine.
Will food halls be able to survive being closed that long? And will customers want to return to crowded spaces? Already, a few food halls in the works have pushed back their opening dates. Read more here. —Nick Kindelsperger and Ryan Ori
11 a.m.: Ditka’s restaurant in Chicago’s Gold Coast closing for good due to coronavirus shutdown
The coronavirus outbreak has contributed to the closing of Ditka’s restaurant on Chicago’s Gold Coast.
Ditka’s Restaurant Group announced Monday that it will permanently close the downtown location because of the ongoing economic impact of the outbreak and the impending end of its lease.
The memorabilia-filled eatery, which opened in 1997, was frequently visited by former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka and other celebrities. Read more here. —Associated Press
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9:45 a.m.: Lawsuit claims negligence in coronavirus-related death of resident at Bria of Geneva nursing home
The family of a woman who died with the coronavirus at a nursing home in Geneva filed a lawsuit Monday, alleging that the facility left its residents vulnerable by failing to follow basic precautions against the spread of the disease.
Bria of Geneva officials disputed the allegations, reporting that most of those who had COVID-19 there never showed any symptoms from a “silent enemy.” Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
6:38 a.m.: 25th case of Cook County Court clerk employee with COVID-19
A 25th Cook County Court clerk’s office employee has been found to have COVID-19, the office announced late Monday.
The employee, who works in the clerk’s accounting department at the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Room 1005, last was at work May 14, according to a news release. The employee, whose age, sex and length of employment weren’t released, has been hospitalized, according to the release.
So far, 24 people who work for the clerk’s office have tested positive for the coronavirus and a 25th tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.
Other workers who came in close contact with the employee have been notified and told to isolate for two weeks, according to the release. The clerk’s office and MB Real Estate were deep-cleaning the area where the employee worked. — Chicago Tribune staff
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6 a.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s first year in office was filled with big moments and tough decisions. Then the coronavirus ‘changed everything.’
During her tumultuous first year in office, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot fired the police superintendent, presided over a 11-day teachers strike and fought to strip aldermen of powers in their wards.
But with more than 37,000 known COVID-19 cases in Chicago and about 1,700 deaths to date, Lightfoot’s first term will be defined by her response to a deadly challenge unlike any faced by her predecessors in a century.
In addition to the pandemic’s public health consequences, the ongoing crisis will have deep ramifications on city government potentially for years to come, exacerbating tremendous financial woes while diverting attention from other pressing issues.
Lightfoot has earned acclaim for taking tough actions to curb the disease, such as shutting down Chicago’s iconic lakefront, but she will soon make life-or-death decisions on how to reopen the city’s economy — a task she’s compared with rebuilding after the Great Chicago Fire.
During a wide-ranging interview in Lightfoot’s City Hall office to mark the anniversary of her becoming Chicago’s first black woman and openly gay mayor, she told the Tribune the pandemic “changed everything.”
“Our lives will be defined by the moments that we’re living right now,” Lightfoot said. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt and John Byrne
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Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
May 18
Here are five things that happened Monday that you need to know:


chicagotribune--2020-05-22--More rain, more floods, more often. Why wet basements and swollen rivers are becoming the new spring

More rain, more floods, more often. Why wet basements and swollen rivers are becoming the new spring reality for Illinois.

For most of his 30-year career , Osman said there were about 50,000 flood insurance policies in Illinois .
Now @ @ @ @ @ to about 38,000 .
Osman said he is stumped by the reason for the drop @ @ @ @ @ may be a combination of elderly homeowners in floodplains who have paid off their mortgage @ @ @ @ @ pay for the protection after their requirement expired , and lower-income owners who can not @ @ @ @ @ past the eyes of lenders and regulators .

Roberto Acuna walks through a flooded street beside his home on Hawthorne Lane in Des Plaines after a huge amount of rain fell over the course of a couple days on May 20, 2020. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The record-setting spring rains that pummeled the Chicago region this May overwhelmed northern Illinois rivers, knocked out power to Willis Tower, filled Lake Michigan to the brim and forced thousands of residents to tackle soaked basements, muck-covered yards and damaged foundations.
Flooding has become a front-and-center issue in Illinois in recent years, with concerns stretching from Chicago and its suburbs to the sparsely populated farmland near Cairo at the southern tip of the state.
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This May already is the wettest in Chicago on record, the third year in a row that May has set new precipitation records. The record rains are a stark reminder that Illinois is experiencing more frequent drenching downpours.
The changing climate, plus more development across the Chicago region, has altered the landscape of what areas are considered flood-prone.
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“It’s driving me nuts that climate change has become a dirty word, that climate change has become so political,” said Paul Osman, chief of statewide floodplain programs for the Illinois Office of Water Resources. "It’s science. It’s data. It’s happening, I’m sorry. You can’t argue with thermometers, rain gauges or river gauges. They are all increasing every single year.”
Urban flooding in particular, according to the state water resources office, caused more than $2 billion in damages in the state between 2007 and 2014. Of that damage, more than 90% of claims occurred outside mapped floodplains.
“You have these flood-causing, localized events where water comes into every basement, leaving them underwater," Osman said, “Where two blocks away, it’s high and dry.”
Floodplains in the crosshairs
When storms dump multiple inches over a matter of hours, stormwater and drainage systems designed for the rainfall amounts of 50 years ago cannot keep pace, leading to submerged basements and viaducts full of standing water. Rivers and streams cannot contain the deluge of water that falls in such a short amount of time, and as the water rises, it spills out into the surrounding land, soaking homes, businesses and farmland.
This phenomenon has been fully on display in areas of the city and suburbs in recent days, especially in Des Plaines, where the namesake river flooded major intersections near downtown and nearby neighborhoods.
Charlie Eck, 55, lives in the family home just off the river on Woodland Avenue, where townhouses and freestanding homes, big and small, are situated near the river’s western bank.
After a huge amount of rain fell over the course of a couple of days, Charlie Eck checks on his sump pit at his home on Woodland Avenue in Des Plaines on May 20, 2020. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Eck’s father and four brothers grew up living along the river since the mid-1920s. His dad later had the home on Woodland Avenue built in 1955 and owned it until his death, passing it on to his son.
“I’ve been fighting this thing since ’86,” Eck said in the yard outside his home near Sesquicentennial Park.
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Eck says he has never owned flood insurance, opting to forgo a policy because flooding was rarely serious and he had taken precautions, such as filling in the basement and keeping any sandbags or pumping equipment around.
A property owner is only required to buy flood insurance if their home or business is within a mapped floodplain and they have a federally backed loan. Others outside designated floodplains can purchase flood insurance but are not required to have it.
In the past, Eck said he thought the benefits of living along the river outweighed the troubles. In the summers, he could fish with buddies or relatives, or enjoy a drink at an outside bar he built a short distance from the river bank.
Charlie Eck checks on the flooding situation outside his home. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
At the first sign of trouble, his “army” of friends who also lived along the river sprang into action with sandbags and pumps to handle any flooding.
But now with the lifelong laborer considering retirement and many of his old friends moving away, he is considering selling his home and moving on.
"The past three years in May have been devastating," he said.
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Eck, who was married at the property, says he no longer has the energy to keep up with the demands of an increasingly volatile river.
"I used to have all my friends come. My friends are all getting older and moving away. We're not 25 years old anymore," he said. "My body's beat up."
‘We are taking a risk’
Scientists studying the increased rainfall across Illinois released a new report on the state’s precipitation trends this March. The new standards, now referred to as Bulletin 75, from scientists with the Illinois State Water Survey, in coordination with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Water Resources, sketch out in detail rainfall trends and amounts over time, underscoring how this month’s rains, and those that caused widespread flooding in the Mississippi River valley a year ago, are becoming the new normal.
The fresh report, complete with detailed rainfall data from more than 700 stations across Illinois and the Midwest, and charts and maps showing how much more precipitation Illinois has received in recent years, is leading to a change in the way the 1% annual chance of flooding is being calculated.
The report will eventually change the definition of floodplains across the state and alter the way local governments make decisions on whether to allow development near waterways.
In the meantime, federal, state and local officials have been offering buyouts to property owners in an effort to avoid repetitive loss, or repeat flood claims. In Des Plaines, where portions of town were again underwater after the storms this week, the city and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have purchased dozens of houses, most of them in the picturesque but frequently flooded Big Bend area, a cluster of homes surrounded on three sides by a turn in the river.
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The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has purchased 11 properties, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency 33 and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District 45 in recent years. Earlier this year, FEMA awarded a $2.3 million grant to Des Plaines for the acquisition of 13 more flood-prone homes. Des Plaines officials said 68 properties in the city have been purchased in recent years, 95% of those in the Big Bend area. Two more rounds of buyouts are scheduled to begin soon.
The goal of buyouts, authorities said, is to clear flood-prone areas of development that have been suffering costly, repeat flooding that triggers insurance claims. Illinois has a statewide regulation that if an existing structure has suffered damage past 50% of its market value — even cumulatively over several events — the owner is either required to raze the structure or accept a buyout.
The rule is in place to prevent taxpayers from funding repeat flood claims.
Susila Subramanian, who has lived on Big Bend Road for decades, is grateful recent flooding left only minor leaks in her basement. During the years she and her husband have lived on Big Bend, their home has flooded four times, destroying thousands of dollars of items in the process.
Susila Subramanian talks about the flooding situation near her home on Big Bend Lake in Des Plaines on May 20, 2020. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Flood insurance rates have also risen from about $300 a year in 1984 to about $2,500 now, she said.
She can recall the floods: 1986, 1987, 2007 and 2013. “Every time, we just lost the whole basement.”
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“We had a really big-time flood up to the ceiling of our finished basement," Subramanian said. "We finished it again and again the next couple of times, but now we just leave it unfinished.”
The vast majority of her neighbors have taken the FEMA buyout and moved on. She can remember when the homes along the curving road near Big Bend Lake were filled with family homes.
“Most of our neighbors have gone. We used to host beautiful block parties," she said.
Her husband has remained enamored with the two-story home where they raised their children and made numerous improvements over the years. “Because of the backyard, because it’s so ... the river and forest preserve. Nobody is here; it’s quiet.
"I don't know what's going to happen. The city is asking us to sell it to them, but my husband just loves the area. But at the same time we are taking a risk."
The recent flooding has Subramanian daydreaming of living at a higher altitude.
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“I just want to go into a high-rise condo way up with no basement," she said.
Susila Subramanian, right, talks with a person looking for access to Big Bend Lake to do some fishing in Des Plaines on May 20, 2020. After a huge amount of rain fell over the course of a couple of days, residents, including Subramanian, are dealing with flooding along the Des Plaines River. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
An uphill struggle
Buyouts, officials said, can only go so far. Even if land near waterways is slowly returned to a natural state, it may not be enough to keep up with the changing precipitation patterns. And if communities allow for building elsewhere in floodplains, even with special permits, overall progress against future flooding may be elusive.
With federal and statewide officials often hamstrung by politics or bureaucracy, local communities are left to craft regulations and policies for themselves: ones that are designed to halt floodplain development, encourage green space or urge responsible stewardship by those who do live or own property close to rivers, streams and waterways. Municipalities can also push for new mapping, using the latest digital and 3D technology to replace decades-old maps.
Osman held up Ottawa, Illinois, at the confluence of the Fox and Illinois rivers southwest of Chicago, as a beacon for proactive measures in the 21st century climate. There, frequently flooded neighborhoods were turned into green spaces and city parks. So this week, as the Illinois swelled to major flood stage, the flooded areas are playgrounds and open space, not houses and a school.
But flood designation or not, homeowners and renters often have to advocate for themselves.
In west suburban Lyons, Maria Quintero had to be rescued from her flooded townhome by boat. Quintero, who moved in only a few weeks ago, said she did not have renters or flood insurance. Her kitchen table is likely ruined, and the drywall and carpeting in her place are damaged. As the water began to rise, Quintero was able to save her grandmother’s antique clock and a cherished photograph of her.
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Quintero and her two children are now staying with family, considering next steps.
“They’re going to fix it,” Quintero said, referring to her landlord. “But it’s gonna happen again, I know it.”
More floods, fewer insured
While flood-causing rains are becoming more frequent, the number of property owners who have flood insurance in Illinois has fallen.
For most of his 30-year career, Osman said there were about 50,000 flood insurance policies in Illinois. Now, that number has dropped to about 38,000. Osman said he is stumped by the reason for the drop, but he suspects it may be a combination of elderly homeowners in floodplains who have paid off their mortgage and did not continue to pay for the protection after their requirement expired, and lower-income owners who cannot afford policies and have slipped past the eyes of lenders and regulators.
At the same time, the price of flood insurance premiums has doubled in recent years, due in part to increased flooding and the National Flood Insurance Program receiving more and more claims, without money to fund them, Osman said.
Despite all of the flooding across Illinois in recent years, including widespread disaster areas as a result of Mississippi and Illinois river flooding in 2019, Illinois remains what Osman calls a “donor” state for other states across the nation, essentially paying the claims of states that have flooded even more frequently, such as the Gulf Coast areas of Texas and Louisiana.
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As for maps, they are constantly changing. The map updating process is the result of a byzantine system involving studies and reviews through a FEMA process that involves a buffet of state and regional entities. It can take years for sections of maps to be updated using new rainfall data, fresh imagery and new information about an area.
Engineers and planners rely on the maps to better understand and assess the flood risks in communities. But property owners are often wary that remapping will place their home or business within a floodplain for the first time, requiring them to buy flood insurance they may not be able to afford.
“It’s a very slow ship to turn when it comes to mapping,” said Joanna Colletti, water resources manager with the McHenry County department of planning and development. Remapping, Colletti said, “can be pretty political.”
Some maps used as the basis for floodplains, floodplain development and flood insurance requirements in McHenry County, for instance, are 40 years old.
“A lot of them are accessible,” Coletti said. “Many of them are not.”
Others have been updated recently, either at the request of property owners or the government.
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As the maps change with better technology, the fact that the area is receiving more rain more often means more property owners may be at risk for flooding than in the past. It may no longer be sufficient to clear out riverfront areas, even if residents are willing to leave.
And the decision to move on in the face of more frequent flooding is far from easy.
“If I was smart, I would just say goodbye," said Eck, one of the Des Plaines residents. "Take my loss and go to Wisconsin or someplace. But I’m not moving by a river. I’ll live by a lake if I can afford it. A lake don’t go up like this.
“My cousin took the FEMA buyout," Eck said. "Seeing as he was 10 years older than me, he couldn’t fight it anymore.”


chicagotribune--2020-05-22--Daywatch: Chicago restaurants won’t reopen soon, sex workers struggle during shutdown and when will

Daywatch: Chicago restaurants won’t reopen soon, sex workers struggle during shutdown and when will the beaches open?

It ’ s almost beach season along Lake Michigan , a saving grace of cities known for polar vortexes and @ @ @ @ @ this summer , the shoreline will look a little different .
In Chicago , Memorial @ @ @ @ @ of the city ’ s beaches along 26 miles of lakefront .
This year , @ @ @ @ @ more monotony because the beaches are closed .

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Illinois officials on Thursday announced 2,268 new known cases of the coronavirus and 87 additional deaths, bringing the statewide case total to 102,686 known cases and the death toll to 4,607 since the pandemic began
In the U.S., there have been more than 1.57 million infections confirmed and over 94,000 deaths recorded, according to Johns Hopkins University
Around the world, more than 5.1 million people have been infected and over 333,000 people have died
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Dave Nalezny looks out at the patio of his restaurant Park & Field in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood on May 21, 2020. He hopes restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic will be loosened and he will to be able to open the patio for business during the crucial summer months. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
In a blow to Chicago restaurateurs and residents eager for a meal on their favorite patio, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday that city restaurants won’t be ready to reopen to outdoor dining by May 29 but said she hopes they will in June.
Lightfoot made the comments after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker opened the door to potentially lift the restriction on sit-down dining next week. While “heartened” by Pritzker’s comments, Lightfoot said she wants a more robust plan to make sure Chicago restaurants can reopen safely.
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Preckwinkle ‘profoundly disappointed’ after Cook County Board OKs sharing COVID-19-positive addresses with first responders
The Illinois House of Representatives conducts their spring legislative session on May 21, 2020, at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield, Ill., instead of in their chamber in the Illinois Capitol building because it affords more space for legislators to practice social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Ted Schurter/AP)
Illinois lawmakers face a hectic final scheduled day of their special pandemic session on Friday, which will include dealing with a budget for the year starting July 1 that will be heavily dependent upon federal aid to fill in the blanks left by a severe drop in tax receipts.
Sex worker E.B. Cotenord in Evanston on May 12, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
While COVID-19 has pummeled most industries, few have been battered as thoroughly as sex-related businesses. Strip clubs have shuttered, dominatrix dungeons have closed and even street prostitution has gone quiet.
Peg Pedersen visits her son, Craig, outside the group home for adults with developmental disabilities in Villa Park where he lives on May 16, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
While much of the attention related to COVID-19’s impact on vulnerable populations has focused on deaths at nursing homes, infection rates are remarkably high in another kind of residential setting: state-operated centers for adults with cognitive or behavioral disabilities.
Amy Ortega, left, enjoys the beach with sons Ben, 8, and Harvey, 6, at the Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton, Indiana, on May 15, 2020. They made a special trip from Chicago to spend a day on Lake Michigan. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
It’s almost beach season along Lake Michigan, a saving grace of cities known for polar vortexes and frost in May, but this summer, the shoreline will look a little different. In Chicago, Memorial Day usually signals the opening of the city’s beaches along 26 miles of lakefront. This year, the week may only bring more monotony because the beaches are closed.