chicagotribune--2020-12-22--The beloved Logan Square ‘Christmas house’ shines on

Frank Lopez , the creator of one of Chicago 's most beloved Christmas houses died last year , but his @ @ @ @ @ members said they 'd keep the lights display going as long as they own the @ @ @ @ @ the whimsical Victorian is shining brightly with outsize expressions of holiday spirit .

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 12 One-year-old Landon Stefankiewicz is held by his father, Kyle Stefankiewicz as the family views the holiday lights at the Lopez family home in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood Dec. 10, 2020. Frank Lopez, who started the tradition of decorating his home 35 years ago, died in November 2019. Family members decided to continue the tradition this holiday season. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Frank Lopez, the creator of one of Chicago's most beloved Christmas houses died last year, but his masterpiece lives on. Family members said they'd keep the lights display going as long as they own the house, and once again the whimsical Victorian is shining brightly with outsize expressions of holiday spirit.


chicagotribune--2020-12-22--R. Kelly tentatively set to go on trial in Chicago in September

Kelly , who turns 54 next month , facing potentially decades in prison if convicted in either federal case .
@ @ @ @ @ felony criminal sexual abuse charges filed in Cook County in February 2019 .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ July 2019 when he was arrested while walking his dog outside his apartment in the @ @ @ @ @

A courtroom sketch shows defense attorneys Ashley Cohen, from left, and Jennifer Bonjean with singer R. Kelly at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Sept. 14, 2022. (Cheryl Cook / Chicago Tribune)
After months of delays due to COVID-19 concerns, a federal judge in Chicago on Tuesday set a September trial date for indicted singer R. Kelly but said it’s “not set in stone” given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.
U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber said during a brief status hearing that jury selection will tentatively begin Sept. 13 for Kelly and his co-defendants, who are charged with trying to rig Kelly’s 2008 child pornography trial in Cook County by paying off witnesses and victims to change their stories.
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Prosecutors said their case is expected to take about three weeks to present. Leinenweber said questionnaires would be sent to potential jurors in the high-profile case in late July.
Kelly’s lawyer, Steven Greenberg, said he would agree to set the date for trial as long as it was flexible if problems arose — including Kelly’s ability to help prepare his defense while locked up at a federal jail in Chicago.
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Greenberg said officials at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in the Loop have “done their best” to set up video meetings with Kelly amid a recent virus outbreak at the jail, but still, “our access to our client has been difficult.”
“We’ve had a block of time several days of week ... but then the other day, there was no signal from the MCC,” Greenberg said. “That impacts our ability to review documents.”
Greenberg also noted that Kelly is tentatively scheduled to go on trial on separate racketeering charges in New York in April, which could further hamper their ability to prepare the Chicago case.
Kelly, who turns 54 next month, facing potentially decades in prison if convicted in either federal case. He’s also facing felony criminal sexual abuse charges filed in Cook County in February 2019. He’s been in custody since July 2019 when he was arrested while walking his dog outside his apartment in the Trump Tower in Chicago.
Kelly’s two trials have been set and rescheduled numerous times since the pandemic hit in March. Meanwhile, a surge of positive cases within Bureau of Prison facilities has led to several months of lockdowns and seriously hampered the ability of Kelly’s lawyers to meet with him.
Just after Thanksgiving, a new outbreak at the MCC had led to more than 120 inmates being infected with COVID-19, according to information posted on the BOP’s website. As of Tuesday, that number had dropped to just 11.
No deaths among inmates or staff at the MCC have been reported since the pandemic began.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-22--How full are hospitals in Illinois? Search our list to find out.

The figures cover all adult inpatient beds that a hospital is staffing , as well as the subset of beds @ @ @ @ @ unit .
COVID-19 patients include confirmed cases as well as those considered to be under @ @ @ @ @

Amid pandemic fears of overrun hospitals, federal regulators have released figures that show how full each hospital is — including with COVID-19 patients — and how many beds each has to spare.
The figures cover all adult inpatient beds that a hospital is staffing, as well as the subset of beds staffed in an intensive care unit. COVID-19 patients include confirmed cases as well as those considered to be under investigation for the virus.
The data covers the most recent Friday-to-Thursday period, and the figures are a daily average from that week.
Search below for any hospital in Illinois, then click on the name to get more detailed information. (Figures weren’t provided for hospitals with very small patient loads.)
Data as of Dec. 21.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Data limited to only hospitals with an average of four or more patients in a category. For more information, see this website.


chicagotribune--2020-12-22--Prosecutors drop case against man accused of shooting 6-month-old girl in 2013

Much of prosecutors ’ initial summary of the evidence seemed to rely on witnesses who said Willis told them before @ @ @ @ @ shoot the person who took his mother ’ s belongings , and other witnesses who @ @ @ @ @ to them after the fact .

Koman Willis was charged with murder in the shooting of Jonylah Watkins and her father on March 11, 2013. (handout, Chicago Police Department)
Cook County prosecutors last week quietly dropped all charges against a man accused of fatally shooting 6-month-old Jonylah Watkins as her father held the child in his arms.
Koman Willis, who had been in custody awaiting trial since 2013, walked free after a hearing Dec. 14 at which prosecutors threw out the case, records show.
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“We’re very happy that he is now home with his family,” his attorney Jed Stone told the Tribune.
A statement from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said they decided not to bring him to trial “in light of significant developments that occurred after charges were filed which impacted the totality of the evidence.”
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The office did not respond to a follow-up request for more specifics about what led to the dismissal.
Stone, reached by phone Monday, said much of the evidence police developed against Willis was circumstantial if not outright misleading, and gave kudos to prosecutors for dropping the charges.
Willis, insisting on his innocence, earlier this year rejected a deal to plead guilty in exchange for a recommended sentence of a little more than 20 years, Stone said.
Six-month-old Jonylah Watkins was killed March 11 in Woodlawn after her father Jonathan Watkins had just finished changing her diaper. He was lifting her up to kiss her when a reputed gang member bent on revenge stepped out of a South Side alley and opened fire, killing the girl and wounding Jonathan. (Family photo )
Jonylah was killed in March 2013. Her father, Jonathan Watkins, was in the front passenger seat of his van where he had been changing Jonylah’s diaper at the time of the shooting.
“Jonathan lifted Jonylah up to kiss her when the defendant approached and fired multiple gunshots into the van,” prosecutors said after Willis was charged.
A bullet entered Jonylah’s right shoulder and traveled down through her left thigh, officials said. She died the following day. Her father survived multiple gunshot wounds.
Jonylah’s death, along with that of teenager Hadiya Pendleton a few months before, became a marker of 2013′s rampant city gun violence. Authorities had alleged Willis fired on Watkins as revenge, suspecting Watkins stole a video game system from Willis’ mother’s home.
Willis was not charged until two months after the shooting.
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Police said at the time that they identified Willis as a possible suspect early in the case, but they did not have enough evidence to charge him until detectives persuaded several witnesses to fully cooperate with the investigation.
Much of prosecutors’ initial summary of the evidence seemed to rely on witnesses who said Willis told them before the shooting that he would shoot the person who took his mother’s belongings, and other witnesses who said he admitted the shooting to them after the fact.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-22--Documentary on murdered U. of I. scholar now available for streaming

Though Shi did not want to be in the film , after receiving criticism from some filmmakers that the movie @ @ @ @ @ the family , she decided to become a part of the documentary and explain her @ @ @ @ @ family .

URBANA — A documentary about a University of Illinois scholar from China who was abducted and killed two years ago is now playing in virtual theaters.
Director Jiayan “Jenny” Shi said she wanted to turn the attention to Yingying Zhang and her family, given that much of the news coverage was about her disappearance, the investigation, her killer and the trial.
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“From our perspective, we felt like Yingying’s story and her family’s stories were really lost,” Shi told The News-Gazette in Champaign.
Shi was a Northwestern University journalism graduate student when Zhang went missing in June 2017. For the documentary, she traveled to Zhang’s home in China, capturing her parents fighting and stressed over their daughter’s search, internet rumors and delays in the trial.
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“Her mom was really happy seeing me around visiting and happy having someone around that was her daughter’s age,” Shi said.
Though Shi did not want to be in the film, after receiving criticism from some filmmakers that the movie could be seen as exploiting the family, she decided to become a part of the documentary and explain her connection to Zhang and her family.
“I witnessed a lot of trauma and family conflict and realized there’s a lot of nuance beyond the criminal investigation,” Shi told The News-Gazette.
The film has been played this year virtually at the Chicago International Film Festival and DOC NYC, among several others. It will also soon be played in China, where Zhang’s disappearance received even more attention than it did in the U.S.
“I’m hoping even for those in Urbana-Champaign, who already know a lot about the story, that they can find something new from this documentary,” Shi said.
The film was to premiere this spring at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, but it was canceled as COVID-19 ramped up in March.
For more information about streaming the film, visit findingyingying.com.


chicagotribune--2020-12-22--Tracking Chicago homicide victims

Tracking Chicago homicide victims

Though there are homicides recorded throughout the city they are most concentrated in the South and West sides .

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chicagotribune--2020-12-22--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Dec. 21 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

There are some positive signs , with case counts and hospitalizations starting to drop in Illinois , though the latter @ @ @ @ @ hospitals ’ decision making .
Hospitals have been more choosy about who gets admitted — @ @ @ @ @ in emergency departments are being sent home with monitoring instructions — and doctors and nurses @ @ @ @ @ patients with conditions that are usually monitored in intensive care have been moved to other @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois on Monday logged its lowest number of newly reported daily coronavirus infections in nearly two months, with 4,699 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19. The last time the daily number of new coronavirus cases was below 5,000 was Oct. 27, as the state was starting to see an aggressive fall resurgence of the illness.
Officials also announced 98 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 905,069 and the statewide death toll to 15,299 since the start of the pandemic.
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Meanwhile, after months of Washington gridlock, Congress passed a $900 billion pandemic relief package Monday night that would finally deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths.
The package would establish a temporary $300 per week supplemental jobless benefit and a $600 direct stimulus payment to most Americans, along with a new round of subsidies for hard-hit businesses and money for schools, health care providers and renters facing eviction. Here are other highlights from the bill.
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Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
11 p.m.: Congress passes $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill, authorizing long-sought aid
Congress passed a $900 billion pandemic relief package Monday night that would finally deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths.
The bill combines coronavirus-fighting funds with financial relief for individuals and businesses. It would establish a temporary $300 per week supplemental jobless benefit and a $600 direct stimulus payment to most Americans, along with a new round of subsidies for hard-hit businesses, restaurants, and theaters and money for schools, health care providers and renters facing eviction.
On Monday morning, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a key negotiator, said that the direct payments would begin arriving in bank accounts next week.
Read more here. —Associated Press
5:45 p.m.: More than 63,000 COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Illinois since shots arrived last week
A week after the first shipment of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine arrived in Illinois, more than 63,000 health care workers across the state have received their first of two doses of the immunization, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office said Monday.
That total does not include vaccinations in the city of Chicago, which received its own shipment of the vaccine.
The state has been allocated an additional 60,450 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, the bulk of which will be set aside for a federal partnership with CVS and Deerfield-based Walgreens to immunize nursing home residents, according to the governor’s office. The program is expected to begin vaccinations next week.
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The remaining 20,000 doses are expected to arrive Tuesday and Wednesday at hospitals statewide that have the ultracold freezer equipment required to store the Pfizer vaccine.
Illinois also expects to receive about 174,000 doses of a second vaccine, from Moderna, on Wednesday and Thursday. The doses, which can be stored at regular freezer temperatures, also will go directly to hospitals to continue ramping up the immunization of health care workers.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella
4:13 p.m.: Priority vaccinations are urged for the incarcerated and workers at jails and prisons
More than five dozen community and social justice groups joined forces Monday to urge Illinois public health officials to include incarcerated people and staff working in prisons, county jails and other detention facilities with others receiving priority COVID-19 vaccinations.
The activists also are asking that low-wage warehouse workers aren’t forgotten among essential workers in the state’s rollout plan.
In a letter sent Monday to the state’s top public health official, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the coalition of groups noted positive cases have surged in recent months in the Illinois Department of Corrections and other institutions where many incarcerated people are old and have underlying medical conditions.
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The letter was addressed to Ezike, the Illinois Department of Public Health director, and sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker as well. The advocates also held a Facebook Live event on Monday, organized by the nonprofit Westside Justice Center in Chicago.
Mirroring state and national trends, a second wave of the pandemic has hit state prisons, with cases rising widely across the system. More than 6,000 inmates and 3,000 staff have tested positive since the pandemic began in March, with at least 59 inmate fatalities, according to state data released Dec. 21.
One IDOC staff member also has died of a virus-related illness.
To date, 20% of Illinois’ prison population of 30,000 inmates has tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown People’s Law Center, said incarcerated people – especially those who are elderly and infirm – should be prioritized with other populations in congregate care settings, such as nursing homes. And inmates who work in health care units should be on the list with other health care professionals, according to Mills.
”Back in August, we told the (Illinois) Department of Corrections that they should be testing everyone, two or three times a week ... They didn’t do that,” said Mills, noting thousands of new infections in recent months.
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“Unlike the rest of the world, prisons have total control over who comes in and out. They could have stopped the introduction (of the virus) entirely. They chose not to do that.”
The state has not announced yet when incarcerated people will receive the vaccine shot but prison staff, especially those who work in health care units, are expected to be prioritized, state officials have said.
Sharyln Grace, executive director of Chicago Community Bond Fund, said the rising statistics call for an urgent response. She also mentioned the Cook County Jail, where thousands of adult detainees are housed.
”The state of Illinois and the individuals responsible for running each facility have a duty to protect people in their custody from COVID-19 because people inside don’t have the ability to practice social distancing the way we do on the outside,” said Grace, speaking at Monday’s Facebook Live event.
—Christy Gutowski
3:05 p.m.: Dozens test positive for coronavirus in Lake County Jail COVID-19 outbreak
With 35 inmates at the Lake County Jail in Waukegan testing positive for COVID-19, Lake County Sheriff’s Department officials said they are taking steps to curb the spread of the virus among prisoners and staff.
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After four inmates housed in pod 5-North at the jail for several weeks tested positive for the virus Dec. 14, the area was quarantined and all 53 prisoners there were tested. Authorities learned Sunday that 35 were positive. All are asymptomatic, according to a news release.
Sgt. Chris Covelli, the spokesman for the sheriff’ department, said in an email the 35 are in good condition. Those who tested positive cannot go to other areas of the jail. Only specific employees can enter the area wearing personal protection equipment including masks and possibly gloves.
Covelli said steps were also taken to protect the inmates with negative test results though they remain in the area. Any time they leave their individual cell, they must wear a mask and distancing rules have been implemented, he said.
Read more here. —Steve Sadin, Lake County News-Sun
1:04 p.m.: Daily COVID-19 case count dips below 5,000 for first time in nearly two months
Illinois on Monday logged its lowest number of newly reported daily coronavirus infections in nearly two months, with 4,699 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19.
The last time the daily number of new coronavirus cases was below 5,000 was Oct. 27, as the state was starting to see an aggressive fall resurgence of the illness.
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At that time, the state was reporting only newly confirmed cases, and has since begun combining new daily confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19.
The daily case numbers the state reports tend to be lower on Mondays due to weekend lags.
The seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 7.5% for the period ending Sunday.
The new cases reported on Monday came out of a batch of 86,454 tests conducted during a 24-hour period, for a daily case positivity rate of roughly 5.4%.
The state surpassed the 900,000 case mark over the weekend, and with Monday’s numbers the known case count statewide grew to 905,069.
The state also reported another 98 deaths on Monday, raising the death toll to 15,299 throughout the pandemic. Monday was the second consecutive day the number of deaths reported in a 24-hour period was in the double digits, after 12 days in a row with daily death tolls over 100.
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As of Sunday night, 4,460 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized across the state, with 981 in intensive care units and 546 patients on ventilators. Those figures have dropped gradually over the past several weeks — there were more than 6,000 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in the state in late November.
—Jamie Munks
9 a.m.: Second stimulus bill would give airlines $15 billion more, bring back 32,000 furloughed airline workers
Airlines will bring back more than 32,000 furloughed workers as part of the sweeping $900 billion economic stimulus bill that congressional leaders agreed to Sunday.
After wrangling over a stimulus package for months that includes direct payments to Americans and increased relief for small businesses, the air travel industry was able to secure another $15 billion in aid to airlines that would bring back workers, guarantee pay and delay talk of payroll cutbacks until at least the end of March.
The bill is still waiting on a final vote and signature from President Donald Trump, but Senate key Democrat and Republican leaders in both chambers endorsed the compromise.
Chicago-based United Airlines furloughed about 13,000 workers and laid off 1‚400 management and administrative employees.
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Read more here. —Kyle Arnold, The Dallas Morning News
8:18 a.m.: Vatican tells Catholics it’s ‘morally acceptable’ to get COVID-19 vaccines based on research using fetal tissue from abortions
The Vatican on Monday declared that it is “morally acceptable” for Roman Catholics to receive COVID-19 vaccines based on research that used fetal tissue from abortions.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s watchdog office for doctrinal orthodoxy, said it addressed the question after receiving several requests for “guidance” during recent months. The doctrine office noted that bishops, Catholic groups and experts have offered “diverse and sometimes conflicting pronouncements” on the matter.
Drawing on Vatican pronouncements in past years about developing vaccines prepared from cells derived from aborted fetuses, the watchdog office issued a statement it said Pope Francis had examined last week and ordered to be made public.
The Catholic Church’s teaching says that abortion is a grave sin.
The Vatican concluded that “it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses” in the research and production process when “ethically irreproachable” vaccines aren’t available to the public. But it stressed that the “licit” uses of such vaccines “does not and should not in any way imply that there is a moral endorsement of the use of cell lines proceeding from aborted fetuses.”
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Read more here. —Associated Press
8:12 a.m.: COVID-19 fills winter break with angst and uncertainty for families about 2021 reopening plans
For many teachers, students and parents, a COVID-19 winter break offers little break from anxiety over 2021 reopening plans, which remain uncertain in Chicago Public Schools and many suburban districts.
With community spread of the coronavirus still high, along with continued resistance to reopening plans from teachers union and a small number of school outbreaks statewide, many school officials are still trying to calibrate plans for when and how schools can reopen, with parents feeling frustrated.
”There’s a lot of uncertainty for us, but it’s got to be really terrible for the teachers,” Arlington Heights parent Danny Strauss said after School District 25 last week postponed a decision on virus metrics that he believes would definitively determine whether school buildings remain open or closed.
Some suburban districts, including Winnetka School District 36 and Township High School District 214, as well as the Archdiocese of Chicago, have announced they will be offering strictly remote learning following winter break to allow time to gauge virus rates before students return to school buildings in mid-January.
But officials at other suburban school districts, including District 25 and New Trier High School, are optimistic that 2021 will ring in a return to more classroom learning, and are planning to resume classes immediately following winter break, as well as expanding the amount of in-person instruction offered to students.
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Whatever the plans, in many districts they’ve been met by some parents who aren’t pleased.
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
6 a.m.: With hospitals short on workers, those remaining feel pushed to the edge by COVID-19
Even as the first vaccine shots begin to roll out to health care workers, doctors and nurses say they are struggling to make it through the pandemic’s darkest surge yet, in an atmosphere some describe as bordering on exhaustion.
Federal data shows that roughly 1 in 5 of the state’s hospitals is reporting a “critical” staff shortage each day, a problem reflected in the desperate competition among hospitals for trained staff at a time when the pandemic is straining resources across the country.
The advertised pay for some workers is approaching $3,000 a week, amid stories of workers quitting or calling in sick, and hospitals adding more beds than they have the staff to cover.
“Compensation now is through the roof ... which tells you it’s hard to find people to fill all the jobs we need to fill now,” Joshua Gottlieb, an associate professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, said earlier this month.
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Federal officials aren’t providing the names of hospitals reporting staff shortages, but they have released weekly numbers showing that some facilities are at or near capacity in terms of available beds, particularly in working-class areas hit especially hard by the pandemic.
There are some positive signs, with case counts and hospitalizations starting to drop in Illinois, though the latter numbers can be affected by hospitals’ decision making. Hospitals have been more choosy about who gets admitted — some COVID-19 patients who arrive in emergency departments are being sent home with monitoring instructions — and doctors and nurses told the Tribune that some patients with conditions that are usually monitored in intensive care have been moved to other areas.
Workers also said staffing has been strained as hospitals continue to perform elective surgeries. These are often time-sensitive and necessary operations, but they also can be moneymakers for hospitals. Indiana recently tightened the rules on what surgeries hospitals can do amid the surge, but Illinois has not.
“People are tired,” said Pat Meade, a recovery nurse at Amita Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet who is also vice president of the Illinois Nurses Association. “You can’t consistently ask of the same group of people to give more than they can. They’ve got to rest, but the need still exists, so what do you do?”
Read more here. —Joe Mahr and Lisa Schencker
5 a.m.: City distributing grab-and-go activity kits for kids, teens at parks, libraries
Starting Monday, Chicago is handing out grab-and-go activity kits for children and teens for use during the winter break, according to the mayor’s office.
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The kits will be handed out at Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Library locations and “will be filled with hands-on projects,” according to a release from the mayor’s office.
The city is providing what it’s calling “enriching, virtual content and resources” for young people from Dec. 19 to Jan. 3, including prerecorded online content and live classes, according to the release. Anyone interested can go to MyCHIMyFuture.org to learn more.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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chicagotribune--2020-12-24--‘Whirlwind of emotions’: Donors give more than $10,000 to pay off student’s tuition debt and help ot

‘Whirlwind of emotions’: Donors give more than $10,000 to pay off student’s tuition debt and help others during pandemic at Dominican University

“ People don ’ t always realize that for many students , a small gift can make the difference between @ @ @ @ @ their tuition bill and stay in school , or having to drop out , ” @ @ @ @ @ in this current environment , when parents and students have lost jobs or their hours @ @ @ @ @ this money fills that gap and enables that student to stay in school .
”

As her shifts at a Chicago restaurant grew scarce with the ban on indoor dining and her household’s budget tightened, first-generation college student Ximena Castillo considered all the options that would allow her to pay for tuition at Dominican University — including selling her blood plasma.
Castillo discussed the plan with her sister, but they concluded she wouldn’t make enough to cover the $3,000 she owed. And though she disliked the idea, she began to ponder taking a gap year, putting her education on hold because of financial strain stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
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But after a Tribune story about low-income college students highlighted Castillo’s plight, donors came forward to pay off her outstanding debt, allowing the junior graphic design major to register for spring classes. The story described how Castillo, 20, tried to study in the laundry room of her Gage Park apartment building upon moving home from campus.
Following the front-page Tribune story on Nov. 27, a dozen donors gave more than $10,000 to Dominican’s Student Emergency Fund, enough to help Castillo, as well as other students struggling to stay enrolled during the pandemic, according to university officials.
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“I was so happy because I was scrambling,” said Castillo, a junior. “It’s been a whirlwind of emotions, and I’m just so grateful. I just remind myself … this is what happens when you have a positive attitude.”
Dominican University President Donna Carroll said she spoke with some of the donors by phone as pledges poured in. Some of the donors, who asked to remain anonymous, were moved by Castillo’s experiences and others wanted to contribute because they persevered through similar challenges, often due to the generosity of others, Carroll said.
Contributions to Dominican’s Student Emergency Fund can help scholars pay for tuition, books or transportation and cover other expenses that pose barriers to staying enrolled. In the spring, Dominican’s Board of Trustees also created the COVID-19 Student Relief Fund to support those at risk of withdrawing from school.
Ximena Castillo, 20, checks an order during her shift at a restaurant in Chicago's University Village neighborhood on Nov. 25, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“People don’t always realize that for many students, a small gift can make the difference between their being able to pay their tuition bill and stay in school, or having to drop out,” Carroll said. “Particularly in this current environment, when parents and students have lost jobs or their hours have been cut back, this money fills that gap and enables that student to stay in school.”
Nationwide, total postsecondary enrollment was down by about 2.5% this fall, likely due to the pandemic, and low-income students have been hit especially hard, according to the most recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse.
The biggest decline, about 10%, was recorded at community colleges, which often cater to low-income and first-generation college students, the data showed.
Overall, this fall’s negative trends are connected to a dearth of new freshmen. Compared with last year, the number of high school graduates immediately advancing to college dropped by nearly 22% in 2020, according to the Student Clearinghouse data. The most significant losses came from high schools considered to be high poverty, low income and urban.
“As the fall semester comes to a close, the impact of the pandemic seems to be disproportionately affecting disadvantaged students by keeping them out of college,” said Doug Shapiro, executive director of the research center, in a statement earlier this month. “The data reveal that community colleges and freshmen saw the steepest drops in enrollment, while the declines among four-year colleges and continuing undergraduates were generally much smaller.”
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In Illinois, undergraduate enrollment plunged by 7.2% this fall compared with last year, according to state data presented this month. Though schools experienced growth in some graduate programs, overall postsecondary education was down by 5.4%, according to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
For her part, Castillo is doing all she can to stay on track despite this year’s obstacles. Though she misses living in a dorm at the River Forest campus, moving home helped her family save money and seems to be the best way to keep her household healthy.
Castillo was recently able to register for spring classes — once the hold on her account was lifted and the tuition payments cleared. With six classes next semester, she has a hefty workload and said she is most excited for a course on color theory, which will help strengthen her graphic design skills.
In the meantime, Castillo plans to continue working at Bar Louie in Chicago, where she’s a host and, when outdoor dining permits, clears tables to earn tips.
“I was so surprised,” Castillo said. “I didn’t think anyone would try to pay off my tuition … I’m just so happy that they helped me, along with so many other people at my school who were going through similar things.”
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--The Spin: Duckworth pushes back on Trump’s threat to hold up COVID-19 relief package | Two on Trump

The Spin: Duckworth pushes back on Trump’s threat to hold up COVID-19 relief package | Two on Trump clemency list have Chicago ties | Pritzker: 100K vaccinated so far in Illinois

Read the fine print : “ Andrew Wheeler , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator , called the changes a @ @ @ @ @ known as the Lead and Copper Rule , ” Hawthorne writes .
“ But the @ @ @ @ @ regulations show the Trump EPA effectively delayed lead pipe replacements for up to three decades @ @ @ @ @ , allowed cities to keep toxic pipes in the ground indefinitely.
” Full story here @

Sen. Tammy Duckworth speaks at a health care rally on June 21, 2017, at the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
President Donald Trump is blasting the latest COVID-19 relief package Congress approved this week that is now sitting on his desk. He says the $600-per-person checks that would be sent to most Americans isn’t enough.
Trump is calling for $2,000 payments to individuals — music to the ears of many Democrats pushing for bigger payouts as Republicans figure out how to deal with the criticism. It was GOP lawmakers who pushed for the $600 payments to limit the overall price tag.
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But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, said it’s time to hit the gas.
“Yes, there were things I wish were included. But Americans need COVID relief NOW so I’m proud we were able to secure so many good things for our state — regardless of Trump’s threat to pull the plug on this bipartisan compromise,” Duckworth tweeted.
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Meanwhile, George Papadopoulos, the one-time Trump campaign aide who eventually was sent to prison for his involvement in the Russia probe, isn’t the only person with local ties to catch a break from the president. Chicago-area nursing home mogul Philip Esformes, once called the “king” of Medicaid fraud, also landed on the president’s newest “clemency list” announced last night.
And former Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a South Side Democrat and 40-year lawmaker, writes in a Tribune Op-Ed that Illinois should expand the earned income tax credit to help the working poor who’ve been dealt another blow by the pandemic.
Welcome to The Spin.
George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia investigation, arrives for his first appearance before congressional investigators on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 25, 2018. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
George Papadopoulos, a native of Chicago, a graduate of Niles West High School in Skokie and DePaul University, has been described as unwittingly launching the Russia probe — which President Trump has called a “witch hunt” — and concluded with Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report determining there was no evidence the Trump campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
Still, Papadopoulos was convicted of lying to the FBI about a conversation in which he allegedly learned that Russia had dirt on Trump’s Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in that presidential race. Read the full Associated Press story here.
White House statement on Papadopoulos pardon: Yesterday’s “pardon helps correct the wrong that Mueller’s team inflicted on so many people.”
He’s not the only one with local connections. As Jason Meisner writes: “Chicago-area nursing home mogul Philip Esformes was once called the ‘king’ of Medicaid fraud, accused of cycling elderly, destitute and drug-addicted patients through his network of facilities and billing millions of dollars to government programs, often for services never rendered, according to federal prosecutors.”
Meisner goes on to note: “Now, Esformes, 52, is a free man, released from a Florida prison on Tuesday after President Donald Trump commuted of his sentence, granting clemency to 20 people in all.” Read the full story here.
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White House statement on clemency for Esformes: “While in prison, Mr. Esformes, who is 52, has been devoted to prayer and repentance and is in declining health.”
President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington before boarding Marine One on Dec. 12, 2020. (Patrick Semansky / AP)
From the Tribune’s Michael Hawthorne: “Chicago has more lead water pipes than any other American city, yet federal regulations unveiled Tuesday by the Trump administration likely won’t require anything new to prevent homeowners and renters from ingesting the brain-damaging metal.”
Read the fine print: “Andrew Wheeler, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, called the changes a dramatic improvement of what is known as the Lead and Copper Rule,” Hawthorne writes. “But the fine print of the new regulations show the Trump EPA effectively delayed lead pipe replacements for up to three decades and, in some cases, allowed cities to keep toxic pipes in the ground indefinitely.” Full story here.
Peoples Gas is spending billions to replace miles of aging pipe below Chicago by 2040, the Tribune’s Robert Channick writes. But an accelerating shift to renewable energy amid climate change concerns “could make the slow-moving infrastructure project obsolete before it’s complete,” Channick notes in this piece.
Follow the money: The utility’s customers are paying an average of $10.81 per month this year to fund the program.
Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker prepares to speak during a daily news conference regarding the coronavirus pandemic and other issues Nov. 4, 2020, at the Thompson Center in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jamie Munks: “More than 100,000 people in Illinois had been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday night, and hundreds of thousands more doses are being shipped to the state during its second week of a mass vaccination effort, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday.
“The state has received 23,400 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, while the city of Chicago, which gets its own shipments, has received 15,600 doses. Another 37,050 Pfizer doses are being administered to long-term care facility residents outside of Chicago.” Read the full story here.
More data points: While positivity and hospitalization rates have dipped in Illinois, state public health officials announced 6,762 new COVID-19 cases and 135 additional deaths today.
5 Chicago restaurants and bars cited and 2 parties shut down for coronavirus violations: The Tribune’s Grace Wong has the details here.
Once coronavirus travel restrictions end, vaccine hope has folks eager to get out of town, my Tribune colleague Lauren Zumbach writes. The question is whether jet-setters will hop on a plane to Europe or hit the road to nearby destinations in 2021.
Then-state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie speaks with reporters on June 30, 2016. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Former Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a South Side Democrat, writes in a Tribune Op-ed that Illinois should expand the earned income tax credit to help the working poor who’ve been dealt another blow by the pandemic.
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The state’s earned-income tax credit — there’s also a federal income tax credit — reduces the amount of income tax owed by low to moderate income workers and may result in a refund.
Noting that the credit has had bipartisan support over the decades, she’s calling for the state to increase the credit, as other states have done, and end exclusions for those workers, under age 24 and over age 65, taxpaying immigrants and others.
The pandemic relief bill Congress approved this week that is now on President Donald Trump’s desk — though he’s signaling he may not sign it — also seeks to tweak the federal tax credit to help those who have fallen on even harder financial times during the pandemic. Forbes has the details here.
Hundreds of families receive groceries for Christmas dinner as Chicago area faces largest hunger crisis in four decades, my Tribune colleague Laura Rodriguez Presa writes.
Empty voting booths at the Round Lake Magee school. (JERRY TOMASELLI / CHICAGO TRIBUNE)
In his rundown of the looming April 4 municipal elections in the south and southwest suburbs, the Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan notes a veteran mayor is running for another term while in the crosshairs of the legal system.
To-wit: “In Crestwood, Mayor Lou Presta, who has pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges related to a probe of red-light cameras, is seeking a third term,” Nolan writes. More on his competition here.
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To be fair, those accused of a crime in this country are innocent until proven otherwise in this country’s judicial system. And voters seemed to follow that thinking when they re-elected indicted Chicago Ald. Ed. Burke in 2019.
There are also township government elections in the south and southwest suburbs, but don’t yawn them off, the Southtown’s Ted Slowik writes.
“Some critics depict township government as a political backwater where party elites collect taxpayer-funded salaries and pad payrolls with patronage positions,” Slowik notes. “During this year’s pandemic, townships have emerged as a safety net of last resort as surging demand tests limits of food pantries and other essential services.”
Programming note: The Spin will take a brief hiatus for the holidays and return on Monday. See you then.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--Joliet police shoot, kill Naperville man, 19, after he made 911 call, then threatened them with what

Joliet police shoot, kill Naperville man, 19, after he made 911 call, then threatened them with what turned out to be BB gun, authorities say

Alvarez was inside her home when she heard about 10 gunshots .
She and her children hit the floor and @ @ @ @ @ when the shooting started .
When she returned moments later to look out her window @ @ @ @ @ on the ground and Joliet police officers trying to revive him .

Joliet police on Tuesday shot and killed a 19-year-old Naperville man who was brandishing a BB gun that officers mistook for a semi-automatic handgun, according to a news release from the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force.
Authorities identified the man as Joseph Casten.
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The officers were called to the 800 block of Second Avenue about 6:30 p.m. for a report of someone threatening to shoot people, the release said. An investigation later determined that it was Casten who made the 911 call that summoned police to the scene, authorities said.
Upon arrival, three uniformed officers encountered Casten, who is white. He pointed the BB gun at officers, according to the release. Thinking it was a handgun, police fired at Casten multiple times, authorities said.
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Following the shooting, authorities learned Casten had a BB gun.
He was rushed to Silver Cross Hospital, where he later died.
Juana Alvarez, who lives on the block where the shooting happened, said her husband saw Casten walking on Washington Street before the shooting.
Alvarez was inside her home when she heard about 10 gunshots. She and her children hit the floor and moved away from the windows when the shooting started. When she returned moments later to look out her window, she saw a man on the ground and Joliet police officers trying to revive him.
“They were trying to save his life,” said Alvarez, who recalled looking at her husband and saying, “he’s dead already.”
No officers were injured, though some were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
An autopsy was conducted Wednesday by the Will County coroner’s office, according to a statement.
The office determined that the preliminary cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds, but it said it is waiting for a final review of police, autopsy and toxicological reports before ruling on a manner of death as well as a final cause of death.
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The task force is investigating.
In an email, Joliet Police Department Sgt. Dwayne English said an officer had been placed on paid leave, per department policy. He declined to elaborate or clarify if the other officers involved were also placed on leave. English also declined to provide any information, including length of service, related to the officers involved in the incident, citing the ongoing task force investigation.
Joliet Mayor Robert O’Dekirk declined to comment on the shooting and referred questions to Joliet police Chief Al Roechner. Roechner did not return calls seeking comment.


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--Pritzker says more than 100,000 people have received COVID-19 vaccination in Illinois

“ I know it sounds crazy to ask that yet again , and I know that some of you will @ @ @ @ @ some of you won ’ t or can ’ t , ” Ezike said .
@ @ @ @ @ you , I ask you to think of additional safety measures that you can employ @ @ @ @ @ you gather , that can make the visit somewhat safer than the safest option .
@

Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
More than 100,000 people in Illinois received the COVID-19 vaccine in the first week of the mass vaccination effort, and officials expect thousands of additional doses to arrive and be distributed in all corners of the state this week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday.
With the first shipments of the vaccine from Moderna, the second drugmaker to receive federal approval, arriving in Illinois starting Wednesday, all 102 counties in the state will be receiving some of the supply, Pritzker said during a virtual news briefing.
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The state has seen a dip in both its case positivity rate and the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus after an aggressive fall resurgence, but the governor warned that could quickly change following the upcoming holidays.
“We are going, likely, to see some uptick from Christmas and from New Year’s, in hospitalizations, as well as cases. So, I’m concerned about that,” Pritzker said.
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As of Tuesday night, 100,991 vaccines had been administered in Illinois, Pritzker said. The initial vaccinations were given early last week.
This week, the state is expected to receive a total of 23,400 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, while the city of Chicago, which gets its own shipments, is due to get 15,600 doses. Another 37,050 Pfizer doses are going to long-term care facilities outside of Chicago, through a federal program that is being administered by Walgreens and CVS.
Navy Lt. Liesl Eichenmuller gets a Moderna COVID-19 vaccination from nurse Mailyn Villarin at Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago on Dec. 23, 2020. (Brian OMahoney / Lake County News-Sun)
The state on Wednesday started receiving doses of the Moderna vaccine, and Pritzker said 174,600 doses are expected by Thursday, with shipments going directly to health care providers and local public health departments. The city of Chicago is due to receive roughly 48,000 Moderna doses this week, Pritzker said.
The governor said an Illinois panel unanimously endorsed the Moderna vaccine after the federal Food and Drug Administration gave its approval last week.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the weekend issued additional guidance on groups getting top priority for the vaccine after health care workers and long-term care facility residents have had a chance to be immunized.
The guidance suggests that people aged 75 and older and “front line essential workers,” which includes U.S. Postal Service workers, corrections workers, transit workers and first responders, should be included in a Phase 1b for vaccine distribution.
A third subphase would include people 65 and older, people with high-risk health conditions and other essential workers ranging from food service to water and wastewater workers.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is reviewing those recommendations “in the context of Illinois data,” Pritzker said, adding that state officials will give more details about Illinois’ future vaccination phases in the new year.
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The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association and two unions that represent hospitality workers sent a letter to Pritzker, the state Department of Public Health and Illinois’ Congressional delegation this week requesting that hospitality workers be included in Phase 1b for vaccine distribution, as “critical workers in high-risk settings.”
“With hotels and other travel facilities deemed as essential businesses from the onset of the pandemic, hospitality workers have continued to serve on the front lines of our businesses, which naturally increases their potential exposure to COVID-19,” the letter states. “Several hotels have even partnered with state and local governments to house patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as other vulnerable populations.”
With Christmas two days away, the state’s top public health official, state Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, renewed her plea for people to celebrate holidays with the “safest option,” gathering only with those in the same household.
“I know it sounds crazy to ask that yet again, and I know that some of you will, and I know that some of you won’t or can’t,” Ezike said. “And for those of you, I ask you to think of additional safety measures that you can employ as you travel, as you gather, that can make the visit somewhat safer than the safest option.”
The state on Wednesday announced 6,762 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 135 more deaths, raising the known case count to 918,070 known cases and a death toll of 15,547 throughout the pandemic.
The new cases reported Wednesday came out of a batch of 82,328 tests conducted over the previous 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a share of tests was 7.5% for the period that ended Tuesday.
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As of Tuesday night, 4,593 people statewide were in the hospital with COVID-19, with 953 patients in intensive care units and 536 on ventilators.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


The Great Lakes

As the coronavirus began to menace the region in March , most Chicago-area residents took refuge inside their houses to follow the governor ’ s stay-at-home order .
Tribune photographers , as they always do , stayed on the job .
Risking their personal safety and relying upon unparalleled creativity to follow public health guidelines , they documented a year unlike any in a century .
They stepped into intensive care units where COVID-19 patients were taking their last breaths , captured the calls for social justice sparked by police killings of unarmed Black men and conveyed the anxiety over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work showed how these extraordinary events influenced our lives .
We hope the work has been fair , a broad-yet-intimate reflection of the diversity of the Chicago area .
We hope our annual Pictures of Year edition serves as a visual reminder of a rapidly changing year .
When life moves so fast , we often forget , and these images reflect the range of emotions we just lived through .
It also a platform for acknowledging the talent and dedication of Tribune photographers , and all photojournalists , in a year we @ @ @ @ @


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: More than 100,000 in Illinois vaccinated as 6,762 new COVID-19 case

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: More than 100,000 in Illinois vaccinated as 6,762 new COVID-19 cases and 135 additional deaths reported Wednesday

The first party citation was a response to a complaint at 409 W. Huron St. A task force made up @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Buildings arrived at the location at 12:20 a.m. Sunday and found about @ @ @ @ @ floor who were not social distancing or masking .
The establishment was also charging $ @ @ @ @ @ serving alcohol and had a DJ as entertainment .
The establishment was cited for violating @ @ @ @ @ activity , and it was closed for hazardous and dangerous conditions by the Department of @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
More than 100,000 people in Illinois had been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday night, and hundreds of thousands more doses are being shipped to the state during its second week of a mass vaccination effort, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday.
The announce came after Illinois public health officials Wednesday announced 6,762 new and probable cases of COVID-19. The total number of known infections in Illinois was 918,070 since March. The state also announced 135 additional fatalities, bringing the statewide death toll to 15,547 since the start of the pandemic.
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Meanwhile, the bipartisan $900 billion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress was thrown into doubt after a video tweeted late Tuesday night by President Donald Trump. Trump railed against items in the bill and urged lawmakers to increase direct payments for most Americans from $600 to $2,000, the Associated Press reported.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Trump in a tweet to “sign the bill to keep government open!” She wrote in a letter to colleagues “the entire country knows that it is urgent for the President to sign this bill.”
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Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
3:55 p.m.: More people staying home for the holidays, but air travel still the highest it’s been since early days of pandemic
Charlette San Juan has no second thoughts about spending Christmas alone this year.
With COVID-19 still a global health threat, the 26-year-old arts management student at Columbia College Chicago made the decision weeks ago to stay home alone instead of traveling to the Philippines to be with her family.
She plans to spend Christmas Eve cooking her own Nochebuena feast, a revered holiday tradition in the Philippines and Latin American cultures. It won’t be the same as the 50- to 60-person gatherings she typically celebrates, but she’s comforted knowing she’s “helping a lot of people” by staying in Chicago.
“That’s a hard adjustment having to spend it alone this year,” San Juan said. “My mom has been constantly messaging me every day if I’m fine, if I’m OK, because I told her I’m sad about this. But I am fine — I just know that this is for the best.”
With health officials repeatedly warning against family gatherings during the end-of-year holidays, experts say the number of Americans traveling will be the smallest since 2002 and will end an 11-year streak of consecutive growth.
Read more here. —Kelli Smith
1:30 p.m.: More than 100,000 in Illinois vaccinated against COVID-19 so far
More than 100,000 people in Illinois had been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday night, and hundreds of thousands more doses are being shipped to the state during its second week of a mass vaccination effort, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday.
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The state has received 23,400 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, while the city of Chicago, which gets its own shipments, has received 15,600 doses. Another 37,050 Pfizer doses are being administered to long-term care facility residents outside of Chicago.
The state on Wednesday started receiving the Moderna vaccine. The company is the second drugmaker to receive federal approval for its COVID-19 vaccine.
Pritzker said the state is expecting to receive 174,600 Moderna doses Wednesday and Thursday outside of Chicago, while the city will receive roughly 48,000 doses. Those shipments are going directly to health care providers and local health departments, as the vaccine does not have the same ultra cold storage requirements as the Pfizer vaccine.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
12:08 p.m.: 6,762 new and probable cases of COVID-19, 135 additional deaths reported
Illinois public health officials Wednesday announced 6,762 new and probable cases of COVID-19. The total number of known infections in Illinois was 918,070 since March. The state also announced 135 additional fatalities, bringing the statewide death toll to 15,547 since the start of the pandemic.
There were 82,328 tests reported in the previous 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 9%.
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10:46 a.m.: Indiana nursing home COVID-19 vaccinations to start Dec. 28
CVS said it will start COVID-19 vaccinations at nearly 1,000 Indiana skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities on Monday.
The plan is to inoculate up to 140,000 people, spokesman Charlie Rice-Minoso said.
The COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna require two doses, either 21 or 28 days apart. Pharmacists will visit each nursing home three times to give an initial and booster shot to residents and staff. It plans to finish vaccination efforts within three months, he said.
The pharmacy chain plans to offer COVID-19 vaccines at its locations to the public by appointment at a later date, it said. It would have capacity for 20-25 million shots per month.
Walgreens also said recently it plans to roll out vaccines in nursing homes to the bulk of states Monday. Both chains have started vaccinations at select nursing homes in about a dozen other states last week.
Read more here. —Meredith Colias Pete
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10:33 a.m.: Retailers expand options for returns as they brace for avalanche of unwanted gifts
Retailers and shipping companies have struggled to get shoppers’ holiday gifts delivered on time. Now, they’re gearing up for what’s expected to be a brutal season for unwanted goods headed back in their direction.
Following a coronavirus pandemic-fueled surge in online sales, up to $70.5 billion worth of online holiday purchases are expected to be returned, up from $42 billion last year, according to a forecast from commercial real estate brokerage CBRE.
Many retailers that encouraged people to start their holiday shopping early extended return deadlines this holiday season, which may help spread out the returns. Some merchants also are trying to make it less of a hassle to get rid of unwanted items and get a refund. . Still, returns aren’t as seamless as clicking “buy” online or contact-free options like sitting in the car and having an employee put purchases in the trunk.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
10:00 a.m.: 5 restaurants and bars cited, 2 parties shut down for coronavirus violations
Six Chicago businesses, including five restaurants and bars, with notable names like Wood and Labriola, were cited by Chicago’s Department of Business and Consumer Protection for violating COVID-19 safety guidelines last weekend. In addition, two illegal parties, both with more than 50 guests, were shut down by the department.
The first party citation was a response to a complaint at 409 W. Huron St. A task force made up of police, firefighters and the Department of Buildings arrived at the location at 12:20 a.m. Sunday and found about 66 people on the fourth floor who were not social distancing or masking. The establishment was also charging $100 at the door, serving alcohol and had a DJ as entertainment. The establishment was cited for violating COVID-19 rules and for unlicensed activity, and it was closed for hazardous and dangerous conditions by the Department of Buildings.
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Another party was found early Sunday morning at a residential apartment at 107 W. Hubbard St. where about 83 people were found not social distancing or masking. Guests were also charged an entrance fee and there also was a DJ. The person who was leasing the apartment was cited by both BACP, for violating COVID-19 rules and for unlicensed activity, and the Department of Buildings, for hazardous and dangerous conditions.
Read more here. —Grace Wong
Lindsey Gradone, a nurse practitioner, and Blair Bobier, a stem cell transplant nurse, kept journals to document their time working with COVID-19 patients. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
9:10 a.m.: Chicago nurses who treated COVID-19 patients have been journaling their experiences
A dying man grabbing a nurse’s wrist, asking if God could save him. A patient celebrating a birthday, delighted to find out her nurse also had a birthday that week. A man with his mask on his chin at a Walgreens.
These moments are etched into the memories of two Chicago nurses who treated COVID-19 patients this year. And it has been a year like no other.
Knowing she would want a record of what she experienced, Northwestern Memorial Hospital nurse Blair Bobier, 30, began keeping a journal. Lindsey Gradone, 34, a Northwestern nurse practitioner in the COVID-19 intensive care unit, felt the same and thought of how her family treasures her grandfather’s journal chronicling World War II, so she started her own.
In the beginning, the journal entries referenced a “novel coronavirus,” and recounted the stockpiling of toilet paper and how an entire floor was secured for virus patients. In March, Gradone wrote, “Within the past few weeks it’s started to spread globally.”
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Read more here. —Alison Bowen
7:55 a.m.: Michigan to allow thousands on food aid to use benefits at restaurants
Michigan residents who receive food assistance from the state can use their benefits at restaurants, officials said Tuesday.
The program could give a boost to restaurants that are prohibited from offering indoor dining because of coronavirus restrictions imposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration.
More than 300,000 people will soon be able to use their Bridge Card to buy discounted meals at restaurants, including 1,200 people who are experiencing homelessness, the health department said.
Those eligible include people over 60 and people with a disability.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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6:45 a.m.: US population growth smallest in at least 120 years, with Illinois behind only New York in percentage of population decline
The U.S. population grew by the smallest rate in at least 120 years from 2019 to 2020, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau—a trend that demographers say provides a glimpse of the coronavirus pandemic’s toll.
Population growth in the U.S. already was stagnant over the past several years because of immigration restrictions and a dip in fertility, but coronavirus-related deaths exacerbated that lethargic-growth trend, said William Frey, a senior fellow at The Brooking Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.
”I think it’s a first glimpse of where we may be heading as far as low population growth,” Frey said. “It’s telling you that this is having an impact on population.”
The U.S. population grew by 0.35% from July 2019 to July 2020, an increase of 1.1 million people in a nation whose estimated population in July was more than 329 million residents, according to Census Bureau estimates.
New York—the pandemic’s epicenter in the spring—had the nation’s biggest decline, losing an estimated 126,000 residents, or a dip of 0.65%. The Empire State has been losing residents since 2016, but the drop from 2019 to 2020 was significantly larger than in years past.
New York’s population decline was followed by Illinois, with a 0.63% drop; Hawaii, with a 0.61% decline; West Virginia, with a 0.58% drop; and Mississippi, with a 0.38% decline.
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An analysis by Frey shows that it’s the smallest increase this century and smaller than any in the last century as well. At the height of the Spanish flu, the growth rate from 1918 to 1919 was 0.49%—even with U.S. troops abroad during World War I. Read more here. — Mike Schneider, Associated Press
6 a.m.: ‘He meant everything’: The profound legacy of a small-town swim coach felled by COVID-19
Tom Burek, a retired Illinois State Police lieutenant and longtime swim coach in western Illinois, died Dec. 12 after a 42-day struggle with COVID-19. He was 62.
His death was met by a flood of reminiscences from his swimmers, who recalled his bullhorn voice, abundant catchphrases and enthusiasm that didn’t ride on an athlete’s talent.
“You knew he watched your race,” said Shayne Stone, a former Monmouth College swimmer. “It didn’t matter if you came in first or last, he paid attention to you.”
Tom Burek, a swim coach who died recently after a long battle with COVID-19. (Monmouth College photo)
COVID-19 is rampaging through rural Illinois, with case rates in some areas spiking much higher than anything seen around Chicago. In Knox County, where Burek lived, the trend line of positive tests rose gradually until October, when it shot skyward like the Himalayas. Almost all of its 87 fatalities have come since then.
Burek’s death is a reminder of COVID’s capricious nature. His family said he wore a mask diligently, had no underlying health conditions and was fit enough to run for miles in the blistering heat of summer.
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But it also summons thoughts of how profound a life in coaching can be, and how it can extend far beyond the arena. Burek’s swimmers say he built their confidence, shaped their characters and taught lessons to sustain them long after their competitive days ended.
Read more here. —John Keilman
The Lopez family home on Logan Boulevard in the Logan Square neighborhood on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
5 a.m.: Beloved Logan Square Christmas House shines on, a year after the death of its creator, Frank Lopez
For 35 years, Chicago businessman Frank Lopez made Christmas brighter, first for his neighbors, then the whole city.
His stately Logan Square Victorian, known to locals as the Christmas House, gleamed with thousands of lights. There were sparkling life-size reindeer and shiny red poinsettias as big as your head, as well as the usual Santas, candy canes and stars, and eye-popping signature pieces: a shimmering Eiffel Tower, an ice-blue Ferris wheel that actually rotated.
With Lopez’s death in November 2019, at age 85, fans feared the show was over.
But the Christmas House is back in all its glory for 2020, with a neighbor crediting Lopez’s daughter, Francesca “Peggy” Lopez, a certified public accountant who lives in Mexico with her family.
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“It’s wonderful. I’m so happy,” said John Parizek, a retired systems analyst who lives down the block. “If it doesn’t happen after this year, that would sort of be OK. But this year was so important, with all the craziness with the virus, and just not being able to be outside much or be in public.”
Read more here. — Nara Schoenberg
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
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chicagotribune--2020-12-23--More people staying home for the holidays, but air travel still the highest it’s been since early da

More people staying home for the holidays, but air travel still the highest it’s been since early days of pandemic

“ That ’ s a hard adjustment having to spend it alone this year , ” San Juan said .
@ @ @ @ @ constantly messaging me every day if I ’ m fine , if I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ her I ’ m sad about this .
But I am fine — I just @ @ @ @ @ the best .
”

Laura and Jose Sierra pack their dog Leo before their flight to New York from O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 23, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Charlette San Juan has no second thoughts about spending Christmas alone this year.
With COVID-19 still a global health threat, the 26-year-old arts management student at Columbia College Chicago made the decision weeks ago to stay home alone instead of traveling to the Philippines to be with her family.
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She plans to spend Christmas Eve cooking her own Nochebuena feast, a revered holiday tradition in the Philippines and Latin American cultures. It won’t be the same as the 50- to 60-person gatherings she typically celebrates, but she’s comforted knowing she’s “helping a lot of people” by staying in Chicago.
“That’s a hard adjustment having to spend it alone this year,” San Juan said. “My mom has been constantly messaging me every day if I’m fine, if I’m OK, because I told her I’m sad about this. But I am fine — I just know that this is for the best.”
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With health officials repeatedly warning against family gatherings during the end-of-year holidays, experts say the number of Americans traveling will be the smallest since 2002 and will end an 11-year streak of consecutive growth.
Natasha, right, and Rick Crowley, left, with their children Taylor, 15, from second right, Avery, 4, and Lenier, 5, arrive for a flight to Miami at O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 23, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The AAA predicts up to 84.5 million Americans will be traveling from Dec. 23 through Jan. 3, a decrease of about 29% compared with 2019 estimates.
In Illinois, about 4.2 million people are expected to travel, compared with last year’s estimate of 6.1 million. AAA estimates about 140,000 people in Illinois will travel by plane, meaning about 96% of travelers are expected to hit the road instead.
The same goes across the country, with forecasts showing only about 2.94 million Americans traveling by plane. “People at this time are still a little nervous about getting on a plane,” said Molly Hart, a spokesperson for AAA.
But there are still enough people to clog the airports.
Midway Airport drew large crowds and long lines of travelers Sunday morning at check-in areas and security. People also reported long lines at O’Hare International Airport as the holidays neared — typical sights in a normal year, but not so much during the pandemic.
Empty roads lead to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Dec. 23, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Transportation Security Administration this weekend screened more than 1 million people for three consecutive days in the United States for the first time since early March. Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Matt McGrath acknowledged passenger traffic was increasing, but said it was still below past years.
“We’re seeing some uptick relative to recent traffic, but still far below what’s normal for this time of year,” McGrath said. “The situation is too unpredictable for meaningful projections this year, but it’s safe to say passenger volumes will be considerably below normal.”
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Overall, traffic and airline travel is expected to be higher for the year-end holidays than it was for Thanksgiving, when the crowds moving through O’Hare and Midway were forecast to be about 60%-70% smaller than last year.
Veronica Mesa, left, her granddaughter Galilea, 3 and husband, Miguel Dominguez, wait for their flight to Minneapolis from O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 23, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Travel predictions for the end of the year have alarmed health officials, who noted an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the weeks after Thanksgiving.
Before Thanksgiving, state public health officials and medical experts urged residents to skip family gatherings to prevent COVID-19 transmission. But even with those advisories, Chicago still experienced “a bump in COVID cases and positivity” related to the holiday, according to Chicago health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
Heading into what she called “some of our busiest holiday time,” Arwady is again pressing residents to “take COVID seriously” and stay home for the holidays.
“You should be thinking about other ways to celebrate these holidays,” Arwady said Tuesday at a news conference. “I know how hard this is, but all we are looking for here is getting through what is going to be a really difficult next few weeks.”
With uncertain weather and the lingering risk of COVID-19, Hart with AAA advised travelers to think ahead before hitting the road or flying out of cities. She said drivers should keep cold-weather gear and an emergency kit in their cars to stay safe on the road, and all travelers should heed public health guidelines.
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“People also need to take into consideration quarantine going from different states,” Hart said. “We urge and encourage people to follow through on the recommendations.”
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--Column: In some neighborhoods, Santa is a volunteer kids see every day

As soon as she arrived at the festivities , Anyah spotted the shiny bicycles parked in a row on the @ @ @ @ @ There was a helmet in front of each and a bike light .
And to @ @ @ @ @ boxes of gift bags full of goodies .

Anyah Smith, 3, clutches her new book, "Merry Christmas, Curious George," while attending a community Christmas celebration outside of Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood on Dec. 19, 2020. A free book giveaway was part of the event. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Santa isn’t always a jolly old man in a red velvet suit. He doesn’t land on every rooftop in a gift-laden sleigh, driven by nine reindeer, one with a shiny red nose.
In some neighborhoods, Santa has a more familiar face. He or she is the minister, the social worker, the police officer, the teacher and the community volunteers whom children interact with every day. At Christmastime, they play a dual role.
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The week before Christmas, volunteers were out in full force in North Lawndale. They worked late into the night for days, preparing the community for an illuminating show no one had seen before.
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Columns are opinion content that reflect the views of the writers.
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They strung sparkling white lights around the trunks of trees along West Douglas Boulevard and erected Christmas trees with shiny silver and gold balls.
From her apartment building across the street, Anyah Smith can see the statue and fountain in Independence Square. Most of the time, that’s no big deal for a 3-year-old. But this year is different.
The fountain, a landmark in North Lawndale, is all lit up. Christmas lights flicker around the wrought iron fence. The cement structure is adorned with wreaths and surrounded by small Christmas trees.
A miniature Christmas village is on display with holiday lights during a community Christmas celebration outside of Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood on Dec. 19, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
The youngster has never seen her neighborhood so festive. Never in this West Side community has West Douglas Boulevard looked so much like Christmas.
On Saturday, residents gathered on the lawn of Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church, wearing masks and social distancing as much as they could, to celebrate Christmas in a way that perhaps is more significant this year than ever before.
This neighborhood is one of the poorest in the city, and COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact, both medically and economically. The pandemic has compounded the social problems that have long plagued the community.
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West Douglas Boulevard is too often the scene of a shooting or a killing. The sound of gunfire and sirens are familiar. But on this night, children moved around freely like all children should, as if there were not a worry in the world.
A block that had been dark and drab for much too long was full of light.
There was a time decades ago, according to Princess Shaw, a lifelong North Lawndale resident, when the green space around the fountain was so safe that residents sometimes slept there overnight. Or so her now-deceased grandparents once told her.
She has never seen her neighborhood that way. So this year, she decided it was time to change the narrative of West Douglas Boulevard.
“We wanted to make it something better,” said Shaw, 38. “When you go downtown and see the lights, you say, ‘OK, Christmas is here.’ But from what we see in here, Christmas is just another day. The lights represent bringing light back to Lawndale.”
Her Light Up Lawndale GoFundMe campaign raised $2,650. Toys and other gift donations came in from organizations across the city.
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And the residents were grateful.
As soon as she arrived at the festivities, Anyah spotted the shiny bicycles parked in a row on the steps of the church. There was a helmet in front of each and a bike light. And to the side, there were boxes of gift bags full of goodies.
There was a table filled with books, everything from Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat” for toddlers to “The Hunger Games” for the older kids. Anyah managed to snag “Merry Christmas, Curious George.”
But the pink Schwinn bicycle with the white seat and fenders is what really caught her eye. She and her grandmother were lucky to have arrived early enough to get a token that could be redeemed for one of the bikes.
Bicycles are lined up as children with tokens approach to claim their new gifts during a community Christmas celebration outside of Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood on Dec. 19, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
The bikes were refurbished, but they looked brand-new. The problem, though, was that there were only 28 of them, not nearly enough for all of the children who wanted one.
If not for Shaw and Stone Temple’s first lady, Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick, Anyah and her two younger siblings might have awakened on Christmas morning to much less.
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Times have been tough, said her grandmother, Debra Lee, 57. Over the course of the pandemic, their electricity was turned off and she has struggled to pay the rent.
But on this evening, there was nothing but joy — even when the bikes ran out.
Four-year-old Uriah Hughes Jr. was hoping to take the Red Flyer home, but it was already spoken for. His disappointment dwindled, though, when he saw that the gift bags contained an “Incredibles” action figure, which was also on his list for Santa.
His mom, Shalethia Russell, 30, told him not to worry about the bike. She didn’t promise that he’d wake up to one on Christmas morning, but she is doing everything in her power to make sure that her four children don’t go lacking.
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She works two jobs, one part time and the other full time. “I’m used to making ends meet,” she said.
Lots of people in North Lawndale are used to doing whatever it takes to make sure their children don’t go lacking. But when they need a little help, Santas like Shaw and Fitzpatrick help fill the gap.
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“This is about bringing back the holiday spirit into the community,” said Fitzpatrick. “We wanted to partner with our community and have some sense of unity.”
But for the children, it’s much more than that.
It’s about waking up on Christmas morning to a bicycle, a book or an “Incredibles” action figure, and believing in the magic that the holiday brings.
dglanton@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @dahleeng


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--Great Lakes advocates look to Biden administration to take on climate change: ‘A breath of fresh air

Great Lakes advocates look to Biden administration to take on climate change: ‘A breath of fresh air’

“ I would never claim that it is a perfect agreement , but the reason I would say that is @ @ @ @ @ says .
I would say it ’ s because it doesn ’ t go far @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The costs to our society are much greater from not doing something than @ @ @ @ @ this and say , OK , as a society we have to deal with the @ @ @ @ @ transportation-related emissions , yes , they might have some negative impacts on our economy in @ @ @ @ @ in the long run , we can build a stronger economy because we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ ”

Wells, Gus, and Eloise, play on the beach at the Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton, Indiana, May 15, 2020. Their mothers Kelly Cecil and Emily McNeive made a trip from Wilmette to visit the only open beach. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
With the Earth on track to finish out another year among the warmest on record and the impact of climate change mounting around the globe, advocates around the Great Lakes are looking ahead to what a new administration could mean for the Midwest, the region containing one of the world’s largest freshwater sources.
Much is at stake when it comes to the Great Lakes region. Warming temperatures and more precipitation can mean more flooding. Shoreline protections are up against rising lake levels and million-dollar damage storms. Invasive species threaten to upend ecosystems and toxic algae blooms are intensifying. Human health is at risk if water quality takes a hit.
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And yet, Great Lakes advocates say there are reasons for hope.
“This is not shades of gray,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center. “After four years of the Trump administration seeking to roll back more than 100 environmental and public health safeguards, the Biden-Harris administration is a breath of fresh air for those of us who care about protecting the environment.”
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High water levels from Lake Michigan flood the lakefront trail south of Chess Pavilion on North Avenue Beach in Chicago on June 16, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
One of the first signs of change is likely to come with the rejoining of the Paris climate accord, which aims to curb warming below 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times, and ideally under 1.5 degrees Celsius — the threshold believed to stave off catastrophe.
Almost all countries have signed on to the agreement. The U.S. formally left the agreement this year after years of President Donald Trump criticizing the pact. President-elect Joe Biden pledged this month to rejoin on day one of his presidency.
Biden also pledged to convene world leaders for a climate summit in his first 100 days. The Biden campaign has said it will set a target of net zero emissions by 2050.
“We should never have left it in the first place,” said Don Wuebbles, a University of Illinois professor of atmospheric sciences who served as a White House science adviser, about the accord.
“I would never claim that it is a perfect agreement, but the reason I would say that is not what the existing administration says. I would say it’s because it doesn’t go far enough,” Wuebbles said. “The costs to our society are much greater from not doing something than it would be to tackle this and say, OK, as a society we have to deal with the fact that these energy and transportation-related emissions, yes, they might have some negative impacts on our economy in the short run. But in the long run, we can build a stronger economy because we’ve done something about it.”
As Biden’s climate team comes together, some also expect a shift among federal agencies toward reemphasizing climate change.
That includes getting “back to basics” with staffing, budget and enforcement capacity at the Environmental Protection Agency, said Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
Brammeier said he also hopes to see the administration prioritize investment in water infrastructure.
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“Both Chicagoans and the communities around Chicago have some of the most outmoded, outdated, crumbling water infrastructure in the country,” Brammeier said. “So that needs to be fixed, it needs to be upgraded, it needs to be replaced. And cities, suburbs have varying abilities to do that on their own. Frankly, most of them don’t have the ability to do everything that’s needed on their own.”
Jim Angel, the state’s former climatologist, said the region could certainly benefit from more resources.
“For example, more investment in green infrastructure so we can handle these rainfall events that cause so much flooding and cause so much damage,” Angel said. “We can have structures that can reduce that flooding, as well as reduce the impacts on water quality.”
Advocates have their eye on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a program from federal agencies that funds coastal restoration and cleanup projects. The Trump administration sought to cut funding by 90% and then the president later falsely claimed he was restoring funding for the program, which has generally had strong bipartisan support and was safeguarded by Congress.
National Park Service employees work on emergency erosion control at Lake View Beach in Beverly Shores, Indiana, on Feb. 12, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Congress authorized the program for another five years, calling for annual funding to increase from $300 million to $475 million by 2026.
“When it comes to protecting the Great Lakes and protecting safe, clean drinking water, here in the Midwest, that’s not a partisan issue,” Learner said.
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Now, the incoming administration can reaffirm its commitment to the initiative, Brammeier said. “I think this administration has a real opportunity to put its stamp on that through the lenses of environmental justice and climate change and make sure that it’s addressing the most urgent priorities for the Great Lakes across the region.”
Kristin Murphy, government affairs associate at Audubon Great Lakes, said the initiative is essential to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes.
“And that increased funding will be super crucial,” Murphy said. “It just means we can do more, including protecting habitat, protecting clean drinking water, controlling invasive species, among so many other things.”
Audubon Great Lakes is also looking to the Biden administration to help protect wildlife, especially with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, threatened during the Trump administration.
“We’ve seen a huge loss of birds, not only in our region but across the United States,” Murphy said. “We know that they’re an indicator species for what’s happening to the environment, so if they’re in trouble, so are we.”
Funding for the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, headed by the U.S. Army Corps, is a wish list item. The study would search for vulnerable areas along Great Lakes’ coasts.
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“And that’s of course top of mind for some communities right now because of the extreme water levels in the Great Lakes,” Brammeier said.
A report reevaluating Chicago’s shoreline could also come into play.
One long-term project likely to be watched closely is the cleanup of contaminated Superfund sites, some of which are susceptible to flooding.
“That’s not something that can be done by the new administration on day one but we believe that it’s a matter of basic civil rights, that people should not have to live in communities with toxic threats,” Learner said. “And one challenge for the incoming administration will be to find ways to accelerate the cleanups of the old toxic sites that are located around the industrial Midwest.”
Regardless of what happens next with the national approach to climate change, there are already tangible effects, said Trent Ford, the state’s climatologist.
“It’s impactful environmentally, it’s impactful economically, it’s impactful through our health,” Ford said. “As far as being impactful to the Great Lakes region, climate change is impactful right now.”
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mgreene@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--Holiday travelers arrive to O'Hare airport


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--Read the lawsuit filed against Chicago, police officers in Brickyard Mall arrest

Mia Wright , whose arrest May 31 , 2020 , outside Brickyard Mall was caught on camera , leading to @ @ @ @ @ duty as officials investigated , filed a lawsuit Dec. 23 , 2020 , along with @ @ @ @ @ they were attacked by police that day .
Read the full story here .

Mia Wright, whose arrest May 31, 2020, outside Brickyard Mall was caught on camera, leading to two officers being relieved of duty as officials investigated, filed a lawsuit Dec. 23, 2020, along with other family members who say they were attacked by police that day. Read the full story here.


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--Federal lawsuit filed by woman who claims Chicago police dragged her from car by her hair and placed

Federal lawsuit filed by woman who claims Chicago police dragged her from car by her hair and placed knee on her neck

“ After being dragged to the ground , and while stationary on the ground with her hands spread out , @ @ @ @ @ on top of Ms. Wright and is captured on video pressing his knee and the @ @ @ @ @ the back of her neck , ” the suit states .
“ During this attack @ @ @ @ @ breathe and was in paralyzing fear as her face and neck were smashed against the @ @ @ @

A woman who says Chicago police officers pulled her from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck at the Brickyard Mall has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming her civil rights were violated and citing similar complaints from people who participated in protests in the city this past summer.
“The summer months of 2020 demonstrate clearly that Chicago police had an implied or explicit custom and practice to use unjustified excessive force at large gatherings,” states the complaint by Mia Wright, who says the confrontation at the mall left her blind in one eye from flying glass.
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The incident — caught on video — happened during days of unrest in Chicago and across the country following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, who died after an officer placed his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Police said they were responding to reports of looting at the mall when they came across a car containing Wright and others. Officers said they suspected the people in the car were “assembled for the purpose of using force or violence to disturb the peace.”
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Mia Wright, center, with her cousin Tnika Tate, right, and Wright's mother, Kim Woods, on June 3, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
But Wright, 25, has said she had gone to the mall with family and friends to shop for a birthday party and did not realize it had been closed because of the unrest. In her lawsuit, Wright said she and her friends and relatives started following other cars being directed by police out of the parking lot.
The lawsuit says video shot from a following car shows two Chicago police officers huddling and talking before walking to Wright’s car and “dragging Mia Wright out of the car and onto the ground by her braided hair for at least a few feet while other officers hurled profanities at her.”
“After being dragged to the ground, and while stationary on the ground with her hands spread out, another unknown Chicago officer came on top of Ms. Wright and is captured on video pressing his knee and the weight of his body on the back of her neck,” the suit states. “During this attack, Mia Wright could not breathe and was in paralyzing fear as her face and neck were smashed against the concrete ground.”
The lawsuit argues that the officers had no reason to wrestle Wright to the ground and accuses them of “a vicious ambush on the plaintiffs, designed to instill maximum fear and trauma and with the intended goal of causing chaos and mayhem.”
Tnika Tate, 39, said she was driving with friends and relatives May 31, 2020, when Chicago police pulled over her car, broke the car windows and searched the group. Tate said an officer restrained her cousin Mia Wright by placing a knee on Wright's neck while she was prone on the ground. (James Smith)
The suit contends that the officers then “engaged in a cover-up” by arresting Wright and charging her with disorderly conduct. “A processing sergeant told Mia Wright that she was a “savage b-----,” the lawsuit says.
The charge was later dropped.
The suit cites complaints made in federal court against other Chicago police officers during a summer of protests and unrest that sometimes erupted into looting downtown and across the city. In just one instance in early August, more than 100 people were arrested during overnight vandalism along the Magnificent Mile.
“Numerous members of the public complained of police brutality during this protest period in Chicago,” the lawsuit states.
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The two officers have been relieved of their duties while the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates the case. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office has said it is reviewing Wright’s allegations in collaboration with the FBI.
The city said it had not seen a copy of the lawsuit yet and would have no comment.


chicagotribune--2020-12-23--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 @ @ @ @ @ .
The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or @ @

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--2020-12-23--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 135 new deaths, 6,762 new confirmed and probable cases and 82,328

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 135 new deaths, 6,762 new confirmed and probable cases and 82,328 new test results

Illinois announced 6,762 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Wednesday for a total of 918,070 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 15,547 and 82,328 new test results for a total of 12.69 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.