chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Number of COVID-19 patients getting critical care highest since lat

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Number of COVID-19 patients getting critical care highest since late June

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said many questions remain about the Postal Service ’ s actions , whether the changes @ @ @ @ @ sorting equipment are being reversed , and whether mail delays will continue .
He noted @ @ @ @ @ just about the timely delivery of mail-in ballots , but also about the delivery of @ @ @ @ @ and other items people depend on .

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Cook County is among the 30 counties the Illinois Department of Public Health sounded the alarm about Friday for a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
That’s the largest number of counties that had reached “warning level” since the agency began issuing those weekly reports earlier this summer, and the first time Cook County has been on it. The warning level applies to suburban Cook County and does not apply to the city of Chicago.
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On Friday, state health officials also announced 2,149 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 20 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 229,483 cases, including 7,997 deaths.
However, the official COVID-19 death toll in Illinois may not account for at least 1,000 fatalities — and potentially far more — that could be attributable to the pandemic, according to a Tribune analysis of federal data.
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Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
6:40 p.m.: Layoffs, South Side clinic consolidations planned as Cook County Health grapples with pandemic, ballooning charity care
Cook County Health plans to lay off more employees and close two South Side outpatient clinics, consolidating their operations elsewhere, before the end of the year in an attempt to cut spending during a pandemic that could inflict a projected $187 million budget deficit next year.
Officials announced the potential changes Friday as the health system, which operates Stroger and Provident hospitals, faces a two-front battle against the coronavirus outbreak and the rising burden of charity care, which is uncompensated medical treatment for patients who cannot pay.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
6:15 p.m.: NU announces it won’t have freshmen and sophomores on campus and will close fraternity and sorority houses because of COVID-19
Northwestern University announced late Friday that it will not have freshmen and sophomore students back on campus for the fall term or in residencies, and will keep sorority and fraternity houses closed.
It’s a sharp departure from plans reiterated just earlier this week by Northwestern officials who spoke during a community town hall meeting reiterated their during a community town hall meeting. They said then that the campus would open but with a reduced residence hall capacity and many employees still working from home.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
4:55 p.m.: Stimulus money Cook County formula meant to aid poorer towns could do more harm than good, some Southland mayors say
Some south suburban mayors say a Cook County formula that was intended to give poorer communities such as theirs a bigger share of federal COVID-19 stimulus money actually hurts more than it helps.
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They say it could result in their towns leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table, money they say could greatly help them make up for revenue lost due to the pandemic.
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” said Terry Wells, mayor of Phoenix, as he and other leaders of the Southland Regional Mayoral Black Caucus shared their concerns with the Daily Southtown.
Read more here. —Mike Nolan
3:51 p.m.: After two-week shutdown and drop in new COVID-19 cases, Notre Dame will reopen
The University of Notre Dame’s president announced Friday the school plans to resume in-person classes and activities after tallying fewer daily COVID-19 cases during its temporary shift to remote instruction.
Speaking to the campus community in a video address, the Rev. John Jenkins called the move “a great comeback” and said some in-person classes will start again Wednesday. He cited a dropping positivity rate in testing but also said dozens of disciplinary hearings are scheduled for students who didn’t follow public health protocols.
Read more here. —Kelli Smith
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3:47 p.m.: Tensions rise between college towns and universities as outbreaks emerge among students returning to campus
As more and more schools and businesses around the country get the OK to reopen, college towns are moving in the opposite direction because of too much partying and too many COVID-19 infections among students.
With more than 300 students at the University of Missouri testing positive for the coronavirus and an alarming 44% positivity rate for the surrounding county, the local health director Friday ordered bars to stop serving alcohol at 9 p.m. and close by 10 p.m.
Earlier this week, Iowa’s governor ordered all bars shut down around Iowa University and Iowa State, while the mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, did the same in the hometown of the state’s flagship university.
“What we’re seeing in our violations is they’re coming late at night,” said Stephanie Browning, head of the health department for Columbia, Missouri. “Big groups gathering. They’re not wearing their masks, they’re not social distancing.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
2 p.m.: Elgin restaurant owner charged with fraudulently obtaining $176,000 PPP loan
The owner of an Elgin restaurant was charged in U.S. District Court with fraudulently obtaining a $176,000 paycheck protection loan meant to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic even though she’d abruptly closed the restaurant weeks earlier and terminated all her employees.
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Melissa Turasky, 43, who ran Gifford’s Kitchen and Social restaurant, was charged with bank fraud in a two-count indictment made public Friday.
According to the charges, the popular casual-dining spot in the 2300 block of Bushwood Drive was shuttered in early March — two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the state into lockdown — and Turasky was evicted from the property. By late March, Turasky had terminated all her employees, the indictment said.
Read more here. —Jason Meisner
1:55 p.m.: More Catholic schools delay opening because of COVID-19 cases as teachers at other Chicago-area private schools resist in-person classes
Many Archdiocesan and other private schools have now started their 2020-21 school year, while some teachers and parents continue to raise concerns about the return to in-person classes. In the Chicago area, a much larger proportion of private schools are reopening compared to public schools, which have mostly reverted to remote learning.
A group of parents and teachers, calling themselves Arch Teachers for a Safe Return, continue to demand the Archdiocese move all schools to remote learning, to provide the spread of COVID-19.
“We believe that the archdiocese is putting people in danger,” the Rev. C.J. Hawking, of Arise Chicago, an interfaith workers’ rights group, said in a press conference earlier this month.
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The Archdiocese terminated the contract of a teacher from St. Francis Xavier in Wilmette after she refused to return for in-person classes.
Other non-religious, independent private schools — some with more resources and fewer students than public schools — are also set to reopen for the fall. Some parents with the means to do so are eyeing these schools as an option to send their children back into school buildings, and many parents whose children already attend private school have also said they’re grateful to have the option.
But some educators at those schools area also hoping for an 11th-hour reprieve from in-person classes.
Read more here. —Claire Hao and Sophie Sherry
1:54 p.m.: Illinois exceeds 1.1 million mail-in ballot requests for November election, state may break previous record
More than 1.1 million Illinois voters have requested a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3 general election following a new state law aimed at enhancing vote-by-mail efforts in response to concerns about COVID-19, state election officials said Friday.
The number of applications indicates the state will break its record for voting by mail set two years ago, when 430,000 votes or 9.3% of the total ballots were cast by mail, State Board of Elections officials said. In 2016, 370,000 votes or 6.5% of all ballots were through the mail.
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The 1.1 million figure cited by state elections officials includes 291,874 applications from Chicago, 188,941 from suburban Cook County, 116,031 from DuPage County, 72,489 from Kane County, 26,656 from Lake County, 37,526 from McHenry County and 82,238 from Will County.
Read more here. —Rick Pearson
1:12 p.m.: State adds suburban Cook County to ‘warning level’ status
Cook County is among the 30 counties the Illinois Department of Public Health sounded the alarm about Friday for a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
That’s the largest number of counties that had reached “warning level” since the agency began issuing those weekly reports earlier this summer, and the first time Cook County has been on it. State public health officials said Friday “general transmission of the virus in the community” was on the rise.
Suburban Cook County’s addition to the state’s weekly warning list was triggered by 112 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people, well above the state-set target of staying under 50 new cases per 100,000 people. An increase in the number of deaths, 25 compared with 15 the prior week, was the other factor. The state’s goal is that the number of deaths declines or remains level from week to week.
County officials said the regulations that are in place now for bars and restaurants, fitness centers and other activities will remain consistent, but warned that if the county continues to see a backslide, additional rules may be imposed.
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“The guidance will remain the same for now,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement. “But we are at a crossroads. We need everyone to wear a mask, watch their distance and wash their hands consistently to slow the spread of COVID-19 so we don’t lose the gains we have made.”
The warning level applies to suburban Cook County and does not apply to the city of Chicago.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
1:03 p.m.: Babysitter bidding wars: As Chicago parents shell out $25 per hour, paid vacation and $1,000 signing bonuses during pandemic, ‘wealthiest families win out’
She expected to pay a nanny about $16-$20 an hour to care for one baby in Chicago’s easily accessible Lakeview neighborhood.
But when Hannah, a lawyer who didn’t want to use her last name to protect her family’s privacy, called a nanny search firm in March, she was told that demand was higher than usual, and that she should offer $18-$20.
Then, when interviews began, several nannies quoted rates as high as $25 an hour.
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“We heard a couple of different (explanations),” Hannah said. “One was the market was more competitive and nannies were having several offers on the table. One of my friends who had a couple nannies turn her down was told, ‘I already have other offers.’”
With day care centers closing due to COVID-19, and parents seeking e-learning assistance for their children, nannies and sitters are in high demand, and now there are indications that pay is on the rise. Qualified sitters are getting minimum starting pay of about $18 an hour, up from $16 before COVID-19, according to Tori Ulrich, president of the child care search firm Chicago Super Sitters.
Read more here. —Nara Schoenberg
12:17 p.m.: COVID-19′s true toll in Illinois is likely higher than reported. A closer look at ‘excess deaths’ in 2020.
The Tribune, in its analysis of CDC data, found unusual rises in deaths labeled as flu/pneumonia in the early stages of the pandemic — as early as two weeks before Illinois logged its first official COVID-19 death. Health officials have said it could be easy to mistake COVID-19 for the flu or pneumonia, particularly when testing was scarce and knowledge of the virus limited.
Other possible contributing factors to the state’s overall higher death toll: larger-than-normal numbers of deaths blamed on heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and stroke. Add to that the more publicized jumps in homicides, suicides and fatal drug overdoses in communities that the virus has also hit hard.
Read more here. —Joe Mahr
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12:13 p.m.: Young NWI residents talk life during pandemic, watch peers continue as normal: ‘Many are unaware they’re infected’
Lisa Tanis said when COVID-19 cases began picking up in Northwest Indiana, her doctor told her, then pregnant, that she needed to be cautious.
So she stayed home — and continued staying home.
“We had groceries delivered, didn’t see our friends, and barely even saw our parents,” Tanis, 26, of Dyer, said. “When we did see our parents, it was always outside at a distance.”
Since Tanis’ had her son, Nolan, on July 22 and the state enacted a mask mandate, she said her and her husband, Aaron, 26, have met up with few family members and friends to let them meet him, though they’ve continued limiting the places they go to.
“The only thing I have regularly done is go for walks, which kept me sane,” Tanis, 26, said. “I haven’t eaten at a restaurant except for takeout since February and I’ve only been to the grocery store a handful of times.”
Even though some, like Tanis, are staying home, cases in the area continue.
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Read more here. —Hannah Reed, Post-Tribune
12:09 p.m.: 2,149 new known COVID-19 cases, 20 additional deaths
The state Department of Public Health announced 2,149 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 20 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 229,483 cases, including 7,997 deaths.
—Chicago Tribune staff
12:06 p.m.: Two public relations experts at FDA ousted after blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 error
Two senior public relations experts advising the Food and Drug Administration have been ousted from their positions after fumbled communications about a blood plasma treatment for COVID-19. President Donald Trump and the head of the FDA had erroneously boasted on the eve of the Republican National Convention that the treatment sharply lowered mortality from the disease.
On Friday, the FDA commissioner, Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, removed Emily Miller, the agency’s chief spokeswoman. The White House had installed Miller, who had previously worked in communications for the reelection campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz and as a journalist for One America News, the conservative cable network, in this post just 11 days ago.
Hahn notified senior leadership at the FDA on Friday that Miller would no longer be the official spokeswoman for the agency, and that he would be appointing someone to replace her in an interim capacity. Miller could not be reached for comment.
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Miller’s removal came one day after the FDA’s parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, terminated the contract of a public relations consultant who had advised Hahn to correct misleading comments about the benefits of blood plasma for COVID-19.
Read more here. —The New York Times
10:15 a.m.: With many struggling to buy food during the pandemic, grassroots efforts have stepped up. ‘It’s my motivation to get up in the morning.’
Food insecurity, when people don’t have enough money to buy the food they need to live a healthy life, is projected to affect a record 54 million in the U.S. this year, up from 37 million pre-pandemic, according to the hunger-relief nonprofit Feeding America and Craig Gundersen, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Some fear the need could increase if government assistance fails to come through for those who continue to be out of work because of COVID-19.
Normally, food insecurity in Cook County is about 10%. As a result of the pandemic it is projected to affect 15% of residents — and 20% of children.
There is vast disparity by race. Among Chicago zip codes, the 10 with the highest rates of food insecurity are in neighborhoods that are more than 90% black, according to Gundersen’s analysis . In zip code 60621, which is in Englewood, researchers project food insecurity this year to reach 41%.
Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
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6:30 a.m.: Illinois counties rush to finalize early voting sites amid looming election deadlines, COVID-19 concerns
Illinois election authorities are confronting higher levels of pushback from polling sites wary of hosting this year because of concerns and closures related to COVID-19. With early voting scheduled to begin Oct. 19, and the deadline to finalize sites set for early September, election administrators don’t have much time left.
“It’s been difficult,” McHenry County Clerk Joseph Tirio said. “We have received word from a number of locations — and that changes from day to day — that no longer wish to participate.”
Election authorities can order public buildings or schools in their jurisdiction to host early or Election Day voting, according to state law. Privately-owned sites, however, have more say in whether or not to participate in the election — and many are choosing to withdraw from earlier agreements, primarily because of coronavirus-related health concerns, closures or lack of adequate spacing to accommodate social distancing.
“There’s always a lot of effort that goes into acquiring voting locations and so this year it’s just an even more intense process than usual,” said Adam Johnson, chief deputy of the DuPage County clerk’s office.
Read more here. —Kelli Smith
6:15 a.m.: Judge orders U.S. Postal Service to turn over records on changes
A federal judge in Washington state is giving the Trump administration and the U.S. Postal Service 10 days to turn over records and information about service changes that critics say could undermine mail-in voting in the November election.
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More than 20 states filed lawsuits last week over the changes, including 14 states that sued in U.S. District Court in Yakima.
U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian on Thursday granted the states’ request to speed up discovery in that case. The Justice Department opposed the request, saying that much of the information the states are seeking is already in the public record, including in congressional testimony, and that responding to the states’ requests within 10 days would be burdensome.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said many questions remain about the Postal Service’s actions, whether the changes such as the removal of sorting equipment are being reversed, and whether mail delays will continue. He noted the case isn’t just about the timely delivery of mail-in ballots, but also about the delivery of prescriptions, Social Security benefits and other items people depend on.
Among the information sought by the states is a list of all mail sorting machines identified for decommissioning, including their locations, and whether they will be reinstalled if they have already been decommissioned.
—Associated Press
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Thursday about COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Daywatch: Trump makes case for a 2nd term, inside the Kenosha militia linked to shootings and the be

Daywatch: Trump makes case for a 2nd term, inside the Kenosha militia linked to shootings and the best grab-and-go pizza slices in Chicago

Later in the day , Mathewson , an assault-style rifle visibly strapped around his chest , posted a 15-second clip @ @ @ @ @ courthouse .
That night , police say a civilian with an assault-style weapon shot and @ @ @ @ @ another as armed vigilantes patrolled the streets during yet another violent night of protests following @ @ @ @ @ Blake .

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Good morning, Chicago. Illinois officials announced over 1,700 new known cases of coronavirus Thursday, a day after new restrictions went into effect in Will and Kankakee counties.
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By now, we’ve all gotten used to staying six feet apart while social distancing. But a new report suggests that this may not be far enough away. Here’s what local doctors have to say about it.
And, although 2020 is far from over, cancellations for the new year have started to roll in. McCormick Place lost its largest 2021 convention so far, a sign that the pandemic’s toll on tourism will extend into next year.
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Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
President Donald Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
President Donald Trump accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president on Thursday night, using an elaborate set on the South Lawn of the White House to warn of a radical takeover of America if Democrat Joe Biden is elected.
The event, a critical mixing of partisan politics and government on the lawn of the People’s House, was the culmination of a Republican National Convention held in the shadow of a national pandemic — though few of the 1,500 people in attendance wore masks and sat and cheered Trump with no social distancing.
Here are 7 key takeaways from the RNC’s final night, including Trump believing rhetoric of fear is more powerful than words of hope
RNC fact check: False claims on COVID-19, Black Lives Matter and more on convention’s final night
A man carrying a rifle stands at the perimeter of protesters as they march through downtown Kenosha on Aug. 24, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
After two straight nights of violent unrest, former alderman Kevin Mathewson posted a call to arms on the Facebook page of his fledgling militia group Kenosha Guard. Within about four hours, some 1,000 people responded they were “going” to the Kenosha event. Another 4,000 said they were “interested.”
Later in the day, Mathewson, an assault-style rifle visibly strapped around his chest, posted a 15-second clip of civilians gathered near the courthouse. That night, police say a civilian with an assault-style weapon shot and killed two men and wounded another as armed vigilantes patrolled the streets during yet another violent night of protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Kyle Rittenhouse charged with murder in Kenosha shootings that killed 2; Jacob Blake handcuffed to hospital bed, uncle says
A voter heads in to vote at Orozco Community Academy school in Chicago on March 17, 2020. Election authorities can order public buildings or schools in their jurisdiction to host early or Election Day voting, according to state law. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois election authorities are confronting higher levels of pushback from polling sites wary of hosting this year because of concerns and closures related to COVID-19. With early voting scheduled to begin Oct. 19, and the deadline to finalize sites set for early September, election administrators don’t have much time left.
Registered Nurse Lupe Duran, of Family Christian Health Center, administers a free COVID-19 test outside Apostolic Faith Church, Aug. 26, 2020 in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
A controversial change to national COVID-19 testing guidelines earlier this week has sparked confusion and alarm across the country — but Illinois leaders have denounced the new recommendations, saying they won’t be adopted locally.
Chicago is going through a boom in grab-and-go pizza slices. Some of the best options include, clockwise from upper left, Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream, Paulie Gee’s Logan Square, Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe and Pizza Friendly Pizza. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Something strange has occurred in Chicago over the past few months, food writer Nick Kindelsperger. While the pandemic continues to cripple the local dining scene, restaurants selling pizza slices have blossomed. Oddly, there has never been a better time for the grab-and-go slice in Chicago.


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Column: ’America, America, God sheds His grace on me’: A convention TrumPoem

This is the latest in my occasional series of TrumPoems chronicling the presidency of Donald Trump , based , as @ @ @ @ @ words and actions .

President Donald Trump walks to the stage after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a speech on the third day of the Republican National Convention at Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore on Aug. 26, 2020. (Andrew Harnik / AP)
This is the latest in my occasional series of TrumPoems chronicling the presidency of Donald Trump, based, as always, on his own words and actions.
AMERICA, AMERICA
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A hurricane named Laura
Roared its way across a coast
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While fires in California
Turned the Golden State to toast
And somewhere in Wisconsin
There were looters wild with rage
Thank God I own the White House —
What a grand convention stage.
.
Some said it wasn’t proper
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For my personal campaign
To set up in the White House
For my presidential gain
But I am the Houdini of
All presidential norms
A master at escaping
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From the old routines and forms.
.
The Democrats’ convention
Was a boring show online
They propped up Sleepy Biden
While they did their dance and whine
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Their vision of our country
It was very, let’s say, black
But I am here with light and cheer:
Let’s take our nation back!
.
Joe Biden’s an extremist!
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He’d abolish the police!
He’s also lost his marbles,
And he’s slimier than grease
He’d never ace a mem’ry test,
But me, you bet I can:
Person, woman, camera,
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TV, TV, TV, man!
.
I’m peddling law and order
So the suburbs can stay free
(Unless the law in question might,
You know, apply to me).
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That GOP-led panel that
Implied my Russian ties?
Forget the last election,
That report was full of lies.
.
America, America,
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I feel your daily pain
From anarchy in Portland to
Chicago’s bloody stain
I’ll bring this country’s mayhem
To a quick and brutal halt
And all of it, remember,
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Is Obama’s party’s fault.
.
The cancel cult is running wild!
They’ll take away your speech!
They’ll steal your children’s future
And they’ll tell you what to teach!
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Our suburbs are in danger
From the loony tunes with arms!
Their rifles and their handguns
Are creating evil harms!
.
No, not that nice white couple
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Who aimed guns at BLM —
They spoke at my convention
And their warning, it was grim.
They spoke about the protests
That have terrorized our land
That’s why they grabbed their weapons
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And they took a moral stand!
.
I love these fearful voters,
They’re the kind who think I’m great
They want me as their sheriff
Just like Dick in ’68.
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They’re terrified of Democrats
(They much prefer my con)
And some of them are special fans
Who follow QAnon.
.
They think that I can save them
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From the devil Democrats
From pedophiles and cannibals
From Satan’s lib’rl rats.
I don’t know much about them,
But they love me like a king
And so I’ve gotta love them back —
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The votes that they can bring!
.
America, America,
A great convention week!
You heard it from Americans
Who went onstage to speak
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You heard it from my children
And you heard it from Mike Pence
You heard it from my aide who put
The virus in past tense.
.
The virus came from China
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And we handled it just right
We saved a million lives at least
We won that foreign fight.
You say that deaths keep rising?
Well, I say it’s gone away
Statistics can be liars,
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And that’s all I have to say.
.
For one week I loved immigrants!
The good ones can be great!
I gave a special pardon to
A Black man — see, no hate!
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And women, too, they praised me,
They’re the kind of gals I like
Respectful of the manly men,
The ones like me and Mike.
.
Suburban housewives love me,
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Or at least I’ve heard it said
Unlike the nasty women who
Let fame go to their head
The ones like Whozit Harris,
She’s so angry and so mean
She may not be American
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Yet prances like a queen.
.
And now my week is over
An election’s coming near
I’m not afraid of losing but
There’s one thing you should fear
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The only way I’d lose is with
A postal system fail
And that is why you should be scared
To cast your vote by mail.
.
And in conclusion …
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.
My party’s got no platform
And I haven’t built that wall
Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
My sister trashed me in some tape
And yet I still stand tall.
America, America,
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God sheds His grace on me
For once again I’ve been declared
My party’s nominee.
mschmich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Without another bailout, Exelon plans to close two Illinois nuclear plants next year

“ We have seen these threats before , and this time Exelon ’ s threats will need to be backed @ @ @ @ @ transparent review of their finances — including why the profits of the company as a @ @ @ @ @ operating losses at a few plants , ” Jordan Abudayyeh , the governor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ statement .

With Gov. J.B. Pritzker blocking another round of ratepayer subsidies, ComEd’s parent company said Thursday it plans to close two of the state’s nuclear plants next year.
The announcement by Chicago-based Exelon came a week after Pritzker laid out his principles for moving Illinois toward 100% carbon-free electricity by midcentury, including tougher ethics laws intended to curb ComEd’s influence in Springfield.
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Because nuclear power doesn’t emit heat-trapping pollution, some analysts and scientists think it should be protected in Pritzker’s plans to fight climate change. But plants that rely on splitting atoms to generate electricity are being squeezed financially in energy markets they once dominated.
Without more money from their customers, Exelon executives said, the company will close the Dresden plant in Grundy County and the Byron station southwest of Rockford by the fall of 2021.
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“We recognize this comes as many of our communities are still recovering from the economic and public health impacts of the (COVID-19) pandemic, and we will continue our dialogue with policymakers on ways to prevent these closures,” Exelon CEO Chris Crane said in a statement.
Exelon has made similar threats before. When the company claimed it was losing money from a nuclear plant near the Quad Cities and another outside downstate Clinton, state legislators and then-Gov. Bruce Rauner responded with a law that charges ratepayers $235 million a year to keep them open.
The 2016 bailout is one of several favors scrutinized by federal prosecutors during their ongoing investigation of influence-peddling in the state.
Last month, U.S. Attorney John Lausch accused ComEd of orchestrating a “yearslong bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The company later agreed to pay a $200 million fine.
Exelon, the parent company, reported $9.5 billion in earnings last year. Its six Illinois nuclear plants provided more than half of the electricity generated in the state last year, with Byron and Dresden responsible for about a fifth of the total, according to federal records.
Yet the vast majority of that power ends up in other states, according to records filed by utilities with the Illinois Commerce Commission. ComEd obtained just 34% of its electricity from nuclear plants during the year that ended June 30, 2019.
Howard Learner, executive director of the nonprofit Environmental Law and Policy Center, likened the situation to a game of musical chairs. The state’s power plants generate far more electricity than Illinois homes and businesses need, he noted, leaving providers like Exelon scrambling to keep individual plants viable in a rapidly changing marketplace.
“Their nukes are simply not economical,” Learner said, citing competition from cheap natural gas and a surge of low-cost wind power that is driving down the wholesale cost of electricity.
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Pritzker is taking a hard line with Exelon, pledging he won’t sign an energy bill “written by the utility companies.”
“We have seen these threats before, and this time Exelon’s threats will need to be backed up by a thorough and transparent review of their finances — including why the profits of the company as a whole cannot cover alleged operating losses at a few plants,” Jordan Abudayyeh, the governor’s spokeswoman, said in a statement.
Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, said he will introduce legislation that would force Exelon to sell Byron and Dresden if the company doesn’t back down from plans to close them.
“Independent market monitors believe these plants can be profitable,” Harmon said in a statement. “We owe it to these workers and communities to see if someone else can successfully run these assets.”
The two plants employ more than 1,500 and pay more than $63 million in local taxes, the company said.
Dresden’s pair of reactors, which began generating electricity in the early 1970s, are two of the oldest in the nation. Operating licenses for the units expire in 2029 and 2031.
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The first reactor at Byron is licensed through 2044, the other until 2046. Byron went online during the mid-1980s.
Environment and consumer groups are pushing to gradually phase out nuclear power in Illinois as more renewable energy is developed and industrial-scale batteries become more cost-effective to provide electricity when the wind isn’t blowing or sun isn’t shining.
Other factors affecting the future of the state’s nuclear plants include grid improvements that will carry wind power from the Great Plains into Illinois, and energy efficiency programs that reduce the demand for electricity.
“The governor has made it clear that Illinois needs to fully shift to zero carbon-emission electricity, and nuclear plants are important assets in pursuit of that goal,” said David Kolata, executive director of the nonprofit Citizens Utility Board. “But that doesn’t mean Exelon deserves a blank check.”
mhawthorne@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--‘We’re in uncharted waters:’ Illinois counties rush to finalize early voting sites amid looming elec

‘We’re in uncharted waters:’ Illinois counties rush to finalize early voting sites amid looming election deadlines, COVID-19 concerns

“ College of DuPage gladly served as an early voting location in the primary election and was approached for the @ @ @ @ @ a statement from the college said .
“ Because the college is officially closed to @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , COD is continuing to refrain from external rental requests .
The college takes @ @ @ @ @ for the community very seriously and we look forward to a time when we can @ @ @ @ @ and valued guests back to campus .
”

A voter heads in to vote at Orozco Community Academy school in Chicago on March 17, 2020. Election authorities can order public buildings or schools in their jurisdiction to host early or Election Day voting, according to state law. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois election authorities are confronting higher levels of pushback from polling sites wary of hosting this year because of concerns and closures related to COVID-19. With early voting scheduled to begin Oct. 19, and the deadline to finalize sites set for early September, election administrators don’t have much time left.
“It’s been difficult,” McHenry County Clerk Joseph Tirio said. “We have received word from a number of locations — and that changes from day to day — that no longer wish to participate.”
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Election authorities can order public buildings or schools in their jurisdiction to host early or Election Day voting, according to state law. Privately-owned sites, however, have more say in whether or not to participate in the election — and many are choosing to withdraw from earlier agreements, primarily because of coronavirus-related health concerns, closures or lack of adequate spacing to accommodate social distancing.
“There’s always a lot of effort that goes into acquiring voting locations and so this year it’s just an even more intense process than usual,” said Adam Johnson, chief deputy of the DuPage County clerk’s office.
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Cook County has already unveiled many of its early voting sites for the general election. A large number are schools or public buildings but the process still required “a little bit more work and foreplanning,” said John Mirkovic, the county’s deputy clerk of policy and communications.
“Sometimes we just remind people of that obligation to the taxpayers,” Mirkovic said. “But if it’s a private entity, like a church, it’s certainly their right not to be a polling place.”
The pandemic struck during a nationwide push for more polling places and expanded vote by mail options to reduce in-person voting traffic. Some Illinois counties had planned for and are actively seeking more voting sites than usual, which has required more effort from election authorities seeking places that are willing and expect to remain open despite COVID-19 concerns.
One focal point has been schools, many of which are required to stay accessible and have enough space to allow for social distancing. But some haven’t been as available as they were during the primary election.
The College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn served as an early voting site during the state’s primary election earlier this year. It was approached again for the general election, but this time college officials turned down the request, citing COVID-19 concerns.
“College of DuPage gladly served as an early voting location in the primary election and was approached for the Nov. 3 election,” a statement from the college said. “Because the college is officially closed to the public during the global pandemic, COD is continuing to refrain from external rental requests. The college takes its role as a resource for the community very seriously and we look forward to a time when we can welcome the full COD community and valued guests back to campus.”
The community college isn’t the only site choosing not to participate this year. In Will County, officials from some early voting locales have been raising concerns about health protection and safety supplies, according to Charles Pelkie, chief of staff for the Will County clerk’s office.
“Everyone’s asking good questions,” Pelkie said, adding that Will County has lost two of about 25 early voting sites because of COVID-19. He expects both to “come back on board” after the pandemic ends.
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While early voting has presented its own concerns, for some counties, the challenge of finalizing sites could be more pronounced in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
In Lake County, early voting sites haven’t been as difficult to solidify as those for Election Day, said Todd Govain, chief deputy for the county clerk’s office.
“Election Day was a bit different because we had a range of polling places that are privately owned or senior centers,” Govain said. “So we knew we were going to have to move those polling places to different locations.”
Cook County, too, has had to be more proactive with certain locations, such as nursing homes and senior buildings. County election officials said they can normally count on sites from the primary to be there for the general election, but that hasn’t been the case this year.
“We may not have contacted them as early as in a normal year,” Mirkovic said. “So (we’re) just really starting with, ‘Hey are you with us, hey are you still with us, what are your concerns?’ Just starting from there and building it from scratch.”
To prevent any complications, election officials are urging voters to double-check polling sites this year before going to vote.
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The need for polling places may not be as dire this year given mail-in voting, which is expected to reach record highs. But that method, too, has been scrutinized in recent weeks after President Donald Trump acknowledged he wants to block funds to the U.S. Postal Service to slow down the expected surge of voting by mail.
“This is probably the most politically charged election that we’ve ever had,” Tirio, of McHenry County, said. “And then add to that the pandemic and the things we’re going to try to do to keep people safe and increase vote by mail — a dramatic increase in vote by mail.
“I think I speak for all clerks that this is unlike anything we’ve ever been subject to; we’re in uncharted waters in a number of ways.”
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--President Trump accepts GOP nomination for second term during White House RNC speech, says Biden wil

President Trump accepts GOP nomination for second term during White House RNC speech, says Biden will be ’destroyer of American greatness’

“ We must remember that the overwhelming majority of police officers in this country are noble , courageous and honorable @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement , our police , back their power .
They are afraid to act @ @ @ @ @ lose their pension .
They are afraid to lose their jobs .
And by being @ @ @ @ @ able to do their jobs .
And those who suffer most are the great people @ @ @ @ @ to protect , ” Trump said .

President Donald Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
President Donald Trump accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president on Thursday night, using an elaborate set on the South Lawn of the White House to warn of a radical takeover of America if Democrat Joe Biden is elected.
The event, a critical mixing of partisan politics and government on the lawn of the People’s House, was the culmination of a Republican National Convention held in the shadow of a pandemic — though few of the 1,500 people in attendance wore masks and sat and cheered Trump with no social distancing.
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For Trump, the convention’s conclusion was an attempt to make his case for reelection and to “make America great again” in a post-pandemic world while warning that if elected, the former vice president would be “the destroyer of American greatness.”
“When reelected, the best is yet to come,” Trump said.
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[ Analysis: 7 key takeaways from RNC’s final night, including Trump believing rhetoric of fear is more powerful than words of hope ]
Against a backdrop of the coronavirus, a hurricane that battered the Texas-Louisiana coast and civil strife over the issues of law enforcement’s role amid a push for racial and social justice, Trump restated his commitment for strong policing while warning of the threat of anarchy under Democrats.
“Your vote will decide whether we protect law abiding Americans or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists, agitators and criminals who threaten our citizens. And this election will decide whether we will defend the American way of life or whether we allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy it,” Trump said.
Trump assailed Biden and Democrats at the previous week’s party convention for having “repeatedly assailed America as a land of racial, economic and social injustice.”
“I ask you a very simple question: How can the Democrat Party ask to lead our country when it spends so much time tearing down our country,” he said.
Trump’s comments were the exclamation point of a truncated Republican convention that focused on a theme of law and order, coinciding with civil unrest and later deadly violence following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white Kenosha police officer on Sunday. A 17-year-old alleged vigilante from Antioch, Kyle Rittenhouse, was charged with murder Thursday in the killing of two protesters and attempted murder for wounding a third during a subsequent protest.
President Donald Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)
Echoing a theme of seeking to appeal to voters in suburbs who have been shifting from Republican to Democrat, Trump warned, “If the left gains power, they will demolish the suburbs, confiscate your guns and appoint justices who will wipe away your Second Amendment constitutional freedoms.
“Make no mistake, if you give power to Joe Biden, the radical left will defund police departments all across America,” Trump said. “They will pass federal legislation to reduce law enforcement nationwide. They will make every city look like Democrat-run Portland, Oregon. No one will be safe in Biden’s America.”
In contrast, Trump said, “My administration will always stand with the men and women of law enforcement.”
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Republicans have maintained the civil unrest and violence that erupted in Kenosha and, before that in Chicago and other cities following the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis in May, is due to Democratic governors and mayors.
Republicans looked at the developments in Wisconsin and other cities as a call to restore law and order, chastising Democrats for supporting lawlessness. Democrats have sought to draw a line between peaceful protest and violent unrest and looting, contending Trump has failed to condemn extremism and promoted division and racial strife.
“We must remember that the overwhelming majority of police officers in this country are noble, courageous and honorable. We have to give law enforcement, our police, back their power. They are afraid to act. They are afraid to lose their pension. They are afraid to lose their jobs. And by being afraid, they are not able to do their jobs. And those who suffer most are the great people who they want so desperately to protect,” Trump said.
“When there is police misconduct, the justice system must hold wrongdoers fully and completely accountable, and it will. But what we can never have in America —and must never allow — is mob rule,” he said. “In the strongest possible terms, the Republican Party condemns the rioting, looting, arson and violence we have seen in Democrat-run cities like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and New York.”
Trump contended there was “violence and danger in the streets of many Democrat-run cities throughout America” that could be “easily fixed” by federal intervention.
“We must always have law and order,” the president said. “As long as I am president, I will defend the absolute right of every American citizen to live in security, dignity and peace.”
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Trump said if the Democratic Party wants to “stand with anarchists, agitators, rioters, looters, and flag-burners, that is up to them. But I, as your president, will not be a part of it. The Republican Party will remain the voice of the patriotic heroes who keep America safe.”
Fireworks light up the sky around the Washington Monument after President Donald Trump delivered his acceptance speech at the White House to the 2020 Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
The final night of the convention featured an interesting juxtaposition of messaging over civil unrest.
Ben Carson, Trump’s Housing and Urban Development secretary said, “Our hearts go out to the Blake family and the other families that have been impacted by the tragic events in Kenosha.” Carson said, “History reminds us that necessary change comes through hope and love, not senseless and destructive violence.”
But Carson’s measured message was followed by attacks on Democrats by the head of the largest union in the New York Police Department and former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani, an attorney for Trump.
“The Democrats have walked away from us,” said Pat Lynch, head of the New York City Police Benevolent Association. “They have walked away from police officers and they have walked away from the innocent people we protect. Democratic politicians have surrendered our streets and our institutions.”
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Giuliani accused “Black Lives Matter and antifa” of hijacking peaceful protests and turning them into “vicious brutal riots.”
“Soon protests turned into riots in many other American cities, almost all Democrat. Businesses were burned and crushed. People were beaten, shot and killed. Police officers were routinely assaulted, badly beaten and occasionally murdered. And the police handcuffed by progressive Democrat mayors from doing anything,” Giuliani said.
Trump also contended that killings of African Americans in Democratic-run cities are ignored by Biden and the left. “I never will,” he said.
“Just imagine if the so-called peaceful demonstrators in the streets were in charge of every lever of power in the U.S. government,” he said.
Earlier in the day, speaking at a briefing on Hurricane Laura, Trump restated his call for Democratic leaders to request the National Guard and other federal assistance.
“And we will put out the fire. We will put out the flame. We will put out the vandalism, because the vandalism and the looting is ridiculous to allow this to happen. I don’t know how they can possibly do it and why they do it. I don’t understand, because all they have to do is call,” Trump said.
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But Biden contended it was Trump fueling the racial strife.
“The part that bothers me the most is the idea of just pouring gasoline on the racial flames that are burning now,” Biden said on MSNBC. “That does not justify any of the looting, any of the burning any of the ... damage being done by protesters. But the people have a right to be angry, people have a right to protest.”
Biden said he didn’t believe the divisions in Kenosha were about whether “all folks in that community agree with white supremacists, or blacks in the community agree with some of those folks who are looting.”
“I don’t think that’s what Kenosha is about. I don’t think that’s what Black and white America is about. But that’s what’s being seen now and it has to stop,” he said.
Prior to the start of the convention, Biden spent a half-hour speaking at a virtual fundraiser hosted by the Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association in which he repeated many of his comments from earlier in the day.
Larry Rogers Jr., a partner with Power Rogers LLP and president of the trial lawyers’ group, said Biden was needed “because of the lawless, self-serving conduct and destruction we’re seeing with the current president and administration.”
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rap30@aol.com
Twitter @rap30


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Kyle Rittenhouse charged with murder in Kenosha shootings that killed 2; Jacob Blake handcuffed to h

Kyle Rittenhouse charged with murder in Kenosha shootings that killed 2; Jacob Blake handcuffed to hospital bed, uncle says

The shootings came Tuesday night as civilians armed with rifles inserted themselves into violent demonstrations that raged for three nights @ @ @ @ @ the Wisconsin border .
The protests , clashes with police and fires followed an officer @ @ @ @ @ , a 29-year-old Black man , who according to a video appeared to have had @ @ @ @ @ cop who fired .

From left, Matt Muchowski, Vance Wyatt, and Donald Blake hold signs outside the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Sept. 25, 2020. Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of killing two protesters days after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., faces a hearing to return him to Wisconsin to face trial on homicide charges that could put him in prison for life. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Wisconsin prosecutors have charged Lake County teenager Kyle Rittenhouse with murder and a host of other offenses in a court filing accusing him of fatally shooting two people and wounding a third during violent demonstrations over Sunday’s police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha.
The charges Kenosha County prosecutors filed Thursday evening accuse the 17-year-old from Antioch of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.
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[ Kyle Rittenhouse to stay in Illinois another 30 days as his family seeks private lawyer ]
An intentional homicide charge amounts to a first-degree murder charge in Illinois. The reckless homicide charge amounts to a second-degree murder charge here. If convicted of the first-degree intentional homicide charge as an adult, Rittenhouse could face a life sentence. Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.
The shootings came Tuesday night as civilians armed with rifles inserted themselves into violent demonstrations that raged for three nights in the city just over the Wisconsin border. The protests, clashes with police and fires followed an officer’s shooting of Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, who according to a video appeared to have had his back turned to the cop who fired.
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Rittenhouse was arrested as a fugitive Wednesday in Lake County. He is charged in Wisconsin as an adult. A judge ordered him held without bail at the Lake County juvenile detention facility. A court hearing is scheduled for Friday on whether to extradite him to Wisconsin.
[ Fledgling militia group put out call to arms in Kenosha and 5,000 people responded. Now it’s banned from Facebook after fatal shootings during protests. ]
Records show Rittenhouse has worked as a YMCA lifeguard. His social media postings show that he idolizes police and has participated in programs for aspiring cops.
Lake County Public Defender Joy Gossman, whose office is representing Rittenhouse in the extradition matter, declined to comment.
Numerous video clips posted online appear to show Rittenhouse at the scene Tuesday night with a rifle, including several that show shootings and their aftermaths. The videos also indicated that he approached police before the shootings despite being out past curfew and a year too young to carry a gun openly in Wisconsin.
Those videos, along with interviews by Kenosha detectives, are the backbone of the complaint against him.
Rittenhouse came to the demonstrations with a Smith & Wesson AR-15-style .223 caliber rifle with a 30-round magazine, the charges allege.
[ What we know so far about Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of murder after fatal Kenosha protest shootings ]
Video showed Rittenhouse running across the parking lot of an auto lot where cars had previously been burned, trailed by Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha, prosecutors wrote. Behind Rosenbaum was Richard McGinniss, a videographer at the Daily Caller, a conservative website.
Video showed Rosenbaum seemingly throwing something at Rittenhouse, and investigators later determined it was a plastic bag, prosecutors wrote. Rittenhouse was not hit. Prosecutors wrote that McGinniss told police that “as the defendant was walking, Rosenbaum was trying to get closer to the defendant. When Rosenbaum advanced, the defendant did a ’juke’ move and started running.”
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Prosecutors wrote that as Rosenbaum and Rittenhouse approached a black car, a loud bang was heard and a male shouted, “F--k you!” As the men were close to one another, four loud bangs sounded and Rosenbaum fell, prosecutors said. McGinniss told police Rosenbaum had tried to grab the gun, prosecutors wrote.
Rittenhouse approached Rosenbaum on the ground, and McGinniss took off his shirt and tried to give the wounded man aid, prosecutors wrote. Rittenhouse got on his cellphone, made a call, and audio from one of the videos caught him saying, “I just killed somebody,” the complaint alleges. Investigators learned that call was to a friend, prosecutors wrote.
An autopsy showed Rosenbaum had gunshot wounds to the groin, back, hand and thigh, as well as a graze wound to the forehead, prosecutors wrote. The charge of first-degree reckless homicide stems from that shooting. He is charged with recklessly endangering McGinniss’s safety.
Prosecutors wrote that video shows that after that shooting, Rittenhouse ran north on Sheridan Road with people in pursuit, with some yelling things such as “Hey, he shot him!” and “Get that dude!” Someone knocked his hat off before he tripped and fell to the ground, prosecutors wrote.
An unidentified man jumped at Rittenhouse, and he fired at the man from the ground, apparently missing him, prosecutors alleged.
A man carrying a skateboard and later identified as Anthony Huber, 26, of Silver Lake then approached Rittenhouse as he was still on his back, prosecutors wrote. Huber reached for the gun as the skateboard hit Rittenhouse’s shoulder before the alleged gunman fired one shot, and Huber staggered away and collapsed, prosecutors wrote.
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The autopsy showed the bullet hit Huber’s heart, prosecutors alleged. Huber’s death is the source of the murder charge.
Prosecutors wrote that he then shot a third man who was approaching him, identified as Gaige Grosskreutz of West Allis. Video showed that Grosskreutz appeared to be holding a handgun, prosecutors wrote. Wisconsin court records do not indicate that Grosskreutz has been charged with any crime. Grosskreutz was hit in the arm and walked off, screaming for a medic, the complaint alleges. That is the source of the attempted murder charge.
The gun charge Rittenhouse faces is a misdemeanor.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 95 Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Along with Rittenhouse’s arrest on Wednesday, Wisconsin authorities identified the officer who shot Blake seven times as Rusten Sheskey, a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha Police Department.
The police shooting came about 5 p.m. Sunday after Kenosha officers responded to a call from a woman who reported that her boyfriend was present but not supposed to be there, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. At the scene, officers unsuccessfully used a Taser, the state Justice Department said in a news release.
In footage shared online, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of an SUV to the driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and appears to open fire while Blake has his back turned.
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The state Justice Department wrote that a knife was recovered from the driver-side floorboard of the vehicle. The department wrote in a statement that, “Mr. Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession.” It was not clear from the statement whether officers believed the knife posed any threat to officers or anyone else.
Blake’s lawyers and family said Tuesday that he is paralyzed from the waist down and may never walk again. The family has called for peaceful protests.
Blake has been handcuffed to his hospital bed during his entire stay since he was shot by Kenosha police on Sunday, his uncle Justin Blake said to the Pioneer Press. The story was first reported in the Sun-Times.
“Get those damn handcuffs off my nephew,” Justin Blake said. “Where is a paralyzed person going to go? Are you serious?”
Asked for confirmation, Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. David Wright replied:
“I can tell you that Jacob Blake is in custody on felony warrants for prior crimes he committed before the shooting incident. This is how any person with that classification level would be treated while in custody.”
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When Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers was asked at a news conference Thursday if he was concerned about the report, he said: “Hell yes. I would have no personal understanding why that would be necessary. Certainly he’s paid a horrific price already being shot seven or eight times in the back. So I can’t imagine why that’s happening.”
Justin Blake said he’s headed to Washington, D.C., on Friday with his brother, Jacob Blake’s father, also named Jacob Blake. They were invited by the/ Rev. Al Sharpton and plan to march there in support of the younger Jacob Blake.
Julia Jackson, the younger Jacob Blake’s mom, will stay with him at the hospital, Justin Blake said.
A Blake Family March is planned in Kenosha at 2 p.m. Saturday, Justin Blake said, and they have chartered 10 buses to bring family and friends north from Evanston and Chicago. The march will kick off at the Boys and Girls Club on 52nd Street in Kenosha.
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After three nights of violent demonstrations, looting and fires, Kenosha’s streets were relatively calm Wednesday night. Local authorities moved up their nightly curfew by an hour to 7 p.m., though protesters ignored it even as they remained generally peaceful.
Meanwhile, Thursday evening in Illinois, a few hundred people marched through downtown Evanston to call attention to the shooting of Blake.
The crowd began gathering around 6:30 p.m. for a demonstration that saw marchers carrying signs and chanting as they made their way through the streets. They eventually ended at the Evanston Police Department, where organizers made remarks and called for the defunding of police.
A marcher with a megaphone called out, “Jacob Blake Matters,” and the crowd repeated the phrase.
Danielle Bridges, who grew up in Evanston and now lives in Chicago, said she felt personally compelled to attend the evening’s march.
“I can’t sit at home and ponder on this, I had to do something. I had to be out with people and understand what’s going on, and commune with them and make our voices heard,” Bridges said.
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The event was peaceful, and police officers were on hand to close local streets for marchers, according to a tweet from Evanston police.
Blake lived in Evanston for years and attended Evanston Township High School. He is part of a family with deep ties to the community. His grandfather, also named Jacob Blake, was a pastor at the historic Ebenezer AME Church in Evanston and was active in the civil rights movement and a push for affordable housing in town.
Chicago Tribune reporters Javonte Anderson, Christy Gutowski, John Keilman, Robert McCoppin, Stacy St. Clair and Alice Yin. Pioneer Press’ Genevieve Bookwalter, freelance reporter Brian L. Cox and the Associated Press also contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Several hundred people march in Evanston for Jacob Blake

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chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Several hundred people march in Evanston for Jacob Blake: ’I had to do something’

Jacob Blake lived in Evanston for years and attended Evanston Township High School .
He is part of a family @ @ @ @ @ community .
His grandfather , also named Jacob Blake , was a pastor at the @ @ @ @ @ Evanston and was active in the civil rights movement and a push for affordable housing @ @ @

Activists march through Evanston on Aug. 27, 2020, to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, who was shot a few days earlier by Kenosha police. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
A few hundred people marched through downtown Evanston Thursday evening to call attention to the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha.
The crowd began gathering around 6:30 p.m. for a demonstration that saw marchers carrying signs and chanting as they made their way peacefully through the streets.
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A marcher with a megaphone called out “Jacob Blake Matters” and the crowd repeated the phrase. They eventually ended at the Evanston Police Department, where organizers made remarks and called for the defunding of police.
Danielle Bridges grew up in Evanston and now lives in Chicago. She said she felt personally compelled to attend the evening’s march.
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“I can’t sit at home and ponder on this, I had to do something,” Bridges said. “I had to be out with people and understand what’s going on, and commune with them and make our voices heard.”
The event was peaceful and police officers were on hand to close local streets for marchers, according to a tweet from Evanston police. It was drawing to a close by 8 p.m.
Jacob Blake lived in Evanston for years and attended Evanston Township High School. He is part of a family with deep ties to the community. His grandfather, also named Jacob Blake, was a pastor at the historic Ebenezer AME Church in Evanston and was active in the civil rights movement and a push for affordable housing in town.
Blake was shot by a police officer in Kenosha Sunday night. Cellphone footage shared widely online appears to show an officer firing several shots at Blake, who is Black, while he was facing away from the officer.
Thursday’s march comes after a rally and march was held Tuesday evening in Evanston near Jacob Blake Manor, an affordable senior living facility that was named in honor of Blake’s late grandfather.
Blake’s shooting has sparked nationwide demonstrations. In Kenosha, they have sometimes turned violent.
Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, on Thursday was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and a number of other charges after shootings in Kenosha where two people died and another was wounded Tuesday night.
An outdoor “service of lament” is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 30, at Ebenezer AME Church in Evanston, where Blake’s grandfather was a pastor. The 2 p.m. service will be held outdoors on the church grounds, 1109 Emerson St.
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Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Column: The Chicago Botanic Garden, a good chair and a poem called ‘Hope’: 9 things to like right no

Column: The Chicago Botanic Garden, a good chair and a poem called ‘Hope’: 9 things to like right now

As a person paid to have opinions , I know that a valid opinion can be hard to formulate .
@ @ @ @ @ can be made from an easy chair .
The journalists on the ground this summer @ @ @ @ @ and Kenosha , Wisconsin , to name a few spots — are among our most @ @ @ @ @ re out there in the heat of the day and the middle of the night @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic , gathering facts , taking photos , witnessing , trying to help us @ @ @ @ @

A woman walks near the Crescent Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden last summer. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Every now and then I make a list of things I like. Here’s one for the waning summer of 2020.
1. The Chicago Botanic Garden
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It’s a long drive for many us to this paradise in suburban Glencoe, but the effort is repaid with astonishing beauty. In summer, there are flowers, flowers everywhere, along with trees, bees, butterflies, lagoons, walking paths and a waterfall. These are flowers that make you feel but also think — about texture, sound, color, shape and the rhythms of life.
Your blood pressure will drop when you pull into the parking lot. (Because of the pandemic, reservations are required.)
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2. “The Last Dance”
I don’t have cable so I missed this 10-part ESPN documentary when it arrived this spring. And I was fine with that. Ten episodes? On Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls? I wasn’t that kind of sports fan. I was content watching “Dead to Me” on Netflix.
And then “The Last Dance” showed up on Netflix. I was immediately addicted. It’s suspenseful, illuminating and tender. For those of us who lived in Chicago during the 1990s, watching and listening to Jordan and the other Bulls (I fell in love with Scottie Pippen) is a chance to reflect on who we were as individuals and as a city in that long-ago but not-so-distant time.
P.S. Also watch “Dead to Me.”
3. A fun chair
Do you ever yearn for some small but unnecessary pleasure to disrupt the pandemic routine? It was in that spirit that I ordered an HDX Black Plastic Seat Foldable Folding Chair, deemed the best folding chair of 2020 by wirecutter.com. For $23.98 plus tax, I got a comfortable, stylish chair that doubles as a flower stand.
4. Antonio Zambujo
My polyglot brother Chris, who lives in Russia, recently decided to learn Portuguese. Now he’s a big promoter of this 44-year-old Portuguese singer who mixes traditional Portuguese fado music with Brazilian pop and sometimes, to my ear, a hint of American country. A New York Times reviewer once noted that Zambujo “upholds fado’s sense of longing and tragic dignity as he brings it into modern close-up.”
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Lately I’ve been turning off the news at night and saying, “Alexa, play Antonio Zambujo.” For the length of a few songs, the world improves.
5. Virus-scrupulous businesses
Every couple of weeks I order takeout from a neighborhood restaurant, hoping that every little bit of business will help it survive the pandemic. Not long ago, I placed an order only to get a manager’s call a few minutes later. “We’re so sorry,” he said. “We just learned one of our workers has tested positive for COVID so we’re closing immediately.”
I thanked him for doing the right thing. He thanked me for saying thanks, noting that some customers were upset. But the restaurant’s quick decision redoubled my loyalty when it reopened.
6. “Walking Chicago” by Robert Loerzel
Walking around Chicago is an addiction for some of us, especially during the pandemic, when walks substitute for vacations. But no one is a more ardent walker in any season than my Tribune colleague Robert Loerzel.
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In his new book, he has turned his perambulations into a guide for walkers. He offers 35 tours all over the city, from South Side to North Side and west to Oak Park. His book, which comes with history and funny stories, makes a good walking companion or a good gift for someone who needs inspiration to get up and go.
7. The pleasure of a really, really, really long book
Most of us live in a state of attention whiplash. Look at that news over there! No, look over there! No, there, there, there! Who has time for a long book?
In reading, as in other things, what we call lack of time may be lack of will. So for three months, at the pokey pace of 10 pages a day, I summoned the will to read David Blight’s 892-page “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom.” This story of the legendary 19th century abolitionist and orator, who rose from enslavement in the South, puts today’s headlines into perspective.
Among his pertinent sayings: “The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion.”
P.S. If this book doesn’t call to you, find a long one that does. You’ll feel like you’ve eaten a meal instead of another bag of Doritos.
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8. The journalists covering protests
As a person paid to have opinions, I know that a valid opinion can be hard to formulate. But however hard, opinions can be made from an easy chair. The journalists on the ground this summer — in Chicago, Portland and Kenosha, Wisconsin, to name a few spots — are among our most essential workers. They’re out there in the heat of the day and the middle of the night, in the midst of a pandemic, gathering facts, taking photos, witnessing, trying to help us understand this important moment.
In Chicago, we have a lot of great ones at news organizations big and small. We owe them a thank you.
9. “Hope” by Lisel Mueller
Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
I recently stumbled on this poem in one of my mother’s poetry collections. She had put a check mark next to this stanza on hope:
It is the singular gift
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we cannot destroy in ourselves,
the argument that refutes death,
the genius that invents the future,
all we know of God.
mschmich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-29--Chatham crash involving squad car leaves 4 hurt, including 2 cops

The police car , which had its lights and sirens activated , was westbound on 83rd Street when it crashed @ @ @ @ @ trying to turn left to go south on Rhodes Avenue about 4:35 p.m. in the @ @ @ @ @ , police said .

Four people were hurt including two Chicago police officers who suffered head injuries during a collision at a South Side intersection on Friday afternoon.
The police car, which had its lights and sirens activated, was westbound on 83rd Street when it crashed into a car that was trying to turn left to go south on Rhodes Avenue about 4:35 p.m. in the city’s Gresham neighborhood, police said.
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The left-turning car’s driver and passenger were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition while two officers who suffered head injuries were in serious condition at another hospital, police said.
It was not clear what call the police were on their way to.
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rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Layoffs, South Side clinic consolidations planned as Cook County Health grapples with pandemic, ball

Layoffs, South Side clinic consolidations planned as Cook County Health grapples with pandemic, ballooning charity care

Also on Dec. 1 , the two clinic locations that would close — Woodlawn and Near South Health Centers — @ @ @ @ @ with the John Sengstacke Health Center at Provident Hospital , which is almost 3 miles @ @ @ @ @ of the layoffs would come from the two health centers moving to Provident , although @ @ @ @ @ see more than 20 layoffs by the end of Dec. 1 .

Cook County Health plans to lay off more employees and close two South Side outpatient clinics, consolidating their operations elsewhere, before the end of the year in an attempt to cut spending during a pandemic that could inflict a projected $187 million budget deficit next year.
Officials announced the potential changes Friday as the health system, which operates Stroger and Provident hospitals, faces a two-front battle against the coronavirus outbreak and the rising burden of charity care, which is uncompensated medical treatment for patients who cannot pay.
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“The fiscal year 2021 budget was by far the most difficult budget that I had participated in in my seven years at Cook County Health,” interim CEO Debra Carey said during a Friday meeting with the health system’s board of directors. “But I sit here this morning to tell you that until a solution is found to address the structural deficit County Health faces, every budget moving forward will be a challenge.”
The total $3.4 billion health budget, up from $2.8 billion last year, must be deliberated in two public hearings in September before going to the Cook County Board of Commissioners for review. The final 2021 budget across the county will be adopted in November.
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Should the preliminary budget pass, by the end of Dec. 1, 130 workers across all departments except for public health and corrections would lose their jobs as the county looks to close an expected $187 million budget gap for fiscal year 2021. Of those layoffs, 46 already took place in June. Seventy of those 130 workers would be union employees.
Also on Dec. 1, the two clinic locations that would close — Woodlawn and Near South Health Centers — would merge patients and employees with the John Sengstacke Health Center at Provident Hospital, which is almost 3 miles away from both. None of the layoffs would come from the two health centers moving to Provident, although the hospital in general would see more than 20 layoffs by the end of Dec. 1.
The proposed cuts rankled a coalition of unions representing the hospital system’s health care workers, who rallied Friday at noon in front of Provident Hospital to urge the county to reconsider the proposals. About 50 leaders and members from five unions, including National Nurses United, gathered to say the changes would disproportionately harm Black patients and were inconsistent with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle formally declaring racism a public health crisis.
Dennis Kosuth, a part-time nurse at Provident and a member of National Nurses United, said the patients at the Woodlawn and Near South Health Center clinics are already in economic pain and would seek less care should they have to travel to Provident.
“It’s amazing how many institutions, politicians, decision-makers, heads of corporations will mouth the words ‘Black Lives Matter,’ and yet when it comes to putting actual dollars towards that, it’s not there,” Kosuth said in an interview. “I’m sure Preckwinkle probably in her own heart wants to provide care and is working with a limited budget, but I also feel like these problems have been long-standing.”
County officials have said the Woodlawn and Near South Health Center clinics are moving to Provident so patients can have better treatment.
“The proposed merger of the Near South and Woodlawn clinics into Provident Hospital will mean more services, with the same doctors that patients have always gone to — now at a new location,” Preckwinkle spokesman Nick Shields wrote in a Friday statement. “Although these are unprecedented and historic times, the pandemic will not deter President Preckwinkle’s commitment to always applying an equity lens into the County’s decision-making process. This proposed plan ensures that Cook County’s patients continue to have access to high quality health care.”
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The preliminary budget presentation on Friday drew some concerns from the board of directors who wanted more contemplation on the necessity of the proposed cuts.
“We’re at a critical juncture right now with the COVID-19 pandemic, with the collapse of some of the financial revenues,” director Bob Reiter said. “We have to ask ourselves: Is this the time for us to be cutting back positions?”
Interim Chief Business Officer Andrea Gibson said taking on more debt to avoid cuts is not viable for the long-term survival of the hospital system.
She characterized the moves at the two South Side clinics as a merger of their staffs and patients, not a closure.
“There’s an appearance there but it’s not the reality,” Gibson told reporters in a press call Friday. “There’s better public transportation and parking at Provident. The facilities at Woodlawn and Near South are antiquated. They don’t have access to all of the services that will be provided at Provident. So I think it’s a false premise to think of it that way.”
During the Friday budget meeting, Carey warned about the health system’s enduring role as a safety net for the nearly 80% of its patients who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid. The system’s two hospitals continue to provide most of Cook County’s charity care, with a projected cost of $312 million for the 2021 fiscal year, up from more than $250 million this year.
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“As long as the County Health is expected to shoulder the majority of charity care in the county and cover the cost of increased pharmaceuticals, supplies, equipment, personnel, the organization will struggle, and be faced with very difficult decisions,” Carey said.
Provident’s emergency department also is being converted to a “standby” emergency room, which Carey said is more similar to an urgent care facility, as the hospital sees less demand for inpatient beds. But it also will see a new multimillion-dollar dialysis center among other enhancements.
Meanwhile, the $240 million plan to rebuild Provident remains in limbo until the health system finds a new CEO following last year’s decision to oust Dr. Jay Shannon.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Northwestern University announces it won’t have freshmen and sophomores on campus and will close fra

Northwestern University announces it won’t have freshmen and sophomores on campus and will close fraternity and sorority houses because of COVID-19

“ This is not a letter we wanted to write , but we are compelled to make several adjustments to @ @ @ @ @ this fall after consulting with Northwestern Medicine experts as well as state and local public @ @ @ @ @ wrote in an announcement emailed to the community Friday .
“ We also have studied @ @ @ @ @ Chicago , listened to your feedback , and learned from our peer institutions ’ experiences @ @ @ @ @ reopening their campuses .
”

Northwestern University announced late Friday that it will not have freshmen and sophomore students back on campus for the fall term or in residence halls, and will keep sorority and fraternity houses closed.
It’s a sharp departure from plans reiterated just earlier this week by Northwestern officials who spoke during a community town hall meeting. They said then that the campus would open but with a reduced residence hall capacity and many employees still working from home.
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“This is not a letter we wanted to write, but we are compelled to make several adjustments to our plans for undergraduate students this fall after consulting with Northwestern Medicine experts as well as state and local public health officials,” officials wrote in an announcement emailed to the community Friday. “We also have studied COVID-19′s increasing spread through suburban Chicago, listened to your feedback, and learned from our peer institutions’ experiences during the early stages of reopening their campuses.”
The announcement said that with limited exceptions, all first- and second-year students will shift completely to remote learning, and officials said they “discourage” those students to return to the Evanston area for the fall quarter.
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Fraternities and sororities will remain closed until the winter quarter, which begins Jan. 4, and the Student Affairs office will work with third- and fourth-year students who live in those houses to find alternative housing.
Third- and fourth-year students, along with graduate and professional students, will be allowed back on campus for the fall term with public health protocols required. For undergraduates who are being allowed back, move-in dates for on-campus housing have been pushed back, now starting Sept. 12.
“These changes are designed to reduce the density of our Evanston campus residential housing; preserve the on-campus experience for as many third- and fourth-year undergraduates, graduate students and professional students as possible; allow for more quarantine and isolation spaces on campus; and respond to the pandemic’s spread,” the announcement said.
At the town hall meeting Tuesday, in response to concern from Evanston residents about seeing students gathering without taking adequate public health precautions, officials said they would more strictly monitor off-campus partying and encouraged residents to report students to campus authorities.
“Community members who violate (public health protocols) may face disciplinary actions,” the university’s website says. “For students, this could mean a range of responses from a reminder in cases of unintentionally not following guidance to separation from the university in severe cases of repeat offenses of intentionally disregarding expectations.”
A series of universities have announced that they’re moving to remote learning, closing residence halls or scaling back on in-person classes because of a surge of COVID-19 cases on campus. The University of Notre Dame in Indiana opened its fall term early, then after about a week announced it was moving to remote learning for two weeks, but on Friday reiterated its plans to reopen next week.


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Family of Jacob Blake takes part in March on Washington: ‘We can make a historic change for people’

Early on , the march was shaping up to be the largest political gathering in Washington since the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ up wearing T-shirts bearing the image and words of the late Rep. John Lewis , @ @ @ @ @ last month , was the last living speaker at the original March on Washington for @ @ @ @ @ went on to become one of the most famous political rallies in U.S. history and @ @ @ @ @ at the nation ’ s capital , with over 200,000 people advocating for social change @

Jacob Blake Sr., father of Jacob Blake, speaks at the March on Washington, Aug. 28, 2020, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. (Pool / Getty Images)
Members of Jacob Blake’s family attended the March on Washington on Friday, one of a number of Black families recently affected by police shootings invited to the event.
Speaking from Washington, D.C., on Friday morning, Justin Blake, Jacob Blake’s uncle, said he had already planned to attend the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
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But the shooting of his nephew by a police officer in Kenosha last Sunday lends new relevance to the event. Cellphone footage of the shooting shared widely online appears to show an officer firing several shots at Blake, who is Black, while he was facing away from the officer.
Jason Blake and his brother, Jacob Blake’s father, also named Jacob Blake, traveled to the nation’s capital following an invitation from the Rev. Al Sharpton, he said.
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He says their efforts to shine a light on issues of racial injustice only continue those started by Justin Blake’s father, the Rev. Jacob Blake, who was pastor of Evanston’s Ebenezer AME Church and a local civil rights leader in the 1960s.
“Nobody expected this. You wouldn’t want to do this to your worst enemy, to be in the position that we’re in,” Justin Blake said about the shooting of his nephew and subsequent national attention.
“Our family’s been putting in work for years now,” Justin Blake said. “In 2020, we can make a historic change for people across the nation and the world. That would be the legacy we’d like to leave.”
Speaking after the march, Justin Blake said it went “extraordinarily well.”
“My brother got the crowd going, my niece made poignant statements that got the young people going,” he said.
They also met victims of police violence and their families, and “that was awesome,” he said.
[ Jacob Blake’s grandmother talks about the family’s history with civil rights, and hopes the tragedy of her grandson’s shooting will continue the legacy ]
Thousands gathered Friday near the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where King delivered his historic address.
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Early on, the march was shaping up to be the largest political gathering in Washington since the coronavirus pandemic began. Many attendees showed up wearing T-shirts bearing the image and words of the late Rep. John Lewis, who, until his death last month, was the last living speaker at the original March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which went on to become one of the most famous political rallies in U.S. history and one of the largest gatherings at the nation’s capital, with over 200,000 people advocating for social change.
The thousands of participants who streamed in for the march stood in lines that stretched for several blocks, as organizers insisted on taking temperatures as part of coronavirus protocols.
Martin Luther King III, a son of the late civil rights icon and Sharpton, whose civil rights organization, the National Action Network, planned Friday’s event, delivered keynote addresses that show the urgency for federal policing reforms, to decry racial violence, and to demand voting rights protections ahead of the November general election.
“We’ve come to bear witness, to remain awake, to remember from where we’ve come and to carefully consider where we’re going,” King said. “Whether you’re here in person or watching on (television networks), thank you for joining us for this March on Washington.”
“We’re taking a step forward on America’s rocky but righteous journey toward justice,” he added.
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“We didn’t just come out here to have a show,” Sharpton said. “Demonstration without legislation will not lead to change.”
And to underscore the urgency, Sharpton assembled the families of an ever-expanding roll call of victims: Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and Eric Garner, among others.
After Friday’s march, Blake family members headed back to Wisconsin for their own march.
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Justin Blake said the Blake Family March, scheduled for Saturday in Kenosha, seeks to follow in the same tradition as the March on Washington. The Rev. Jacob Blake marched with King in Selma in 1965, as well as in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, he said.
The family has chartered 10 buses to bring marchers from Evanston and Chicago to Kenosha on Saturday, Justin Blake said. More people are expected to arrive from all over the nation.
The event is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. from the Boys and Girls Club on 52nd Street in Kenosha, he said.
Blake said this is the first march organized by the family, and they are working to avoid the violence and looting that has marked unrest in Kenosha this week.
Two people were killed and another injured Tuesday amid that unrest. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, was charged Thursday with shooting and killing the two men. He will remain in Lake County for another month after a judge on Friday allowed a delay in the court process that could send him to Wisconsin to face the allegations.
“The last thing we want is violence,” Justin Blake said. He said the family is working with security and community groups in Kenosha, Evanston and Chicago to make sure the march remains peaceful.
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“A lot of different groups are bringing nothing but love, Black love, to Kenosha,” Justin Blake said.
Jacob Blake’s children, three of whom were with in the car when he was shot, should begin seeing a therapist soon to help them process the trauma, Justin Blake said.
One of the boys “had a really bad experience just at the sight of seeing a police officer” this week after the shooting, Justin Blake said. He declined to elaborate on what happened, except to say it has been difficult for the kids to process what happened to their father.
“We’re showering them with love,” Justin Blake said.
The family is still deciding whether the children will stay in Kenosha or move down to Evanston and Chicago, where many extended family members live.
“We’re supposed to talk about that as a family, how we can manage through this difficult time,” Justin Blake said.
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The Associated Press contributed.
gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-28--Suburban Cook County at coronavirus ‘warning level,’ Illinois Department of Public Health announces

If Chicago is taken on its own outside of the rest of Cook County , the city had surpassed one @ @ @ @ @ state is tracking to determine warning level : the number of new cases per 100,000 @ @ @ @ @ 95 new cases .
The other seven measurements for Chicago , including clusters of cases @ @ @ @ @ , were within state targets , according to the most recently available state data .

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Cook County is among the 30 counties the Illinois Department of Public Health sounded the alarm about Friday for a COVID-19 resurgence, and local public health officials said much of the late-summer rise in cases is being driven by young adults.
State public health officials also said Friday “general transmission of the virus in the community” was on the rise.
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Cook County officials said the warning designation does not apply to the city of Chicago and wouldn’t immediately trigger a change in the regulations currently in place for suburban bars and restaurants, gyms and other activities to slow the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus, but warned they could crack down further if the trends continue.
There have been a few cases within the county Department of Public Health’s jurisdiction related to schools, which Dr. Rachel Rubin, a senior medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health, characterized as fairly spread out and sporadic.
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[ COVID-19’s true toll in Illinois is likely higher than reported. A closer look at ‘excess deaths’ in 2020. ]
“They’re not driving the increased number of cases at the moment, these schoolchildren — high school and elementary schoolchildren,” Rubin said on a call with reporters Friday. “We are seeing many more cases in the 20- to 29-year-old grouping.”
According to state data, suburban Cook County had 112 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people, well above the weekly state-set target of less than 50 cases per 100,000 people. That, and an increase in the number of deaths — 25 compared with 15 the prior week — were the factors that triggered the county landing on the state warning list for the first time since it began the weekly dispatches earlier this summer.
Reaching the state’s “warning level” is triggered by surpassing two of eight state-set thresholds portending a potential coronavirus surge in that area.
The weekly warning list the state Department of Public Health issues focuses on entire counties, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan that tracks coronavirus metrics for 11 regions in the state considers Chicago and suburban Cook County separate regions.
If Chicago is taken on its own outside of the rest of Cook County, the city had surpassed one of the eight metrics the state is tracking to determine warning level: the number of new cases per 100,000 people, which stood at 95 new cases. The other seven measurements for Chicago, including clusters of cases and intensive care bed availability, were within state targets, according to the most recently available state data.
The state public health agency on Friday reported a seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate of 4.1% and 48,383 COVID-19 tests conducted during the prior 24 hours. The state also saw 2,149 newly confirmed cases and 20 deaths of people with COVID-19 on Friday, raising statewide tallies to 229,483 known cases and 7,997 related deaths throughout the course of the pandemic.
Dr. Kiran Joshi, a senior medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health, said officials are bracing for the potential for a “bad flu season, on top of a resurgence of COVID-19.”
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“We and our colleagues at the state are working diligently to make sure that as many people as possible get vaccinated for influenza,” Joshi said Friday. “We do intend to launch a campaign to encourage that in the coming months.”
As of Friday, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Jasper, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Sangamon, Shelby, St. Clair, Union, Warren, White, Will and Williamson counties were also on the state’s warning list.
Last week, state public health officials considered 20 counties to be at a warning level, and 12 of the counties on this week’s warning list were on it for the second week in a row.
Will County is among the 12 holdovers from last week and earlier this week saw stricter rules put in place by the state for bars, restaurants and gathering sizes, aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The region, which includes Kankakee County in Pritzker’s reopening plan, surpassed a state threshold for test positivity rate that triggered more stringent regulations.
The state Department of Public Health attributed some of the cases and outbreaks in those 30 counties to weddings and other gatherings, long-term care facilities, schools and out-of-state travel, and said in some areas law enforcement is not enforcing state-set face mask and social distancing rules.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com