chicagotribune--2020-10-23--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Oct. 22 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

“ It is very serious right now , folks , and if we need to close down restaurants and bars @ @ @ @ @ liquor licenses , take away their gaming licenses , we will do that , ” @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus briefing at the St. Clair County Health Department in Belleville .
“ Because we @ @ @ @ @ peak that is beyond , potentially , where we were in March and April .
@

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CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois continues to experience a resurgence of the coronavirus, with the state now averaging more than 4,000 positive diagnoses a day over the past week and a record high number of newly confirmed daily cases announced Thursday.
Thursday’s case count of 4,942 tops the previous record of 4,554 new cases set six days earlier and comes as new restrictions, including a renewed prohibition on indoor dining and bar service, take effect over the next two days in southern Illinois and a wide swath of suburban Chicago.
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There have now been 360,159 known cases of COVID-19 across Illinois since the pandemic began. With 44 additional fatalities announced Thursday, the statewide death toll stood at 9,387.
After rising for 11 straight days, the statewide positivity rate on coronavirus screenings was 5.7% on a seven-day average as of Wednesday, unchanged from a day earlier.
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A day before, Illinois recorded its highest daily coronavirus-related death toll since June, as the state continues to see increases in metrics on deaths, daily cases and test positivity rate.
Meanwhile, days after threatening to roll back restrictions on Chicago businesses if COVID-19 cases continue to spike, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot followed through Thursday by imposing a 10:00 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses.
In addition, the city will again prohibit indoor service at traditional taverns and brewery taprooms without food licenses, and asked residents to cap any social gatherings at six people, she said.
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8:15 p.m.: Hours after Lightfoot announces new COVID-19 restrictions, Birx warns during Chicago visit that closing public spaces won’t be enough
Just hours after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced new restrictions on businesses in response to rising COVID-19 cases, White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx cautioned that closing public spaces won’t be enough to stop the illness’s spread.
BIrx said it’s possible some of the recent spread is happening in people’s homes, during family gatherings, as the weather gets colder. She spoke at a news conference following a private meeting with leaders from Rush University System for Health, Northwestern Medicine and the Illinois and Chicago departments of public health at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Thursday.
“It won’t be as simple as closing public spaces because public spaces … were very safe over the summer and probably remain safe,” Birx said. “This is really something that has happened in the last three to four weeks. What has happened in the last three to four weeks is that people have moved their social gatherings indoors.”
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
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7 p.m.: Judge assigned to Cook County’s largest criminal courthouse tests positive for COVID-19
A judge assigned to Cook County’s largest criminal courthouse has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a memo Thursday from Chief Judge Timothy Evans.
In addition, two more youths in the county’s juvenile detention center have tested positive, for a total of 36.
Thursday’s announcement marked the first case of a Leighton Criminal Court Building judge testing positive, though judges assigned elsewhere have previously been diagnosed.
That building, where thousands of felony cases are heard daily, cautiously reopened to in-person court hearings over the summer, though jury trials have not yet resumed.
—Megan Crepeau
6:20 p.m.: Decision time is here for some CPS parents: remote learning or in-person classes?
The first wave of Chicago Public Schools families whose children are eligible to return to schools have until next Wednesday to decide if they will.
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If they choose to continue remote learning, that could affect their options later on, according to a letter addressed to CPS families enrolled in prekindergarten or special education cluster programs.
The letter indicates that families who choose to continue remote learning in the second quarter will receive slots for the third quarter “if space is available.”
CPS, though, said all students will have an in-person option for the third quarter if schools are open.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
5:30 p.m.: Pritzker threatens to pull licenses of businesses that flout restrictions
After months of imploring residents to follow the state’s rules, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday issued his strongest warning yet to restaurants and bars that flout restrictions aimed at slowing the resurgent coronavirus by threatening to pull their liquor and gambling licenses.
The warning came as more regions of the state come under stricter rules, including a prohibition on indoor bar and restaurant service, and the percentage coronavirus tests returning positive results continues to rise. State health officials on Thursday announced a record high 4,942 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the daily average above 4,000 cases over the past week.
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“It is very serious right now, folks, and if we need to close down restaurants and bars, or take away their liquor licenses, take away their gaming licenses, we will do that,” Pritzker said during his daily coronavirus briefing at the St. Clair County Health Department in Belleville. “Because we are now heading into a peak that is beyond, potentially, where we were in March and April.”
Pritzker said the Illinois State Police will issue warnings and citations to businesses that don’t adhere to the rules, and the state will use its authority over liquor and gambling licenses if necessary.
“I think you know I’ve been reluctant to do this before because it has a very serious implication for the future of a business,” Pritzker said. “I want businesses to stay in business. I want them to survive.”
Read more here. —Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
4:20 p.m.: FDA approves first drug to treat COVID-19: the antiviral remdesivir
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat COVID-19: remdesivir, an antiviral medicine given through an IV for patients needing hospitalization.
The drug, which California-based Gilead Sciences Inc. is calling Veklury, cut the time to recovery by five days — from 15 days to 10 on average — in a large study led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
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It had been authorized for use on an emergency basis since spring, and now has become the first drug to win full U.S. approval for treating COVID-19.
Gilead says Veklury is approved for people at least 12 years old and weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kilograms) who need hospitalization for their coronavirus infection. It works by inhibiting a substance the virus uses to make copies of itself.
Read more here. —Associated Press
3:50 p.m.: Will drive-thru COVID-19 testing survive the Chicago winter?
Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get much worse, here’s a new question to ponder: Will drive-thru COVID-19 testing still be offered when snow and arctic temperatures hit Chicago?
In short, the answer is yes and no.
Some health systems, such as Advocate Aurora Health, plan to move COVID-19 testing in Illinois fully indoors for the winter. Others, such as Amita Health hospitals, Walgreens, CVS Health and NorthShore University HealthSystem, expect to keep testing people in their cars, even as Chicagoans pull out their parkas and ice scrapers.
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One of the main purposes of drive-thru COVID-19 testing is to keep people who may have the illness isolated from others.
“We’re going to be like the U.S. Postal Service,” said Robert Dahl, president and CEO of Amita Health Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Chicago.
Patients can crank up the heat in their cars, but the trickier part will be making sure that those administering the tests stay warm.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
3:45 p.m.: Gene & Georgetti evicted from Rosemont location over COVID-19-caused rent and tax debts
Gene & Georgetti, which has operated a restaurant and banquet hall in Rosemont for five years, is being evicted from that location. Its last day of dinner service will be Oct. 31.
The original Gene & Georgetti location in River North is not affected by the eviction.
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Landlord disputes and closings are nothing new during the coronavirus pandemic. An odd twist is that, in this case, the landlord is the village of Rosemont.
“We tried to work something out, stay open through New Year’s Eve at least, to keep our people employed through the year,” said owner Michelle Durpetti.
Durpetti acknowledged that an upcoming property tax bill (about $120,000, she said), and three months' of deferred rent, now due, put the restaurant in a bind. But the village wouldn’t meet with her, Durpetti said.
“We knew all along this was looming,” she said. “We offered to have a discussion, and we weren’t granted the opportunity to do so. And a conversation is the key to working things out.”
Read more here. —Phil Vettel
3:25 p.m.: Indiana reports daily high of 2,880 new COVID-19 cases
Indiana reported a new daily high of nearly 3,000 new coronavirus infections on Thursday as state health officials added 42 more COVID-19 deaths to the state’s pandemic toll.
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The 2,880 new infections reported by the Indiana State Department of Health topped the 2,521 new infections the agency reported Saturday that had been Indiana’s daily high of newly reported cases.
The department’s daily update of its coronavirus dashboard also showed that Indiana’s seven-day rolling average for newly confirmed cases rose to 2,019. That is the highest level the state has seen during the pandemic and well over double the seven-day rolling average of 858 newly confirmed cases the agency reported a month ago, on Sept. 22.
Indiana’s 42 newly recorded COVID-19 deaths raised the state’s pandemic death toll to 4,065, including confirmed and presumed coronavirus infections, according to the health department. Those deaths occurred over several days, but 33 of them occurred Tuesday and Wednesday.
Read more here. —Associated Press
2:05 p.m.: Days into hybrid plan, Barrington schools reverse to remote learning due to rising COVID-19 cases in community
After only two days of hybrid learning that saw students on campuses for in-person instruction, Barrington School District 220 Superintendent Brian Harris announced Tuesday that the district will turn back to all-remote learning in response to rising COVID-19 cases in the communities the district serves.
Harris made the announcement during the school board meeting and said the switch back would be effective Oct. 28. Students had been welcomed on campus Tuesday for the first day of combination in-person and remote learning – after being all-remote since the new school year started.
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“We would take this pause for 10 calendar days,” Harris told board members, who met in person Barrington Middle School- Station campus.
Read more here. —Graydon Megan
1:31 p.m.: Illinois averaging 4,000 coronavirus cases per day over past week as latest daily count approaches 5,000
Illinois continues to experience a resurgence of the coronavirus, with the state now averaging more than 4,000 positive diagnoses a day over the past week and a record high number of newly confirmed daily cases announced Thursday.
Thursday’s case count of 4,942 tops the previous record of 4,554 new cases set six days earlier and comes as new restrictions, including a renewed prohibition on indoor dining and bar service, take effect over the next two days in southern Illinois and a wide swath of suburban Chicago.
After rising for 11 straight days, the statewide positivity rate on coronavirus screenings was 5.7% on a seven-day average as of Wednesday, unchanged from a day earlier.
But positivity rates have continued rising in many of the regions laid out in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan. The nine county region in the northwest corner of Illinois, which has been under stricter rules since Oct. 3, has seen its seven-day rolling positivity rate rise to 11.9% as of Monday.
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Read more here. —Dan Petrella
12:55 p.m.: Lightfoot imposes 10:00 p.m. curfew on city bars, restaurants and nonessential businesses
Days after threatening to roll back restrictions on Chicago businesses if COVID-19 cases continue to spike, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot followed through Thursday by imposing a 10:00 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses.
In addition, the city will again prohibit indoor service at traditional taverns and brewery taprooms without food licenses, and asked residents to cap any social gatherings at six people, she said.
The new restrictions follow a news conference earlier this week where Lightfoot sounded an alarm about the dramatic increase in the number of coronavirus cases since the start of October and threatened the stricter guidelines on businesses.
Chicago’s seven-day average of new cases has hit 645, up dramatically from where the city was at the start of the month and even from the weekend. On Saturday, for instance, Chicago’s seven-day rolling average was 508 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases per day.
“We are no doubt whatsoever in the second surge,” Lightfoot said. “This is what it looks like.”
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Read more here. —Greg Pratt, John Bryne, Dan Petrella
12:06 p.m.: 4,942 new known COVID-19 cases and 44 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Thursday announced 4,942 new known cases of COVID-19 and 44 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 360,159 and the statewide death toll to 9,387 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 80,977 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 5.7%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
9:20 a.m.: Brookfield Zoo to close for two months after holiday lights show
Brookfield Zoo is planning a coronavirus-related hibernation. The zoo announced Wednesday that after its Holiday Magic seasonal lights show ends Dec. 31, it will shut down for two months out of caution amidst a COVID-19 pandemic with increasing infection rates.
The Jan. 1 through Feb. 28, 2021 closure also coincides with what are traditionally the least trafficked months at the zoo.
The traditional Holiday Magic show will present its 39th edition for 24 nights from Nov. 27 through Dec. 31, but with State of Illinois Phase 4 guidelines, which mean no buildings will be open and guest count will be limited. Ticket reservations are timed-entry.
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The coming closure will be similar to the first one during the pandemic, which ran from March 19 to June 30 and continued, of course, to provide animal care.
Read more here. —Steve Johnson
7 a.m.: Southern Illinois goes back under COVID-19 restrictions
Southern Illinois goes back under more stringent coronavirus restrictions Thursday, joining the northwest part of the state, after hitting an area-wide positivity rate of 8% as COVID-19 cases surge across the state and country.
When regions reach a positivity rate of 8% or higher for three consecutive days, Pritzker’s administration has ordered indoor dining and bar service shuttered, and gathering limits set at 25, down from 50 in the state’s reopening plan.
Kane, DuPage, Will and Kankakee counties will also go under restrictions starting Friday.
— Chicago Tribune staff
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6 a.m.: Some restaurants in Illinois are defying closure orders as ban on indoor service spreads to Chicago suburbs
Despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recent order to shut down indoor service at bars and restaurants in northwest Illinois due to the coronavirus, Fozzy’s Bar and Grill near Rockford was among those that stayed open.
Owner Nick Fosberg said he had to leave the doors open to keep his employees working, pay his bills and stay in business. He says the workers wear masks, and customers wear masks on their way in and out, while tables are spaced 6 feet apart, at 25% capacity.
“We’re sticking to what we were doing and being safe about it,” he said. “We’re getting a ton of support. People are happy someone finally stood up and said, ‘I’m not closing.’”
The Oct. 3 closure order covering the northwest region of Illinois has the same restrictions coming Friday to DuPage, Kane, Kankakee and Will counties. Four regions of the state have exceeded 8% rate for positive COVID tests, which is one of the state-imposed thresholds for such restrictions, and the rest are trending in that direction.
Now other restaurant owners are declaring they, too, will stay open. The Facebook page of Lockport Stagecoach in Will County, a western-style saloon, states that it will remain open for indoor dining and stand by more than 30 employees who depend on the restaurant for their livelihoods.
“We are NOT trying to be rebellious or are anti-masks, anti-people’s health or any of the other nonsense,” the post stated. “This is a decision out of survival.”
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Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
6 a.m.: Chicago has a goal of preschool for every child. Will COVID-19 set that effort back?
When the coronavirus hit Chicago, the city was approaching the halfway point of its four-year rollout of universal prekindergarten.
By the 2021-22 school year, if all went according to plan, every 4-year-old could have a spot in a free full-day, pre-K program. As classrooms were phased in, the plan sought to prioritize communities with the greatest need for full-day options.
Policy changes leading up to the universal pre-K rollout seemed to be paying off, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at the University of Chicago and Start Early, the early childhood education nonprofit formerly known as Ounce of Prevention. Once dominated by white children from higher income families, full-day pre-K enrollment tripled among Black students and students living in Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods during the six years studied.
But before the study was even published, schools had to close. After a spring of remote learning struggles and a summer defined by the pandemic, some parents held off on having their children start school for the first time, and CPS has seen a huge drop this fall in pre-K enrollment, particularly among Black children.
Chicago Public Schools leaders acknowledge that COVID-19′s disproportionate impact on Black and Latino communities is threatening their progress — a reality district leaders are citing to support arguments for bringing the youngest students, along with children in some special education groups, back to more than 400 schools next quarter.
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Read more here. —Hannah Leone
6 a.m.: 7,500 children get free winter coats in COVID-19-adjusted CHA event: ‘Every little thing counts for me’
For Louis Johnson, 51, this week’s gift of a new pink winter coat for his 5-year-old daughter, Laniyah, came at just the right time.
With Chicago’s winter nearing, Johnson had known Laniyah needed a new coat after outgrowing her old one, he said. But in the economic fallout of COVID-19, funds were hard to come by, complicating the situation.
“Every penny counts now,” Johnson said Wednesday in a phone interview after picking up the new coat, adding that Laniyah would have “a big smile” on her face upon seeing it.
Laniyah was one of about 7,500 children in Chicago public housing or discounted, rented housing who will be given a free winter coat this week at the Credit Union 1 Arena on the city’s Near West Side. The giveaway is part of the Chicago Housing Authority’s partnership with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that distributes new coats to children in need.
Though this week marks the CHA’s 13th year distributing the coats, the COVID-19 pandemic required significant adjustments. Rather than being held over four hours in one day, as it was in previous years, the coat distribution spans four consecutive days, starting Wednesday. The 3,000 families who signed up had to preregister, and one person per family signed up for a specific time to pick up the coats.
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Read more here. —Kelli Smith
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Wednesday related to COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-10-22--Man driving 75 mph in 30-mph zone pleads guilty to aggravated DUI in crash that killed 2 Elgin resid

Man driving 75 mph in 30-mph zone pleads guilty to aggravated DUI in crash that killed 2 Elgin residents

Omar Zavala , 30 , a passenger in the Nissan , was pronounced dead at the scene , the release @ @ @ @ @ , 26-year-old Norieli Villagomez , was ejected from the vehicle and died a few hours @ @ @ @ @ .
Both were Elgin residents .

Adrian Velasco, of Glendale Heights, has pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated DUI in connection with a March 2019 accident in Elgin in which two Elgin residents were killed. (Kane County Sheriffs Office / HANDOUT)
A Glendale Heights man who was driving 75 mph in a 30-mph zone when he plowed into a stopped car in Elgin, killing two people, pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of aggravated DUI, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
Adrian Velasco, 23, of the 500 block of Gregory Avenue, could be sentenced to six to 28 years in prison for his role in the March 19, 2019, crash on Summit Street at Dundee Avenue, a state’s attorney’s office news release said.
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Velasco was headed west on Summit about 1:40 a.m. when he drove his 2012 Honda into a 2018 Nissan that was waiting to turn onto Summit from a gas station exit, prosecutors said.
Omar Zavala, 30, a passenger in the Nissan, was pronounced dead at the scene, the release said. The Nissan driver, 26-year-old Norieli Villagomez, was ejected from the vehicle and died a few hours later at a local hospital. Both were Elgin residents.
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A passenger in Velasco’s vehicle also sustained serious injuries.
Velasco’s blood-alcohol concentration was .271, and his passenger told police that Velasco had been drinking Everclear grain alcohol and beer, had been “driving all crazy” and was “too drunk to drive,” the release said.
“Police reported that Velasco had open alcohol in the car, appeared to be in a stupor, fell asleep while being transported to the hospital and vomited at the hospital,” the release said.
Velasco, who’s been held in the Kane County jail since his arrest in lieu of $500,000 bail, could be sentenced at his next scheduled court appearance on Dec. 11.


chicagotribune--2020-10-22--‘Suspect in custody’ in killings of Stacey Jones and her baby, week after someone was first question

‘Suspect in custody’ in killings of Stacey Jones and her baby, week after someone was first questioned

Chicago police last week said a person of interest had been questioned and released in Jones ’ Oct. 13 slaying @ @ @ @ @ Thursday would not say whether the person who turned himself in to police early Thursday @ @ @ @ @ was the same person questioned last week , police spokesman Tom Ahern tweeted that detectives @ @ @ @ @ custody ” late Thursday morning in connection with Jones and the baby ’ s killings @

Hours after a man was questioned and released in connection with the killing of Stacey Jones and the infant delivered after she was fatally shot, a suspect was in custody and detectives were seeking charges in the deaths, according to a police spokesman.
Chicago police last week said a person of interest had been questioned and released in Jones’ Oct. 13 slaying. After a police spokeswoman Thursday would not say whether the person who turned himself in to police early Thursday and then was later released was the same person questioned last week, police spokesman Tom Ahern tweeted that detectives “have a suspect in custody” late Thursday morning in connection with Jones and the baby’s killings.
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“Detectives are working with the Cook County States Attorney’s Office to secure charges,” Ahern said in a tweet.
Area 2 Detectives currently have a suspect in custody in the connection to the fatal shooting of a 35-year-old female and the subsequent death of her 4-day-old child.
Detectives are working with the Cook County States Attorney’s Office to secure charges. #ChicagoPolice — Tom Ahern (@TomAhernCPD) October 22, 2020
On Saturday, “Baby boy Harrison,” whose address was given as the same as that of Jones, in the 2100 block of East 95th Place in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood, died Saturday at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
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Jones, 35, a Cook County probation officer, was shot standing just outside her home. Her father, Tommy Baker, said Jones had a concealed carry license and a weapon in her pocket when she was shot. She didn’t have a chance to use it, he said, because “the coward shot her in the back.”
Doctors were able to deliver her baby, who remained in critical condition until his death. A Chicago police source said the child had not been struck by gunfire.
The medical examiner’s office performed an autopsy on the infant and determined his cause of death was a lack of oxygen restricting blood flow to the brain. The infant’s death was ruled a homicide. Police said the child’s death resulted from Jones' shooting death.
Jones moved to Chicago about two years ago to put to work her criminal justice degree from Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, by accepting a position as a probation officer, her father said.
Jones’ two other children, 7 and 11, were sleeping inside at the time of the shooting and were not harmed.


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Billionaire Ken Griffin, in battle with Gov. J.B. Pritzker over graduated-rate income tax amendment,

Billionaire Ken Griffin, in battle with Gov. J.B. Pritzker over graduated-rate income tax amendment, ups his stake to $53.75 million to oppose it

Griffin , the founder and CEO of Citadel , a Chicago-based hedge fund and investment firm , has now given @ @ @ @ @ Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike group , which is opposed to Pritzker ’ @ @ @ @ @ a proposed state constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot to move Illinois from a @ @ @ @ @ graduated-rate income tax that increases the levy along with income .

Ken Griffin, in a billionaire battle with Gov. J.B. Pritzker over the governor’s effort to switch Illinois to a graduated-rate income tax system, pumped another $7 million of his wealth to oppose it, state campaign finance reports showed Friday.
Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel, a Chicago-based hedge fund and investment firm, has now given $53.75 million to the Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike group, which is opposed to Pritzker’s signature agenda item — a proposed state constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot to move Illinois from a flat-rate income tax to a graduated-rate income tax that increases the levy along with income.
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Griffin and Pritzker are the main funders for the anti- and pro-amendment forces, respectively, using their wealth to help drive a flurry of expensive TV advertising.
Griffin, regarded as Illinois' wealthiest person, is worth $15 billion, according to Forbes. Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, is worth $3.4 billion, according to Forbes. Pritzker has put $56.5 million into the Vote Yes for Fairness group backing the proposed amendment.
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Griffin’s donation, which the group received Wednesday but wasn’t reported until Friday, came as he launched a personal attack on Pritzker and Democrats. He called Pritzker “a shameless master of personal tax avoidance” in an email to his Chicago employees on Thursday.
Pritzker and supporters of the amendment contended Griffin was attempting payback for the defeat of one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Griffin gave $20 million to Rauner’s failed bid for reelection at the hands of Pritzker in 2018.
Voters will decide the fate of the proposed constitutional amendment. Supporters contend that a graduated-rate scale approved if the amendment is ratified will result in 97% of Illinoisans, those making $250,000 or less, paying at least the same if not less in income taxes.
Opponents contend the shift will make it easier for lawmakers to cherry pick higher income groups for future tax hikes, jeopardizing business and job creation.
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Quentin Fulks, who chairs the Pritzker-funded Vote Yes for Fairness group, contended Griffin has now paid $8 million more to fund the opposition than the $45 million more in taxes he would have paid last year if the amendment was adopted by voters.
“It’s clear that Griffin and other wealthy Illinoisans are getting increasingly desperate that the days of paying the same tax rate as a nurse or a grocery store clerk are numbered, but no amount of money can hide the fact that Griffin is spending millions to deny 97% of Illinoisans a tax cut,” Fulks said.
The anti-amendment Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike group now has raised nearly $58.2 million, with Griffin the major donor. The group also reported receiving an additional $1 million from a trust formed by real estate tycoon Sam Zell, bringing his total to the group to $1.1 million.
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Zell is a real estate magnate and chairman of Equity Group Investments. Like Griffin, he was a major ally of Rauner.
Zell led a heavily leveraged buyout of then-Chicago Tribune parent company Tribune Co. in 2007. Tribune Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2008.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated how much Pritzker has given the Vote Yes for Fairness group backing the proposed tax amendment. He has contributed $56.5 million.
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chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Illinois Supreme Court contest shatters money record as Speaker Madigan’s shadow hangs over high-sta

Illinois Supreme Court contest shatters money record as Speaker Madigan’s shadow hangs over high-stakes campaign

One scenario Republicans are mulling is that the six justices ― three from each party ― would deadlock on a @ @ @ @ @ the court evenly balanced .
That could come in handy if a politically charged issue @ @ @ @ @ boundaries , comes before the high court during the next two years .
The final @ @ @ @ @ of taking control of the court would be to win the Kilbride seat outright against @ @ @ @ @ .

Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride’s bid to retain his seat this fall has emerged as a high-stakes, record-setting expensive campaign that Republicans are trying to make a referendum on embattled House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Billionaire conservatives, state GOP leaders and a dark money group are blanketing voters’ mailboxes with full-color attack ads that portray the justice as a Madigan puppet, citing the speaker’s large campaign contributions to Kilbride’s election efforts dating back to 2000.
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One mailer describes the justice as “Mike Madigan’s captain on the Illinois Supreme Court” and depicts the speaker wearing a baseball shirt that says “coach” with a whistle around his neck. Another features the two as tuxedo-clad James Bond-style secret agents, with Kilbride holding a bag festooned with a dollar sign representing Madigan’s money. There’s even a four-page faux newspaper that attempts to taint Kilbride with 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke’s corruption scandal.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride appears at the opening of the new Will County Courthouse in Joliet on Oct. 9, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
It’s not a good time to be tied to Madigan, whose political and government operation is under intense federal scrutiny as part of an investigation that’s already resulted in ComEd admitting it sought to influence legislation by giving Madigan allies jobs and contracts.
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Kilbride, a 67-year-old onetime labor lawyer from Rock Island, said the millions of dollars in campaign funds he received from the Madigan-controlled Illinois Democratic Party have played no role in his past judicial rulings.
“Just a bunch of crap,” said Kilbride, who dismissed the Republican-backed hit pieces as out-of-order “mudslinging.”
In an interview, Kilbride said he wants voters to judge him “thoughtfully and fairly” and not based on negative flyers with “misrepresentations of the truth.”
The outcome of the contest is critical to both parties: Democrats want Kilbride to succeed in his retention effort so they can preserve a 4-3 majority on the high court. Republicans see defeating Kilbride as their best hope to eventually try to be in charge of the state’s high court for the first time in more than half a century and break the Democrats’ grip on all three branches of state government.
An attack ad mailer depicts Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride with House Speaker Michael Madigan wearing a baseball shirt that says “coach” with a whistle around his neck. (Citizens for Judicial Fairness campaign)
An attack ad mailer depicts Democratic Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride with House Speaker Michael Madigan as James Bond-style secret agents. (Citizens for Judicial Fairness campaign)
Kilbride needs the approval of 60% voters to win retention to a third 10-year term. No opponent runs in a retention contest.
While the 3rd Judicial District contest has statewide implications, it will be decided by voters in 21 counties that stretch from Will and Kankakee to Peoria and Rock Island. It’s a swath of Illinois that backed Republican Donald Trump in 2016 and favored then-Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018.
“It won’t be easy, but it’s a district that, if Republicans got out and voted ‘no’ against Kilbride, against his retention, I think we could knock him out of the box,” said former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, a Peoria Republican who served as Democratic President Barack Obama’s transportation secretary.
On the ground, Republicans are pitching the Kilbride race as a chance to vote against Madigan, who at election time answers only to voters in his heavily Democratic Southwest Side House district every two years since 1970.
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James Nowlan, a former GOP lawmaker who chairs the anti-Kilbride committee Citizens for Judicial Fairness, asks political audiences in towns such as Carthage, Monmouth and Utica if they ever wished they could vote against Madigan.
“They almost come out of their chairs with applause," he said. “And I say, ‘This year you can (vote against Madigan). You can vote against Tom Kilbride.'”
The war continues
The Kilbride retention fight is a continuation of Madigan and Democratic special interests battling wealthy Republicans who backed Rauner’s anti-union, pro-business agenda.
The biggest anti-Kilbride money has come from billionaire Citadel hedge fund owner Ken Griffin, who has given $4.5 million, including $2.5 million reported Thursday night; and packing materials mogul Richard Uihlein, who added $1 million, including $500,000 reported Friday night. Both were key Rauner donors, though Uihlein later broke with the governor.
Griffin and Uihlein also oppose Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s push for a graduated-rate income tax amendment — another political crosswind that Kilbride foes think will bring out voters who will oppose both the amendment and the justice.
A $200,000 donation from a dark-money group called the Judicial Fairness Project gave the anti-Kilbride forces a jump-start. The group’s registered agent is attorney John Fogarty, the Chicago-based general counsel for the Illinois Republican Party. Fogarty declined to identify the donors.
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Paperwork filed with the secretary of state showed the group’s board of directors includes two members of the Republican state central committee and the former head of the Illinois Republican County Chairmen’s Association. Listed as the incorporator was Nick Klitzing, a former state GOP executive director.
Two years ago, Democrats decried Klitzing for the political dirty trick of impersonating a college newspaper reporter on a press phone call with Democratic congressional candidate Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. Klitzing could not be reached for comment on his anti-Kilbride efforts.
The Judicial Fairness Project does not fall under laws that require prompt disclosure of specific individuals who gave to the group, and the lack of transparency leads to public cynicism, said campaign finance expert Kent Redfield.
“It does nothing to build faith in judicial institutions and the public sense that the political system works in a fair way,” said Redfield, a professor emeritus based at the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride at the opening of the new Will County Courthouse in Joliet on Oct. 9, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Another $75,000 sent to Nowlan’s group comes from the Republican State Leadership Committee’s Illinois political action committee, which is affiliated with a Washington-based group that’s received contributions over the years from ADM, Boeing, FMC Corp. and Koch Industries.
In addition to the flood of flyers, anti-Kilbride forces aired a TV ad telling voters to “defeat Mike Madigan’s favorite judge.”
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Kilbride recently countered with an ad in which he looks into the camera and says he has been “attacked harshly, repeatedly and falsely. I’m here to tell you flat out: These attacks are lies and distortions.”
A narrator then says Kilbride is under attack by out-of-state dark money because he refuses to let greedy corporations and predatory insurance companies own our courts."
Madigan’s help
Madigan doubles as state Democratic chairman, and one of his most farsighted successes was pouring nearly $700,000 in state Democratic Party funds late in a 2000 race to help Kilbride defeat a Republican opponent and flip the seat to the Democratic column.
Ten years later, Kilbride was up for retention and Madigan infused nearly $1.5 million in Democratic Party funds into the justice’s campaign. Kilbride received under 66% of the vote, a low enough level of support that anti-Kilbride forces believe he is vulnerable now.
On Tuesday, Madigan poured $550,000 into Kilbride’s retention, putting his total support to Kilbride over the years to $2.6 million in party funds alone.
That contribution came after Kilbride had indicated he wouldn’t take Madigan’s money. “We’re not going to accept one penny — and I say this respectfully — (from) Speaker Madigan or any of his entities,” Kilbride said on Oct. 2, WBEZ reported.
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Asked by the Tribune before the latest contribution if he anticipated support from Madigan or the Democratic Party, Kilbride said, “As far as I’m concerned, we’re not coordinating.”
Kilbride said he would make himself available for follow-up questions, but he did not on Wednesday. Instead, a spokesman issued a statement to questions about Madigan’s contribution.
“To further maintain his impartiality, (Kilbride) has no role in fundraising — all such decisions are made by his treasurer — and no knowledge of the donors to his retention committee nor of those to the opposition committee,” spokesman Ryan McLaughlin said. “Justice Kilbride is proud to have support from Republicans, Democrats and Independents, and to have been endorsed by a bipartisan group of law enforcement leaders and police officers from across the district.”
One factor that’s different this time around for Kilbride is that Madigan has been under a harsh spotlight since federal prosecutors implicated him over the summer in the ComEd jobs-for-favors bribery scandal. The power company admitted it sought to influence legislation by giving Madigan allies jobs and contracts. Madigan repeatedly has denied wrongdoing.
Kilbride also has received millions of dollars from the speaker’s allies in big labor, teacher unions and the trial lawyer community. A growing number of groups have made six-figure contributions after Kilbride lent his campaign $110,000 on Sept. 11, a move that removed campaign contribution limits in the contest.
Of the first eight law firms that gave Kilbride $100,000, seven of them previously gave to Madigan-controlled funds. To date, Kilbride has received more than $300,000 from the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association, two of at least seven major unions that have given Kilbride $100,000 or more for his current retention bid.
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All told, the pro- and anti-Kilbride sides have put in nearly $10.7 million through Friday night. That’s a new contributions record for a state Supreme Court contest in Illinois, breaking the previous high-water mark of $9.38 million in 2004.
“It’s a stunning amount,” said Redfield, the campaign finance expert.
The issues
The makeup of the state Supreme Court is crucial because justices rule on everything from the constitutionality of laws to legislative maps that help decide who controls the General Assembly.
Nowlan, who chairs the anti-Kilbride political committee, is particularly miffed that Kilbride authored a 2016 decision that threw out a proposed amendment that attempted to neutralize the politics when legislative district boundaries are redrawn once a decade.
“I really think he sold his soul to the devil with that opinion,” Nowlan said.
Madigan was opposed to taking away mapmaking from politicians, and Kilbride’s 4-3 Democratic majority opinion drew a searing dissent from then-Republican Justice Robert Thomas, who wrote: “The Illinois Constitution is meant to prevent tyranny, not to enshrine it.”
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Even so, Thomas has endorsed his Democratic colleague for retention, calling Kilbride a “conscientious jurist.” Despite their differences, Thomas said he “never saw” Kilbride make judgments based on Madigan’s influence or on Democratic politics.
In attack brochures, the anti-Kilbride forces also hammered the justice for joining a 4-3 bipartisan opinion that allowed an Illinois Federation of Teachers lobbyist — a former Madigan staffer ― to get a taxpayer-supported teachers pension after substitute teaching at a grade school for only one day.
The lobbyist now gets nearly $80,000 a year from the teacher retirement system — plus almost $35,000 annually more from a separate state pension system for his time on the speaker’s staff.
In another pension case, Kilbride is taking heat for writing the 2015 opinion that a high-profile public retirement system overhaul was unconstitutional because it violated the standard that retiree benefits could not be reduced once they were put in place. Kilbride noted the court agreed unanimously and that Madigan, a chief proponent of the pension law, came out on the losing side.
Republican Ty Fahner, a former Illinois attorney general who fought to uphold the pension law, strongly disagreed with Kilbride’s opinion but still backs him for retention. “I found that (opinion) to be disappointing but certainly not partisan one way or the other,” Fahner said.
If Kilbride wins and serves another term, it would give him 30 years on the high court, a feat no one has achieved since full terms were set at 10 years in the 1960s. He would come close to the state’s longest-tenured justice, Thomas Browne, who served for 30 years and two months ending in 1848, according to historical court records.
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If Kilbride loses his retention bid, the court’s remaining six justices would seek to find an interim appointment until a replacement could be elected in two years.
One scenario Republicans are mulling is that the six justices ― three from each party ― would deadlock on a temporary Kilbride replacement and keep the court evenly balanced. That could come in handy if a politically charged issue, such as redrawing legislative boundaries, comes before the high court during the next two years. The final step in the Republican hope of taking control of the court would be to win the Kilbride seat outright against a Democratic opponent in 2022.
Besides the Kilbride race, there are two other state Supreme Court contests on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The Trump factor may play a role in the open-seat, 5th District race in far southern Illinois territory that has trended increasingly more Republican. The contest pitting Democratic Appellate Justice Judy Cates of Swansea and Republican Appellate Court Justice David Overstreet of Mount Vernon has grown contentious.
Cates even endorsed the idea that she and Overstreet should face off at a turkey shoot campaign event to show who is the better shot. Overstreet’s campaign chairman dismissed the idea, saying Cates was simply trying to woo conservative Democrats and Republicans in an area where hunting has great appeal.
In Cook County, appointed Democratic Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. is running unopposed for a full term to replace the late Justice Charles Freeman.
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rlong@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @RayLong


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Waukegan fires police officer who killed Black teen; FBI joins investigation into fatal shooting

“ I am confident in the work being done by the Illinois State Police and welcome the assistance of the @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As I have said before , once the investigation is concluded , all @ @ @ @ @ and a final decision will be made with respect to any potential charges .
Having @ @ @ @ @ many independent fresh eyes as possible is critical to this process .
”

Zharvellis Holmes, left, mother of Marcellis Stinnette, and his grandmother, Sherrellis Stinnette, center, listen as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, right, and others speak Oct. 28, 2020, outside the Illinois State Police headquarters in Des Plaines. They had viewed video of the shooting death Stinnette and the wounding of Tafara Williams by Waukegan police last week. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
A Waukegan police officer who shot and killed a 19-year-old Black man and wounded his girlfriend has been terminated from the department, police officials announced in a Friday night press release that came hours after Lake County’s chief prosecutor said the FBI would be joining the investigation into the incident.
In a brief press release, Police Chief Wayne Walles said the officer had been fired for “multiple policy and procedure violations” related to the death of Marcellis Stinnette and the wounding of Tafara Williams. The release did not offer further details, other than to say the decision had been made Friday night. Rumors of the impending termination had spread Friday evening, according to a community source who said a city official had called to share the news.
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The city has not yet released the officer’s identity, other than to describe him as being of Hispanic background. The officer had been employed with Waukegan for about five years, the city said.
That announcement followed one late Friday afternoon from Lake County State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim, who said that in the name of marshaling resources and adding “fresh eyes,” the FBI will review the fatal shooting. Nerheim announced that the Department of Justice, at Nerheim’s request, has agreed to become involved in the investigation into the into the death of Marcellis Stinnette.
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The 19-year-old Waukegan man was killed Tuesday night in a police shooting in which Stinnette’s girlfriend, Tafara Williams, was wounded.
Nerheim said he asked the FBI to participate, alongside the Illinois State Police, which had been first asked to review the shooting.
Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim. (Mark Kodiak Ukena / News-Sun )
“On Wednesday, Oct. 21, I contacted the U.S. Department of Justice to request they review the circumstances surrounding this incident. I have been advised that they have agreed to do so,” Nerheim said.
“I am confident in the work being done by the Illinois State Police and welcome the assistance of the FBI,” he said. “As I have said before, once the investigation is concluded, all the evidence will be reviewed and a final decision will be made with respect to any potential charges. Having all available resources and as many independent fresh eyes as possible is critical to this process.”
The statement did not give a time frame for when the investigation may be completed. On Wednesday, Nerheim said it could take “several weeks.”
“I continue to urge calm as we undertake this process and pledge complete transparency,” his statement said. “Once again our condolences continue to go out to the families and friends of Marcellis Stinnette and our prayers for a speedy recovery go out to the woman wounded in this unfortunate situation.”
Williams, who is expected to recover, underwent a second surgery, her mother, Clifftina Johnson, said at a Thursday rally and protest march in Waukegan.
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Several rally speakers called for federal intervention into the investigation. Among them was Lake County Black Lives Matter leader Clyde McLemore, who told attendees, “We don’t want the police investigating the police.”
Friday, he said it’s a start.
“It’s a first step – there’s been a lot of pain here,” McLemore said.
He said that he also would like a special prosecutor appointed, and would like to see more done to take on police brutality complaints in Lake County. Authorities should also release the identity of the police officer, McLemore said.
Chris “Brotha” Blanks, the leader of the Black Abolition Movement for the Mind community organization in Waukegan, said the news Friday seemed to represent progress.
“It’s good to get people with a sincere and genuine interest in progress,” he said. “If that’s what the Department of Justice is coming to do, that’s progress.”
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Handout photo of Marcellis Stinnette who was shot and killed by Waukegan police on October 20th. (Family photo)
Stinnette and Williams were shot around 11:55 p.m. Tuesday on the south side of Waukegan. According to the police, the couple, who are the parents of a child, were in a car that began backing toward a police officer and he opened fire because he was in fear for his life.
Family members, though, say Williams has said that she and Stinnette did not do anything to provoke the shooting. Police say no weapon was found in the couple’s car.
Williams remained in an area hospital Friday where she is recovering from gunshot wounds to the abdomen and arm, family members said. The officer who fired on their vehicle has been placed on leave. The department has not released his identity other than to say he is Hispanic and has been a Waukegan police officer for five years.
McLemore said that a second march is planned for Saturday, along with a Sunday prayer vigil to be followed by a press conference.


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Illinois hits another sad COVID-19 milestone — 5,000 deaths in long-term care — as cases rise

The region , which includes Chicago and its suburbs , was hit particularly hard in the spring , far worse @ @ @ @ @ state .
Its weekly rate of new long-term care cases now stands at 5.7 per @ @ @ @ @ ’ s general population , far lower than its peak of 40 cases per 100,000 @ @ @ @ @

Illinois long-term care facilities are experiencing their biggest jump in COVID-19 cases in months, as the state passed a tragic milestone: 5,000 deaths among residents.
In the past week, Illinois recorded more than 1,400 new COVID-19 infections among residents in nursing homes, assisted living centers and other large, congregate-care facilities, according to the weekly data released by the state.
That’s the highest one-week tally since early June. The weekly tally was also notably larger than the roughly 1,100 new cases seen the week prior, and the nearly 650 cases in the week before that.
Deaths of residents climbed too: another 131 in the past week. That followed tallies the past two weeks of 96 and 95 deaths, respectively, which already was much higher than the 55 deaths seen three weeks ago.
The latest spike put the death toll in long-term care facilities at 5,019, accounting for more than half of the total statewide toll of 9,418 COVID-19 fatalities, as of Friday.
The increase in cases at long-term care facilities comes as part of a broader surge that’s put half of Illinois' counties on a warning list for resurgence of the pandemic.
The thousands of deaths among residents have reignited complaints about government oversight of the industry, while also prompting industry leaders to remind the public that infections in wider communities often find their way into facilities with far more vulnerable people.
“We call on our neighbors and the community as a whole to do their part — wear masks, social distance, wash hands — because when coronavirus is in the community, it inevitably sneaks past our doorstep in spite of visitor restrictions, PPE, testing and ongoing vigilance,” Pat Comstock, with the trade group Health Care Council of Illinois, said in a statement.
While the statewide increase in long-term care cases is notable, the latest numbers show that trends in the Northeast region of the state continue to differ from those seen elsewhere in Illinois.
The region, which includes Chicago and its suburbs, was hit particularly hard in the spring, far worse than the rest of the state. Its weekly rate of new long-term care cases now stands at 5.7 per 100,000 people in the region’s general population, far lower than its peak of 40 cases per 100,000 people in early May.
Compare that with the state’s other regions. Each has new weekly rates above 20 long-term care cases per 100,000 residents of the region — nearly quadruple the Northeast’s current rate and the highest rates any of those regions has ever seen, including in the spring.
The trends reflect the pandemic’s movement from major population hubs into more rural areas that’s been documented nationwide this fall.
Illinois is also seeing more long-term care facilities listed as having a current outbreak — defined as a positive test in the past 28 days. In the past week, 571 facilities had current outbreaks, compared with 553 the week prior, and 510 the week before that.
The pandemic has heightened a long-running debate about the mostly for-profit long-term care industry. Advocates have long complained that low worker pay has contributed to staff shortages and poor care. The industry has defended its level of care while complaining in turn of overregulation and meager government funding.
A prominent workers' union pointed to the latest surge as further evidence of needed reform.
“The grim milestone of 5,000 nursing home residents dying from COVID-19 in Illinois is nothing less than a total systemic failure. This ongoing tragedy must force policymakers from every level of government to rethink how to regulate our long term care system,” Shaba Andrich of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana said in a statement Friday.
The surge also comes as the Illinois Department of Public Health faces criticism over its earlier efforts to control the virus’s spread and regulate the industry.
AARP Illinois has called for public legislative hearings to account for the problems that led to two top agency administrators being forced out, as well as to address broader concerns over a lack of transparency and openness to input from advocates.
AARP Illinois' state director, Bob Gallo, said those problems, if left unaddressed, can only magnify the toll of a worsening pandemic in a group that continues to be particularly vulnerable.
“We need some accountability,” he said Friday. “It’s not about what’s wrong. It’s about what happened and what do we need to do now ... to manage this.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health did not immediately respond Friday afternoon to questions about the surge in long-term care. It has previously said it took aggressive, innovative action to limit the spread of the virus, although officials later acknowledged that the agency had improperly shelved some abuse and neglect investigations, leading to the departure of the two administrators.
The Tribune has filed several Freedom of Information Act requests for records involving the agency’s oversight as well as those related to what officials termed a “top to bottom” outside review of its regulation of long-term care facilities.
Illinois law requires agencies to provide records in two weeks. Those requests, filed between July 17 and Sept. 4, remain past due, amid a backlog of public records requests the agency said it’s addressing as quickly as possible.
jmahr@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Illinois sets new single-day COVID record with 6,161 cases

There ’ s been a slight increase in coronavirus hospitalizations this month .
On Oct. 1 , 37.9 % of @ @ @ @ @ beds were open .
On Friday , there were 33.7 % of such beds available @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s 11 regions are below the benchmark of 20 % available medical/surgical or @ @ @ @ @ suburban Cook County , DuPage and Kane counties , Will and Kankakee counties , and @ @ @ @ @ St. Louis are within 10 percentage points .

Specimens are collected as COVID-19 saliva testing is conducted July 7, 2020, on the University of Illinois campus. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois set a record high number of confirmed daily coronavirus cases on Saturday as a surge continues.
The 6,161 cases announced by state public health officials far surpassed the single-day record of 4,942 from Thursday. In early September, officials announced a daily total of 5,368 cases when the state cleared a backlog of results.
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Health officials also reported 63 additional fatalities, bringing the statewide death toll to 9,481 since the start of the pandemic. The 63 deaths are not nearly as high as in the spring, when daily deaths topped 100 for nearly three weeks in May. However, the last time the state saw daily death totals of higher than 60 was in June.
The current surge pushed the state’s positivity rate from 5.6% to 6.1% and set a new high mark for the seven-day rolling average with 4,341 cases. During the height of the first surge in April and May, the seven-day average of daily cases did not top 2,600.
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There were fewer tests done back then, however. The 83,517 test results announced Saturday is more than four times what the state was conducting per day in the spring and summer.
The surge continues as Illinois' top public health official on Friday made an emotional appeal to residents to “fight the fatigue” as the state ended the week with half its counties at a “warning level” for a resurgence of COVID-19 and a broad swath of the state living under stricter rules meant to slow its spread.
On Friday, the state banned indoor bar and restaurant service, and lowered limits on gatherings to 25 people in Kane, DuPage, Will and Kankakee counties. In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses. The city again is prohibiting indoor service at traditional taverns and brewery taprooms without food licenses, and asked residents to limit social gatherings to at most six people.
Trailing indicators that signal the seriousness of the outbreak like deaths and hospitalizations also are showing increases.
There’s been a slight increase in coronavirus hospitalizations this month. On Oct. 1, 37.9% of the state’s ICU beds were open. On Friday, there were 33.7% of such beds available. While none of the state’s 11 regions are below the benchmark of 20% available medical/surgical or ICU beds, Chicago, suburban Cook County, DuPage and Kane counties, Will and Kankakee counties, and the Metro East region near St. Louis are within 10 percentage points.


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--University of Dayton student from La Grange dies after contracting COVID-19

The virus is also increasingly sweeping across the U.S. , with more cases reported on Friday across the country than @ @ @ @ @ pandemic began .

A University of Dayton student from La Grange has died after contracting the COVID-19 virus, according to university officials.
Michael Lang, 18, died on Thursday following a “lengthy hospitalization,” according to a message sent to the student body from the university’s president, Eric F. Spina, and other officials.
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Lang was a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, the message said. He had returned home to the western suburb on Sept. 13 for remote learning.
Dayton has reported 1,410 cases on campus since Aug. 10, according to the university’s coronavirus dashboard.
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Students moved in prior to the start of classes on Aug. 25, though classroom learning was remote, according to a university spokesperson. The school transitioned to a mix of in-person and remote learning on Sept. 24.
“The loss of Michael calls our campus community to honor his memory and support those who are affected by his passing,” the message read.
Lang’s death came as city and state officials have pleaded with residents in recent days to continue adhering to safety precautions as the virus spikes across the state.
On Saturday, another 63 people died in Illinois, the state announced, bringing its total death toll to 9,481. There were 6,161 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 — a new state record — for a total of 370,194.
The virus is also increasingly sweeping across the U.S., with more cases reported on Friday across the country than any other day since the pandemic began.
Tribune reporter Javonte Anderson contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Girl, 3, in good condition after being shot inside South Side home

The witness then found the girl in the home with a gunshot wound to the left wrist .
She was @ @ @ @ @ being taken to Comer Children ’ s Hospital , police said .

A 3-year-old girl was recovering at a hospital in good condition after she was shot in the Calumet Heights neighborhood on the city’s South Side on Saturday afternoon.
Shortly after 3 p.m., a witness told Chicago police they heard a shot ring out while inside a home in the 1300 block of East 89th Street, police said.
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The witness then found the girl in the home with a gunshot wound to the left wrist. She was listed in good condition after being taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, police said.
A gun was found on the scene.
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Area 2 detectives are investigating and there was nobody arrested.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Spike in newly confirmed daily COVID-19 cases brings a new state re

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Spike in newly confirmed daily COVID-19 cases brings a new state record — 6,161 — as 63 more deaths reported; positivity rate climbs to 6.1%

The steep increase in daily cases in October has also seen a slight increase in hospitalizations related to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ there were 37.9 % of the state ’ s ICU beds open .
On Friday @ @ @ @ @ , there were 33.7 % ICU beds available .
While none of the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ the benchmark 20 % of available medical/surgical or ICU beds , Chicago , suburban Cook @ @ @ @ @ counties , Will and Kankakee counties , and the Metro-east region that includes East St. @ @ @ @ @ points .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Sunday reported 4,062 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 24 additional deaths.
The numbers come a day after the state announced a record 6,161 known cases and 63 deaths. That brings the state’s total to 374,256 known infections and 9,505 fatalities.
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There were 72,097 tests reported in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate remained at 6.1% for a second straight day.
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On Friday, the Illinois health department placed half of the state’s 102 counties on a warning list for a resurgence of COVID-19.
The county warning list, which the state Department of Public Health issues weekly, includes Kane, McHenry and Will counties, which all came under stricter state regulations Friday aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Meanwhile, days after threatening to roll back restrictions on Chicago businesses if COVID-19 cases continue to spike, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses.
In addition, the city is again prohibiting indoor service at traditional taverns and brewery taprooms that don’t have food licenses, and asked residents to cap any social gatherings at six people starting Friday.
Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
4,062 newly confirmed cases and 24 addition deaths reported Sunday
Illinois public health officials Sunday reported 4,062 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 24 additional deaths.
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The numbers come a day after the state announced a record 6,161 known cases. That brings the state’s total to 374,256 known infections and 9,505 fatalities.
There were 72,097 tests reported in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate remained at 6.1% for a second straight day.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’s not giving up on COVID-19 relief before election
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’s not giving up on passing another coronavirus relief economic package before the Nov. 3 election.
At issue is a huge virus relief bill that would send another $1,200 direct payment to most Americans, restart bonus unemployment benefits, fund additional testing and vaccines, provide aid to schools and allocate money to state and local governments, a Democratic priority.
Read more here. —Associated Press
Saturday
Pelosi, Mnuchin trade blame as likelihood for COVID-19 package is ‘very, very slim’
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House traded blame for the latest stall in negotiations on a new coronavirus stimulus as pessimism built at the Capitol that anything could be accomplished before Election Day.
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Pelosi said the burden is on President Donald Trump to push forward on stimulus talks and get reluctant Republicans to go along with any eventual deal reached with the White House on a nearly $2 trillion aid package.
“We could do that before the election, if the president wants to,” Pelosi said Friday in an interview on MSNBC.
Read more here. —Bloomberg News
Concern over holiday exposure to COVID-19 prompts Chicago Archdiocese switch to remote learning for 2 weeks in January
The Chicago Archdiocese has decided to move to remote learning for 14 days after winter break, worried students may be at risk of COVID-19 exposure at family gatherings, according to a statement released Friday.
Archdiocese officials asked that families consider traveling to their gatherings before Jan. 4, 2021, when virtual learning is scheduled to begin. Schools have mostly been open since the fall session began.
Read more here. —Deanese Williams-Harris
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6,161 new known COVID-19 cases and 63 additional deaths reported; positivity rate climbs to 6.1%
The 6,161 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 announced by the state Saturday is a new daily record high, topping a daily total of 5,368 from early September when the state cleared a backlog of results.
The surge pushed the state’s positivity rate from 5.6% to 6.1% and set a new high mark for seven-day rolling average with 4,341. During the height of the first surge in April and May, the seven-day average of daily cases did not top 2,600.
Trailing indicators that signal the seriousness of the outbreak like deaths and hospitalizations also are showing increases.
Saturday saw 63 new deaths from COVID-19 announced. That number is not nearly as high as the spring, when daily deaths topped 100 for nearly three weeks in May. However, the last time the state saw daily death totals of higher than 60 was in June.
The steep increase in daily cases in October has also seen a slight increase in hospitalizations related to the coronavirus. On Oct. 1, there were 37.9% of the state’s ICU beds open. On Friday, the most recent data, there were 33.7% ICU beds available. While none of the state’s 11 regions are below the benchmark 20% of available medical/surgical or ICU beds, Chicago, suburban Cook County, DuPage and Kane counties, Will and Kankakee counties, and the Metro-east region that includes East St. Louis are within 10 percentage points.
The state continues to process a massive number of tests daily with 83,517 results announced Saturday, a total more than four times what was announced in the spring and summer.
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Cumulatively, Illinois now has recorded 370,194 cases, 9,481 deaths and 7.2 million test results.
—Jonathan Berlin
University of Dayton student from La Grange dies after contracting COVID-19
A University of Dayton student from LaGrange has died after contracting the COVID-19 virus, according to university officials.
Michael Lang, 18, died on Thursday following a “lengthy hospitalization,” according to a message sent to the student body from the university’s president, Eric F. Spina, and other officials.
Lang was a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, the message said. He had returned home to the western suburb on Sept. 13 for remote learning.
Read more here. —Madeline Buckley
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Confused about outdoor dining? Here’s a breakdown of the rules and safety guidelines.
After a flurry of news this week surrounding outdoor dining, restaurants and customers alike are playing catch-up on what they are allowed and not allowed to do. And as the weather gets colder, these questions become even more pressing as business owners make decisions on what elements they want to invest in and customers figure out if outdoor dining is even safe at all.
We answer some of your questions here, but if there’s something else you’re unsure about, reach out to us.
Read more here. —Grace Wong


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Concern over holiday exposure to COVID-19 prompts Chicago Archdiocese switch to remote learning for

Concern over holiday exposure to COVID-19 prompts Chicago Archdiocese switch to remote learning for 2 weeks in January

So far , classes will remain in person for the time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas break .
If Illinois @ @ @ @ @ new cases before classes resume Jan. 19 because of noncompliance with safety measures , the @ @ @ @ @ learning for extended periods for the safety of the community .

The Chicago Archdiocese has decided to move to remote learning for 14 days after winter break, worried students may be at risk of COVID-19 exposure at family gatherings, according to a statement released Friday.
Archdiocese officials asked that families consider traveling to their gatherings before Jan. 4, 2021, when virtual learning is scheduled to begin. Schools have mostly been open since the fall session began.
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The plan will allow 14 days of quarantine for any student who may have been exposed to COVID-19 without jeopardizing other students and staff, the release said.
[ Pandemic fatigue could make cold-weather COVID spike worse. Want a better 2021? Resist risky holiday gatherings. ]
Officials noted that some schools may offer on-site extended care options for students whose families would be burdened by two weeks of child care, but it would be up to local leadership.
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Students walk under a fading educational art mural at St. Pius V Elementary School in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on Jan. 28, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
So far, classes will remain in person for the time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas break. If Illinois experiences a significant number of new cases before classes resume Jan. 19 because of noncompliance with safety measures, the archdiocese will then consider virtual learning for extended periods for the safety of the community.
Anyone who has further concerns should contact their school principal, the release said.
dawilliams@chicagotribune.com


Corrections and clarifications

Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune ’ s news responsibility and a value @ @ @ @ @ .
Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards .
Everyone in @ @ @ @ @ live up to this code of conduct .
Download the file .

· A story in Saturday’s paper about billionaire Ken Griffin’s email to his employees criticizing Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his proposed income tax amendment misstated Illinois' current flat personal income tax rate as 4.75%. It is 4.95%.
The Tribune regrets the error.
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Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune’s news responsibility and a value shared in all our publications. Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards. Everyone in our newsroom must agree to live up to this code of conduct. Download the file.
To report an error, fill out this form.


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 63 new deaths, 6,161 new confirmed cases and 82,256 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 63 new deaths, 6,161 new confirmed cases and 82,256 new test results

Illinois announced 6,161 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Saturday for a total of 370,194 .
The state also announced 63 @ @ @ @ @ of 9,481 and 83,517 new test results for a total of 7.2 million .

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


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Officers respond to domestic battery call at the home of former Chicago police Superintendent Eddie

Officers respond to domestic battery call at the home of former Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson

Officers were called around 9:30 p.m. to a home in the 1200 block of West 33rd Place , where Johnson @ @ @ @ @ official statement from the Chicago Police Department .
Police did not provide the exact address @ @ @ @ @ sources familiar with the incident said the response was to Johnson ’ s home .

Chicago police were called to the South Side home of former police Superintendent Eddie Johnson on Friday night for a report of a domestic battery, sources familiar with the incident told the Tribune.
Officers were called around 9:30 p.m. to a home in the 1200 block of West 33rd Place, where Johnson lives, according to an official statement from the Chicago Police Department. Police did not provide the exact address of the report, but sources familiar with the incident said the response was to Johnson’s home.
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The department said a female called police after a male pushed and shoved her during an argument. A police spokesman would not identify the male, but said he is 60 years old, which is the same age as Johnson.
Sources with knowledge of the incident identified Johnson as the suspect in the case and said the reporting victim was his wife. No injuries were reported, and there were no arrests, though detectives were still investigating Saturday morning.
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Johnson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The domestic violence call was the latest in a string of incidents where Johnson has come under scrutiny since he was fired by Mayor Lori Lightfoot late last year after he was out drinking with a subordinate in October 2019 and found asleep behind the wheel of his city vehicle.
That subordinate, Cynthia Donald, an officer who worked on Johnson’s security detail, filed an explosive lawsuit earlier this month accusing the former superintendent of raping and harassing her over the course of a few years. Johnson has denied those allegations.
The Tribune reported Friday that a Cook County grand jury has requested extensive documents about the night that ultimately led to Johnson’s firing, an indication that prosecutors are considering criminal charges against one or more players in the saga.
A subpoena obtained by the Tribune demands that the city inspector general’s office send over all of its reports about the night Johnson went out drinking with Donald.
Following an investigation by the inspector general’s office, Donald became one of eight officers facing suspension for their role in the police response to Johnson sleeping in his SUV.
Among the IG’s conclusions: Chicago police officers made a series of critical mistakes ranging from not supervising young officers to improperly handling body-worn camera footage after Johnson was found asleep, having consumed the equivalent of 10 drinks, the report said.


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Confused about outdoor dining? Here’s a breakdown of the rules and safety guidelines.

While we ’ re deeply concerned that anyone would even want to dine outdoors during a snowstorm or high winds @ @ @ @ @ like to participate in extreme sports .
Restaurants are required to have inclement weather plans @ @ @ @ @ it really gets bad .
Outdoor structures may become unsafe under those circumstances and the @ @ @ @ @ their use altogether .
We advise ordering for carryout or delivery .

After a flurry of news this week surrounding outdoor dining, restaurants and customers alike are playing catch-up on what they are allowed and not allowed to do. And as the weather gets colder, these questions become even more pressing as business owners make decisions on what elements they want to invest in and customers figure out if outdoor dining is even safe.
We answer some of your questions here, but if there’s something else you’re unsure about, reach out to us.
What’s new this week?
General manager Jaidah Wilson-Turnbow, 45, sets up chairs on the patio behind Frances Cocktail Lounge in the Chatham neighborhood on Oct. 22, 2020, in Chicago. The city has prohibited service indoors for bars without a food license. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Statewide, Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered indoor service to cease at bars and restaurants in DuPage, Kane, Will and Kankakee counties.
Citywide, Mayor Lori Lightfoot instituted a 10 p.m. curfew on all nonessential city businesses, closed indoor service at taverns and breweries without a food license, and limited social gatherings to six people. This is following a dramatic jump in daily case coronavirus numbers both in Chicago and in the state.
What permits and licenses do restaurants or bars need for outdoor dining?
All establishments must have a sidewalk cafe permit, an outdoor patio license or an expanded outdoor dining permit. Those wishing to add structures or heating devices don’t need to reapply for a permit or license, but do need to make these additions to the already submitted plans.
Is outdoor dining safe during COVID-19? Is it safer than indoor dining?
Patrons dine at the outdoor sidewalk patio through the open front doors at the DryHop and Roebuck restaurants on North Broadway in Lakeview on Sept. 2, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the more time you’re closely interacting with others, the higher the risk. There’s no way to get the risk down to zero if you choose to go out, so it’s about gauging what you’re comfortable with, staying up to date on the state of your community and taking preventative measures.
Outdoor dining is safer than indoor dining because it has better ventilation and it’s easier to be apart from other people. For other decision-making tips, visit CDC.gov.
“(Outdoor dining) is definitely safer than indoor dining,” wrote Robert Murphy, executive director of Northwestern University’s Institute for Global Health and a professor of infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine, in an email. “The issue is who you are dining with because you will be pretty close while you eat. The more air movement, the better.”
Murphy also wrote that a draftier enclosure is better than one that is sealed tight — the latter could be worse than being indoors with ventilation.
[ 19 Chicago restaurants and bars with heated patios or fire pits for cold-weather dining ]
What are my outdoor dining options?
Every restaurant varies in its approach, but patios, converted parking lots and spots, and sidewalk cafes are all on the menu. Not sure what you’re getting yourself into? Your best bet is to check the restaurant’s website or social media accounts, or to call them directly.
How will I stay warm outside when it gets colder?
From tents to igloos to fire pits to heat lamps, restaurants are still figuring out ways to make a comfortable and warm outdoor dining experience for guests who choose to brave the cold. We recommend wearing layers.
What are the rules for temporary structures like igloos and tents?
Nonnina restaurant in Chicago has added a tented outdoor space called Casa Nonnina. (Shawn Balluyot/Nonnina)
Plastic domes and other enclosed structures are allowed only for individual parties and must have adequate ventilation. They’re also required to have placards posted about the increased risk of COVID-19 in an enclosed space.
Temporary structures for multiple parties are required to have at least 50% of the sides open for air flow. Those with more than 50% of the sides closed will be considered indoor spaces and are expected to follow those capacity restrictions.
Structures that are more than 400 square feet must have a permit from the Department of Buildings that is good for 180 days.
All structures must be weighted down in a way that does not damage the public way, and all the materials that make up the structure must have a fire-resistant certification or flame certification. They also must all be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
What happens when there’s a snowstorm or it’s super windy?
While we’re deeply concerned that anyone would even want to dine outdoors during a snowstorm or high winds, we understand some people like to participate in extreme sports. Restaurants are required to have inclement weather plans to prevent injuries, and if it really gets bad, outdoor structures may become unsafe under those circumstances and the city may decide to prohibit their use altogether. We advise ordering for carryout or delivery.
What are the rules for heating devices?
Natural gas and propane heaters are allowed in open, uncovered areas. Electric heaters are allowed in covered areas. They are all required to be a certain distance from other objects and tent sides, and to be turned off overnight.
Any enclosed area with a heating device is required to have a designated and marked entrance and exit.
What should I do to make sure I’m safe and keeping others safe?
At the very least, wear a mask if you’re not eating or drinking, and especially wear one if you’re interacting with restaurant employees.
But consider whether dining out is worth the risk, no matter the precautions you take, said Dr. Tina Tan, a pediatrics professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and a board member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
“With COVID-19 cases rising in the community, it is probably not a good time to dine out, whether it is in a tent outdoors or indoors,” Tan said in an email. “Picking a dining option will depend on the ‘risk’ a person is willing to take to be potentially exposed to COVID. Probably at this time, (it) would be safest to order out.”
Is dining in outdoor tents and pods expensive?
Depends on what you’re looking to do. Some outdoor dining iterations are reservation-only with seats, food and drink included with the price, and others are first-come, first-served without an additional cost. Just note that some of these come in timed slots and you will be gently encouraged to leave when the time is up.
Why would I want to eat in an igloo when it’s in the 30s outside?
Honestly, I don’t know what your motivations are considering I don’t leave my house if it’s lower than 40 degrees out, but restaurants have been struggling all year, and outdoor dining helps support them and their staff. You can also avoid the igloo and cold altogether if you order to go.
Won’t I be cold? What about ventilation? Will I suffocate?
You may be cold (remember, layers!), and no, you won’t suffocate since each outdoor structure is required to have adequate ventilation as determined by the city.
What about Chicago’s vaunted winter outdoor dining contest? Has anyone adopted those enclosures? Or when will they?
Amy Young’s Cozy Cabins, inspired by ice-fishing huts, are among the winning designs in Chicago's Winter Design Challenge. (Amy Young / HANDOUT)
The winners of the Winter Design Challenge were announced earlier this month — ice fishing hut-style cabins, parking spots converted into block modules and heated tables — and the contest is now in the prototyping stage of the designs. Once that’s complete, pilot restaurants will be chosen to test them. There isn’t a concrete timeline yet.
How do I pick one that is safe or comfortable for me?
Evaluate the level of risk you’re willing to take on. Consult with a medical expert if you are unsure. And as always, you can still get food to eat at home or in the car. Murphy also wrote that good ventilation and all staff wearing masks is a good start to ensuring you’re finding the safest option.
“Servers should always be masked, and diners should wear masks when not eating or drinking,” Tan wrote. “Also tables need to be spaced at least 6 feet apart. Masking, social distancing and hand hygiene measures still apply.”
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-24--Battle of billionaires: Griffin slams Pritzker push for  graduated income tax amendment in email to

Battle of billionaires: Griffin slams Pritzker push for  graduated income tax amendment in email to employees

Earlier this month , Pritzker said he and his wife , M.K.
, paid $ 118,255 in state income taxes @ @ @ @ @ of $ 2.4 million .
Additionally , the governor ’ s office said trusts benefiting @ @ @ @ @ which were set up in the Bahamas by his grandfather , paid $ 6.7 million @ @ @ @ @ rate of 6.45 % .
The governor ’ s campaign said graduated tax rates that @ @ @ @ @ amendment is adopted would mean they and the trusts would pay an additional $ 3.7 @ @ @ @ @

Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin slammed Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker as “a shameless master of personal tax avoidance” Thursday in an email to his Chicago employees that criticized the governor’s push for a graduated-income tax rate amendment.
Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, has been the chief funder of opposition forces to the amendment proposal, which sits atop the Nov. 3 ballot, to change from Illinois' mandated flat-rate income tax. Griffin has given the Coalition to Stop the Tax Hike Amendment $46.75 million.
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Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, has been the main funder for proponents of the amendment, which they have dubbed the “fair tax.” The issue is the first-term governor’s top agenda item and he has given $56.5 million to the Vote Yes for Fairness group.
But amid a flurry of expensive TV ads on both sides, Griffin’s email to approximately 1,000 Chicago employees of Citadel represents a personal escalation of the battle of the two billionaires on the front lines of the issue. Griffin is regarded as the state’s wealthiest person, worth an estimated $15 billion, according to Forbes. Pritzker is worth $3.4 billion, Forbes said.
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[ Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s graduated-rate income tax: Here’s what you need to know ]
“I am not willing to stand by as, once again, spineless politicians try to sell a trick disguised as a solution. Particularly not from a governor who, having inherited a great deal of wealth, has worked so diligently to avoid paying taxes himself,” Griffin wrote in an email obtained by the Tribune, which was verified by a company spokesman.
“Not only does he hold a significant portion of his wealth in well-documented offshore trusts which pay no state income taxes, he even went so far as to remove toilets from his house in Chicago to achieve an appraisal at a fraction of the home’s value. A porcelain case study in irony,” Griffin said.
A month before his election in November 2018, Pritzker agreed to repay the Cook County treasurer’s office more than $330,000 in property tax breaks and tax refunds that the county’s inspector general contended he obtained as a result of a “scheme to defraud” taxpayers. That included the removal of toilets to help obtain a property tax reduction from an adjoining Gold Coast mansion he purchased.
[ Illinois income tax calculator: How would Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax affect you? ]
Earlier this month, Pritzker said he and his wife, M.K., paid $118,255 in state income taxes on an adjusted gross income of $2.4 million. Additionally, the governor’s office said trusts benefiting the governor, many of which were set up in the Bahamas by his grandfather, paid $6.7 million in Illinois taxes at a rate of 6.45%. The governor’s campaign said graduated tax rates that would take effect if the amendment is adopted would mean they and the trusts would pay an additional $3.7 million in state taxes.
A person close to Griffin reported he paid well over $100M in state income taxes last year.
Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, in 2014. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Pritzker’s office and the governor’s pro-amendment group said Griffin was still carrying water for former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who Pritzker defeated in 2018. Griffin gave Rauner’s campaign $20 million.
“Personal attacks and lies don’t change the facts. Gov. Pritzker has made major strides repairing the damage that Ken Griffin’s friend Bruce Rauner inflicted on Illinois and he is committed to making sure that the middle class doesn’t pay to clean up their mess,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyah said.
The amendment, if ratified by voters, would switch Illinois from a flat personal tax rate, now at 4.95% across all incomes, to a graduated-rate structure with rates that increase along with income. Proponents argue 97% of Illinoisans, those who earn $250,000 or less, would pay at least the same or less in income taxes. It would raise an estimated $3.4 billion over the course of a year.
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[ Fair tax or tax hike? Emotional arguments project hope and fear as voters set to decide what could be Illinois’ biggest taxation shift in decades ]
But opponents contend the amendment would allow lawmakers to cherry pick various income groups, saying it would hurt business and jobs. They warn that due to pandemic restrictions, the revenue raised by the switch would not cover an estimated $5 billion state budget deficit and would create an exodus of wealthy taxpayers to states with no income tax.
“Pritzker — a shameless master of personal tax avoidance — is well aware that many of the state’s top taxpayers will soon be decamping for states with more attractive tax policies. Under our federalist system, each state is free to compete to encourage companies and employees to join its community. Governors of Florida, Texas and other states have made compelling pitches for businesses — like Citadel — to leave Illinois,” Griffin wrote.
Citadel is planning to open a new office in Miami.
Griffin said the proposed amendment was a symbol of “Springfield’s continued grotesque and willful fiscal irresponsibility” that “leaves our state on the brink of disaster with an intensifying budget deficit, a public pension crisis and the worst credit rating and outbound migration in the country.”
In his email, Griffin said he was troubled by protesters who demonstrated outside Citadel’s Loop office and “misrepresented my deep commitment to the youth of our city.” He said his firm has “brought countless families to the state, led important philanthropic and community initiatives and, together, have made Illinois a better place to live and raise a family.”
“It is my hope that Citadel will not be one of the last great success stories written in Chicago,” Griffin wrote.
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Quentin Fulks, chairman of the Pritzker-backed Vote Yes for Fairness pro-amendment group, said Griffin backed the former Republican governor Rauner “who while doing Griffin’s bidding dragged down the state’s credit rating to near junk status, shuttered social service providers, and racked up billions in unpaid bills.”
Griffin, he said, “now makes $1.5 billion in a single year” and is “spending nearly $50 million to ensure he can continue to pay the same tax rate as a nurse or a grocery store clerk.”
“It’s clear that Ken Griffin is still bitter that his friend Bruce Rauner lost in 2018, but it’s pathetic and despicable he’s taking it out by fighting against a tax cut for 97% of Illinois families.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Illinois' current flat personal tax rate. It is now 4.95% across all incomes.
rap30@aol.com