chicagotribune--2020-10-26--The Spin: Trick-or-treating on, polls remain open as COVID-19 surges in Illinois | Jennifer Pritzker

The Spin: Trick-or-treating on, polls remain open as COVID-19 surges in Illinois | Jennifer Pritzker is politically homeless | Study: Property tax hikes exceed inflation in Cook County

Blast from the past : In this final week of the campaign , former Democratic Illinois U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez @ @ @ @ @ Chicago-centric ad focusing on how LGBTQ+ and immigration issues intersect .
It begins with the @ @ @ @ @ , one a front-line hospital worker who was once living in the country illegally but @ @ @ @ @ was able to marry his husband .
It closes with an energetic Gutierrez saying , @ @ @ @ @ vote.
” The ad is airing on broadcast networks in the Chicago market .
Watch @ @ @ @ @ language version will be available on social media .

Voters wait outside and in socially distanced chairs inside to cast their ballots at Deneen Elementary School on Oct. 14, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said this morning on CNN that Halloween trick-or-treating will proceed because, well, she’d be hard-pressed to stop it. And Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday said polling places will be open as planned on Nov. 3.
But the surge in COVID-19 cases in Illinois is prompting business restrictions. The state announced tighter restrictions for restaurants and bars in suburban Cook County today that for now will not be allowed to open for indoor food and drink service. Likewise Metro East, which includes the Illinois area around St. Louis, will be under the same restrictions under the state’s regional mitigation plan.
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Several suburbs have seen the same fate, and some bars and eateries are balking, pointing to some statewide data showing less the 10% of the cases are tied to bars. The state’s top public health official has said that number doesn’t paint the whole picture, noting that contact tracing often reveals that those who have come down with the virus frequently list a bar or restaurant as a place they’ve gone in the days leading up to their diagnosis.
In the last 20 years, property taxes have risen three times the rate of inflation, a new study from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas shows. It offers a script to especially hard-hit homeowners along with Chicago City Council members ready to revolt against Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposal to raise property taxes to close a pandemic-exacerbating budget gap.
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Meantime, the mayor is defending another revenue generator in her budget — going after drivers traveling 6 to 10 mph above the speed limit.
Welcome to the Spin.
Rachel Ilesanmi, a family practitioner with the Christian Community Health Center, administers a free COVID-19 test to Janet Gogins outside Apostolic Faith Church in Chicago on Aug. 26, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
It feels like the lid is being put back on the pot.
Starting midweek, suburban Cook County and the Metro East region outside St. Louis will halt indoor dining and bar service to curb the spread of COVID-19, the state announced today. Will and Kankakee counties are also under the stricter rules for a second time, and DuPage and Kane counties similarly saw rollbacks.
The Tribune’s Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella write: “The two regions will join four other regions of the state under stricter rules that also include a smaller gathering cap of 25 people. As of Wednesday, roughly half of the state’s population will be living under the tighter restrictions. A week ago, only one of the 11 regions in Pritzker’s reopening plan was subject to those rules.”
“Lake and McHenry counties hit a combined 8.1% rolling positivity rate as of Friday, which means restrictions could come within days if the rate doesn’t drop. Chicago was at 7.7%, up from 6.2% a week earlier,” Munks and Petrella note.
Data points: The state announced 4,729 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 and 17 additional deaths. That brings Illinois' total to 378,985 diagnosed cases and 9,522 deaths. The state’s positivity rate is now up to 6.3% on a a seven-day average, up from 5.4% a week earlier and 3.5% at the beginning of October.
“There seems to be a Covid storm on the rise and we have to get prepared,” Pritzker said during a news conference today in Peoria.
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Cook County to give direct payments to suburban residents hurt by COVID-19 pandemic, the Tribune’s Alice Yin reports.
Chicago faring worse than NYC right now: During an appearance on CNN this morning, the mayor was asked why Chicago, where the positivity rate is over 7%, is doing worse than New York City. The mayor said New York and its neighbors in the Northeast aren’t seeing the surge Chicago’s neighbors in Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa are. “Unfortunately the Midwest has consistently been up for now for the last few weeks,” Lightfoot said. “And so the virus obviously doesn’t respect to graphic boundaries. Everywhere around Chicago is going up.”
Related: Illinois hits another sad COVID-19 milestone — 5,000 deaths in long-term care — as cases rise, the Tribune’s Joe Mahr reports.
With some in-person instruction continuing for sophomores and freshmen, Lake Forest High School teachers say county health department’s COVID-19 warning being ignored by school board, reporters Karen Ann Cullotta and Daniel I. Dorfman write in the Tribune.
Then-Rep. Luis Gutierrez, shown in October 2013. (Adam Wolffbrandt, Chicago Tribune)
Blast from the past: In this final week of the campaign, former Democratic Illinois U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez is out with a new Chicago-centric ad focusing on how LGBTQ+ and immigration issues intersect. It begins with the touching story of two men, one a front-line hospital worker who was once living in the country illegally but is now a citizen who was able to marry his husband. It closes with an energetic Gutierrez saying, “Make a plan, vote.” The ad is airing on broadcast networks in the Chicago market. Watch it here. A Spanish language version will be available on social media.
Libertarian candidate in Cook County state’s attorney pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in 2019: Brian Dennehy, who is in a three-way race against incumbent Kim Foxx, a Democrat, and Republican candidate Patrick O’Brien, told the Tribune he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct “to dispose of the case and get on with my life.” Read Alice Yin and Christy Gutowski’s story here.
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In contentious election year, political parties recruiting thousands in Illinois to keep an eye on polling places Nov. 3, the Tribune’s Dan Petrella and Kelli Smith write in a new piece here.
Voting by mail skyrockets in suburban Chicago collar counties, writes Sarah Freishtat in the Aurora Beacon News.
Column: Illinois should modernize its quaint old Supreme Court justice retention system: “If you think it’s weird that, in one of the most important, expensive and high-profile races in Illinois this year, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride is, in effect, running for retention against ‘Somebody Else’ and needs to win in a landslide to claim victory, you’re right,” Tribune columnist Eric Zorn writes. Read it here.
The “Sister Mayors” – all Democrats – take on the debate questions they say GOP ticket of President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence dodged at recent debates: Mayor Lightfoot, who was part of the “sister mayors” lineup, fielded the question asked of Pence about abortion and turned it into a sharp critique of the former Indiana governor, saying he signed legislation restricting choice on the matter that - making him “decidedly anti-choice” and “anti-woman.” Watch the video here.
Jennifer Pritzker (Lee A. Litas/Chicago Tribune)
Jennifer Pritzker, a retired Army colonel and founder and chair of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago, and a cousin to Democratic Gov. Pritzker writes in this Tribune op-ed: “As a social liberal and fiscal conservative, it’s not clear that I have a place in this political environment.
“Although I’m still a registered Republican, I no longer support or identify with the party. Its current leader has failed both his party and our country, as made clear, just to start, by the more than 222,000 deaths from COVID-19 — a disease that our top scientists agree didn’t have to cause so much human misery and economic pain. Yet I’m certainly not a Democrat, as that party leans toward government overreach that puts individual liberties at risk.” Read the whole piece here.
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Lately, Jennifer Pritzker has made headlines for donating big bucks to defeat cousin J.B. Pritzker’s effort to get voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would dump the flat income tax in favor of a graduated system where the levy rises with income.
Opening the wallet again: “Ken Griffin, in a billionaire battle with Gov. J.B. Pritzker over the governor’s effort to switch Illinois to a graduated-rate income tax system, pumped another $7 million of his wealth to oppose it,” the Tribune’s Rick Pearson writes, citing state campaign finance reports. The issue is on the November ballot.
As this rate, those big donations combined could have made a small dent, for instance, in the state’s $12.8 billion in unpaid bills. To date, Griffin, the founder and CEO of Chicago-based Citadel, a hedge fund and investment firm, has dumped $53.75 million while Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, has kicked in $56.6 million.
Op-ed: Penny Pritzker, former Commerce secretary in the Obama-Biden White House, writes in Yahoo Finance: “President Trump ... promised greater job growth than President Obama, but in his first 36 months in office, fewer jobs were created per month than during that same period in President Obama’s first term.” She goes on to write: “The Biden economic plan will not only help our country recover from the disastrous effects of the Trump coronavirus response — it will create millions of good paying jobs.” Read the full piece here.
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A man walks past a house in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood on Oct. 22, 2020, in Chicago. The house is highlighted in Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas' report on Cook County property tax increases over the past 20 years. The tax on the house was $3,352 in 2000. Today, it is $15,245. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
In the past 20 years, the total property tax tab went up by 99%, while the regional cost of living went up by just 36%, the Tribune’s Hal Dardick and John Byrne write in a new piece about Cook County Treasurer Pappas’ just-released tax study.
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Pappas, who as county treasurer is an elected leader who likes to remind people she sends out and collects the tax bill but doesn’t set the rates, tells the Tribune she was spurred to conduct the study by taxpayers who have flooded her office with stories of not being able to afford their tax bills.
It arrives as “Lightfoot — facing mounting city costs amid an economic downturn fueled by pandemic restrictions — has proposed another significant property tax increase for next year and raising property taxes every year after that by the rate of inflation,” Dardick and Byrne write.
Chicago police officers responded to a domestic battery call at the home of former top cop Eddie Johnson — It happened Friday night, the Tribune’s Paige Fry and Jeremy Gorner report here. The incident happened hours after the Tribune’s Megan Crepeau and Gregory Pratt reported that a Cook County grand jury has requested extensive documents about the October 2019 night Johnson went out drinking with a subordinate, then was found asleep at the wheel near his Bridgeport home. The incident led to Johnson’s firing. Read that report here.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot delivers her budget address Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020 in Council Chambers at City Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s John Byrne writes: "Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s budget team began its City Council defense of her tax-heavy 2021 spending plan on Monday, telling skeptical aldermen a $94 million property tax hike is an appropriate way to help balance the city’s books.
More from Byrne: “While Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett pitched the increases as reasonable, North Side Ald. Harry Osterman, 48th, pointed out residents also get slammed regularly by county property reassessments and tax increases from other public agencies, and it adds up, he said.”
“And South Side Ald. Sophia King, 4th, asked why the administration didn’t dip further into its $900 million reserves, rather than taxing and relying on so-called scoop and toss refinancing that can end up costing taxpayers more to pay off in the long run,” Byrne writes. “Bennett countered that the city could take years to recover from the pandemic. Relying heavily on reserves now could leave the coffers empty or further erode Chicago’s poor credit rating in years to come, she said.” Read the full story here.
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Mayor Lightfoot defended her proposal to issue speeding tickets to drivers caught going as little as 6 miles per hour over the posted limit, during a morning news conference. But some aldermen are already holding their nose over that proposal.
What about cracking down on Lake Shore Drive speeders? Far North Side Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, said the administration should go after speeders on Lake Shore Drive rather than ticketing people driving near neighborhood schools and parks.
“Living and representing the 49th Ward, I’ve got Rogers Park, beyond Lake Shore Drive, and as someone who used to frequently use Lake Shore Drive, when I think about opportunities for increasing safety, especially traffic safety and how it could overlap with enforcement, instead of grabbing folks – I know it’s not just going to be in the central business district, but in the neighborhoods – for going 6 miles per hour over the speed limit, couldn’t we just do more enforcement on Lake Shore Drive?” Hadden asked during today’s City Council hearing on the mayor’s budget plan,
“I think of all the folks who are coming from the northern suburbs on north Lake Shore Drive, they treat it like a super highway,” she said. “And I know the same is on south Lake Shore Drive and South Shore Drive. So just throwing it out there, if we’re looking for more revenue, we could really increase safety. People fly 70 miles per hour in a 40-mile zone.” (John Byrne)
Amazon’s massive Chicago-area expansion fueled by $741 million in taxpayer money: The Better Government Association’s John Lippert and WBEZ-FM’s Natalie Moore examine the anatomy of how the online retail behemoth makes a deal. From the sounds of things, these folks have a future in Illinois politics if they get out of the next-day delivery business. Read the story here.
Other city news: Chicago police officers responded to a domestic battery call at the home of former top cop Eddie Johnson — It happened Friday night, the Tribune’s Paige Fry and Jeremy Gorner report here. The incident happened hours after the Tribune’s Megan Crepeau and Gregory Pratt reported that a Cook County grand jury has requested extensive documents about the October 2019 night Johnson went out drinking with a subordinate, then was found asleep at the wheel near his Bridgeport home. The incident led to Johnson’s firing. Read that report here.
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chicagotribune--2020-10-26--WeatherTech, maker of car floor mats, switches gears to make COVID-19 face shields

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit , MacNeil reached out to the federal government , initially offering to produce ventilators .
@ @ @ @ @ GM , which had been enlisted to make ventilators by the White House under the @ @ @ @ @ well as ventilator manufacturers , to see if WeatherTech could help .

WeatherTech owner and Trump megadonor David MacNeil is pushing a new product line — plastic face shields to protect against COVID-19.
Eight months into the resurgent pandemic, the southwest suburban car floor mat manufacturer is getting into the personal protection equipment business in a big way, despite ongoing politicization over face masks.
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“We have hundreds of thousands of them in stock, ready to go,” said MacNeil, 61.
The FaceShield Air, a sort of wearable sneeze guard, includes a comfort pad, headband and anti-fog lens. Priced at $24.95 for a three-pack, the reusable full-face device can be worn with or without a mask, according to the WeatherTech website.
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Made in the same factory that turned Bolingbrook into the aftermarket vehicle floor mat capital of the U.S., WeatherTech’s latest addition to its eclectic catalog was months in development.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, MacNeil reached out to the federal government, initially offering to produce ventilators. He then contacted Ford and GM, which had been enlisted to make ventilators by the White House under the Defense Production Act, as well as ventilator manufacturers, to see if WeatherTech could help.
No one accepted his offer, and MacNeil decided to shift gears and make plastic face shields using WeatherTech’s injection molding production line.
“We thought we could make a great face shield, right here in America, and not have those jobs exported overseas,” MacNeil said.
MacNeil, who grew up in Oak Park and River Forest, started WeatherTech in 1989 out of his Clarendon Hills home. He began making floor mats using outside manufacturers, eventually bringing production in-house. MacNeil relocated operations to Bolingbrook in 2009.
WeatherTech diversified its product line in 2018 with the CupFone cellphone holder and an ergonomic dog food bowl. As with all his products, MacNeil touts his Made in America mantra in ubiquitous TV spots, including an annual Super Bowl commercial since 2014.
The company has 1,600 employees at its sprawling Bolingbrook campus, and MacNeil said business across all lines has remained strong. WeatherTech has been hiring people from other industries during the pandemic to keep up with demand, he said.
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This year, MacNeil invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in everything from automatic temperature sensors at entryways to touchless time clocks in an effort to keep the factory going and COVID-19 from spreading among his workforce.
His employees all wear face masks.
“I’m not questioning whether it’s a good idea or bad idea,” MacNeil said. “I’m just following the rules and regulations and recommendations of the experts.”
MacNeil said safety protocols have been successful, touting that no more than two employees have been stricken with COVID-19 at a time since March.
A Republican megadonor, MacNeil contributed $1 million to President Donald Trump’s January 2017 inauguration. But in 2018, MacNeil took a stand against the president’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, vowing not to fund Republicans that opposed legislation protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.
He remains an active donor, most recently contributing $2,800 to the Trump presidential campaign and $35,500 to the Republican National Committee in July, according to Federal Election Committee records.
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MacNeil’s latest venture seems at odds with Trump, who has been less than supportive, and at times dismissive, of wearing face coverings to prevent COVID-19 transmission.
While he has occasionally worn a mask in public, Trump has openly mocked Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s masks, falsely claimed in a nationally televised October town hall that a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that 85% of people who wear masks catch the virus, and does little to discourage supporters who flock to his rallies without wearing masks.
The CDC recommends that people wear masks in public settings to prevent the spread of the virus through respiratory droplets. On its website, the agency said there is currently not enough evidence to support the use of face shields as a substitute for masks.
MacNeil said pairing a face mask with a shield provides optimum protection, particularly on an airplane or in other close quarters.
While WeatherTech may be a little late to the production of face coverings, there seems to be no end in sight to the potential market as the number of COVID-19 cases surged to new highs this week and municipalities began to clamp down on public gatherings to limit its spread.
The lack of a presidential seal of approval has not deterred MacNeil, who is bullish on the prospects for his new face shield.
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“It’s really got nothing to do with being a Trump donor,” MacNeil said. “It’s another form of protection, and it’s certainly very effective and usable under the right circumstances.”
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Hayrack ride overturns, killing 1 in western Illinois

Three adults and 16 children between the ages of 1 and 12 were on the wagon and all but two @ @ @ @ @ the hospital with injuries , a police crash report states .

NAUVOO, Ill. — A woman was killed and more than 20 other people were injured over the weekend when a hayrack ride overturned in rural western Illinois, police said.
Troopers were called to the scene in Hancock County on Saturday night after between 20 to 25 people who had attended a family event went on a hayrack ride, said Capt. Jon Dively Jr. of Illinois State Police.
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As a tractor was pulling the hayrack wagon, police said the driver lost control of the ride on an incline, causing both the tractor and wagon to slide down into a wooded ravine, according to an Illinois State Police spokeswoman.
The Hancock County coroner identified the woman who died in the accident as Amy Swinderman, 32, of Hamilton, Illinois.
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Three adults and 16 children between the ages of 1 and 12 were on the wagon and all but two of them were taken to the hospital with injuries, a police crash report states.
Dively said one of the children suffered significant injuries.
The tractor’s driver, Wayne York, 41, of Nauvoo, was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
Dively said an Illinois State Police traffic reconstruction team that’s investigating the incident found that the tractor was undersized for the ride.


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Snow falls in the Chicago area

Snow falls in the Chicago area

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chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives a COVID-19 update

The governor ’ s comments follow an earlier announcement that suburban Cook County and the Metro East region outside St. @ @ @ @ @ rules starting Wednesday .
Get the latest updates on COVID-19 in Illinois here .


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Lightfoot administration defends proposed Chicago property tax hike plan for 2021

“ So we ’ re not divorced from other parts of government , '' Osterman said .
`` And when @ @ @ @ @ their property tax bills , what all of us are struggling with in this incredible @ @ @ @ @ re going through with COVID is the ability for homeowners to be able to absorb @ @ @ @ @ to be able to choose to stay in Chicago and help us grow post-recovery .
@

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s budget team began its City Council defense of her tax-heavy 2021 spending plan on Monday, telling skeptical aldermen a $94 million property tax hike is an appropriate way to help balance the city’s books.
With lots of Chicagoans out of work and struggling during the pandemic, council members kicked off the two weeks of hearings on Lightfoot’s $12.8 billion budget package by wondering why the mayor didn’t propose using more of the city’s reserves or other sources of revenue rather than hitting up homeowners to the tune of $56 in extra property taxes for a house valued at $250,000.
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Several council members also pushed back against Lightfoot’s proposal to raise property taxes each year by an amount tied to the consumer price index.
While Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett pitched the increases as reasonable, North Side Ald. Harry Osterman, 48th, pointed out residents also get slammed regularly by county property reassessments and tax increases from other public agencies, and it adds up, he said.
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“So we’re not divorced from other parts of government," Osterman said. "And when homeowners get the assessments and their property tax bills, what all of us are struggling with in this incredible downturn economy that we’re going through with COVID is the ability for homeowners to be able to absorb that, and their ability to be able to choose to stay in Chicago and help us grow post-recovery.”
And South Side Ald. Sophia King, 4th, asked why the administration didn’t dip further into its $900 million reserves, rather than taxing and relying on so-called scoop and toss refinancing that can end up costing taxpayers more to pay off in the long run.
Bennett countered that the city could take years to recover from the pandemic. Relying heavily on reserves now could leave the coffers empty or further erode Chicago’s poor credit rating in years to come, she said.
The department-by-department budget hearings will continue for the next two weeks.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Column: Opening of Navy Pier hotel is postponed, the latest blow to city’s reeling hotel market

Now , in the latest blow to the Chicago area ’ s reeling hotel market , the opening of the @ @ @ @ @ off until March “ because of the relentless nature of COVID and the market is @ @ @ @ @ Habeeb said Monday .

Before Navy Pier temporarily shut down on Labor Day, officials of the popular lakefront attraction remained optimistic about the planned opening of The Sable Hotel, built atop an existing pier building. So did the hotel’s developer.
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“As of today our goal is to open the hotel on time Nov. 1,” the developer, Robert Habeeb, CEO of Maverick Hotels, Restaurants, told the Tribune at the time.
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Construction fencing surrounds the future Sable Hotel at Navy Pier on Aug. 13, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Now, in the latest blow to the Chicago area’s reeling hotel market, the opening of the 223-room hotel has been put off until March “because of the relentless nature of COVID and the market is in the doldrums," Habeeb said Monday.
Asked if a March 1 hotel opening was unrealistic, given the current COVID surge, Habeeb said: “We’re hoping that, by then, there’s going to be medicine and vaccines. We have to open. We can’t stay closed forever.”
The hotel’s website, which said Monday that bookings are available for April 1 and beyond, will be changed to reflect the new opening date, he said.
Hotel occupancy in the Chicago metro area was 36.6% for the week ending Oct. 17, according to hotel industry market research firm STR. Last year, the figure was 84% for the week of Oct. 13-19.
In August, when officials announced the temporary closing of the pier, whose Ferris wheel and lakefront promenade have made it one of the Chicago’s top tourist attractions, they aimed to limit losses due to a lack of attendance. The pier, a not-for-profit entity, already was anticipating revenues falling $20 million short of projections.
It’s possible the closure, which originally was to last until April, could be extended, depending on the status of the pandemic.
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“We’ve been targeting April [for reopening], but obviously we’ll keep an eye on what’s happening with the pandemic and, particularly, government restrictions,” Marilyn Kelly Gardner, president and CEO of Navy Pier, said Monday.
The pier could reopen in phases, she said.
Two people walk past construction fencing for the Sable Hotel at Navy Pier on Aug. 13, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The postponement of the hotel’s opening mark the latest setback for the city’s hospitality industry.
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In August, the owner of the historic Palmer House Hilton, New York-based Thor Equities, was sued for almost $338 million in missed loan payments, in the largest Chicago foreclosure case to emerge from the pandemic.
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At Willis Tower, the Skydeck observation area on the 103rd floor is open just three days a week instead of the usual seven.
[ 30,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant and bar will crown new Navy Pier hotel ]
The Sable operates under the Curio Collection by Hilton umbrella.
Designed by Chicago’s Koo architects, the hotel has been built atop an existing structure near the pier’s east end. Its name honors a World War II training ship, an aircraft carrier, that docked at Navy Pier.
Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.
bkamin@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @BlairKamin


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Trump vs. Biden: Track the race for president in key battleground states

Of those , 218 electoral votes are in states rated as likely or solidly Democrat and expected to vote for @ @ @ @ @ electoral votes are tied to states rated as likely or solidly Republican and expected to @ @ @ @

Bill Ruthhart, Chad Yoder, Jonathon Berlin

Going into Tuesday’s voting, the list of battleground states that President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden were fighting for was a long 13. By the end of the night, that list had shrunk to a half-dozen.
By Wednesday morning, all eyes were on three familiar battlegrounds: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Propelled by the late counting of votes from Democratic strongholds, Biden had taken a lead in Michigan and Wisconsin by late morning Wednesday, while Trump remained in front in Pennsylvania with hundreds of thousands of votes outstanding.
Regardless of where those states land, the margin in the race to 270 Electoral College votes promises to be thin. Here is a look at results in hand so far from Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, as well as some of the other battlegrounds that have been projected already or are closer to projection.
Also included here are final FiveThirtyEight polling averages for those states — polling that, as in 2016, proved to underestimate Trump’s sway with voters.
Those polls had Biden up 8.2 points nationally, for example. In key Midwest states, Biden led Minnesota by 9.3, Wisconsin by 8.2 and Michigan by 8 points. Trump won states where he was leading — Iowa, Texas and Ohio.
State by state


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Cook County to give direct payments to suburban residents hurt by COVID-19 pandemic: ‘What they need

Cook County to give direct payments to suburban residents hurt by COVID-19 pandemic: ‘What they need is cash’

“ We once again call on our federal partners for action , ” Preckwinkle said .
“ But in the @ @ @ @ @ , we in local government must move forward .
We must do what we can @ @ @ @ @ We know that the need remains critical and urgent .
”

Suburban Cook County residents who faced financial hardships during the coronavirus pandemic are eligible for a one-time cash payment of $600, officials announced Monday.
Using about $2.1 million in federal coronavirus relief, the resident cash assistance program will accept applications until Nov. 6 and serve about 3,000 people, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said at a news conference. The $600 will be transferred directly to selected applicants. Residents can apply at https://fund.uptogether.org/suburbancookcountyfund.
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“Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases are on the rise and the pandemic is far from being over,” Preckwinkle said. “Many of our communities are facing layoffs, furloughs and the notion of living check-to-check is becoming less of a possibility. People are choosing between buying groceries or paying bills.”
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To be eligible, residents must have made no more than 250% of the federal poverty level before March 1, or $65,500 for a family of four. They need to show documents proving they suffered unpaid leave, cared for sick or vulnerable relatives or lost wages from closures during the pandemic.
The application also requires either a government-issued identification with the applicant’s address or two alternative IDs. Money will be deposited into a bank, CashApp, PayPal or Chime account, or it will be delivered in a prepaid card, depending on the applicant’s preference.
Ebony Scott, partnership director of the Family Independence Initiative, speaks Oct. 26, 2020, at the launch of a $2.1 million Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Resident Cash Assistance Program. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The program is run in partnership with the national nonprofit Family Independence Initiative, whose partnership director, Ebony Scott, appeared with Preckwinkle on Monday to vouch for the effectiveness of one-time cash payments.
“Our families don’t need patriarchal approaches and hand-holding,” Scott said. “What they need is cash. What they need is investment. What they need is to have the things that they lost because of this horrible pandemic replaced. And that’s what this fund represents.”
During the late spring, qualifying households received money transfers of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child through the coronavirus relief bill, a rare instance of bipartisan support for direct cash payments during a crisis. Passing a second bill with similar stimulus checks could keep millions out of poverty, according to the Urban Institute. But talks for more relief have stalled in Washington.
“We once again call on our federal partners for action,” Preckwinkle said. “But in the face of these troubling times, we in local government must move forward. We must do what we can with what we have. We know that the need remains critical and urgent.”
Another measure announced Monday was a utility assistance program, this time open to both suburban and Chicago residents. Run by the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, the program makes one-time payments for gas, electric, water and furnace bills.
The two programs come a week after the county opened up its suburban housing voucher waitlist for the first time in nearly 20 years. Preckwinkle said Monday that about 50,000 people already have applied for the waitlist, which must be capped at 10,000.
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“COVID has forced individuals and families to make hard choices to stay healthy, to maintain their well-being, keep food on the table, a roof over their heads and their bills paid,” said Xochitl Flores, the county’s bureau chief of economic development. “Fortunately, we can offer some assistance during this time.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Woman, 67, fatally shoots burglar who broke into her garage in Marquette Park, police say

The woman got a call from her neighbor around 11 a.m. that someone was in her garage in the 7100 @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
The woman went outside and noticed a window was broken .
@ @ @ @ @ carrying a beanbag game that had been stored in the garage .

Alerted by a neighbor, a 67-year-old woman confronted a man who broke into her garage in Marquette Park over the weekend and fatally shot him when he “pounced” toward her, according to Chicago police.
The woman was taken to Holy Cross Hospital after having problems breathing while talking to responding officers Sunday morning, police said. She was reported as stable.
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The woman got a call from her neighbor around 11 a.m. that someone was in her garage in the 7100 block of South Mozart Street, police said. The woman went outside and noticed a window was broken. A man then walked out carrying a beanbag game that had been stored in the garage.
The woman pulled out a handgun and, as she walked backward toward her house, told him to drop what he was carrying. She fired one shot “when she was in fear of her life after he pounced in (her) direction,” police said.
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The bullet hit the man in the chest and he was dead when officers arrived. Police took the gun from the woman and found a single shell casing on the ground, authorities said.
The man’s name has not been released. Police have not said whether the woman faces any charges.


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 17 new deaths, 4,729 new confirmed cases and 57,264 new test resu

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 17 new deaths, 4,729 new confirmed cases and 57,264 new test results

Illinois announced 4,729 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 378,985 .
The state also announced 17 @ @ @ @ @ of 9,522 and 57,264 new test results for a total of 7.32 million .

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


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--First snow of the season coats Chicago area Monday morning, but temps should recover for Halloween

Initially , forecasters expected the season ’ s first snow event to be over by about 10 a.m. , but @ @ @ @ @ was pushed back .
Donofrio said just as it was in the northwest suburbs , @ @ @ @ @ expected to stick to grass but not to pavement .
Donofrio said he doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ and although it may stick to the grass for a short time , the snow @ @ @ @ @ s end .

O’Hare International Airport may serve as the backdrop of countless reunions, but before sunrise Monday morning it played host to a different sort of arrival: Chicago welcomed the season’s first snowfall, declaring that winter is returning for its annual visit.
Meteorologist Casey Sullivan said the first flakes fell about 4 a.m. outside the airport, which also serves as the city’s official weather recording site. The snow let up by 5:40 a.m., but the storm system also produced a larger band that pushed through Chicago beginning about 9 a.m. and moving along a path aimed more toward the city’s northern boundary.
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The snow also was mixed with rain in some areas, creating a “patchy drizzle,” and as it mixed with slightly warmer air closer to the city center, the precipitation was expected to predominantly fall as rain.
"We’re not expecting any accumulation in the city,” Sullivan said. “Decks, elevated surfaces, windshields, yes, but not on the ground.”
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The snow also caused transportation delays, most noticeably at the airport where it first was recorded. As of 11:30 a.m., there had been nine canceled flights at O’Hare and 254 delayed flights, predominantly departures, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.
Farther south, Midway Airport fared better. There had been four canceled flights and 18 were delayed, all but one of which were departures.
“South of the Loop, toward Midway, there’s not going to be much of anything,” Sullivan said.
Earlier, a light dusting of snow covered the grass in far northwest suburban communities such as Marengo and Bull Valley, nearly all the way up toward Rockford. Snow also was recorded in Schaumburg and DeKalb, Sullivan said, although none of the area’s municipalities was expected to see measurable amounts.
The system that moved into Chicago from the west should dissipate by about noon and temperatures should recover to about normal by Halloween, said Kevin Donofrio, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Initially, forecasters expected the season’s first snow event to be over by about 10 a.m., but Sullivan said the time frame was pushed back. Donofrio said just as it was in the northwest suburbs, snow in the city was expected to stick to grass but not to pavement. Donofrio said he doesn’t expect measurable snowfall, and although it may stick to the grass for a short time, the snow will melt by day’s end.
Landscaper Cruz Rojas carries a bucket of lawn debris in the snow on Oct. 26, 2020, in Bull Valley. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
“We’ll have some flakes flying, and it may even look more like flurries that will accumulate, but it’s just going to make the roads wet, whether it’s falling as rain or snow,” he said.
The snow comes right on schedule. The weather service said for the city, the normal date for the season’s first snow, even trace amounts, is Oct. 30. The earliest recorded trace amount was Sept. 25, a record set in 1942. The latest date that a first dusting was recorded was Dec. 5, in 1999.
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[ Here’s when Chicago received its first snow of the fall season, going back 135 years ]
If the snow turns out to be more than 0.01 inches, it would be considered an early snowfall year, as that typically comes around Nov. 17. But it wouldn’t be close to setting a record — that was set on Oct. 12, 2006. The latest it has happened was on Dec. 20, 2012.
The weather map sure resembles late November more than October. 🤐
Impressive cold air over the Rockies and Plains has unsettled weather ahead of it, which for the local area means periodic light precipitation overnight into midday Monday, some likely as light ❄. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/GX1GpAvoEM — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) October 25, 2020
Chicagoans might expect to wait until Dec. 7 for an inch or more of snow — that’s the normal date for an inch of accumulation, according to the weather service. But in 2013, it took until Jan. 25 to first get an inch of snow in the city.
Donofrio said roads are expected to remain slick much of the day. Since downtown tends to stay warmer than nearby communities and because it already was 38 degrees there at 7 a.m., he said, little to no snow will reach the downtown core.
Forecasters still are calling for average temperatures nearer to Halloween, which also will feature a rare blue moon — though it won’t necessarily appear blue in Chicago.
“This is the last time (this week) we have any snow mentioned in the forecast,” Donofrio said, adding the next chance for precipitation will be Wednesday night into Thursday. But with lows in the 40s, it isn’t expected to fall as snow.
[ The coldest, snowiest, warmest and wettest Halloween weather in Chicago since 1871 ]
“The weekend looks generally quiet. It should be in the upper 50s, or right around normal — 56 degrees at O’Hare,” he said. “The holiday is looking not too bad.”
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Check back for updates and for more on the forecast, visit the Tribune’s weather page.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Column: Trump fearlessly surrenders to the coronavirus as cases surge nationwide: ‘It’s going to be

Column: Trump fearlessly surrenders to the coronavirus as cases surge nationwide: ‘It’s going to be over,’ he lied

It reminded me of that time back in 1941 when President Franklin Roosevelt , in the wake of the Japanese @ @ @ @ @ said to both houses of Congress : “ As commander in chief of the Army @ @ @ @ @ directed that no measures whatsoever be taken for our defense .
It would take us @ @ @ @ @ overcome this premeditated invasion , and the American people in their righteous might will win @ @ @ @ @ and moving on with their lives .
Let ’ s all go grab some dinner @ @

President Donald Trump walks out of the North Portico of the White House, Oct. 26, 2020, in Washington, as he departs for campaign events in Pennsylvania. (Patrick Semansky / AP)
We now know, with certainty, that the Trump administration has bravely surrendered to the coronavirus pandemic and plans on doing nothing to slow the spread of a disease that has already claimed 225,000 American lives.
On Sunday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said this during a CNN interview: “We are not going to control the pandemic.”
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How valiant.
It reminded me of that time back in 1941 when President Franklin Roosevelt, in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, said to both houses of Congress: “As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that no measures whatsoever be taken for our defense. It would take us a really long time to overcome this premeditated invasion, and the American people in their righteous might will win by absolutely ignoring this stuff and moving on with their lives. Let’s all go grab some dinner.”
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As another record-high number of coronavirus cases were reported — the highest since the pandemic began — CNN anchor Jake Tapper pressed Meadows on the administration’s apparent decision to sit back and wait for a vaccine and therapeutics rather than putting in the hard work necessary to contain the spread: “Why not get control of the pandemic?”
To which Meadows replied: “Because it is a contagious virus just like the flu.”
It’s not at all like the flu — just ask all the dead people and the survivors who suffered permanent organ damage — but the Trump administration’s willingness to fearlessly stick to throwing in the towel and running away from the coronavirus disaster like a herd of pigeon-hearted weenies made me think of another famous quote from Roosevelt.
In a 1940 fireside chat, he told Americans they needed to definitely not do anything whatsoever to provide additional support to Great Britain as it battled Germany:
“We must for sure not become the great arsenal of democracy. For us this is a nonemergency. We must not apply ourselves to our task with any resolution, any sense of urgency, any spirit of patriotism and sacrifice. It’s just not worth it, to be honest. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m bored of all this ‘war talk.’ Let’s just let them sort it out.”
While Meadows was on CNN waving his white flag, we learned that five aides or advisers to Vice President Mike Pence had tested positive for the coronavirus. It might seem “bad” to have a COVID-19 outbreak around the man who chairs the White House’s coronavirus task force, but that doesn’t apply here, since the White House has now adopted a bold “surrender at all costs” footing.
It might also appear “not particularly good” that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who would have unflinchingly abandoned the Alamo, on Sunday requested the use of a military hospital because civilian hospitals in El Paso are being overwhelmed by new coronavirus patients.
But never fear. Help is not coming in any way, shape or form.
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President Donald Trump, at a Sunday campaign rally in New Hampshire, declared the surging pandemic officially ignored.
“Even without the vaccines, we’re rounding the turn, it’s going to be over,” the president lied, intrepidly.
It hearkened back to that time in 1940 when Winston Churchill gave his first speech as prime minster to a nation at war with Germany:
“You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Defeat. Defeat at all costs. Defeat in spite of all terror. Defeat however easy and not-at-all stressful the road may be. For without defeat, we might actually have to do some stuff. And nobody wants to deal with that.”
The administration’s coronavirus approach also has echoes of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who after being forced to leave the island of Corregidor during World War II, famously told the troops he left behind: “I will not be back. See ya!”
And, going back to Churchill, we should always remember his bold words to the House of Commons in 1940, suggesting that England shouldn’t muck about with the Germans: “We shall not fight on the beaches, we shall not fight on the landing grounds, we shall not fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall not fight in the hills; we shall surrender. Because, man, there are a TON of Nazis out there. No way we’re going to be able to contain them. Let’s call it a day.”
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rhuppke@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Where does Illinois early voting and vote-by-mail stand? Here is the latest data

With early voting locations across Illinois open and a record number of people having applied for mail-in ballots , the @ @ @ @ @ .
Here is where the state stands with early voting , mail-in ballots and turnout @ @ @ @ @ presidential elections .

With early voting locations across Illinois open and a record number of people having applied for mail-in ballots, the Nov. 3 election is underway.
Nationally, more people already have cast ballots in this year’s presidential election than voted early or absentee in the 2016 race.
Here is where the state stands with early voting, mail-in ballots and turnout as it compares with previous presidential elections. The Tribune’s voter guide can be found here.
Statewide early voting
Chicago-area early voting
Early voting and vote-by-mail totals for Chicago and the suburbs.


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Chicago man found shot to death in Griffith

In late May , a 19-year-old Merrillville woman at Park West Apartments told police she ’ d been shot by @ @ @ @ @ ’ t describe as she was leaving an apartment she and her boyfriend were visiting @ @ @ @ @ was shot on the couch inside the apartment she was visiting with her boyfriend , @ @ @ @ @ the Post-Tribune previously reported .

The Griffith Police Department, along with the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force and the Indiana State Police, are asking the public’s help regarding a shooting that left a Chicago man dead at the Park West Apartment Complex.
Griffith Police spokesman Cmdr. Keith Martin said in a release Sunday that an anonymous caller contacted 911 at around 5 a.m. and said they’d seen a man on the ground in the 1900 block of Park West Boulevard. Officers, Martin said, found the man — who’d been shot several times — between the parking lot and an apartment building.
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Officers also found several spent casings as well as other evidence at the scene, Martin said.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Preston Billings, of the 1100 block of North Latrobe Street in Chicago, according to a release.
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Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Jim Sibley at the Griffith Police Department at 219-924-7503, Ext. 239, or the Griffith Police Anonymous Tip Hotline at 219-922-3085.
Griffith police in July responded to a shots fired call in the 1900 block of Arbogast Avenue in Park West Apartments where two men were shot as an unwelcome group got kicked out of a party. The men – a 20-year-old from Lansing, Illinois; and a 27-year-old man from Harvey, Illinois – were injured, but neither suffered life-threatening injuries.
In late May, a 19-year-old Merrillville woman at Park West Apartments told police she’d been shot by an unknown person she couldn’t describe as she was leaving an apartment she and her boyfriend were visiting, but then said she was shot on the couch inside the apartment she was visiting with her boyfriend, his family and friends, the Post-Tribune previously reported.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-10-26--Column: A pile of stacked boxes at the University of Chicago — exhibitionism or architecture?

The U. of C. deserves credit for commissioning this adventurous building rather than a forgettable design that would have meekly @ @ @ @ @ And the architects get kudos for bringing something fresh to the university ’ s storied @ @ @ @ @ bold building by , and for , bold thinkers — even if we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ is truly meets the test of form that follows function .

The exterior of the David Rubenstein Forum building at the University of Chicago on Oct. 19, 2020. Its 10-story tower includes a conference center and classroom building. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
It’s an eye-grabbing pile of irregularly stacked boxes, seemingly designed to land on magazine covers and draw attention — as well as big donations — to its university. Following that script, its namesake donor is a billionaire who has his own TV talk show and its architects are stars whose credits include Manhattan’s wildly popular High Line.
All those things make me wonder whether the new David Rubenstein Forum at The University of Chicago is the real deal or a reversion to the self-indulgent days of “starchitecture” — before the Great Recession poured cold water on architects' overheated form-making.
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Is the design more show than substance? More interesting than good?
A view from the south of the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago on Oct. 19, 2020. The Forum's ten-story tower includes meeting rooms and pre-function spaces. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
It’s impossible, at this stage, to know. We live with architecture; we don’t just look at it. The new structure’s chief purpose is to host academic meetings, events and conferences, but COVID-19 has made convening a potential health hazard. However, a first pass suggests that the Rubenstein Forum is more than just another superficial, look-at-me icon wannabe.
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The 10-story structure at 1201 E. 60th St. rises on the south side of the Midway Plaisance, across that swath of green from The U. of C.'s picturesque palisade of Collegiate Gothic towers. It cost about $100 million, according to university officials.
Rubenstein is a graduate of the university’s law school, a co-founder of The Carlyle Group private equity firm, and the host of a PBS and Bloomberg TV show that bears his name. Fortunately, Rubenstein resisted the temptation to slap his name in large letters on the facade, as other donors and developers are wont to do. No sign is necessary. The architecture is the building’s calling card.
That’s what you expect from New York architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, who pride themselves on being purposeful provocateurs.
In 1999, the firm’s founders, the husband-and-wife team of Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, won a “genius” grant from Chicago’s MacArthur Foundation. Ten years later, after architect Charles Renfro became a partner, their co-design of the High Line, which converted an abandoned elevated rail line into a chic promenade, won near-universal praise. Of late, their work includes the Shed, a shape-shifting, multipurpose arts hub with a movable outer shell at Manhattan’s much-maligned Hudson Yards.
What they’ve done at The U. of C. has echoes of their previous work, especially the 2006 Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, whose galleries cantilever a jaw-dropping 80 feet over a harborside public space.
But this is no mindless retread. Nor, I hasten to add, is it stunningly original.
Architects have been doing stacked boxes for years, beginning, perhaps, with the memorable mountain of prefab housing units, called Habitat, that architect Moshe Safdie designed for the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal. In recent years, the trend has become a visual cliché.
At the Rubenstein Forum, however, it succeeds because the strongly sculptural exterior grows directly from the imaginative layout of the interior and the building’s unusual structure — a series of concrete boxes formed by robust side walls and floor slabs.
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The U. of C. needed the forum, university officials say, because it recently converted a nearby building, originally a conference center and hotel, into the Keller Center, home to the Harris School of Public Policy. The university did not want to continue hosting conferences at downtown hotels.
Chris Steffich, general manager of the David Rubenstein Forum, looks out from the top level conference area with a view of the University of Chicago campus, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel and the Chicago skyline. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Diller Scofidio + Renfro conceived the design as an innovative addition to Chicago’s renowned collection of tall buildings. Instead of uniform office floors, the tower transitions from a city-engaging ground floor to contemplative, multi-level clusters of meeting rooms above. (The New Yorkers worked on the project with associate architects, Brininstool + Lynch of Chicago.)
Atop a two-story base, which houses a restaurant and bar as well as a meeting room that can seat more than 600 people, rises an eight-story tower that offers a powerful study in projections and recesses. Its in-out visual rhythms make it an arresting presence, one that seems at home alongside The U. of C.’s quirky towers, even though it lacks their Gothic verticality.
The forum’s exterior glass effectively blends reflectivity and transparency, allowing passersby to gaze into its double-height meeting spaces and letting the energy of the room enliven the building’s surroundings. Rather than replicating The U. of C.'s intimate, inward-turning Gothic cloisters, Renfro said during a recent tour, the architects sought to “rip the cloister off and let the cloister see and be seen from outside."
Another plus: The glass is designed to be visible to migrating birds so they won’t crash into it and kill themselves.
While the building is tall, at 166 feet, it does not upstage the university’s prime symbol, the 217-foot Rockefeller Chapel across the Midway. Instead, the design offers a contemporary counterpoint to the Gothic Revival chapel. It doesn’t just exhibit a different style; it’s organized in a fundamentally different way — not as a singular icon, but as an assemblage of parts. lt is, too, a visual anchor for the university’s collection of buildings by notable architects (among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen) south of the Midway.
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Scalpel-like diagonal incisions accentuate the visual drama of the building’s cantilevers and create pleasing textures and shadow patterns in the zinc panels that cover the massive concrete side walls. The panels and other details add a hint of verticality, like pinstripes on a suit. There is artistic license in such moves, but, at root, the design is rational, not arbitrary.
A cross-section of the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago shows the innovative arrangement of the building’s interior. Each two-story pre-function space serves two levels of meeting rooms. Pre-function spaces also serve a 3rd floor auditorium and a 10th floor meeting room. The architects rotated the location of the pre-function rooms, giving the building it dynamic exterior profile. (Diller Scofidio + Renfro)
As a cross-section of the design reveals, each of the building’s exterior projections houses a sizable, two-story suite of meeting rooms (or, on the third floor, an auditorium). The recessed portions of the facade, in contrast, contain smaller two-story “pre-function” areas. People going to different meetings within each suite will share the pre-function rooms, leading, at least in theory, to interaction among academic disciplines
But instead of putting all the meeting rooms on one side and all the pre-function rooms on the other, the architects rotated them, giving the building its dynamic profile. That move also gives he Rubenstein Forum two compelling fronts — one facing the Midway, the other facing the Woodlawn neighborhood.
The building also appeals at street level.
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The aforementioned 40-foot cantilever forms a welcoming canopy along 60th Street. Terrazzo paving extends from sidewalk into lobby, blurring the boundary between inside and outside. To the building’s south are a handsome bosque of maple trees and a new section of an east-west path that will link the university’s building’s south of the Midway.
A view inside the lobby of the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
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The light-filled two-story lobby features visual drama inspired by the exterior’s overhangs. A thin, ultralong piece of blackened structural steel serves as a cantilevered reception desk as well as guardrails for the lobby’s grand stair and a bridge linking the building’s two sides. The white-on-white elevators, unfortunately, are as clinical as anything you find in a hospital.
Upstairs are some stirring spaces, starting with the third floor’s 285-seat auditorium, which is lined with wood and overlooks the Midway and Rockefeller Chapel. The pre-function and meeting rooms offer panoramic views of the South Side, Lake Michigan and the downtown skyline. They culminate in a 10th floor meeting room, also lined in wood, where the over-the-treetop views unfurl with stunning majesty.
The U. of C. deserves credit for commissioning this adventurous building rather than a forgettable design that would have meekly tried to fit in. And the architects get kudos for bringing something fresh to the university’s storied campus. This is a bold building by, and for, bold thinkers — even if we don’t know yet whether it is truly meets the test of form that follows function.
Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.
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bkamin@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @BlairKamin


chicagotribune--2020-10-25--Waukegan mayor: Video of fatal police shooting of Marcellis Stinnette will be released after family

Waukegan mayor: Video of fatal police shooting of Marcellis Stinnette will be released after family views it

Williams was behind the wheel of a car , with Stinnette , 19 , in the passenger seat when a @ @ @ @ @ them .
The officer said the car began backing up toward him , and he @ @ @ @ @ safety , according to a police department news release .
Williams , though , said @ @ @ @ @ are the parents of an infant boy , did not do anything that would have @ @ @ @ @ .
Williams was struck in the abdomen and arm , but is expected to recover @

People gather before a prayer vigil for Marcellis Stinnette, 19, on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 at the corner of Helmholtz and MLK Jr. Drive in Waukegan. Stinnette was shot and killed by Waukegan police on Tuesday. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Waukegan’s mayor, standing very near the spot where five days earlier Marcellis Stinnette was shot to death by a city police officer, said Sunday that he intends for the city to release police video from the shooting sometime over the next few days.
At a prayer vigil held in front of the brick building where Stinnette, 19, was shot to death and his girlfriend, Tafara Williams, was wounded, Mayor Sam Cunningham told a crowd that a public release of the video will happen after the families of the couple are first able to view them.
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After the prayer vigil, Cunningham said he intends that the videos are released ahead of a Freedom of Information Act request that carries a Thursday deadline.
Marcellis Stinnette, 19, of Waukegan, was shot and killed by Waukegan police Tuesday. (Family photo) (Family photo)
“We want to beat the FOIA request,” he said.
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The mayor was one of several speakers to address a crowd gathered at the corner of Helmholz and Martin Luther King Jr. avenues for the vigil, the third peaceful public event since the late Tuesday night shooting. In addition to the mayor, police Chief Wayne Walles briefly spoke. The chief’s brief remarks focused on his belief in the value of prayer in what he called “a terrible incident,” and he offered condolences to the families.
The chief fired the police officer Friday, for what the city has called multiple policy violations. The officer, a Hispanic man who had been with the department five years, has not been identified. Cunningham said the officer’s firing had come “with my approval and at my direction.”
Satrese Stallworth, a cousin of Stinnette’s mother, said she had been to Florida to see his parents, who are expected to come to town in the coming days.
She said the city’s quick decision to fire the officer “speaks volumes” and she thanked them for their outreach to the family.
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham speaks during at a prayer vigil for Marcellis Stinnette, 19, on Oct. 25, 2020. Stinnette was shot and killed by Waukegan police. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“The fight has just begun and there’s a lot more work.” Said Stallworth, who asked the crowd to not engage in violent protest, and to remain patient while the investigation proceeds.
“Don’t burn down, don’t destroy, because guess what? They’re being held accountable and they’re already making progress in our favor,” Stallworth said.
State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim on Friday requested the FBI to join the Illinois State Police investigation into the shooting. Nerheim attended the vigil and said he did not have any update on when the investigation may be completed, other than his initial assessment of several weeks.
Williams was behind the wheel of a car, with Stinnette, 19, in the passenger seat when a Waukegan police officer fired at them. The officer said the car began backing up toward him, and he fired in fear of his safety, according to a police department news release. Williams, though, said she and Stinnette, who are the parents of an infant boy, did not do anything that would have caused the officer to shoot. Williams was struck in the abdomen and arm, but is expected to recover.
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The incident began at 11:55 p.m. Tuesday when a Waukegan patrol officer was investigating a vehicle near Liberty and Oak streets, police said. According to a news release, the vehicle fled and another officer saw the vehicle and began to approach it near Martin Luther King Jr. and South avenues, according to the release. That is when the officer fired his semi-automatic weapon, police said.
No weapon was found in the vehicle, according to police. Police have not said what prompted the initial investigation into the vehicle by the first officer.
Officials have not released the name of the officers involved. The officer who fired the fatal shot is described as Hispanic, and the first officer was described as white in a police news release. Both are men with about five years of experience in the Waukegan police department, officials said.
Community members sing during at a prayer vigil for Marcellis Stinnette, 19, on Oct. 25, 2020, in Waukegan. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
In his remarks, Cunningham pointed to his own roots in the southside neighborhood where the shooting happened, and he responded to someone in the audience who criticized him for not appearing at two marches held this week.
“I’m not trying to run away, but I’ve got to tell you, I’ve got to do it in a way that will benefit the entire Waukegan community,” Cunningham said.
He also said that Waukegan’s reaction would be different from other cities around the nation that have been convulsed by the deaths of Black residents by police officers.
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“Let’s keep them focused in all that we do, the steps that we take, and the facts will speak for themselves,” Cunningham said. “Then whatever it may be, we will deal with it together.”
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter for the Lake County News-Sun.


chicagotribune--2020-10-27--Chicago siblings shot to death, 8 others wounded at post-funeral gathering in Mississippi

Eyewitnesses told police a semiautomatic rifle was used , and officers picked up shell casings from an AR-15 .
Hammond @ @ @ @ @ by the time officers arrived .
No arrests had been made as of Sunday .

GREENWOOD, Miss. — Ten people were shot, two fatally, during a post-funeral gathering in Mississippi over the weekend, police said.
Jonathan Pitts, 42, and his sister Katrina Pitts, 41, died at the scene of the shooting late Saturday in Greenwood, the Greenwood Commonwealth reported.
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The siblings and other relatives from Chicago were in Greenwood to attend their grandmother’s funeral, investigators said. A gathering with family from both cities was held after the services.
Greenwood Deputy Police Chief Marvin Hammond said he could not immediately provide an age range of the other shooting victims or their conditions.
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Eyewitnesses told police a semiautomatic rifle was used, and officers picked up shell casings from an AR-15. Hammond said the assailant was gone by the time officers arrived. No arrests had been made as of Sunday.
Hammond did not immediately respond to a telephone message Monday from The Associated Press seeking additional information.


chicagotribune--2020-10-27--Daywatch: COVID rules rolled back in suburban Cook County, Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to Supreme Co

Daywatch: COVID rules rolled back in suburban Cook County, Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to Supreme Court and why a new Netflix movie is set in Chicago

The pandemic-driven decline in dining out has had a silver lining for home cooks : The high-quality produce and meats @ @ @ @ @ increasingly finding their way to people ’ s kitchen tables .
Now one of Chicago @ @ @ @ @ distributors is using its muscle to deliver fresh foods to consumers ' doorsteps , bringing @ @ @ @ @ movement to bypass grocery stores and give shoppers direct access to high-quality farm products .

Good morning, Chicago. Illinois health officials on Monday announced 4,729 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the seven-day average for new daily cases to 4,546. It’s the first time since the pandemic began the seven-day average has exceeded 4,500.
Meanwhile, in the latest blow to the city’s reeling hotel market, plans for the opening of a Navy Pier hotel have been postponed until March. The Tribune’s Blair Kamin has the story.
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Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Server Izzy Gutierrez waits tables at Hecho en Oak Park taqueria as Malina Contreras and Jose Guzman dine in on Oct. 26, 2020. New restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 will close indoor dining in suburban Cook County on Wednesday. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Suburban Cook County will soon join other communities living under stricter measures intended to slow the latest COVID-19 surge, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Monday, much to the dismay of bar and restaurant owners who have already endured a dismal year.
“All the progress we’ve made over the last two months is out the door now, and we have to start back from zero,” said Arnie Krause, owner of The Claim Company restaurant in Northbrook.
Suburban Cook County placed under tougher coronavirus restrictions starting Wednesday that will prohibit indoor dining and bar service
President Donald Trump watches as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administers the Constitutional Oath to Amy Coney Barrett on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, after Barrett was confirmed by the Senate earlier in the evening. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court late Monday by a deeply divided Senate, with Republicans overpowering Democrats to install President Donald Trump’s nominee days before the election and secure a likely conservative court majority for years to come.
A speed camera is seen on Western Avenue south of Addison Street in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on Oct. 26, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended her plan to begin issuing speed camera tickets for cars going 6 mph over the limit, declaring on Monday “it’s clearly a public safety issue” while pushing back against criticism that the proposal is a cash grab that will hurt lower-income Chicago motorists.
Lightfoot administration defends proposed Chicago property tax hike plan for 2021
Washed and cut green peppers move on a prep line at Fresh Midwest on Oct. 21, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The pandemic-driven decline in dining out has had a silver lining for home cooks: The high-quality produce and meats typically destined for restaurants are increasingly finding their way to people’s kitchen tables. Now one of Chicago’s top restaurant produce distributors is using its muscle to deliver fresh foods to consumers' doorsteps, bringing a heavyweight to a growing movement to bypass grocery stores and give shoppers direct access to high-quality farm products.
Emma Roberts, from left, and Luke Bracey star in the Netflix movie "Holidate," which dropped in October 2020. The movie is set in Chicago, but filmed in Atlanta. (Steve Dietl/NETFLIX / HANDOUT)
We’re still dealing with the fallout of Emily Cooper’s transformation from cringey Winnetka fashionista to cringey Parisian know-it-all on “Emily in Paris,” and Netflix is already dropping a new romantic comedy that’s set in Chicago.


chicagotribune--2020-10-27--Man, 41, sitting at kitchen table killed by bullet coming in through window, police say

About 1:45 a.m. , shots were fired outside and at least one came through the window and hit the chest @ @ @ @ @ East 121st Place in the West Pullman neighborhood , police said .
The man died @ @ @ @

A 41-year-old man was killed after a being struck by a bullet that came through a window while he was sitting at a kitchen table early Tuesday on the Far South Side, according to Chicago police.
About 1:45 a.m., shots were fired in the first block of East 121st Place in the West Pullman neighborhood. At least one shot came through the home’s window and hit the man in the chest, police said. The man died at the scene.
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No arrests were made and the shooting is under investigation, police said.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-27--Man accused of planning sexual assault at River North hotel so he could sue has a history of falsely

Man accused of planning sexual assault at River North hotel so he could sue has a history of falsely claiming he’s paraplegic in lawsuits, prosecutors say

Williams ' extensive criminal history dates back to the 1990s when he was a teenager and includes several audacious crimes @ @ @ @ @ connection to the theft of $ 100,000 in abstract artwork .
He admitted running off @ @ @ @ @ government money that was supposed to be used in a controlled drug buy .
This @ @ @ @ @ one of three men caught following a dramatic armed robbery at a Joliet cellphone store @

In more than a dozen lawsuits over a decade, Tirnell Williams has repeatedly argued that his rights as a disabled person were violated, either at the hands of police or in a jail cell or on a CTA train.
In 2012, he filed a federal lawsuit claiming two Chicago police officers viciously punched and kicked him during an arrest five days before Christmas. The officers denied the accusations, but the city settled for $5,750.
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In 2016, he filed a federal suit claiming he was violently slammed to the floor of a Brown Line train when it began pulling out before he’d gotten off, and that the car had insufficient space for a wheelchair.
He didn’t reach a settlement in that suit, but the next year he filed a federal lawsuit against Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, claiming inadequate housing and other amenities for inmates like himself who used a wheelchair. The county settled for $6,500.
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Tirnell Williams, charged with armed robbery and multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. (Chicago Police Department)
Most of Williams' lawsuits accused various government agencies of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, arguing that their facilities did not accommodate a paraplegic like himself. But last month, Cook County prosecutors said Williams does not need a wheelchair and has used it as a prop in scams to make money.
His latest scheme was the most ambitious of all, and the most violent, they contended.
Williams, 41, is accused of arranging the sexual assault of his fiancée’s girlfriend in the stairwell of a Hilton in downtown Chicago so he could file a lawsuit accusing the hotel chain of lax security. Authorities said Williams was planning a second assault at another Hilton when he was arrested.
As he stood before a judge, a prosecutor portrayed Williams as a longtime felon and a cold-blooded opportunist devoted to making money no matter the cost. He had deals with “several civil attorneys” to get a cut of settlements from lawsuits he brought, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Czerniejewski said.
Williams' extensive criminal history dates back to the 1990s when he was a teenager and includes several audacious crimes. He was convicted in connection to the theft of $100,000 in abstract artwork. He admitted running off with $3,000 in federal government money that was supposed to be used in a controlled drug buy. This past February, he was one of three men caught following a dramatic armed robbery at a Joliet cellphone store.
As his jail stays piled up, so did his lawsuits. He targeted his jailers, including the Cook County sheriff and the wardens and staff at the Pinckneyville and Lawrence correctional centers, according to court records. His suits claimed personal disputes with staff and being deprived of needed supplies. He alleged insensitive treatment, harassment and other violations of the federal disabilities act.
Attorneys for the agencies called the suits frivolous, and most failed. But the city of Chicago and Cook County approved settlements totaling $12,250. Representatives of both declined comment.
Prosecutors say Williams' cover story about being disabled unraveled when he set his sights on the Hilton hotel chain, months after he was released from electronic monitoring while awaiting trial in the Joliet case, where police said he drove the getaway car.
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Despite his long criminal record, Williams was able to post $50,000 and get out of jail. Exactly one month later, he successfully argued to be released from electronic monitoring and instead was required to check in with pretrial services daily, according to court records.
Free to move around, he plotted to sue Hilton over its security and arranged the violent sexual assault of his fiancée’s girlfriend, Czerniejewski told Judge David R. Navarro.
During their investigation, police secretly recorded his telephone conversations and took him into custody at his Woodlawn home after learning he was planning a second assault on a different woman at a different Hilton hotel.
Williams was recorded saying he hadn’t known the attacker in the first assault but planned on using him for the second assault because he is “a real animal and he enjoys it,” Czerniejewski said.
At least two witnesses told authorities that Williams, a reputed member of the Black Disciples gang, could walk and that he used a wheelchair as a prop. Czerniejewski also noted that Williams admitted being able to walk during the recorded conversations, and that he was once video-recorded doing jumping jacks.
He was charged on Sept. 27 with armed robbery, aggravated criminal sexual assault and conspiracy to commit aggravated sexual assault. He remains in custody, without bail, in Cook County Jail, where he has told authorities he needs a wheelchair to get around.
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The case took another strange turn this month when Williams' live-in fiancée was charged with felonies after she passed a message to her friend — the woman attacked in the stairwell — that she should recant her allegations.
The girlfriend later told authorities that Williams had set up the rape and had also admitted that he uses a wheelchair for lawsuits he files, prosecutors said.
It’s unclear what effect the prosecutor’s disclosures will mean. The state’s attorney’s office did not identify the civil attorneys he allegedly worked with. A spokeswoman for the office declined comment, saying the office doesn’t discuss pending litigation.
A spokeswoman with Chicago’s Law Department, which settled Williams' case against the two officers, declined to comment.
It’s also unclear whether Williams could face fraud charges. During his bail hearing, an attorney acting on his behalf said he received disability benefits. The attorney, Jason R. Epstein, couldn’t be reached for comment.
wlee@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @MidNoirCowboy


chicagotribune--2020-10-27--Mayor Lori Lightfoot defends plan to start issuing speed camera tickets for cars going 6 mph over th

Mayor Lori Lightfoot defends plan to start issuing speed camera tickets for cars going 6 mph over the limit as ‘safety’ issue. City data shows a more complicated picture.

“ Living and representing the 49th Ward , I ’ ve got Rogers Park , beyond Lake Shore Drive , @ @ @ @ @ to frequently use Lake Shore Drive , when I think about opportunities for increasing safety @ @ @ @ @ how it could overlap with enforcement , instead of grabbing folks — I know it @ @ @ @ @ to be in the central business district , but in the neighborhoods — for going @ @ @ @ @ limit , couldn ’ t we just do more enforcement on Lake Shore Drive ?
@ @ @ @

Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended her plan to begin issuing speed camera tickets for cars going 6 mph over the limit, declaring on Monday “it’s clearly a public safety issue” while pushing back against criticism that the proposal is a cash grab that will hurt lower-income Chicago motorists.
Lightfoot also said the city has seen “exponentially” more “speed-related accidents and deaths” this year, which she used to support her argument for implementing new speed camera standards that will catch more drivers.
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“This is about making sure that we keep communities safe,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot made her comments days after the Tribune first reported the mayor’s proposal to lower the standard for speed camera tickets as part of her plan to close a $1.2 billion deficit.
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But it remains to be seen whether the public will believe Lightfoot that the cameras are for public safety or fault the mayor for going back on a key campaign pledge to end what she’s called the city’s “addiction” to fines and fees.
A Tribune review of publicly available city crash data shows a more complicated picture of the safety situation than Lightfoot presented, with total crashes actually down from the first nine months of 2019 when there were 88,757 compared with the same period in 2020 when there were 69,480, records show.
City officials said deaths on the road are up in 2020 — 100 through September, versus 72 in the same period last year, with far less traffic. They also said city cameras are registering drivers speeding more — an average of roughly 2 mph faster than last year — which suggests to them that people are driving faster and causing more serious crashes.
A speed camera is seen on Western Avenue south of Addison Street in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on Oct. 26, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Still, it’s not clear how many are caused by speeding. The Tribune analyzed city crash report data available online and compared the first nine months of 2020 and 2019. The analysis found that fatal crashes blamed specifically on people driving recklessly, over the speed limit, too fast for conditions or too fast to avoid a crash are up by one — from 19 to 20.
Serious crashes blamed on any of those factors — which resulted in death or incapacitating injuries — are down 20% year over year, from 356 in 2019 to 286 in 2020.
Lightfoot officials argued that most of the drops in serious crashes happened earlier in the pandemic, when traffic volume was significantly down. They also said the city’s own crash report data lacks complete data on causes, and that speed was a contributing factor in more cases than the numbers let on.
Some members of the City Council already have expressed criticism of the mayor’s plan. During a budget hearing on Monday, Far North Side Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, said the administration should go after speeders on Lake Shore Drive rather than ticketing people driving near neighborhood schools and parks.
“Living and representing the 49th Ward, I’ve got Rogers Park, beyond Lake Shore Drive, and as someone who used to frequently use Lake Shore Drive, when I think about opportunities for increasing safety, especially traffic safety and how it could overlap with enforcement, instead of grabbing folks — I know it’s not just going to be in the central business district, but in the neighborhoods — for going 6 mph over the speed limit, couldn’t we just do more enforcement on Lake Shore Drive?” Hadden asked.
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“I think of all the folks who are coming from the northern suburbs on north Lake Shore Drive, they treat it like a superhighway,” she said. “And I know the same is on south Lake Shore Drive and South Shore Drive. So just throwing it out there, if we’re looking for more revenue, we could really increase safety. People fly 70 mph in a 40 (mph) zone.”
It’s unclear if Lightfoot is considering such a move. But the city is relying on a big increase in fines and fees to balance her budget.
And Northwest Side Ald. Samantha Nugent, 39th, wondered about the optics of the policy for the city.
“This looks like something that, if we’re also asking folks to increase their taxes and now we’re saying ‘If you go 6 miles over the limit we’re going to flag you there,’ I’m just kind of curious how this is going to look,” Nugent said.
Mari Castaldi, director of policy and advocacy at the Chicago Jobs Council, which has helped push fines and fees reform, wasn’t convinced by Lightfoot’s public safety argument.
Noting that motorists can have their licenses suspended if they have five or more automated camera tickets, Castaldi said, “If this policy change was about safety, it would ensure that enforcement mechanisms for speed camera tickets came down the hardest on people who commit the most offenses, not those who can’t pay.
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“That’s not how it currently works — for example, the city still opts to suspend driver’s licenses of people with five or more unpaid automated camera ticket fines,” Castaldi said. “That means that if John gets 10 speed camera tickets and pays them all, and Jane gets five tickets and can’t afford to pay them — Jane’s license gets suspended, but John faces no further consequences.”
Asked about Castaldi’s criticism, budget spokeswoman Kristen Cabanban said the city’s worked on payment plan reforms “exactly so that people would have a pathway to compliance.”
According to budget documents released last week as the mayor unveiled her spending proposal for next year, the city expects to bring in $381.5 million in 2021 from fines, forfeitures and penalties. That’s about $38 million more than Lightfoot’s administration projected for 2020.
The big hike in 2021 will come thanks to speed enforcement and the city ticketing more for “safety-related issues” such as cars double parking and blocking loading zones, along with better collection of outstanding fines, a city budget spokeswoman said.
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As a candidate, Lightfoot promised to reform the city’s fines and fees program, saying it was regressive and focused on generating revenue, not safety.
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“The red-light camera program was sold to Chicagoans as a public safety solution, but it’s really been about revenue — and those fines fall disproportionately on people of color,” Lightfoot said at the time.
Now, Lightfoot wants to start ticketing drivers going just a few miles over the limit at a time many Chicagoans are struggling to make ends meet thanks to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, Lightfoot tried to distinguish between speeding tickets and “nonmoving violations.”
“Unlike fines for nonmoving violations that did fall disproportionately on Black and brown Chicagoans, and drove people into bankruptcy, people have control over whether or not they speed or not,” Lightfoot said. “The signs are very well-marked and it’s my hope that people will take this as an opportunity to check their speed because we can’t afford to have more people injured and more lives lost.”
Under the mayor’s proposal, anyone caught by a camera driving from 6 to 9 mph above the limit would get a warning. Getting caught on camera a second time would prompt a $35 ticket in the mail.
Currently, only those caught driving 10 mph above the limit get the $35 tickets. Tickets of $100 are issued to drivers caught speeding by 11 mph or more above the posted limit. The city has the authority to issue the tickets at lower speeds but has never used it.
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The speed camera program has been controversial from the moment then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced it in 2013. He pitched the network of cameras to catch speeders around parks and schools as a way to keep children safe, but critics painted it as a cash grab, pointing out many of the cameras were only tenuously connected to Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Schools properties.
There are a total of 88 speed cameras operating in Chicago, 72 in the vicinity of parks and 16 others near schools. There are 73 cameras disabled due to COVID-19, according to Chicago Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Claffey.
Chicago’s red-light cameras also have drawn blowback from officials and activists who argue they do little to make intersections safe. A Tribune-commissioned report found that at intersections with low rates of injury accidents, the cameras may make things more dangerous.
Within months of taking office in 2019, Lightfoot shepherded through the City Council a series of reforms to the city’s fines-and-fees system that ended the practice of suspending the driver’s licenses of people who haven’t paid parking tickets, reduced vehicle sticker penalties and created a six-month payment plan to give those with ticket debt more time to pay.
The controversy over speed cameras isn’t the first for Lightfoot involving fines and fees. Earlier this year, the city issued more than 35,000 parking tickets during a period when Lightfoot told the public they’d be getting a break on ticket enforcement because of the COVID-19 outbreak, as the Tribune has reported.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
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jebyrne@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-27--CTA bus driver hit by paintball on South Side, police say

The bus driver , a 44-year-old man , was hit about 9:45 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Cottage @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood while two people were leaving the bus , police said .

A CTA bus driver was hit by a paintball by an unknown person Monday night on the South Side, according to Chicago police.
The bus driver, a 44-year-old man, was hit about 9:45 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood while two people were leaving the bus, police said.
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The bus driver did not know who shot him or where it came from, police said.
The driver was taken to Jackson Park Hospital in good condition, police said.
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No one is in custody, police said.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-27--Baby boy found after SUV he was in stolen from outside Southwest Side convenience store

When the woman returned to where she had left the SUV , it was gone , and investigators found that @ @ @ @ @ , heading north on California Avenue , according to police .

Chicago police said they found a 7-month-old boy in the care of a babysitter Monday afternoon after the car a woman said he was riding in was reported stolen from outside a Marquette Park neighborhood convenience store.
Police found the vehicle abandoned on the city’s West Side with no signs of the child. Authorities found the boy late Monday evening in the care of a babysitter after releasing photos of the child, Jaylen Mojica, in a community alert where he was classified as an endangered missing person.
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A 30-year-old woman told police she left the gray SUV running in the 2700 block of West 71st Street about 12:45 p.m. while she went into a convenience store, according to a police media notification. The child had been left inside the car, according to police.
When the woman returned to where she had left the SUV, it was gone, and investigators found that someone had driven it off, heading north on California Avenue, according to police.
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Police recovered the SUV two hours later in the 1400 block of South Keeler Avenue but did not immediately find Jaylen. Police later determined that he was in the care of a babysitter the whole time and had not been in the SUV, according to an updated police media notification.
Area One detectives were investigating. Police on Tuesday refused to say how they located the boy and the SUV.